Best Smartphones from China
Price €1,167.00
The Vivo X80 Pro is aimed at demanding users with its 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display with 120 Hz, a MTK Dimensity 9000, 12 GB LPDDR5x RAM, 512 GB UFS 3.1 and its 50-megapixel quad camera with Samsung GNV sensor and a 5x optical zoom. The 4700 mAh battery promises long runtimes and can be charged with up to 80 W via USB C and with 50 W wirelessly. A highlight is the Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor and the V1+ image sensor.
Multilanguage Support : English, German, Russian, Spanish, French, Italian, Nederlands, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Thai, Arabian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese
Top 105 Best Mobile Phones of 2022 → Reviewed & Ranked
The iPhone 13 Pro is both a normal upgrade and a completely new experience. On paper, it’s a very modest upgrade that you’ll barely notice. But once you’ve started using it, it’s very difficult to go back to something older.
Finally a Pro screen
The outside is almost the same as before. The dimensions of both the phone and the camera have altered and grown a few millimetres in each direction – enough so that your old iPhone 12 Pro shell won’t fit (and the same applies to the screen protector). It’s the same square but unexpectedly comfortable design as last year, but with a distinctly higher weight this time. And the cameras haven’t merely grown wider, but also taller, which means they stick out of a normal-thickness shell.
The screen has two new features, but is otherwise identical with the predecessor’s really good screen, with insanely impact-resistant glass on top. For example, the “chin”, with the selfie camera and the technology for FaceID facial recognition, is a little smaller. It’s still there, however, so the fact that it’s shrunk a bit doesn’t make much difference. But the other new feature is the refresh rate. This is adjusted automatically depending on what you’re doing, from a low 10 Hz up to an amazing 120 Hz. This gives a completely different feel in the screen, both when you touch it and, for example, when you scroll through a website. It isn’t exactly an essential function, but once you use a telephone with a higher refresh rate than the normal 60 Hz, it feels like everything else is lagging. At the same time, the iPhone finally has this function, which has been present on other top models for several years.
More Pro in the camera
Naturally, Magsafe, which was introduced last year, is concealed on the back of the iPhone 13 Pro. Wireless charging that fits together using magnets and can also be used as a magnetic bracket for the phone is still really clever. We’d have preferred the Lightning port to have bowed out in favour of USB-C this time, at least in the Pro editions. But we didn’t get that. At the same time, we’d have liked to see slightly quicker support for charging – both wireless and wired. But you do get a really substantial update to the battery, which actually does let you squeeze a lot more out of the phone for everyday use than last year’s model. And in both Pro models, we find the faster variant of the A15 chip – an extra graphic core compared to the normal iPhone 13, but still. Performance is almost exactly the same as last year’s iPhones. But it still faster than most Android flagships and more power than you need for most things. Perhaps the biggest new thing is the cameras. Other than the fact that they’re physically larger, the entire package has been updated. Image stabilisation via sensor shift, which last year was only available on the Pro Max, is also here and works extremely well. At the same time, the image sensors have become much larger, which gives much better photos in darker conditions. Overall, the image quality has been significantly updated in all modes and produces a very even result, just like iPhones have done previously. The automatic image processing is set to ensure that it looks as natural as possible. But if you still want to fiddle with the settings to make the more to your own personal taste, there are plenty of settings that allow you to do so. Later in the autumn, ProRaw mode, which is only available for the Pro models, will be joined by the ProRes video mode. This will only be available for the Pro models with at least 265 GB of RAM. If you have the knowledge to exploit this, it’s something that adds a whole load more “Pro” to the iPhone 13 Pro. Right from the start it includes the new Cinematic mode, which shifts the focus between objects in the image. This is nice, when it works. In darker environments it disappears completely and it often feels both sluggish and choppy. But when it works it’s really good. The iPhone 13 Pro makes last year’s Pro model uninteresting as a purchase, unless you can find it in a bargain bin. The iPhone 12 Pro was an extremely competent phone and the iPhone 13 Pro has grown even more into its Pro suit, so to speak. The updates aren’t revolutionary, but when you use them everything that came before feels old-fashioned.
Best phone 2022: the 10 top phones you should consider buying
Editor's note: November, 2022 With 2022 almost over there might not be too many more best smartphone contenders this year, but there could still be some.
The caveat is that, even if company's like Xiaomi and Motorola do introduce new flagships right at the end of the calendar year, they'll likely be China-exclusives at launch, meaning we won't be able to consider them as potential best phones until they see a wider release, likely not until 2023.
There's a lot to bear in mind when choosing the best smartphone for you. Mobiles are one of the most important gadgets you can buy in this day and age, and you need to make sure that what you're getting is the most ideal one for you.
Since we test nearly every new smartphone that's launched, from both massive brands like Apple and Samsung and small up-and-comers like Vivo and Realme, we're here to help. We wrote this list of the best smartphones up based on this testing, and it's our definitive rank of the handsets you should consider buying.
The top three options here cover a range of prices. So, whether you've got all the money in the world or are on a budget, there's something for you in this guide – though our list of the best cheap phones might help if you're in that latter camp.
Included are the specs of each phone, and what we liked and didn't like about it - this is to help you if you have a certain spec or feature you're looking for, like top cameras or a great-looking display. It's worth thinking about your wants and needs before you start shopping around.
If you've got more specific tastes, we've got some other guides too: maybe you want one of the best iPhones on the market, or instead think one of the best Android phones might be more your cup of joe.
Obviously, we can't cover every single good smartphone in this list - it's just the top of the top, or the SparkNotes version of the best smartphones you should consider buying.
Keep checking back though, because every time we give a smartphone a positive review, we make it a contender for this list - that means the ranking can change often - as it did recently with the new Google Pixel 7 and Google Pixel 7 Pro both being added to the list.
Best smartphone 2022: which phone is for you?
(Image credit: Future)
1. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra The best smartphone money can buy Specifications Release date: February 2022 Weight: 228g Dimensions: 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9mm OS: Android 12 Screen size: 6.8-inch Resolution: 1440 x 3088 CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 / Exynos 2200 RAM: 8GB / 12GB Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB Battery: 5,000mAh Rear camera: 108MP + 10MP + 10MP + 12MP Front camera: 40MP specifications Storage Size 128GB - 512GB Colour Black, Green, Red, White Condition New, Refurbished Today's Best Deals View at Best Buy (opens in new tab) View at Samsung (opens in new tab) View at Amazon (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Incredible cameras and zoom + Excellent little S Pen Reasons to avoid - No microSD slot - Battery life could be better
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is a strong phone in almost all aspects - its camera are fantastic, its screen looks incredible, it's got loads of processing power, our list could go on. There are one or two reasons that you might want to read further into this list: the Galaxy charges slowly, is very large and costs a lot, so depending on what you're looking for it might get a red 'X' mark for that. But for most people, the handset's strength across the board makes it the best smartphone to consider.
Why it's the best phone overall: While many phones have one strong element, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is an all-rounder, and that's why it's listed as our best phone. No matter if you're a passionate photographer or frequent gamer, you'll find the device great. The phone also has an S Pen stylus, which is a useful extra for note-takers and doodlers. Plus, in our benchmark tests the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra scored incredibly highly, sitting in the top few products in our lists, and so it's great for gaming or video editing, or any other intensive process like that.
Screen: The S22 Ultra's 6.8-inch screen has a 1440 x 3088 resolution (for 500 pixels per inch), a 120Hz refresh rate, and a very high peak brightness of 1,750 nits, which makes it nicely visible even in bright sunlight. We found that everything looked fantastic on this display, and a variable refresh rate means it can drop to 1Hz to conserve battery when a high refresh rate isn't needed.
Battery life: The battery lasts for about a day - as long as you're using it normally, and not for non-stop video recording or something equally draining - which is surprising given how some top-end phones have bad battery lives.
Camera: The camera is great for its versatility. If you want you can take great-looking ultrawide shots, or zoom all the way in with 10x optical and 100x digital limits to get close to your subject. There are also loads of useful modes, like a Portrait mode that takes wonderful pictures of people or Single Take which uses AI to pick the best picture from a selection of them.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra review
(Image credit: TechRadar)
2. Realme GT 2 The best budget option Specifications Release date: February 2022 Weight: 195g Dimensions: 162.9 x 75.8 x 8.6mm OS: Android 12 Screen size: 6.6-inch Resolution: 1080 x 2400 CPU: Snapdragon 888 RAM: 8/12GB Storage: 128/256GB Battery: 5,000mAh Rear camera: 50MP + 8MP + 2MP Front camera: 16MP Today's Best Deals Check Amazon (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Great value + Powerful processor Reasons to avoid - Software is buggy - HDR camera weak
If your budget doesn't stretch to some of the other, more premium phones on this list, then you should consider the Realme GT 2. It costs half of the amount that most of the other devices on this list do, and even less than half in some cases, yet its specs are impressive. This being a budget phone, there are some rough edges - we found the software rather buggy, and there's no telephoto lens for zoom photography. But given how much you're spending, this is a bargain.
Why it's ranked 2nd: From a pure specs perspective there are many better phones than the Realme GT 2, but when you factor in price and value, this strikes a superb balance, offering decent specs at a remarkably low cost.
Screen: The Realme GT 2 has a vibrant 6.6-inch OLED display with a FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. In our review we found that it would sometimes misrepresent photos, but that it otherwise displayed good colour - with a few different display settings to choose between.
Battery life: There's a big 5,000mAh battery and the charging is wonderfully quick. In fact, it'll run rings around the Samsung or Apple devices elsewhere on this list. In our tests, we found it powered from empty to full in less than 43 minutes.
Camera: The phone has a 50MP main camera that's great for taking colorful pictures, and it's also great in low-light conditions. In fact, the Sony sensor at play here trounces some of the other 50MP cameras in the above phones when you're taking night pictures, and we loved taking shots in the dark with it.
Read more: Realme GT 2 review
Realme GT 2: Price Comparison (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) No price information (opens in new tab) Check Amazon (opens in new tab)
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
3. iPhone 14 Pro / iPhone 14 Pro Max Apple's newest iPhones for 2022 Specifications Release date: September 2022 Weight: 206g / 240g Dimensions: 147.5 x 71.5 x 7.9mm / 160.7 x 77.6 x 7.9mm OS: iOS 16 Screen size: 6.1-inch / 6.7-inch Resolution: 1170 x 2532 / 1284 x 2778 CPU: A16 Bionic RAM: 6GB Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB Battery: 3,200mAh / 4,323mAh Rear camera: 12MP + 12MP + 12MP Front camera: 12MP specifications RAM 6GB RAM Storage Size 128GB - 1TB Colour Black, Gold, Purple, Silver Read more ▼ Today's Best Deals View at AT&T Mobility (opens in new tab) View at Verizon Wireless (opens in new tab) View at Newegg (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Exquisite design and excellent build + Clever and impressive Dynamic Island Reasons to avoid - Still just 3x optical zoom - Limited zoom photography
The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are the best iPhones you can buy, so for Apple fans these are the top choice.
The removal of the notch is a big update, and these phones excel in almost every area. They're very similar though aside from their screen sizes, which is why we've combined them into one entry.
Why they're ranked 3rd: The iPhone 14 Pro line is a significant upgrade, sporting a new 48MP camera, a Dynamic Island in place of a notch, and the expected power boost, along with various new modes and features which make these seriously accomplished phones.
Screen: The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max both have a 120Hz refresh rate and can get very bright, with the main difference between them simply being the size. Specs wise they're similar to the previous models, but the notch is gone, with a new 'Dynamic Island' used instead.
Battery life: These phones offer slightly better battery life than their predecessors according to Apple, and in our reviews we found they both lasted long enough to see you through a busy day and night, with the Pro Max potentially lasting longer still.
Camera: The new 48MP main camera is a big upgrade for these phones and the highest megapixel count we've yet seen in an iPhone. These handsets also perform well in low light, but the optical zoom tops out at a disappointing 3x.
Read more: iPhone 14 Pro review | iPhone 14 Pro Max review
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
4. Google Pixel 7 / Google Pixel 7 Pro The best Pixel phones Specifications Release date: October 2022 Weight: 197g / 212g Dimensions: 155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7mm / 162.9 x 76.6 x 8.9mm OS: Android 13 Screen size: 6.3-inch / 6.7-inch Resolution: 1080 x 2400 / 1440 x 3120 CPU: Google Tensor G2 RAM: 8GB/12GB Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB Battery: 4,355mAh / 5000mAh Rear camera: 50MP + 12MP / 50MP + 48MP + 12MP Front camera: 10.8MP specifications Storage Size 128GB - 256GB Condition New Today's Best Deals View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Best Buy (opens in new tab) View at Verizon Wireless (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Intuitive and easy to use + Photo Unblur truly fixes older photos + Snappy and responsive interface Reasons to avoid - Lacks the deep feature set of best competition - Battery and charging time could be better - Macro Focus didn’t blow us away
The Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro are Google’s latest flagship phones, and they both offer one of the best Android interfaces you’ll find, coupled with day one updates to new Android versions.
They’re quite different in some ways, but they also have loads of similarities, so we’ve combined them into one entry. But you can see how their specs differ in the list above.
Why they’re ranked 4th: Both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro sport a great design that stands out from other phones, and a bespoke Tensor G2 chipset that gives them the edge for AI and machine learning. They excel for photography too, but don’t quite provide the power of most other flagship phones.
Screen: The Pixel 7 has a 6.3-inch 1080 x 2400 screen with a 90Hz refresh rate while the Pixel 7 Pro has a 6.7-inch 1440 x 3120 display with a 120Hz refresh rate. They’re both AMOLED and they both look great, but the Pixel 7 Pro’s is bigger and smoother.
Battery life: There’s a 4,355mAh battery in the Pixel 7 and a 5,000mAh battery in the Pixel 7 Pro. Both phones can last a full day, even with fairly heavy use in our experience, but they’re not among the best for battery life.
Camera: Both Pixel 7 models sport superb cameras – helped out by excellent software and modes, such as Photo Unblur, which can sharpen up out of focus shots. The Pixel 7 Pro has the edge here though because it has a telephoto lens allowing for 5x optical zoom, which the standard Pixel 7 lacks.
Read more: Google Pixel 7 review | Google Pixel 7 Pro review
(Image credit: TechRadar)
5. iPhone 13 Pro / iPhone 13 Pro Max Great smartphones for iOS fans Specifications Release date: September 2021 Weight: 204g / 240g Dimensions: 146.7mm x 71.5mm x 7.7mm / 160.8mm x 78.1mm x 7.7mm OS: iOS 15 Screen size: 6.1-inch / 6.7-inch Resolution: 1170 x 2532 / 1284 x 2778 CPU: A15 Bionic RAM: 6GB Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB Battery: 3,095mAh / 4,352mAh Rear camera: 12MP + 12MP + 12MP Front camera: 12MP specifications RAM 6GB RAM Storage Size 128GB - 1TB Colour Blue, Gold, Green, Silver Read more ▼ Today's Best Deals View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Best Buy (opens in new tab) View at Verizon Wireless (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Great performance + Strong battery life Reasons to avoid - Limited design changes - Notch still too large
If you're an Apple fan, then the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max are among the best smartphones you should consider - we've combined these two handsets into one entry, as the only big difference between them is the screen size. These iPhones arguably don't quite compare to the top Android phones - or to the newer iPhone 14 Pro line, but they come close.
Why they're ranked 5th: The iPhone 13 Pro phones used to be the best and most powerful iPhones on the planet, but the iPhone 14 Pro mobiles beat them by a bit. They're more powerful than the iPhone 12 Pro handsets thanks to their newer A15 Bionic chipset, and we found them to be super fast to use, whether you're just swiping between menus or playing loads of games.
Screen: The iPhone 13 Pro has a 6.1-inch 1170 x 2532 display and the iPhone 13 Pro Max ups that to a 6.7-inch 1284 x 2778 one, but both have a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate and both look great, if not quite as sharp as some phones.
Battery life: We found the phones to both last about a day between charges - that's about the limit of what you can expect from a powerful flagship phone. While the Pro has a smaller 6.1-inch screen and the Pro Max has a larger 6.7-inch one, the battery is also bigger on the Max, which is why battery life is comparable.
Camera: These Pro phones tout three rear lenses - they each have a main, ultrawide and telephoto (or zoom) camera. You're getting the classic iPhone camera experience here with great night mode, video modes and selfie tricks.
Read more: iPhone 13 Pro review | iPhone 13 Pro Max review
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
6. iPhone 14 Apple's standard 2022 iPhone isn't the best but it is still great Specifications Release date: September 2022 Weight: 172g Dimensions: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm OS: iOS 16 Screen size: 6.1-inch Resolution: 1170 x 2532 CPU: A16 Bionic RAM: 6GB Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB Battery: 3,297mAh Rear camera: 12MP + 12MP Front camera: 12MP specifications RAM 6GB RAM Storage Size 128GB - 512GB Colour Blue, Purple, Red Read more ▼ Today's Best Deals View at AT&T Mobility (opens in new tab) View at Newegg (opens in new tab) View at Verizon Wireless (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Emergency satellite communications + New camera tweaks Reasons to avoid - Very minor upgrade - Last-gen chipset
Why it's ranked 6th: The iPhone 14 is only a minor upgrade over the iPhone 13, which is why it doesn't rank higher. There are slight improvements to the cameras and performance, but this isn't a game-changing update.
Screen: The iPhone 14 has a 6.1-inch screen, so it's reasonably compact. It's also a lot like the display on the iPhone 13. It's a crisp, high-quality OLED screen, but it's limited to a 60Hz refresh rate - and there's still a notch.
Battery life: The iPhone 14 has enough juice to see you through a busy day in our tests. It can't match the iPhone 14 Pro Max here, but it has above average battery life.
Camera: You get a 12MP main and 12MP ultra-wide camera on the iPhone 14. So there's no telephoto, but these are capable snappers, and upgraded sensors mean they're better in low light than the iPhone 13's.
Read more: iPhone 14 review
(Image credit: Future)
7. OnePlus 10 Pro Bringing Pro feature to a lower price Specifications Release date: March 2022 Weight: 201g Dimensions: 163 x 73.9 x 8.6mm OS: Android 12 Screen size: 6.7-inch Resolution: 1440 x 3216 CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 RAM: 8GB / 12GB Storage: 128GB/256GB Battery: 5,000mAh Rear camera: 48MP + 50MP + 8MP Front camera: 32MP specifications Storage Size 128GB Condition New Today's Best Deals View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Amazon (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Super-fast charging + Very tempting price Reasons to avoid - Very large - The cameras have some issues
The OnePlus 10 Pro has 'Pro' in the name, and its features rival some of the other handsets on this list that tout that suffix, but in terms of price it's actually more affordable - which is why it's found its way into this high position on our list.
Why it's ranked 7th: The OnePlus 10 Pro is a great Android choice if you don't want a Galaxy smartphone. It has a superb screen, a super-powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, and speedy charging. But the cameras don't match those on the very best smartphones.
Screen: This has a great-looking 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate that can drop as low as 1Hz when a speedy refresh isn't needed. It's big, bright and beautiful, and also supports HDR10+.
Battery life: The OnePlus 10 Pro has a large 5,000mAh with life that we judged as middle-of-the-road. However, it also has incredibly fast 80W charging (unless you live in the US, where it's 65W).
Camera: There are three rear cameras, and they offer a good degree of versatility, and there are also a few camera modes created in co-operation with Hasselblad, including XPan, which will be fun for people who like the classic XPan camera. In our camera test, we found that the OnePlus 10 Pro performed a little worse than the Galaxy and iPhones above - it's still good for photography, but not enough to justify a higher spot than it has.
Read more: OnePlus 10 Pro review
OnePlus 10 Pro: Price Comparison Reduced Price (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) $799.99 (opens in new tab) $649.15 (opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab) Reduced Price (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) $875 (opens in new tab) $831 (opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) $900 (opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab)
The Google Pixel 6 being held in a hand (Image credit: Future)
8. Google Pixel 6 / Google Pixel 6 Pro Great phones for pure Android Specifications Release date: October 2021 Weight: 207g / 210g Dimensions: 158.6 x 74.8 x 8.9mm / 163.9 x 75.9 x 8.9mm OS: Android 12 Screen size: 6.4-inch / 6.71-inch Resolution: 1080 x 2400 / 1440 x 3120 CPU: Google Tensor RAM: 8GB / 12GB Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB Battery: 4,614mAh / 5,003mAh Rear camera: 50MP + 12MP / 50MP +48MP + 12MP Front camera: 8MP / 11.1MP specifications RAM 12GB RAM Storage Size 128GB - 256GB Colour Black, White Read more ▼ Today's Best Deals View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Best Buy (opens in new tab) View at Verizon Wireless (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Multitalented camera + Big and beautiful screen Reasons to avoid - Contentious design - Average battery life
The Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro were the most exciting phones Google had launched in a long time, or arguably ever. They both have a design that’s unlike any previous phones, with a large camera visor and a three-tone color scheme, and they’re just as interesting on the inside, with a Google Tensor chipset that’s been designed and built specifically for these handsets.
Why they're ranked 8th: The Pixel 6 Pro is a true flagship. The standard Pixel 6 has slightly lesser specs, but also comes in at temptingly affordable price, and both phones run Android 12, with Google’s vision of the software intact. So they’re a great showcase for Android, but they struggle with middling battery lives compared to the mobiles higher, which is why we can't rank them higher. The phones are also a touch weaker than rivals, as Google's own chipset is good but not great - however this will only be noticeable for select users who need loads of power, so we can't mark them down too much.
Screen: The Pixel 6 Pro has a beautiful 6.7-inch QHD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and while the standard Pixel 6 is a step down at 6.4 inches, FHD+ and 90Hz, it still delivers vibrant visuals.
Battery life: The battery life is a slight issue with both of these phones, as it's distinctly middling, whether you go for the 4,614mAh Pixel 6 or the 5,003mAh Pixel 6 Pro. Both also top out at a middling 30W charging speed.
Camera: Both excel for taking photos, with a 50MP main and 12MP ultra-wide snapper – along with a 48MP telephoto camera offering 4x optical zoom in the Pixel 6 Pro’s case.
Read more: Google Pixel 6 review | Google Pixel 6 Pro review
(Image credit: TechRadar)
9. iPhone 13 A great iPhone for people who don't need all the top specs Specifications Release date: September 2021 Weight: 174g Dimensions: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.7mm OS: iOS 15 Screen size: 6.1-inch Resolution: 1170 x 2532 CPU: A15 Bionic RAM: 4GB Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB Battery: Up to 19 hours Rear camera: 12MP+12MP Front camera: 12MP specifications Storage Size 128GB - 512GB Colour Blue, Green Condition New, Refurbished Today's Best Deals View at Best Buy (opens in new tab) View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Verizon Wireless (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Strong battery life + Powerful internals Reasons to avoid - Minimal design changes - No 120Hz screen
The iPhone 13 isn’t as big an upgrade as the iPhone 13 Pro, as it lacks a 120Hz refresh rate, but with oodles of power and good battery life it’s a strong choice if you don’t have a fortune to spend.
Why it's ranked 9th: The iPhone 13 Pro / Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S22 range have the edge over the iPhone 13 when it comes to specs and features, but this standard iPhone model comes close to matching them, especially when it comes to battery life. Plus, it has slightly more power than its Android rivals.
Screen: With its 6.1-inch 1170 x 2532 OLED display, the iPhone 13 has a bright and clear screen. It doesn’t have a 120Hz refresh rate, but it does at least have a slightly smaller notch than the iPhone 12.
Battery life: In our tests the iPhone 13 reliably lasted through a day of use, but not much more. That puts it in fairly average territory, yet it’s still an improvement on many previous iPhones here.
Camera: The iPhone 13 lacks a telephoto camera, but its main and ultra-wide perform well, with the former having larger pixels than the iPhone 12’s. With improved image stabilization too, plus some new shooting modes and features, there’s a lot to play with here, and a lot to like.
Read more: iPhone 13 review
Apple iPhone 13: Price Comparison (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) $729.99 (opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) $829 (opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) $999.99 (opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab) Show More Deals
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
10. Samsung Galaxy S22 Great for fans of small Androids Specifications Release date: February 2022 Weight: 167g Dimensions: 146 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm OS: Android 12 Screen size: 6.1-inch Resolution: 1080 x 2340 CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 RAM: 8GB Storage: 128/256GB Battery: 3,700mAh Rear camera: 50MP + 10MP + 12MP Front camera: 10MP specifications Storage Size 128GB - 256GB Colour Black, Gold, Green, Pink, Purple, White Condition New, Refurbished Today's Best Deals View at Best Buy (opens in new tab) View at Amazon (opens in new tab) View at Samsung (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Small and solid build + Excellent performance Reasons to avoid - Not a major upgrade - Small screen
The Samsung Galaxy S22 is the small-form alternative to the S22 Ultra at the top of the list, and the main reason you should consider it is that it's smaller, and more affordable than the Ultra. Sure, the big model has flashier features and a bigger, better-looking screen, but that might not suit everyone.
Why it's ranked 10th: This is a good Android phone for people who like compact, easily-holding mobiles - our tests found it to be powerful with a decent battery. It's also one of the more affordable mobiles that you'll find on this list, since most of the devices that belong on a 'best smartphones' list have price tags that match their specs. The Galaxy S22 doesn't quite match up to the higher-ranked alternatives in every department, but definitely consider it.
Screen: The Samsung Galaxy S22 has a bright and attractive screen, but at 6.1 inches and 1080 x 2340 it's smaller and lower resolution than many on this list. Still, it does benefit from a 120Hz refresh rate.
Battery life: The 3,700mAh battery here is smaller than in its predecessor, and charging is limited to a slow 25W, but we found the phone offered around 12 hours of life in our review when used almost constantly, which isn't bad.
Camera: The Galaxy S22 didn't perform as well in the camera tests as most of the above phones on this list, but it did still take great photos from its triple-lens camera.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy S22 review
How to choose the best smartphone for you
Depending on the way you use your smartphone, there might be one or more aspects of a phone that are important to you.
If you want a hardy smartphone, you should check whether it has an IP rating - this will dictate how protected it is against dust and moisture. Also consider its material - ceramic is very fragile, as is glass, but plastic and metal can be more protective.
If you stream a lot, you might want a good-looking display. Bigger, up to 6.8 inches, might be useful for you, as will a resolution over 1080p. Refresh rates of 90Hz or 120Hz also ensure that motion looks smoother.
Battery life can be a pain for people, though capacity doesn't always dictate how long a mobile lasts. A phone needs to last at least a day to be useful for most people, though some go up to two days.
Charging speed is also important, and anything of 65W or up is good, though some phones now offer over 120W. The best phones power up in under an hour, and some even take less than 30 minutes.
Camera quality is hard to convey though a specs list, so you'll have to rely on our analysis and testing to see how good they are - but it's always useful to find a camera phone with multiple lenses and modes.
How we test the best smartphones
Every phone on this list was subject to a full TechRadar review, and therefore our entire test process.
The core part of this is that we just use the phone as our own one for a week or more. We slot our SIM card in, use the device for social media, entertainment, photography and other normal tasks.
This is so we can emulate how you'll use the device if you buy it. It helps us understand all the quirks of a phone that you don't notice if you just leave the device in a lab and test it. Of course, we will do some lab tests too, for some direct comparison.
So we'll game and we'll do benchmark tests to work out how powerful a phone is; we'll time a phone when it's charging but also just work out how powering fits into our morning routine; we'll test how long a phone takes to run down but also just handle it day-to-day for a long period of time.
Our main areas of focus in our review are the phone's design, display, cameras, performance, software and battery life, though of course its price is also important for our final judgement.
Not found the best smartphone yet?
You're at the end of our best smartphone guide, but that doesn't mean we can't help you still - if you're stuck on which model is for you, we've got a tool that can compare all the phones together and you can decide which one suits you best based on the cost.
If you want to get all the info, then check out our full mobile phone deals page.
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