The number of smartphone users has steadily grown to 362 million in 2016 and is projected to increase to 450 million by the end of 2018. This astronomical growth has been brought by the huge number of smartphones in the tech space jostling for attention with competitive prices and stellar specs. We spread out a plate with one of the best smartphones that money can buy today.
Apple
The iPhone 7 was released last year with much fanfare and media attention. Although it has just 2GB of RAM, it is equivalent to its 6GB RAM Android counterparts because of Apple’s iOS operating system that is married to the proprietary hardware to perform with excellence. The camera performance on the iPhone 7 is remarkable and one of the best out there. The processor is quad-core A10 Fusion SoC, and the battery a 1960mAh battery on the 7 and 2900mAh on the 7 Plus. The cameras are 12MP on both — singular setup on the 7 and a dual setup on the 7 Plus. The worthy iPhone 7 will drain your bank balance with prices starting at Rs 55, 000 and Rs 70, 699 for the 7 Plus.
Samsung
2016 did not spell well for the South Korean manufacturer after reports of the Note 7 exploding got major attention. The flagship Note 7 was scrapped and S7 retained the flagship label. The S7 comes in two variants — S7 and S7 Edge. The specs are same for both the devices — 4GB RAM with 32/64 GB a separate variant with 128GB for the S7 Edge only. The S7 Edge comes with a curved display. As for design, these babies are in a class of their own and together with a powerful Snapdragon and Exynos chipsets and the superb cameras, the S7 series are one of the best smartphones out there. The S7 series are a bit cheaper than the iPhone with prices starting at Rs 43,000. A bonus — these smartphones come with expandable storage options and 2K super AMOLED displays.
One of the latest entrants in the smartphone space and it already takes the buck (partly). Mostly because it came down from a highly sophisticated line of Nexus devices and now named as the Pixel. The Pixels run on the latest Snapdragon 821 SoC and holds 4 gigs of RAM and 32/128 GB of storage options. As for now, the Pixels are the best smartphone in the Android world with a powerful hardware, snappy UI and great remarkable performance. However, the price is not so pleasing — it starts at a steep Rs 57,000 (Pixel) and Rs 67,000 (XL).
Moto
The Moto Z was released in September last year and is one of the first modular phones launched into the market (LG G5 was a disaster and Google ARA did not see daylight). The Moto Z sports 4GB of RAM, 32/64GB storage options and runs on SD820 SoC. The mods are the main USP for the Z — they’re attachable via connection points on the rear of the phone and consist of a battery pack, JBL speakers, a projector mod, and a camera mod. Prices start at Rs 25,000 for the 32 gigs version, which does make it cheaper in comparison, but the modules would additionally cost you a bomb.
If the above three are not suiting your budget, we also have some options where you could retain your thirst for performance while still managing your monthly bank balance. Here are some choices for a cheaper flagship.
OnePlus
The recently launched OnePlus 3T is almost identical to the older 3, except for the newer SD 821 SoC and a bumped up battery at 3400mAh. The device sports a whopping 6GB of RAM, making it a future-proof smartphone, at least for the next three years for sure. You are destined to get a good performance from both the hardware and camera if you choose the OP3T. Prices start at Rs 29,000.
Xiaomi
The Mi 5 was Xiaomi’s first flagship to incorporate the SD820 SoC coupled with 3/4 gigs of RAM and 32/64/128 GB of storage. It boasts of a great 16MP camera with an optical image stabiliser and a decent 3000mAh battery. Starting at Rs 22,999, the Mi 5 is presently one of the cheapest flagships still in sale and performs well in both performance as well as photography areas.
