The best tech of 2016

2016 has been marked as the year for innovation. Many new mobile phones and gadgets were created. Here is a list of the best mobiles, best games and many more. 

Best apps 

Prisma

Android phones take better, more true-to-life photos than ever before, but sometimes you don’t want the truth. Maybe you want something stylish and fun. That’s what Prisma gives you.

Backdrops

So many wallpaper apps are little more than ugly, ad-infused wrappers around a bunch of low-resolution stock images. Backdrops is the first dedicated wallpaper app to come along that gets things right.

Ivy

Samsung’s edge displays look pretty, but there are precious few software features tied to it, the most prominent of which is the Edge Panel. This swipe-out interface includes app, news, and more, but it’s not very configurable. Ivy is a better version of this same idea that runs on all Android devices.

Flyperlink

Even with Nougat’s multitasking, Android is restrictive in the ways that apps can be placed on the screen. Flyperlink frees your browser so you can resize it however you want.

PhotoScan

People don’t take many photos with film anymore (hipsters not withstanding), but many of us have heaps of old photos in physical albums that won’t last forever. Google’s PhotoScan app lets you turn them into high-quality digital images in a few seconds.

The Best Phones

iPhone 7 Plus

iPhone 7 Plus - probably the best-looking smart phone around. Some feel its sheer size does make it tricky to hold, but there’s no denying Apple’s beautiful 5.5-incher is a winner. If you’re an iPhone user and you fancy picking up the best smart phone around, this should definitely be your first choice. Apple has chosen to stick with the iPhone 6S design, improving it with rerouted antenna lines and a more integrated camera bump. There are glorious new colours available, and to top it off, the casing is now water resistant.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is so close to being the best smartphone in the world right now. It boasts the brilliant dual curved display, with the screen bending around on both sides, so it looks like no other phone ever made (apart from the S6 Edge last year). Yep, this futuristic smartphone is a looker, and it’ll have your friends begging for a chance to play with it.

Google Pixel XL

We can’t tell you how close it is between the Google Pixel XL, iPhone 7 Plus and S7 Edge for the title of ‘best smartphone in the world.’ All three are beautiful, but the sleek design, intuitive UI, and leading ecosystem puts the iPhone 7 just in front. The Google Pixel XL is still an amazing smartphone - especially if you adore large screens and virtual assistants.

iPhone SE

Notice how all of these smartphones have 5+ inch screens? What if you have small hands? You can’t reach all four corners of the screen. It’s a problem not many of us face, but the truth is -- some people just prefer smaller phones but don’t want to sacrifice high-end specs. The iPhone SE is for you. With a 4-inch screen and guts which match the iPhone 6S, including the 12MP rear camera, 2GB RAM, Apple Pay, Retina display, and Apple A9 chipset, this thing is a little pocket rocket.

OnePlus 3T

Looking to upset dominance by the big brands is OnePlus, who took the mobile world by storm in 2014 with one goal, to be the flagship killer. It’s fourth smartphone, the OnePlus 3T, has finally achieved that goal. With a slightly more expensive price tag of £399, you’ll get all the mod-cons of much more expensive handsets, including an HD screen, fingerprint sensor, a decent camera and powerful specs. And, whereas previous OnePlus phones lacked finesse - the OnePlus 3T as a genuine premium feel and the software is rock solid.

Best laptop 

Dell XPS 13

Dell’s Ultrabook is a masterpiece that’s ahead of the curve. It features a revolutionary design that’s astonishingly thin and light. Fitting a 13.3-inch screen into an 11-inch frame is no small feat; however, Dell has managed to pull off a miracle with its nearly borderless Infinity display.

Asus ZenBook UX305

From its purple-tinged aluminum design to its sharp display and hearty helping of built-in storage space, the UX305 puts Windows back in style, fanless design, long battery life and all.

HP Chromebook 13

Though it’s a little on the pricey side when you opt for a faster processor or a higher screen resolution, the HP Chromebook 13 is one of the more stylish notebooks money can buy.

Best Tablet

iPad Pro 9.7

A brilliant tablet that brings power to portability. The best tablet you can buy right now is the iPad Pro 9.7 - the smaller screen with powerful innards is the best combination on the market.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2

This is the best tablet that Samsung has ever produced - it’s both reading and web surfing-friendly, has a sensational Super AMOLED screen, and you can pick it up in 8-inch and 9.7-inch variants.

iPad mini 4

The best 7-inch tablet at the moment is definitely the iPad mini 4. If you like the look of Apple’s iPad Air 2 and iPad Pro, but find them a) too big, b) too expensive or c) both, then you’re in luck as the diminutive iPad mini 4 gives you the best of Apple’s tablet world in a form factor that’s not only beautiful, but highly portable.

The Best Wearables

Apple Watch Series 2

Series 2 may not be the Apple Watch update we all hoped for, but it is what the Apple Watch should have been in the first place. Though Apple would never term it in this way, Series 2 is a reboot. The new version is faster, has built-in GPS, a bigger battery and is water resistant up to 50 meters. 

Fitbit Alta

Once again in 2016, Fitbit released a slew of new products, from the demure Flex 2 to the chunky Blaze. The Alta is the best the company has ever come to finding a happy medium between sophisticated style and useful technology.

Samsung Gear S3

The S3 is chunkier and more cumbersome, and while it does offer a gorgeous display, built-in GPS and impressive battery life, it comes off as a device stuck trying to be two things at once: a full featured smartwatch, and a knockout fitness tracker. In the end, it doesn’t quite master either but does offer one of the more intriguing smartwatch experiences of the year and remains the best option on the market for those in the Galaxy ecosystem.

The Best Games

Uncharted 4

Final Fantasy XV

FIFA 17

Battlefield 1

Bloodborne

Titanfall 2