2016 is coming to an end, it's time to take stock. Among mobile devices, smartphones are of particular interest. Let's talk about them now. I must say right away that each device from this collection is not just a piece of iron from the outgoing year. All smartphones are worthy and have a decent margin of safety. That's why they are the best.

This selection does not claim to be the most objective and complete. Of course, I could not cover the entire market of mobile devices. Something for one reason or another passed me by, and some device is worthy, but we are not for sale and are not interested in compatriots. We will also ignore such devices.

With all the devices presented here, I somehow communicated. Therefore, I advise you to pay attention to them when choosing your mobile assistant.

Let's line up all our heroes in a certain gradation. Let's break it down into categories. There are expensive devices, there are medium-sized ones, and there are also budget models. In each segment, we have a leader in the first place, a device that conceded to it in the second, and then it’s clear. Go!

Tops. From 40 000 rubles

The most expensive and high-quality devices of this year. Buying them, you get a full stuffing, the maximum possible. Manufacturers of such devices, as a rule, provide the best service for their customers, and this also costs some money. That is why, spending 45 thousand rubles and more on a smartphone, you should not pinch another 5-10 thousand and it is better to buy a gadget from the official delivery, with full service and a guarantee. Do not agree? Well, God is your judge.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

A truly chic smartphone with a large, curved display. I did not share the well-deserved first place with his younger brother (usual), because he looks somewhat cartoonish against the background of a large and serious “edge”.

Samsung, as always (the last 2-3 years), managed to create the most technologically advanced device. If you want to be at the peak of progress, get the best display, a camera that plugs digital cameras worth up to 20 kilorubles into your belt, and the most sophisticated software, take the S7 Edge. An uncompromising solution from all sides, with a corresponding cost - 59,990 rubles.

iPhone 7

This device started another two-year cycle of the company's smartphones, which means it offers an interesting design and characteristics of a qualitatively new level than its predecessor.

You can treat Apple as you like, scold it endlessly, call it “cake” or vice versa, worship and mindlessly buy all the new products. But it is worth recognizing the objective reality - everyone wants an iPhone. Young people only talk about him. In an advertisement for washing powder, there is an iPhone on the housewife’s desk, and on the advertising brochure in the passage of a bank specialist at the workplace, there is also an iPhone. In the next newfangled series, your favorite hero has what? Of course iPhone! He is everywhere and whether we want it or not, but it is a symbol of our time.

For those who don't understand. Samsung and Apple smartphones are useless and pointless to compare with each other. The first is bought because it is a technologically advanced device, the second because society insists on the “right” choice. And these are two different worlds: logic reigns in one, emotions, psychology and product placement reign in the other. Nevertheless, smartphones are iconic and unambiguously dictate the rules for the entire market.

Former A-brands

There were no more top-end, and most importantly, iconic devices for the whole year. Sony releases pleasant, but very strange smartphones. Everything seems to be fine, cool, but you start to compare, you understand that they are asking for the same amount of money as for the Galaxy S7 / iPhone 7. In general, well, it’s in fig.

LG is generally one big experiment that only causes bewilderment. Last year there was a very interesting G4, this year.

HTC - what kind of company is this anyway?

At the end of the year, we were presented with a fierce device, which so far is not really sold anywhere and no one can boast of the experience of close communication with it. Hence, the 9th "mate" is not included in our selection and, most likely, will be able to claim the title of one of the best players in the market in the first half of 2017.

Flagships are cheaper. 30,000 - 40,000 rubles

Frankly, this is the most meaningless category. Smartphones at this level are all weird. For flagship and expensive devices (read iPhone 7 and Galaxy S7 / S7 Edge), they fall short for various reasons. And in comparison with the rest of the market, they all lose in price. Take, for example, the HTC One 10 - a boring, seemingly productive, but unforgivably expensive smartphone. Besides, OnePlus 3 is never a competitor.

And yet, I still managed to find three devices that are worth paying attention to. Anyway…

One Plus 3

The smartphone was released this summer and, unlike the previous, second generation, regained the status of the “killer” of flagships. In my opinion. It has a chic build, a thin, elegant design, a monstrous filling (6 GB of RAM, for a moment), an excellent camera, but most importantly, software. Perhaps there are no devices in the world so dug up and down where you can install not one, not two, but several dozens of quite high-quality and entertaining firmware.

Disclaimer. Why am I mentioning the Letyshops service? And because, firstly, I myself have not tried any other, and secondly, I want you to save money. This compilation is not only entertaining, it should also be useful. This is my extended answer to you on the topic: “What to buy for ... rubles?”. Use on health!

And thirdly, yes, I get a small percentage with Letyshops. Well, these three reasons fit right together.

Nubia Z11

Official supply

Smartphones from the “went and bought on the way home from work” series. Gadgets perfectly fit several criteria that are important for many: there is a certain amount of money, you want it here and now, with a guarantee, and so as not to be some bullshit without the Russian language and normal firmware.

Asus Zenfone 3

The Zenfone series surprises me extremely positively. Or rather, only one model -. I have not reached the others yet, but by analogy with the previous generation, I estimate that they will not really come to me.

ZE520KL is perhaps the most balanced, powerful, beautiful and officially sold device in our country. If you take something within 25,000 rubles, then only him.

Last year, I was genuinely pleased with the Zenfone 2 ZE551ML. It was sold for 18,000 rubles, and for this money it was impossible to buy something at least close in quality and performance. I have recommended it to so many people. Almost everyone listened, bought and were satisfied. All this I mean is that this year the situation is repeating itself. So I have high hopes for the next "zenfon".

Actual cost: 23,990 rubles

Huawei Nova

If not the third Zenfone, then definitely Nova. Almost the same, with very minor differences, with the same excellent camera and a very promising Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor. A thing for those who for some reason did not like Asus.

Price: 22 990 rubles

Top budget employees. 10,000 - 18,000 rubles

When buying any device from this category, we spend little money, we get a lot of goodies. Unfortunately, we will not find anything interesting in official retail here. All smartphones will have to be ordered from China. The better, the more savings.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro

Success of the year. If people order some kind of smartphone from China, then this is the XRN3 Pro, because in terms of the ratio of characteristics and cost, we have a top-end gadget. And he remains so to this day. No wonder many online stores continue to make various promotions on it. By the way, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor is a good start for the future. Its performance will last for a year, and then the Note 5 will arrive in time to replace it.

Current price: 10 000 rubles

Nice appearance, good screen and processor, excellent software optimization - all this creates the feeling that the device is worth more than it really is. And the feelings are true, I must admit.

Price: 5,000 rubles

Conclusion and predictions

In 2016, a lot of smartphones were released. New names have entered the market, and Huawei has become the world's third-largest supplier of smart mobile devices. Meanwhile, Apple and Samsung have made several strategic mistakes. And if the mistakes of the Cupertino team will be noticeable only tomorrow, then the South Korean giant felt the negative and very serious consequences almost instantly.

All this I mean is that we live in a very interesting time and are witnessing events on a truly planetary scale, albeit within the framework of one sphere of human life. So much has happened in just one year, so many things have shaped the market, so things are accelerating and will continue to accelerate in 2017.

Either way, the purpose of this article is to help you make the right choice. I hope this collection and our site as a whole is useful to you. In the meantime, Happy New Year to all readers! Health, happiness and prosperity!

“All these years we have been selling the Nexus at a low price like fools, by golly. But Apple is cutting money - we need to join the premium, too, ”the guys from Google decided and released smartphones of the Pixel family. So that the new “super-prestigious” Googlephone is not confused with cheap predecessors, the developers at all presentations insistently emphasized that this is an “all-new” (“absolutely new”) smartphone that was not developed by subsidiaries (LG / Samsung / Huawei / HTC / Motorola), but by Google itself! However, it's no secret to anyone that HTC, respected by Google, is still assembling smartphones.

But politics and marketing are of less interest to us, let's talk about the technical component. In this regard, the new Googlephone pleases with an excellent camera (the best among smartphones in general, according to some experts), a good AMOLED display and a very powerful Snapdragon 821 processor with perfect system optimization.

By the way, about the system - now it has been added exclusivity and endowed with the latest "empty" Android Nougat with a new design, and English-speaking users can now talk to a smartphone like a person. That is, no more “cheap pickled cucumbers in Moscow” - you can immediately turn to the phrase “Pixel, where can I buy a good snack nearby?”. Nice news? Yes, just great! The design of the Pixel is a little strange, but you can't confuse smartphones with anything else.

Another question is that in a model with a thickness of 8.5 mm (like Xiaomi Redmi 3S with 4100 mAh) a ridiculously large 2770 mAh battery huddles. However, due to the perfectly optimized Android and AMOLED-matrix, the Pixel will still last a day. But almost any flagship smartphone is more compact than the new Googlephones, in which they didn’t even bother to introduce optical stabilization into the camera.

And most importantly, such a pleasure costs from 50 to 65 thousand rubles, even simply in terms of European prices (Russians are so rich that usually smartphones in the Russian Federation are more expensive than in Europe). Would you like to fork over a thousand dollars for a "prestigious" Google nameplate? Yes, everyone already understands that you don’t want to, and therefore Pixel is 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.

The Pixel is a great model in its own right and the best alternative to the great and terrible iPhone (which is why the smartphone made the list). But for record-breaking performance at a high price, we already have Samsung, and Google's "unique" software can even be made to work on cheap smartphones. That is, whatever Google creates - it turns out Nexus. Only this time, an expensive, slightly strange Nexus that is not conducive to flashing, which did not manage to jump above 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. For citizens who are greedy for the image component, mobile phones under the name Huawei come out. And for everyone who does not care about Scarlett Johansson and the nameplate of partner brands, the Chinese offer Honor models.

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

And you can’t say that Huawei saved money on customers in some way: a good fast processor (though not as cool as your Snapdragon 820), two cool rear cameras with which you can “blur” the background in photos, a high-quality display. Honor 8 is not the flagship of the “better than nowhere” format - it is rather the golden mean between expensive “top models” and mid-range 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 order.

3. Apple iPhone 7 Plus

The iPhone just got better. It is better by N percent, because it is not appropriate for noble dons to focus on the characteristics of mobile phones. Parasite designers, apparently, still go wild with uninhibited girls and “washing powder” (an iPhone 6 with almost the same appearance appeared in September 2014). But the revolution, comrades, begins from the bottom, and iPhone buyers are still satisfied with the case design. Moreover, fans of innovations still received the on-duty “glossy black” color - an important detail for those who want their new iPhone to be immediately distinguished from the old one.

In general, improved versions of the iPhone with the same case design usually receive an additional S index, but the name iPhone 6SS would sound defiant, and honestly, technical innovations have accumulated enough to change generations.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus

Judge for yourself: the new touch Home key with imitation pressing, "identical to natural". Water resistance, which is not very useful in everyday use, but reduces the risk of "killing" the smartphone with liquid. Stereo speakers in a very compact case and a processor, which, with four cores at an ordinary frequency, took and plugged all Qualcomm and MediaTek of any degree of steepness into the belt. 2x optical zoom (a trifle, it does not always work, but still comes in handy). And this despite the fact that the iPhone, as we know, has never competed with rivals for show on the principle of "who is longer"!

The iPhone 7 Plus still has a lot of drawbacks: ridiculous strap-on fit, no support for fast charging, rather dull 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 is not sold in Russia, and it can no longer boast of the slogan “Android smartphones are always cooler for the same price”. The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge has reached its “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), is easily soiled and fragile. He, of course, is very technological in itself, but has changed little since the “breakthrough” S6 edge. And there are enough high-quality and cheaper flagships based on Android without that.

With such a preamble, the iPhone award sounds like a glorification of the best of the worst smartphones, but the flagship of Apple 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 deserves such honors. Because Redmi has become a symbol and the most desired 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, Kvalkom's 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.

Bright Full HD-display in a smartphone for 8-9 thousand rubles! The coolest Snapdragon 625 - before that, it was found in models at least 3 times more expensive! And a capacious battery that pulls all this filling 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 “just” another inexpensive Chinese flagship, but the “compact” Redmi are developing much more sharply.

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

Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime

But there was nothing cooler in the budget class, there isn’t, and there won’t be in the foreseeable future - in return for 8-10 thousand, you can “taste” quad-core models that are vile in speed and quality from slightly more arrogant vendors or, at best, buy a plastic Meizu 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 today's rating.

The past year turned out to be rich in novelties in the world of telephony. The long-awaited version updates, unexpected premieres, the appearance of newcomers - the manufacturers amazed as best they could. Among the abundance of released gadgets, it is easy to get confused, each brand tries to outperform its competitors by creating powerful advertising campaigns.
- not an easy task. We have created a ranking of the best smartphones of 2016, which includes the most productive and popular models.

Top 10 best smartphones of 2016

10th place - HTC 10

Opens a list of the best smartphones for all HTC 10 specifications.
The Taiwanese company has taken a huge step forward with the release of the latest HTC. Its main feature is a chic camera. 12 million pixels create realistic photos. Thanks to the laser focus, images retain their natural color depth.
Another feature of the Taiwanese is the latest version of Sense and the platform - Qualcomm Snapdragon 820. Powerful stuffing allows you to play at improved settings.
The 5.2-inch 2560×1440 resolution screen delivers perfect color from any angle.
A 3-amp battery with active use of the device holds a charge of 10 hours, in sleep mode - up to 4 days.
The price in Russian stores starts at 26,000 rubles.

Main characteristics:

1. Android 6.0;
2. 12 MP camera;
3. RAM 4GB;
4. 3000 mAh;
5. weight 161g;
6. 4 cores.

Pros:

• build quality;
• battery life;
• good camera;
• quality screen;
• appearance.

Minuses:

• no water protection;
• protruding chamber.

9th place - LG G5 SE

One step lower is the device of a South Korean company.
LG is known for its commitment to change. Phones of the G line are released in a new configuration every time. The LG G5 SE is no exception. The gadget has been updated with a fingerprint scanner, appearance and functionality.

The IPS display is protected by an oleophobic coating. 16 MP cameras take bright, clear pictures with a resolution of 2560 × 1440.
The 2800 mAh battery lasts 6-8 hours in operation, two days offline.
The LG G5 SE is equipped with a powerful processor, and the AnTuTu performance test gives a score of 78250.
The cost of the device in Yandex Market ranges from 20 to 27 thousand.

Characteristics:

1. Android 6.0;
2. 5.3″, resolution 2560×1440
3. 16 MP camera;
4. RAM 3GB;
5. 2800 mAh;
6. weight 156g;
7. 73.90×149.40×7.30 mm.

Pros:

• modern design;
• convenient menu;
• good camera;
• build quality.

Minuses:

• non-standard charging connector.

8th place - Honor 8

The device manufacturers used the proprietary HiSilicon Kirin 950 platform as an engine. AnTuTu data shows 95030. The fast device draws 3D games at high fps.

Full HD screen with a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels conveys the quality of photos at the highest level.
Dual camera 12 + 12 MP perfectly corrects the white balance, without noise and blur. The front lens has wide viewing angles.
The battery, despite the average of 3000 mAh, lasts up to 18 hours of use. Continuously play can be 4 hours, dormant state lasts about 3 days.
The cost varies between 28-30 thousand.

Main characteristics:

1. Android 6.0;
2. 5.2″, resolution 1920×1080;
3. 12 MP camera;
4. RAM 4GB;
5. 3000 mAh;
6. weight 153g;

Pros:

• Beautiful design;
• bright and clear screen;
• excellent camera;
• two active sim cards;
• battery.

Minuses:

• very slippery;

7th place - Lumia 950 DS

The top seven of the highest quality smartphones in 2016 is received by a smartphone based on Windows.
A high-quality device with a 5.2-inch display transmits images with a size of 2560 × 1440 pixels. The system itself adjusts the brightness. The coating has a weak protection, which requires the mandatory use of a film.

The camera stands out among other devices - 20 megapixels. The image quality is excellent, color reproduction is accurate and natural.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor provides good speed and performance.
The operating time of the smartphone with active use is 9 hours, with conversations 20, in sleep mode - up to 9 days.
The cost of Lumia 950 DS starts from 30,000 rubles.

Main characteristics:

1. MS Windows 10 Mobile;
2. screen 5.2″, resolution 2560×1440;
3. camera 20 MP.;
4. RAM 3GB;
5. 3000 mAh;
6. weight 150g;

Pros:

• excellent screen;
• fast;
• good camera;
• battery;
• retinal unlock.

Minuses:

• price.

6th place - ZTE Nubia Z11

Further, the unique ZTE Nubia Z11 settled in the top 10 best smartphones of 2016.
The gadget is equipped with proprietary Nubia UI firmware based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 platform. The original shell provides additional features:

• dividing the screen into two parts, each of which works separately;
• reduced menu for ease of use with one hand;
• control by means of movements on the display.

The frameless inch screen with a wide range of brightness reproduces clear pictures without visible pixels.
A capacious battery holds a charge for almost a day with average use.
The price of a smartphone in Russia varies within 25,000.

Main characteristics:

1. Android 6.0;
2. screen 5.5″, resolution 1920×1080;
3. 16 MP camera;
4. RAM 4GB;
5. 3000 mAh;
6. weight 162g;
7. support for two SIM cards.

Pros:

• connection quality;
• sound;
• speed;
• Beautiful design;
• screen.

Minuses:

• the battery capacity is a bit lacking;
• unfinished NFC.

5th place - Asus ZenFone 3

The middle of the rating belongs to another Taiwanese phone.
The device is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The phone has a unique quality - a super-bright fullHD screen that shows data perfectly even in the sun.

AnTuTu performance test gives 62430, this is the average level. Powerful games run at high settings.
Asus takes high-quality pictures, there is a noise reduction system. The only negative is that night shooting does not give full color reproduction. At the same time, clarity is preserved.
The average price of a gadget is 24 thousand.

Main characteristics:

1. Android 6.0;
2. 5.2″, resolution 1920×1080;
3. 16 MP camera;
4. RAM 3GB;
5. 2650 mAh;
6. weight 144g;
7. support for two SIM cards.

Pros:

• excellent screen;
• chic design;
• fast processor;
• loud speaker;
• appearance.

Minuses:

• lack of nfc;
• slippery.

4th place - LeEco Le Max 2

The Chinese LeEco Le Max almost got into the top three.
The flagship of the Chinese brand is equipped with a unique eUI 5.8 shell, which has a functional Russified menu and integrated applications with the desktop.

A solid 21 MP camera creates almost perfect pictures. Night shooting impresses with the clarity of the frame. 4K video recording is possible.
The large 5.7-inch display is equipped with a QHD system and an oleophobic protective coating.
The battery with a capacity of 3100 mAh is able to work up to 8 hours of increased load and up to 20 - average.
The price of the flagship is 25,000-30,000 rubles.

Main characteristics:

1. Android 6.0;
2. screen 5.7″, resolution 2560×1440;
3. camera 21 MP;
4. RAM 4GB;
5. 3100 mAh;
6. weight 185g;
7. two sim cards.

Pros:

• excellent camera;
• fast processor;
• good sound;
• quality screen;
• fast charging.

Minuses:

• no slot for a memory card;
• lack of NFC;
• No 3.5 headphone jack.

3rd place - One Plus 3T

The bronze of our top went to the productive model One Plus 3T. It takes an honorable third place among the best smartphones of 2016 according to experts.
The powerful functional flagship in the AnTuTu test scored 148801 points. However, other tests also give the highest marks - 3D-graphics, speed, games.

The 16 megapixel Sony camera has a range of 2.0. Photos are clear, sharp, contrast.
AMOLED display 1080×1960 displays a high-quality picture without blur.
The battery holds a charge with active use up to 9 hours and passive up to 14 hours.
You can buy a gadget from 30 thousand.

Characteristics:

1. Android 6.0;
2. 5.5″, resolution 1920×1080;
3. 16 MP camera;
4. RAM 6GB;
5. 3000 mAh;
6. weight 158g;
7. two sim cards.

Pros:

• design;
• build quality;
• case material;
• work speed;
• lies perfectly in the hand;
• fast charging;
• great sound;
• responsive fingerprint scanner.

Minuses:

• bulging camera;

2nd place - Google Pixel

The silver medal of the rating is given to a newcomer to the Russian market.
Google has been producing high-quality devices under its own brand for a long time, but from the factories of other eminent companies, such as LG, HTC, Samsung. This time a new model has come out - Pixel - without binding someone else's name.

The optimized Nougat 7.1 platform allows the device to be highly productive. A capacious battery keeps the battery in working condition for almost a day, in sleep mode - up to three weeks.
The five-inch 2.5D screen, covered with oleophobic protection, has a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels.

The camera draws special attention. A well-known software and hardware developer has created an international DxOMark rating that tests photo and video cameras. In 2016, DxOMark awarded the first place to the Google Pixel. The photos are really fantastic, without a single noise, clear and bright.
The cost of Google Pixel in Russia is from 40 thousand rubles.

Every year, smartphone companies hold a presentation of their new product before the start of sales. Every company has flagships - phones that sell best and have more functionality. Every year, innovative technologies used in smartphones become more and more sophisticated to please the sophisticated user, anticipating all expectations.

The best phones of 2016 share similarities in display size, average performance, but each has its own "something innovative" that puts each one in the lead among 2016 flagships.

1.Samsung Galaxy S7

The difference in time between the announcement of the model and the sale was minimal - one and a half months. Samsung Galaxy S7 could be bought at the end of March 2016.

Galaxy S7 is the leader among the flagship phones of 2016 both in terms of functionality and appearance. S7 has the most complete package of functionality, exceeding the capabilities of the latest Apple 6S by several times.

The Samsung Exynos 8890 octa-core processor coupled with a powerful graphics accelerator and 4 GB of RAM allows the phone to process data with impeccable speed, whether it's gaming applications or streaming video.

• a slot for 2 Sim cards, which is quite rare for phones of this class;
• the ability to use an SD card up to 200 GB;
• extended battery capacity: 3000 mAh for S7 and 3600 mAh for Samsung Galaxy S7 edge;
• the camera, in comparison with the previous model S6, has not undergone megapixel moderation (for the main 12 and 5 megapixels for the front), but stabilization, focusing with “Dual pixel” and light sensitivity have been improved, which contributes to excellent and high-quality pictures at any time of the day;
• protection against dust and water, which gives the gadget 30 minutes of life under water without further failure;
• "always on display" is a new feature that is so often missing from the phone. All important information - time, date, weather, dollar exchange rate, etc. - constantly on the screen. This will not affect the "eating the battery", but on the contrary, it will reduce energy consumption, since there is no longer a need to activate the display to view this information;
• fast and wireless charging;
• the ability to use virtual reality glasses, a fitness bracelet, and other accessories from Samsung with your phone.

On the Samsung Galaxy S7, the price is quite high (from 47 thousand rubles), but when choosing a phone of this class and price category, you should pay special attention to the “stuffing” and functionality that make the Galaxy S7 a leader among mobile devices.

2. Apple iPhone 7

Apple iPhone 7 was presented recently and is already on sale. Powerful parameters elevate the new model to the lists of the best phones of 2016.

Apple iPhone 7, framed by its perfect body, has:

• 4.7-inch screen - iPhone 7; 5.75″ - iPhone 7 Plus/Pro;
• RAM 2 and 3 GB in 7 and 7 PRO respectively
• in addition to the standard volumes of internal memory of 32 and 128 GB, an amount of 256 GB will be added to choose from;
• cameras in phones will remain the same, with improved light sensitivity, plus a dual camera will appear, which will allow photo / video shooting with an extended viewing angle;
• A10 processor from Apple;
• iOS 10, which was also released;
• no headphone jack;
• sapphire crystal;
• phone case waterproof.

The price of an iPhone has always been within the cost of equivalent Samsung products and starts from 57 thousand rubles for 7-ku, and from 67 thousand for 7 Plus. So the eternal question of the buyer is “what to choose: iOS or Android, App store or PlayMarket, etc.?” - and will remain without a specific answer.

3. Sony Xperia Z5 Premium

Rounding out the top three mobile devices of 2016 is the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium, a new phone from Sony with an innovative display. The screen with a diagonal of 5.5 inches has not the usual resolution for almost all modern Full HD models, but a new 4K Ultra HD, which displays 3840x2160 pixels, which is a very high figure for a mobile phone.

In addition to a bright, colorful and rich display, the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium Dual is equipped with a 23 megapixel camera with 8x zoom. This is a great option for those who are looking for a phone with the best camera.

The “stuffing” of the Z5 Premium is quite powerful: 8 cores, 3 GB RAM, 32 GB internal memory and a slot for SD cards with a capacity of up to 200 GB, a fairly capacious 3430 mAh battery and a stylish minimalist design of a metal and glass case with additional moisture / dustproof coating.

For this phone model, the price ranges from 36,500 to 60,000 rubles.

4LG G5

LG has taken a step forward with the new G5, making it one of the best phones this year. New body materials - aluminum and fourth-generation Gorilla glass - have reduced the weight of the phone to 157 grams, despite the rather large 5.3-inch screen with a resolution of 2560 × 1140 pixels. At the same time, a slot for 2 SIM cards and an SD card with support up to 2 TB has also been preserved.

16 megapixel camera with extended viewing angle received laser autofocus and improved stabilization system. Like the Galaxy S7, the LG G5 comes with an "always on" feature.

The G5 has 3GB of RAM with a quad-core processor and 32GB of internal storage.

The new phone from LG is "stuffed" with all sorts of sensors and navigation modules. But the big minus is that the battery is only 2800 mAh, which will be no more than 12 hours of real, active use until the battery is completely discharged. But, given that the phone is "modular", it will not be difficult to replace the removable battery-accumulator and continue working.

On the LG G5, the price starts at 39,990, which can be justified by a good camera and a removable modular battery.

5. HTC One M10

The HTC One M10 is a long-awaited phone for fans of the HTC line. All the shortcomings have been removed and the inconvenient Home button is implemented differently in the new model. Under the all-metal body and 3rd generation Gorilla glass, there are 4 cores with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996 processor, 32 GB of internal memory (of which, unfortunately, only 23 are available, since the rest is occupied by the system), an SD card slot up to 2048 GB and, of course, a fairly capacious battery, which is enough for 27 hours of talk time.

The camera deserves special attention, as it is one of the few phones that allows you to capture images in RAW format, with only 12 megapixels, but with laser autofocus and stabilization.

HTC One M10 has a fast charging system and a capacious 3000 mAh battery can be fully charged in minutes.

According to user reviews, although the model is not moisture resistant, it is considered “indestructible” because of its all-metal body. All these parameters make the HTC One M10 one of the best phones for 2016.

On the HTC One M10, the price ranges from 38,000 to 47,000 depending on the chosen amount of internal memory of 32 or 64 GB. If you are a fan of the RAW format, then 64 GB will be relevant, since files in this format take up a lot of space.

6 Nokia Lumia 950 XL

Nokia Lumia 950 XL is the largest phone (phabletphone) among its family. An alternative to iOS and Android is Microsoft Windows 10 Mobile. The Lumia 950 XL is the best phone this year for Microsoft lovers.

The advantage lies in the use of Windows 10 and the easy synchronization of the phone and data of the multitasking office software of the PC, which is not yet fully implemented in either iOS or Android.

The powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, 8 cores (64 bits) and 3GB of RAM contribute to the fast operation of the phone even in multitasking mode. The 5.7″ (WQHD) touch display with a resolution of 2560×1440 delivers rich images that can be captured with the 20MP main camera or the 5MP front camera. The 3,340 mAh removable battery is definitely a plus, but Microsoft says the 950 XL can last up to 75 hours of talk time.

7. Xiaomi Mi 5

The seventh position in the list of the best phones for 2016 is Xiaomi Mi 5. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (MSM8996) processor, combined with 4 GB of RAM and an Adreno 530 GPU accelerator, give a rather powerful “stuffing” of this device.

The 16 megapixel camera has focus and optical image stabilization, plus a wide range of useful settings and presets. The front / front camera has 4 megapixels, which is also not bad for a flagship.

The 3000 mAh battery may not be quite capacious for a gadget of this class, but the “fast charge” function is able to return the battery to a full charge in just an hour.

The software has a proprietary shell Xiaomi MiUi, claiming its design and style for Apple's iOS.

You can buy Xiaomi Mi 5 with a different amount of internal memory (16/32/64/128 GB) and the price, accordingly, will vary depending on this parameter. In any case, the flagship from Xiaomi with 32 GB costs 2 times cheaper than its competitors, having the same functionality and, so beloved by everyone, concise and even strict design.

8. Huawei P9

The screen with a diagonal of 5.2 inches and a resolution of 1920 × 1080 is covered with Gorilla glass of the 4th generation. Hidden inside the Huawei P9 is an octa-core Huawei Kirin 955 processor with a graphics accelerator and 3 GB of RAM.

A rather powerful combination, but the main thing in this phone is the cameras: there are two of them 12 MP each on the front side and one front-facing 8 MP. Any Huawei P9 review demonstrates high-quality photos and videos. This phone is a photographer's dream!

Built-in memory Huawei P9 is 32 GB, but it is possible to expand the memory with an SD card up to 128 GB. Strict design, high-performance stuffing, non-standard approach to cameras - creates a pleasant impression of the phone, given the fact that the price of Huawei P9 starts from 30,000 rubles, depending on the amount of internal memory and the selected version of Huawei P9 / Huawei P9 Plus.

9. ASUS Z1 Titan

ASUS Z1 Titan is a novelty in the market of the most popular mobile phones, expected by millions! The manufacturers intended to create a smartphone that would be similar in functionality to a PC, but on Lollipop (Android 5.1).

Gaming as it's meant to be, the ASUS Z1 Titan has 4 speakers for high-quality sound and an ergonomic design to fit comfortably in the user's hands. Inside the ASUS Z1 Titan there is as much as 6 GB of RAM, coupled with 8 Snapdragon 830 cores. Photo / video materials shot on the main 16 megapixel or 5 megapixel front camera are played on a Super AMOLED screen with a size of 5.5 inches and a resolution of 2560 × 1440 pixel pixels . The Gorilla Glass display is already a new 5th generation. The release date of the model was scheduled for August 8, 2016.

10Lenovo P90 Pro

The end of the year is the time to take stock. In 2016, we saw a lot of interesting new products on the smartphone market, so we decided to collect all the most interesting things in one article 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 justified all the hopes of users. New colors, a more powerful processor, an updated Home key, as well as a dual camera unit, which we especially noted in a special article when we ran the device against a Sony Alpha ILCE-6300 camera. The iPhone 7 Plus is the best iOS smartphone this year and also the best Apple smartphone released in 2016.

What else to watch: Apple iPhone 7, Apple iPhone SE

Google Pixel XL

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

What else to watch: 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, Huawei P9 and P9 Plus smartphones were released with a Leica camera unit and two lenses: one lens is color, the second is 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 you know what? Less and less people laugh at the slogan “A new era of mobile photography”!

What else to watch: 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 additional camera control and sound unit from Bang&Olufsen stand out. The LG G5 has two cameras. One of them is wide-angle, which allows you to take unusual pictures for smartphones. Fly in the ointment - only LG G5 SE is officially sold in Russia. This is a younger model with slightly different technical characteristics, primarily a weaker processor. But the cameras are identical.

What else to watch: LG G5 SE

Moto Z

Another modular smartphone that came out a little later than LG's solution. Moto Mods are attached to the back of the smartphone using special magnets. Among the additional blocks 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 watch: Moto Z Play

Sony Xperia XZ

Sony Mobile took a desperate step in 2016 by completely restarting its smartphone line. By the end of the year, they had filled the entire X line: 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 face: you can’t confuse it with anyone.

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

Honor 8

Smartphones under the Honor brand are produced by Huawei. And this, in general, was not a secret to anyone. Honor 8 was released this year - beautiful, bright and with two lenses, like the half-brothers P9, P9 Plus and Mate 9. The device shoots 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 plus against the background of competitors is a more pleasant price tag with the same flagship capacities.

What else to watch: Meizu Pro 6, Meizu MX6

Asus Zenfone 3 (ZE552KL and ZE520KL)

Pleasant in all respects smartphones, which differ from each other in different screen sizes. All in all, it's the same device that we were able to test with two great Instagram photographers - @vi66nya and @19tones . Despite the affordable price tag in modern realities, Zenfone 3 can surprise in terms of photography.

What else to watch: Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe

LeEco Le Pro3

LeEco 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, making flagship features and offering them 1.5–2 times cheaper than other companies. Le Pro3 is a new smartphone that can and should be called an affordable flagship, and it also has a very decent camera. We managed to test the Le Max 2 and were generally very satisfied.

Xiaomi Mi 5s

For several years in a row, Xiaomi has been constantly shooting interesting smartphones. And every year the brand has 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 is difficult to officially buy Xiaomi devices in Russia - you will not find the flagships of this company on the shelves of stores.

What else to watch: Xiaomi Mi 5, Xiaomi Mi Mix

One Plus 3T

OnePlus are the newsmakers who are able to surprise the smartphone market year after year because they play by their own rules. First came the OnePlus 3 model, and at the end of the year it was updated to 3T. Extremely interesting and pleasant outwardly, the smartphone shoots very well. But the problem here is the same as that of Xiaomi - the devices are difficult to get due to lack of availability in stores.

Potentially the best Android smartphone of the year, which incorporated all the ideas and technologies of Samsung, the Galaxy Note 7, unfortunately, was never released in Russia, and was recalled in the world. With this device, if it is turned on, it is still forbidden to fly on an airplane. The problems with the flammable gadget were solved radically: all Galaxy Note 7s were recalled, and the Note line of smartphones was completely closed.