THESE ARE THE SMARTPHONES THAT ARE STILL TO COME IN 2017

Here are the big-name phones that are still expected before the end of the year, and the stand-out features they are likely to bring with them. 

Some of the features are rumours and speculations, so it is not confirmed just yet so here is the list to look forward to:

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is scheduled to launch at a press event in August and despite the recall fiasco surrounding the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, Samsung knows these super-sized phablets are popular and will continue to churn them out. We're expecting to see a 6.4-inch screen that follows the same 18.5:9 aspect ratio of the Galaxy phones that came before it, possibly as well as a 4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixel) resolution. That might not make too much noticeable difference when looking at your phone normally, but it will of course help with Samsung's ongoing efforts in mobile virtual reality. Iris scanning should make a return after being included in the Note 7 and Samsung's own Exynos 8895 processor is tipped to be paired with as much as 6GB of RAM. 

The iPhone 8 has been getting a huge amount of interest and the consensus seems to be that we'll see a special anniversary iPhone 8 along with more regular updates in the shape of the iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus. The iPhone 8 is ditching the standard bezels and making the whole of the front of the device a screen. That might cause problems for Touch ID, which is possibly going to be included in the back instead, or perhaps on the power button.

The iPhone 8 is also going to come with a vertically aligned dual-lens camera that has special 3D depth-sensing features – that would fit in very nearly with the AR tricks Apple has already announced for iOS 11. As for resolution, the camera lenses will probably stick with the 12 MP level most manufacturers have settled on. With a rumoured 5.8-inch screen the iPhone 8 would be Apple's biggest iPhone display yet, and on top of that, it is going to switch to the OLED screen tech favoured by Samsung. 

The word on the – Google Pixel – street is that the phones will come with 4.97-inch and 5.99-inch displays, and they could also be the first phones to make use of the latest Snapdragon 836 processor if early leaks are to be believed. It won't be hugely faster than the Snapdragon 835 inside many of this year's handsets, but it will be faster.

What we do know, thanks to the rumours, is that the Pixel 2 is going have a stylish-looking render based on insider sources. The phones are set to be waterproof and there are rumours that Google is going to follow Apple in ditching the 3.5 mm headphone jack. Finally, one of the more unexpected rumours suggests the Pixel 2 handsets are going to follow the HTC U11 in offering "squeezable" sides as a way of interacting with the phone.

All we get to do now is wait and see what Apple, Samsung and Google is going to launch later this year.