The year 2017 has come and it’s time we take a look at the top trending smartphones of the first week. Check it out and see if your favorite smartphones make it to this list.

1. Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime

Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime takes the sweet spot on our trending smartphones list. The Galaxy J7 Prime, along with its cousins in the J-Series has rapidly gotten a foothold of the market in 2016. The phone is well built and highly praised for its design. Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime is even considered as the flagship of mid-tier 2016 trending smartphones by many users and tech enthusiasts.

In terms of Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime specs, it sports a 5.5″ Full HD display, with a screen-to-body ratio of approximately 73.3%. The phone has 13MP f/1.9 back camera with auto focus and LED flash while the front camera has 8MP focal point. Under the metal panel hood is Exynos 7870 Octa-core 1.6GHz, along with 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM, expandable up to 256GB via a dedicated slot. The phone runs Android 6.0 and powered by a non-removable 3300mAh battery, promises up to 21h of talk time using 3G. Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime price is about $245 ~RM. 1641, available in black and gold.

2. Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)

The second phone on our trending smartphones list is another phone from Samsung J-Series, the Galaxy J7 (2016). The phone was released in April 2016 and quickly gained popularity not long afterward. Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) screen is 5.5″ HD, running Android 6.0. In terms of Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) specs, it is powered by Exynos 7870 Octa-core 1.6GHz +Mali-T830MP2 or Snapdragon 617 Octa-core (4 x 1.6GHz & 4 x 1.0GHz) and Adreno 405 depends on region. The phone comes with 2GB RAM and 16GB ROM with a dedicated microSD slot supporting up to 256GB. As for Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) cameras, the main camera is 13MP  f/1.9 with autofocus and LED flash, capable of taking 1080p video at 30fps. The front camera is 5MP f/1.9 with LED flash. The phone is powered by a removable 3300mAh battery, offers up to 23h of talk time (3G). Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) price is about $231 ~ RM. 1036, available in white, black, gold and rose gold.

3. Xiaomi Redmi Note 3

Released in February 2016, Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is number 3 on the trending smartphones list. It runs on MIUI 8.0 (based on Android 5.0), upgradable to Android 6.0 and could receive another future upgrade to Nougat.  The phone uses a 5.5″ Full HD IPS LCD display, more than acceptable for its low price. Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 cameras include a 16MP f/2.0 main camera with dual-LED flash and a front camera of 5MP f/2.0. In terms of Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 specs, the phone comes in two versions – the Standard version only has 2GB RAM and 16GB ROM, while the Special edition has 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM, both can be expandable via a hybrid slot (SIM 2 slot). Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 battery uses a non-removable Li-Po 4050mAh, which is better than most phones with the same specs. Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 price is about $175 ~ RM. 787 for the Special edition, available in silver, gray and gold.

4. Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime

Number 4 on the trending smartphones list is another phone from Xiaomi, the Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime released in August 2016. The phone has a 5.0″ HD display, at around 294ppi pixel density. The phone is small and easy to operate with one hand. It runs on Android 6.0, and might receive a future upgrade to 7.0 likes many other Xiaomi devices. Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime cameras are not much impressive, but it would be enough for daily usage. The main camera is 13MP f/2.0 and the front camera is 5MP f/2.2. Under the hood, Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime is powered by Snapdragon 430 Octa-core 1.4GHz and Adreno 505, along with 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM, which can be expandable using SIM 2 slot). Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime battery life is pretty impressive, with a non-removable 4100mAh battery. Despite all the specs, Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime price is extremely affordable, costing around $132 ~ RM. 590. The phone is available in 3 colors including gold, dark gray and silver.

5. vivo V5

The number 5 trending smartphone of last week is vivo V5 released in November 2016. The phone has a 5.5″ HD display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. Vivo V5 runs a custom version of Android 6.0 called Funtouch OS 2.6. In terms of vivo V5 specs, it houses an Octa-core MediaTek MT6750 SoC, 4GB RAM and 32GB ROM expandable using SIM 2 slot. Vivo V5 cameras, especially the front camera are the main reasons it’s trending right now. The phone features a 20MP f/2.0, 1/2.8″ sensor size, making it a heavy opponent of Gionee S6s and Oppo R9s. The main camera is 13MP with auto focus and LED flash. The phone is powered by a non-removable 3000mAh battery, more than enough for daily usage. Vivo V5 price is $242 ~ RM. 1086, available in gold and gray.

Top 5 trending smartphones

It’s just the beginning of the year but Samsung and Xiaomi have already taken 4 spots on the trending smartphones list. Will we see any unexpected change in the next few months or will these two brands stay on the top forever? Which phones do you think deserve to be on the top trending smartphones list?