The ones that have it all in their weight class. These handset heroes are shining examples of what makes a great smartphone.
Stuff Gadget Awards 2022: Best Smartphones of the Year
The top smartphones from 2022
Premium Smartphone of the Year
Google’s re-entry into the premium smartphone market in India is meant to be celebrated, by camera nerds and Android fans alike. It’s not only the best smartphone in its category but it’s also priced reasonably well to outclass the mighty Apple iPhone. That price, the clean Android OS and the fact that the camera is miles ahead of the competition make the Google Pixel 7 Pro a lust-worthy smartphone in the premium segment. You will find all the best hardware crammed inside this premium Pixel so you’re never really given the option to complain. That makes this year’s Pixel truly the best.
Best of the rest
Ah, the usual suspects. Apples and Samsungs of the world are still class-leading but you’ll have to put down a pretty penny for this. Nevertheless, an iPhone is still an iPhone, get it if you’re Smaug.
The ultimate combination of the S-series and the Note series, the Ultra is all things ultra from Samsung and if you’re a power user then this is the very best from the Korean giant.
This here is a special smartphone for tech nerds because it’s not consistent in everything but if you know your way around it, the Vivo X80 Pro can be a delight, more so than the Pixel at times.
The Xiaomi 12 Pro beats all expectations and rubs shoulders with the best in this category. The camera system is seriously capable along with its hardware. The brand is often associated with the budget category but this year’s flagship isn't here for a participation certificate. This smartphone genuinely merits a place amongst the best.
Midrange Smartphone of the Year
Think of what you want of the ‘T’ suffix in select OnePlus phones, but for the 10T, it definitely defines its SuperVooc charging that powers over the competition with a whopping 150W brick. The ‘T’ has to be for Turbo! One of the finest midrange devices to have slid into our palms this year, the OnePlus 10T has everything it takes to make for an accomplished daily driver. Shockingly fast charging speeds, gaming performance up there with the best, fantastic 120Hz display that has all the HDR chops needed to watch The Crown in all its glory and the best Qualcomm chipset in 2022. We were impressed with its Nightscape 2.0 low-light photography prowess too and combined with its cool demeanour, makes for a worthy winner!
Nominees
● Samsung S21FE ● Google Pixel 7 ● Oppo Reno 8 Pro
Affordable Smartphone of the Year
In the age of metal and glass back phones, OnePlus has brought a refreshing change in the form of this lightweight device. Sporting a polycarbonate panel in stunning summery colourways ensures it doesn’t look cheap despite the price tag. When it comes to performance, you get consistent dependability with the MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset under the hood. It won’t set the charts on fire isn’t going to set benchmarking charts on fire, but will satisfy you when it comes to day-to-day use basic tasks and multitasking capability with a bit of casual gaming without any lags or stutters. The 4,500mAh battery with the 65W charger can regularly survive an entire day of usage and charges rapidly st a pinch. The triple camera is quite a capable contender too!
Nominees
● Google Pixel 6a ● Vivo V25 ● Poco F4 5G ● Nothing Phone (1)