The year 2022 is coming to a close, and the technology gods have bestowed upon us some absolutely outstanding cell phones. Whether you are seeking performance, photographic prowess, or affordability, our authoritative list of the ten best smartphones has it all. Previously we wrote on Top 10 Mobile Phone Brands Ranking 2022 By Shipments & Market World 2022 which we believe will interest you.
The #1 phone on this list may not be great for everyone, so be sure to check out all 10. Depending on what you value most – camera, battery life, design, features, pricing, and more – there is a phone that is ideal for you, taking into account a variety of factors.
OnePlus, Google, Oppo, and Xiaomi are Android competitors that may provide the ideal pocket companion. Trust us, these phones all deliver, albeit in slightly different ways, which is a terrific thing. Good competition leads to improved mobile phones for everyone.
Best smartphone 2022
1. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
The best phone overall is the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
While the S21 Ultra flirted with Note-like capabilities, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is undeniably a full-fledged successor to 2020’s Note 20 Ultra in all respects except for its name. Due to its excellent performance and well-balanced features, it is currently the most costly but greatest overall smartphone you can buy.
The design is distinctively different from the rest of the Galaxy S22 lineup (i.e., highly ‘note-like’) and has a S Pen stylus that enhances capabilities beyond most competitors, particularly in terms of productivity.
Despite the camera hardware’s familiar appearance, Samsung’s upgrades make it one of the best systems available in a smartphone right now, with a 108Mp main shooter supported by an ultrawide and two telephoto lenses with varying zoom levels—the zoom performance having been significantly enhanced over previous models.
The expansive 6.8-inch LTPO AMOLED display offers both a high WQHD+ resolution and an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Long-term software support that surpasses that of Google’s Pixels rounds out the outstanding list of benefits. If you can handle its enormous size, it is a true winner, with five years of the best software support in Android.
2. iPhone 14 Pro
The standard iPhone 14 is a pretty slight upgrade over the iPhone 13, thus it is a great surprise that the iPhone 14 Pro is so much more advanced than its predecessor. Some of the changes are superficial, yet it is impossible not to notice when the Dynamic Island undergoes such a radical visual redesign.
Apple has shrunk its famous screen notch into a pill and a circular shape below the top bezel but filled the empty space with black pixels. The company then used animations to have app notifications and updates emanate from the space, thereby creating a purpose for the cutouts now seen for camera lenses on the majority of smartphone screens. It is really ingenious and allows you to view the currently playing music, timers, weather, and more without having to enter the app.
In addition to the 3x telephoto lens and the capable ultrawide lens, the camera on the iPhone possesses the first 48Mp sensor, which allows for 2x zoom cropping in addition to the 3x telephoto lens. Additionally, Apple has introduced an always-on display that dims the lock screen and, according to our tests, has no impact on battery life. It is hardly a substantial increase over the 13 Pro, but if your phone is three or four years old, this iPhone will feel lightyears ahead.
3. Google Pixel 7 Pro – Best user experience
Google improves the Pixel 7 Pro’s battery life, display, and cameras compared to the Pixel 6 Pro’s revolutionary redesign. The 7 Pro is the best Pixel to yet and a true ‘kitchen sink’ gadget — it is large and hefty, and its design may not appeal to you, but it delivers an incredible Android experience.
If you do not like iOS and do not need the S-Pen on the S22 Ultra, the Pixel 7 Pro is the best phone available, and it is less than the two phones that came before it. Google’s superior software processing makes this one of the most gratifying point-and-shoot cameras you can carry in your pocket. It takes some of the best and most consistent still images of any smartphone.
There are also a plethora of innovative Pixel-exclusive features, such as Magic Eraser for removing undesired persons and objects from images, Live Transcribe for hard-of-hearing users, a large, bright display, and a battery life of nearly two days, to name a few. Google guarantees five years of security patches but just three years of Android updates — Samsung and Apple surpass Google in this regard.
The Pixel, on the other hand, is the best option if you prefer flexible and entertaining software on your phone. If you prefer a smaller phone, the Pixel 7 is also wonderful, but it lacks the Pro’s 5x telephoto lens.
4. Oppo Find X5 Pro — Superb cameras
By any metric, the Oppo Find X5 Pro is a remarkable phone. The 6.7in 10-bit 120Hz QHD+ panel is now one of the greatest displays in any smartphone, and Oppo supports it with 80W wired and 50W wireless charging, a 5000mAh battery, and a camera with 50Mp sensors on both the main and ultrawide lenses.
You will have to do without a periscopic zoom lens, as the telephoto zoom is only 2x, but the results from all three back lenses are outstanding. Due to the camera module’s flawless integration into the ceramic body of the phone, the design is also distinctive.
With a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, 256GB of storage, and 12GB of RAM, the Find X5 Pro is also difficult to surpass in terms of raw performance. You must be willing to pay the cost, as it does not come cheaply.
5. Google Pixel 6a – Best value
Although the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro have larger, higher-resolution displays and enhanced cameras, the Pixel 6a offers the best value and is the device that the majority of consumers should purchase.
For the price, you receive the same Google Tensor chip as the Nexus 6 and Nexus 6 Pro, resulting in flagship-level performance. Not like older Pixels from the A-series, which were slow.
The display has a refresh rate of only 60Hz, charging is only 18W, and the back is made of plastic, which we found to be extremely scratch-prone. There is also a 12.2MP primary camera, the same as on the Pixel 5, as opposed to the Pixel 6’s 50MP sensor.
With three years of Android OS updates and five years of security patches, this device comes close to the entire Pixel experience at a fantastic price.
6. iPhone 13 – Exceptional all-rounder
Even while it lacks the 13 Pro’s high refresh rate display, the iPhone 13 nevertheless offers cutting-edge capabilities like as Apple’s newest 5nm A15 Bionic CPU and the most recent camera functions, such as Cinematic Mode.
The rear camera system now sits diagonally, primarily to accommodate the impressive sensor-shift OIS (optical image stabilisation) that was exclusive to 2020’s iPhone 12 Pro Max (although there is still no telephoto sensor), while on the front, despite the same 60Hz refresh rate as the previous model, you still get a stunning 6.1in OLED display with a smaller notch.
iOS 15 is an outstanding upgrade to Apple’s already-respected mobile operating system; it adds wellbeing features, such as notification summary, that prevent continual device distraction.
As with the iPhone 13 Pro, the iPhone 13 has some of the longest battery life of any iPhone, but its rapid charging speeds lag far below the competition.
7. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 – Top-Rated Foldable
The Z Flip 4 is an all-day phone with the same main and ultrawide cameras as the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus.
At a price comparable to premium slab smartphones, this is the greatest foldable phone currently on the market. We are unable to evaluate the display’s and crease’s longevity, but Samsung claims that the Flip will survive for at least 200,000 open-and-close cycles, or nearly five years of average use.
The enhanced battery is likely a result of the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset’s improved energy efficiency, so you no longer need to charge the Flip midday. 8GB of RAM is more than sufficient, but you may want to invest a little extra on 256GB of storage. We also enjoy the fingerprint sensor’s side-mounted location.
This device is essentially an S22 with a more powerful chipset and a foldable design. It is enticing and one of the greatest phones on the market.
8. Vivo X80 Pro – Outstanding cameras
The X80 Pro from Vivo sports a camera that rivals the finest from Apple, Samsung, and Google.
Four back lenses are powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, with the primary lens containing a 50-megapixel sensor. Each lens is equipped with Vivo’s V1+ image processing technology, and the telephoto lens features gimbal stabilisation to improve the sharpness of zoom pictures. The low-light photography is fantastic. The feature set is really comprehensive. Add to that outstanding video modes with cinema-wide aspect ratios and film-like grain, and you have a pocket-sized camera that packs a punch.
You will have to settle for a 6.78-inch AMOLED screen on this large phone. It is a 120Hz LTPO (with variable refresh rate) and QHD+ resolution display.
The lack of Gorilla Glass, which provides proven protection against scratches and cracks on the front and back of the phone, and the cumbersome software are drawbacks of the device. But altogether, this is another step forward for Vivo that you should consider if you want a high-quality camera on the back of your phone.
9. OnePlus 10 Pro
OnePlus 10 Pro has an exceptional battery life
The most recent flagship phone from OnePlus is a fantastic alternative to the S22 or Pixel 6 series, particularly if you live in the United States and have limited options for high-end Android devices.
With a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and rapid 80W wired charging, the 10 Pro’s fundamental specifications are comparable to those of its competitors, and we are generally admirers of its sleek look, though not everyone is.
Despite Hasselblad’s assistance, the camera system remains the phone’s key drawback and the primary factor that sets it apart from the more expensive but otherwise comparable Oppo Find X5 Pro.
The rear triple sensor setup is impressive, do not get us wrong, but inconsistencies – especially in exposure – serve to remind us that it is not up there with the best of the best, and that makes it a tad more difficult to recommend; even if the OxygenOS user experience is superb and battery life is among the best of any flagship currently available.
10. Xiaomi 12 Pro — Great for multimedia
The Xiaomi 12 Pro has a great deal going for it, but it also has two key drawbacks.
It has a clean, modest appearance, a gorgeous display paired with a quad-speaker arrangement, and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor provides great performance. The camera system is generally excellent, if not the best in its category.
Unfortunately, the battery life is a glaring flaw, which may be rectified with future software upgrades but, for the time being, frustrates. If you spend the majority of your time near a charger, this is an excellent phone.
