2022 has been an excellent year for flagship smartphones in India. The competition in the flagship market ramped up as Google stepped out of the shadows and finally brought its top-tier Pixel smartphones back to India. However, the Pixel 7 series had to rough it out in a highly competitive market with players like Apple, Samsung, Vivo, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Motorola, Realme, and iQOO all vying for a slice of the pie. So without any further delays, here are the best flagship phones of 2022 in India.
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iPhone 14 Pro / iPhone 14 Pro Max | Starting Price Rs 1,29,900 | 128GB | A16 Bionic SoC, 120Hz LTPO OLED Display, 48 MP + 12 MP + 12 MP | While there are several smartphones that vie for the top spot of smartphone of the year, we believe the iPhone 14 Pro models stand out over the competition. The iPhone 14 Pro models deliver superb performance across the board, delivering the best in terms of chipset, cameras, display, battery life, and software support. Apart from charging speed, the two iPhone ‘Pro’ models this year come out on top on most fronts.
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Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra | Starting Price Rs 1,09,999 | 12GB + 256GB | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, 120Hz LTPO OLED Display, 108 MP + 12 MP + 10 MP + 10 MP, 5000 mAh Battery | The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra was undoubtedly the best big smartphone of 2022. Samsung makes the best use of the large smartphone, delivering flagship specs like a capable quad-camera setup with the best zoom performance, the best smartphone displays, good software, excellent battery life, and powerful performance. And offers all this while providing a stylus in the box, bringing a whole new dimension to the phone.
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Google Pixel 7 Pro | Starting Price Rs 84,999 | 12GB + 128GB | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, 120Hz LTPO OLED Display, 50 MP + 12 MP + 48 MP, 5000 mAh Battery | The Pixel 7 Pro is undoubtedly the best smartphone for camera performance and software integration. While the iPhone 14 Pro still holds the edge in the selfie and video departments, the Pixel 7 Pro is the ‘point and shoot king’ of 2022. And considering it is priced closer to the vanilla iPhone 14 and Galaxy S22+ models, makes it the best smartphone in India under Rs 1,00,000.
Vivo X80 Pro | Starting Price Rs 79,999 | 12GB + 256GB | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, 120Hz LTPO OLED Display, 50 MP + 48 MP + 12 MP + 8 MP, 4700 mAh Battery | Since we’re on the subject of phones with incredible camera performance, we simply cannot leave out the Vivo X80 Pro. The Vivo X80 Pro is another handset with incredible camera performance, with a main sensor capable of rivaling the S22 Ultra, Pixel 7 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro. Moreover, the Vivo X80 Pro also has industry-leading specifications with a sleek and vibrant design. While the X80 Pro isn’t without its weakness, there’s no doubt that it is still one of the best flagships of the 2022, only bested by devices that have come over six months after its launch.
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Samsung Galaxy S22 / Galaxy S22+ | Starting Price Rs 52,999 | 8GB + 128GB | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, 120Hz LTPO OLED Display, 50 MP + 12 MP + 10 MP, 4500 mAh Battery (3,700 mAh on the Vanilla S22) | If you are looking to go the safe route for a 2022 flagship smartphone, then the Galaxy S22 and S22+ should be your default pick. The two Galaxy S22 devices have all the making of flagship smartphones. Samsung does make a few confessions here to allow the ‘Ultra’ to standout, but that in no way takes away from just how good these two devices are. They offer just about everything you’d demand from a flagship smartphone in 2022.
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Google Pixel 7 | Starting Price Rs 59,999 | 8GB + 128GB | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, 90Hz OLED Display, 50 MP + 12 MP, 4355 mAh Battery | Google nailed all the fundamentals with the Pixel 7 series, including its pricing, which is what allows the Pixel 7 to stand out. And although there are a few noteworthy compromises here, the barebones Pixel experience remains unchanged from the 7 Pro. The camera system here is still top-notch, despite the absence of a telephoto unit, which is far from a deal breaker for the average user. Overall, the Pixel 7 may not be the most complete flagship smartphone but would be our default recommendation for a sub-60K smartphone in 2022.
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iPhone 14 / iPhone 14 Plus | Starting Price Rs 77,900 | 128GB | A15 Bionic SoC, OLED Display, 12 MP + 12 MP | While the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max were the stars of the show in 2022, Apple made solid upgrades to its vanilla iPhone 14, while replacing the ‘mini’ with a new ‘Plus’ model. The two non-Pro iPhones offer everything you’d ever need in an iPhone with solid cameras, excellent battery life, vibrant displays, and reliable software. Moreover, the iPhone 14 Plus was crowned battery king in our recent Smartphone Awards. Unlike the iPhone 14 Pro, which goes above and beyond, the vanilla iPhone 14 is just a good phone and a perfect introduction if you are looking to make the switch.
Xiaomi 12 Pro | Starting Price Rs 55,999 | 8GB + 256GB | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, 120Hz LTPO OLED Display, 50 MP + 50 MP + 50 MP, 4600 mAh Battery | If you are looking for a value-added flagship with the least number of compromises then look no further than the Xiaomi 12 Pro. The Xiaomi 12 Pro has all the makings of a premium smartphone without the premium price. The phone’s camera system, battery, charging speed, display, and chipset are nothing short of flagship grade. So far as flagships go, we’re yet to see a phone with a better price to specifications ratio in India.
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Motorola Edge 30 Ultra | Starting Price 54,999 | 8GB + 128GB | Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, 144Hz OLED Display, 200 MP + 50 MP + 12 MP, 4610 mAh Battery | The Motorola Edge 30 Ultra is yet another value-added flagship that brings a top-tier hardware experience without the hefty price tag of most premium smartphones. However, Motorola combines the excellent hardware with superb software, delivering a bloat-free experience close to stock Android. Motorola does make a few compromises, but they do little to take away from the excellent overall package on offer here.
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OnePlus 10 Pro | Starting Price Rs 61,999 | 8GB + 128GB | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, 120Hz LTPO OLED Display, 48 MP + 50 MP + 8 MP, 5000 mAh Battery | The OnePlus 10 Pro is perhaps the most consistent flagship smartphone. However, consistency is what makes the OnePlus 10 Pro the safe bet in 2022. The handset offers the full flagship experience, delivering on the performance, camera, display, battery, and software fronts. It is the phone that won’t fail to disappoint you in every scenario but can simultaneously doesn’t really standout.
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iQOO 9 Pro | Starting Price Rs 59,990 | 8GB + 256GB | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, 120Hz LTPO OLED Display, 50 MP + 50 MP + 16 MP, 4700 mAh Battery | The iQOO 9 Pro debuted as one of the first flagships to use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset in India. The phone was also the first from the brand to deliver a flagship experience, making several upgrades over the iQOO 7 Legend. The iQOO 9 Pro also retains the unique BMW-themed design, making it one of the most unique-looking smartphones on our list. Moreover, the handset is a hardware powerhouse and feels like the fastest device on the list with its display, charging speed, and performance.
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Asus ROG Phone 6 | Starting Rs 71,999 | 12GB + 256GB| Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, 165Hz OLED Display, 50 MP + 13 MP + 5 MP, 6,000 mAh Battery | When it comes to mobile gaming, no phone in India holds a candle to the Asus’ ROG Phone line-up. And the company continued the legacy in 2022 with the ROG Phone 6. Not only does Asus offer several hardware improvements to enhance the smartphone gaming experience but backs that hardware with superb software and gaming-oriented accessories to go with it. Additionally, Asus also offers a ‘Pro’ version of the ROG Phone 6, although it only brings aesthetic changes over the vanilla model.
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Realme GT 2 Pro | Starting Price Rs 49,999 | 8GB + 128GB | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, 120Hz LTPO OLED Display, 50 MP + 50 MP + 3 MP, 5000 mAh Battery | The Realme GT 2 Pro does a lot of things right in key areas. It features reliable cameras, the best display in the segment, a standout design, superb performance, good software support, lasting battery life, and super-fast charging. While Realme has compromised quite a few aspects of the GT 2 Pro to keep its price down, it still manages to deliver one of its most impressive smartphones since the Realme X2 Pro.
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Honourable Mentions | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 & Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 | If you are looking to jump onto the foldable bandwagon, there’s no better time than the present. The Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 are the best versions of Samsung’s foldables, bringing key quality of life improvements in the areas that mattered the most. Check out our full review of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 to see how these foldables perform in real-world scenarios.
