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| Best high-end smartphone that you can buy right now (May 2016) |
Fortunately, we've had the chance to test all of the best smartphones in the high-end segment of the market and we're now ready to highlight the cream of the crop.
When selecting the best handsets on the market, there are many aspects of the overall experience to consider. We're mostly interested in things such as design and build, display size and quality, performance, storage, battery, and camera performance.
When selecting the best handsets on the market, there are many aspects of the overall experience to consider. We're mostly interested in things such as design and build, display size and quality, performance, storage, battery, and camera performance.
Now, given that there are so many aspects to consider, there's no single best high-end smartphone to discuss. As such, we've rounded up the phones that excel in one department or the other, and we'll also highlight the phones which are very good performers overall.
Before showing you our picks for the best high-end phone, we'd like you to note that the handsets are listed in no particular order.
Before showing you our picks for the best high-end phone, we'd like you to note that the handsets are listed in no particular order.
Samsung Galaxy S7 / Galaxy S7 edge
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If you want an high-end Android smartphone that makes no compromise in any department, then the Samsung Galaxy S7 series makes for an excellent starting point.
The standard Samsung Galaxy S7 is probably the best non-phablet currently available on the market. The phone offers plenty of processing power, a water resistant build with a premium glass-metal-sandwich design, a vibrant display, as well as probably the best smartphone camera around. To find out why the Samsung Galaxy S7 can easily be considered the best Android phone on the market, head on over to our full Samsung Galaxy S7 review.
The HTC 10 impresses through its double chamfered metal design, which not only looks great but feels premium in the hand. Furthermore, the HTC 10 is one of the smoothest Android phones around as far as the overall performance is concerned, the fingerprint scanner is probably the best on any Android phone, and the software is simplified and less bloated compared to previous HTC Sense versions.
The larger Samsung Galaxy S7 edge is similar in many ways to its more compact brother, although with the notable difference of a larger and dual-curved 5.5-inch panel running at 1440 by 2560 pixels. For more details on Samsung's curved-screen phablet, head on over to our full Samsung Galaxy S7 edge review.
Apple iPhone 6s / iPhone 6s Plus
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Although sales have started to slow down for the first time in history, the iPhone series continues to be the gold standard of high-end smartphones. The current-gen iPhones, theiPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus, are definitely the best high-end smartphones on the market if you're looking for a premium build, a straightforward OS experience, a lot of processing power, as well as a reliable camera.
To learn more about Apple's current-gen flagships, make sure to check out our iPhone 6s review and our iPhone 6s Plus review, as there's a lot to discuss regarding these two high-end phones.
HTC 10
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After launching subpar flagships in the past couple of years, 2016 brought us the HTC flagship handset that many of the manufacturer's fans were waiting for.
The HTC 10 impresses through its double chamfered metal design, which not only looks great but feels premium in the hand. Furthermore, the HTC 10 is one of the smoothest Android phones around as far as the overall performance is concerned, the fingerprint scanner is probably the best on any Android phone, and the software is simplified and less bloated compared to previous HTC Sense versions.
Another thing to bear in mind about the HTC 10 is that, out of all the high-end smartphones listed here, this one comes with the best battery life.
To find out why the HTC 10 is one of the best high-end smartphones around, check out our detailed HTC 10 review.
Beyond the LG G5 Friends accessories, the handset's strong points include a fast and accurate back-mounted fingerprint reader, a sharp and very bright display, a clean user interface, as well as a primary camera that works great even in low light conditions. Best high-end smartphone? Not everyone will agree, but you should at least consider it as an alternative.
Although it's the oldest smartphone on this list, the Huawei-made Google Nexus 6P still remains a very good option if you're in the market for the best large-screened Android phone. As all Nexus fans can anticipate, the best thing about the Google Nexus 6P is that it gets almost instant Android updates, whether if it's a monthly security patch or a major update, and will keep getting them by the end of next year.
On the hardware side, the Nexus 6P offers a unique design and a sleek aluminum build, great all-around performance, a great selfie camera and a performant primary camera, as well as a decently-sized battery that is very fast to recharge. Much more details on Google's current-gen phablet can be found in our complete Google Nexus 6P review.
To find out why the HTC 10 is one of the best high-end smartphones around, check out our detailed HTC 10 review.
LG G5
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The LG G5 - the first all-metal LG smartphone - stands out from the pack through its modular design. Although the actual implementation is far from perfect, LG showed the world that it's possible to create a modular smartphone, and the company's G5 can get new functions through additional modules that LG calls the LG G5 Friends.
Beyond the LG G5 Friends accessories, the handset's strong points include a fast and accurate back-mounted fingerprint reader, a sharp and very bright display, a clean user interface, as well as a primary camera that works great even in low light conditions. Best high-end smartphone? Not everyone will agree, but you should at least consider it as an alternative.
Google Nexus 6P
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Although it's the oldest smartphone on this list, the Huawei-made Google Nexus 6P still remains a very good option if you're in the market for the best large-screened Android phone. As all Nexus fans can anticipate, the best thing about the Google Nexus 6P is that it gets almost instant Android updates, whether if it's a monthly security patch or a major update, and will keep getting them by the end of next year.
On the hardware side, the Nexus 6P offers a unique design and a sleek aluminum build, great all-around performance, a great selfie camera and a performant primary camera, as well as a decently-sized battery that is very fast to recharge. Much more details on Google's current-gen phablet can be found in our complete Google Nexus 6P review.
