Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.

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.

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.

Source link