When Do New Phones Come Out: Smartphone Buyers Guide 2024

Whether you’re daydreaming about the iPhone 16 or you're an Android fan looking forward to what's next from Google, Samsung, and others, this article can help you mark your calendar for popular new phone releases.

While phone manufacturers don’t publicize the exact dates for new phone releases too far ahead of time, Apple, Samsung, Google, and other phone makers each have timeframes when they normally release upcoming smartphones. 

Unlike Samsung, Apple only has a single phone: the iconic iPhone, with the latest generation launching around the same time each year. Meanwhile, Samsung has several popular phone series, each following a slightly different release timeline. Likewise, Google doesn't release all of their phones on the same schedule.

In chronological order, here's our ballpark timeline for phones coming out in 2024 and heading into 2025.

Samsung Galaxy A55 Release Date

In keeping with the release timing for the last several A-series phones, the Samsung Galaxy A55 was released on March 11, 2024 in European markets. But Samsung is not currently selling the Galaxy A55 not in the US — and hasn't given us any reason to believe they plan to do so any time soon.

Google Pixel 8a Release Date

Unlike Apple, Google doesn’t release all phones in a series at once. While the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro were released in October 2023, the more budget-oriented Google Pixel 8a is rumored to be launched around May 2024. This would also be in line with when previous generations of Google’s Pixel a-series have been released. The Google Pixel 7a was released in May 2023.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 Release Date

For the last three years, Samsung has announced and released its new foldable devices in late summer. For example, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 was announced in July 2023 and officially unveiled in August 2023 during the Galaxy Unpacked event in South Korea. If you’re interested in this phone, definitely keep an eye out around July or August 2024 for the latest release.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 Release Date

Like the Fold5, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 was released at the August 2023 Galaxy Unpacked event in South Korea. We expect to see the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 around the same time – keep your eyes peeled around July and August 2024 for a Samsung Galaxy Flip6 release date. 

iPhone 16 Release Date

When does the new iPhone come out? Next in line for release are the Apple iPhone 16, the iPhone 16 Plus, the iPhone 16 Pro, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max. 

Apple tends to release new iPhones in early fall – the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max were released in mid-September of 2023. Mark your calendars for a similar date this year.

Google Pixel 9 Release Date

This October will mark one year since we were treated to the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. For previous generations of Pixel phones, Google stuck with an October release date, so we can expect a Pixel 9 release date of around October 2024. 

Google Pixel Fold 2 Release Date

Excited to try Google’s second generation flip phone? Based on the past alone, the best guess for the Google Pixel Fold 2’s release date would be around early summer 2024 since the original Google Pixel Fold was released in June 2023. However, Google hasn’t made any announcements, nor have there been any leaks. By comparison, in early 2023 there had already been several Google Pixel Fold leaks. This suggests that Google may be taking more time to improve on the Google Pixel Fold before launching the next version. 

If so, we expect the release date to be after the Pixel 9 launches, closer to the end of 2024, or even 2025. 

Samsung Galaxy S25 Release Date

Samsung tends to release the flagship Galaxy S-series at the start of the new year. We saw its flagship Galaxy S24 series revealed on January 17, 2024, at the Galaxy Unpacked 2024 event, including the Galaxy S24 Ultra, the Galaxy S24 Plus, and the Galaxy S24. The Samsung Galaxy S23 followed a similar pattern as Samsung launched it during the Galaxy Unpacked in-person event in February 2023.

With those dates, we can expect the Samsung Galaxy S25 series to follow a similar pattern, coming out in January or February 2025.

What Other Phones Will Be Released in 2024?

Aside from the popular smartphones noted above, here’s a shortlist of some other upcoming phone releases:

• OnePlus 12 Release Date: Released in February 2024
• Motorola Edge Plus Release Date: This model is expected to hit the market in the spring of 2024
• Motorola Razr Release Date: Rumors are flying that this flip favorite will hit the market in September 2024
• Galaxy A16 Release Date: This is another Samsung phone that is expected at the end of 2024

Note that we’ve focused on phones sold in the U.S., which is why we haven’t mentioned upcoming Xiaomi or Oppo phone releases.

With so many new phone choices, you might be wondering which one to get, whether it’s better to wait, or whether you might miss out on some great deals right now. That’s where our free, unbiased Phone Deal Finder below can help. Just answer a few questions about what you’re looking for, and we’ll show you the best phone deals you qualify for in a matter of seconds.

What Big Tech Developments Are Coming in 2024?

With all these new mobile phones coming out, it’s important to consider the biggest, most crucial tech developments and innovations coming to 2024 phones. Will we see bigger screens, a faster data transmission speed, or something completely new? How will the specs change? Which phone will offer the best camera?

New Chipsets

We expect better processing chipsets on many of these phones. Based on what we saw with last year’s phones, this year we can expect to see the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 from Qualcomm, the Tensor G4 from Google, and the A18 Bionic chip from Apple. What does that mean for you? Simply put, faster phones that can multitask with multiple apps, without suffering from performance drops.

Bigger, Better Screens

Expect OLED screens, brighter resolutions, faster refresh rates, better anti-glare tech, and perhaps slightly larger sizes. That being said, phone screens are already pushing the boundary of what you can hold in your hand, so we don’t expect them to get too much bigger. 

Wireless Charging

We wouldn’t be surprised to see continued advancements in wireless charging, either. Last year’s batch of new phone releases almost all featured wireless charging capability. This year, manufacturers will improve on that, perhaps speeding it up, or making it easier to use even when you’re using a bulky phone case.

Better Cameras

Most new phones have improved their main cameras too – adding megapixels, telephoto, and ultrawide lenses on the rear cameras, improving the camera sensor, adding optical zoom capabilities, enhancing image processing software, and more. 

While not many manufacturers radically upgrade camera hardware anymore, little improvements like these keep things moving forward.

Software Upgrades

There will most likely be software upgrades, though those are not specific to new phones. Typically, when a new iOS, One UI, or Android OS is released, that new software is rolled out to a subset of recently released phone models.

AI 

Lastly, the newest batch of 2024 phones may be more compatible with AI processes. The Galaxy S24 started this trend – Samsung announced that the phone, powered by a software called Galaxy AI, would be able to take better images, auto-translate live calls, and intelligently organize your notes. Other manufacturers won’t risk falling behind. 

Wildcard Improvements

There may be additional wildcard improvements or changes – the iPhone 15, for example, swapped over to a USB-C charger and featured the Dynamic Island on all models whereas it was previously only available on the iPhone 14 Pro.

In short, the best smartphones of 2024 will offer incremental updates with a few needed improvements on things like camera, battery life, charging preferences, and processing power. 

The Bottom Line

Love new gadgets? As you can see, you’ll have lots of options if you want to pick up a new phone in 2024. Whether you’re a fan of Samsung, Google, or some other manufacturer, odds are your favorite brand will have a great new phone ready to purchase by the end of the year.

However, it can be tricky to wade through all the potential offers and deals to find the best ones. With our free, unbiased Phone Deal Finder, you can easily find the best phone deals for your budget and your unique needs in no time.