The best phone of 2016 is...
• Samsung Galaxy S7 | Feature packed and almost flawless
No not the S7 Edge with it’s silly, curved bezel-less screen, the smaller S7 model which didn’t get much of a spotlight. This little gem does it all – it has all the power and the features of the edge in a smart-looking, very robust and waterproof case. It has a fantastic AMOLED UHD screen and one of the best cameras on the market. Add to that features like three-tap distress message and the MyKnox secure area for apps and files – all at a reasonable price, and you’ve got a phone that’s borderline flawless. Sure the battery could last longer but at least it charges quickly. We went back to this phone every time we finished with a review unit. It’s still worth buying. A worthy winner of our phone of the year.
Where were they?
Moto Z and Moto Z Play | Modular madness?
These phones were really very impressive but we’re yet to be convinced that modular phones aren’t a gimmick. Sales figures could prove us wrong, but we don’t have any.
LG V20 | Where is it?
This phone has been impressing everyone who’s seen it. Which doesn’t include us in Australia who seem to be at the back of the queue. Same goes for the Huawei Mate 9.
Alcatel Idol 4S | Impressive and innovative
We were impressed with what Alcatel squeezed into a mid-range priced phone – including an AMOLED screen and a VR headset! But the final price pushed it too near to Huawei’s top phones to make the shortlist.
Sony | What happened?
A poor showing from Sony this year thanks to the massively-disappointing Sony Xperia Performance which was a downgrade over its predecessor. THis was then followed up by the middling, confusingly-branded Sony Xperia XZ. Let's hope for better things from Sony in 2017.
Related: Samsung Galaxy S8 review