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

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.

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