XDA's best smartphones and accessories of 2022 - XDA Developers

This twelvemonth was a beardown 1 erstwhile it came to smartphones. So, with 2022 coming to a adjacent and 2023 conscionable astir the corner, we've picked retired our favourite smartphones and accessories that were released this year. From fantastic flagship devices similar the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra to the wholly bonkers Xiaomi 12S Ultra, we've got a spot of everything here. We present astatine XDA person reviewed conscionable astir each smartphone released this year, truthful we took immoderate clip to bespeak and asked each of our writers to take their favourite smartphones of 2022.

Best wide smartphone: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon)

We'll commencement disconnected beardown with the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra arsenic our prime for the smartphone of the year... truthful agelong arsenic it's the Snapdragon edition. We ran into galore problems with our Exynos portion that inactive plague america to this day, and it's hard to springiness that telephone the telephone of the twelvemonth award. However, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 doesn't person immoderate of the aforesaid problems.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with a beauteous over-the-top camera strategy with an unthinkable 108MP sensor, on with 3x and 10x zoom telephoto cameras. You besides get a top-of-the-line show and adjacent an S Pen for note-taking, making this not conscionable the champion smartphone of the twelvemonth but the champion business smartphone of the year. You'll get updates quickly, too, truthful agelong arsenic you person an unlocked variant.

It's truly hard to find responsibility with the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra successful general, truthful it was casual to sanction this our apical pick.

Runner-up: Google Pixel 7 Pro

The Google Pixel 7 Pro is different 1 of the champion smartphones released this year, and portion of its entreaty is its simplicity. It whitethorn not person each the bells and whistles of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, but it didn't request to. What it does person is clean, coagulated software, a unsocial design, and unthinkable cameras. Google massively upped its crippled this twelvemonth with the Pixel 7 Pro, nailing beauteous overmuch each aspect.

Google's bundle is immoderate of the champion around, and that's acknowledgment to the features that the institution packs in. Quality-of-life features specified arsenic Now Playing, which identifies euphony astir you, and dependable dictation are 2 of our favorites, but there's thing for everyone here. You'll besides get bundle updates earlier anyone else, truthful if that's your prerogative, past it's a amended enactment than adjacent the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Best affordable smartphone: Poco F4

Xiaomi's Poco F4 is simply a $400 telephone with a Snapdragon 870 SoC, 120Hz OLED show protected by Gorilla Glass 5, fantabulous haptics, large stereo speakers, and a coagulated camera system. Other than the deficiency of a dedicated zoom lens and the integrative back, it'd beryllium hard for the mean user to archer this is an "affordable phone." The lone downside is this telephone doesn't merchantability successful the U.S., truthful American consumers can't get this worth king easily.

Runner-up: Nothing Phone 1

The Nothing Phone 1 received a batch of pre-release hype, and ultimately, it was just a solid, mid-range Android telephone with a flashy backmost design. If that sounded negative, it's not meant to be. At its $470 starting price, the Phone 1 much than delivers, with a Snapdragon 778G SoC, a 120Hz OLED display, and clean, minimal software. The camera show tin beryllium deed oregon miss and determination isn't a zoom lens, but bundle updates person improved matters a spot successful caller months.

Is this telephone a game-changer for the industry? No, but is it a truly bully telephone successful the sub-$500 terms range? Yes. However, it takes the runner-up spot due to the fact that the Poco F4 has amended haptics, somewhat amended camera performance, and is simply a spot cheaper.

Best smartphone camera: Xiaomi 12S Ultra

Much has been made astir the value of camera bundle successful the past half-decade, and portion bundle representation processing is so paramount to however bully a mobile camera is successful 2022, the hardware inactive matters rather a bit. And close now, the implicit champion camera hardware arguably belongs to the Xiaomi 12S Ultra.

The 12S Ultra was the archetypal telephone to motorboat with Sony's "1-inch" IMX989 sensor, and dissimilar Sharp's implementation a fewer months later, Xiaomi did not harvest its sensor astatine all. Granted, the 1-inch sensor doesn't really measurement 1 inch wide, but immoderate the case, the constituent is Xiaomi's main camera sensor is gigantic compared to the sensors successful different smartphones, and that leads to incredible, astir DSLR-level prime photos since it tin seizure much airy information. The 12S Ultra's different lenses aren't arsenic epic, but they're inactive prime hardware.

Of course, nary of this would substance if Xiaomi's bundle imaging was terrible, and thankfully, that's not the case. While not arsenic scarily astute arsenic Google's software, Xiaomi's computational photography prowess is bully capable to clasp disconnected the Pixel 7 Pro, which has amended bundle but inferior hardware, and the Vivo X80 Pro, which besides combines fantabulous hardware and software. It's a adjacent call, but the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is the champion camera telephone of the year.

Runner-up: Vivo X80 Pro

For the runner-up spot, we debated betwixt the Google Pixel 7 Pro oregon the Vivo X80 Pro. Both phones usage astir identical sensors for their main cameras (the X80 Pro uses a refreshed mentation of the GN1 utilized by the Pixel 7 Pro) and person akin Periscope and ultra-wide camera hardware. While Google's computational photography is champion successful class, Vivo's is nary slouch either, with a custom-built V1+ imaging spot that handles HDR amended than immoderate telephone we've tested (yes, adjacent the Pixel). Throw successful Zeiss' T-Coating connected each lens (which noticeably reduces lens flare), an other zoom lens (one that's supported by a micro-gimbal system), and the Vivo's X80 Pro conscionable edges retired the Pixel 7 Pro arsenic the second-best camera of the year.

Best foldable: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

You mightiness beryllium reasoning that picking the Galaxy Z Fold 4 arsenic the "best foldable phone" seems similar a no-brainer decision. For galore regions, Samsung's foldables are the lone crippled successful town. However, we astatine XDA person entree to foldables released lone successful China, and those person each been amended successful immoderate way. Xiaomi's Mix Fold 2, for example, is importantly thinner, portion the Oppo Find N has a virtually crease-less surface successful a much comfy signifier factor.

But Samsung's Fold 4 inactive takes the triumph due to the fact that it has the astir polished bundle of each the aforementioned phones. Part of this is due to the fact that the Fold 4 runs bundle optimized for Google apps portion China-only releases don't, but Samsung inactive built a robust and intuitive multitasking system. For example, arsenic awesome arsenic the Oppo Find N is hardware-wise, it suffers from app scaling issues, and can't tally YouTube successful a horizontal split-screen view. Little things similar this, positive the reassurance of a water-resistance standing and authoritative availability worldwide, makes the Fold 4 the champion foldable for astir radical still.

Runner-up: Oppo Find N

The Oppo Find N is unsocial due to the fact that Oppo is simply a caller subordinate and the Find N was the company's archetypal nationalist attempt. Despite that, the Find N was an unthinkable smartphone that managed to nail what a foldable should be. It was a bully smartphone to usage successful general, and adjacent erstwhile it was folded, its screen show was wholly usable. Unfolded, you got a batch much surface existent estate, and the bundle was built astir its foldable capabilities.

The telephone itself was besides compact, not being each that overmuch thicker than a regular smartphone. It has an fantabulous signifier factor, and successful a satellite wherever foldable phones often instrumentality a measurement backmost successful their photography prowess, the Find N kept the aforesaid superior sensor arsenic the Oppo Find X3 Pro. It's an fantabulous archetypal changeable astatine a foldable smartphone.

Best gaming smartphone: Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro

If you similar to crippled connected your smartphone, past the Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro should beryllium your go-to pick. It's cleanable successful truthful galore antithetic ways. It's fast, the artillery beingness is excellent, and there's a wide scope of peripherals that you tin prime up. Performance is 2nd to none, and there's adjacent a headphone jack.

Of course, if you similar to usage your smartphone for, well, smartphone-related things, past the Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro does each of that well, too. The camera isn't adjacent each that bad, though it's noticeably the weakest portion of the full package. Still, if you privation the champion telephone for gaming (and 1 of the champion phones, period), past you can't spell incorrect with this astonishing device.

Runner-up: ASUS ROG Phone 6D Ultimate

Though it's a cheaper smartphone than the Pro, the Asus ROG Phone 6D Ultimate isn't truly the ultimate gaming phone. It packs a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 Plus (hence the cheaper terms tag), but that's astir the lone difference. While MediaTek's flagship spot is incredible, it's inactive down the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 that's successful the regular Pro. There is an aerial vent arsenic well, and the AeroActive Cooler 6 comes successful the box.

In general, if you privation a smartphone that'll supply you with gaming-focused features, you'll privation to cheque retired Asus's ROG lineup. And if you privation to prevention immoderate money, you tin spell with the 6D Ultimate.

Mobile shaper of the year: Xiaomi

2022 tin beryllium considered an iterative 1 for astir telephone brands, but Xiaomi. While Samsung, Google, and OnePlus released flagships that brought backmost virtually the aforesaid hardware arsenic their 2021 predecessors, Xiaomi either introduced oregon co-developed, 2 bleeding-edge tech breakthroughs that acceptable the signifier for 2023 devices.

The archetypal is the aforementioned 1-inch representation sensor. Even though the sensor is made by Sony, Xiaomi seemingly contributed $15 cardinal to assistance money the improvement of the lens. The 2nd large hardware breakthrough was the Mix Fold 2, which astatine 5.4mm unfolded and 11.2mm folded is the thinnest foldable telephone by immoderate distance. The Mix Fold 2, successful fact, is truthful uncannily thin, it is hardly thicker than a Pro Max iPhone wrong its case.

These 2 hardware innovations unsocial would person been capable to nab Xiaomi the apical spot here, but erstwhile you see the institution besides released arguably the champion worth fund telephone this year, Xiaomi's placement feels similar a no-brainer. Now, if lone it would commencement selling its awesome products successful the U.S.

Runner-up: Samsung

It's casual to look astatine Samsung's 2022 mobile releases and reason it was a alternatively boring twelvemonth for the South Korean tech giant. Whether it was the Galaxy Z Fold 4, Z Flip 4, the Galaxy A53, oregon the modular non-Ultra S22 phones, Samsung mostly brought backmost the aforesaid hardware from past year, prevention for the processor bump. However, each of these phones saw much polished software, longer artillery life, and a spot amended low-light camera performance, which each combined to marque them the champion versions of those phones yet.

Look a spot deeper, and we tin spot Samsung besides took immoderate calculated risks. The Galaxy S22 Ultra was fundamentally a rebirth of the Galaxy Note. The inclusion of the S Pen unsocial made the instrumentality a must-own for some. Meanwhile, Samsung launched a caller Ultra mentation of its tablet series, 1 with a gigantic 14.6-inch OLED display. Paired with Samsung's pricey but fantabulous keyboard lawsuit and with Samsung DeX, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra could service arsenic a existent functional machine for some. Elsewhere, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 saw much-improved optics and software, further cementing it arsenic the champion foldable telephone connected the market. Samsung's 2022 was not instantly flashy, but it's been a lowkey beardown year.

Best mobile innovation: Apple's Emergency SOS

There were respective mobile innovations we astatine XDA enjoyed utilizing this year, but the champion caller diagnostic is 1 we haven't utilized yet and anticipation volition ne'er person to. Apple introduced an Emergency SOS diagnostic for the iPhone 14 bid that allows the phones to link with exigency services, adjacent if there's nary compartment reception oregon information connectivity, via the satellites built into the devices. It's casual to spot wherefore this could beryllium a lifesaver. However, this diagnostic is escaped for lone 2 years (after which Apple volition charge) and close present lone works successful selected countries. Still, this is simply a large diagnostic that we anticipation each mobile phones follow successful adjacent future.

Runner-up: Xiaomi's truly bladed foldable

As we wrote earlier, Xiaomi's Mix Fold 2 was a breakthrough for foldable phones arsenic it drastically shed the thickness that had been considered a plan compromise. The Mix Fold 2 measures lone 5.4mm heavy erstwhile unfolded truthful adjacent erstwhile it's folded, it is inactive hardly thicker than a slab phone. The Mix Fold 2 is the archetypal foldable telephone to not truly consciousness similar 2 pieces of metallic stacked unneurotic erstwhile closed. Once you've held the Mix Fold 2, it's hard to spell backmost to a thicker foldable and not consciousness the bulk.

Best existent wireless earbuds: AirPods Pro 2

The AirPods Pro 2 are the champion wireless earbuds for astir people, adjacent if you don't usage an iPhone. With 4 silicon receptor tips (most different earbuds connection three), a caller H2 spot that tin grip progressive sound cancelation, and redesigned audio drivers, the AirPods Pro 2 are immoderate of the best-sounding earbuds we've ever tested astatine XDA. It besides has arguably the second-best progressive sound cancelation successful the business, down lone the uncanny Bose QuietComfort EarBuds 2, which didn't marque the database due to the fact that the AirPods Pro 2 person a amended transparency mode and features similar Spatial Audio.

These features are what marque Apple's earbuds king. You tin adjacent bargain a brace if you don't usage an iPhone. From our testing, the AirPods Pro 2 connects with Windows machines oregon Android devices fine. And portion you suffer retired connected immoderate circumstantial features similar Spatial Audio, you're inactive getting best-in-class transparency mode, and tremendous ANC and audio quality.

Runner-up: Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2

Huawei has been making immoderate of the champion wireless audio products for a mates of years, and the company's premium buds, the FreeBuds Pro 2, are among the champion earbuds connected the market. We are a instrumentality of their lighter, sleeker plan compared to the archetypal generation. Measuring conscionable 6.1g per bud and with a sleeker, shorter stem than the AirPods Pro 2, the FreeBuds Pro 2 look a spot much stealth successful our ears — and this factors successful the eye-grabbing purple color.

Thanks to a concern with Devialet that helped fine-tune the 11mm dual drivers, the FreeBuds Pro 2 pump retired superb balanced audio, with cleanable highs, crisp mids, and a spot of bass kick. However, we find that its ANC doesn't enactment arsenic good astatine blocking retired unwanted extracurricular sound arsenic the AirPods Pro 2, hence wherefore it falls successful this runner-up spot.

Best smartwatch: Apple Watch Ultra

The Apple Watch has been the champion smartwatch for years, mostly owed to the hardware/software synergy and app ecosystem. While Samsung and Google released beardown alternatives this year, we'd inactive person to spell with the Apple Watch again this year, peculiarly since Apple fundamentally threw everything but the room descend astatine the Apple Watch Ultra.

This caller ticker packs successful features that are designed to marque beingness easier for mountaineers, heavy oversea divers, endurance sports athletes, and radical who don't walk their days successful beforehand of a laptop screen. Most of america astatine XDA are nary of these things, but adjacent we tin spot the appeal. It's got a bigger, brighter surface that's easier to work adjacent from a region oregon nether the astir aggravated sunlight. It's built similar a tank, truthful you won't accent if you accidentally clang your wrist against array edges. Finally, artillery beingness is much, overmuch better. Factor successful the superior Apple Watch app ecosystem and information features similar the quality to observe car crashes, and the Apple Watch Ultra is easy the champion smartwatch around. It is, of course, precise expensive, astatine $799.

Runner-up: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is Samsung's biggest and astir durable smartwatch ever, and similar Apple's Watch Ultra, it's intended for radical who bask doing rugged outdoor activities. We are fans of the raised bezel that protects the surface and the 3-4 time artillery beingness connected a azygous charge.

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is besides fantabulous astatine fittingness tracking, including the quality to observe assemblage abdominous percentage, a metric astir smartwatches can't measurement yet. However, Samsung's wearable bundle is inactive a spot clunky, requiring downloading aggregate plugins, and the app ecosystem can't lucifer the Apple Watch's. Still, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is much affordable, and if you're connected an Android device, this is an casual option.

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2022 was a bully year; 2023 should beryllium better

Overall, 2022 was a bully twelvemonth for mobile. Even if Samsung and Apple didn't bring wholesale innovation to their smartphones, some companies further refined their flagships. Xiaomi introduced important features that the manufacture can't ignore, and the smartwatch manufacture took a measurement guardant with not conscionable premium Apple and Samsung offerings, but a Google ticker too.

We deliberation 2023 volition beryllium much exciting, arsenic much brands merchandise foldables — immoderate adjacent internationally — and that 1-inch sensor makes its mode to much Android flagships. Samsung is said to beryllium going with a 200MP camera for its Ultra flagship too, truthful we whitethorn spot different measurement guardant successful mobile camera improvements. Meanwhile, Apple and Google volition proceed to amended its silicon for superior show and hardware/software synergy.