Best upcoming phones 2016 - release dates for the top new smartphones

Mobile World Congress 2016 has just happened, taking the covers off even more smartphones we can expect this year and finally revealing the all-important details and specifications. The usual suspects all announced new handsets ranging from their super-powered, fully-featured flagships right down to their mid-range and budget smartphones. In short, it's set to be yet another big year for smartphones.

I'll summarise what's coming when and whether it's worth getting excited about. We've gone with the flagship handsets here, as those generally attract the most attention before release and we've stuck to the big guns too, rather than include niche or unusual designs that will probably never see the light of day (we're looking at you Project Ara). This list will be updated regularly as we get more information about exciting releases, although we'll cover most of the handsets here in more depth in their own individual rumours articles - look out for the links in the copy below. I'll start off with the big flagship handsets just announced at MWC 2016.

Some smartphones are worth waiting for, and there are some stunners coming in 2016. These are the best phones coming in 2016, including the best new Android phones, best new iPhones, best new Windows phones, best new Samsung phones, best new Sony phones, best new HTC phones, best new LG phones and more.

LG G5 - April

Arguably the most interesting of the big announcements at MWC 2016. The LG G5 now has a magnesium alloy chassis, so its build quality has vastly improved on last year's plastic affair. LG's taken a surprising modular approach with its latest flagship handset. While replaceable batteries aren't exactly the most exciting things in the world, things get a little more intriguing with the LG G5's manner of battery swapping.

The entire bottom now slides off and you can simply swap the battery over and slide it back in. But that's the least interesting part of the G5's modularity. Various different modules are available that add extra functionality, such as the Cam Plus module that will be useful for photographers, or the Hi-Fi Plus module for the audiophiles. The LG G5 will also work with a number of separate devices from LG, which the company refer to as 'Friends'. This includes the LG 360 Cam for 360-degree video.