Amid the holiday shopping rush, Tech Times listed down our choice of the five best smartphones released in 2016.
Now, other gadget experts have spoken, with their own unique choice of the best smartphone of the year.
Google Pixel and Pixel XL
Business Insider and Forbes chose "Phones made by Google" as the best of 2016. We're considering the choice as one and the same since Goggle offers the same technical specifications in both phones, with size being the main difference between the two.
• Google Pixel XL
"With the Google Pixel XL, [Google] nails almost every area. The camera is still the best I've ever used in a smartphone. The app is lacking some manual controls, but the fact that auto mode produces near perfect results means limited manual control doesn't really matter. The battery life is also the best I've tested this year [...] Performance remains lightning fast, which is particularly apparent when I'm escaping into VR worlds with Day Dream. And the overall build quality is solid. It feels rugged despite being light, slim and crammed full of functionality," Jay McGregor of Forbes expressed.
• Google Pixel
Another expert seems to agree with McGregor on the superb quality of the Phones by Google.
"[Google Pixel is] also a superior phone overall to our previous top pick, the iPhone 7 Plus. It has a better screen, it's lighter, and has useful features like fast charging. The Pixel runs on the powerful and power-efficient Snapdragon 821, 4 GB of RAM, and it has an excellent 12.3-megapixel camera that holds its own against the iPhone 7 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S7," Business Insider's tech guru Antonio Villas-Boas said.
Considering that the Pixel and Pixel XL are Google's first official entry into the mobile phone business, this is an impressive feat.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
Since smartphones are basically portable computers already, we looked to PCAdvisor for its advice on which smartphone is the best that money can buy. Take note that PCAdvisor prides itself in being impartial and looking into the technical, aesthetic, and practical aspects of each gadget. Specifically, it wants to find the most durable, stylish, easy-to-use and best-performing gadget that money can buy. With all this in mind, PCAdvisor chose the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge.
"Samsung has given fans what they want. It's now a refined, sophisticated and highly desirable piece of technology. The battery isn't removable but the phone lasts longer than before and has seriously powerful specs under the hood. It has almost everything you could want from a phone [...] this is the best smartphone money can buy," PCAdvisor writes.
Motorola Moto Z Force
While 9to5Google focused on the Moto Z Force, there is also a mention of how impressive the whole Moto Z family is.
"There is a clear standout for the most interestingly designed phone of 2016. For better or worse, that title goes to the Moto Z in my view. And yes, I am primarily referring to its thinness," Abner Li of 9to5Google writes.
Li does not stop on the aesthetics of the Moto Z; he also raves about the smartphone's excellent performance.
"The Active Display is quite wonderful for notifications and Moto still has the best implementation [of Android] hands down. Google was wise to adopt this on the Pixel with Android 7.1.1, but Moto's take results in a phone that feels vibrant and connected to the world," he explained.
He goes on to say that, in his opinion, the Moto Z is the most unique and interesting smartphone on the market, and recommends it to those who want a gadget that truly stands out.
