This year was a great year for smartphones in general. While the tech world welcomed some very big-name flagships, there were also handhelds from lesser known companies that definitely put up a fight, like the recent Google Pixel and the Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe. And with Samsung's exploding pitfall, it might be a great idea to look at the other options.
Google Pixel XL: A Powerful Android Alternative
As Android Central notes, the Google Pixel phone is the smaller option from the search engine giant. It sports a 5-inch screen with a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. Powering the unit is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor and it runs smoothly on 4GB of RAM.
It also carries a 2770 mAh battery, which has a rapid charging feature. The Google Pixel comes in two internal storage options - 32 GB and 128 GB, which are not expandable. Straight out of the box, it runs on the latest Android 7.1 Nougat operating system.
Users should also be able to take high-quality photos with the unit's 12-megapixel rear camera and 8-megapixel front camera. It comes in Quite Black, Very Silver and Really Blue color options. Weighing in at just 143 grams, it measures only 143.8 x 69.5 x 8.6 mm around.
Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe: An Android Frontrunner
Unlike the Google Pixel, the Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe was released earlier this year. As such, it has already been tried and tested by various users and received plenty of praise. Arguably, it is one of the most popular Android devices from 2016.
According to GSM Arena, the Zenfone 3 Deluxe sports a 5.- inch AMOLED screen, that also has a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. The latest variant of the device is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor as well. The device runs well on 6 GB of RAM.
In comparison, the battery life is better since the Zenfone 3 Deluxe sports a 3000 mAh battery which also has a quick charge feature. It offers internal storage options of 32 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB, which are all expandable via a microSD card. However, it runs on a less recent Android 6.1 Marshmallow operating system.
The camera found on the Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe is arguably better at 23 megapixels on the rear and 8 megapixels in front. All around, the device measures 156.4 x 77.4 x 7.5 mm and weighs slightly more as well at 170 grams.
