New year, new smartphones! Of course, we have some flagships from various manufacturers in front of us again this year. In some cases it is already known what the devices will be called, in some cases we have to take a look into the crystal ball. We present you our overview of smartphones for the rest of 2022.
Since not all smartphone release dates for 2022 have been officially confirmed and we don’t want to create a ranking, we have sorted the smartphones alphabetically by manufacturer’s name.
Apple
Apple iPhone 14 (Pro/Max); Announcement: September/October 2022
Apparently, with the iPhone 14 , Apple will finally dare to say goodbye to the notch, which has defined the appearance of the smartphone series since the iPhone X. With the change to a punch hole to integrate the front camera into the display, the US company would follow the trend of many Android smartphones.
According to current expectations, there will not be an iPhone 14 Mini, an iPhone 14 Max could take this place. This would give Apple fans a cheaper option over the iPhone 14 Max for a larger smartphone. We’re also expecting a fingerprint sensor under the screen, a much-requested feature from the iPhone community that has also long been standard on Android smartphones.
Google Pixel 6a; Announcement: Q2 2022
Fortunately, after all markets outside of the US didn’t get a chance to pick up the Pixel 5a last year, things are looking better for the Pixel 6a. The updated version of the current Google phone is expected to sport a slightly more compact screen, which could make it an interesting choice for smaller hands too. Buyers still get the usual strong Tensor chip, the first SoC from Google’s own development. One can only hope that the history of heating problems that the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro had to struggle with will not be repeated.
Google Pixel 7; Announcement: Q3 2022
The Pixel 7 will undoubtedly come after the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, unless Google changes its naming scheme. It is also quite possible that Google will provide this with a larger and, above all, better camera-equipped Pixel 7 Pro. According to current information, the second generation of the Tensor chip is already in the works at Google. However, it remains to be seen what other improvements the high-end smartphone will bring with it.
Motorola
Motorola Frontier; Announcement: Q3 2022
Even if Motorola flies under the radar compared to most of the other manufacturers mentioned here, the Motorola Frontier from the Lenovo subsidiary could be a real smartphone pioneer in this case. It is rumored to be the first device whose main camera sensor offers a resolution of 200 MP. Of course, the rest of the components shouldn’t lag behind either, which is why we’re counting on a refresh rate of 144Hz, up to 12GB of RAM and a charging speed of 125W.
Vivo
Vivo X80; Presentation: Q2 2022
Vivo released two devices in its flagship line-up last year, the Vivo X60 and Vivo X70 with their respective Pro and Pro+ variants. The identity of the top models includes a gimbal-stabilized camera with Zeiss optics, which is a unique selling point in the hotly contested smartphone market. We therefore assume that this strategy will also be used with the Vivo X80 Pro (+). According to the first leaks, not only the wide-angle main sensor, but also the ultra-wide angle could be stabilized in this way.
Xiaomi
Xiaomi 12 (Pro/Ultra); Announcement: Q3 2022
If you are looking forward to the next high-end smartphones from Xiaomi, then the Xiaomi 12 Ultra is probably the most. As expected, the successor to the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra ,which is one of the smartphones with the best cameras, will be no less ostentatious. The screen on the back may have a limited use case, but it’s now become something of a trademark.
Hopefully the Xiaomi 12 Ultra will be available for a longer period than its predecessor and not sold out after just a few months. If you don’t have the budget or simply don’t see why you should shell out a four-digit amount, you should also be happy with the Xiaomi 12, Xiaomi 12 Pro or Xiaomi 12X , which made their debut in China at the end of 2021 and were announced globally after three months 2022.
Xiaomi Mix 5 (Pro); Presentation: Q2/Q3 2022
In the Mix series, Xiaomi tries out technical innovations that can soon be seen in other high-end smartphones. After the Mix 4, only appeared three years after the announcement of the predecessor Mix 3, the Mix 5 should not be that long in coming and may already be released in summer 2022. The Mix 4 was one of the first smartphones with an under-display camera, which, however, was not yet at a high level. Here, Xiaomi praises improvement. At all other points on the data sheet, we expect high-end components, i.e. possibly a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 16GB RAM and 1TB internal memory.
