APPLE IPHONE 6S

The blend of proprietary software and good hardware has made Apple a leader in the smartphone market.

The iPhone 6s may not be a revolution - it continues Apple's tradition in releasing a device with incremental hardware and software upgrades every other year - but it still outperforms some of the flagship devices from other smartphone brands.

GOOGLE NEXUS 6P

Not every Google Nexus phone has been sold here, so Huawei, which made this device, should be lauded for launching it here.

With the Nexus 6P, it has taken the stock version of Android, which comes without any software tweaks, and added great hardware around it. The result is a powerful device that showcases the best that Android has to offer.

LG G4

LG ticked all the right boxes with its flagship G4 phone. For one thing, it has improved the laser autofocus feature that uses an infrared beam to determine a subject's distance to the camera. Many companies have also adopted this feature for their smartphone's camera.

LG has also worked hard in designing a unique leather rear panel for the G4, giving the device a classy, premium finish missing from many smartphones on the market today.

SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 5 4G+

Samsung's flagship device continues to be more than just a smartphone. With its S Pen accessory, the phone becomes a digital tool for taking notes and doing work, while its superb camera makes you question the need to buy a compact camera.

Other features, such as built-in wireless charging and live streaming directly on YouTube, show that the Korean company is still leading the way with modern features.

BLACKBERRY PRIV

With the Priv, BlackBerry has taken the best of its hardware expertise and combined it with one of the best mobile software on the market - Android. The result is a phone that impresses on every front.

The handset maker also included some of its more well-known device features, such as a unified Inbox and the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, with the Android operating system, showing that it is not content with just churning out an ordinary smartphone.