Year in Review | Best 5 smartphones of 2016: Powerful processor or better camera, which mobile feature dazzled you?

As technology moves forward and smartphones become more powerful, their ability to do more has increased. In recent times, flagship smartphones are featuring almost 6GB of DDR4 RAM which is more than the RAM available on a normal laptop or desktop.

While you may be using a 1080p Television at home, the screen resolution on the top tier smartphones has moved on to 2K. Not just that, the camera quality is inching closer to DSLRs with each new smartphone.

In 2016 we can notice a trend, that smartphone market is offering great features for all budgets. So, out of all, here is the list of best smartphones of the year 2016:

 

1. iPhone 7 plus

 
iPhone 7 Plus has received the biggest overhaul - now it has Apple’s blazing fast A10 Fusion processor. The camera has also received a significant upgrade, now with two 12MP sensors capable of 2x optical zoom. Also, iPhone 7 Plus comes with iOS 10, Apple’s latest and greatest mobile OS. The other big upgrade is the IP67 certification, which makes the device dustproof and water resistant. It is expensive and may be too large for some, so the standard iPhone 7 with a 4.7-inch display is also worth your consideration.

Specifications

Display: 5.5-inch, 1080p

SoC: Apple A10

Fusion RAM: 3GB

Storage: 32/128/256GB

Camera: 12MP + 12MP, 7MP

Battery: 2900mAh

OS: iOS 10.1

2. Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
 
It features the brilliant dual curved display, with the screen bending around on both sides so it looks like no other phone ever made (apart from the S6 Edge last year). Also, the phone is now waterproof and allows microSD cards for up to 200GB. Samsung has employed an all new Exynos 8890 SoC on the new Galaxy S7 Edge which is among the fastest in the market. There is 4GB of RAM and the phone is available in 32GB of internal storage.

Specifications

Display: 5.5-inch, 1440p

SoC: Exynos 8890

RAM: 4GB

Storage: 32GB

Camera: 12MP, 5MP

Battery: 3600mAh

OS: Android 6.0

3. OnePlus 3T
 
Looking to upset dominance by the big brands is OnePlus, who took the mobile world by storm in 2014.  It’s fourth smartphone, the OnePlus 3T, has finally achieved that goal. The device is powered by one of the most powerful SoCs in the market, Qualcomm Snapdragon 821. The 16MP camera on the back does not disappoint either and offers PDAF as well as OIS support. Whereas previous OnePlus phones lacked finesse - the OnePlus 3T as a genuine premium feel and the software is rock solid.

Specifications

Display: 5.5-inch, 1080p

SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 821

RAM: 6GB Storage: 64/128GB

Camera: 16MP, 16MP

Battery: 3400mAh

OS: Android 6.0.1

 

4. HTC 10
 
The HTC 10 features the latest gen hardware. Powered by,  Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC, the HTC 10, is able to keep up with the best of the best. The OIS-assisted 12MP Ultrapixel rear camera does a fantastic job and you also get OIS support on the front facing camera. However, the best part is the audio quality, which with its 24-bit built in DAC is able to offer the best music quality there is a modern day smartphone. HTC has really worked on the criticisms of the previous generation devices and created their best ever flagship smartphone.

Specifications

Display: 5.2-inch, 1440p

SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820

RAM: 4GB

Storage: 32GB

Camera: 12MP, 5MP

Battery: 3000mAh

OS: Android 6.0.1

 

5. LG G5

 
This phone, has a modular design, letting you add optional attachments (such as a camera grip or high-res audio). It’s also the only flagship smartphone in 2016 which lets you swap the battery. The LG G5 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC. There is 4GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage, along with microSD card support of up to 200GB. The smaller, 5.3-inch display is a delight to look at, and it offers 2560x1440-pixel resolution screen resolution.

Specifications

Display: 5.3-inch, 1440p

SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820

RAM: 4GB

Storage: 32GB

Camera: 116MP + 8MP, 8MP

Battery: 2800mAh

OS: Android 6.0.1