And the best reviewed smartphone of 2016 is…
We've totted up the review scores given by the big tech sites to the top smartphones to find out which one wins
We know what our favourite phone of 2016 is – the OnePlus 3T. But what does everyone else think?
We thought it’d be fun to see how our scores differ from the other reviews out there, so we’ve done what Metacritic does for games and films and tallied up all the scores for every major smartphone released in 2016: 19 handsets, across 10 tech sites. Does the tech world agree with our verdict? Here’s what we found…
The scores
The chart below shows the scores given by each site for each phone; press play to see how the differ from site to site.
The results
1. Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge – 4.805 average score
A worthy winner? Absolutely. We gave the S7 Edge the full 5 stars in our review and it would seem everyone else agreed. The S7 Edge looks fantastic and works superbly. And unlike the Note 7 – which we didn’t include here – it doesn’t explode when charged. It’s not Stuff’s phone of the year on account of its high price, but judged purely on quality it’s the best there is.
They say: "The Galaxy S7 Edge manages to delight, and stand out in a world where new smartphones are increasingly being offered with razor-thin differences between them." (TechRadar)
We say: "Don’t let the price put you off: the S7 Edge is truly a smartphone to lust after."
There’s not much in it between the S7 and its Edge sibling, but a couple of 9/10 scores was enough to keep it just behind. TrustedReviews was the only site to score it higher than the Edge, but every site loved it.
They say: "The Galaxy S7 is yet another outstanding effort from Samsung, and a more than worthy successor to the Galaxy S6." (Expert Reviews)
If the OnePlus 3T had come out earlier in the year it would definitely have taken our Phone of the Year accolade: it’s better than the OnePlus 3 in a few key areas and only a little more expensive – hence why it sits atop our Top 10 Smartphones list. No site scored it lower than 4.4/5.
They say: "This is our new favorite budget Android, but if you have the OnePlus 3, you don’t need to upgrade." (c/net)
We say: "It’s the number one choice if you want a top-end phone at a sensible price."
Stuff’s 2016 Smartphone of the Year is an object lesson in how to beat the big boys: top specs, great performance and bargain price. It loses out here to the S7 and S7 Edge but it’s a close-run thing, with just 0.155 difference between it and the S7 Edge, and it’s possible that some sites don’t consider the price to be as big of a deal as we do.
They say: "The OnePlus 3 represents a killer combination of price, performance and design, and there’s no other phone that gets close." (Alphr)
5. Apple iPhone 7 Plus – 4.475
Almost every site scored the 7 Plus higher than the standard iPhone 7 (only Pocket-Lint went the other way) and none scored it lower than 4, reflecting a consensus that this is the best iPhone right now. However, the average scores indicate that there’s a bit of a gap right now between the top Androids handsets and Apple’s best phones – a gap that is also reflected in Stuff’s Top 10. Maybe the iPhone 8 will reverse the trend…
They say: "The iPhone 7 Plus dares to take Apple’s smartphones to a fascinating new place – and we can’t wait to see where this drive to innovate brings the company next." (PhoneArena)
We say: "If you’re firmly entrenched in camp iOS, it’s time to go big or go home."
Apple’s cheapest phone out-performed the standard iPhone 7 in many sites’ review scores: of the 10 publications we looked at, four prefered it to the iPhone 7 and a further two rated them equally. Obviously price is a big factor – compared like-for-like the 7 is clearly a better phone – but there was a near-unanimous feeling that anyone looking for a small-screened device should start here.
They say: "If you’re looking for a first-rate smartphone that won’t break the bank – or your hand – the iPhone SE deserves a spot on your shortlist." (Engadget)
A proper return to form for HTC after a slight misstep with the M9. Plenty of 5/5 and 10/10 scores ensured it sits highly in the overall ranking and no site here rated it lower than 4/5. Just call it Mr Consistency.
They say: "It might not be the best in every area, but it’s strong in pretty much all of them." (TrustedReviews)
The first ‘Built by Google’ phone narrowly pips its bigger sibling here, but there’s really not much in it. Few sites really loved it – only one of the 10 (Pocket-Lint) gave it top marks – but nobody hated it either, which pretty much sums up our attitude to it too.
They say: "Unlike the Nexus models of years past, you don’t have to be an Android enthusiast to appreciate it." (c/net)
One 3.5/5 score (from TrustedReviews) was enough to knock the iPhone 7 down a place or two, but overall most sites agreed with us that it’s an excellent choice for anyone who finds the 7 Plus’ extra girth too much to handle.
They say: "So Tim Cook is right: the iPhone 7 is the company’s best iPhone yet. It’s just that the best is only slighter better than what we’ve already had for the past year." (Pocket-Lint)
The 2016 G4 generally scored highly but its overall mark was brought down by The Verge, which considered it "bloated" and "sluggish", and PhoneArena, which felt it was a little too expensive for its performance.
They say: "But with so many options out there, it’s worth your while to consider all the alternatives before sinking the cash on this year’s Moto G." (PhoneArena)
And the rest…
11. LG G5 – 4.355
12. Google Pixel XL – 4.335
13. Vodafone Smart Prime 7 – 4.25
14. Vodafone Smart Platinum 7 – 4.1
15. Oppo F1 – 4
16. Huawei P9 – 3.915
17. Lenovo Moto Z – 3.915
18. Huawei P9 Plus – 3.83
19. Sony Xperia XZ – 3.75
What we learned
The main conclusion we’re drawing from all this is that, well, we’re pretty accurate when it comes to scoring: Stuff‘s scores are within a few percentage points of the overall averages across the board.
The other one is that nearly all of the sites we surveyed agree about nearly all of the phones we included.
A cynic might suggest that we’re all just sheep following the prevailing herd, but it’s really not the case. Aside from the fact that we care too much about our readers to ever worry about what other sites say, it’s just not possible to run things that way.
Many phones are given to reviewers under embargo conditions, meaning you can’t publish before a certain time and date. Therefore, we find out what everyone else is saying at the same time as you do.
No, the reason for the near-uniform nature of these scores is that most flagship smartphones these days are excellent. A few years ago there were major differences between phones in screen resolution, processors and camera tech, but in 2016 almost every top handset gets those basics spot on. Most displays are 2K or at least 1080p; many camera sensors are made by the same company (Sony); most processors are Qualcomm Snapdragon.
That’s not to say that all phones are equal: build quality, battery life and operating systems still vary hugely from device – and price will always be a further variable. But at the top end, it’s no surprise to see most phones getting 4/5 or 5/5 from most sites. And that can only be a good thing for everyone.
Marc McLaren
Contributor 
