Updated: The 10 Best Android phones 2016 - which should you buy?

The 10 Best Android Phones

UPDATE: Google's medium-sized phone, the Nexus 5X, has been added to our list of the best Android phones of 2016 – details below!

Apple may have kickstarted the smartphone revolution when it launched its very first iPhone back in 2007, but it was Google's Android operating system that truly took it mainstream.

With an open platform and multiple manufacturers using the operating system, Android was always destined for greatness. Today, Android is easily the biggest mobile OS in Australia.

With only a couple of exceptions (thanks Nokia), all the companies that were making mobile phones before iOS was launched now run Android.

Samsung, Sony, LG, HTC and Motorola all wave the Android flag proudly on their devices. What's more, more and more companies are joining them, with the likes of Oppo, Huawei and Acer bringing Android smartphones to market at a wide range of price points.

Even Google itself has joined the fray, partnering with manufacturers to release flagship Nexus devices.

Still, the many variations in screen size, processing power, software features and design makes finding the best Android phone for you extremely tough.

To help find the best Android phone for you, we've rounded up the best Android handsets out there today, rating the phones on hardware performance, OS upgrade potential and, of course, how shiny and nice they are to have and boast about to work colleagues.

So here they are – the best Android phones money can buy today. For many, many different reasons.

10. OnePlus 3

10. OnePlus 3

Though OnePlus second handset, the conveniently named OnePlus 2, had its share of problems, the Chinese startup has proven that third time's the charm with its impressive follow-up, the OnePlus 3.

Providing a premium smartphone experience without costing you an arm and a leg, the OnePlus boasts a Snapdragon 820 processor and a huge 6GB of RAM, ensuring that the OnePlus 3 will be available to keep up with its more pricey competitors.

It's also got a improved photographic capabilities, with a 16MP rear camera and 8MP front camera, and it also runs on Android 6 Marshmallow.

There are a few shortcomings, such as the lack of MicroSD storage expansion, but some compromises are essential in a $550 smartphone with this level of spec, and on the whole the ones made here don't really limit the OnePlus 3 in any meaningful way.

OnePlus 3 review

9. Sony Xperia Z5 Compact

9. Sony Xperia Z5 Compact

Sony is one of few companies still making compact flagships, and the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact shows that it's still well worth doing.

Essentially the Xperia Z5 Compact is the Sony Xperia Z5 in miniature, with the same great 23MP camera, the same speedy fingerprint scanner, the same level of water resistance and almost as much power.

The screen is a little lower resolution, but at 4.6 inches it can get away with it and if anything the battery life is even better. Small Android phones don't come better than this and the Z5 Compact even gives the similarly small iPhone 6S a run for its money.

Full review: Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
Best Sony Xperia Z5 Compact deals

8. Samsung Galaxy Note 5

8. Samsung Galaxy Note 5

Samsung's Note family of phablets proved there was a market for the hybrid phone and tablet. With its large screen and powerful processor coupled with incredible battery life, the Note shook up the industry.

Now in its fifth iteration, the Galaxy Note 5 looks and feels like the premium phone it is. With a slick glass back and a stunning 5.7-inch screen that excels in almost all conditions, including bright sunlight, the Note 5 is a powerful tool.

The included S-Pen offers a versatile approach to data input, and creativity, and even though Samsung did sacrifice the microSD slot and removable battery to create the Note 5's design, the product doesn't suffer too much for those sacrifices.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 reviewBest Samsung Galaxy Note 5 plans7. LG G5

7. LG G5

With last year's leather-bound LG G4 failing to turn heads, LG went back to the drawing board with its follow-up, producing the highly customisable (and much more impressive) LG G5.

Undoubtedly its most audacious smartphone shakeup yet, the LG G5 provides an entirely modular experience, allowing the user to customise their handset on the fly depending on the situation in which it's being used. That means you can add a DLSR-style grab with dedicated shutter buttons, a Hi-Fi DAC + Amp that radically transforms the quality of even your standard MP3s, and more.

With an ever-expanding collection of accessories, or 'Friends' as LG calls them, you can pop the bottom of your phone out and attach a mod in a matter of seconds – each mod and accessory intended to give you more control and improve the quality of your experience with some of the G5's key functions.

Add this some impressive performance, a wonderful new wide angle camera, a strong QHD screen and a rear fingerprint scanner, a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Kryo chipset and 4GB of RAM, and what you have is a strong contender for LG's best smartphone to date.

LG G5 reviewBest LG G5 plans6. Sony Xperia Z5
6. Sony Xperia Z5

Chances are you can't afford James Bond's latest custom-made Aston Martin, but if you're desperate to get in touch with your inner super spy you can probably afford to pick up his smartphone.

Sony's flagship phones have always been the standard bearers for incremental upgrades, but the Xperia Z5 takes the biggest leap in years. That's not to say this a mind-blowing reimagining of the Sony smartphone experience, but its thinner, lighter chassis and frosted glass back are very handsome indeed.

The fingerprint sensor is a welcome, if long overdue, addition, and positioning on the side of the handset makes so much sense that we were left wondering why nobody had put it there before.

It has a habit of overheating and the UI is in need of an upgrade, but that doesn't prevent the Xperia Z5 from being the best smartphone Sony has ever made.

Sony Xperia Z5 reviewBest Sony Xperia Z5 plans5. Nexus 5X

5. Nexus 5X

Nexus 5X is a fantastic phone choice for someone who is okay with a basic-looking design on the outside, above average specs on the inside and the latest Android software throughout.

That pretty much sums up Google's affordable 5.2-inch phone. Its screen isn't little by any hand stretch, but doesn't make you strain for fingers like most phablets. If it wore a t-shirt, it'd be a size medium..

Its fingerprint sensor and USB-C port take some getting used to, but it's ultimately a future-proofed phone everywhere but its memory, which at 2GB could be a problem further down the track.

If there's a con to the Nexus 5X in Australia, it's that you can only get it from Telstra on contract, so you won't be able to get it from Optus, Vodafone or any other carrier.

Nexus 5X reviewBest Nexus 5X plans4. HTC 10

4. HTC 10

HTC takes third place on our best Android phone list with the gorgeous HTC 10. The HTC 10 has a new design with but if you're a fan of the HTC look don't worry, it shares a lot of its design language with past HTC handsets.

It has a 5.2-inch 2K display, which makes watching video gorgeous, as well as some strong spec under-the-hood including 4GB of RAM and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset.

The camera technology is a big focus for HTC though. A 12MP sensor may not sound like much, but it makes some gorgeous images on the back and there's a 5MP front-facing camera to capture your selfies too.

HTC 10 reviewBest HTC 10 plans3. Nexus 6P
3. Nexus 6P

For the first time, Chinese manufacturer Huawei worked with Google to produce the flagship Nexus 6P, and the results are truly impressive.

It's still not a device designed for small hands, although with slightly smaller dimensions than the previous Nexus 6 device, it is a bit more comfortable to hold.

With a lightning-fast fingerprint scanner conveniently located on the back of the device, you'll have your Nexus unlocked before it's out of your pocket. The inbuilt 12.3MP camera is incredible in low-light situations and the phone's inbuilt speakers are surprisingly powerful.

Destined to always be running the most recent version of Android, the battery life and performance is best in class for Android devices.

It may be more expensive than previous Nexus handsets, but the 6P still stands out as incredible value for money.

Nexus 6P reviewBest Nexus 6P plans2. Samsung Galaxy S7

2. Samsung Galaxy S7

Second place goes to the Samsung Galaxy S7. The Galaxy S6 was our favorite Android phone of 2015, but now the Galaxy S7 has improved on it in almost every way.

There's a brand new waterproof design with a variety of little changes that make it much more comfortable to hold.

It doesn't look as innovative as the Galaxy S7 Edge with its curved display, but this version is much more compact than the Galaxy S6 Edge+.

The issues come in the high price and the fact there's only one storage version. But you can always buy a microSD card, up to 200GB, and get a bit of extra room.

If you're looking for one of the best, high-end phones in the world right now – this Android is a great choice.

Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy S7
Check out the best Samsung Galaxy S7 plans

1. Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

1. Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

It has finally happened – the Edge version of a Samsung phone is now actually the best Android phone in the world.

Samsung's Galaxy S7 Edge expands on what the curved display from the Galaxy S6 Edge can do. It has found a happy medium at the 5.5-inch size as well as adding in a lot of new functionality for the most innovative screen tech in phones.

The camera may look like it has dropped when you see it on the spec sheet – but in fact bringing it down to 12MP and updating the sensor technology has meant this is one of the best phone cameras out there.

All in all, the Galaxy S7 Edge is an improvement on everything that went before it. Finally, Samsung has nailed the most interesting version of its phone and made the Galaxy S7 Edge the reigning champion of the phone game.

Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
Check out the best Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge plans

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Original source: Updated: The 10 Best Android phones 2016 - which should you buy?.