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jeudi 1 décembre 2016

Best Android phones (December 2016): our picks, plus a giveaway

With Android thoroughly dominating the mobile industry, picking the best Android smartphones is almost synonymous with choosing the best smartphones, period. But while Android phones have few real opponents on other platforms, internal competition is incredibly fierce.

From sleek devices that impress with premium design, to powerhouses brimming with features, to all-around great devices, and affordable phones that punch above their weight, the Android ecosystem is populated by a staggering variety of attractive phones.

But "greatness" is subjective, and sometimes spec sheets and feature lists are not enough to make an idea of how good a phone really is. In this roundup, we're looking at the absolute best – the Android phones you can't go wrong with.

Editor's note: We will be updating this list regularly as new devices launch.
Update, December 2016: We made no changes to our list this month.

Google Pixel and Pixel XL

Google's Pixel and Pixel XL are here, and they truly are some amazing smartphones.

Not only are they the first phones to ship with the Google Assistant on board, they also come with plenty of exclusive software features and some of the best smartphone cameras in existence.

Under the hood, they sport some killer specs, too. Both devices have an AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 821 processor, 4GB of RAM, plenty of on-board storage and long-lasting batteries. The overall design of these phones may not be the most unique, but they do feel like premium phones through and through.

There are a few things about these phones that will turn some people away, though. For starters, they only sport an IP53 rating for dust and water resistance, meaning they're not nearly as waterproof as the Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge. There are ways around that, but none that will make the devices truly waterproof. Plus, if you buy the Verizon model, you'll have to deal with a small amount of bloatware (though you will be able to uninstall it), you won't be able to unlock the bootloader, and Verizon will be handling all Pixel and Pixel XL software updates (though the company swears it won't delay them).

If you're in the market for a new flagship Android phone and don't mind spending over $650, you should buy the Pixel or Pixel XL… these are two of the best Android phones out there.

Specs

Google Pixel

  • 5.0-inch AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, 441ppi
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 32/128GB of on-board storage, no microSD expansion
  • 12.3MP rear camera, 8MP front camera
  • Non-removable 2,770mAh battery
  • Android 7.1 Nougat
  • 143.8 x 69.5 x 8.6mm, 143g

Google Pixel XL

  • 5.5-inch AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 534ppi
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 32/128GB of on-board storage, no microSD expansion
  • 12.3MP rear camera, 8MP front camera
  • Non-removable 3,450mAh battery
  • Android 7.1 Nougat
  • 154.7 x 75.7 x 8.6mm, 168g

Read more

Buy now from the Google Store

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge

Samsung did a killer job with their 2015 flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Design-wise, many would say those two phones were close to perfect. The company forwent a plastic design and instead included glass front and back panels with an aluminum frame. They weren't without their flaws, though. The S6 and S6 Edge didn't offer expandable storage or removable batteries — two features Samsung has been known to include in all its smartphones for years.

Now the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge have made their way to the masses, and they fix many of the problems the S6 line introduced last year. While they don't offer removable batteries, Samsung included expandable storage on both handsets in case the 32 GB of on-board storage isn't enough. Samsung mostly stuck to the same design this time around, though they did shrink down the camera bumps on the back and made the devices a little thicker to make room for larger batteries.

In terms of specs, these are top-of-the-line smartphones. They come with Quad HD Super AMOLED displays, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processors, 4 GB of RAM, great 12 MP rear-facing cameras and run the latest version of Android. Instead of featuring the same screen sizes this time around though, Samsung kept the S7 at a smaller 5.1 inches, while the S7 Edge has been bumped up to a larger 5.5-inch panel.

Seriously, these are some incredible smartphones. They are a little pricey, but all in all, we think the high asking price is worth it.

Specs

Samsung Galaxy S7

  • 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 577 ppi
  • Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
  • 4 GB of RAM
  • 32 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200 GB
  • 12 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera
  • Non-removable 3000 mAh battery
  • Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
  • 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 mm, 152 g

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

  • 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 534 ppi
  • Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
  • 4 GB of RAM
  • 32 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200 GB
  • 12 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera
  • Non-removable 3600 mAh battery
  • Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
  • 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7 mm, 157 g

Read more

Buy Galaxy S7 at Amazon
Buy Galaxy S7 edge at Amazon

LG V20

The V20 is basically the phone for power users. It has a a big Quad HD display, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 processor, plenty of RAM and on-board storage, dual 16MP rear-facing cameras, and a removable 3,200mAh battery. Of course, the unique Second Screen makes a return this year, along with the addition of Quad DAC, military standard durability, and it's already running Android 7.0 Nougat.

If top-of-the-line specs and an impressive feature set is what you're looking for, you can't go wrong with the V20.

Specs

  • 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 513ppi
    • Secondary display: 2.1-inch IPS LCD display with 160 x 1040 resolution, 513 ppi
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 32/64GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256GB
  • Dual 16 and 8MP rear cameras, 5MP front camera
  • Removable 3,200mAh battery
  • Android 7.0 Nougat
  • 159.7 x 78.1 x 7.6mm, 174g

Read more

Buy now from Amazon

Moto Z and Moto Z Force

Motorola (well, Lenovo actually) is doing something different with their flagship phones this year. Instead of releasing just one flagship under the Moto X moniker, they've decided to release two new smartphones that do things a bit out of the ordinary. The Moto Z and Moto Z Force not only bring flagship-level specs, but also support for modules.

These modules, called Moto Mods, attach to the back of both phones via magnets. There are only a few available right now, but they actually bring some handy features to the phones. You can purchase an external battery module, a powerful speaker, and even a projector!

They both have killer specs, too. Both devices come with a 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, plenty of on-board storage, expandable memory, and run Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. You might be wondering – what's the difference between these two phones? The standard Moto Z is super thin at only 5.2mm in thickness, but it only comes with a 2600mAh battery. The Moto Z Force is thicker, has a 3500mAh battery, and also has a shatterproof display.

These aren't the cheapest phones on the market, but they're certainly some of the best.

Specs

Moto Z

  • 5.5-inch AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 535ppi
  • Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 32/64GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256GB
  • 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
  • Non-removable 2600mAh battery
  • Android 7.0 Nougat
  • 153.3 x 75.3 x 5.2mm, 136g

Moto Z Force

  • 5.5-inch AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 535ppi
  • Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 32/64GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256GB
  • 21MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
  • Non-removable 3500mAh battery
  • Android 7.0 Nougat
  • 155.9 x 75.8 x 7mm, 163g

Read more

Buy the Moto Z from Amazon
Buy the Moto Z Force from Amazon

ZTE Axon 7

ZTE's Axon Pro from 2015 was a good phone, but it fell short in a few key areas. It came to market with only one storage option, no expandable memory, and the dual camera setup on the back of the device felt a bit gimmicky. Not only does the company's latest flagship fix all of those problems, it brings much more to the table.

It has a big 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display, the latest Snapdragon processor, plenty of RAM, multiple storage options, and yes, expandable memory up to 256GB. It also sports some killer front-facing speakers, all-day battery life, a great camera, and a sleek, attractive design. While certain parts of the software could use a little more polish, the ZTE Axon 7 goes toe-to-toe with the best in the Android market. It's also inexpensive at only $400, making this an even more attractive option for folks looking to score a solid flagship device.

Specs

  • 5.5-inch AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 538ppi
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
  • 4/6GB of RAM
  • 64/128GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256GB
  • 20MP front camera, 8MP rear camera
  • Non-removable 3250mAh battery
  • Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
  • 151.7 x 75 x 7.9mm, 175g

Read more

Buy at Amazon

HTC 10

HTC needed a saving grace this year, and the 10 just may be it. The Taiwanese company finally designed a phone that's different enough from its predecessor yet still sports a familiar design language. With an all-metal chassis, front-mounted fingerprint sensor and a new-and-improved speaker setup, the HTC 10 easily made its way to our best Android phones list.

Under the hood, the 10 comes with some killer specs. A 5.2-inch Quad HD display, Snapdragon 820 processor and 4 GB of RAM are in line with most other flagships this year, and it also comes with expandable storage up to 200 GB and a 3000 mAh battery that will have no problems lasting an entire day on a single charge. HTC also improved the camera this time around, which was a big flaw in last year's One M9 flagship.

All in all, the HTC 10 is an awesome device. Great specs and a solid build quality are what you'll get here… what more could you ask for?

Specs

  • 5.2-inch Super LCD5 display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 565ppi
  • 2.15GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 32/64GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200GB
  • 12MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
  • Non-removable 3000mAh battery
  • Android 7.0 Nougat
  • 145.9 x 71.9 x 9mm, 161g

Read more

Buy now from Amazon

LG G5

While the Galaxy S7 series is a minor refresh in terms of design, the LG G5 sees a massive departure from the design language used in the G series, ditching the rear volume/power setup that first debuted with the LG G2. The G5 also adopts a unibody metallic design that has a removable cap for access to the removable battery and a port for modules that allow users to expand the phone's capabilities by adding a camera grip and other special accessories.

The distinctly different design of the LG G5 may not be for everyone, but there's little denying that LG has went out of its way to try and innovate in a market where big changes like this aren't all that common.

Spec wise, we're looking at a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 with 4 GB RAM, a 5.3-inch display, and 32 GB storage with microSD for expansion. The specs here are certainly impressive all across the board. It's also worth mentioning that LG has revamped its software, making it faster and less bloated. One controversial move with the software, however, is the removal of the app drawer in favor of what LG says is a "simplified experience."

Specs

  • 5.3-inch IPS LCD display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 554ppi
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 32GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200GB
  • 16 and 8MP dual rear cameras, 8MP front camera
  • Removable 2800mAh battery
  • Android 7.0 Nougat
  • 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7mm, 159g

Read more

Buy at Amazon

Cast your vote, and participate in our giveaway!

There you have it – our picks from the best Android has to offer right now. Out of those listed, which do you feel is the very best? Be sure to sound off in the poll below. Each month we will also be conducting a giveaway, giving our readers a chance to win the phone with the most votes.

Winner, November 2016: Google Pixel XL (14,067 total votes)

Congratulations to Mart L. from the Netherlands, the winner of our November 2016 giveaway!

Best Android Phone (December 2016)


Check out our related best lists:



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T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S6 receives November security update

samsung-galaxy-s6-now-resized-2

samsung-galaxy-s6-now-resized-2

The Samsung Galaxy S6 is now receiving November's security patches on T-Mobile, according to unofficial T-Mobile blog TmoNews. The update brings the device up to build number G920TUVU5EPK5 but T-Mobile has yet to outline the changes on its support page.

Given the history of their updates, it's highly likely that the Galaxy S6 Edge is receiving the security patches also, but this remains unconfirmed (if the update has landed on your S6 Edge, give us a shout in the comments).

See also:

Samsung updates Game Launcher with new features and design improvements

4 hours ago

The update to the S6 is rolling out over-the-air now but it may not be deployed on all handsets simultaneously. Check the software update page of your device settings to see if it's available if you haven't received the OTA notification already.

Besides security patches, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are both expected to receive the major upgrade to Android Nougat, though when exactly this will happen remains to be seen. Check out our thoughts on how Android 7.0 currently looks on the Galaxy S7 Edge at the link.



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CyanogenMod 14.1 arrives for the HTC One A9, One M8, LG G3 Beat, and others

 

best CyanogenMod themes (by developer)

best CyanogenMod themes (by developer)

All may not be well over at Cyanogen Inc right now, but the legion of developers maintaining CyanogenMod builds for a wide range of handsets remain as busy and committed as ever. The group has been hard at work building a selection of CyanogenMod 14.1 Nightly builds, which is based on Android 7.1 Nougat, for a selection of HTC and LG handsets, among others, which have just been released today.

Variants of the HTC One M8 and LG G3 are among the most notable releases, and HTC One A9 owners can find a new ROM to flash too. Developers also state that CM14.1 nightly builds are in the works for the Nexus 5, Samsung Galaxy S3, and a selection of Chinese devices as well. Here's the list of newly available downloads:

See also:

What is CyanogenMod?

September 19, 2016

If you fancy flashing CM14.1 onto one of the smartphones on the list, feel free to take a look at our guide above. You'll also wanted to grab the latest copy of GApps so that you can access the Play Store and other Google services.



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Pokemon Go’s Nearby feature rolls out across continental US and large parts of Europe

Pokemon Go Razz Berry

Pokemon Go Razz Berry

The Pokemon Go team has announced that it is expanding the Nearby tracking feature to large parts of Europe, as well as the continental US regions which were yet to receive it. The statement was made via a post on the official Pokemon Go blog yesterday.

Pokemon Go developer Niantic first began testing the feature in August in San Francisco, before expanding it to further cities in November. The function helps trainers discover the location of nearby Pokemon by showing a picture of them at the Poke Stop they are closest to. If a trainer taps Poke Stop icon, the featured Pokemon's approximate location will be revealed.

See also:

100 new creatures tipped for Pokemon Go update in December

5 days ago

"We will continue to review the feedback submitted on our official social media accounts and in other channels and make changes if necessary," said the Pokemon Go team in the announcement.

In other recent Pokemon Go news, weight was added to the rumor that an influx of 100 new Pokemon is on the horizon via an analysis of recent game code. The new Pokemon are now speculated to arrive in an update this month.



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“Ok Google” voice commands now supported by Android Auto

2016 Chevrolet Cruze Android Auto 13

2016 Chevrolet Cruze Android Auto 13

Finally, "Ok Google" keyword support has arrived for Android Auto. It's only taken the company almost two years to implement the hands-free feature, but now drivers can fully control their car's infotainment system with their voice, in addition to individual services like Google Maps.

To make use of the Ok Google keyword in your vehicle, you'll need to grab the latest version of the Android Auto app and the Google App. It's inside that latter that you should find that the "While driving" setting now says that it works with Google Maps and Android Auto. This toggle is found under the "Ok Google" detection menu.

If you're not already using "Ok Google" voice detection on your phone, the feature offers up a range of commands to performs tasks from opening up apps, to setting timers, making calendar appointments, and replying to emails and messages. The fact that all of this can now be done hands-free in your vehicle is bound to be quite useful.

See also:

Everything you can do with Google voice commands

June 20, 2016

If Android Auto or the Google App haven't updated for you yet, you can grab the latest software from APK Mirror. Just hit the download button below. There may also be a server side switch that Google needs to flick to enable the feature, so it may take a little while for the upgrade to reach everyone.



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Huawei announces Nougat update list, P8 and Mate S aren’t on it

Huawei P9 Feature Focus-6

Huawei P9 Feature Focus-6

Samsung, Sony, HTC, and a few other big names in the industry have either already started updating their devices to Android Nougat or have at least announced a time frame as to when the update should be available.

Now, Huawei is joining in as well. The Chinese manufacturer has released the list of devices that will get the Nougat update along with the company's latest EMUI 5.0 user interface.

The beta version of the update has already hit a few Huawei devices, but the first phones to receive the stable version will be the high-end P9 and Mate 8 (the Mate 9 just received final software yesterday). In an official statement, Huawei said that the update will be rolled out in the first quarter of 2017.

See also:

Huawei faces "challenging" Mate 9 launch in the US

3 days ago

A few weeks after the P9 and Mate 8 get the sweet Nougat treatment, the most profitable Android manufacturer in the world (Q3) will start updating a few of its other devices. These include the P9 Plus, P9 lite, Nova and Nova Plus.

It's not known if this is the full list of devices or if Huawei will add a few more models to it soon. But we'd be surprised if the company doesn't at least increase the Nougat lineup with last year's flagship, the P8. The Huawei Mate S on the other hand, might not be so lucky.

Do you own any of the above-mentioned Huawei devices? Are you looking forward to the Nougat update? Let us know in the comments below.



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Black Friday deals gave Google’s Pixel a big boost compared to the iPhone

google pixel xl initial review aa (7 of 48) front homescreen featured

google pixel xl initial review aa (7 of 48) front homescreen featured

Black Friday deals are often good business for tech brands, and this year it's the Google Pixel that has been one of the major hot sellers. While Apple's iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S7 ranges were some of the best sellers in terms of raw numbers, the Pixel line-up saw the biggest growth rate out of the bunch, according to data collected by Localytics. This is a another rather sign for Google's new premium smartphone series.

In terms of growth rates, the Pixel boasted a 120 percent boost to device activations during Black Friday, followed by the Galaxy S7 with a 36 percent jump. The iPhone 7 only saw a 13 percent increase, and the 7 Plus model only accounted for 1 percent of that number. Worryingly perhaps for Apple, consumer appetite for grabbing a discounted iPhone 7 is down significantly compared to the iPhone 6S, which saw a 36 percent boost to device activation last year over the Black Friday period.

highest-device-activations-2016

highest-device-activations-2016

Given the Pixel's high price point compared with previous Google phones, it wouldn't surprise me if a good number of customers had been waiting for its price to fall before picking one up. Combine this data with numerous reports of stock delays and big sales forecasts this year, and the Pixel is certainly shaping up to be one of Google's most popular smartphone releases.

This data isn't perfect though, it only reflects the change in sales between Black Friday and the previous weekend, which are usually sedated as customers wait for the deals anyway. The data doesn't really show any longer term trends either. Not to mention that the Pixel saw much greater discounts than the iPhone, as Apple was only offering a $50 gift card with purchases made over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Still, at least over the weekend it looks like the Google Pixel was in quite high demand. Did you buy one?



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