The EE Pocket-lint Awards celebrates the best devices over the last 12 months across 20 categories, spanning games and laptops to cameras and speakers.
The shortlist nominees have been announced across all categories with the Best Flagship Phone 2022 category highighting the leading smartphones in the market.
The shortlist nominees for Best Flagship Phone 2022 are:
Apple iPhone 14 ProGoogle Pixel 7 ProOppo Find X5 ProROG Phone 6 ProSamsung Galaxy S22 UltraSamsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
You can click on each of the titles above to read our full reviews on each nomination, which will give you an idea as to why they have been nominated. We have also popped the short verdict below though to give you a quick rundown of why we loved each device.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro is without a doubt the most exciting of the four new iPhone 14 models. It’s got a fresh design, camera upgrades, processor upgrades and display improvements. Plus, Dynamic Island is cool in use and the Always On Display makes for a refreshing change in how you interact with the iPhone.
Overall, the design refresh and upgrades have set the iPhone 14 Pro up to be the best iPhone the company has made and the Pro is now unmistakenly Pro. This is a fantastic device and hands down the iPhone 14 model to buy, as well as quite possibly the flagship smartphone of the year.
Google Pixel 7 Pro
The experience of the Pixel 7 Pro is very much like that of the Pixel 6 Pro. The camera is still what defines this phone, taking it a step further than previous Pixel devices by extending the range of the zoom and giving access to closer macro shots too.
Ultimately, the Pixel 7 Pro is built on the solid foundation of the Pixel 6 Pro and we didn’t want much to change: there’s plenty of power, a great display, the battery life is good enough – and the camera wraps everything up into a neat bundle.
Oppo Find X5 Pro
In a lot of ways, the Find X5 Pro builds on the aspects that its predecessor did really well. The ceramic back design might be the main feature that attracts your attention, but it’s the everyday speed and effortlessness in which this handset accomplishes tasks, plus the long battery life that’ll keep you coming back.
In short: the Oppo Find X5 Pro is a stunning device, one you should definitely consider high up your flagship shopping list. If a handset this good had a Samsung label stamped on it, it’d sell like hotcakes.
ROG Phone 6 Pro
There are many that might dismiss a gaming phone out of hand. They are big, brash, and carry a design that might turn some people off. But at the same time, the out-of-the-box experience offered by the ROG Phone 6 Pro is amongst the best you’ll find. It’s just a great phone to crack out of its hexagonal housing and play games on.
Sure, it’s massive and the price of the Pro is up there with other premium flagships, but it’s just a joy to use.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra stands apart from the rest of the S22 series as an altogether different offering. Indeed, its integration of an S Pen stylus, plus its whole visual style, makes it more like the Galaxy Note that never was.
It’s undoubtedly a masterclass in refinement. Ignoring the questionable battery life and behind-the-curve charging speeds, it’s the design and highly accomplished cameras here that will really sell this flagship. Sure, you’ll have to pay big bucks for the pleasure, but it’s an investment worth making.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is a solid update to this popular folding phone, making changes to the design that make it a little more appealing than the previous version. But the really attrraction is the power, making this a funky future-looking device that can keep up with the latest flagship phones, so there’s no feeling of compromise.
The cameras are good, though can’t compete with the feature set or performance of a similarly-priced flagship device, so there are some compromises you’ll have to accept in embracing the world of folding phones. That said, this is a phone that feels like it belongs to the future – and will quickly draw a crowd of people who want to know more about it.
How the Pocket-lint Awards judging works
The winner for the Best Flagship Phone category is decided by the Pocket-lint team, along with a panel of expert judges from publications across the industry. Following a vigourous scoring process, the Best Flagship Phone winner for 2022 will be announced at an in-person event on 30 November 2022, along with the winners from the other 19 categories.
A Product of the Year winner will also be announced, chosen from the winners of the 20 categories and a winner of the EE Superfast Award will also be revealed at the event. On the night, we will be announcing the results on the Pocket-lint Twitter handle as they unfold and there will also be a feature detailing the winners once the Awards are over.