2016 saw some great smartphones come into the market with
emphasis on features like camera, video and security. Here is our top
pick:
Apple iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 7
Apple's iPhone 7
(AP)
One of the biggest and most awaited launches of the year. The
flagship iPhone series launch also saw the removal of the headphone jack
following LeEco’s move to do the same. The iPhone 7 Plus was also
Apple’s route to increasing battery backup, offer better camera and more
storage. Apple also stunned consumers as it kept the launch prices of
the phones same as its last version. The iPhone 7 Plus has a marvellous
camera -- a dual-camera setup at the rear -- that helps in taking better
and more detailed pictures in all kind of light conditions. It also
added the Potrait mode that allows users to take depth effect features
populary known as the ‘Bokeh’ effect in photography. The Plus also comes
with the latest iOS 10 that allows more software optimisations and
allows users to interact with the phone without evening unlocking it.
All in all, we feel that the 7 series was the most balanced launch of
the year when it comes to iOS.
The 7 is smaller and offers a little less battery efficieny. The dual
camera and the potrait mode is also not available on the 7. However,
everything else is identical to the Plus
.
Google Pixel and Pixel XL
The Google Pixel phone
(REUTERS)
When you come to know that the world’s most popular phone OS-maker is
revamping and launching a device of its own, then the only thing you do
is wait eagerly for it. We did as well and the phone mostly lived up to
our expectations. The 5.5-inch Pixel XL sports the Snapdragon 821
processor and 4GB RAM combination and is blazing fast. It can do some
heavy-lifting as well. Throw anything at it and it handles it. Although
we have noticed some heating on the device, it is worth mentioning that
it cools down very fast as well. The Pixel also saw the launch of
Android Nougat with the Google Assistant. Google has been betting on the
Assistant to take a giant leap in artificial intelligence and create a
conversation platform as users. The phone not only offers top
specifications but also free unlimited Google photos and videos storage
in origianl format.
However, it will be criminal on our part if we don’t mention the
camera abilities of the Pixel. It is safe to say that it is the best
camera that Android has ever seen. The 12.3-megapixel camera compares to
the 7 Plus camera and is capable of taking well-balanced, detailed
photos.
The camera also comes with electronic image stabilisation for better
and less-choppy videos. It also sports phase detection, laser autofocus
and dual-LED (dual tone) flash. The front camera is 8-megapixel.
Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
The Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge
(Hindustan Times)
Keep the Note 7 fiasco out of your mind for a while. The S7 series
has all the qualities of a true flagship. The S7 tops benchmark scores
with its powerful in-house Exynos processor and a 4GB RAM. But the best
part of the Edge is its dual-edged design and how extremely light it
feels in your palms. The 5.5-inch phone, which comes with a quad-HD
display and Marshmallow operating system, was one of the first to lead
the camera experience on phone. It offers many modes that most flagships
didn’t offer at the time of its launch. The phone comes with a
12-megapixel camera that supports phase detection autofocus, optical
image stabilation, LED flash. It can take beautiful photos and is at the
same league as the Pixel. The phone sports a five-meagpixel front
camera. The battery backup on the phone is also decent.
OnePlus 3 and 3T
The OnePlus 3T
(Livemint)
Even though, the Chinese handset-maker launched the 3T at the end of
the year, the road to glory was lead by its predecessor OnePlus 3. The 3
is a true flagship killer and offers the same speicifications of a
premium smartphone at a much cheaper price (a discount of nearly 45%).
The 5.5-inch 3 comes with an optic-AMOLED display which looks as bright
as other premium smartphones. The combo of a 6GB RAM and a Snapdragon
820 processor makes it a beast at processing heavy games, multiple apps
all at the same time. The 3 also has a huge battery of 3,000 mAh which
is good enough for a day of heavy usage. It also supports dash charge
which can come handy in tricky situations. The cameras are good and
tries to offer a better photography experience but cannot be compared to
the likes of Pixel, S7 Edge or the iPhone 7 Plus.
The 3T is an improved version of the 3 and sports a more powerful
processor. The performance on the 3T is marginally better. It also
offers incremental features with the addition of electronic image
stabilistion, more storage memory and a bigger battery.
LG V20
The LG V20
(Livemint)
Another phone that snuck in just at the knick of time. This is LG’s
attempt to make an actual smartphone with killer specifications and an
unbreakable attidude. The phone’s best feature is that it doesn’t break
if it falls from your hands. It just opens up and displaces the battery
-- just like our old feature phones. The camera, video and sound
improvements also make it one of the best smartphone launches of the
year. An user with a V20 can do selective audio recording in a noisy
place, take a video with no jerks and take advantage of several camera
model.
LG G5
The LG G5
(Livemint)
This phone was the best news after Google’s Project Ara was put to
rest. The G5 was the first modular phone that made doing new things with
your smartphone look easy. Even though we don’t agree with the pricing,
the G5 is quite an experience especially with its wide-lens cameras and
the LG Friends (modules). With the inclusion of controlling a drone,
the G5 can turn into a better camera, a DAC, help control a 360-degree
camera and run a motion sensor robot. The 5.5-inch phone also has good
battery backup.
Huawei P9
Huawei P9
(Livemint)
When it comes to camera phones, you cannot ignore the P9 as it was
the first smartphone to come with a dual camera. The phone sports a
Leica-branded dual rear camera setup that even if a tad slow, takes nice
contrast-level pictures. It also sports several modes that can take
your photography experience to a new level. The phone also comes with a
pedometer that makes basic wearables obsolete. It also sports a powerful
enough processor and RAM combo to support heavy games and multitasking.
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