New phone releases in July lean conservative? REDMI, iQOO and Samsung all line up, mid-to-low-end segment becomes the highlight

In the mobile phone circle in July, it suddenly got a bit quiet.

In previous years around this time, manufacturers would usually come up with some impressive products. Either there would be a competition among high - performance phones, or a pre - launch hype for sub - flagships, or an early heating - up of the folding - screen phone war.

But this year is different.

Currently, the new phones we can see are all quite cautious. Some manufacturers just want to supply a durable small phone for offline channels. Some manufacturers continue to focus on large - capacity batteries and anti - drop and waterproof features. Some products are just patching up the old problems of folding - screen phones. Some products seem to be bringing their own design language to more affordable price ranges. None of them are really eye - catching.

(Image source: Nothing)

But if you think about it carefully, it's normal. Against the background of the general increase in costs, what manufacturers fear most now is not that their products have no selling points, but that after adding those selling points, the price will directly scare away customers.

Everyone seems to be asking the same question: With the wave of price increases, how can mobile phones be sold? Lei Technology (ID: leitech) has compiled a list of new mobile phones in July, trying to find the answer.

REDMI Note 17 series: A 9000mAh battery is on the table

This year, the REDMI Note series may skip Note 16 and directly launch Note 17.

This naming method is quite familiar. Xiaomi's digital flagships skipped 16 last year, and REDMI Note is following suit. It kind of feels like "Don't ask, just align with the big brother".

However, how the names skip doesn't matter. The configuration direction is more interesting.

Currently, it's reported that this product will use a low - power Snapdragon 6 Gen5 chip. The screen will be a large 1.5K OLED straight screen. The battery capacity will reach the 9000mAh level. It will have a 50 - megapixel rear main camera, dual high - volume speakers, and features like waterproofing and anti - drop, which are more noticeable in offline scenarios.

(Image source: Weibo)

This is very much like REDMI.

Although the naming seems a bit low - end, the Snapdragon 6 Gen5 this time is not the same as the previous under - performing 6 - series chips. It uses TSMC's 4nm process. The CPU has eight cores, divided into 4 performance cores at 2.6GHz and 4 energy - efficient cores at 2.0GHz. The GPU's graphics performance has increased by 21% compared to the previous generation, and energy efficiency has increased by 8%.

If the previous generation was a down - clocked version of the Snapdragon 7s Gen3, this one is basically on par with the Snapdragon 7s Gen3.

(Image source: Qualcomm)

With the 9000mAh battery, this combination basically defines the selling points of the REDMI Note 17 series.

Don't worry too much about performance; it just needs to be sufficient. Battery life must be strong; ideally, there should still be some power left after a heavy - usage day. The external speakers should be loud, the screen should be straight, and waterproofing and anti - drop features should be emphasized. This is a very typical volume - selling phone.

Of course, a large battery comes at a cost. Putting a 9000mAh battery in a phone will definitely make it difficult to control the weight and thickness. Coupled with the protective structure design required for full - level waterproofing and anti - drop, it's hard to make this phone very thin and light. It's good enough if it doesn't end up being a brick.

(Image source: Lei Technology)

Judging from the exposed images, Redmi probably doesn't plan to make it a delicate - looking phone.

It's also mentioned in the reports that the starting configuration of the Note 17 series may be 8GB + 128GB, but a 6GB version to lower the price is also possible. It sounds a bit shabby, but in the current storage market situation, it's understandable. After all, storage and memory are more expensive, and the pressure to stack high - end performance components is greater. It's better to focus on the aspects that users can directly feel.

Xiaolei thinks that if the pricing of the Note 17 series is stable in the end, it will probably sell well.

Because the core of this type of phone has never been to surprise. As long as it makes users feel that it's durable, worry - free, and affordable, it has fulfilled its mission.

iQOO Z11i: The drop - notch screen is back

At first glance, the iQOO Z11i gives a strong sense of nostalgia.

According to the currently public information, it has a drop - notch screen, dual rear cameras, and comes in three color options: Green Peak, Ink Shadow, and Desert Gold. It claims to be inspired by natural landscapes and will go on sale across all channels at 10:00 on July 3rd.

(Image source: Lei Technology)

To be honest, when Xiaolei saw the words "drop - notch screen", he was a bit stunned.

In 2026, it's amazing that a drop - notch screen can still appear on a new phone. It's like seeing a hand - cranked window at a new energy vehicle press conference.

Moreover, this is not an ordinary drop - notch screen. The resolution of this screen is only 720P. Although it supports a 120Hz refresh rate, the screen brightness and color gamut are just average. It even has a black plastic bezel, thick black borders, and a thick chin that seems big enough to land an aircraft carrier, which are outdated features.

(Image source: Lei Technology)

I'm not kidding. If you can keep a straight face when seeing this screen, you'll succeed in anything.

Besides the screen, there are no other highlights of this phone. It is equipped with a Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chip, a 6500mAh battery, 15W charging, supports IP65 waterproofing and anti - drop, starts with 6GB + 128GB storage, and has a 13 - megapixel rear single camera. The extra one is actually just a decorative lens.

It can only be said that many of this year's new products targeting offline, entry - level, and daily - use markets will be at this level.

After the cost increase, manufacturers will spend every penny on the aspects that are most likely to be noticed by users. For the Z11i, it may be battery life, durability, and affordability. As for the old - fashioned screen shape or whether there is a filler lens in the dual - camera setup, users may not care much after feeling the phone in the store and listening to the salesperson talk about the battery life.

Galaxy Z Fold 8 series: Samsung's debut in the wide - fold trend

If we talk about what's worth looking forward to the most in July, it has to be Samsung's folding - screen phones.

According to the current reports, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series will not only launch a new Ultra version but also upgrade the standard version to the rumored Wide wide - screen version. There is also a Z Flip 8 equipped with an Exynos chip. Samsung probably wants to make a big splash in the folding - screen market this time.

If you ask me, Xiaolei thinks that the real highlight of the Z Fold 8 series this year is still the standard version.

(Image source: Naver)

In the past few years, there has always been a problem with large - fold phones on the market: When closed, it looks like a normal phone, but when unfolded, it becomes a big square.

This aspect ratio looks quite recognizable, but it's not very comfortable to use. For example, when watching videos, only the middle part of the screen can be used. When playing games, the entire interface will be distorted. Typing is not convenient, and browsing information streams feels strange. Many times, you'll can't help but want to close it.

If a folding - screen phone is only comfortable when closed, it loses half of its value.

To solve this problem, domestic large - fold phones have made rapid progress in recent years. While maintaining the usability of the outer - screen aspect ratio, the inner - screen aspect ratio is getting closer and closer to that of a small tablet we are familiar with.

(Image source: Lei Technology)

When Samsung developed the Z Fold 8, it probably realized that this problem couldn't be postponed any longer.

According to the information from leaker Ahmed Qwaider, the Samsung Z Fold 8 will adopt a wider aspect ratio. When unfolded, its thickness is only 4.5mm, and when folded, it's 9.7mm. The weight of the whole phone is controlled at 201g. Its inner screen is a 7.6 - inch AMOLED 2X panel with an aspect ratio of 4:3, and the outer screen is a 5.5 - inch horizontal wide - screen with an aspect ratio of 16:10.

In terms of configuration, this phone will be equipped with a Samsung - customized Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, 12GB of memory, and up to 1TB of internal storage. The rear camera setup consists of a 50 - megapixel (f/1.8) main camera and a 50 - megapixel ultra - wide - angle lens (f/1.9), and the battery capacity is 4800mAh.

(Image source: X)

Judging from the configuration, its imaging performance is slightly downgraded, and the battery - charging and endurance performance is not outstanding. However, it does have the opportunity to solve the most annoying problems of the Z Fold series in daily use.

This is more important than simply launching an Ultra version.

I know that the name "Ultra" sounds good and is convenient for price increases. It's reported that the Z Fold 8 Ultra may have a larger inner screen, stronger imaging capabilities, and even high - end configurations like a 200MP main camera and 1TB of storage. The question is, do folding - screen users really need these?

(Image source: X)

Many people don't buy large - fold phones not because their camera performance is not flagship - level, nor because the name is not imposing enough. It's because they are thick, expensive, heavy, prone to damage, and not necessarily user - friendly.

If the Z Fold 8 can improve the experience when the phone is closed, even if its parameters are not as good as the Ultra version, it may be closer to what ordinary users want from a folding - screen phone.

Of course, Samsung can't avoid the price problem either.

Folding - screen phones are already expensive, and the prices of memory and storage have increased this year. Once the Ultra version is upgraded, the price will probably not be attractive. If the price of the regular version is more affordable, it will be more meaningful. It doesn't need to prove that it's the strongest folding - screen phone. It only needs to prove that Samsung is finally willing to