5 Smartphones Coming Out Soon You Should Know About Before Buying An iPhone 18 Pro

Apple unveiled the latest generation of the iPhone in September, announcing two Pro models and the first foldable iPhone. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max don't feature a drastically different design from the previous year, but they do pack in some notable upgrades under the hood. For starters, the A20 Pro powering the devices is based on the new 2nm process and has twice the AI performance of the A19 Pro. With iOS 27's showpiece being Siri AI, it's safe to say that the iPhone 18 Pro will age more gracefully thanks to all of that extra compute.

Both iPhone 18 Pro models also come with a six-blade aperture system that lets you manually adjust how much light enters the camera, giving you greater control over the depth of field. Apple has also promised better battery life and faster charging speeds at up to 60W with a compatible power adapter. Unfortunately, as most of Apple's products have seen price hikes, the iPhone 18 Pro devices are now $100 more expensive than before. Pricing for the iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,200 for 256GB of storage and $1,300 for the bigger iPhone 18 Pro Max.

As we've explored in our review of the iPhone 18 Pro, the smartphone is undeniably powerful. However, there are a couple of upcoming smartphone releases that could be a better fit for people who don't need the most powerful iPhone or those who prefer the Android ecosystem.

The iPhone Duo was revealed alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, but it doesn't come out until the end of October. After years of speculation and rumors, the Duo is Apple's first folding phone, and instead of conforming to the tall and narrow aspect ratios typically found on other foldable smartphones, the iPhone Duo offers a wider design that's a bit more compact. The outer display is a 5.4-inch OLED panel, which unfolds to reveal a 7.6-inch wide-angle OLED screen. Both the cover and inner displays are ProMotion-enabled, which means they can refresh at up to 120Hz. You also get HDR, True Tone, and a maximum brightness of 3,000 nits.

When unfolded, the iPhone Duo is actually slimmer than the iPhone Air. It also makes use of a titanium frame that should give it good structural integrity. As cool as the screen-unfolding animation that Apple has worked on is, it's up to third-party developers to make the most of the new form factor by optimizing their apps for the iPhone Duo.

If you've been patiently waiting all these years for Apple to ship a foldable device, the iPhone Duo could be worth picking up. It's priced at $2,000 for the 256GB variant, which is a bit more expensive than other Android foldable smartphones. You do get the same A20 Pro SoC that powers the iPhone 18 Pro, though the dual-camera system featuring wide and ultrawide sensors isn't going to be the highlight here.

Ever since the iPhone debuted in 2007, Apple has typically announced all the major models in each new generation together, even if their actual release dates were sometimes weeks apart. That, however, has changed this year, with Apple only announcing the iPhone 18 Pro series and the iPhone Duo. The base model iPhone 18 is expected to arrive next year, alongside the budget-friendly iPhone 18e and the second-generation iPhone Air. Perhaps Apple has opted for a staggered release schedule to make space for the growing number of iPhone variants in its lineup.

This means cheaper iPhones are on their way and could be worth the wait for those not looking to spend flagship-level money on the iPhone 18 Pro or the iPhone Duo. Not much is known about the three upcoming iPhones, but rumors point to a spring 2027 launch. You can expect the iPhone 18 to be powered by a new A20 chip and bring battery life improvements. A modest increase in RAM capacity could also help the new iPhones age more gracefully now that Siri AI is here. The iPhone Air 2 could sport a second ultrawide camera and a bigger battery — addressing two of the biggest complaints with the original iPhone Air.

Unfortunately, it is very likely that the upcoming iPhones will cost more than their predecessors. That said, the base model iPhone 17 that we reviewed checked all the right boxes, so the iPhone 18 could become an easy recommendation, too.

If you're looking for options beyond the iPhone, the Motorola Signature 27 is an upcoming Android smartphone you might want to keep on your radar. Though the company has been active in the market with its budget-oriented smartphones and foldables, the Signature 27 is Motorola's first flagship release in the U.S. in quite a while. It was announced at Qualcomm's Snapdragon Summit 2026, making it one of the first phones to ship with the new 2nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 SoC — we know, it's a mouthful. This should make it a strong competitor to Apple's A20 Pro.

The Motorola Signature 27 features a large vapor chamber for cooling, which helps with sustained performance under heavy loads. It packs in an impressive camera system, comprising a wide, ultrawide, and 200-megapixel telephoto lens. There is a fourth camera sensor, though Motorola has yet to reveal its specifications or use case.

The Signature 27 has a 6.8-inch AMOLED display that runs at 165Hz and supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+. It comes in various RAM and storage configurations and packs in a 7,000 mAh silicon-carbon battery that can charge at up to 90W. What's most exciting about the Signature 27 is that it launches with Android 17, and Motorola is promising up to seven years of major OS updates. It will also support GrapheneOS, which is a custom ROM based on the Android Open Source Project that focuses on bringing more privacy and security controls.

Though Google's Pixel series would technically be the closest Android equivalent to the iPhone, it is Samsung that enjoys a stronger reputation as Apple's biggest rival, at least in the U.S. Samsung's and Apple's smartphone release schedules are staggered in a way that lets the two brands take turns one-upping each other. If history is any indicator, the Galaxy S27 series should arrive in January or February 2027. Samsung often announces the base model, its bigger version, and the top-of-the-line Ultra variant together, giving you enough options to choose from.

According to tech analyst Ice Universe, the upcoming Galaxy S27 Ultra is expected to be heavier at 218 grams while being the same thickness as the Galaxy S26 Ultra at 7.9mm. This likely points to the possibility of Samsung using a silicon-carbon battery in its flagship. Unfortunately, Samsung's Galaxy S27 series is also rumored to see a price hike. Plus, with higher storage configurations potentially costing more than before, the Galaxy S27 series could match or even surpass the iPhone 18 lineup in terms of pricing.

Shared in another post by OnLeaks, the Galaxy S27 Ultra is expected to lose a camera sensor and feature a redesigned camera module. The Galaxy S27 series is also expected to come with built-in Qi2 magnets for wireless charging. You can expect the usual upgrades in other areas, including performance, battery life, and the display experience.

The Pixel 11 series is already out and is a viable alternative to the iPhone 18 Pro if you're looking for a phone with a clean user interface and solid cameras. That said, a more budget-focused Pixel 11a should arrive in early 2027. It won't be on the same playing field as Apple's flagship, of course, but it could be a compelling option for those looking to spend considerably less. 

Leaked CAD renders shared by Android Headlines point to the Pixel 11a being quite similar in design to the Pixel 10a. It is likely to be powered by the new Tensor G6 SoC and come with 8GB of RAM. Previous Pixel a-series smartphones launched at $500, though it's uncertain if Google will stick with the same pricing for the Pixel 11a given the rising cost of components everywhere.

There are a couple of other upcoming Android smartphones that match the iPhone 18 Pro's vigor — though they're likely not coming to the U.S. through official channels. The OnePlus 16 has already been released in China and brings incremental yet effective upgrades over the OnePlus 15 that we reviewed. It's powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 SoC, features a 200-megapixel primary camera, and drives a 185Hz display. It's also a shame the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max isn't seeing a U.S. release because it one-ups the iPhone 18 Pro Max in nearly every way, while emulating its look and feel the closest.