Here Are The Best Smartphones Of 2022 According To MKBHD
In keeping with his yearly tradition, popular tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) has revealed the best smartphones of 2022, according to him. For years, the YouTuber has hosted his own Smartphone Awards to choose the best devices in different categories.
Apple has certainly fallen behind and lost the spotlight to some of its Android competitors. Last year, the iPhone was awarded in three categories, but only won just one this year. Of course, the awards are based on Marques’s own experiences.
However, it is interesting to see the best smartphones of 2022, according to one of the most prominent tech YouTubers in the world. Users can also check out our other list of the best upcoming smartphones with a Snapdragon Gen 2 chip.
Best Smartphone Categories 2022
Best Big Smartphone
The best big phone award usually goes to a smartphone with the largest screen and other great features. This year, Marques chose Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra as the Best Big Phone of 2022. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a massive 6.8-inch screen, a stylus, a 5,000 mAh battery, and four great camera lenses on the back.
According to the YouTuber, the ASUS ROG Phone 6 was the runner-up with a 6.78-inch screen. He also praised the smartphone for its incredible, massive stereo front-facing speakers and the inclusion of the headphone jack. An honorable mention was also given to the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2, which hasn’t been released worldwide. Interestingly, the iPhone Pro Max wasn’t even included as an honorable mention despite having a 6.7-inch screen.
Best Small Smartphone
The winner of the Best Small Phone of 2022 was the ASUS Zenfone 9. The smartphone has a 5.9-inch screen, which is slightly bigger than last year’s winner: iPhone 13 mini. According to MKBHD, the ASUS Zenfone 9 has flagship specs, a surprisingly great camera, a headphone jack, and good battery life. In a surprising twist, Marques gave the honorable mention to Oppo Find N2, a foldable smartphone that looks relatively compact when folded.
Best Camera System
Apple finally won the camera department, defending its title for the fourth year in a row. The iPhone 14 Pro Max won Best Camera System this year. According to the YouTuber, the iPhone 14 Pro Max has a more solid camera experience.
The iPhone also has one of the best software optimizations when it comes to camera apps, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max takes it one step further with the Photonic engine. Just recently, Marques also conducted a blind photo test poll, in which his followers could choose which photos looked the best. The winner of the test was the Google Pixel 6A, with the Pixel 7 Pro coming in second.
Best Battery
The award for best battery smartphone went to last year’s defending champion, the ASUS ROG Phone 6. The smartphone has a 6,000 mAh battery and 65-watt fast charging to go from zero to 100 percent battery in under an hour. The iPhone 14 Plus also got the runner-up title, with the ASUS Zenfone 9 getting an honorable mention.
The Design Award
According to MKBHD, the design award looks toward those “who can step outside the box and do things a little differently design-wise.” This year there’s a clear winner for the design award: the Nothing Phone. The smartphone bends to the norm with a transparent design with a back full of LEDs.
The LEDs in the back can be used for multiple things like notifications, a camera flash, and a charge indicator. The YouTuber also gave an honorable mention to the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 due to its thin design.
Best Value Award
The best value award generally goes to the “best bang-for-the-buck” smartphone. This year’s winner for the best value award goes to the Pixel 7. The smartphone offers flagship specs way beyond its price range of $599. Marques also gave the runner-up award to the ASUS Zenfone 9, which is priced at $699. The Realme Pro+ also got an honorable mention for being the best sub $400 smartphone.
Bust of the Year
This year’s bust of the year award goes to the Oneplus 10T. According to Marques, the smartphone has a “pretty big delta between expectations and possibilities versus actual results.” Recently, the smartphone company has been in a bit of a decline in terms of the value of their smartphones.
MVP: Best Phone of the Year
The Google Pixel 7 is officially the MVP of the best phone of the year. The device is also the best-value smartphone according to MKBHD, coming at $599. The smartphone offers great cameras, display, and battery while costing less than other flagship smartphones.
Marques also gave the best-improved award to the Pixel 7. As for the runner-up, it’s a smartphone that has been mentioned multiple times already; it’s the ASUS Zenfone 9. Similarly, the honorable mention went to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which MKBHD described as an expensive smartphone offering the best hardware available.
Let us know what smartphone you think is the best among the ones mentioned on this list in the comment section below.
