The year 2016 has seen some massive changes and upgrades to almost every smartphone flagships out there. With the race for the best-looking, feature-rich and most-powerful smartphone, handset manufacturers are fighting out the battle with awesome and unique mobiles to attract the customer. With 6GB RAM, 2K displays, dual cameras, and a few other characteristics, top brands are trying to keep the gain the attention of prospective customers looking to switch to a flagship device. We bring you a list of the topmost flagships of 2016 that you can look forward as your next flaunt factor.
ASUS Zenfone 3 Deluxe:
One of the most unique flagships, the Zenfone 3 deluxe is powered by SD821 running at 2.4 GHz with an Adreno 530 GPU. It’s one of the world’s first smartphone to offer 6GB RAM with 256GB of onboard storage and also one of the first smartphones to use a 23MP camera sporting Sony’s IMX318 sensor. With an invisible antenna design, and an all aluminium frame, the Zenfone will be a strong contender for the current flagships in the market.
One Plus 3:
The latest One Plus is powered by a 6GB RAM alongside Snapdragon 820 chipset and 64GB of internal storage. The camera features a 16MP sensor with OIS dreno 530 GPU, the 3 has sought to be one of the fastest smartphones at an impressive price of Rs 27,999 — far lower than top brands with the same hardware specifications.
Apple iPhone 7/7 Plus:
Launched in September 2016 amidst immense media coverage, the new iPhones were slated to change the course of smartphone technology. With new interesting and bold features like the headphone jack u-turn and IP67 rating, the new iPhone has entered a new step in the evolution of mobile technology. Powered by a quad-core A10 Fusion processor and 3GB of RAM, the only difference between the 7 and 7 Plus are the display and battery (5.0-inch and 1960mAh versus 5.5-inch and 2900mAh respectively). Pricing starts at Rs 59,500 for 32GB for the 7 and Rs 72,000 for the 7 Plus.
Google Pixel / XL:
Google finally entered the smartphone arena with their own hardware this time with two Nexus-renamed flagships, the Pixel and Pixel XL. The Pixels are powered by 1.6GHz quad-core Snapdragon 821 chipset clubbed with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage (sadly there’s no expandable storage options). The Pixels also aren’t waterproof — given the fact that almost all phones in its range are now IP67/68 certified. The primary camera sports a 12.3MP sensor while the front camera features an 8MP sensor. The XL version is bigger in terms of battery and display — The Pixel has a 5.0-inch display with 2770mAh battery, while the XL has a 5.5-inch display with a 3450mAh battery. The Pixel versions starts at Rs 57,000 for the 32GB while the XL version costs Rs 76,000 for only one version — 128GB.
Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge:
After the S6 sales disappointed, and the Note 7 fiasco a disaster, Samsung jumped back in terms of its flagship phone with the S7 / Edge. The new S7s are one of the finest phones Samsung has ever built. The processor is a 1.6GHz octa-core combined with 4GB of RAM and an internal storage of 32GB expandable up to 200GB. Samsung has made the two handsets almost similar to each other, except the screen type and battery capacity. Prices start at Rs 42,799 for the S7 and Rs 45,000 for the S7 Edge.
Moto Z:
Latest from the Lenovo-owned Moto stable is the Z — launched in June 2016. Powered by a 1.8GHz Snapdragon 820 processor alongside 4GB of RAM — the phone also packs a storage capacity of 32GB upgradable 2000GB via microSD. The display is a 5.5-inch full HD and camera is pegged at 13MP for primary and 5MP for the secondary respectively. The price is yet to be announced as sales are scheduled to commence today on Amazon’s website.
HTC 10:
Touted by HTC as one of the most advanced smartphone cameras available, with a 5 Ultra-Pixel front camera and 12UP Ultra-Pixel rear camera — they both have OIS. One of the biggest selling propositions for the HTC 10 is the 2-day battery life.
Powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM, the 10 sports an internal storage of 32GB expandable up to 2000GB via microSD. The HTC 10 runs on Android 6.x and is powered by a 3000mAh non-removable battery. Price for the HTC has been pegged at Rs 42,900 for the Topaz Gold and 43,900 for the Carbon Grey.
While the above list features top brands and desired handsets, there are a few other brands that could also make it here. LG G5 and the Sony Xperia XZ are not to be missed out too. However, we would also like to mention that top phones from other brands also have a lot to offer. As honorary mentions, we would like to include the Xiaomi Mi5, Oppo R9, Gionee S8, LeEco LePro 3, and Honor 8 too, which are considered for the flagship roundup for 2016.
- by Moinak Pal
