10 Hot Smartphones To Consider Now
Although smartphone sales have been on the decline recently, there is no shortage of options. Here are 10 hot models worth a look.
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Choosing the best smartphone can be a difficult proposition. You may already have particular platform preference, which limits your options. Or perhaps you favor a particular service provider based on reception in your area.
Whatever you choose, there will be something more tempting soon enough. The smartphone product cycle ensures that.
At the moment, Apple and Google are worth watching, both for what they have planned and for their responses to what other hardware makers like Samsung and Lenovo have introduced already this year.
Apple's iPhone 7, due this fall, has people worried because reports suggest it won't have a analog headphone audio port. Instead, it is expected to include a Lightning port that can handle charging, data, and digital audio.
The reason this is worrisome is that digital audio can be subject to technological controls like DRM, unlike analog audio. It also likely means that third-party vendors will have to apply to Apple's MFi program, which involves rules and fees, to create hardware like headphones that work with the phone's proprietary Lightning port.
There may be benefits to iPhone 7 customers in the form of reduced phone size or more room for other components like the battery. But the cost appears to be reduced freedom to create peripherals that connect to the analog audio port, reduced peripheral choice, and increased peripheral cost, to offset MFi licensing fees. Apple reportedly reduced those fees in 2014, but those fees still figure into hardware makers margins and prices.
The iPhone 7 also concerns investors because in April Apple reported a decline in revenue and iPhone sales, after years of uninterrupted growth. IDC's explanation for this was that the changes from the iPhone 6 to the 6S were insufficient to drive upgrades. At least that's part of the story.
In any event, there's pressure on Apple to add new features that really make the iPhone 7 desirable and unique. Unfortunately for Apple, one of the most obvious possible features, water resistance, is already available in Samsung's Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. Apple, which sued Samsung years ago for copying the iPhone, now appears to be copying Samsung. While there's lots of idea borrowing among tech companies, that's not the sort of market perception Apple wants.
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Google meanwhile has promised to deliver developer versions of its Project Ara modular phone this fall, with general availability planned for next year. Project Ara has been scaled back a bit -- the CPU, display, and RAM won't be removable -- but it still has potential to change the dynamics of the smartphone market.
Other handset makers like LG are already experimenting with limited modularity. If Project Ara succeeds, smartphones may become a bit more open and more conducive to third-party participation from peripheral makers.
But Google has to demonstrate that Project Ara phones won't just be bigger and more expensive than smartphone designs that don't contemplate expansion or modification.
While we wait, here are nine great smartphones you can pick up today, and one to look forward to in a few months. Take a look and let us know what you think in the comments below. Would you consider these models? Did we miss your favorite smartphone?
Samsung's Galaxy S7 Edge ($790 from T-Mobile) has received rave reviews, with good reason. It's a terrific smartphone. It has a powerful processor, attractive design, and support for external storage. It has a great camera. Its battery life is better than its predecessor, and it supports wireless charging. Plus it's water-resistant. If you're looking for an Android phone, it may be the best flagship device available at the moment.
The OnePlus 3 is a flagship smartphone without the flagship price. At $400, it's almost half the price of Samsung's Galaxy S7 Edge, but it's not half the phone. Tom's Guide gives it 9/10 and CNET rates it 8.9/10. Unfortunately, it's not for every network because it supports GSM but not CDMA.
The HTC 10 holds its ground against other top-of-the line smartphones. It gets good marks for audio quality and user interface customizability. But Engadget and CNET see its battery life as lacking.
Though due to be replaced in three months or thereabouts, Apple's iPhone 6S remains a capable, well-made smartphone. If you're committed to the Apple ecosystem, there aren't a lot of alternatives, but iOS 9 improvements like multitasking and a smarter Siri make the experience a good one. There's even a Move to iOS app for those looking to leave Android. Engadget gave it a score of 91 out of 100.
The LG G5 is another contender for the flagship smartphone crown. It was awarded Best New Handset, Tablet or Device at Mobile World Congress 2016. The Verge is somewhat more cautious with its praise, even as it acknowledges the potential of LG's Friends modules to expand the functionality of the G5. The fact that the G5 is not water-resistant tips the scales in favor of the Samsung S7 Edge.
When Google released the Nexus 6P last fall, The Verge called it the best Android phone. In the months that followed, other Android phones have offered a credible challenge. But one thing Google does better than its hardware partners is offer timely updates. And that's no small thing. Mobile security matters.
The Huawei 9P gets strong reviews, although none quite as favorable as those for the Samsung S7 or LG G5. "If the Huawei P9 were that little bit faster and its camera were that little bit better, it could have been my favorite phone," wrote Verge reviewer Vlad Savov in May. That's almost enough to make it tempting. But why settle?
If you live in China or India, as about a third of the people in the world do, you may have the option to buy Xiaomi's Mi 5. CNET calls it a fantastic phone that gives Samsung's S7 a run for its money. But as its three models sell for between $300 and $415, it finishes the race at about half the price.
TechRadar's John McCann summarizes the BlackBerry Priv poetically: "The BlackBerry Priv is the mullet of the smartphone world. It's still business in the front, but now there's a party in the back too."
If you must have BlackBerry branding and a physical keyboard, this is the Android phone for you. If only BlackBerry sold a phone case with a tiny mullet attached.
The Lenovo Phab2 Pro won't be available until September, so it doesn't really belong on this list. But it will be the first commercial phone that supports Project Tango, Google's system for creating real-time 3D models of the phone user's physical environment. It should be great fun, if you're interested in augmented reality applications for gaming and e-commerce.
The Lenovo Phab2 Pro won't be available until September, so it doesn't really belong on this list. But it will be the first commercial phone that supports Project Tango, Google's system for creating real-time 3D models of the phone user's physical environment. It should be great fun, if you're interested in augmented reality applications for gaming and e-commerce.
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