Best Android phones in 2022
2022 is almost out the door and all major smartphone announcements are well behind us. With the holiday season looming over, now is the time to take a long look at what the best Android phones of the year are and pick our next purchase!
We'll be looking at the best Android phones available right now, but take note that foldables are excluded — see here if you are looking for the best foldable phones.
Also check out: the Best phones to buy right now
- Google Pixel 7 Pro - aggressively priced, Google-made premium phone
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra - the biggest and arguably best
- Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus - the flagships that won't break your piggybank
- Asus ZenFone 9 - unique, compact Android flagship
- Google Pixel 7 - Google's affordable flagship
- Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro - most insane specs on a phone
- Asus ROG Phone 6D Ultimate - an alternate take on the mega beast
- OnePlus 10 Pro - solid all-rounder
- OnePlus 10T - cuts corners, but delivers fastest chip at cheaper price
- Nothing Phone (1) - clean, basic, unique, and quirky
- Moto Edge 30 - 144 Hz screen for cheap
- Google Pixel 6a 5G - the midrange Pixel that packs a lot of punch
- Samsung Galaxy A53 - Samsung's solid midranger
- OnePlus Nord N20 - OnePlus' take on an affordable midranger
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
The biggest, meanest kid on the block. The Galaxy S22 Ultra dropped in the February of 2022 to gain a good bit of momentum before anyone else does. It's powered by a new-generation Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor and an Exynos 2200 for those outside of the US. And, the big news of course — it now supports an S Pen. No, not like the S21 Ultra — the S22 Ultra actually stores the S Pen in its body.
You know. Like a Galaxy Note. Yes, the Note series is back! In the form of the most expensive S phone, but it's still back!
The excellent camera with upgraded focusing and improved 100x zoom is just the cherry on top. The battery life should be pretty close to the S21 Ultra's, as it's the same-sized 5,000 mAh cell. As a true contemporary flagship, it has a 120 Hz screen for buttery-smooth animations too.
Read more:Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra preview
Google Pixel 7 Pro
Google came back to the premium smartphone market after taking a break in 2020. And it came in hard and fast — the Pixel 6 Pro was big, pretty, and smart! Now comes its heir — the Pixel 7 Pro. Still priced at $900, it's a pretty hefty package with a triple camera, a lot of AI doing the heavy lifting, exclusive Google Assistant features, and a very pretty screen. It's the full package, only lacking a top-tier chip inside (though, the Tensor G2 has strengths when it comes to AI and computational photography).
Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+
These two are almost the same phone. The S22 is there for those that prefer a more compact experience (though, it's not really small) or would like to save an extra buck. Otherwise it has the same internals as the S21+ and S21 Ultra, as well as the same cameras as the S21+.
The Plus version is slightly bigger — its screen size is almost as big as on the Ultra, so if you want that big Samsung phone experience but don't care for the Ultra's insane 100x camera, this one is your next best bet.
While the S22 and S22+ cameras are a step below the S22 Ultra's, they are most probably still going to be quite good — flagship grade, even. The phones should perform just as fast as their big sibling and also have 120 Hz displays.
Asus ZenFone 9
The ZenFone 9 certainly got the tech industry rubbernecking when it landed. It's unique, it does its own thing, it looks... kind of posh? The back is a soft texture that looks and feels special, the camera bump is big, bold, and stylized, and its overall size is on the compact side — at least so far as Android phones are concerned.
Read more:Asus ZenFone 9 review
Google Pixel 7
The bargain-priced Pixel 7 comes at $600 but still has the same Tensor G2 chip, same Assistant features, and same main camera as the Pixel 7 Pro. It's the core premium Google experience, compressed and offered at a very, very competitive price point.
We find the Pixel 7 to look and feel fantastic — yes, it's short of being being premium tier, but we can't really find major faults with it. It's a very, very solid phone for very, very good money.
Read more: Google Pixel 7 review
Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro
Gaming phones are a bit of a meme, but it’s nice to see Asus fully embracing it. The ROG Phone 6 Pro has an aggressive-looking design, a tiny screen on the back whose sole purpose is to display custom logos, and 2 hardware pressure point buttons for enhanced gaming. It wouldn’t be a “gaming phone” if it didn’t have absolutely silly specs, too, and the ROG Phone 6 Pro delivers. 18 GB of RAM on a smartphone? 165 Hz screen? External cooler to keep the device cool while gaming? Yes, yes, and how else would you have it?
If the ROG Phone 6 Pro is a bit too much for you, go for the non-Pro version. It’s just as good, it just cuts back on a little of that overhead that you may or may not need.
Read more: Asus ROG Phone 6 review
Asus ROG Phone 6D Ultimate
The ROG Phone 6D series is an alternate take on the ROG Phone — these are powered by MediaTek's Dimensity 9000+ chip. Are they better or worse? Well, in our time with the ROG Phone 6D Ultimate we found it to be on par with the ROG Phone 6 Pro. Apparently, the two variants will be sold in separate markets. Where there is overlap, you will have a choice between the Snapdragon ROG Phone 6 and the Dimensity ROG Phone 6D. Whichever one you go for — both are overkill in specs.
OnePlus 10 Pro
OnePlus' 2022 flagship entry is priced exactly as a Google Pixel 6 Pro competitor. Now, while OnePlus does not have the camera chops or the Tensor smarts, it certainly has its own charm. A selection of special features, borrowed from Oppo's Color OS, make the new Oxygen OS 12 highly customizable and... fun. The haptics are great, the screen is pretty, and the cameras are certainly above average.
With its own look and feel, the OnePlus 10 Pro is a nice alternative for those that wish to stray off the beaten path for a while.
Read mode: OnePlus 10 Pro review
OnePlus 10T
The OnePlus 10T is faster than the OnePlus 10 Pro, owing to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 inside, but cheaper. How so, you ask? It cut back on other features, mainly in the camera department.
So, if you want an all-rounder, the Pro is still probably the better choice, but if you want raw power — OnePlus made the 10T for you.
Nothing Phone (1)
After teasing us for almost a year, Nothing finally launched its Phone (1). It's not as bombastic as some might have hoped, but it's pretty cool. The light module on the back is definitely unique, the phone feels great in the hand, and it's on the affordable side.
Read more:Nothing Phone (1) review
Motorola Moto Edge 30
The Moto Edge 30 is a pretty cool high-class phone for an affordable price. Some corners were cut, but the Snapdragon 778+ inside is still a pretty competent chipset. Those that want a higher-tier Motorola can go for the Moto Edge+ (a.k.a. Moto Edge 30 Pro), but Motorola phones are generally known for their bang-for-buck ratio. That's why we figured the Edge 30 will be the more interesting phone to list here.
It still has a 144 Hz AMOLED screen, which is pretty bonkers at the price point, and a pretty OK camera, though we weren't impressed by its video capabilities. Still, a good choice for Motorola fans, we believe.
Read more:Motorola Moto Edge 30 review
Google Pixel 6a
The Google Pixel 6a is a budget offer based on the Pixel 6 platform. It shares the same looks and the same custom Google Tensor chip. The screen is slightly smaller and the 6a is capped at 60 Hz, while the Pixel 6 can go to 90 Hz refresh rate.
Those things aside, the Pixel 6a is a great value offer with a good chip inside, and a camera experience, which we are sure will not disappoint. It uses an older 12.2 MP sensor, which will be enhanced thanks to Google's computational photography and the new chops of the Tensor chip.
Those things aside, the Pixel 6a is a great value offer with a good chip inside, and a camera experience, which we are sure will not disappoint. It uses an older 12.2 MP sensor, which will be enhanced thanks to Google's computational photography and the new chops of the Tensor chip.
Samsung Galaxy A53
Samsung has been knocking it out of the park with its midrange A series over the past couple of years. The Galaxy A53 specs hit just right and the phone offers the full Samsung experience at a much lower price than the S series. Unless top-of-the-line features and specs are absolutely needed, this is arguably the perfect Android smartphone for most people, as it should check the necessary boxes for all but the most hardcore Android users.
It sports a big, beautiful 120 Hz Super AMOLED display, a respectable camera setup with optical image stabilization, good stereo speakers, and good battery life. Its downsides are its somewhat bulky plastic build and, as is to be expected, its somewhat lower-tier (but still pretty stable) performance.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy A53 review
OnePlus Nord N20
OnePlus' attempt at a mid-ranger should have the competition scared — the company is well-known for its aggressive pricing and the Nord N20 is definitely a lot of phone for its $300 asking price. It may have midrange hardware, but the lightweight OxygenOS doesn't hog up all your resources, so it's still quite responsive.
It has an upgraded AMOLED screen, instead of the LCD of the predecessor, and if the camera of the N10 is anything to go by — we believe the N20 will be a satisfying phone all-round for its asking price.
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