Best 5 smartphones in 2016

Best Smartphones in 2016!!

If you're looking for the best smartphone of 2016, you've come to the right place. We will guide you through the hottest mobile phones of the year to save you time when you go to your local phoneshop.

We continually update this best smartphones feature to reflect recent launches, recognise price changes, and ensure 2016's latest devices appear alongside the best of 2015 (and before, if applicable). All the listed devices have been fully reviewed by us.

Our best smartphones list covers all operating systems, all sizes, and prices, so you'll be armed with everything you need to consider when choosing to buy your next device.

Of course, the most important factor in buying a new device is making sure you have the best smartphone for you. The best for your budget, the features you need, the size that feels right and platform that suits you best.

Be sure to let us know what you think is the best smartphone in the comments below.

oneplus 3

5. OnePlus 3

OnePlus has consistently pitched its devices as "flagship killers", offering great specs for a low price point. Its latest handset saw a slightly more subdued launch, but the OnePlus 3 is one of the best smartphones on the market this year, especially at its £309 price point.

As with its predecessors, the OnePlus 3 offers incredible value for money. It has many of the same features and specifications as smartphones twice its price and there is a lot to be said for that. 

The all-metal finish of the third generation flagship killer is sleek and sturdy, making it feel like a genuinely premium device that is a far cry from the plastic-backed OnePlus devices that have come before it.

The display is fantastic too, even if it isn't Quad HD resolution like many of its competitors. The company may have shied away from the "flagship killer" branding this year, but the OnePlus 3 lays down the marker for what you can get for £300.

FULL REVIEW: OnePlus 3 review

HTC M10

                                                                                                                                 4. HTC 10

The HTC 10 marks a return to form for HTC. Leaving no stone unturned, the HTC10 addresses many of the criticisms of the HTC One M9, focusing on the things that matter in a smartphone, and ditching many of the distractions.

The HTC 10 is built to the high quality standard you expect from HTC, and it's executed with aplomb. But this isn't a showy handset, it's a handset that solid and serious, and that's a good thing.

There's an increase to 5.2-inches on the display, this time packing a Quad HDresolution, and power comes from the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset, with 4GB of RAM. There's also microSD for storage expansion.

But the real interest will be in the camera. Taking no chances, there's a 12-megapixel rear camera with large pixels to absorb more light, along with optical image stabilisation. The front camera also offers OIS and autofocus, a rare thing indeed and giving great photos.

The result is power, performance, great design and camera performance, held together with fuss-free software that's slick, fast and free from bloat. The battery life isn't the best and the display could be better, but there's no doubting that BoomSound Hi-Fi is the best in the business.

FULL REVIEW: HTC 10 review

Apple iphone 6s

 3. Apple iPhone 6S

The iPhone 6S takes a strong design and supercharges Apple's smartphone. TheiPhone 6S might be an "incremental" model, with no changes to the exterior design, but under the skin there's a lot that's new in the iPhone 6S.

A natural starting point is the display. Although it isn't the highest resolution handset out there, Apple has introduced pressure sensitivity to the new iPhone and called it 3D Touch. It's not unique, but the depth to which Apple has empowered this new feature stands it aside. Being able to trigger alternative actions, peek into apps and then pop them open, changes navigation around the phone.

This is a more powerful handset than previously, so things are slicker and faster, but there's also been a refresh to the camera, the first update in a long time. A new 12-megapixel sensor powers proceedings, with new features, including 4K video capture. You can now take Live Photos, bringing movement to stills, as well as an improved selfie experience, with the display firing as a flash.

The result is an iPhone in which it looks like not much has changed, but in reality, it has. It's a better, faster, more engaging experience than it was the last time around. It is, however, still one of the most expensive smartphones around at £539, and although it offers a premium experience, some will see that the iPhone is behind the curve in some areas, such as display resolution.

FULL REVIEW: Apple iPhone 6S review

SG S7

2. Samsung Galaxy S7

Following a strong showing from the SGS6, some might have been surprised by how little changed in the Samsung Galaxy S7. Launched alongside a larger S7 edge model, the SGS7 takes what the SGS6 started and refines it. It tweaks the design slightly bringing better aesthetics, reducing the camera bump on the rear and adding curves to the back edges for a nicer feel. It's more natural and less slab like.

Visually, that's about the only difference you'll see, but the SGS7 brings with it a whole lot more. It adds IP68 protection against water and dust and importantly, it brings the microSD card back, so you have more storage options.

Internally there's plenty of power for a slick performance from the Exynos or Qualcomm chipset and 4GB of RAM, and a wonderfully vibrant Quad HDAMOLED display. The S7 edge is more impactful in the display, larger at 5.5-inches, but both offer plenty of punch.

There's a hugely wide range of functionality offered through Samsung's TouchWiz reworking of Andorid Marshmallow, and although this perhaps throws up more features than you'll ever use, the important point is that it's beautifully optimised, so it doesn't feel like it's ever slowing the phone down. 

Pair that will improved batter performance and a camera that's consistent and dependable and you have the recipe for the most compelling smartphone on the market. The regular SGS7 is the smaller, with a 5.1-inch display, but is also cheaper at £569. However, the S7 edge is likely to be the more popular device, despite the £639 asking price.

This was the best handset of 2015 and it looks like a repeat performance in 2016.

FULL REVIEW: Samsung Galaxy S7 review

S7 edge

1. Samsung Galaxy S7 edge

Taking the top two places might be a little excessive for Samsung, but that's an indication of the triumph that the Galaxy S7 is. While the flat handset is certainly one of the most appealing devices out there, the S7 edge pips it to the post, taking pole position as the more desirable handset around.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 fuses power with performance, offering a 5.5-inch display with a Quad HD resolution and plenty of punch, but differentiating itself with those curved edges. The edge functions may be little more than novelty, but from a design point of view, the SG S7 edge is unique and distinctive.

The increase in size over the smaller handset brings appeal. There's more space to play, but without this handset getting too large. The build quality now matches the best of the handsets out there and the addition of a microSD cardslot makes this handset all the more practical.

But the bigger size also gives more space for battery, meaning that you'll get plenty of life out of this handset too. The software has a heavy Samsung TouchWiz treatment to it, but importantly, although offering more options than you'll ever need, the software doesn't get in the way of performance. It's slick and fast and every inch the flagship experience. 

This is topped-off with a slick fingerprint scanner and a camera the matches or betters the best out there, delivering the whole package. The Samsung Galaxy S7 offers the whole package.

FULL REVIEW: Samsung Galaxy S7 edge