With so many different (yet similar) smartphones from so many brands from across the globe, one may start feeling a bit lost. Which one of those many is the best phone you can buy right now, in June 2016?


June is a great time to buy a new phone: a bunch of brand new devices have recently arrived on the market (yes, the exciting Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are now available in stores, but also the G5 and new iPhone SE!). The new HTC 10 and Huawei P9 are the two most recent newcomers on the market. Basically, we have all important new phones already out with the next batch only coming around September-October, which is plenty of time to wait. Plus, many older devices are getting hugely discounted as the new arrivals come in. There is no definite one-size-fits-all device, though, and that's why we explore all the options, trying to help you narrow down the choice to some outstanding devices that we think won't disappoint you. We're also breaking them down by categories: after all some people prefer a large, phablet-sized device, while others may want a more conventionally-sized pocket sidekick. We don't go into all that much detail (for those details, make sure to read our in-depth reviews), but we do focus on the most important highlights for each phone. With no further ado, here are the best phones you can buy right now.


1) The Apple iPhone 6s is the world's fastest-selling smartphone, and it will certainly break quite a few records in sales. It's an 's' upgrade meaning that it looks almost exactly like last year's iPhone 6, but looks are deceiving: the new iPhone brings two extremely cool and useful new features, 3D Touch and Live Photos. It also comes with a massively improved Apple A9 system chip and recent findings praise Apple for making the best of this new chip and squeezing even more battery life with the 6s. We have also learned that Apple uses a brand new type of storage that is not eMMC or UFS, but a much faster kind of storage that has a lot in common with the super-fast SSD used in full-fledged Macbooks. Put in simple words, the new iPhone has a much faster processor and memory. It also comes with a new, 12-megapixel camera that now is able to capture a more detailed images than before and records video in the trendy 4K resolution, plus it supports new slo-mo options. Add to this the rich iOS ecosystem that continues to secure the best apps and games first, and one starts to understand the huge appeal of the iPhone 6s.


2) The Samsung Galaxy S7 is a 5.1-inch device of style and beauty, inherited from the Galaxy S6: made of two pieces of Gorilla Glass 4 on the back and front, and a sturdy metal frame in the middle. The new thing is that its back is now curved on the side for a more comfortable fit. It's also about the changes under the hood: the Galaxy S7 now brings the latest and most powerful Snapdragon 820 system chip, a larger battery, a microSD card slot for expandable storage, and the very useful water-protection that requires no plugs. Samsung has done some great work on the camera and it's now a 12-megapixel rear shooter, capable of capturing very good looking images in low-light and featuring cool new shooting options like Motion Photo (similar to Apple's Live Photos), Motion Panorama and Hyperlapse. With a great and sharp display, swift performance and a custom Samsung UI that is now sleeker, the phone is a very well-rounded package. We also love the wireless charging option available right out of the box on the Galaxy S7.


3) HTC needed a savior and while we don't know whether the HTC 10 will be the one, we already know one thing: it's a damn good phone. With a solid all-around construction, a well-crafted (a bit heavy, though) aluminum body and a clean and fast build of Android, it checks nearly all the marks. What you should really ask, though, is has HTC managed to improve the camera? Luckily, yes! The new, 12-megapixel shooter on the HTC 10 is of a similar caliber to the best phone cameras out there - fast and taking good-looking pictures.


4)


The LG G5 is a radical new step for LG: it's a bold move with a modular design that has the bottom part of the phone come off, so you can easily and quickly swap batteries, or use other modules like a camera grip and high-fidelity audio addition with a better DAC. The 5.3" G5 also features a brand new metal design and a quite rare dual-camera back system with the secondary rear camera used for taking wide-angle shots that you are probably used to seeing from a GoPro.

 

On the inside, the LG G5 is a beast powered by the Snapdragon 820 system chip, the latest and most powerful by Qualcomm. It sports the new LG custom UI on top of Android with a new visual style (but it features rather dull-looking teal color accents). While not the best looking phone around, if you like the tricks that it can pull, the G5 is a fun phone to have with no major setbacks.

 

5)
Huawei might not be a household name in the States, but it's worth learning more about: the company had phenomenal growth last year, finishing as the world's third-largest phone maker behind giants like Samsung and Apple.

 

The P9 is its most important phone for 2016, carrying flagship status and offering an innovative dual rear camera setup. It also features sleek metal design and huge aspirations. But there are a couple of downsides as well: most notably, the custom Huawei interface on top of Android is a polarizing feat that many will find hard to get used to. Then, the camera has a few gimmicks up its sleeve like the Leica brand (it's questionable whether Leica had much of an involvement with the lens here) and simulation of super wide-aperture, f/1.1 lens, but in reality those tricks are no replacement for great camera quality and the P9 is a step below this year's best cameraphones. Still, if you're in the search for a great regular-sized smartphone, the P9 has the performance and good looks to fit the bill. It's also much more affordable than the Samsungs and Apples of this world.