Smartphone Awards 2016!
So finally here it is , the 2016 smartphone awards. Im going to be covering the most popular categories that I could think of. If you guys think you want me to cover a particular category, put it in the comments section and I will update the blog with that.
This is one blog I had been waiting to write down, and seeing a lot of YouTubers prepping to put down their list, it was but natural for me to put it at the right moment. So here we go.
Best Design Phone of the year: SAMSUNG GALAXY S7 EDGE
This phone is undoubtedly the best looking phone of 2016. You have a lot of phones with full Aluminium bodies but they all somewhat lack that X-Factor that makes a difference between an Exceptional Looking Phone and the one that just looks Great.
The Galaxy S7 Edge has a beautiful curved Edge design with double edge for display which is one of the Eye Catching features of the phone. It looks really stealthy as compared to its opponents in the same price range. Even the back glass shines out with utmost Best in Class Design.
Best Performance Phone of the year: One Plus 3/3T
I think what 2016 has bought is great phones especially even in the budget range between 20,000 INR and 30,000 INR and one amongst this is the FLAGSHIP KILLER , the ONE PLUS 3/ONE PLUS 3T.
I am always biased to One Plus devices, not because I have some kind of a deal with them LOL I appreciate the hard work these guys put in to get something as amazing as the One Plus 3 / 3 T out in the market at almost half or 1/3rd the rate of an iPhone or a Pixel or a S7 Edge. I mean look at those specs Snapdragon 820/821 SoC, 6 Gigs of RAM and now with the 3T a 128GB storage variant, Aluminium unibody design and that flashy 16 MP camera. The performance on the device is like a breeze.
You can throw anything at this device and it will respond with 2x or 4x times the speed, that too for an Android OS that has been customised. Hands down this is the best Performance Phone of the year for 2016!
Buy Link: Amazon Exclusive
Best Camera / Video Phone of the year: SAMSUNG GALAXY S7 EDGE
Once again this award goes to the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, yes it is truly the king of Camera or Video Smartphones out there. Ideally I would pitch this against the iPhone 7 Plus, and if it were a choice of the Mobile Operating system you were looking at, then for Android go for the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and for iOS obviously the iPhone 7 Plus not the 7. It makes sense to go for the 7 Plus purely because of that Stealthy looking Dual Camera with Telescopic lens.
I primarily use my 7 Plus for camera work and I also have the Google Pixel. I would have given the Pixel the best Camera Phone for the year however, one category it does disappoint me was MACRO Photography. It seriously does not do well, because it lacks the I don't know the focus on the camera for Macro Shots. You cannot click really close range crisp shots as compared to the S7 Edge and the iPhone 7 Plus.
But if you are the one that does a lot of outdoor photography and low light work Pixel is the perfect choice for you. I will be doing a blog for the Pixel's camera shots soon!
Best Software Experience Phone of the year: Google Pixel!
Ok so coming to one of the best sections that any Smartphone especially on Android that I consider the best is the Software and the OS Department. Yes , Google Pixel, definitely fits absolutely perfect in that category. As you guys are also aware that Google Pixel would always be the first device to get the latest Android Updates across any Android Device in the world.
Yeah I did come across many youtube videos and blogs claiming to add in some widgets plugins etc to any android phone and make it look like the Pixel. Its bullshit, because all you do is install third party stuff and screw up your phone, so when you get a new Android update those plugins will become obsolete and you will have various issues. So don't go for these gimmicks. I always prefer pure Stock Android which gives best experience.
Yes Google Pixel does have some flaws which serious need a lookup and patch work by Google but it can be overlooked, because only when you really use the Pixel you will realise why its such a great phone. It may not be the best looking phones, not even great but definitely the Software Experience and ease of carrying this device truly makes it phenomenal. Pixel is better options if holding a device in your hand is an issue otherwise for battery guys go for the XL of course coz both perform the same.
Buy Link: Flipkart Exclusive
Best Battery Life Phone of the year: Moto Z Play
Moto Z Droid for sample. The Moto Z Play is a bit thicker
The Moto Z and the Z Play are one of the most innovative Android Phones of 2016. The reason being , of course Moto MODS. This technology helps you slap on accessories(which are expensive) and expand sections of your device like battery, camera capabilities, projections, audio etc without having to purchase a new phone every year.
The Moto Z play packs a massive 3510 MaH power battery that would easily last you 2 days or more on high and above moderate usage. Those people who game a lot, yes even they have a really good battery life on this phone. Don't get me wrong, this is not a gaming device, but a budget phone that really packs that Juice in its battery that can last you much longer and eliminates the need for chargers around.
Apart from that this phone also has a really stylish design that stands out from the crowd but the big camera bump is a bit of a disappointment, however you get a smart looking case from Motorola to compensate for this. Perfect for battery lovers!
Best Budget Phone of the year?
So when you say best budget phone of the year its important to understand the range what budget means, so I have divided it between a couple of categories based on price range in India
1) 5,000/- INR - 10,000/- INR
Battery Life - Moto E3 Power
The Motorola is always my favourite when it comes to budget smartphones because of its build quality, however lately Lenovo acquisition has made bad choices of using MediaTek Chipsets in Motorola phones making them look really cheap from the hardware, otherwise no issues with this one. Great phone if you require longer usage times.
Buy Link: Flipkart Exclusive
Performance - Moto G4 Play
The G4 Play is almost like the Moto E3 power but the biggest difference is that it packs the Snapdragon processor instead of the MediaTek which definitely gives it a performance boost. Also in the list of devices to get the Nougat update Android 7 Moto G4 will get it as compared to the E3
power which is not in the list.
Buy Link: Amazon Exclusive
2) 10,000/- INR - 15,000/- INR
One Plus X
Yes if you are looking for a budget phone with the best processing power in this range, I mean in terms of being a gamer or even a classy looking phone and easy to hold, its the One Plus X without any doubt.
Buy Link: Amazon Exclusive
3) 15,000/- INR - 20,000/- INR
Moto M(Launched a couple of days back)
Moto M had its launch last week and it showed great hardware and software specifications. I was waiting for the launch of this phone primarily because I was keen to see what Lenovo offers for such a great looking phone. But again a sad part about this is the MediaTek processor, but for the specifications you
Not yet out for sale.
4) 20,000/- INR - 30,000/- INR
Performance based - One Plus 3/3T
Definitely when it comes to pure performance and getting the latest Android updates for the Oxygen OS its the One Plus 3 or 3T. You can pay up a little bit more and get the 3T 64GB model. The 128 GB version is expensive.
Battery based - Moto Z Play
As already mentioned if battery life is your priority then in the budget category, with smart looking device the Moto Z Play is one of the best and will easily give you at least 2 days of battery on a full charge.
Best Smartphone Service Company of the year: Apple!
This award without any doubts without any discussions year after year I can give it to Apple till its the last phone I will ever buy. Yes , I have bought many phones starting from the very first Nokia , and trust me even if you get the best Smartphone but if the service sucks, its not worth it. You finally pay a huge price or a budget or whatever price for the smartphone, and if you get shitty service and crap talk over call center for your phone issues, its not worth it.
If you walk in to an Apple Store or even talk to an Apple Representative, they know what customer experience means. I mean it is also evident on the iOS Ecosystem but its also a part of handling the customers. Apple does not believe in the concept of "Repair" , they just "Replace". Of course many at times I have heard the replacement phones are refurbished ones but I have not experienced this so far. The phone company or company that seriously sucks big time in their service is LG and yeah I don't care if they ever send me a review unit or not, I will always be against them. I will have a separate write up on LG on how pathetic they are, at-least in India.
SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST - BEST SMARTPHONE OF THE YEAR 2016 - SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 7!
Yes, this was my favourite smartphone of the year. No matter what happened with the Note 7 I seriously don't care(apart from the fact that people got hurt, I sympathise and I am with the Note 7 ban), but this would be the best of the lot.
Take any Operating System any feature, design blah blah I think the Note 7 definitely kicks all those phones back down. I have not used the Note 7 yet, but I can definitely say based on the specifications, the software experience(experienced this on my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Touch Wiz UI and used older version of the Note series), that this is by far the best Smartphone ever created. Especially that super cool feature Samsung introduced with capturing videos and converting them into a gif.
Just to give you an overview of why the Galaxy Note 7 RIP was the greatest phone ever. It has the stylish design inheritance of the Galaxy S7 , the touch wiz UI from Samsung, an amazing Hardware Specifications which I should not be even talking about. Performance wise it can compete even with the likes of the One Plus 3 or 3T and the Camera and Video quality is phenomenal (checked on older Note Series). I have seen a lot of reviews and yeah this is one hell of a phone.
The Note 7 has a fantastic Camera, a beautiful design, fast charging, wireless charging , water and dust resistant, massive battery and its an embodiment of a true smartphone. Its sad that it was over punched with features and too much was being tried to achieve that perfect smartphone which led to explosion cases. If it was not for the Note 7 , the other phone I would definitely recommend as the best smartphone of the year would be once again the Samsung Galaxy S7 EDGE.
Hope you guys found the above satisfactory. Feel free to comment and let me know your views whether you agree with me or not. Also if you think I have missed out any category comment and let me know. I have left purchase links on each smartphone category from Flipkart or Amazon. Stay tuned!
No comments:
Post a Comment