Touted as having the worst acquisition of Nextel for $35 billion that resulted in a series of missteps including ugly handsets, network incompatibility, and others, Sprint seems to be making a good comeback.
Sprint is turning around from the rut it was in as the once hated carrier with devices that upped its ante including the iPhone and Google's Nexus devices. According to PC Mag, the turnaround can also be attributed to Sprint's initiative called Spark, with which LTE Plus had it winning cities in the magazine's review of Fastest Mobile Networks tests.
Below, we list down 10 of the best smartphones (in random order) carried by Sprint for 2016.
Phone | Price | Pros | Cons | Bottom Line |
Apple iPhone 6s | $649 | Works fast on sprint's Spark than older iPhones. | Mediocre battery life | The faster Sprint network is taken advantaged of making it an essential upgrade. |
Apple iPhone 6s Plus | $750 | Biggest and fastest iPhone offered in the Sprint | Prohibitive cost and battery life is shorter than the previous generation | Best unit to tap into Sprint's LTE speeds no previous iPhones could do. |
HTC 10 (Unlocked) | $699 | Audio quality. Attractive GUI. Fast, Fine Design | Cost. Slow Wi-Fi. Camera focus issues in low light | Unlocked HTC 10 is best for audiophiles. Could be HTC's biggest comeback |
Google Nexus 6P (Unlocked) | $499 | Excellent Camera w/ long battery life. Attractive display Fingerprint scanner | Power & Volume button placement. Software issues need polishing | One of the best unlocked smartphones available with latest Android updates |
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge | $792 | Top of the line. Long battery life. Edge functionality | Price. Low internal storage | State-of-the-art components with gorgeous design and battery life |
Samsung Galaxy S7 | $672 | Excellent modem and Wi-Fi. Great screen. Waterproof build. | Internal storage. Camera not that great. Bloatware | Nothing radically new but delivers performance in a small package |
LG G5 | $689 | Fast processor. Wide-angle camera. Removable battery. | Some Android features disabled Carrier bloatware | Powerful smartphone. Modular build makes it unique |
Google Nexus 5X | $379 | Size perfect for one hand use. Fantastic camera. Reliable. Fingerprint scanner | Limited storage. Tinny speakers | Alternative to Nexus 6P |
HTC One A9 | $499 | Premium build. Perfect size for one hand use. Expandable storage | Poor camera. Pricey | Good looking but camera isn't that good |
Kyocera DuraXTP | $216 | Good call quality. Earpiece and speaker volume. Rugged build. Removable battery | Average noise cancellation. Poor Camera | Rugged design meets calling and texting needs and offer limited web capabilities |
Note that Sprint does not sell phones without contracts and the units are much more expensive if you buy through the carrier, Android Authority reported.