Best Phones of 2022: From iPhone 14 Pro to Galaxy Z Flip 4

From the iPhone 14 Pro to the Nothing Phone 1, several notable phones were launched in India in 2022.

Best Phones of 2022: From iPhone 14 Pro to Galaxy Z Flip 4

Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are the first flagship phones to launch in India in years

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We've seen several noteworthy smartphones from well-known manufacturers launch this year, from the iPhone 14 Pro to the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. Unique smartphones like the Nothing Phone 1 also made their debut, while the foldable phones such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 saw improvements over their predecessors. Companies like Xiaomi and Vivo also launched powerful flagship-grade smartphones this year, giving customers even more options to choose from.

On this week's episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast, host Akhil Arora talks to Reviews Editor Roydon Cerejo and Senior Reviewer Sheldon Pinto to list out some of the best smartphones you can buy in 2022.

Despite the ongoing supply chain issue that has affected the availability of smartphones, we have seen several new handsets from brands like Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Xiaomi, as well as the new upstart, Nothing. Apple launched the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro series this year, which competes with the Samsung Galaxy S22 series and the Google Pixel 7 lineup. It's also worth noting that these three phones run on different chipsets.

Sheldon says the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are great phones, with great camera performance and software experience. We liked that the Pixel 7 offered better battery life than the Pixel 7 Pro, despite packing a smaller battery, and might be the best Pixel phone you can buy today.

iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are two of the best iPhone models you can buy today, but we think the price in India is too high. This year, Apple added new features such as the Dynamic Island, and a new 48-megapixel camera with new zoom capabilities. Sheldon also compared the iPhone 14 Pro with the Pixel 7 Pro, comparing the camera performance of these phones.

Pixel 7, 7 Pro Review: Are These the Best Android Phones You Can Buy Today?

Xiaomi also launched its flagship smartphone in India this year, the Xiaomi 12 Pro. The Chinese smartphone manufacturer's top-of-the-line phone in India is equipped with a powerful Snapdragon chipset, has a quad speaker setup, and represents a new direction for Xiaomi, according to Sheldon. Image quality was consistent, while the phone featured a minimalist, toned-down design and we reviewed the phone favourably.

Launched at the beginning of the year, the OnePlus 10 Pro is one of the best phones launched by the company in 2022. Roydon says it might be better than the OnePlus 10T, which made its debut later this year without an alert slider. Except for a few odd choices with the handset's camera, it is also an improvement over the OnePlus 9 Pro, the company's flagship phone from last year, he adds.

Next up, we discuss the Samsung Galaxy Flip 4, a phone that went from a very niche product to a more useful one. Sheldon says that battery life and heating issues with its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Flip 3, have been resolved, and it's also much easier to use while gaming. It's also the most accessible foldable phone you can buy in India. We also discuss why the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 was not part of our list of the best phones this year.

iPhone 14 Pro Review: Islands in the Screen

Sheldon recently reviewed the Asus ROG Phone 6, which was actually launched back in July and went on sale in India at the end of November. He says that you should buy the handset along with its accessories and peripherals, and you would probably use it as a secondary phone, like a Nintendo Switch.

The Nothing Phone 1 was the first phone to be launched from the UK company led by Carl Pei, and the handset features a transparent rear panel with LEDs that light up when you receive a message or when your phone rings. While Roydon says that the rear lighting might be a gimmicky feature, you get wireless charging support, and an IP rating for dust and water resistance on a midrange smartphone.

At the beginning of the year, Samsung launched its flagship smartphone for 2022, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra in India. Roydon says that it represents the complete package, a “do it all” phone. Sheldon agrees, saying it's a no-nonsense device that competes with the iPhone 14 Pro Max, plus offers S Pen support. With Samsung's software commitment, Roydon says if he had to pick one phone from our list, it would probably be the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Review: The Complete Package?

Should you buy any of these phones? The end of the year is probably the worst time for you to buy a new smartphone. We're expecting to see new phones from Samsung and OnePlus by February or March. Prices of smartphones launched in 2022 might drop when these new phones arrive, so it might be worth holding on to your current phone for a while.

You can listen to all of that in detail and more in our episode by hitting the play button on the Spotify player embedded above. Don't forget to check our guide on the best phones under the Rs. 30,000 mark, which you can find linked above.

You can also find the Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital on your favourite platform — Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Gaana, JioSaavn, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Don't forget to follow the Gadgets 360 podcast wherever you're listening. Please also rate us and leave a review.

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  • REVIEW
  • KEY SPECS
  • NEWS
  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery Life
  • Camera
  • Value for Money
  • Good
  • Superb display with always-on mode
  • Excellent overall performance
  • Good battery life
  • All cameras take high-quality stills and video
  • Regular iOS updates for many years
  • Bad
  • Extremely expensive
  • Relatively slow charging and transfer speed
  • Gets warm under heavy workloads
  • Limited customisation for Dynamic Island
Display 6.10-inch
Processor Apple A16 Bionic
Front Camera 12-megapixel
Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel
RAM 6GB
Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
OS iOS 16
Resolution 1179x2556 pixels
  • REVIEW
  • KEY SPECS
  • NEWS
  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery Life
  • Camera
  • Value for Money
  • Good
  • Sharp, 90Hz display
  • Good quality cameras
  • Good gaming performance
  • Bloatware-free software, timely updates
  • Good battery life
  • IP68 rating
  • Bad
  • Video recording could be better
  • Gets warm under load
  • No bundled charger
  • Relatively slow charging
Display 6.30-inch
Processor Google Tensor G2
Front Camera 10.8-megapixel
Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 12-megapixel
RAM 8GB
Storage 128GB
OS Android 13
Resolution 1080x2400 pixels
  • REVIEW
  • KEY SPECS
  • NEWS
  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery Life
  • Camera
  • Value for Money
  • Good
  • Sharp, 120Hz display
  • Good quality cameras
  • Good gaming performance
  • Bloatware-free software, timely updates
  • Premium design, IP68 rating
  • Bad
  • Gets warm under load
  • No bundled charger
  • Underwhelming battery life
  • Relatively slow charging
Display 6.70-inch
Processor Google Tensor G2
Front Camera 10.8-megapixel
Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel
RAM 12GB
Storage 128GB
OS Android 13
Resolution 1440x3120 pixels
  • REVIEW
  • KEY SPECS
  • NEWS
  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery Life
  • Camera
  • Value for Money
  • Good
  • Great build quality
  • Crisp 120Hz AMOLED display
  • Quick 120W wired charging
  • Powerful speakers
  • Good camera performance
  • Bad
  • No official IP rating
  • No macro camera or shooting mode
  • Gets hot while recording video
Display 6.73-inch
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
Front Camera 32-megapixel
Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel
RAM 8GB, 12GB
Storage 256GB
Battery Capacity 4,600mAh
OS Android 12
Resolution 1,440x3,200 pixels
  • REVIEW
  • KEY SPECS
  • NEWS
  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery Life
  • Camera
  • Value for Money
  • Good
  • Great build quality, unique design
  • Very fast charging
  • Top-notch performance
  • Solid battery life
  • Excellent display
  • Very good cameras
  • Bad
  • Occasional overheating while recording (4K/8K) video
  • No macro mode
  • No official IP rating
Display 6.70-inch
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
Front Camera 32-megapixel
Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 50-megapixel + 8-megapixel
RAM 8GB, 12GB
Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Battery Capacity 5000mAh
OS Android 12
Resolution 1440x3216 pixels
  • REVIEW
  • KEY SPECS
  • NEWS
  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery Life
  • Camera
  • Value for Money
  • Good
  • Vibrant folding display
  • Excellent build quality
  • Compact when folded
  • Top-tier performance
  • Water-resistant design
  • Bad
  • Cover screen functionality is still limited
Display (Primary) 6.70-inch
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
Front Camera 10-megapixel
Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel
RAM 8GB
Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Battery Capacity 3700mAh
OS Android 12
Resolution 1080x2640 pixels
  • REVIEW
  • KEY SPECS
  • NEWS
  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery Life
  • Camera
  • Value for Money
  • Good
  • Vivid, 165Hz display
  • Gamer-centric design and features
  • IPX4 rating
  • Excellent battery life
  • Cameras perform well in daylight
  • Relatively fast charging, supports bypass charging
  • Bad
  • Bulky and heavy
  • Average low-light camera performance
  • No wireless charging
Display 6.78-inch
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
Front Camera 12-megapixel
Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 13-megapixel
RAM 12GB, 16GB
Storage 128GB, 512GB
Battery Capacity 6000mAh
OS Android 12
Resolution 1080x2448 pixels
  • REVIEW
  • KEY SPECS
  • NEWS
  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery Life
  • Camera
  • Value for Money
  • Good
  • Premium build quality, unique design
  • Vivid 120Hz OLED display
  • Wireless charging and IP53 rating
  • Decent battery life
  • Clean software, snappy performance
  • Very good primary camera
  • Bad
  • Secondary cameras struggle in low light
  • No bundled charger
Display 6.55-inch
Front Camera 16-megapixel
Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel
RAM 8GB, 12GB
Storage 128GB, 256GB
Battery Capacity 4500mAh
OS Android 12
Resolution 1080x2400 pixels
  • REVIEW
  • KEY SPECS
  • NEWS
  • Design
  • Display
  • Software
  • Performance
  • Battery Life
  • Camera
  • Value for Money
  • Good
  • In-built S Pen stylus
  • Superb display
  • Impressive performance
  • Versatile cameras
  • Good battery life
  • IP68 rated
  • Bad
  • Gets warm easily under load
  • Big and bulky
  • No bundled charger
  • Expensive
Display 6.80-inch
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
Front Camera 40-megapixel
Rear Camera 108-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 10-megapixel
RAM 8GB, 12GB
Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Battery Capacity 5000mAh
OS Android 12
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David Delima
As a writer on technology with Gadgets 360, David Delima is interested in open-source technology, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and loves to read and write about how the Internet works. David can be contacted via email at DavidD@ndtv.com, on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More
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