Best smartphones 2022: The best phones we’ve tested this year

All things considered, the best phone you can buy right now is the iPhone 13 Pro. Apple’s latest high-end phone is reliable, takes great pictures, and comes in a duo of sizes so you can go big or small depending on your tastes.

The iPhone 13 Pro excels across the board – though that shouldn’t really come as a surprise considering it’s also one of the priciest phones around.

The camera is usually one of the main reasons to buy an iPhone, and that remains the case here. We prefer the more realistic, natural images from the iPhone 13 Pro compared to slightly too vivid results from the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, while Apple’s flagship produces comfortably more pleasing, stable video than both Samsung’s latest effort and the Google Pixel 6 Pro.

The overdue addition of a fast and smooth 120Hz ProMotion display – a feature common on just about every premium Android phone now – gives a bit more zip to scrolling, while the screen itself just shines with excellent colours and high levels of brightness, greatly impressing our reviewer.

Updates are also handled better on iPhones than on their Android peers. The fast A15 Bionic not only makes it the fastest phone on this list, but it’ll allow for multiple years of software and security updates, making the iPhone 13 Pro a sound investment for the long-term; in fact it’s already been confirmed to be one of the first iPhones to be upgraded to iOS 16 when it fully launches later this year.

The iPhone 13 Pro comes in two sizes; the regular 6.1-inch model is small enough for many to use one-handed, and is ideal if big and potentially unwieldy phones aren’t your thing. The larger iPhone 13 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch display, and is a better choice for those who watch a lot of videos or play games that make good use of that extra screen space. The Max size is also our pick if battery life is important, as we’ve found it comfortably outperforms the Galaxy S22 Ultra, Pixel 6 Pro and Oppo Find X5 Pro.

Reviewer: Max Parker
Full review: iPhone 13 ProReview

For some, the fact our pick for the best phone runs iOS means that it is not really an option for them. For those that will only consider the best of what Android has to offer, we don’t think you can go wrong with the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.

It might be an S series smartphone in name, but truth be told this is essentially the next-generation Galaxy Note – and that means it’s the only handset on this list to boast an integrated stylus. The S Pen lets you doodle, jot down shopping lists, or navigate the UI with a dinky pen – you can’t do that on the iPhone 13 Pro.

Samsung’s latest effort doesn’t always come out on top in all photographic situations, but it does leave the competition choking in the dust when it comes to zoom. If you push the telephoto zoom even as far as 10x, you’ll find that the results are far crisper and more usable than those of the iPhone 13 Pro and the Pixel 6.

Our reviewer praised the high-res display on the S22 Ultra for its accurate colours and beautiful representation of HDR video. We were also impressed with the excellent performance for both gaming and general use thanks to the top-end chipsets. It might not be able to match the iPhone 13 Pro for pure speed (both in Geekbench scores and our user experience), but really it’s not too far off.

However, the S22 Ultra does leave a little to be desired in its battery performance. This might not be so bad compared to other high-end Android phones like the Oppo Find X5, but it doesn’t last anywhere near as long in normal usage as the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Our reviewer managed to, in some cases, get through two days with the iPhone 13 Pro Max, while the S22 Ultra only just made it until the end of day one. Considering the sheer size of both phones, this is a bit of a shame.

If you want a slightly cheaper – but still very capable – Android superphone then the outgoing Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra remains an admirable performer with an overall design that we actually prefer to the newer model.

Reviewer: Max Parker
Full review: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Review

For the sub £600/$600 price, we reckon there’s no better all-around Android choice than the Pixel 6. It has the best-looking software of any phone we have reviewed – yes, including the iPhone 13 – and uses Google’s excellent imaging skills to snap incredible low-light pictures that give the far more expensive flagships from Apple and Samsung a run for their money. If you want clear and bright snaps taken at night in bars and restaurants, then the Pixel 6 is a great pick.

Even though it’s lighter on the wallet, the Pixel 6 still has plenty of handy features. There’s wireless charging, an IP68 rating to protect against accidental splashes, and a bright and accurate screen. It’s not a small phone by any means, but it has dinkier dimensions than the Galaxy S22 Ultra, making it easier to hold comfortably.

Pixel phones are also great because they get the latest software updates straight from Google far quicker than the competition. The four years of updates here will give you new software features fresh out of the oven, and it’s protected for longer than many similarly-priced phones.

There’s a larger, Pro version of the Pixel 6 too. For the extra £150/$200, you get better battery life, a bigger 6.7-inch display that’s a little bit sharper and three cameras rather than just two. We do like the Pro a lot, but on balance it doesn’t quite represent the great value for money of the smaller Pixel 6 based on our experience using the two.

Reviewer: Max Parker
Full review: Google Pixel 6 Review

Just as the Pixel 6 represents a more affordable Pixel 6 Pro, the iPhone 13 packs in many of the iPhone 13 Pro’s features at an appealingly lower price. If you’re coming from the iPhone 11 or older and are happy with that size of handset, then we’d say the iPhone 13 represents a strong upgrade on your current smartphone.

If you’re stuck deciding between this one or its superior sibling, then we’d recommend you go for the Pro model if you can’t go without the inclusion of a zoom camera or a fast ProMotion display (which is particularly useful in high-end gaming sessions).

Still, the iPhone 13 is just as fast as the Pro model in benchmark tests and should get the same amount of software updates over the next few years as well. It runs the same iOS and has access to the same apps and games, and is also due to be upgraded to iOS 16 later this year. It doesn’t, however, come in a Max size – there’s just a small 5.4-inch model, and a 6.1-inch variant that’s still on the relatively small side. If you want a big screen for video content then this simply isn’t right for you, and you should instead check out the iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Bear in mind that the next model in the series, the iPhone 14, is due to be released in September or October this year in case you’d rather bide your time and see the benefits the new generation could bring to the range.

Reviewer: Max Parker
Full review: iPhone 13 Review

Sitting below the Galaxy S22 Ultra in Samsung’s 2022 range of flagship devices, the Galaxy S22 Plus rids itself of a few of the dearer phone’s luxury features and comes in at a lower price. The display, for example, is 1080p rather 1440p so there’s a step down in sharpness, and the camera array isn’t as extensive either. You also miss out on the novelty of an S Pen, and the screen here is flat rather than curved.

If you’re not particularly upset about those omissions then we can very easily recommend the S22 Plus as one of the best Android phones we’ve tested, especially if you’re familiar with previous Samsung phones.

The S22 Plus is a large phone, though it remains marginally smaller and easier to slip into a pocket than the Ultra or the iPhone 13 Pro Max; however, it can’t match the Apple flagships for endurance. We managed to consistently get through the day with the S22 Plus, but it’s not close to being a multi-day phone.

The three rear cameras offer a good deal of versatility, and images don’t look too different from the Ultra. Samsung loves to push up the colour saturation in its photo processing, so you’ll notice colours – especially reds and green – pop more than in the iPhone competition. These punchier colours look great on the phone’s bright OLED display.

Reviewer: Peter Phelps
Full review: Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus review

If you’re unaware of Realme, then you should sit up and take note of the brand now that it’s launched the GT 2 Pro. For the price, this is a top Android phone that performs just as capably as the Galaxy S22 Ultra according to our range of benchmarking tests. Open up a high-spec game on the Realme GT 2 Pro, and it holds its own against much pricier competition.

It’s a similar story again for the display. We put the Realme GT 2 Pro next to the Pixel 6 for comparison, and the 6.7-inch screen here is sharper, smoother when scrolling, and brighter in sunny conditions. It’s not quite on the same level as the iPhone 13 Pro or S22 Ultra – but we wouldn’t expect that for this price.

In our charge tests, the GT 2 Pro impressed us yet again. Not only is there a charger in the box (unlike the latest handsets from Apple, Samsung, and Sony) but a full 0-100% charge only takes around 30 minutes, which is the fastest out of any of the other phones that make this list.

A couple of sacrifices have been made to hit the desired price, but we don’t consider any one of these to be a dealbreaker. For instance, the rear design lacks the glass finish of some of the top phones (though in its place there’s an innovative paperlike texture), and it doesn’t have the ability to charge wirelessly. More concerning is the lack of IP rating for certified protection against dust and water, and the lack of a telephoto camera for photographic versatility.

Reviewer: Tom Morgan
Full review: Realme GT 2 Pro review

While the other devices on tis list do of course have their own specialities, they remain very strong all-rounders. This one’s a little different in that it’s raison d’être is purely to be the best at gaming. According to our review experience, it achieved that goal with style to spare.

The Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro offers absolutely scorching performance levels and runs even the most demanding games with an invigorating smoothness, with this quality being further enhanced by the incredible 165Hz refresh rate boasted by the highly capable display. This screen also supports a dizzying 720Hz touch-sampling rate, so you’ll get every possible advantage over your adversaries in competitive multiplayer games.

What’s more, as if the internals weren’t impressive enough, the externals also nail the gaming aesthetic with a small external screen and a confidently stylish look in a fetching white colour, along with support for an array of gaming peripherals (such as a cooling fan) that further enhance the experience.

On the other hand the camera isn’t quite up to the standards of the other brilliant devices on this list, with the wide angle sensor being good but unspectacular, and the less being said about the underwhelming ultrawide and macro snapper the better. You’d only be advised to buy this phone if you’re an avid gamer who wants nothing but to be the best.

Reviewer: Peter Phelps

Full Review: Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro