Smartphones

Top 10 Smartphones in 2016

What is Smartphone?

A smartphone is a mobile phone (also known as cell phones) with an advanced mobile operating system which combines features of a personal computer operating system with other features useful for mobile or handheld use.Smartphones, which are usually pocket-sized, typically combine the features of a mobile phone, such as the abilities to place and receive voice calls and create and receive text messages, with those of other popular digital mobile devices like personal digital assistants (PDAs), such as an event calendar, media player, video games, GPS navigation, digital camera and digital video camera. Most smartphones can access the Internet and can run a variety of third-party software components ("apps"). They typically have a color display with a graphical user interface that covers 70% or more of the front surface. The display is often a touchscreen, which enables the user to use a virtual keyboard to type words and numbers and press onscreen icons to activate "app" features.

In 1999, the Japanese firm NTT DoCoMo released the first smartphones to achieve mass adoption within a country. Smartphones became widespread in the late 2000s. Most of those produced from 2012 onward have high-speed mobile broadband 4G LTE, motion sensors, and mobile payment features. In the third quarter of 2012, one billion smartphones were in use worldwide. Global smartphone sales surpassed the sales figures for regular cell phones in early 2013.As of 2013, 65% of mobile consumers in the United States owned smartphones. By January 2016, smartphones held over 79% of the U.S. mobile market.

Here is the list of Top 10 Smartphones in 2016:

1. Samsung Galaxy S7 edge

Price: $591.00 Onwards (amazon.com)

The curved screen is Samsung’s new headline design trait, and it’s using it more and more frequently. The S7 Edge is the best version of it yet, I haven’t spent enough time with the Galaxy Note 7 just yet, and it makes for an iconic phone. It's more eye-catching than the regular Samsung Galaxy S7, too.

It doesn’t just impress in the looks department though; this is an all-round stunner. It has the best optics, crispest screen and even Samsung’s software has taken a step back. The sloping display might make it harder to hold for some, but it’s never become an issue for me.It’s expensive, it’s always going to be, but you’re getting a lot of phone for your money.

Design hasn't always been Samsung's strong suit. Just two years ago, Samsung released the Galaxy S5. The handset was the most powerful phone available at the time, but it wasn’t a looker. Last year’s Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge signalled a much needed change for Samsung, and the change is only more obvious with the S7 Edge. The Galaxy S7 Edge is downright gorgeous. In my eyes, it’s the best looking phone ever and makes the iPhone 6S Plus look blocky, boring and dated.

2. Google Pixel

Price: $729.00 Onwards (amazon.com)

The Google Pixel is a landmark device, signalling the first proper foray into phones by the search engine giant. And boy, has it done a good job.

The Pixel is available in two sizes – the smaller one reviewed here and a larger 5.5-inch Pixel XL – and has one of the best cameras on any phone, along with a software experience that's better than any other Android device.

You have to pay a premium for these features – this certainly isn’t a Nexus-priced device – but it’s far from the first phone to cost a pretty penny. And when it’s this good, it’s worth paying that bit extra.

The least exciting part about the whole idea of the Google Pixel is its design. I know many people who dislike it completely, but I find it perfectly serviceable. It isn't as flashy as Samsung’s Galaxy S7, but it's much nicer than the latest batch of iPhones.

The body is made from metal and glass – pretty much a given these days – and it tapers down ever so slightly on the rear to help avoid any unnecessary camera bumps. A circular fingerprint sensor sits below the camera sensor, and both are encased in a divisive glass panel that runs about a third of the way down the back.

3. Apple iPhone 7

Price: $709.00 Onwards (amazon.com)

The iPhone 7 entered the world with a bang, thanks to headphone controversy and a price hike seemingly in the wake of Brexit.

But at first glance you’ll wonder what’s changed – it looks pretty much the same as an iPhone 6. I loved that design, but then I loved the design of the iPhone 4 – that doesn't mean I want a phone that looks like that in 2016. Still the 6 design was good, but would any other company get away with a two-year-old look for its flagship phone?

Get past this and the iPhone 7 delivers a unique experience among iPhones, which is both a good and bad thing. The new features – water resistance, an incredible quad-core processor and, crucially, a 32GB starting storage capacity – are all very welcome. So is the excellent camera that’s had the right upgrades to make photos look better.

4. OnePlus 3T

Price: $439.00 Onwards (amazon.com)

The OnePlus 3 was our favourite mid-price phone until this 3T came along. I have no idea why the company is in such a rush to replace its already excellent phone so soon after its launch, but there you have it. And here you have a phone that's the new standout in its category. Oh and don't worry -- the 3 is far from obsolete.

Compared to the 3, the 3T has a darker grey colour and a new 128GB storage option. It's got a faster processor, a bigger battery and a better front-facing camera. It's also a smudge more expensive at $439 for the 64GB variant and $479 for the 128GB model.  

For OnePlus 3 owners, don't panic. You're only missing out on a couple hours of extra battery life and better selfies. Plus, all the 3T's new software goodies will soon roll out to 3 owners too.

The earlier OnePlus 3 was fast -- it outpaced the Samsung Galaxy S7, LG G5 and HTC 10 in diagnostic benchmark testing scores. This time around, the 3T beats the 3 in the same benchmarks and is just as fast as the Google Pixel and LeEco LePro 3 -- two newer phones that have the same Snapdragon 821 processor as the 3T.

5. Samsung Galaxy S7

Price: $518.49 Onwards (amazon.com)

On September 2, 2016, the company recalled its Galaxy Note 7 phone after a major battery flaw caused a small number of the phones to spontaneously explode. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, along with Canada and Mexico, made the recall official, banning the sale of the phone, and certain airlines have blocked the phones from their flights.

Before the Note 7 fiasco, there was the Galaxy S7 Active debacle, which now looks positively minor in comparison. After introducing the flagship Galaxy S7 to rave reviews in March -- we still love it, by the way -- Samsung trotted out the Galaxy S7 Active, a variant equipped with a beautiful display, speedy processor, microSD card slot, excellent 12-megapixel rear camera, and supersized battery. Unfortunately, it received its share of unwelcome attention for issues related to its most highly-touted feature: waterproofing -- or its lack thereof. Though Samsung has fixed the problem on its manufacturing line -- and we've verified the fix -- the Galaxy S7 Active's inconsistent performance in water sapped our enthusiasm, and we can no longer recommend the phone with complete confidence.

Meanwhile, Apple has since released its water-resistant iPhone 7 and 7 plus, which appear to live up to their billing when forced to take a dunk. As covered in our full review, the iPhone 7 also takes great photos, provides long battery life, and delivers fast performance, though it lacks a number of the Galaxy Note 7's cutting-edge features such as iris scanner, wireless charging and wrap-around screen.

6. Apple iPhone 7 Plus

Price: $709.00 Onwards (amazon.com)

Apple's recent strategy of bringing out an iPhablet that includes all the best bits of the smaller new iPhone has been a strong one - but this year, the iPhone 7 Plus is a phone that's markedly better than the smaller model.

That's mostly achieved through two things: improved battery life and an innovative camera. The former is always going to be better, given the larger size, but by adding a dual-camera setup to the mix Apple has made a conscious effort to make the 7 Plus seem like a distinctly different choice.

There are also new color configurations, more space to throw in your media and apps, and changes to the internals - we lose the headphone jack, but gain a new kind of vibrating motor.

It's not just an increase in battery size which Apple reckons will see the 7 Plus last longer - it's also the new A10 Fusion chip, which has two low-power and two high-power cores.

The lower-power cores handle basic tasks, such as web browsing and emails, while consuming less power, and the more powerful duo come into play when you fire-up a game or an HD movie.

Whether that has a marked effect on the battery isn't that clear, but we can report that the battery life on the iPhone 7 Plus is very good.

It'll happily last a full day on a single charge with relatively heavy usage, including over an hour of gaming, a couple of hours of Spotify streaming, and regular social media and email action, as well as a fair amount of camera time.

7. HTC 10

Price: $517.48 Onwards (amazon.com)

The HTC 10 has stood the test of time remarkably well. Unlike competing phones, like the Huawei P9, the HTC 10 remains lightning fast. Games open in a matter of seconds and run chug- and stutter-free and I’m yet to have a serious software crash.

The phone has also survived more than average wear and tear. As well as several standard accidental drops onto TrustedReviews' carpeted floor, the phone also survived a hazardous impact with a tree after an accidental trip while running. It remained crack and chip free.

Battery life has slightly deteriorated, but not as much as I’d expected. The HTC 10 still easily lasts a full day off one charge and I regularly manage to eke out two days with light use.

The camera is still a slight annoyance, but only because I’ve experienced the majestic awesomeness of the Galaxy S7 – which still has the best phone camera sensor on the market.

The HTC 10’s camera isn’t bad, but the use of Ultrapixel tech, which instructs the camera to capture bigger pixels and more light, works a little too well. Photos taken in even moderately bright lighting conditions are regularly washed out and have unwanted flare effects.

8. Apple iPhone SE

Price: $251.00 Onwards (amazon.com)

he iPhone SE is no longer Apple's latest phone, that honour goes to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. They might not be radical redesigns, but new features are plentiful. Both are water-resistant, have stereo speakers and a wider colour gamut screen. You'll have to say bye to the headphone jack though, as it's been ditched.

Phones getting bigger and bigger, but the iPhone SE totally bucks the trend. This is a phone that's easy to use with one hand. Yes the the Samsung Galaxy S7, HTC 10 and iPhone 6S Plus are great handsets, but for many of us they’re simply too large.

How can a phone with a three year old design do it? Apple has given people a choice with the iPhone SE. The compact body is rare these days, but even though it's small it packs a mighty punch. This is a very powerful and capable phone. It can boast the same top-notch internals as the iPhone 6S, a Rose Gold hue and support for Apple Pay. 

9. Apple iPhone 6S

Price: $399.99 Onwards (amazon.com)

It’s always exciting when Apple debuts a fancy new iPhone that looks totally different, but that happens only every other year. On the off years, we get S phones, and usually they’re decent upgrade. Last year’s iPhone 6 was a beauty to behold, but under the hood it wasn’t anything special. In fact, it was basically an iPhone 5S, lacking the kind of horsepower upgrade that warrants a fancy new phone. This year, things are different.

Your eyes may not light up when you see the iPhone 6S (unless you’re coming from a 5S), but your future self will thank you for getting one.

With key upgrades in RAM, processing power, camera quality, and screen technology, the iPhone 6S has some tricks that no iPhone before it could pull off, and the speed of a souped-up Ferrari. And hell, it comes in a new color, too! No, not pink. It’s “rose gold.” Like it did with regular gold, Apple has made pink cool again.

10. Huawei P9

Price: $233.38 Onwards (amazon.com)

Huawei wants to play with the big boys. The Chinese company wants to be taken seriously as a competitor to Apple and Samsung, but right now it's rooted firmly among the second tier of Android manufacturers, competing with the likes of Sony, LG, HTC and Motorola in western markets.

A reputation for pairing high-end specs with lower prices than some of its competitors, backed up with some solid marketing, has enabled Huawei to start standing out a little from the crowd. And now the company hopes the P9, plugged with an ad campaign starring none other than Superman can take it to the next level.

But Huawei still needs to impress people. No one buys a phone from a manufacturer they barely know without doing a little research first. Huawei knows it, and the P9 has the specs on paper, and a focus on camera technology, that will catch the eye of even the most discerning prospective purchaser.