It has been a great year for smartphones and smart gadgets alike and the users have seen an extensive series of phones at their disposal. The tough competition between the tech giants like Apple, Samsung, OnePlus, Sony and LG has been aced by the latest group member, Google. Google Pixel XL has been deemed to the 'comfortably' best smartphone of 2016!

We have seen the launch of some great devices including Apple's iPhone 7 and 7S, Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 (which also suffered a sad demise) and Galaxy S7 Edge, and the latest edition of popular OnePlus phones. However, Google Pixel XL takes the cake by leading in the score categories that include smartphone performance, battery life, new features, the design of the phone, camera, and the overall quality of the phone.

Needless to say, Google Pixel has topped many such rank charts across different websites and it deemed to be the best smartphone of 2016. It is difficult to deny the multiple great attributes of the phone or how apt it is for different situations. It should be noted that Google Pixel series are the first official attempts of the search giant Google to penetrate the elite smartphone list and divert the traffic and fanbase to themselves. What is so interesting and spectacular about Google Pixel XL which makes it 2016's best smartphone?

It is a great all rounder unlike what other flagships have to offer (they come with one great feature and fail to impress us in any other manner). However, Google Pixel XL is not to be shunned so easily with a great camera that produces great pictures for the developing shutterbugs (it is just 12.3 megapixels compared to its competition!) The battery (3450 mAh) life is also quite promising and is receiving positive acclaim from its users after use. The processor makes for a fast experience with almost no lagging for users and the experience is further complemented by a great design itself.

Having said that, the arguably best smartphone of 2016 comes with its own set of shortcomings that includes paint that can be scratched off easily and some battery issues. There are some reported errors about problems with cross-platform work and exchanges. One other thing which is a bit of a deterrent is the fact that the price tag is a little too pinch and pinches the customers a lot. The best Google Pixel XL model comes with a price tag of $869- a distant reality from the affordable dreams the Nexus series afforded its fans. But some extra features include the fact that Google Pixel XL comes with the Google Assistant and complete online support. Did we mention unlimited cloud storage space available for photos?

What is your opinion about the best smartphone of 2016- did we get it right? Keep watching this space on MobileNApps for more updates about the latest smartphones and gadgets!