Upcoming Affordable Flagships 2021: Pixel 5a, OnePlus 9 Lite, iPhone SE 2021, Realme 8 Pro, OnePlus Nord 2, Redmi Note 10 Pro, Poco F2, Poco X4, Mi 10i, Realme X7 Pro, Realme X4

Upcoming affordable flagships 2021? Budget phones 2021? The top smartphone makers are joining the affordable flagship bandwagon with multiple phones in different mid-range price categories. Expect a wide range of phones in 2021 in the segment with more new releases. OnePlus is working on a Lite model said to come as OnePlus 9 Lite.

Similarly Google and Apple will release Pixel 5a and iPhone SE 2021 respectively this year.

Samsung will launch a Special Edition Fan model in the similar budget category to tackle other affordable flagships. Realme and Xiaomi will launch their own flagships with top Qualcomm chips in the same category, so it’s going to be a tough fight in 2021.

Let’s checkout the top upcoming phones in 2021 (affordable flagships category).

Upcoming Affordable Flagships 2021 | Upcoming Phones 2021

Here’s the list of the top upcoming affordable flagships in 2021 in the budget category. 

Realme Koi

Realme confirmed its first Snapdragon 888 Flagship for next year. The device will be named Realme Koi. The upcoming Realme flagship phone will be powered by the brand-new Qualcomm top chip, the Snapdragon 888. Realme Snapdragon 888 phone to be named Realme Koi, which was earlier was expected to be called Realme Ace. In a Weibo post, Realme confirmed the name, so there could be another Realme Ace or not at all. So, the Realme Snapdragon 888 flagship will not be called Realme X60 Pro or not Realme Ace (for now).

The first Realme Snapdragon 888 flagship will be Realme Koi. The fish is known for its beautiful colours in both Chinese and Japanese cultures. Realme shared the news confirming the name with a magazine cover for Realme Koi with Realme’s motto “Dare to Leap” in the poster.

Redmi K40 Pro / Poco F3 Pro

Redmi K30 Pro may come to India as Poco F2 Pro or Poco X2 Pro with Snapdragon 888 powering it. Though the launch has been delayed for long, we are still expecting it by 2020. As Redmi K30 Pro dons the latest Qualcomm flagship, the next generation Redmi K40 Pro will run on Snapdragon 888, which may come to India as Poco F3 Pro or Poco X3 Pro in 2021. Poco F3 Pro or Redmi K40 Pro will come with 108MP primary camera.

Redmi K40 Pro will come with 120Hz refresh rate display, multi camera setup, 12GB RAM, 5G connectivity and more. The device will be powered by Snapdragon 888.

Mi 10i

Mi 10i India launch will happen on January 5. A teaser shared by Xiaomi on Twitter, the company is all set to launch a new 108MP phone in the country, and it’s the Mi 10i. The device will feature a quad camera setup with a 108-megapixel primary sensor. Xiaomi announced the Mi 10i launch date on Twitter, while the company is yet to confirm the name Mi 10i, but sources do say it’s the Mi 10i. A short teaser video also does add to the suspense, but it’s the Mi 10i to be launched.

The device will come with a square-shaped quad rear camera module. The Mi 10i is an addition to the already wide Mi 10 range, which currently includes: Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro, Mi 10 Lite, Mi 10 Ultra, and Mi 10 Lite Zoom Edition.

Realme X7 Pro

Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth at a QnA episode have previously confirmed that Realme X7 India launch will happen soon. Already unveiled in China, Realme X7 will come with octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 800U 5G chip with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal UFS 2.1 storage It runs Android 10-based Realme UI and packs a 4,300mAh battery with 65W SuperDart fast-charging support. 

Realme X7 will sport a 6.4-inch AMOLED 1080p display with up to 120Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate. The fingerprint sensor is embedded under the display.

Realme X7 will have a 64-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera with 119-degree FOV, a 2-megapixel black-and-white camera, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. If you are into selfies, you will be happy the Realme X7 will come with a 32-megapixel front camera housed inside the punch-hole. Realme X7 launch in India is tipped to happen in December alongside Realme X7 Pro.

Pixel 5a 4G

The upcoming Pixel 6 and Pixel 5a 4G are going to be one of the most awaited phones. The Pixel series haven’t been able to generate much buzz among smartphone buyers, and Google is trying to make it up with Google Pixel 6, Pixel 5a and Pixel 5a 5G. The upcoming Pixel 6 smartphones including Pixel 5a and Pixel 5a 4G will create a lot of hype in 2021.

In 2021, the Pixel 6, Pixel 5a and Pixel 5a 5G will come with the latest mid-range Snapdragon 5G chips with better cameras. 

OnePlus 9 Lite

OnePlus 9 Lite will be a toned-down version of the top models of the series pitted against the likes of Galaxy S20 FE, Mi 10T and Pixel 4a. OnePlus is said to be coming with a ‘Lite’ version finally, to be called OnePlus 9 Lite. OnePlus 9 series launch may by March. As per Android Central, the OnePlus 9 Lite launch will happen alongside OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9 Pro. The company recently forayed into the mid-range category with OnePlus Nord.

OnePlus 9 Lite will reportedly arm Snapdragon 865 SoC while the top-end OnePlus 9 series will be powered by Qualcomm’s latest flagship – the Snapdragon 888.

Coming to what we can expect from OnePlus 9 Lite, the device will cut on specs to bring down the cost. It could be a triple or four camera setup, 90Hz display, fast charging and such. OnePlus will position OnePlus 9 Lite in the same price bracket as Galaxy S20 FE, Mi 10T and Pixel 4a in India.

Poco F2

Poco F2 will soon launch in India. Poco F1 successor is in development, and it could be coming in anytime. Poco has been aggressively launching phones in the budget, mid-budget and mid-range segment, but won’t enter the flagship space immediately. Poco F2 is in the works, and it will take some time to launch in India. The first Poco phone, Poco F1 launched in August 2018.

Nothing about Poco F2 is out yet, but expect some top-end specifications on a budget pricing with a flagship-grade chipset. The Poco F1 successor will not be a rebranded Redmi phone, but an original model.

iPhone SE Plus 2021

iPhone SE Plus will launch is 2021, and it is expected to replace the all-new affordable iPhone 12 Mini. While the rumours are still yet to be confirmed, but yes, Apple is working on a Plus variant of the current SE 2020 model, and it will launch next year. A new mid-range Apple phone at an affordable price will help the company solidify its position in the entry-premium flagship category. Apple is slowly trying to get into the affordable premium category by not only focusing on the upper-end premium segments.

Apple is also expected to expand the supplier supplier base by further reducing the manufacturing costs.

The cameras for iPhones are mainly supplied by Taiwanese Largan and Yujingguang. It may include Sunny Optical Technology as well next year. iPhone SE Plus will either come with a 5.5-inch or 6.1-inch screen. The company will continue to use an LCD Display and not an OLED panel obviously. It will use the same case as the iPhone XR or iPhone 8 Plus. iPhone SE Plus will run on the A14 Bionic chip with dual cameras at the back.

Redmi Note 10 Pro Max

The upcoming Redmi Note 10 series could come as a massive upgrade over its predecessor. Redmi Note 10 and Redmi Note 10 Pro are said to come with the 108-megapixel camera. Redmi Note 10 could become the most affordable 108MP camera phone. Leaked by Digital Chat Station, the higher-end variant of the Redmi Note 10 will come with the latest Snapdragon 750G processor, 108-megapixel primary sensor, 4800mAh battery with 33W fast charging.

The report revealed that multiple Redmi Note 10 variants will launch, which will also include a budget Redmi Note 10 model with 48-megapixel main sensor running on MediaTek’s Dimensity 720 5G chipset.

OnePlus Nord 2

Leaked by popular tipster Max Jambor, OnePlus Nord 2 development has been confirmed. He leaked out OnePlus Nord 2 launch details in a cryptic teaser on Twitter, Denniz. It’s expected to be the Nord 2 codename as OnePlus is known to name its smartphones with cryptic codenames. While nothing is yet out, there’s a lot riding on with OnePlus Nord 2. The predecessor has been a straightaway hit in India, and OnePlus Nord 2 is expected to come with big upgrades at a similar pricing.

In terms of costing, OnePlus Nord 2 price is expected to stay in the same budget category. OnePlus Nord 2 price in India may start at the same Rs 24,999 tag for the base model.

Coming to OnePlus Nord 2 specs, the device will come with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 700 series 5G chipset with upto 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, improved cameras, display and battery. OnePlus Nord 2 will probably feature a 64MP main camera inside a quad camera system. OnePlus Nord 2 will have a faster Fluid AMOLED display with a refresh of 120Hz instead of the 90Hz on the original Nord.

Realme 8 Pro

Both Realme 8 and Realme 8 Pro will see some substantial upgrades in terms of hardware. Possible Realme 8 with 5G support has been spotted on Geekbench, India launch is being expected sooner. Realme 8 has been able to score 2,874 in the single-core test and 8,088 in the multi-core test. The listed Realme smartphone with model number RMX3092 on Geekbench revealed that the device will be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 720 SoC paired with 8GB RAM.

Realme RMX3092 3C listing suggests 65W fast-charging support. So Realme 8 and Realme 8 Pro will support 65W fast charging powered by Dart technology. Expect both the Realme 8 phones to ship with the 65W fast chargers in the box.

Realme 8 has also bagged the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification, hinting at an imminent launch. Coming to Realme 8 launch, the company will have a bunch of phones lined up for early 2021 release. Apart from Realme 8 series, the company will unveil Realme X7 series and Narzo 30 phones.

Redmi K40 / Poco X4

Redmi K40 launch is expected later this year given the alleged certification is out. The device will come with mid-range specifications. Recently Redmi K30S came out, and the upcoming Redmi phone will succeed. A certification surfaced on MIIT with model number M2011K2C. Redmi K40 will come with 5G according to the certification site confirms that. Redmi K40 is tipped to be powered by the unannounced Snapdragon 775 SoC 5G.

K40 will be a mid-range mobile platform from Qualcomm, which will replace the current Snapdragon 765G series. Snapdragon 875 will power the Pro model, the Redmi K40 Pro. The Pro variant will come with the top-end flagship features as 120Hz display, 108MP camera, 65W fast charging and much more. Xiaomi could launch the upcoming generation Redmi Note 10 series.  

Realme X4, Realme X4 SuperZoom

The next-generation Realme X4 could be coming soon. With the company already into a few months post Realme X3 series launch in India, the successors are expected to come in a short while. Realme X3 Pro is all set to be unveiled, so Realme X4 launch may happen in a couple of months from now. The contents is known to refresh its models and series in quick intervals, and hence Realme X4 series is expected to drop in a while. The upcoming Realme phone will soon be a part of the rumour mill given the popularity of X series.

The device is probably in the development phase now, but Realme X4 launch won’t be taking long. We can expect multiple phones in the Realme X4 series as well like Realme X4, Realme X4 Pro and Realme X4 SuperZoom. Realme X4 Pro is still far away compared to Realme X4 and X4 SuperZoom.