In 2022, smartphone companies have hosted many more physical events than in recent years due to the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, as more cases are reported in China, India and other countries are taking precautionary measures such as refilling oxygen cylinders, creating emergency rooms and making face masks mandatory in enclosed spaces. We advise everyone to follow safety and hygiene protocols.
Let’s get back to the actual topic. As in previous years, we’re listing our list of the best phones tested this year. Here you are:
Best of the Best: The all-rounder
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
I would like to reiterate what I said in my report earlier this year. This still applies today. The S Pen has made a huge difference to the Galaxy S series in terms of enhancing productivity and creative work on a phone. But more importantly, it’s very encouraging that Samsung has kept the Note series legacy alive for at least a few more years.
The camera hardware was also noticeably better than its predecessor and with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 octa-core, the device ran smoothly and through the day thanks to the efficient adaptive display refresh rate feature.
And the display quality of the Galaxy S22 Ultra is miles ahead of any industry rival. It ticks all the boxes I want a premium phone to excel at and have to say there are no flagship Android phones at the moment, at least in India.
Be sure to read | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G Review: Versatile premium phone
Best Strong Actor of the Year
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
The iPhone 14 Pro Max houses Apple A16 Bionic, which is said to be the most powerful and fastest silicon in a phone in the industry. It supports all high-eng graphics-rich games and offers a smooth gaming experience, the battery life has greatly improved. Of course, when the device launched there was room for improvement in terms of the always-on-screen feature, but subsequent updates have greatly increased the range of battery life.
Be sure to read | Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max review: Refined to perfection
Premium Camera Phone of the Year
Google Pixel 7 Pro
Google hasn’t launched any premium Pixel phones (4, 5 and 6) for the past three years, and in 2022 most fans in India expected the search engine giant to skip the Pixel 7 launch again this year . But to everyone’s surprise, both the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro were launched.
Be sure to read | Google Pixel 7 Pro in the test: pure Android joy with a magical camera
It’s a global consensus that after years of trial and error, Google has finally unveiled a nifty product with the fewest of flaws. The Pixel 7 Pro has a unique design language that’s enough to set it apart from other brands. The software is as pure as it gets and the performance in terms of heat dissipation on heavy tasks is really great. The battery life is also very good. Credit goes to the new generation Tensor G2 silicon.
It’s also great for leveraging camera hardware to provide a great photo experience. The Real Tone feature ensures that the true color of the face is reflected in the images, moreover the artificial intelligence (AI) based photo software can do magic things in terms of deleting photo bombs and showing very few signs of obstacles in the Leave photo Motion mode also provides beautiful, fluid images of moving objects.
Be sure to read | Google Pixel 7 review: Amazing camera with glorious Android experience
Google’s other two phones – the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6a – are also exceptionally good in their respective price segments.
Be sure to read | Google Pixel 6a review: It’s all about the user experience
Unique premium phone
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4/Flip4
Yes, the design language of both variants is pretty much identical to the previous iterations. But they have no rivals in this aspect and they are only two commercially available foldable phones in India.
Be sure to read | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 review: Refined and better
They’re an instant hit and the most unique premium phones in the country. The build quality has actually improved a lot over the years and the current versions are really built to withstand the wear and tear.
Be sure to read | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 review: Iterative but retains the stylish appeal
Best gaming phone
Asus ROG Phone 6
The ROG Phone 6 series is a custom-made phone for extreme gamers. It has a large display, a thick body, and the design language is just so impressive. It sports a dual RGB LED display with the signature ROG (Republic of Gamers) Fearless Eye dot matrix logo and supports gradient display with two different colors at the same time. Users can also customize the lighting with numerous colors and multiple preset mood lighting schemes.
Also, it has not one but two Type-C ports, another unique feature among the phones. The second port in the center (in landscape mode) is handy when connecting accessories like the AeroActive Cooler 6 to reduce heat when playing graphics-intensive games or battery so the phone lasts longer. Also, it is powered by a 6,000mAh battery and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor.
Be sure to read | Asus ROG Phone 6 review: True premium gaming phone
Premium phone with the best value for money
iQOO 7
It comes with a beautiful two-tone design language and a beautiful display and houses a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 octa-core chipset. The camera is also really good in its class. Also, iQOO 7 offers a really long battery life and the super-fast 66W charger is a great added value.
Be sure to read | iQoo 7 review: Affordable flagship phone
Best Upper Mid-Range Phone (Rs 35,999-25,999)
Realme GT Neo 3 150W
Realme GT Neo 3 150W, especially the nitro blue variant, is the most beautiful phone in the sub-Rs 30,000 price range. The racy white stripes on the left side of the shell are reminiscent of the racetrack and harmonize wonderfully with the shiny dark blue shell.
In terms of performance, too, it performs smoothly, be it in mundane tasks like web browsing, and even when gaming, the device never showed any noticeable lag.
And the photography hardware is good too, taking pretty decent pictures on par with any competing brands in its class.
Be sure to read | Realme GT Neo 3 150W review: Striking all-rounder
Vivo V25 Pro
What I liked most about the V25 Pro, besides the good camera and performance, is the design language with the back made of Changing Fluorite AG Glass.
Within minutes in sunlight, the blue model changes to a softer hue with a glowing aura when sunlight hits the back shell, and the transformation is magical.
Be sure to read | Vivo V25 Pro 5G review: Premium mid-range phone
bonus
Nothing Phone (1st Gen)
The USP is the design language. It has multiple LED lights on the back. With the Glyph interface, the phone notifies users of the calls and messages with coordinated flashes of light that no other phone offers at this point. At the moment Nothing Phone(1) offers 10 different ringtones and notification options. The rest of the aspects like camera, battery and performance are on par with any phone in its class.
Be sure to read | Samsung Galaxy M53 5G review: Well-rounded phone with a slim design
Best Mid-Range Phone (Rs 25,999 – Rs 16,000)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 11+ 5G
Ever since the very first Redmi Note phone, Xiaomi has always made sure to include the best hardware and offer it at the lowest price. This year was no different. The Redmi Note 11+ 5G is a complete package. It excels in all the important aspects – be it the display, high-quality design elements, photo hardware, performance, battery life and charging speed. All in all, it’s better than the competition in its class.
Be sure to read | Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G review: well-rounded phone
OnePlus Nord CE Lite 2
It offers a long-lasting battery and decent camera hardware. Daily performance is good and the user interface is also clean compared to other phones in its class.
Be sure to read | OnePlus Nord CE Lite 2 review
Best Budget Phone (Under Rs 15,999)
Empire 9i 5G
I found the Realme 9i 5G to be the best looking phone in its class. I loved the shiny glass finish on the back of the metallic gold model. The key aspects like performance, battery life and photo experience are great.
Be sure to read | Realme 9i 5G review: Shiny budget phone
