iPhone 7
The new iPhone 7 smartphone is displayed inside an Apple Inc. store in Los Angeles, California, U.S., September 16, 2016.REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

The first half of 2017 is almost over and a few flagships like Samsung Galaxy S8, Xiaomi Mi 6 and HTC U11 have been unveiled, but it wasn't as exciting as expected. Will the second half of this year be more exciting? Can't say, but there are a few interesting handsets in line for release.

Nokia 9 is one of the most-awaited smartphones of the year. HMD Global has revived the once popular brand from the brink of death. As usual, Apple's flagship is one device that gadget lovers look up to, and iPhone 8 is the cynosure of all eyes.

Also read: Will loyalty guarantee good sale of iPhone 8?

Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Note 8 is one device that people will watch with curiosity after the debacle of the Note 7 that had to be discontinued after a faulty battery caused fire. Nut there is no denying that Samsung is known more for its Note handsets. Another smartphone you can watch out for is the OnePlus 5. This Chinese smartphone manufacturer is known for making devices with impressive specifications, yet make available at a reasonable price.

Here are expected specifications of some of the most-awaited devices expected before the end of this year:

Nokia 9

It is expected to sport a 5.5-inch QHD OLED display with a 1,440x2,560 resolution, powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and run Android 7.1.2 Nougat operating system. It is also expected to feature a 6GB RAM, a 64GB/128GB internal memory (with microSD card slot), a 22MP PDAF with Zeiss optics, a 12MP front-snapper, and a 3,800mAh battery with Quick Charge 4.0 support. There are also reports that the device will be priced at $700 / €750.

iPhone 8

The iPhone 7 successor is expected to be released in the third quarter of this year. It is expected to feature a curved OLED panel, a 3D sensing system, and an A11 chipset.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 successor is expected to be codenamed Baikal, which is the name of a lake in Siberia. It is also reported that the device will have a 4K display and an AI assistant but not much is known other than that at the moment.

OnePlus 5

The device is the successor of the OnePlus 3. Interestingly, the makers of the device have reportedly decided not to use number "4" as its name as "4" is considered as unlucky for the Chinese. The handset is expected to have a 5.5-inch full Quad HD display with 2,560x1,440 pixels, a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-core processor clocking at 2.35GHz, an Adreno 540 GPU and an Android Nougat operating system. It also expected to feature an 6/8GB RAM, a 64GB internal memory, a 23MP rear camera, a 16MP front-snapper, and a 4,000mAh battery.

It is reported that the OnePlus 5 will be priced at $499 in China and $688 in the rest of the world.