This list has the best smartphones in different areas like battery life, camera experience, 5G, etc. So no matter what you’re looking for, you’ll find the right smartphone for you. If you are looking for something a bit cheaper, you can check out our Top 10 Best Value Smartphones.
Top 10 Best Android Smartphones 2022
We are on the cusp of a new crop of smartphones, running on Qualcomm’s latest chipsets. But those won’t be available until the end of January at the earliest. So these are the best smartphones available right now, and many of them are discounted now. If you’re in the market for a new smartphone right now, you really can’t do wrong going with any of the ten smartphones listed below. And they range from $349 up to $1449, so there’s something for everyone’s budget.
Best Overall Smartphone
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Price: $1,199Buy: Samsung.com
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is no surprise as our pick for the best overall smartphone right now. It checks literally every box out there, including having a stylus. Samsung basically took its Galaxy S Ultra smartphone and the Galaxy Note Ultra and merged them into a single device, giving us the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Samsung has outfitted the Galaxy S22 Ultra with a massive 6.8-inch QHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, starting at 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It does go up to 12GB of RAM and 1TB of storage though, for additional costs. It also has some slightly updated camera sensors compared to the Galaxy S21 Ultra, and the S Pen is no built-in. And no longer an additional purchase. Galaxy S22 Ultra - Samsung.com
Best Battery Life Smartphone
Google Pixel 7
It’s incredible that Google was able to keep the Pixel 7 at the same $599 price as the Pixel 6, despite the rising inflation. But here it is. Now if you’re on Verizon, it’ll be $699 due to the mmWave antennas being added. The Pixel 7 is the best battery life smartphone we have tested this year. Coming in at well over 8 hours of on-screen time multiple times. The Pixel 7 also features a 6.3-inch FHD+ 90Hz display, the Tensor G2 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There’s a pretty large 4355mAh capacity battery inside too.
Best Camera Smartphone
Google Pixel 7 Pro
The Pixel 7 Pro is likely not a surprise for our pick as the best camera phone right now. The Pixel 6 Pro was our previous pick and with the upgrades to the Pixel 7 Pro camera, it fits in well. With the Pixel 7 Pro, Google added a few new features to the camera like macro on the ultrawide lens, and the ability to use 5x optical zoom on the telephoto. It can actually zoom in at up to 30X without any issues. Other specs of the Pixel 7 Pro include a 6.7-inch QHD+ 120Hz display, Tensor G2 processor, 12GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and a 5000mAh capacity battery. It’ll also get three years of updates to Android and four years of security updates.
Best Compact Smartphone
Samsung Galaxy S22
The Galaxy S22 is the smallest version of the Galaxy S22 family this year. It comes in with a 6.1-inch display, which is actually smaller than the Galaxy S21 was last year. That might still sound like it’s a pretty large phone still, and yeah 6-inches is still large. But it’s smaller than most other phones. As mentioned, it sports a 6.1-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor inside, along with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It’s pretty competitive at $799, considering Apple is selling its regular iPhone 13 at that price.
Best 5G Smartphone
Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus
Price: $999Buy: Samsung.com
The best 5G smartphone is a bit of a tough one to really do these days, as all smartphones are 5G smartphones now. But the Galaxy S22 Plus is a really great, all-around smartphone. And supports mmWave, C-Band and Sub-6 5G networks. The Galaxy S22 Plus has a 6.6-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor inside, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There is also a 4500mAh capacity battery inside, which should keep it going all-day long and then some. It’s a very solid smartphone for the cash. And it is no longer made of plastic like its predecessor, it’s back to being glass and metal. Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus - Samsung.com
Best Gaming Smartphone
REDMAGIC 7
The REDMAGIC 7 is an impressive gaming-focused smartphone. This is made by ZTE’s Nubia brand. It came out in February 2022, so it’s pretty new. REDMAGIC 7 sports the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Although you can get up to 18GB of RAM which is insane for a smartphone. It also has a 4500mAh capacity battery inside, that should keep you going all-day long. There’s three cameras on the back. A main 64-megapixel sensor, with a 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel macro. Along with a 8-megapixel front-facing sensor.
Best smartphone with stock Android
ASUS ZenFone 9
Price: $899Buy: ASUS
The ASUS Zenfone 9 is one of the best smartphones to come out in 2022, especially for those that don’t want a large phone. Somehow, ASUS was able to make the Zenfone 9 even smaller than its predecessor, all while offering larger cameras, larger batteries and more thermal material to keep it cool. The Zenfone 9 has a 5.9-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED display, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, 8GB or 16GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage. There is also a 4300mAh capacity battery inside. ASUS ZenFone 9 - ASUS
Best Flagship Value
OnePlus 10 Pro
The OnePlus 10 Pro is the latest flagship from the “startup”, it launches on April 14 for $899, which is a pretty good price for a flagship in 2022. OnePlus 10 Pro sports a 6.7-inch QHD+ 120Hz display, along with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It also has a 4500mAh capacity battery that is capable of charging at 65W. On top of that, it runs on Android 12 and OxygenOS 12.1. Which is the latest version of its software.
Best smartphone with a stylus
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
Price: $1799Buy: Samsung.com
The new Galaxy Z Fold 4 is a pretty iterative update over the Galaxy Z Fold 3, but the big update here is really battery life. Which is kind of insane, since it is the same size battery. But that’s thanks to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor inside. Speaking of specs, there is the same 7.6-inch main display, and 6.2-inch cover display. Though the phone is a bit wider now, so that cover display is a bit easier to use. Additionally, it has 12GB of RAM with 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage available. And there’s still a 4400mAh capacity battery inside. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 - Samsung.com
Best foldable smartphone
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
Price: $999Buy: Samsung.com
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 was an even smaller update than the Fold 3 to 4, but again the big thing here is battery life. Samsung did up the battery size, so now it is 3700mAh, about 28% larger. That coupled with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, means that the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is impressive on battery life. Other specs include the same 6.7-inch FHD+ 120Hz display that is foldable. With a 1.9-inch cover screen for notifications, widgets and such. There’s 8GB of RAM inside, along with 128GB, 256GB and 512GB of storage available. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 - Samsung.com
