2016 was another great year for smartphones, as we saw some powerful flagship phones from top companies like Apple iPhone 7/ iPhone 7 Plus, Google Pixel and Pixel XL, Samsung Galaxy S6/ S6 Edge, OnePlus 3, LG G5 and many more. We also saw some record-breaking budget smartphones like Redmi Note 3, Moto G4 Plus, Moto E3 Power, Lenovo Vibe K4 Note, etc.

(Read: 21 Most Popular Smartphones of 2016)

With technology evolving so rapidly in the world of smartphones, 2017 promises to bring more innovative and advanced products. Each year, we see some major upgrades and something unique from the smartphone companies in order to be at the top.

So, which phones are expected to be launched globally in January 2017, which hosts the CES 2017? How many of them are going to hit the stores? Which phones are coming to India? What January 2017 is holding for us?

Let’s, take a look at the Best Upcoming Smartphones in January 2017:

1. LG K Series and Stylus 3:

LG, recently announced four new K-series smartphones, dubbed as LG K3, K4, K8, K10 and the new Stylus 3 smartphone. All these smartphones will be showcased at CES 2017 trade show.

The mid-range Stylus 3 is the most intriguing of the group. The 1.8mm diameter fiber-tip stylus pen is meant to “provide the feel and feedback of an actual pen when writing on the screen.” It has a large 5.7-inch screen with 3 GB RAM and an Octa-core processor. It has a 13 MP rear and an 8 MP front camera, and will be available in Metallic Titan and Pink Gold colors.

The four K series phones will come in a range of sizes: 5.3 inches (K10), 5 inches (K8 and K4), and 4.5 inches (K3). The K10 offers the best specs with a fingerprint scanner, wide-angle 5 MP front camera and a 13 MP rear camera from the G series flagships. The K8 and K4 share a 5-inch in-cell touchscreen, but the K8’s is HD while the K4’s is FWVGA. The K3’s screen is just a tiny 4.5 inch FWVGA display. The cameras are a main differentiator between the three smaller models. The K8’s cameras have 13 and 5 MP, the K4 has 5 and 5 MP, while the K3 has a 5 and 2 MP camera. All these phones have a removable battery.

2. HTC ‘for U’ Event:

The Taiwanese electronics maker HTC has scheduled an event “for U” on 12th January 2017. However, the teaser image only read “for U” marked with the date 01.12.2017 and no additional details about what the company will unveil is provided. According to earlier rumours, HTC might unveil the HTC X10 smartphone powered by Helio P10, or the company’s highly anticipated flagship smartphone HTC 11. The company is also rumored to introduce a new VR headset and some accessories along with it at the event. However, we will come to know everything at the launch event or if any new teaser pops up before the launch.

3. Asus ‘Zennovation’ Event:

Asus has scheduled its ‘Zennovation’ event for 4th January 2017 and the latest teaser video by the company suggests that it has at least two new smartphones lined up for unveil. The video teaser doesn’t share much information regarding the two smartphones or even their names. However, towards the end of the video, we can see one phone’s display showing an inverted ‘V’ while the other one’s shows an infinity symbol. According to some reports, Asus is planning to launch a Google Tango-ready smartphone named ‘ZenFone AR’ at CES 2017 event. The phone is said to come with advanced functionality and performance at a competitive price. The another smartphone could be Asus Zenfone Zoom, which is supposed to feature a dual-lens camera setup.

4. Samsung Galaxy A-series:

Samsung launched its A-series devices, A3, A5 and A7 at CES 2016, and now the company is expected to launch its 2017 line-up of the smartphones at CES 2017. The upgraded versions of Galaxy A-series are expected to come with a USB-C charging port, better battery life, and faster processor.

The Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) is expected to come with a 4.7-inch HD display, an Exynos 7870 processor, 2 GB RAM, a 12 MP rear camera, an 8 MP front camera and a 3000 mAh battery. The Galaxy A5 (2017) with a 5.2-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display and a 3300 mAh battery. While, the Galaxy A7 (2017) with a 5.7-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display, a 16 MP rear camera and a 3500 mAh battery. Both A5 and A7 are expected to come with an Exynos 7880 processor and 3 GB RAM.

However, there is no official word from Samsung regarding the specs and launch of these smartphones yet. But, it will be interesting to see in which pricing bracket these phones will be introduced, if the phones are launched at CES 2017.

5. Blackberry Mercury (DTEK70):

TCL Communication (TCT) is now the exclusive global manufacturer and distributor for all upcoming BlackBerry-branded smartphones. The company has announced that it will unveil an evolutionary first in the mobile industry at the upcoming CES show in January 2017.

We’ll unveil more news at CES around our plans, showcasing the legacy of the BlackBerry smartphone brand, while also giving a glimpse into what new BlackBerry smartphones will offer as part of our bold new brand portfolio within TCT.

– Steve Cistulli, President and General Manager, TCL Communication (TCT).

An interesting thing about the new BlackBerry phone is that the fingerprint sensor will be integrated right into the spacebar of the keypad. It is also expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 625 CPU, and house a 4.5-inch display, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of inbuilt storage, a 3400mAh battery, an 18-megapixel rear camera, and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. It is said to run Android 7.0 Nougat with BlackBerry’s own customisations for security. However, there is no official word on the name of the BlackBerry phone, but according to rumours, it will be called as Mercury or DTEK70, similar to the last two phone series — DTEK50 and DTEK60.

6. Honor ‘Double or Nothing’ Event:

Huawei’s online subsidiary brand, Honor has sent out invites for an exclusive global launch of a new smartphone at CES 2017 on 3rd January. The invite includes a teaser image which only reads “Double or Nothing”, along with the date. So far, the company hasn’t revealed any further information on the device. The company has impressed in the past with its mid-range phones. Could the “double” refer to a dual camera? We will get to know all the details at the launch event or if any information is leaked prior to the launch.

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