The six best smartphones of 2022 (so far)

It was an intense year. With the gradual return to normality, tech companies have gradually started to organize events again that manage to raise awareness of their products, at least in terms of marketing and social media impact. There is more daring and, incidentally, brands that were not very present in the market have started to generate traction.

For example, Chinese companies that have recently landed in our country, such as Oppo, RealMe and OnePlus, which further expands the possibilities and variety of purchases. At the same time, it must be recognized, they can also drown the consumer when choosing a new device: the number of options becomes disconcerting.

But as Fernando Alarcón said, that’s what we’re here for: to help you with the complex task of choosing a smartphone New. The following list highlights the best mobile phones launched in 2022. There are high ranges, design, cameras, battery, chargers, storage and other new features.

The dedication that Samsung gives to its teams is unparalleled: they are not the world’s sales leaders for nothing. The S22 Ultra isn’t just an excellent top-end: it’s quite simply the best of its range, winning the crown of best smartphone so far this year for us.

Its construction, its performance and its screen, the small details of its design and user experience, in addition to its specifications, make this phone the best option available in the market, whatever the use or the applications that you want to run.

The glasses and the Software photography are also very good, especially for taking pictures in low light. But it also has the great little detail, inherited from the late Note series, of its pencil style (or S Pen), which gives it a multiplicity of possibilities of use, beyond “taking notes”. Let’s add that it has the battery with the highest capacity in this range (5,000 mAh) to complete a device that, yes, can be a bit bulky for some hands, but which is capable of carrying out no any operation optimally. A luxury.

The Chinese brand, sponsor of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, has finally made the long-awaited leap to the top of the range: after having launched good models, but strictly based on the confines of the mid-range, they presented this year a truly exceptional model. .

The X80 has a lot of remarkable things, from its design (its finish is really luxurious) to its specifications, with a large screen, fast charging, very good battery performance and even a biometric ultrasonic sensor much faster and larger than the competition.

But where the smartphone really stands out, from afar, in the photographic section designed in collaboration with the German brand Zeiss. It’s true that the rear module, where the photographic lenses go, is a bit bulky for the norm, but at the same time it houses the best photographic system we’ve seen – and may see – this year. We’re talking about a 50 MP main lens, plus a 48 MP wide-angle and 8 MP telephoto lens.

All have a glass lens and add-on support for the proprietary V1+ chip, which increases clarity and color brightness. In addition, it has a 50mm gimbal leveling system, which prevents photos and videos from blurring even if the user is on the move. Added to its very good Software With artificial intelligence, spectacular results are achieved in low light environments or to perform focus effects such as bokeh. In general, a surprise and a candidate for one of the best devices of the year.

Honor, the Chinese brand that rose to prominence after its independence from Huawei, has slowly been adding interesting gadgets and portable to your wallet. Its foldable models haven’t arrived yet, but in the meantime we have the very interesting Honor 70, a smartphone which moves in the waters of the upper-middle range, with a very good balance between price, battery, camera and specifications.

Where the Honor 70 stands out the most is in its unique design, which sets it apart from the back of a mobile phone. In general, apart from the color details, it is difficult for the back to stand out, despite the fact that it is the area that allows us to identify the model that the user has in hand (unless, of course , whether with a Case).

To use one here would be sacrilege, as the 70 has two independent circular modules for its cameras, but the shiny “platinum glass” finish, which has diagonal lines between them, makes the back stand out strongly among lights, shadows and shapes. diamond Added to the screen themes, which somehow match the design, make this phone the most beautiful and stylish currently available.

Until now, Samsung is the only brand that has dared to stand out and push its range of increasingly successful and consumer-loved foldable models. Although there are others, in the Chilean market, Samsung is, these days, absolutely alone in this category.

Whether it’s the cute little Galaxy Z Flip4 or the Galaxy X Fold4—my favorite—which opens like a book to fold out a screen that practically turns the phone into a small tablet, versatility and usability are a step forward in customization , just like years ago it happened with the “clam phones”.

The difference here is that it’s the screen itself that folds or opens. There aren’t many innovations over the previous generation -the 3-, but the improvements make it a couple of great phones, big -and only- winners in this category. proud smart phonesbut we would like to see more competition in this section.

The smallest of the iPhone family received a long-awaited facelift this year, so it remains firmly Apple’s most practical phone when it comes to entry-level models. The price is still far and far above other Android models, which can cost three times less, but we are talking about an iPhone, with all the features that have made this brand one of the favorites in the world.

This year’s iPhone SE is small but powerful. The new A15 bionic chip guarantees flawless performance, even if the battery is somewhat lacking. Its compact size makes it a charming model, able to do everything its big brothers do but in a lightweight format that fits in any pocket. Everything works fast, be it video games, internet services, diffusion or run any application. A charming phone, especially for those who don’t like giant screens.

one thing is one smartphone who, given his abilities, is capable of properly running a video game. For this to happen, it requires some processing power, a lot of memory, a good and big screen -hopefully the highest possible resolution-, which has a good refresh rate and, in general, with good performance . Something that almost all mid/high end cellphones can come across.

But another thing is that the phone is aimed directly at an audience that loves video games. In this sense, the POCO F4 GT —from the sub-brand of the Chinese giant Xiaomi—, has no competition.

Not only does it have a good section of specifications, which precisely guarantee great performance and that any title can work calmly, regardless of its technical requirements, without heating up like a forge. They also highlight its design and some unique features that set it apart from the rest, like its distinctive rear. But the big plus is the pair of magnetic buttons or triggers on the side of the model, which allow the button mapping to be customized so that it is not solely dependent on touch on the screen. Powerful, original and the only one who really has heart player on the inside.

*Prices for products in this item are current as of October 7, 2022. Values ​​and availability may change.