Skipped upgrading this year? 5 upcoming Android phones worth saving for

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Skipped upgrading this year? 5 upcoming Android phones worth saving for

Oct 31, 2026 — 6:00 AM ET

This year’s smartphone crop wasn’t the most exciting. Iterative releases, paired with steep price increases, made it much easier to keep your money in your wallet. As an enthusiast (and someone with column inches to fill), it’s been difficult to watch. Foldables provided a breath of fresh air, but I can’t help wondering whether better devices are on the horizon.

Thankfully, the roadmap for the next few months gives us a bit more to look forward to. I can see myself getting excited about several upcoming devices, including from some names you wouldn’t expect.

Just because 2026 has shaped up to be an expensive dud doesn’t mean there’s no reason to get excited about smartphones going forward.

Which upcoming phone are you most excited about?

Motorola Signature 27

At first glance, it might seem odd that I’m this excited about the upcoming Motorola Signature 27. It’s not a revolutionary folding form factor, and it’ll most likely be expensive when it launches. However, it’s a shift for Motorola and a device we desperately need in the US marketplace. I’m not naive enough to think Samsung will suddenly wake up and become the relentless innovator it was years ago. Still, more competition is a positive, and I like what Motorola brings to the table.

The Signature 27 is expected to have the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset, an impressive camera system, and a large battery. Moto is also promising 7 years of software support, which is what you’d expect from a flagship. Unfortunately, it is 2026, and I’m sure the phone will carry a hefty price tag.

However, Moto has a chance to offer a real alternative in a way others can’t. The company’s devices are in carrier stores, with all the potential for discounts and trade-in offers that come with that. Buyers will have access to generous financing, and Moto has a chance to siphon off curious buyers used to adding $30-40 a month to their phone bill.

I don’t think it’s a device Motorola can use to turn the tide, but I’ve loved the Razr series for years, and it will be welcome to have a third viable option alongside Samsung and Google.

Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra

It goes against every fiber in my body to be genuinely excited about a new Samsung (non-folding) phone, but here we are with the Galaxy S27 Ultra. I feel like we’ve been teased for years, and I kept telling myself there’s no way the company would roll out the same general design again. It seems like the upcoming Galaxy S27 Ultra is where we will finally see a break.

The phone will sport a new look, as Samsung is redesigning the camera bar. It’ll also come with a long-overdue upgrade under the hood. We’ve seen Samsung start to dabble in silicon-carbon batteries in the latest Z Fold 8 series — including an unspecified percentage of silicon in the anode. The Galaxy S27 Ultra is expected to go all the way this time; even though the cell capacity, at a rumored 5,700mAh, will still be below much of the overseas competition, it’s a step in the right direction.

While I can criticize Samsung for a lot of its hardware decisions, the software has been solid. One UI 9 remains an excellent experience for Samsung fans, and One UI 10 promises more of the same. I wish the company integrated its AI strategy a bit better into the daily user experience (Now Brief is painful), but there’s plenty to like about the company’s overall software efforts. Combined with (finally) refreshed hardware, the Galaxy S27 Ultra promises to be a good one.

Google Pixel 11a

I’m looking forward to the Pixel 11a, not because it promises to be an outstanding upgrade, but because I can’t wait to see what Google does with its midrange phone. The Pixel 10a just saw an unsightly price increase, jumping to $600. I know prices are shifting and costs are rising, but something doesn’t sit right with the phone at that price.

Still, all is not lost, and Google has a chance to impress with the Pixel 11a. I lived with a relatively unchanged spec sheet on the Pixel 10a because I felt keeping the price the same mattered more than anything. If Google keeps the Pixel 11a at an elevated price, I’d like to see something in return. I am sure we wouldn’t get more RAM, but the Tensor G6 chipset returning to the A-series would go a long way toward easing frustrations.

As much as people like to whine about the Pixel 10a, it still offers more than what you can usually get at that price — especially with all the Pixel extras. However, $600 is $600 for a midrange phone, and we’re justified in asking for as much as we can.

OnePlus 16

It’s absolutely cruel that OnePlus chose this year to abandon the US market, as the OnePlus 16 is shaping up to be a monster. The phone is expected to feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset, an upgraded camera, and a 9,000mAh silicon-carbon battery. Pair that with the already impressive OnePlus charging speeds, and you’d get a phone that could easily be the battery champ of 2027. I got phenomenal battery life from my OnePlus 15, and I can’t even imagine what a cell of that size could produce.

Although I’m frustrated the phone won’t be easy to pick up in the US, diehards will still have luck importing global versions. I have no issues using overseas devices on T-Mobile, and plenty of MVNOs run on their network that should be solid as well (I’ve also used Mint Mobile).

Samsung Galaxy TriFold 2

I understand it felt like exactly 30 people got to pick up a Galaxy Z TriFold, but I was one of them, and I haven’t kept quiet since then. It completely changes how you want to use your phone, and if I didn’t have to keep switching my SIM around to test new devices, it would be my daily driver without a second thought. Unfolding your phone to reveal an expansive 10-inch display with a wider aspect ratio is fantastic for work, watching video, and web browsing. It’s ridiculously expensive, but as Ferris Bueller would say, I highly recommend one if you have the means (or a business account you can write off).

Naturally, rumors of a sequel got me excited. I’m sure the phone will get the usual spec bump, and I don’t have any pressing notes on the design. However, I’d love for Samsung to work on the price. If the Galaxy Z TriFold 2 were released at $2,500, it wouldn’t exactly be affordable, but it would make it more of a conversation. Flagship smartphone prices are inching towards $1,500, and foldables start around $2,000. A $2,500 price point and higher production numbers might get the TriFold 2 into more hands, and I’m telling you, you’ll love the experience.

2026 may not have been the most exciting year for smartphones, but the next few months should make up for it if you didn’t buy anything. I may be one of the few left who think smartphones can still be exciting, and 2027 should prove me right.