Exciting Smartphones in 2016 to look out for: The LG G5, Galaxy Note 6 & The iPhone 7

The first quarter of every new year is always a busy period for phones -- and the main reason for this is MWC 2016. But it's not just about MWC that we have to consider; Apple is rumoured to be releasing a new 4in iPhone in April as well. And after that we have all the other BIG updates from HTC, Sony, Apple and Google. And unlike 2015, this year's phone space promises to be VERY exciting. 

According to the latest leaked material the upcoming HTC One M10 will NOT launch at MWC 2016. HTC is apparently very keen on avoiding doing anything at the same time as Samsung — probably a wise move. Instead, HTC will apparently launch its HTC One M10 at a separate event in late-Q1 2016, so around March or April time. 

Still, there’s a bunch of other brands out there now ready to take its place like OnePlus, Xiaomi, Huawei and its awesome side-project, Honor, to name but a few. Plus, if Qualcomm has managed to fix the Snapdragon 820, which we’re 90% sure it has, things in the Android space should run a little more smoothly in 2016/17 as well. 

Samsung Galaxy Note 6 

The Samsung Galaxy Note 6 is apparently returning to the UK in 2016. Reports suggest Samsung, miffed by the weak sales of its EDGE+ handset, has opted to reinstate the Galaxy Note 6 as its mid-year flagship release, picking up the slack once the Galaxy S7 has died down in and around Q2. 

“Samsung has no plans to launch a Galaxy S7 Edge+ handset and will instead reinstate the Galaxy Note 6 as the brand's chief phablet in the UK,” notes Tech Radar. “That’s according to a source high up at one of the UK's major networks who cited a ‘backlash from loyal Note fans’ as one of the chief reasons for the reverse decision.”

To date not much is known about the handset, though Samsung has been filing some odd patents of late. The handset itself will likely feature QHD or higher display, Snapdragon 820/Exynos 8890 CPU and Android N, depending on when it is released. A lot of UK punters will be very excited about the prospect of getting their hands on this phablet after Samsung’s 2015 performance. 

Word on the street suggests Samsung is planning something pretty EPIC for its Galaxy Note 6. According to leaked information, the Galaxy Note 6 could well be the first smartphone to rock 6GB of RAM, a frankly insane amount of memory for a phone. What could all this memory be required for? It can’t JUST be for performance. 

Samsung recently filed a patent for an “upcoming” Note device that would see the phablet dock with a laptop-style device. Presumably the Galaxy Note would power the dummy laptop and all of its desktop-still applications. Could this be the reason why Samsung has included 6GB of RAM, or is it just a marketing gimmick? With Samsung you just never know….

OnePlus 3 

OnePlus made A LOT of friends with the OnePlus One and then set about making a few enemies with its tricky, follow-up flagship, the OnePlus 2. The main reason people we’re a little peeved with OnePlus’ 2015 effort was because it lacked NFC, as well as a QHD panel and a fingerprint scanner. 

OnePlus said people didn’t use NFC on the OnePlus One so it was nixed on the follow-up device. Well, as it turns out some people clearly did because A LOT of OnePlus 2 users were very angry when they found out their shiny new handset couldn’t do NFC, so expect to see the return of near field communication in 2016. 

Another area where OnePlus could up the ante with the OnePlus 3 is its display. The company has favoured 1080p panels since day one, but 2016 could see the company finally embrace QHD. Other notable features likely to make the cut are a larger battery, a fingerprint scanner, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 and some BIG improvements to imaging. 

Google's 2016 Nexus Phones 

Google will release two Nexus handsets in 2016 just as it did in 2015. But it will not be LG or Huawei making this year’s devices. Nope. According to reports from China, Google is keen on getting HTC back on Nexus-building duties. HTC will build two handsets for Google, the sources claim, one with a 5in display and one with a 5.5in display. 

If you’re memory is half decent you will recollect that HTC built the first ever Google Nexus phone — the Google Nexus One — WAY back in 2010. The company also built the first mass-market Android handset as well for T-Mobile in the form of the T-Mobile G1. What HTC will bring to the Nexus fold in 2016 remains to be seen. Will it be based on the company’s next flagship, the HTC One M10? 

Who knows. But as always: Google’s Nexus handsets are always worth the wait. 

LG G5

LG used to be rubbish. REALLY rubbish. But then it built the Nexus 4 and everything sort of changed. The company regained its stride and began making some of the best phones in the business like the LG G3 and LG G4, which were easily two of our favourite releases in 2014 and 2015, respectively. 

In 2015 LG returns with the LG G5, a handset that is EASILY one of the most exciting releases we've seen in recent times. The device itself is gorgeous, looking completely different to last year's G4. Plus, the damn thing is an modular phone, meaning you can attach accessories to it. 

The LG G5 is easily one of the most exciting phones for 2016. Why? Simple: LG has been slowly building up an awesome reputation for producing, arguably, some of the best Android phones on the planet. Case in point: the LG G3 and LG G4, as well as the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5, of course.

The company has also been pretty bullish about its plans for 2016, proclaiming it is “READY To TAKE Samsung On!” with its LG G5. I’ve argued why I think the LG G5 is a more interesting prospect than the Galaxy S7, and you can read that piece here: THIS is Why The LG G5 Is Better Than The Galaxy S7.

Nokia’s Android Phone 

Microsoft acquired Nokia’s phone business a few years ago and quickly set about doing what it does best — ruining it. But now the dust has settled on that little deal and Microsoft has stopped using the Nokia brand, the Finnish company can now start producing handsets again — and, importantly, handsets that aren’t crippled with Windows Phone software. 

Nokia — that is, the NEW Nokia — is apparently looking to bring an Android-powered phone to market in 2016. This is all very rumour-tastic at present but if Nokia were to return in 2016, and with an Android handset no less, it would certainly be very interesting indeed. 

iPhone 7 

Apple’s iPhone is the biggest and most well known phone on the planet so for this reason alone it is sort of exciting to see what the company will do with its multi-million-selling handset in 2016. Even more so when you consider this year’s model is a solid number release, which means a BIG design overhaul. 

Moto X 2016 

Motorola, now owned by Lenovo, has been on something of a roll for the past few years. This streak of awesomeness started when Moto was acquired by Google and the two companies produced the excellent Moto X handset, a stripped down phone designed to do all the core stuff and not much else. 

Moto used stock Android and has continued to do so, even though it is no longer owned by Google. The next big release for Lenovo, potentially, is the Moto X 2016 and it could drop at any moment between now and Q2. Interestingly, Lenovo has confirmed all of its 2016 phones will feature 5+inch displays and fingerprint scanners. 

Beyond this the company is talking about a bunch of other stuff — adopting custom UXs for future phones — that frankly terrifies us. But, HEY, three years of excellent releases is a pretty good run for the mobile space’s biggest and most well known hot potato. 

BlackBerry’s Second Android Phone 

I love BlackBerry. I adored the Passport when that came out and I even used a BB10 handset for a good 8 months back in the day. I wasn’t hugely impressed by the BlackBerry PRIV, but I could see the handset’s potential — BlackBerry and Android could work together well, it just needed a bit of finessing. 

And this is why I am immensely excited about what the company has in store for us in 2016/17. Current word on the street suggests two Android handsets scheduled for 2016.