With every passing year, the number of smartphones launched is steadily increasing. The market which has been mostly dominated by big players like Apple and Samsung are now being flooded with Chinese manufacturers like OnePlus, Xiaomi, LeEco, Oppo, Vivo etc. The latter brands are offering the same kind of quality to that of the well-known manufacturers, but at a much lower cost. This year, we have seen quite a number of exceptional smartphones from both, the new Chinese companies and the known phone manufacturers. Today we bring you the 10 best Android smartphones unveiled in 2016 till date.
OnePlus 3
This company was just founded a couple of years ago in December 2013. OnePlus is popularly known by its “flagship killer” moniker. True to the calling, the brand has been pretty successful in killing the flagship devices of well-known brands. Each year, the smartphones manufactured by this company comes with top-notch specifications, identical to the flagship devices of popular manufacturers at that time.
This year is also not an exception and the young company has presented us with the mighty OnePlus 3. The smartphone comes with genuine flagship grade internals while costing far less than the other phones in the market with the same or even inferior specifications. The handset comes with a massive 6 GB of DDR4 RAM which more than most of the high-end smartphones currently sold.
Specifications
- 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED Full HD (1080 x 1920) display, Gorilla Glass 4
- Snapdragon 820 (Two 2.15 GHz Kyro and Two 1.6 GHz Kyro), Adreno 530 GPU
- 6 GB DDR4 RAM, 64 GB Internal Storage
- 16 MP Primary Camera, 8 MP Front Camera, 4K Video Recording
- USB Type-C, Fingerprint Reader
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with Oxygen OS
- Rs. 27,999
Pros
- One of the cheapest phone to offer 6 GB RAM
- Exceptional Camera
Cons
- 2.5D Screen is a bit reflective
Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge
The best Android smartphones list of this year is never complete without Samsung’s flagships, the S7 and the S7 Edge. Similar to the previous year, Samsung released an Edge variant of its top of the line device with a dual curved display. As with every Samsung S-series smartphone, this too comes in two different variants, one with a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset and the other with the Exynos chipset. In India, we get only the Exynos version of the S7 and S7 Edge.
Specifications
- 5.1-inch Super AMOLED QHD (1440 x 2560) display for the S7, Gorilla Glass 4
- 5.5-inch Super AMOLED QHD (1440 x 2560) dual curved display for the S7 Edge, Gorilla Glass 4
- Exynos 8890 Octa (Four 2.3 GHz Mongoose cores and four 1.6 GHz Cortex A-53 cores)
- Mali T880 MP12 GPU, or
- Snapdragon 820 (Two 2.15 GHz Kyro and Two 1.6 GHz Kyro)
- Adreno 530 GPU
- 4 GB DDR4 RAM, 32 / 64 GB Internal Storage
- 12 MP Primary Camera, 5 MP Front Camera, 4K Video Recording
- microUSB 2.0, Fingerprint Reader, Heart-Rate Monitor, Barometer
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with TouchWiz UI
- S7 starts from Rs. 48,500 and S7 Edge starts from Rs. 55,990
Pros
- Excellent display
- Outstanding Camera
Cons
- Exorbitant Price
- No 6 GB RAM variant
Samsung Galaxy Note 7
Samsung recently unveiled the Galaxy Note 7 with identical specs sheet to the S7 Edge. The phablet comes with exact same specifications but with a number of improvements. Note 7 is the first smartphone to sport an HDR display and the Gorilla Glass 5. This is the first Galaxy Note device to be fully waterproof body including the S-Pen. The android smartphone can be seamlessly operated underwater with even the S-Pen functioning accurately. The Note 7 also sports an advanced Iris scanner.
Specifications
- 5.5-inch Super AMOLED QHD (1440 x 2560) dual curved display, Gorilla Glass 5
- Exynos 8890 Octa (Four 2.3 GHz Mongoose cores and four 1.6 GHz Cortex A-53 cores)
- Mali T880 MP12 GPU, or
- Snapdragon 820 (Two 2.15 GHz Kyro and Two 1.6 GHz Kyro)
- Adreno 530 GPU
- 4 GB DDR4 RAM, 64 GB Internal Storage
- 12 MP Primary Camera, 5 MP Front Camera, 4K Video Recording
- Type-C USB 3.1, Iris Scanner, Fingerprint Reader, Heart-Rate Monitor, Barometer
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with TouchWiz UI
- Rs. 59,990
Pros
- HDR Display is of unmatchable quality
- Iris Scanner makes if one of the most secure android smartphone
Cons
- Same hardware as the S7-series
- Steep Price
LG G5
The most powerful handset from LG is one of the first modular smartphones to be commercially available. The G5 features this year’s flagship hardware along with the capability to take in a number of additional modules for added functionalities.
Specifications
- 5.3-inch IPS LCD QHD (1440 x 2560) display, Gorilla Glass 4
- Snapdragon 820 (Two 2.15 GHz Kyro and Two 1.6 GHz Kyro), Adreno 530 GPU
- 4 GB DDR4 RAM, 32 GB Internal Storage
- 16 MP Primary Camera, 8 MP Front Camera, 4K Video Recording
- USB Type-C v3.0, Fingerprint Reader, Barometer, Colour Spectrum
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with LG Optimus UX 5.0 UI
- Rs. 41,000 (Amazon.in)
Pros
- Modular Design paves the way for futuristic customizations
- Solid Built Quality
Cons
- Sub 3000mAH battery
Huawei Nexus 6P
This is currently the most powerful Nexus smartphone in the world. Launched alongside the Nexus 5X, they both will the first smartphones to receive the Android 7.0 Nougat update. Featuring a stock android version perfectly optimized by Google, the Nexus 6P is one of the snappiest Android smartphones in the world.
Specifications
- 5.7-inch AMOLED QHD (1440 x 2560) display, Gorilla Glass 4
- Snapdragon 810 (four Cortex A57 x 2.0 GHz and four Cortex A53 x 1.55 GHz)
- Adreno 530 GPU
- 3 GB DDR4 RAM, 32 / 64 / 128 GB Internal Storage
- 12.3 MP Primary Camera, 8 MP Front Camera, 4K Video Recording
- USB Type-C, Fingerprint Reader, Barometer
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with Oxygen OS
- Starting from Rs. 34,999
Pros
- One of the fastest android device
- Will receive updates directly from Google
Cons
- Snapdragon 810 is plagued with overheating issue
- Camera lacks advanced options
HTC 10
HTC’s best offering comes with the same premium appeal of its famous HTC One line-up. In terms of internal specifications, it is identical to other flagships of this year. Its outstanding build quality and gorgeous design makes the HTC 10 stand out of the crowd.
Specifications
- 5.2-inch Super LCD5 QHD (1440 x 2560) display, Gorilla Glass 3
- Snapdragon 820 (Two 2.15 GHz Kyro and Two 1.6 GHz Kyro), Adreno 530 GPU
- 4 GB DDR4 RAM, 32 / 64 GB Internal Storage
- 12 MP Primary Camera, 5 MP Front Camera, 4K Video Recording
- USB Type-C v3.1, Fingerprint Reader
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with HTC Sense UI
- Rs. 55,000 (approx.)
Pros
- One of the best build quality among the premium smartphones
- Boom Sound Speakers
Cons
- A little bit on the heavier side
- Pricing is high
Xiaomi Mi 5
Xiaomi is another Chinese manufacturer known to provide excellent products at affordable prices. It is one of the very first brands from China to become popular around the world. In the year 2014, the company went to become the 3rd largest smartphone seller in the planet. Competition from several other brands like Huawei, Vivo, Oppo, OnePlus and LeEco dethroned it from the top five list.
The Mi 5 is presently Xiaomi’s flagship smartphone in the market. It sports top-end hardware with a stunning display panel and fabulous build quality. It can also be called one of the best-looking smartphones in 2016.
Specifications
- 5.15-inch IPS LCD Full HD (1080 x 1920) display, Gorilla Glass 4
- Snapdragon 820 (Two 1.8 GHz Kyro and Two 1.36 GHz Kyro), Adreno 530 GPU (Indian Variant)
- Snapdragon 820 (Two 2.15 GHz Kyro and Two 1.6 GHz Kyro), Adreno 530 GPU (Not Available in India)
- 3 / 4 GB DDR4 RAM, 32 / 64 / 128 GB Internal Storage (only 3GB / 32GB sold in India)
- 16 MP Primary Camera, 4 MP Front Camera, 4K Video Recording
- USB Type-C, Fingerprint Reader, Barometer
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with MIUI 7.0
- Rs. 24,999
Pros
- Fantastic Design and Built Quality
- Sports one of the best LCD displays in the market
Cons
- Xiaomi only sells the underpowered variant in India
- MIUI consumes a lot of resources
ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe (Snapdragon 821)
ASUS has just announced its most powerful smartphone in India. ZenFone 3 Deluxe is the first handset to get powered by the latest Snapdragon 821. On top of sporting top-notch hardware, the device also boasts an ultra-premium build quality. The ZenFone 3 is expected to go on sale from the next month i.e. September.
Specifications
- 5.7-inch Super AMOLED Full HD (1080 x 1920) display, Gorilla Glass 4
- Snapdragon 821 (Two 2.4 GHz Kyro and Two 2.0 GHz Kyro), Adreno 530 GPU
- 6 GB DDR4 RAM, 256 GB Internal Storage
- 23 MP Primary Camera, 8 MP Front Camera, 4K Video Recording
- USB Type-C v3.1, Fingerprint Reader
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with ASUS ZenUI 3.0
- Rs. 63,000
Pros
- Presently the most powerful smartphone in the world
- Looks and feels great
Cons
- Illogical Pricing
- ASUS should have opted for a QHD display
LeEco Le 2
This may not be as powerful as the most of the smartphones in the list. The main charm of the LeEco is its pricing. The phone currently provides one of the best value for money in the entire smartphone market. The Snapdragon 652 inside the LeEco Le 2 packs in enough horsepower to wrestle head to head with previous year’s flagships which costs almost four to five times.
Specifications
- 5.5-inch IPS LCD Full HD (1080 x 1920) display, Gorilla Glass 3
- Snapdragon 652 (Four 1.8 GHz Cortex A72 and Four 1.4 GHz A53), Adreno 510 GPU
- 3 GB DDR3 RAM, 32 GB Internal Storage
- 16 MP Primary Camera, 8 MP Front Camera, 4K Video Recording
- USB Type-C, Fingerprint Reader
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with EUI 5.6
- Rs. 11,999
Pros
- Unbeatable value for money
- Solid built quality
Cons
- Camera loses out a bit on the details
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3
This mid-range offering from Xiaomi launched earlier than the LeEco. It was the undisputed king in its segment until Le 2 dethroned it. Still, the Redmi Note 3 has got enough punch to be one of the best Android smartphones of 2016. The phone offers exceptional performance at its price point. It has got the ability to beat smartphones costing more than twice or thrice its value.
Specifications
- 5.5-inch IPS LCD Full HD (1080 x 1920) display, Gorilla Glass 3
- Snapdragon 650 (Two 1.8 GHz Cortex A72 and Four 1.4 GHz A53), Adreno 510 GPU
- 2 / 3 GB DDR3 RAM, 16 / 32 GB Internal Storage
- 16 MP Primary Camera, 5 MP Front Camera, No 4K Video Recording
- microUSB 2.0, Fingerprint Reader
- Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with MIUI 7.0
- Rs. 9,999 / 11,999
Pros
- Exceptional price is to performance ratio
- One of the finest display in its segment
Cons
- Heavy RAM consumption by MIUI
- No 4K video shooting
Conclusion
Year 2016 is not over yet and thus this list is not the ultimate. Many new devices are waiting to be unveiled in the last quarter of the year and some of them will definitely enter the list.
