Introduction
We've had an exciting year in the smartphone world and for those that haven't upgraded in a while, it's time to answer the question - what should you put in the letter to Santa? Sure, it might be a bit early for the holiday shopping, but we don't expect any new major phones launching to market this year so this buyer's guide will probably be the last one for 2016.
On the other hand, if you are not ready for your holiday shopping just yet, that doesn't mean you are not in the market for a new phone. Perhaps your old workhorse gave up the ghost or perhaps you were one of the millions that got a Galaxy Note7 and are mulling alternatives now. We already gave you a few pointers but you make sure to check out the �500+ chapter of this article as well.
Of course, this guide goes well beyond just flagship shopping. We start at the bottom, sub-�100 phones, and work our way up. Honestly, this time around the �100 or less phones did not excite, in large part because for �150 or so you can get a whopping good deal.
The other hot point was around the �400 mark, phones in that category have everything but the brand name (and the price premium that comes with it).
This is important - brand name counts when shelf space is limited and you have to grab the attention of shoppers. With online sales becoming the usual way to buy gadgets (after reading their reviews, naturally), shelf space is essentially as big as the Internet. Really, we'd be more worried about free shipping than sticking to a certain brand.
Before we set you loose in this zoo of phones, we should give you a few tips how to navigate the smartphone jungle.
For each phone, we've put down the most important specs so that you don't have to bounce between this page and the phone's specs page. We've also listed any potential issues we see with each phone. Those are certainly not deal breakers as otherwise the phone wouldn't have been listed in the first place.
We've reviewed many of the phones mentioned here and for them we can offer more details. This includes screen brightness, battery life, chipset performance, even the cons section is more detailed.
This should make it easier for folks who can't tell Cortex-A57 apart from Super AMOLED. Bigger numbers are better, so a direct comparison is a breeze even if you don't know the intricacies of mobile chipsets.
Normally, we advise you to pick a price category and also read through the category above and below. This way you make sure you're not spending too much for the features you want or you're not missing out on something great that's �20 or so above your target budget.
Here's the directory, take your pick:
Note that for the final category, we've decided it will be best to pit phones head to head. After all, if you're thinking of getting, say, an iPhone, obviously you won't be comparing it against other phones based solely on price. Instead, we're offering a handful of other options to consider.
Well, that's it. We hope you enjoy this guide, it's been a while since we've made one.
Under �100
There's a bit of an anti-smartphone movement going on - people install the apps they need at the initial setup and rarely visit the app store again. Unfortunately, the days of the featurephone with WhatsApp are gone (they were barely there to begin with).
The point still stands, though - you need Android because apps available for it give you access to your social circle. You may not care particularly about the latest game craze, just that you can chat over Viber and send Instagrams. iOS is obviously too pricey for this price range, but can Windows Phone step up? There's also Samsung's Tizen, which found success in its niche.
If you do care about the full smartphone experience, then �120 buys you a phone miles ahead of what's available here. We think it's well worth it to spend that little bit extra, the sub-�100 options are not very exciting.
And you may need to go through resellers as the best cheap phones hail from China. You can find ways to get the Meizu m3s in Europe or the US and it's a phone that really sets the benchmark.
The Meizu m3s has an attractive, if unoriginal, metal shell and a sharp IPS display. IPS means good viewing angles (not a given at this price range), while the 720p resolution makes for a very good 294ppi pixel density.
It even comes with a reasonably powerful chipset with 8x Cortex-A53 and capable of 1080p video recording through the 13MP camera. Even the selfie camera is good, 5MP, and you get a fingerprint reader, something that won't be seen again until the next price category.
The m3s is quite flexible, it's a dual-SIM phone with a 3,020mAh battery that will last a long while. The Android is a bit old (5.1 Lollipop), but is fully-featured thanks to extensive customization. More importantly, you can install any Android app you wish.
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LG has a bigger mind share in the West, but here's what you get for the same cash as the m3s. The LG K4 has a plastic body, a smaller 4.5" with lower resolution. Apps won't run as well on the entry-level chipset with 1GB of RAM and little built-in storage. Even the battery is kind of small.
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The Huawei Y3 II is in many ways the same phone as the K4, so let's look at the Huawei Y5 II instead. It brings a bigger, sharper screen (5" 720p), better camera (8MP) and a few other improvements. This gets it closer to the Meizu, but you still get a quad-core processor with 1 gig of RAM.
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Samsung released a new Tizen phone in August, but honestly we still prefer the one from late last year - the Samsung Z3. It has a 5" 720p screen, a Super AMOLED at that. As fans of AMOLED that tickles us, but also the 8MP/720p camera sounds sweet and you get a decent battery. The chipset is nothing to write home about, but it's enough to offer an okay experience.
The question then becomes - does it have all the apps you need? Here's a quick list of available apps: WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Plants vs. Zombies, AccuWeather, MX Player. Viber and Snapchat are not available as native apps, so you have to rely on the Android emulation if you need those.
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We have doubts about the survival of the Lumia line, Microsoft even outsourced the customer support for it. Worse, software updates are slow to come (if they do at all). Microsoft has been slashing prices (it's starting to smell of a fire sale), making the Lumias a great deal in the US, pricier in Europe and elsewhere.
Still, a sub-�100 Microsoft Lumia 550 is a decent purchase. It has a decent 4.7" 720p screen, decent camera, decent performance. "Decent" is not much of a compliment, but it's the truth. If you're interested, wait about a month for a price cut and jump on the 550.
Let's ask again - does it have all the apps you need? The Windows Store offers: WhatsApp, Facebook (+ Messenger), Skype, Viber, Twitter, LINE, WeChat and more. Better than Tizen, but then Windows can't fall back on Android apps.
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Under �100
There's a bit of an anti-smartphone movement going on - people install the apps they need at the initial setup and rarely visit the app store again. Unfortunately, the days of the featurephone with WhatsApp are gone (they were barely there to begin with).
The point still stands, though - you need Android because apps available for it give you access to your social circle. You may not care particularly about the latest game craze, just that you can chat over Viber and send Instagrams. iOS is obviously too pricey for this price range, but can Windows Phone step up? There's also Samsung's Tizen, which found success in its niche.
If you do care about the full smartphone experience, then �120 buys you a phone miles ahead of what's available here. We think it's well worth it to spend that little bit extra, the sub-�100 options are not very exciting.
And you may need to go through resellers as the best cheap phones hail from China. You can find ways to get the Meizu m3s in Europe or the US and it's a phone that really sets the benchmark.
The Meizu m3s has an attractive, if unoriginal, metal shell and a sharp IPS display. IPS means good viewing angles (not a given at this price range), while the 720p resolution makes for a very good 294ppi pixel density.
It even comes with a reasonably powerful chipset with 8x Cortex-A53 and capable of 1080p video recording through the 13MP camera. Even the selfie camera is good, 5MP, and you get a fingerprint reader, something that won't be seen again until the next price category.
The m3s is quite flexible, it's a dual-SIM phone with a 3,020mAh battery that will last a long while. The Android is a bit old (5.1 Lollipop), but is fully-featured thanks to extensive customization. More importantly, you can install any Android app you wish.
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LG has a bigger mind share in the West, but here's what you get for the same cash as the m3s. The LG K4 has a plastic body, a smaller 4.5" with lower resolution. Apps won't run as well on the entry-level chipset with 1GB of RAM and little built-in storage. Even the battery is kind of small.
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The Huawei Y3 II is in many ways the same phone as the K4, so let's look at the Huawei Y5 II instead. It brings a bigger, sharper screen (5" 720p), better camera (8MP) and a few other improvements. This gets it closer to the Meizu, but you still get a quad-core processor with 1 gig of RAM.
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Samsung released a new Tizen phone in August, but honestly we still prefer the one from late last year - the Samsung Z3. It has a 5" 720p screen, a Super AMOLED at that. As fans of AMOLED that tickles us, but also the 8MP/720p camera sounds sweet and you get a decent battery. The chipset is nothing to write home about, but it's enough to offer an okay experience.
The question then becomes - does it have all the apps you need? Here's a quick list of available apps: WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Plants vs. Zombies, AccuWeather, MX Player. Viber and Snapchat are not available as native apps, so you have to rely on the Android emulation if you need those.
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We have doubts about the survival of the Lumia line, Microsoft even outsourced the customer support for it. Worse, software updates are slow to come (if they do at all). Microsoft has been slashing prices (it's starting to smell of a fire sale), making the Lumias a great deal in the US, pricier in Europe and elsewhere.
Still, a sub-�100 Microsoft Lumia 550 is a decent purchase. It has a decent 4.7" 720p screen, decent camera, decent performance. "Decent" is not much of a compliment, but it's the truth. If you're interested, wait about a month for a price cut and jump on the 550.
Let's ask again - does it have all the apps you need? The Windows Store offers: WhatsApp, Facebook (+ Messenger), Skype, Viber, Twitter, LINE, WeChat and more. Better than Tizen, but then Windows can't fall back on Android apps.
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�100-�200
We think this is the most exciting category. Boastful "flagship killers" occupy the �400 region, but over here are phones that will make you question why you ever paid more than �200 for a phone. These aren't fully featured - maybe the screen is 720p instead of 1080p, maybe it lacks Gorilla Glass, maybe the storage is a little limited. So with a bit of smart shopping and you can find an excellent phone.
Let's kick off with a familiar brand. The Moto G4 bumps its head against the �200 ceiling, but it's a great deal for a roomy screen and fresh Android. The G4 model has a 5.5" 1080p screen, guarded by Gorilla Glass 3, runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with 7.0 Nougat already in the works. Its 13MP camera does 1080p video to boot.
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There's a Moto G4 Plus version, which adds a fingerprint reader and upgrades the camera to 16MP. That is a �50-�60 increase in price and you must be sure you want these features. There are versions with 3GB or 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB of built-in storage, but then the price delta becomes even greater.
Moto has the 5" G4 Play, which also offers a fresh serving of Android (Marshmallow now, Nougat soon). It has a 1080p-capable 8MP camera, which is also impressive, our only complaint is that the quad-core CPU doesn't cut it for this price range.
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Let's go for something unusual LG X screen. Some people fell in love with the second screen of the V10 (and now V20) and this is a chance to get it at a much lower price. The main screen measures 4.93" (720p resolution), above it is a 1.76" one line display.
Like the Motos above, you get a recent Android 6.0 Marshmallow and a good camera - 13MP/1080p, not to mention 8MP selfie. And again like the Motos, the chipset is less than impressive. The battery on this one is kind of small too, considering it has to support the Always on secondary screen.
By the way, LG's X series specializes in bringing one flagship feature to a very affordable phone. For example, the LG X cam has dual-cameras on the back, similar to the LG G5 or V20. We'll visit it in the next chapter.
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The Xiaomi Mi 4c quietly became a killer deal. For under �150 you can get some high-end performance thanks to the Snapdragon 808 chipset (used by LG for the G4, V10 and Nexus 5X). That's not the only advantage over the pricier Moto G4 Play - the 5" screen has 1080p resolution, you can get up to 3GB of RAM and a USB Type-C port. As with other Xiaomis, this one isn't available on Amazon, but it's fairly easy to find in the West.
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A similar, but newer phone is the Huawei Honor 5c. It has a metal body that houses a 5.2" 1080p screen and a solid 13MP/1080p camera plus an 8MP selfie shooter. It runs a newer Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Emotion UI skin.
Note that this device can be found under the name Honor 7 Lite, the differences are that the 7 Lite has a fingerprint reader and the 5c does not. This is also very similar to the Huawei P9 lite, except without the price and pretense.
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The Huawei P9 lite is perhaps the prettier device (a subjective opinion) and definitely comes with a fingerprint reader (unlike the Honor 5c/7 Lite uncertainty). It uses higher-quality components too, P9 lite's display is brighter and offers better contrast. Still, we'd be hard pressed to tell you that you're actually getting �80 more value for your money.
The Xiaomi Redmi 3 sacrifices the screen a bit, though at 5" even 720p is good. We're looking not so much the original 3, but one of its variants whose availability differs by region - Redmi 3 Pro, Redmi 3s, Redmi 3 Prime. They share a metal body with a 5" 720p screen, 13MP camera with 1080p video, long-lasting 4,100mAh battery and yes, a microSD slot.
The 3 Pro and 3s Prime offer a fingerprint reader on the back and have 3GB of RAM. Note that the 3 Pro runs Android 5.1 while the 3s models are at 6.0.
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�200-�300
In this price range, it's important to pick a side. There are devices ranging from minis to slabs, some close to flagship devices too. In the previous chapter, you had to know what you want to prioritize that feature (perhaps) at the expense of others. In this chapter, you have to know what you want simply because there's so much choice you can lose hours browsing and comparing stuff.
To save you time, we'll try to keep things organized. We start off with what we'll call "mainstream devices" - 5" or so screen, good camera and performance. Then we'll dig into the large slabs (5.5" to over 6") and finally contrast that with the petite offerings.
Be warned, though - even at similar prices, phones with a larger screen get the better specs. So be prepared to pay extra if you want a certain spec sheet in a compact body.
Mainstream: 5" or so
The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) launched as something of a more affordable S6 option. It has a metal frame (like S6 and S7) sandwiched between two panes of Gorilla Glass 4. On the front is a 5.2" Super AMOLED of 1080p resolution.
Unlike the S6, the Galaxy A5 (2016) does have a microSD slot (either dedicated or shared with SIM2, it changes by country). You also get a solid camera - 13MP sensor with a bright f/1.9 aperture and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), plus a 5MP f/1.9 shooter on the front. Samsung Pay is supported too, complete with a fingerprint reader.
Only the chipset is a letdown, it's not the most powerful phone you can buy in this segment.
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Did you know that you can get a flagship phone under �300? No, really, the Xiaomi Mi 5 is that phone - a Snapdragon 820 chipset, impressive camera, fancy curved glass, this phone has it all! Well, almost - to slip under the �300 limit we had to choose the 3GB RAM/32GB storage model and there's no microSD slot. Going up to 64GB pushes the price closer to �350 and you go over �400 if you want the top 4GB/128GB model. And that's still quite cheap for what the phone offers.
The chipset is used in flagships like the LG V20 or Galaxy S7 and the curved Gorilla Glass 4 on the back also says "premium." The 16MP camera features a 4-axis OIS and records 2160p video. The selfie camera uses an UltraPixel sensor - 4MP with 2�m pixels.
Note that Xiaomi released a mid-season upgrade, the Mi 5s which also comes in Plus size - we'll check it out in the next chapter.
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As promised, here's the LG X cam. It launched with a dual-camera setup right after the LG G5 (and before the V20 or the iPhone 7 Plus). The 13MP camera captures a 78� view, while the 5MP shooter sees 120�, similar to an action cam. Besides capturing much more of the scene, the wide camera can be used for some fun effects in combination with the regular camera. You get a solid 8MP selfie camera as well (just one).
The LG X cam has a 5.2" 1080p screen and a chipset similar to the Galaxy A5 (2016), it runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow as well. But that doesn't matter as much - the wide-angle camera is (pardon the pun) an eye opener.
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The Nexus line may be dead, but the Pixels are so expensive that the LG Nexus 5X sounds like an awesome deal. You get clean Android updates for a little while longer (not forever, though) and one of the best cameras on the market (especially for low-light shooting). And it can shoot 2160p video, something few sub-�300 phones can do.
Beware of the limited storage, though, there's no microSD slot. The trusty Snapdragon 808 is very fast in this price range, its GPU especially.
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5.5" and above
A similar but much more powerful device is the Samsung Galaxy A8 (2016). And, strangely, it's not more expensive - if anything, it's cheaper. You get a lot of phone for your money, starting with a 5.7" Super AMOLED screen (1080p again).
The phone is powered by the best Android chipset of 2015 - the Exynos 7420 Octa of the S6 and Note5. And it's coupled with 3GB or RAM and more storage. The Galaxy A8 (2016) has a different camera than the A5 (2016) - no OIS, but higher res both on front and back (16MP and 8MP).
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The Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime may seem similar, but it has an IPS screen and its chipset is nowhere near the level of A8's. If you get a choice, always pick the Galaxy A8 (2016) over the J7 Prime.
If an interesting camera is what drew you to the LG X Cam, we suggest you take a gander at the Xiaomi Redmi Pro - this metal phone is equipped with a dual-camera as well, but used for bokeh and other depth effects. It has an AMOLED screen too, manufactured in China (as the country ramps up its factory capacity in this respect).
We think the bokeh effects are a bit of a gimmick and a much better value for money is offered by the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4.
Its metal body was carved out of a solid aluminum ingot, similar to how HTC and Sony made their best. The result is tangibly better than the Redmi Note 3 (cheaper, also metal). The 5.5" 1080p screen offers improved brightness and color accuracy than Note 3's display. And the chipset, oh my, the MediaTek Helio X20 blows most other phones on this page out of the water, mostly on CPU performance. It also has an excellent GPU match for Huawei' s flagship P9 (not the P9 lite, the full-fat P9!).
Couple that with the excellent battery life from the 4,100mAh battery and we should have a masterpiece. Well, not quite. The camera is not very good - it wouldn't be very good for a sub-�200 phone either. The audio quality was a big letdown too.
Speaking of, the Redmi Note 4 falls in this category, because we picked the 3GB/64GB model, which just crosses the �200 mark when you pay for shipping. There's a ~�160 model too, but it only has 2GB of RAM and 16GB storage - not worth it with a hybrid card slot.
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The Huawei Honor 5X provides healthy competition to the Redmi Note 4. It doesn't have an impressive chipset, but it covers all other bases - a metal build, a 5.5" 1080p screen, 13MP/1080p camera and Marshmallow. Here the microSD card slot is dedicated, so the 16GB storage aren't such an issue. And did we mention the stereo speakers?
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In the higher ranges of the �200-�300 segment is the Huawei Mate S - another metal phone with a 5.5" 1080p screen. This one is an AMOLED though and you get a solid 13MP camera - large 1/2.6" sensor, f/2.0 aperture and OIS. Not to mention the 8MP selfie camera which has its own flash. The phone can't record 2160p video, though, Huawei took a while to learn how to make such chipsets and that was after the Mate S launched.
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If you want to go really honking big, the Xiaomi Mi Max is hard to match - a massive 6.44" screen spans its front, a metal plate the back and one of Qualcomm's best chipsets in the middle. Let us repeat again - this phone is huge - owning a Galaxy Note or iPhone Plus does not prepare you for the Mi Max, not even close.
Anyway, the screen is reasonably bright with decent color accuracy, but we do wish its sunlight legibility was better. Behind the screen is a Snapdragon 650 chipset (or a 652 on the top model) - you get excellent GPU performance (to match the Redmi Note 4) and strong CPU performance. The S652 model comes with 4GB RAM, the more common model has 3GB.
The camera impresses too - 16MP sensor with 2160p video (and 720p @ 120fps). An appropriately huge 4,850mAh battery offers days of endurance too.
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You can have a look at the Meizu m3 Max as well, it has a more manageable 6" screen. It's the Helio P10 chipset that stopped us from recommending it, though, it's no match for the Snapdragon. The camera isn't as good either.
Compact phones
Well, compact compared to the hulking giants a few paragraphs up, anyway. These two devices are "mini" versions of more premium offerings by their parent companies. We did warn you that screen size is proportional to features, but we think these have some unique qualities to offer.
The Sony Xperia XA, for example, is the narrowest 5" phone - even narrower than the "bezel-less" Sharp Aquos! It's thin and light too (7.9mm, 137g) and until the XZ rolled around, the XA was our favorite of the new X-series - it's the most affordable, but built with quality in mind.
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If you objected to the 5" XA being a mini, prepare to scoff even more - the ZTE Axon 7 mini has a 5.2" screen. It's a "mini" in the sense that it's a lite version of the big Axon 7 (which we look forward to in the next chapter).
The AMOLED screen has 1080p resolution and is flanked by two of the loudest stereo speakers we've heard on a phone. The Axon 7 mini has a snazzy camera too - 16MP f/1.6 on the back, 8MP on the front. The chipset is closer to the Xperia XA than it is to the Xiaomi Mi 5s, though.
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�300-�400
The �200-�300 chapter got so long, we had to split it into parts. This price range is equally exciting but much easier to navigate - there are several quality devices, each of which will serve you as well as any flagship.
The OnePlus 3 is the exemplar of the �400 flagship. Wrapped in an aluminum shroud is a bright and accurate AMOLED - 5.5" 1080p, made by Samsung - inside is a flagship chipset, the camera boasts premium quality and features and the custom Oxygen OS follows vanilla Android closely (Nougat is in the works). It's not quite a Nexus, but compared to MIUI it might as well be.
We should compare the OnePlus 3 to the Xiaomi Mi 5, which offered the same Snapdragon 820 at just south of �300. Well, the OnePlus comes with 64GB storage, which already wipes out most of the price difference (there's no microSD slot or other storage options).
It comes with a whopping 6GB of RAM (does your laptop have that much?) and the bigger screen has spectacular sunlight legibility (compared to Mi 5's excellent mark). The main cameras are fairly similar - 16MP sensors (1.12�m pixels), f/2.0, OIS, 2160p video. The OnePlus has an 8MP selfie camera, though, double the resolution while keeping pixels fairly large (1.4�m vs. 2�m).
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The Pixel XL may be outside your budget, but luckily the Huawei Nexus 6P is an excellent device - the greatest Nexus ever and also the last one.
Nostalgia aside, it is truly a premium Android phone with a metal body, a sharp 5.7" AMOLED display (QHD) flanked by powerful stereo speakers. The camera is properly impressive - its 1/2.3" sensor does great in low-light (thanks in part to the 1.55�m pixels).
Sure, the Snapdragon 810 chipset isn't as cool as the 820 (literally) but the clean Android 7.0 Nougat flies.
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Alternatively, the new Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus has a 5.7" QHD screen (IPS not AMOLED, also 1080p not QHD). Like it's smaller sibling (more on it in a minute), it is powered by the latest Snapdragon 821 - just like the Pixel XL!
Xiaomi went all out with the imaging department - the dual 12MP camera on the back has a large sensor (1/2.3", 1.55�m pixels) and records 2160p video. The 4MP UltraPixel selfie camera has big pixels too (2�m). Don't forget the nice and chunky 3,800mAh battery in a phone that weighs 168g (not bad for its size).
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Vloggers will get a kick out of the Sony Xperia XA Ultra. The sizeable phone (with a 6" screen) is one of the very few that has a selfie camera with Optical Image Stabilization. It's a very impressive camera, as good as the main camera on many phones - 16MP 1/2.6" sensor, LED flash, 1080p video. The main camera impresses too, 21.5MP 1/2.4" sensor with 1080p video (but no OIS).
The cameras, especially the selfie cam, are hard to match, but two major factors can stop you from buying an XA Ultra. The Helio P10 chipset is entry-level stuff, while the 2,700mAh battery feels out of place in a phone this size.
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So far we've been pointing to metal phones as "premium" but LG went another way with the LG G4 - fine grain leather. Third parties are selling wood backs too, the G4 is from the glorious era when the back wasn't nailed down. And the body of the phone is slightly bent - a trend that did not catch on, but at least that makes it rare.
The phone is a year and a half old, but still has a lot to offer. Like a 5.5" QHD screen or a high-quality 16MP camera (1/2.6" sensor, f/1.8 aperture) with OIS. This camera has served as the basis for the half of G5/V20's camera (the 16MP half, obviously).
The Snapdragon 808 chipset was a necessary compromise - the 810 had issues. Now that we've seen cheaper S820 chipsets, this one feels a bit slow but it can still handle anything you can throw at it.
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It's a year old, but the Samsung Galaxy S6 holds its own against newcomers - good news for those hoping to keep theirs for an extra year, but also for those looking to buy it a year later at a discount.
The quality of the screen and camera are top notch and the Exynos chipset ruled all of last year. Sure, you can have most of that in the cheaper and bigger Galaxy A8 (2016), but if you want a compact device, this is it. As long as you're ready to forgo the microSD slot, of course.
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It's no secret the Galaxy S6 is a good phone - Samsung sold it by the bucket load. But can we do better?
The new Xiaomi Mi 5s is even better than its already excellent predecessor. It keeps the 5.15" 1080p screen, but adds 3D Touch. Also, the curved back is now (satin or brushed) metal rather than glass. And it's one of the first phones to use Snapdragon 821 - matching the Google Pixel and being ahead of even the Galaxy S7.
The camera sounds very much like the Pixel camera - a large 12MP sensors (1/2.3", 1.55�m pixels) and 2160p video capture plus a 120fps mode at 1080p (most phones do it at 720p). The selfie camera uses an UltraPixel sensor - 4MP (2�m).
Xiaomi didn't add a microSD slot, at least you start off with 64GB (and if that's not enough, you can get 128GB). We'll also visit the bigger Mi 5s Plus in the next chapter.
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Rival Meizu has the Meizu Pro 6, which combines a metal body with a 5.2" AMOLED screen with 3D touch. The 21MP camera has a large sensor (1/2.4" sensor) with 2160p video capture. The phone has a unique ring-shaped flash.
The Pro 6 is powered by a MediaTek Helio X25, which is no match for the Snapdragon 820/821 and even the Exynos 7420 Octa in the S6, especially in the GPU department. You do get 4GB as standard, but you start at 32GB storage and can only go up to 64GB (there's no microSD slot).
Instead, let's look at the young brand ZUK (owned by Lenovo nonetheless). Its second device is the ZUK Z2 Pro (the non-Pro Z2 launched later, believe it or not). Anyway, it has a 5.2" AMOLED (1080p) and is powered by Snapdragon 820 with up to 6GB of RAM (if you get the 128GB model, the base model is 4GB/64GB).
You get a 13MP ISOCELL camera with a bright f/1.8 aperture and relatively big sensor (1/2.6", 1.34�m pixels) and 2160p video capture. The selfie camera is no slouch either, 8MP f/2.0 1.4�m.
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For less cash, you can have the regular ZUK Z2. You'll be giving away the 5.2" AMOLED screen for a 5" IPS LCD, and the camera shrinks the aperture to f/2.2. On the plus side, the battery capacity grows from 3,100mAh to 3,500mAh. Other differences include no 6GB/128GB version and the USB Type-C port runs at 2.0 speeds, not 3.1. Nothing critical (especially the extra camera juice), but we believe the price premium is worth what you get.
Huawei also has a contender in this field - the Honor 8. It is a slightly relaxed version of the P9 flagship - the premium metal exterior is gone, but the blue color looks amazing in person. Surprisingly, the Honor has some advantages over the pricier P9.
Take the 5.2" 1080p screen - it is slightly dimmer, but with better contrast and sunlight legibility. The base model comes with 4GB of RAM, while there's a 3GB version of the P9. Okay, the Honor 8 uses an older chipset - Kirin 950 instead of 955 - which reduces performance a bit and eats 5 hours of Endurance.
But it has the same dual 12MP camera with 1.25�m pixels and 1080p @ 60fps (it took Huawei a while to jump on the 2160p train). Same 8MP 1.4�m selfie camera as well.
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�400-�500
If you are reading this guide page by page, this one would be the last stop before Flagship Central. Well, the most recent flagships - early 2016 entries are already below the �500 mark.
Like the LG G5, for example. This is the phone that kicked off the dual-camera craze (well, the V10 had dual selfie cams but that wasn't nearly as useful) and tried to launch a modular phone revolution (half a year later, we have to say it failed).
Still, the main 16MP camera produces lovely shots, the 135� camera is truly eye-opening, the 5.3" screen has always on functionality. There are downsides - the metal body is painted, which robs it of its metal feel, the battery life is not very impressive either.
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Not long after the G5, the Huawei P9 came out with a different dual camera setup - the Leica-branded cam has two 12MP sensors, one of which is dedicated to Black & White shooting. This lets more light in, improving low-light performance (plus, native B&W shots look better than desaturated color shots).
The 8MP selfie cam is pretty solid too, but none of the three cameras can record 2160p. The rest of the phone is a lovely metal (or ceramic) body with a good 5.2" 1080p screen.
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The good news is that we've finally reached a price point where small phones don't lag behind their bigger siblings (at least not by that much).
After some recent price cuts, the Xperia X is finally cheaper than the older Xperia Z5. Still, there are arguments to pick the veteran - it has a more powerful chipset (S810 vs. S650), waterproofing and a very similar camera.
Even so, the newly discounted Xperia X counters with a slightly better screen - 5" vs. 5.2" but with better contrast, sunlight legibility and color accuracy. It offers better battery life too, Z5's sub-50h result doesn't impress. And Sony did add some improvements to the camera (Predictive Hybrid AF being the big ticket item). You do lose 2160p video capture, but gain a serious selfie cam with a 13MP 1/3" sensor. Beware US buyers - the fingerprint reader is disabled on your side of the pond.
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We think things swing the other way in the lower size category - we'd pick the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact over the X Compact. The Z5C gets the better endurance, it keeps the metal frame (XC is plastic) plus the waterproofing and the 2160p video capture. Its screen is brighter (but posts worse sunlight legibility) to boot.
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Apple resisted the large-screen craze for the longest time, then killed its traditional 4" phone and now it's back again! This roller coaster of emotion is called the iPhone SE and is something of a revamped iPhone 5s.
It boasts a well calibrated screen, which is bright and legible under bright light (contrast is harmed by poor black levels, though). The SE boasts much improved camera (12MP! 2160p!) than the 5s and a much better chipset (with double the RAM to boot). The battery endurance rating grew by a healthy margin too.
Better still, the iPhone SE is smaller than the Xperia Z5 Compact - you don't see that every day. Compared to the larger iPhone 6s, you do lose the 5MP selfie cam, next gen fingerprint reader and 3D touch, though.
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Let's do a 180� turn and look at bigger phones. We already mentioned the mini variant, but the full-blown ZTE Axon 7 is so much better. It has a sharp 5.5" AMOLED screen - QHD resolution, compared to OnePlus 3's 1080p - and some of the most powerful stereo speakers we've ever heard.
It uses a Snapdragon 820 chipset like the other big boys and a 20MP camera with a bright f/1.8 aperture and OIS. Unlike the OnePlus, you get "only" 4GB of RAM, but we'll take that and the microSD slot. (note: in China, the phone comes with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, but that's not available worldwide).
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The Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016) goes even bigger - 6" AMOLED - but with only 1080p resolution, which isn't perfect. Still, the metal housing of the phone contains the still-great chipset from the Galaxy S6/Note5.
You get a 13MP camera (f/1.9) with OIS and an 8MP selfie camera, plus a big 4,000mAh battery. The Galaxy A9 Pro (2016) ups those to 16MP main camera and 5,000mAh, but it's not as widely available.
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A similar phone is the Huawei Mate 8. Also with a 6" 1080p screen (but IPS) and an OIS-enabled camera that lacks 2160p capabilities. A large battery - 4,000mAh - is on board as well. We think it's a question of where you stand in the IPS vs. AMOLED argument and whether you prefer Samsung's custom software or Huawei's (both do split screen multitasking, which is nice for a big-screen phone).
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�500 and above
On this page we're launching into the monetary stratosphere so we'll change tactic. Instead of talking of specs and disadvantages, we will be directly comparing phones against their closest rivals - to get the best flagship, you need to get one that's better than all the others, right?
Let's start with the obvious - the iPhone 7 and Galaxy S7 will split the majority of premium smartphone sales between them. But which one is better suited to your needs?
The iPhone 7 is now waterproof and has stereo speakers, its screen is one of the very best, its chipset is the best, the camera is quite impressive though Panoramic photos and HDR are still better on the iPhone 6s. The Galaxy S7 also gives you a bigger screen (an AMOLED), a microSD slot and a headphone jack (yes, that's something to worry about these days). You'll get more out of S7's battery, but it will have to wait longer between major OS upgrades. Both Samsung and Apple are pushing their own mobile payment systems around the world.
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The situation for people who want a bigger screen is much the same - Galaxy S7 edge vs. iPhone 7 Plus. This year Apple feels closer to Samsung in terms of feature load than ever before, but Apple rarely settles for first when it can be the best instead.
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Let's do another pair! Google specifically priced its Pixel phones on par with the iPhones, let's see how that pans out. iPhones often get admonished for costing too much for what they offer, but compared to the Pixel XL, well, the iPhone 7 Plus just offers more.
Okay, okay, no headphone jack but Apple's accessory ecosystem moves faster and often offers higher-quality products than Android's, so iPhone users will be fine. Even the headphone adapter included in the retail box works well enough.
But hey, only Google's phones offers split-screen multitasking if that's something you'd like to have. And there's the promise of Google's Daydream VR experience, which Apple really doesn't have an answer to (yet!).
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This doesn't look too good. Okay, let's try the LG V20 instead. It too has a wide/telephoto camera setup (16MP + 8MP vs. 2x 12MP) and its selfie camera is a sort of 2-in-1. The sleek metal shell of the V20 is shockproof to a MIL-STD-810G rating, perhaps the kind of damage more likely to occur than unplanned dives in a pool.
At nearly the same physical size, the LG squeezes in a 5.7" screen that has a friend - the Always on secondary screen. It's helpful even when the main screen is on, serving as a shortcut bar to speed up notifications. And since we talked about accessories, in some regions the LG V20 will come with a pair of pricey Bang & Olufsen headphones (check before you buy though).
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Did you know that HTC built the Google Pixels? Let's see how the HTC 10 stacks up against the smaller Pixel. Things look more balanced, though HTC put two OIS systems on its own phone - one for the main camera, one for the selfie cam. And it gives you a dual speaker system plus a dedicated headphone amp, so it wins over music buffs.
The Pixel (and Pixel XL) use the first batch of Snapdragon 821 chipsets. However, they are downclocked from their nominal speeds to ones that match the Snapdragon 820. We'll have to do extensive benchmarks, but somehow we don't see it as a huge boon to performance.
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We can try other combos too. One could argue that the Moto Z Force is one of the best Android around, but one will have trouble finding it outside the US. So, we're forced (heh) to use the regular Moto Z for this comparison. Can it beat the LG V20 to become the non-Samsung Android to have?
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Let's bring Sony into the game as well. Currently, the Xperia XZ is its top flagship, the true successor to the beloved Z-series. Is the XZ the hidden gem that people miss when they buy a Galaxy S7?
The Xperia XZ has water resistance, a Sony tradition, but now so does Samsung. The XZ is still ahead thanks to its stereo speakers, but somehow the once-lauded Sony battery life has faded. And despite constant iteration, the Xperia camera lacks things like Dual Pixel autofocus (Predictive Hybrid AF works well, just not as well) not to mention OIS (replaced by an admittedly solid EIS).
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This page would have been littered with comparisons against the Galaxy Note7, but we all know what happened there (well, not what caused it, but the end effect is the same). The Galaxy S7 edge had to step in and it did a fine job - it's still a best-seller for Samsung.
Still, it's an age old warning - once Sony, HTC, even Nokia flew high, now after a series of missteps they are eating humble pie. So plan your next step carefully Samsung, the world is watching.
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