The presented rating will save time spent on independent search for the most popular models in 2016. Here is detailed information including power, specifications, design and cost of the best smartphones.

Apple iPhone 6

iPhone The 6 packs a ton of power but is also economical. The smooth metal surface meets the glass of the new HD Retina display to create a finished look. The hardware works great with software. The camera received a new type of autofocus, the ability to shoot panoramas, and a barometer appeared, thanks to which you can count the number of steps climbed.

Samsung Galaxy S7

This South Korean flagship costs 53 thousand. rubles The phone has rave reviews. The characteristics of the model include a 5.5-inch screen and a resolution of 2560×1440, Android 6.0, 32 GB permanent memory and 4 GB RAM. It is possible to increase the memory up to 200 GB, which is not even available on the 6th iPhone. Galaxy S7 has 2 SIM cards. The main camera is 12 megapixel and the front camera is 5 megapixel. The advantages are the lens, which has a higher aperture ratio, and enlarged matrix pixels. Dual Pixel technology has also been introduced, which means two photodiodes.
There is the possibility of wireless charging, as well as shooting underwater.

LG G5

Third place in the ranking is occupied by LG G5. It is equipped with two SIM cards, an eight-core processor, a 5.3-inch screen and Android 6 system, a 16 megapixel camera and a powerful 2800 mAh battery. Thanks to the latter quality, you can stay in active mode for a long time. It does not freeze when running a large number of applications. High screen resolution allows you to take great pictures.

4) HTC One M10

This popularity of the model is due to the reduction in cost. But at the same time the phone is considered worthy, because in it Android 4.0 OS, 4.3-inch screen covered with tempered glass, shooting function is carried out in Full HD quality. The cost of the phone is 15 thousand. rubles

Xiaomi Mi 5

For the first time, the Xiaomi brand was included in the ranking of the best phones. Previously, this brand was successful only in China. The flagship Mi 5 is already known throughout Russia today. At the same time, the price of about 300 dollars is especially attractive.

Microsoft Lumia 950

The device supports 2 SIM cards and is equipped with an eight-core processor that runs on Windows 10 OS. Screen 5.7 inches. Durable glass guarantees the safety of the display, it also does not leave scratches and is resistant to impacts. The phone lasts two days in talk mode, thanks to its powerful battery. It's pretty high-performance a model that does not slow down when running multiple applications. Thanks to the infrared sensor, you can unlock your phone by looking at it.

Huawei P9

The main advantage of the model is a very powerful 8-core processor. Together with 4 GB of memory, the phone represents the most powerful model in the entire rating.

Sony Xperia Z5

Technical characteristics are not inferior even to the giants Apple or Samsung. Sony case waterproof and elegant. The Xperia Z5 has a fingerprint sensor, as well as the latest Snapdragon 810 processor, which has 3 gigs of memory. The 5.2" screen has a great look as a result of Bravia technology. The camera has a 23 megapixel sensor and improved autofocus

ASUS Z1 Titan

The model has amazing characteristics. These are 4 speakers, 6 GB memory, tempered glass on the screen and Android 7.0 OS. which will create the impression that the person is looking not to the side, but into the eyes. This is possible thanks to a camera consisting of two lenses located on 2 sides of the display in the center.
The developers also introduced technology for transmitting sound using screen glass.
The innovation lies in the solar battery, which has the form of a special film that is applied to the screen. The main disadvantage of this function will be a decrease in the quality of the image on the screen.

Each smartphone in the rating has its own unique design, which includes extensive functionality. At the same time, many models have a low cost, which is very important for modern buyers.
Thanks to the rating, you will be able to choose the right model for yourself among numerous options so that the phone pleases you with proper operation. Good luck with your choice!

The end of the year is time to take stock. In 2016, we saw many interesting new products on the smartphone market, so we decided to collect all the most interesting things in one material in order to evaluate this year from the point of view of photo smartphones. The best smartphones of the year, the main flagships, the most interesting gadgets - all this in one article!

Apple iPhone 7 Plus

Without a doubt, the most anticipated smartphone of the year, which seems to have met all the expectations of users. New colors, a more powerful processor, an updated Home key, as well as a unit with a dual camera, which we especially noted in a special material, pitting the device against the Sony Alpha ILCE-6300 camera. iPhone 7 Plus - best smartphone on iOS this year, and the best smartphone Apple released in 2016.

What else to look at: Apple iPhone 7, Apple iPhone SE

Google Pixel XL

Curved lines, big screen, one of the best mobile cameras- all this about Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. The smartphone display adds a special dimension to the image - and it is truly impressive. One of the most interesting and powerful smartphones of the year.

What else to look at: Samsung Galaxy S7

Huawei Mate 9

The year for Huawei turned out to be incredibly interesting and bright and was marked primarily by the conclusion of an agreement with the Leica photo brand. Under their supervision, the Huawei P9 and P9 Plus smartphones were released with a Leica camera unit and two lenses: one color lens, the second monochrome. At the end of the year Huawei released Mate 9 and Mate 9 Porsche Design, marking the second, more serious stage of work on the camera. And guess what? People are laughing less and less at the slogan “New era of mobile photography”!

What else to look at: Huawei P9 Plus, Huawei P9

LG G5

The Korean company's smartphone turned out to be the first real solution using modular technology. Among the LG Friends modules, the ones that stand out are additional control camera and sound unit from Bang&Olufsen. The LG G5 has two cameras. One of them is wide-angle, which allows you to take pictures unusual for smartphones. The fly in the ointment is that only the LG G5 SE is officially sold in Russia. This is a junior model with slightly different technical characteristics, first of all - more weak processor. But the cameras are identical.

What else to look at: LG G5 SE

Moto Z

Another modular smartphone that came out a little later than the solution from LG. Moto Mods are attached to the back of the smartphone using special magnets. Among the additional units there is a battery, a projector, a speaker from JBL, but most importantly, a photo module from Hasselblad with an optical tenfold zoom.

What else to look at: Moto Z Play

Sony Xperia XZ

Sony Mobile took a desperate step in 2016 by completely relaunching its line of smartphones. By the end of the year, they had completed the entire X-X line: the frameless XA and XA Ultra, X and its smaller copy XCompact, X Performance and the most flagship flagship- XZ. We held it in our hands and tested it. A very worthy and interesting smartphone that has its own personality: you won’t confuse it with anyone else.

What else to look at: Sony Xperia X Performance, Sony Xperia XCompact

Honor 8

Smartphones under the Honor brand are produced by Huawei. And this, in general, was no secret to anyone. This year, Honor 8 was released - beautiful, bright and with two lenses, like its half-brothers P9, P9 Plus and Mate 9. The device takes pictures very well, we were convinced of its qualities in practice.

Meizu Pro 6 Plus

Another late announcement is Meizu Pro 6 Plus. This year we tested both Meizu Pro 6 and Meizu MX6, and were satisfied. Actually, there is no doubt about the quality of the camera in the Pro 6 Plus. Also, as is standard for Meizu, the device sounds good because it has a digital-to-analog converter. The main advantage compared to competitors is a more pleasant price tag with the same flagship capabilities.

What else to look at: Meizu Pro 6, Meizu MX6

Asus Zenfone 3 (ZE552KL and ZE520KL)

Pleasant smartphones in all respects, which differ from each other in different screen diagonals. In general, this is the same device, which we were able to test with two cool Instagram photographers - @vi66nya and @19tones. Despite the affordable price tag in modern times, Zenfone 3 can surprise you in terms of photography.

What else to look at: Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe

LeEco Le Pro3

LeEco company is the most powerful start of the year not only in Russia, but also in the American market. We can say that a brand from China is dumping the market by making flagship specifications and offering them 1.5–2 times cheaper than other companies. Le Pro3 is new smartphone, which can and should be called an affordable flagship, and it also has a very decent camera. We managed to test Le Max 2 and overall we were very pleased.

Xiaomi Mi 5s

For several years in a row, Xiaomi has been constantly releasing interesting smartphones. And every year the brand gains more and more fans and users. This year the main device is Xiaomi Mi 5s, and the announcement of the frameless Xiaomi Mi Mix was also noticeable. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to officially buy Xiaomi devices in Russia - you won’t find this company’s flagships on store shelves.

What else to look at: Xiaomi Mi 5, Xiaomi Mi Mix

OnePlus 3T

OnePlus are newsmakers who are able to surprise the smartphone market year after year because they play by their own rules. The OnePlus 3 model appeared first, and at the end of the year it was updated to 3T. An extremely interesting and pleasant-looking smartphone takes pictures very well. But the problem here is the same as with Xiaomi - the devices are difficult to get due to their lack of availability in stores.

Potentially best Android smartphone year, which absorbed all the ideas and Samsung technology, Galaxy Note 7, unfortunately, was never released in Russia, and was withdrawn worldwide. This device, if turned on, is still prohibited from flying on an airplane. The problems with the flammable gadget were solved radically: all Galaxy Note 7 were recalled, and the line Note smartphones and completely closed.

“All these years we sold Nexus at a low price, like fools, by God. But Apple is cutting money - we need to join the premium too,” the guys from Google decided and released smartphones of the Pixel family. To ensure that the new “super-prestigious” Google Phone is not confused with its cheap predecessors, the developers at all presentations persistently emphasized that this is an “all-new” (“completely new”) smartphone, which was not developed by subsidiary brands (LG/Samsung/Huawei/HTC/ Motorola), and Google itself! However, it’s no secret that HTC, respected by Google, still assembles smartphones.

But we are less interested in politics and marketing; let’s talk about the technical component. In this regard, the new Google Phone is encouraging great camera(the best among smartphones in general, according to some experts), a good AMOLED display and a very powerful processor Snapdragon 821 with perfect system optimization.

By the way, about the system - now it has been added exclusivity and the latest “empty” Android Nougat has been given a new design, and English-speaking users can already talk to a smartphone like a person. That is, no more “inexpensive pickled cucumbers in Moscow” - you can immediately address them with the phrase “Pixel, where can you buy a good snack nearby?” Pleasant innovations? Yes, simply excellent! The Pixel design is a little strange, but the smartphones cannot be confused with anything else.

Another question is that in the 8.5 mm thick model (as Xiaomi Redmi 3S with 4100 mAh) is huddled with a ridiculously large capacity 2770 mAh battery. However, thanks to the perfectly optimized Android and AMOLED matrix, the Pixel will still last the day. But almost anyone flagship smartphone more compact than the new Google phones, which didn’t even bother to implement optical stabilization in the camera.

And the main thing is that such pleasure costs from 50 to 65 thousand rubles, even just in terms of European prices (Russians are so rich that smartphones in the Russian Federation usually cost more than in Europe). Would you like to shell out a thousand dollars for a “prestigious” Google nameplate? Yes, everyone already understands that you don’t want to, and that’s why Pixels are not sold in Russia. And for 65 thousand in Russia, smart guys buy an iPhone 7 Plus with 128 GB of memory from gray suppliers or a still cool Samsung Galaxy S7 edge for 40 thousand. And they do it right.

Pixel is a great model in its own right and best alternative the great and terrible iPhone (for this reason the smartphone was included in the list). But for record-breaking performance high price We already have Samsung, and Google’s “unique” software can even be made to work on cheap smartphones. That is, no matter what Google creates, it turns out to be Nexus. Only this time, an expensive, slightly strange Nexus that does not encourage reflashing, which did not manage to jump higher than its glass “head”.

4. Honor 8

In contrast to Google, Huawei knows a lot about “color differentiation” and has been successfully selling almost identical smartphones under different nameplates for a couple of years now. For image-conscious citizens, mobile phones under the name Huawei are coming out. And for everyone who doesn’t care about Scarlett Johansson and the nameplate of partner brands, the Chinese offer Honor models.

So in 2016, engineers “re-shoeed” the expensive Huawei P9 into a glass case, dismantled the Leica logo and began selling this model 40% cheaper than the flagship. Even by Russian standards, Honor 8, worth 28 thousand rubles, looks very cool - of the models of similar quality, only the “gray” ones are cheaper Xiaomi options and Meizu.

And you can’t say that Huawei saved money on customers in any way: a good fast processor (although not as cool as your Snapdragon 820), two cool rear cameras with which you can “blur” the background in photographs, a high-quality display. Honor 8 is not a flagship of the “nowhere better” format - it is rather a middle ground between expensive “top models” and middle-class smartphones. Such smartphones have become an endangered species - Chinese brands are now arrogant and strive to compete in price with Samsung, so it was impossible not to mention the “anti-crisis” Honor in a special manner.

3. Apple iPhone 7 Plus

iPhone just got better. Better by N percent, because it is not proper for noble dons to focus on the characteristics of mobile phones. Parasite designers, apparently, are still having unbridled fun with uninhibited girls and “washing powder” (iPhone 6 with almost the same appearance appeared in September 2014). But the revolution, comrades, begins from the grassroots, and iPhone buyers are still satisfied with the case design. Moreover, lovers of innovation still received the standard “glossy black” color - an important detail for those who want it new iPhone immediately distinguished from the old one.

Generally improved iPhone versions with the previous body design they usually receive an additional index S, but the name iPhone 6SS would sound provocative, and, frankly speaking, technical innovations have accumulated enough to change generations.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus

Judge for yourself: a new touch-sensitive Home key with imitation pressing, “identical to natural”. Water protection, which is not very useful in everyday use, but reduces the risk of “killing” a smartphone with liquid. Stereo speakers in a very compact body and a processor that four cores at a mediocre frequency it took it and outdid all Qualcomm and MediaTek of any degree of coolness. Double optical zoom(a small thing, it doesn’t always work, but it’s still useful). And this despite the fact that the iPhone, as we know, has never competed with rivals for show on the principle of “who has it longer”!

The iPhone 7 Plus still has a lot of shortcomings: ridiculous strap-worthiness, no support for fast charging, rather dismal shooting quality compared to Android flagships, a headphone jack amputated “for fun” or out of Apple’s greed.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus

But in order to criticize, you need to offer something in return. Google Pixel They don’t sell it in Russia, and they can no longer boast of the slogan “Android smartphones are always cooler for the same price.” The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge has reached “retirement” age on the assembly line, but is still too expensive, has a modest 32 gigabytes of internal memory (a little more than 20 GB is available for games and applications), and is easily soiled and fragile. It is, of course, very technological in itself, but has changed little since the time of the “breakthrough” S6 edge. And there are already enough high-quality and cheaper flagships based on Android.

With such a preamble, the iPhone award sounds like glorifying the best of the worst smartphones, but Apple’s flagship still “raises the bar” with each new generation by a sufficient amount so that iPhone users do not migrate to Android phones and do not envy Samsung Galaxy users.

2. Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime

They did not expect? But I think that the budget Xiaomi fully deserves such honors. Because Redmi has become a symbol and the most desirable budget smartphone during the crisis period not only in Russia, but also in other post-Soviet republics. To be honest, in 2016 Xiaomi made two “revolutions” at once - first, in January, Redmi 3 was born, which brought an unprecedented 8-core processor (not cheap, from Kvalkom bottling!) and a metal case to the budget ranks. And at the end of the year, when Huawei and Meizu released response smartphones, Xiaomi “finished off” all competitors with the release of Redmi 4 Prime.

A bright Full HD display in a smartphone for 8-9 thousand rubles! The coolest Snapdragon 625 - before this it was found in models at least 3 times more expensive! And a capacious battery that lasts all this stuff in a thin case for a long time.

Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime

Why not Xiaomi Mi Mix? Because now it is a very expensive and not very practical prototype smartphone with a flagship processor, but a mediocre camera. Why not Redmi Note 3? Because there is nothing breakthrough in it - Note 3 became a “restyling” of Redmi Note 2, and Note 3 Pro just received a slightly faster and more intelligent processor. Xiaomi Mi5, over time, also looks like “just” another inexpensive Chinese flagship, but the “compact” Redmi is developing much more sharply.

And I understand those who believe that such portions of praise are addressed to budget smartphone unnecessary. Still, you will have to polish it and Russify it yourself, the cameras in Redmi 4 are still mediocre, fast charging again is not supported due to savings on components.

Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime

But there hasn’t been anything cooler in the budget class, no, and there won’t be in the foreseeable future - in exchange for 8-10 thousand you can “taste” quad-core models from slightly more arrogant vendors that are disgusting in terms of speed and quality, or, at best, buy a plastic Meiza at based on the “deformed” old MediaTek processor. Moreover, if there have never been problems in choosing good and expensive smartphones, then Redmi almost single-handedly defends the honor of truly cool budget models, for which it receives “silver” in our rating today.

To compile this list We spent an awful lot of time collecting information and taking into account: performance, design and value for money. We received a list of the best of the best, regardless of platform and manufacturer. Meet me.

10. Sony Xperia Z5 Compact

Advantages:

• Compact design
• Impressive camera

Flaws:

• Screen resolution is only 720
• No wireless charging

Sony Xperia Z5 Compact is another in the line of small ones mobile phones from a Japanese manufacturer, into whose relatively small case they stuffed as much hardware as possible.
It has similar specs to the Xperia Z5 and Sony Xperia Z5 Premium, but with the bonus of better handling. This phone is exactly for those who want a compact but powerful phone.

9. Nexus 6P

Pros:

• Large volume internal memory at a good price
• Front stereo speakers

Minuses:

• Rear camera bulge
• No wireless charging

The Nexus 6P is a big phone (in terms of size and quality). Huawei has put a lot of effort into making it as easy to use as possible.

There is a very bright display with high resolution and excellent viewing angles, you won’t find this in any other smartphone from Huawei. The rear-mounted fingerprint scanner allows you to easily unlock your phone with one hand, and it's much more secure than using a PIN code.

Of course, it is not super cheap like other Nexus smartphones, but with such characteristics it is one of the best candidates among phablets thanks to its improved camera and great battery life. battery life.

It is worth noting that the large amount of memory, the smallest configuration of 32 GB, is an attempt to balance the lack of an SD slot. In my opinion, it’s a very good attempt, you don’t need to buy anything in addition, and 32 GB is enough for a lot of things

8. iPhone 6S Plus and iPhone 6S

Advantages:

• 3D Touch
• Great screen

Minuses:

• Big and heavy
• Very expensive

Apple is always trendy. Any release immediately falls into the list of the best of this year. These smartphones are similar in many ways, but there are slight differences. We looked at them in more detail in this article.

6.Sony Xperia Z5

Advantages:

• Good fingerprint sensor
• Good battery life

Flaws:

• Heats up
• Expensive

This is the most best phone, ever created by Sony. Happens, a new version differs little from the previous one, this is not the case.

The large 5.2-inch screen looks great thanks to Bravia technology. Despite the presence of open connectors, the case is waterproofed. By at least, don’t be afraid to take it with you to the bath.

Fast autofocus of a 23 megapixel camera coupled with a Snapdragon 810 processor and 3 GB of RAM will not make you wait long for a response. Photos can be taken very quickly.

5. LG G5

Advantages:

• Great productivity
• Wide camera angle

Minuses:

• The battery is not the best for a top phone

LG with the G5 tried to make a revolution and create something completely new. They partially succeeded.
G5 is modular in structure. This means that you can change certain features. Of course, the number of modules and their functions are limited and not so stunning in functionality. On this moment it is possible to connect:

• LG Cam Plus is an attachment for more convenient camera control with additional power.
• LG Hi-Fi Plus is an audio module for connoisseurs of high-quality sound.

4.OnePlus 3

Weight: 158g | Dimensions: 152.7 x 74.7 x 7.4 mm | OS: Android Marshmallow| Screen size: 5.5-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 1920 | Processor: Snapdragon 820 | RAM: 6GB | Storage: 64GB |Battery: 3000mAh | rear camera: 16MP | front camera: 8MP

Advantages:

• Premium design
• Affordable price

Minuses:

• No microSD slot
• Camera could be better

The Chinese company, dubbed the flagship killer, maintains its height. Saves great design and body materials, powerful filling and sufficient low price. Here we will also find an AMOLED screen and an improved fingerprint scanner.

The lack of a memory card and a battery that lasts no more than a day clouds the whole picture. But considering the prices, this is fantastic value for money.

3. HTC 10

Weight: 161g | Dimensions: 145.9 x 71.9 x 9 mm | OS: Android Marshmallow | Screen size: 5.2-inch | Resolution: 1440 x 2560 | Processor: Snapdragon 820 | RAM: 4 GB | Storage: 32GB |Battery: 3000mAh | rear camera: 12MP | front camera: 5MP

Pros:

• High quality audio
• Great design

Minuses:

• The camera is not impressive
• Minor bugs still in the system

The best model after the unsuccessful One M9 and One A9. The Taiwanese did a good job: HTC 10 received new design, but don't worry if you're an HTC fan, it retains many of the features of the older models. Many of the shortcomings that accompanied previous models have been eliminated:

• We optimized Android (or rather our add-on).
• The battery life has been significantly increased; the three-fold increase announced by the company did not work out, but the improvements are noticeable.

One of the M9 One's biggest problems is the camera. Here the 12MP UltraPixel takes clear and high-quality photos, but competitors at this level are still better.

2.Samsung Galaxy S7

Weight: 152g | Dimensions: 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 mm | OS: Android Marshmallow | Screen size: 5.1-inch | Resolution: 1440 x 2560 | Processor: Exynos 8890 | RAM: 4 GB | Memory: 32GB / 64GB | Battery: 3000mAh | Rear camera: 12MP |Front camera: 5MP

Pros:

• Improved, waterproof design;
• Fantastic screen and power;

Minuses

• High price;

At first glance, the design seems like the S6, until you pick it up.

• It lies much more pleasantly in the hands, thanks to the curved back;
• now waterproof;
• SD card support;

The camera is simply great. There are fewer megapixels, but the quality has improved.

Weight: 157g | Dimensions: 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7 mm | OS: Android Marshmallow | Screen size: 5.5-inch | Resolution: 1440 x 2560 | Processor: Exynos 8890 | RAM: 4 GB | Memory capacity: 32GB / 64GB | Battery: 3600mAh | Rear camera: 12MP |Front camera: 5MP

Advantages:

• Fantastic screen
• Excellent camera

• High price

Everything you can expect from Samsung flagship, the S7 Edge has it all.
The camera is simply magnificent, the combination of metal and glass is very successful, it fits nicely in the hand. Almost every feature can be described in superlatives, as well as the price.

Other decent phones

There are a lot of phone models and cutting it down to just the top 10 is not right, there are a lot decent smartphones remains without the attention it deserves. Of course, the first 10 do everything else, but take a look at some good phones that can meet your needs.

Huawei Mate 8

This phablet comes with a fast fingerprint scanner on the back, display good quality, although it is inferior in resolution to the top ones, Full HD is still not so bad, even for 6 inches. The battery life deserves special attention; it will beat most of those on our list in this regard.

However, Huawei's Emotion UI (Huawei's interface add-on for Android) is difficult to navigate and understand.

Nexus 5X

The most important plus is that the Nexus 5X (like any other Nexus) will always be updated to latest Android. With an excellent camera and hardware, you will especially like it if you are not a fan of bulky phones.

Are you tired of iPhone and Android? Maybe you're just interested in trying something different? Windows 10 on Lumia 950 will intrigue you. On a smartphone you can run the same things as on a computer. Plus, you can connect a mouse, keyboard and monitor and use it like a regular computer.
There is still one drawback - a small number of applications for Windows Phone.

BlackBerry Priv

BlackBerry + Android = more impressive than expected. BlackBerry is sticking to its guns, continuing. But this time they decided to ride Android, abandoning their OS. It turned out really interesting, and also very good screen and powerful filling.

HTC One The M9 didn't have a place in our top list of phones, but that doesn't mean it's a bad smartphone:

• On the one hand, it is still one of the best in terms of body: jewelry assembly and beautiful design. It's hard to disagree with this. The screen is bright and clear.
• On the other hand, the rear camera is clearly inferior to its competitors. At such a high price, you won't find anything here that can't be found among competitors in its class.

After the release of the 6S, everyone forgot about this model, as if it didn’t exist. But it is in many ways identical to the 6S. Can be the perfect smartphone for Apple lovers and non-bulky smartphones.