The best Android phones of 2022

by W. Andrew Powell
Best Android Phones 2022

This was a great year for new gear, and it brought us a range of the best Android smartphones for everyone. From the high-end phones with top camera features, to more affordable devices, there are a lot of options for anyone looking for a new phone.

If you’re looking for a new phone, or a gift idea for someone special, here are the best Android phones of the year.

Google Pixel 7 Pro | $879

Google Pixel 7 Pro

The Google Pixel 7 is a great phone, and I’m a big fan, but the Pixel 7 Pro has all the features that make it truly stand out from the other phones this year, and it’s very well priced.

With the Google Tensor G2 chip, the phone is fast, the 10 to 120 Hz display makes photos, videos, and games look great, and the cameras are excellent with some of the best results I’ve seen on any phone this year. And the overall phone build is excellent and sturdy.

Where the Pixel 7 Pro shines though is with all of the software features. You can edit out distracting details in photos, enhance speech when shooting video, there’s a cinematic mode for video, it translates languages in real time, and the astrophotography offer impressive results.

And finally, I love the ecosystem that Google has built up with the Pixel Buds Pro, and the excellent Google Pixel Watch.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra | From $1449

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

No other smartphone this year tops Samsung’s displays or processing power, and their user interface has every bell and whistle you could want. With the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Samsung also brought together some of their best features, with the incredibly handy S Pen that previously was only found with their Note series.

And the phone really is a beast. The Octa-Core CPU with 8 GB of RAM blazes through gaming and video editing, the Dynamic AMOLED 2X display makes everything look brighter and clearer, and the 108.0 MP camera captures epic shots with the best zoom out there for Android.

The Galaxy S22 Ultra is a premium business tool for creators, or anyone who needs to work from their phone frequently. I also highly recommend the 256 GB model that includes 12 GB of RAM, making it incredibly fast with lots of room for all your photos and videos. Learn more about the phone.

OnePlus 10T 5G | $789

OnePlus 10 T (left) and the OnePlus 10 Pro
OnePlus 10 T (left) and the OnePlus 10 Pro

This phone still amazes me, especially for the price. The OnePlus 10T can charge from 0% to 100% in 18 minutes, and it lasted me close to 24 hours. For a heavy phone user like me, that’s an incredible thing, and no other phone on this list can top that.

Beyond the battery, the phone has a 120Hz fluid AMOLED display, the latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, a triple camera system that captures remarkable photos, even at night, and it’s the perfect size without being too large or too small.

This was my go-to phone, and it really impressed me, and for the price, it’s a great deal. Anyone on the go, or looking for a mid-range budget phone will be a fan of the OnePlus 10T, and the OnePlus Buds Pro are the must-have accessory. The earbuds are some of the best I’ve used, with excellent noise cancellation.

OnePlus 10 Pro 5G | $729

OnePlus 10 Pro

Before the OnePlus 10T, there was the OnePlus 10 Pro, and while it doesn’t offer quite the same amount of power, the 10 Pro has excellent cameras, including the Hasselblad camera, and it still charges incredibly quickly compared to other phones.

The 65W SUPERVOOC charging will get the phone to 100% in about 30 minutes, which is a great, great feature, and the 10 Pro has good overall performance, a nice display, and it delivers a quick, dependable user experience from gaming to taking photos, or running a few apps at once.

However I really loved the phone for the cameras. The 48 MP main camera offers bright, crisp results, and Hasselblad’s Pro mode makes scenes pop with all the controls you need to get the right colours, saturation, and detail. There is also a fun fisheye mode, and I’m a big fan of the XPan mode for really wide shots in colour or black and white.

Google Pixel 6A | $499

Google Pixel 6A, Pixel Watch, and Pixel 7 Pro
Google Pixel 6A, Pixel Watch, and Pixel 7 Pro

The Google Pixal 6A is the most affordable phone on the list, and it’s still one of the best, with a lot of features you’ll even find on the Pixel 7 Pro.

The Google Tensor processor delivers solid performance, the battery can last up to 24 hours, and it takes great photos. While the phone doesn’t offer a telephoto lens, the 12.2 MP wide and 12 MP ultra-wide cameras offer the kind of quality photos that we’ve all come to expect from Google Pixel phones. It even captures night sky photos, and has the same voice enhancement video feature you’ll find with the Pixel 7 Pro.

For anyone who wants a great phone, at a great price, and doesn’t need all the premium camera features, but still wants to take impressive photos, the Pixel 6A is a very good deal. Learn more about the phone on their website.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 | From $1079

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 wins where few other phones even try. Once again in 2022, Samsung brought us one of the best looking phones, and it not just another rectangle.

The folding phone fits in almost any pocket, it still takes great pictures, and I love how you can use the cover screen without opening the phone. You can take selfies, watch videos, and check notifications all from the cover screen.

The Bespoke edition of the Z Flip 4 is also really slick, so you can order it in a range of colours to really make it your own. And the unique cases for the phone offer more protection with extras like a ring that makes it easier to hold for selfies.

Note: Prices listed above in Canadian dollars and include current deals offered for the holidays. Prices will change.

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