No. 1: Samsung Galaxy S7
Despite coming out at the beginning of the year, the Samsung Galaxy S7 comes with many of the iPhone 7's debut features, including (superior) water resistance and improved low light photography. It comes with a 5.1-inch Quad HD AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 820 processor a 3000 mAh battery, 4GB of RAM, a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera and runs on Android Marshmallow with a TouchWiz skin over the top. Other noteworthy features include IP68 water resistance (up to 30 minutes submerged in fresh water), inbuilt NFC, Samsung Pay, wireless charging functionality and a MicroSD slot for added storage.
Initially retailing for $1149, the Samsung Galaxy S7 can now be snapped up for well under $800. That's a cool $300 off the price of an entry-level iPhone 7.
Samsung Galaxy S7 vs iPhone 7:iPhone 7Samsung Galaxy S7RRP$1079-$1379$1149
OSiOS 10Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow)
CPUApple A10 Fusion Quad core with six-core graphics GPUSnapdragon 820 Octa Core (2.3 GHz Quad + 1.6Ghz Quad)
Storage32GB/128GB/256GB32GB (+ MicroSD card slot)
RAM2GB4GB
Display4.7-inch Retina HD Display5.7-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen
Resolution750 x 1334 pixels (326 ppi)1440 x 2560 pixels (518 ppi)
Camera12MP rear (f/1.8, phase detection autofocus), 7MP front12MP rear camera / 5MP front camera
Water resistanceIP67 (up to 30 minutes at one metre depth)IP68 (up to 30 minutes at 1.5 metre depth)
Dimensions138.3mm x 67.1mm x 7.1mm142.4mm x 69.6mm x 7.9mm
Weight138g152g
Why it's "better" than the iPhone 7: Superior water resistance, superior display, MicroSD port, cheaper price.
Despite coming out at the beginning of the year, the Samsung Galaxy S7 comes with many of the iPhone 7's debut features, including (superior) water resistance and improved low light photography. It comes with a 5.1-inch Quad HD AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 820 processor a 3000 mAh battery, 4GB of RAM, a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera and runs on Android Marshmallow with a TouchWiz skin over the top. Other noteworthy features include IP68 water resistance (up to 30 minutes submerged in fresh water), inbuilt NFC, Samsung Pay, wireless charging functionality and a MicroSD slot for added storage.
Initially retailing for $1149, the Samsung Galaxy S7 can now be snapped up for well under $800. That's a cool $300 off the price of an entry-level iPhone 7.
Samsung Galaxy S7 vs iPhone 7:iPhone 7Samsung Galaxy S7RRP$1079-$1379$1149
OSiOS 10Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow)
CPUApple A10 Fusion Quad core with six-core graphics GPUSnapdragon 820 Octa Core (2.3 GHz Quad + 1.6Ghz Quad)
Storage32GB/128GB/256GB32GB (+ MicroSD card slot)
RAM2GB4GB
Display4.7-inch Retina HD Display5.7-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen
Resolution750 x 1334 pixels (326 ppi)1440 x 2560 pixels (518 ppi)
Camera12MP rear (f/1.8, phase detection autofocus), 7MP front12MP rear camera / 5MP front camera
Water resistanceIP67 (up to 30 minutes at one metre depth)IP68 (up to 30 minutes at 1.5 metre depth)
Dimensions138.3mm x 67.1mm x 7.1mm142.4mm x 69.6mm x 7.9mm
Weight138g152g
Why it's "better" than the iPhone 7: Superior water resistance, superior display, MicroSD port, cheaper price.
No. 2: Huawei Nexus 6P
The Google Nexus 6P has been out for nearly a year now, but it remains a solid performer. Manufactured by the Chinese smartphone giant Huawei, it boasts an all aluminium body that packs in a top-end Snapdragon processor, a 4.7-inch quad HD display and USB-Type C. Originally retailing for $998, it can now be snapped up for under $600.
Being a first-party device, the Nexus 6P also provides instant access to Google's latest operating system, Android 7 Nougat. This packs in a swathe of excellent new features like multi-window support and bundled notifications which provide a significant boost to speed and productivity. (Read more on Android 7 here.)
Huawei Nexus 6P vs iPhone 7:iPhone 7Nexus 6PRRP$1079-$1379$999
OSiOS 10Android 6 (Marshmallow)
CPUApple A10 Fusion Quad core with six-core graphics GPUQualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1 (2.0 GHz octa-core 64-bit)
Storage32GB/128GB/256GB32GB
RAM2GB3GB
Display4.7-inch Retina HD Display5.7-inch WQHD AMOLED. Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Resolution750 x 1334 pixels (326 ppi)2560 x 1440 (518 ppi)
Camera12MP rear (f/1.8, phase detection autofocus), 7MP front12.3MP rear / 8MP front
Water resistanceIP67 (up to 30 minutes at one metre depth)N/A
Dimensions138.3mm x 67.1mm x 7.1mm159.9mm x 77.8mm x 7.3mm
Weight138g178g
Why it's "better" than the iPhone 7: Superior display, cheaper price, Android 7 Nougat ready.
The Google Nexus 6P has been out for nearly a year now, but it remains a solid performer. Manufactured by the Chinese smartphone giant Huawei, it boasts an all aluminium body that packs in a top-end Snapdragon processor, a 4.7-inch quad HD display and USB-Type C. Originally retailing for $998, it can now be snapped up for under $600.
Being a first-party device, the Nexus 6P also provides instant access to Google's latest operating system, Android 7 Nougat. This packs in a swathe of excellent new features like multi-window support and bundled notifications which provide a significant boost to speed and productivity. (Read more on Android 7 here.)
Huawei Nexus 6P vs iPhone 7:iPhone 7Nexus 6PRRP$1079-$1379$999
OSiOS 10Android 6 (Marshmallow)
CPUApple A10 Fusion Quad core with six-core graphics GPUQualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1 (2.0 GHz octa-core 64-bit)
Storage32GB/128GB/256GB32GB
RAM2GB3GB
Display4.7-inch Retina HD Display5.7-inch WQHD AMOLED. Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Resolution750 x 1334 pixels (326 ppi)2560 x 1440 (518 ppi)
Camera12MP rear (f/1.8, phase detection autofocus), 7MP front12.3MP rear / 8MP front
Water resistanceIP67 (up to 30 minutes at one metre depth)N/A
Dimensions138.3mm x 67.1mm x 7.1mm159.9mm x 77.8mm x 7.3mm
Weight138g178g
Why it's "better" than the iPhone 7: Superior display, cheaper price, Android 7 Nougat ready.
No.3 : LG G5
The LG G5 is powered by a current-gen Snapdragon 820 processor and 4GB of RAM running Android Marshmallow. It comes with a 5.3-inch Quad HD IPS Quantum Display with a native resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels (554ppi) and a microSD card slot. Like the iPhone 7 Plus, it comes equipped with two ear-facing cameras: one 16-megapixel sensor behind a lens with a relatively standard 78-degree field of view, and one 8-megapixel sensor with a 135-degree super-wide-angle lens. The latter allows for true panorama shots that don’t require separate images to be clumsily stitched together in-camera.
The LG G5 also boasts a unique modular design that allows the user to add snap-on peripherals which are sold separately. These include the Cam Plus module (which adds a camera-style grip and physical controls), the 360 cam module (which adds two 13MP wide angle cameras, a 1200mAh battery and 4GB internal memory), B&O HI-FI Plus module (which adds a portable Hi-Fi DAC that supports 32-bit, 384KHz high-resolution audio playback), the Rolling Bot module (a camera-equipped BB8-style toy) and the Charging Kit module (which adds a dual function battery charging kit for other phones and tablets).
In a bid to entice prospective customers, LG has announced it will replace broken screens free of charge, regardless of the cause. (This is only offered once per customer.) Originally retailing for $1099, the LG G5 can now be purchased for around $500.
LG G5 vs iPhone 7:iPhone 7LG G5RRP$1079-$1379$1099
OSiOS 10Android 6 (Marshmallow)
CPUApple A10 Fusion Quad core with six-core graphics GPUQualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor
Storage32GB/128GB/256GB32GB (+ MicroSD card slot)
RAM2GB4GB
Display4.7-inch Retina HD Display5.3-inch Quad HD IPS Quantum Display
Resolution750 x 1334 pixels (326 ppi)2560 x 1440 (554 ppi)
Camera12MP rear (f/1.8, phase detection autofocus), 7MP front16MP rear camera (standard) / 8MP (Wide) / 8MP front
Water resistanceIP67 (up to 30 minutes at one metre depth)N/A
Dimensions138.3mm x 67.1mm x 7.1mm149.4mm x 73.9mm x 7.76mm
Weight138g159g
Why it's "better" than the iPhone 7: Superior display, MicroSD port, innovative module design, dual rear-facing cameras, cheaper price, free screen replacement.
The LG G5 is powered by a current-gen Snapdragon 820 processor and 4GB of RAM running Android Marshmallow. It comes with a 5.3-inch Quad HD IPS Quantum Display with a native resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels (554ppi) and a microSD card slot. Like the iPhone 7 Plus, it comes equipped with two ear-facing cameras: one 16-megapixel sensor behind a lens with a relatively standard 78-degree field of view, and one 8-megapixel sensor with a 135-degree super-wide-angle lens. The latter allows for true panorama shots that don’t require separate images to be clumsily stitched together in-camera.
The LG G5 also boasts a unique modular design that allows the user to add snap-on peripherals which are sold separately. These include the Cam Plus module (which adds a camera-style grip and physical controls), the 360 cam module (which adds two 13MP wide angle cameras, a 1200mAh battery and 4GB internal memory), B&O HI-FI Plus module (which adds a portable Hi-Fi DAC that supports 32-bit, 384KHz high-resolution audio playback), the Rolling Bot module (a camera-equipped BB8-style toy) and the Charging Kit module (which adds a dual function battery charging kit for other phones and tablets).
In a bid to entice prospective customers, LG has announced it will replace broken screens free of charge, regardless of the cause. (This is only offered once per customer.) Originally retailing for $1099, the LG G5 can now be purchased for around $500.
LG G5 vs iPhone 7:iPhone 7LG G5RRP$1079-$1379$1099
OSiOS 10Android 6 (Marshmallow)
CPUApple A10 Fusion Quad core with six-core graphics GPUQualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor
Storage32GB/128GB/256GB32GB (+ MicroSD card slot)
RAM2GB4GB
Display4.7-inch Retina HD Display5.3-inch Quad HD IPS Quantum Display
Resolution750 x 1334 pixels (326 ppi)2560 x 1440 (554 ppi)
Camera12MP rear (f/1.8, phase detection autofocus), 7MP front16MP rear camera (standard) / 8MP (Wide) / 8MP front
Water resistanceIP67 (up to 30 minutes at one metre depth)N/A
Dimensions138.3mm x 67.1mm x 7.1mm149.4mm x 73.9mm x 7.76mm
Weight138g159g
Why it's "better" than the iPhone 7: Superior display, MicroSD port, innovative module design, dual rear-facing cameras, cheaper price, free screen replacement.
No. 4: HTC 10
The HTC 10 is a powered by a current-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and 4GB of RAM running Android 6.0 (Marshmallow). It sports a 5.2-inch Quad HD display with a native resolution of 2560×1440 pixels and a 3000mAh battery that promises to deliver up to two days of battery life.
Other noteworthy specs include 32GB of onboard memory, a microSD card slot and a redesigned UltraPixel camera that HTC is billing as the best in the world. (It comes with a 12-megapixel sensor with 1.55um pixels, a f/1.8 lens aperture and optical image stabilisation.)
When the HTC 10 launched back in April, it carried an RRP of $1099. It can now be snapped up for under $800.
HTC 10 vs iPhone 7:iPhone 7HTC 10RRP$1079-$1379$1349
OSiOS 10Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) with HTC Sense
CPUApple A10 Fusion Quad core with six-core graphics GPUQualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor
Storage32GB/128GB/256GB64GB (+ MicroSD card slot)
Memory2GB4GB
Display4.7-inch Retina HD Display5.2 inch Quad HD IPS Quantum Display
Resolution750 x 1334 pixels (326 ppi)2560 x 1440 pixels (564 ppi)
Camera12MP rear (f/1.8, phase detection autofocus), 7MP front12MP (1.55μm pixel) rear camera / 5MP (1.34μm pixels) front camera
Water resistanceIP67 (up to 30 minutes at one metre depth)N/A
Dimensions138.3mm x 67.1mm x 7.1mm145.9 x 71.9 x 9.0mm
Weight138g161g
Why it's "better" than the iPhone 7: Superior display, MicroSD port, 64GB internal storage, cheaper price, strong battery life.
The HTC 10 is a powered by a current-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and 4GB of RAM running Android 6.0 (Marshmallow). It sports a 5.2-inch Quad HD display with a native resolution of 2560×1440 pixels and a 3000mAh battery that promises to deliver up to two days of battery life.
Other noteworthy specs include 32GB of onboard memory, a microSD card slot and a redesigned UltraPixel camera that HTC is billing as the best in the world. (It comes with a 12-megapixel sensor with 1.55um pixels, a f/1.8 lens aperture and optical image stabilisation.)
When the HTC 10 launched back in April, it carried an RRP of $1099. It can now be snapped up for under $800.
HTC 10 vs iPhone 7:iPhone 7HTC 10RRP$1079-$1379$1349
OSiOS 10Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) with HTC Sense
CPUApple A10 Fusion Quad core with six-core graphics GPUQualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor
Storage32GB/128GB/256GB64GB (+ MicroSD card slot)
Memory2GB4GB
Display4.7-inch Retina HD Display5.2 inch Quad HD IPS Quantum Display
Resolution750 x 1334 pixels (326 ppi)2560 x 1440 pixels (564 ppi)
Camera12MP rear (f/1.8, phase detection autofocus), 7MP front12MP (1.55μm pixel) rear camera / 5MP (1.34μm pixels) front camera
Water resistanceIP67 (up to 30 minutes at one metre depth)N/A
Dimensions138.3mm x 67.1mm x 7.1mm145.9 x 71.9 x 9.0mm
Weight138g161g
Why it's "better" than the iPhone 7: Superior display, MicroSD port, 64GB internal storage, cheaper price, strong battery life.
No. 5: Samsung Galaxy Note 7
Yeah, yeah, we know what you're thinking — how could Samsung's infamously faulty smartphone possibly be better than Apple's? It goes without saying that the first batch of Note 7s are vastly inferior to the iPhone 7 (or any smartphone that doesn't burst into flames, for that matter.)
However, Samsung has since righted this colossal wrong — it's in the process of replacing every Galaxy Note 7 on the planet in one of the biggest product recalls in living memory. The new-and-improved version retains all of the same great features, minus the tendency to overheat and explode. It packs in an octa-core Exynos 8890 processor (four 2.3GHz and four 1.6GHz cores), 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, a 12 megapixel f/1.7 rear camera (plus a 5-megapixel f/1.7 front camera), a microdSD card slot and 64GB of onboard UFS 2.0 flash storage. Other product highlights include a fingerprint scanner, a front camera sensor for iris scanning, infrared LED, a better battery, IP68 water resistance and the USB 3.1 Type-C connector.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs iPhone 7:iPhone 7Samsung Galaxy Note 7RRP$1079-$1379$1349
OSiOS 10Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow)
CPUApple A10 Fusion Quad core with six-core graphics GPUExynos 8890 octa-core processor with four 2.3GHz and four 1.6GHz cores
Storage32GB/128GB/256GB64GB (+ MicroSD card slot)
Memory2GB4GB
Display4.7-inch Retina HD Display5.1-inch Quad HD AMOLED
Resolution750 x 1334 pixels (326 ppi)2560 x 1440 (577 ppi)
Camera12MP rear (f/1.8, phase detection autofocus), 7MP front12MP rear, 5MP front
Water resistanceIP67 (up to 30 minutes at one metre depth)IP68 (up to 30 minutes at 1.5 metre depth)
Dimensions138.3mm x 67.1mm x 7.1mm153.5mm x 73.9mm x 7.9mm
Weight138g169g
Why it's "better" than the iPhone 7: Superior display, MicroSD port, larger screen, superior water resistance.
Yeah, yeah, we know what you're thinking — how could Samsung's infamously faulty smartphone possibly be better than Apple's? It goes without saying that the first batch of Note 7s are vastly inferior to the iPhone 7 (or any smartphone that doesn't burst into flames, for that matter.)
However, Samsung has since righted this colossal wrong — it's in the process of replacing every Galaxy Note 7 on the planet in one of the biggest product recalls in living memory. The new-and-improved version retains all of the same great features, minus the tendency to overheat and explode. It packs in an octa-core Exynos 8890 processor (four 2.3GHz and four 1.6GHz cores), 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, a 12 megapixel f/1.7 rear camera (plus a 5-megapixel f/1.7 front camera), a microdSD card slot and 64GB of onboard UFS 2.0 flash storage. Other product highlights include a fingerprint scanner, a front camera sensor for iris scanning, infrared LED, a better battery, IP68 water resistance and the USB 3.1 Type-C connector.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs iPhone 7:iPhone 7Samsung Galaxy Note 7RRP$1079-$1379$1349
OSiOS 10Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow)
CPUApple A10 Fusion Quad core with six-core graphics GPUExynos 8890 octa-core processor with four 2.3GHz and four 1.6GHz cores
Storage32GB/128GB/256GB64GB (+ MicroSD card slot)
Memory2GB4GB
Display4.7-inch Retina HD Display5.1-inch Quad HD AMOLED
Resolution750 x 1334 pixels (326 ppi)2560 x 1440 (577 ppi)
Camera12MP rear (f/1.8, phase detection autofocus), 7MP front12MP rear, 5MP front
Water resistanceIP67 (up to 30 minutes at one metre depth)IP68 (up to 30 minutes at 1.5 metre depth)
Dimensions138.3mm x 67.1mm x 7.1mm153.5mm x 73.9mm x 7.9mm
Weight138g169g
Why it's "better" than the iPhone 7: Superior display, MicroSD port, larger screen, superior water resistance.
