Galaxy Note 7 vs. Honor 8 vs. iPhone 6S Plus vs. OnePlus 3 vs Galaxy S7 Edge

If you were on the hunt for a shiny new smartphone right now, do you know which one you would buy? If you are an Apple fan, Samsung lover, OnePlus Groupie, or a Huawei aficionado, each manufacturer has something to offer. And in this article, we’re going to compare the latest each has to offer, design and specs to try and find out which is the best-looking and has best specifications.

Galaxy Note 7 vs. Honor 8 vs. iPhone 6S Plus vs. OnePlus 3 vs. Galaxy S7 Edge

Why this selection of handsets? They represent a selection of the best handsets that are available right now. While some, like the Galaxy Note 7, Huawei Honor 8 and One Plus 3, were all released within the last month or two, the older handsets features are still worthy competitors and devices you should consider.

Designs compared

Samsung Galaxy Note 7: The most recently-announced of the handsets compared here is the Galaxy Note 7. This handset takes some obvious visual cues from Samsung’s other big hitter, the S7 Edge. However, it’s not a clone of that handset. Instead, it keeps the square edges synonymous with the Galaxy Note range and the S-pen, but this isn’t where the cohesion of design stops as it comes with a metal build and curved glass on the front and rear.

The size of the handset is nothing remarkable for a Note phablet; it measures 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7mm and weighs in at a respectable 157grams.

Huawei Honor 8: First thoughts when looking at the Huawei Honor 8 is that it looks surprisingly good. If you want something that is nearly as easy on the eye as the Galaxy Note 7, this is the handset. A big plus is its curved glass like seen on the Galaxy S7, which causes a shimmering effect at different angles adding to the phone’s appeal.

Due to the handset’s size and the curved edges that feel like faux metal, the Honor 8 fits neatly into the hand and does not feel cumbersome. It measures in at 145.5 x 71 x 7.mm and weighs 153 grams, making it both fractionally thinner and lighter than the Note 7.

OnePlus 3: Dubbed the flagship killer, the OnePlus 3, is a handset that has been set a hefty goal. However, like the HTC One series of handsets and other modern smartphones, it is built using a single piece of aluminum. Easy on the eye, it has an anodized finish and a slightly curved rear, plus slightly rounded metal edges which catch the light thanks to diamond-cut chamfers.

As far as first impressions are concerned, if you had all of the handsets in this article lined up, the OnePlus 3 would not be the first to catch your eye. It’s not that it is not well-built or looks ugly; it’s just not up to the standard of a few of the others. Moving on to size its measurements are 152.7 x 74.7 x 7.4mm, making it thinnest of the three handsets looked at so far.

Galaxy S7: Compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy S6, the design of the S7 did not change anything, in fact, the differences are so minimal that they can be considered identical. What it does have is a slightly more minimalist finish due to a slight refinement to its metal waistband. What this did was reveal more of a curve to the S7’s rear and also make it slightly slimmer at the side. There’s no doubt that this handset is a real beauty. It’s possibly third on this list behind the Note 7 and Honor 8, in that order.

As for size, its vitals are 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9mm, and for weight, it is 152 grams.

iPhone 6s Plus: For an iPhone, the 6s Plus is huge and made from a different grade of aluminum alloy than its predecessor; I assume this was to prevent the reoccurrence of the Bendgate scandal. As for looks, there is nothing new here compared to what came before it. Yes, Rose Gold may be a color that has your interest, but if it doesn’t, your choices are rather limited. Another downside of this handset is its huge bezels, which is another feature that has seemed to become ingrained into Apple designers’ psyche. Overall, the iPhone 6s Plus is just another iPhone churned out by a company which at that point had no new ideas.

Let’s hope the iPhone 7 manages to change things somehow! The iPhone 6s Plus measures 158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3mm and weighs in as the heaviest of all five smartphones at 192 grams.

Specifications compared

Here’s a chart which compares the specifications, camera, chipset, RAM, display size, resolution and other important aspects of all five handsets.

Final thoughts

As far as design is concerned, I think the Galaxy Note 7, with its mixture of S7 Edge, looks and Note robustness, make it the winner in the looks stakes. As for specifications, this is where things get a little more tricky to judge, as the specs are so close for all five handsets.

That being said, though, the Galaxy Note 7 is head-and-shoulders above the others in all departments.