Happy new year everyone! Chances are some of you are reading this article title and wondering if it’s the best choice to recommend phones right at the beginning of the year ,after all companies like OnePlus have just introduced new devices while Samsung will be bringing the Galaxy S23 in February. But here’s the thing: this is Zim. Some of us get to use the latest and greatest but a lot of use a phone from a year or two ago, if not 3 or 4 based on what I’ve personally seen out there. And honestly, that’s okay, around the world people are sticking with their phones much longer, and as such this list is not just a simple collection of the best devices 2022 had to offer, but even some 2021 stunners that still hold up almost two years later. Consider this the sensible phone buying guide, as our choices will be based on how good a device is, as well as how well it caters to a users needs, even when compared to the competition or newer/older phones from its lineup.

We also just did an article on how much it sucks to try and get certain devices in Zim, so we’ll try to highlight availability as best as possible too, be that locally, or otherwise. Be sure to check out the phones we highlight as alternatives too, as they’re often almost as good. Now let’s begin.

Flagships

Okay, let’s start with the big boys. The fancy, powerful phones that can probably fill the needs of almost everyone. Yes you’ll find your iPhones here, but beyond that you’ll find some of the most polished , extravagant and reliable devices available.

Top Pick: Google Pixel 7 Pro

Availability: International – Amazon Link

Alternative : Pixel 6 Pro

There’s a saying around the tech world that the Pixel is essentially the Android iPhone, as in it’s simple, fast, great to use and has amazing cameras. Last years Pixel 6 series had us saying it’s the best alternative to Apple and Samsung, but this year if you want a big, powerful flagship with cameras that make you feel like a master photographer, the Pixel 7 Pro is your fighter. It’s AI smarts are also another reason it cuts above the rest, as even on older Pixels these make all the difference. Google nailed the thinking man’s flagship this past year, and while the Pixel 6 Pro is actually also still a great buy, the 7 Pro deserves to be the phone you put your eye on, especially since it’s actually cheaper than the iPhone 14 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra by $200-300!

The iPhone 14 Pro/ Pro Max

Availability: Locally | International – Amazon Link

This seems like an obvious, borderline boring choice but let’s put a few things on the table here. The regular iPhone 14 is terrible. Yes I said terrible. It literally IS the iPhone 13. No I don’t mean they’re basically the same, I mean you literally get the same processor and camera from last year with minor tweaks. So if you want a new iPhone, the 14 Pro and Pro Max are the ones to get. And I think we’ve said this before but if I haven’t specifically, these are the most exciting iPhones released in the past 5-6 years. For the most part, Apple actually tried to innovate here, and yes came across the flaws of innovation (some features need rethinking/polish), but these are genuinely NEW phones. The 48MP main camera gives a little more flexibility with Apple’s camera, which is unprecedented for an iPhone, the dynamic island is both a meme and a pretty fun feature, and the always on display was not great at first, but has actually been fixed in a way that makes sense. Simply put, these phones will feel familiar, but have some interesting new quirks that make one raise an eyebrow. When was the last time you could ever say that about an iPhone? Especially in a time where people can literally confuse which iPhone they are even using. The 14 Pro and it’s bigger brother are the shot in the arm Apple needed. And they’re awesome phones to boot.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

Availability: Locally | International – Amazon Link

Now yes, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is going to be announced in about 2 weeks and honestly, the 22 Ultra has been around for about a year now. But here’s the thing, if there’s an award for a perfect lap of longevity, this phone definitely deserves it. The Pixel 7 Pro is the thinking man’s big flagship, while the iPhone Pros are the fancy flashy flagships. The 22 Ultra is the best of both worlds and then some. What is essentially a Galaxy Note Ultra, this phone is as powerful as it is beautiful, and a collection of almost every great idea Samsung has put in flagships over the past few years. Great screen? Check. Category defining cameras? Definitely. S-Pen? You got it. Huge battery? Second to only the ROG phones? Great software? Yes, with more update years than even Google’s Pixels. Seriously it’s near impossible to find a flaw on this phone, but more importantly it’s incredibly pleasing to see that this phone’s staying power is basically unmatched. This phone exemplifies what a big flagship should be, and you can’t go wrong with buying it.

Samsung Galaxy S22/S22+

Availability: Locally | International – Amazon Link

Alternative: Galaxy S21+

So far we’ve talked about the big, bold flagships that try to do everything and beyond, but for many people what’s now called the entry-level flagship is the phone they really want. And well, while the Pixel 7 chalks up a really attractive deal, especially with it’s price, I think the top pick for me is still the base Galaxy S22 (and S22+). I literally called this phone the Ted Mosby of phones earlier this year, and that’s because Samsung’s base flagship was so good this year, it kind of seemed boring compared to its more radical, or confused(looking at you Apple) compatriots. But this is by far one of the best phones to get this year, and probably the best one in it’s class. It’s beautiful to look at, has an amazing set of cameras (seriously why are entry level flagship ditching the telephoto lens), the best screen in its class and feels better to hold in hand than either the Pixel or the iPhone. Most people will only notice the S22 Ultra because it’s a Note, but this is the phone that probably most people would be happy with. And on that same note, the S22+ is this phone with a bigger screen and battery, so you might want to consider that too. The only downside to either of these is Samsung getting rid of the beautiful purple and gold color scheme from the S21 series, which is partially why we put the S21+ as an alternative.

Google Pixel 7

Availability: International – Amazon Link

Alternative: Google Pixel 6

Another case of “so good it’s forgettable” the Pixel 7 is essentially what you get when a company polishes a product so much you forget what to get excited about. We already think the Pixel 7 Pro is the best big flagship you can get right now and I still stand by the regular S22 being the best entry level flagship you can get. But the Pixel 7 starts at $600($500 if you catch a sale online). How do you beat class-leading software and cameras combined with a price like that? Again, the Galaxy is more fun, and has a telephoto camera, but for the life of me I could not tell you any other way it beats the Pixel. And that’s because it doesn’t. This is a buy and forget phone. As in you buy it, and forget you had any problems.

iPhone 13

Availability: Locally| International – Amazon Link

Alternative: iPhone 13 Mini

No you’re not reading this wrong, Apple’s 2021 entry flagship is what we put here. And that’s because, again, it’s the EXACT SAME PHONE as the iPhone 14. Apple only added new sensors for crash detection and satellite messaging (which are both useless in Zim) so buying an iPhone 14 would literally be buying the same phone for an extra $200. It’s the definition of not worth it. And on that logic, the now $600 iPhone 13 is where you should go if you want an entry level Apple flagship, and if you want a small flagship, the iPhone 13 Mini is still a great heavy hitter. Just not the undisputed small phone champ because of what comes next.

Asus Zenfone 9

Availability: International – Amazon Link

Now considering this phone’s price ($600) and can technically be counted as an upper mid-ranger, you might find it a little odd that this little phone that could is here. But this might be the most FUN phone to come out in the past year. Asus made a fast, powerful little device with a great screen, awesome battery, A HEADPHONE JACK, and cameras that can make the Pixel feel a little jealous. It’s honestly just the most enthusiastic, quirky and fun phone on the market right now, with maybe only one phone beating it on the fun factor. If you want a small and powerful Android device , this is it. Finally you don’t have to be jealous to Apple or pony up for a more expensive Xperia 5 device.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Availability: Locally | International – Amazon Link

What’s the best flagship of 2021 doing here? Well turns out it still holds up incredibly well. So much so that if you don’t want the S22 Ultra and it’s S-pen, this phone is still a more than capable daily phone. It has virtually the same cameras, a screen that’s virtually the same, similar batter life, and while the S22 does have a slight performance advantage, it’s exactly that, slight. If the S23 Ultra didn’t seem like it was keeping the S-pen, I would say Samsung had found their stride with the Ultra hones, one is an S one year, the other is a note the following year. Unfortunately that’s not the case, but what is fortunate is that this beast of a device can be found for around $500 online, likely less by the time the S23 Ultra launches, so keep you eyes peeled for it.

Budget phones

The cheapest flagship I mentioned was $500 in price here (though good Amazon deals for the S22 can get you on for less that $400), and that’s still not money most of us have, so let’s jump into those phones that are great for even $300 or less. This will include some expected kings, Chinese value contenders and one or 2 phones you might not expect.

Top Pick: Nothing Phone 1

Availability: International – Amazon Link

I honestly thought this phone was nothing but a gimmick at first. It looked extremely extravagant, had a hype campaign that’s borderline meme-able and likely a crazy price to boot. And yet somehow that phone is priced between $400 and $450, has Pixel-level software, that extravagant look definitely works for it at it’s price, and it even has amazing cameras to add to it’s awesome screen and performance too. Carl Pei’s new company really knows what they’re onto (not surprising, these are the guys that built the early days of OnePlus), and honestly if the nothing phone 2 is anything like this, we might have a real value brand that can easily knock the Pixel A and Galaxy A series of it’s game. We agree, the price is a little steeper, but for a phone this unique and polishes, you can sort of forgive it.

Samsung Galaxy A52

Availability: Locally

Alternative: Samsung Galaxy A14

Another case of choosing a 2021 phone over a 2022 edition, the Galaxy A52 was such a stroke of genius, we immediately decreed it better than the more premium S21. Unfortunately why Samsung went on to destroy that phone’s great run with the A53, we don’t know. To clarify, the A52 and A53 are actually very similar phones. The same level of performance, will run the same software for the next 2 years, same cameras, and the big difference of the A53 is the higher refresh rate screen. But that phone also sacrifices the headphone jack which for a cheaper phone, is a pretty big knock against it especially if it offers no huge upgrades for the removed feature. So the A52 remains our budget champ, especially since now in Zim you can buy it for just $200. For that you again, get a phone that is a better deal than Samsung’s S21 flagship from the same year. An alternative would be this year’s newer A14, which performance wise is actually just as good as the A52 and 53, while being boosting a few newer specs, 3 years of updates and still having the headphone jack. Personally, I’m all for it

Google Pixel 5a

Alternate: Pixel 6a, Pixel 6

Availability: International – Amazon Link

It would seem like the usual Android budget kings kinda failed us this past year, considering I’m recommending the 2021 variants of their phones instead of the 2022 ones. And that’s kinda correct. The Pixel 6a has a new design and tensor processor just like the big Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. But it loses the headphone jack and actually still has the same legacy Pixel camera that’s been there ever since the Pixel 5a, 4a and beyond. Combine that with a $450 price and well, the now $250 or less Pixel 5a seems like a better option. It’s about the same performance, same camera, same water resistance and a headphone jack for $200 less. Remember this is the budget category, and we’ll prioritize savings here first. But if u don’t want to do that, then here’s another alternative : the actual Pixel 6. No really. This phone has dropped to as little as $350, which if I were you, I’d take that to mean, one of the best flagship of 2021 is now a budget phone in price. Meaning top tier performance, an amazing screen, still a top5 camera of the past 2 years, wireless charging and the best of Google’s software. All for $350. I’d say that’s a bargain.

Redmi Note 11 Pro

Availability: Locally

Redmi’s Note Phones have become a bit legendary in the budget phone space, boasting the types of specs even Samsung can’t keep up with and being crazy affordable to boot. 2021’s Note 10 series was pretty awesome but we reckon the Note 11 series will scratch Most people’s itch, especially with a Qualcomm 600-series processor that’s respectably powerful and can manage most tasks for most users , a bright, 120HZ display that blows almost everyone at it’s price out of the water,SD card and headphone jack support, and a 108MP monster camera that can make an $800 iPhone owner feel jealous. This phone is a killer deal for $250 here in zim, and even less online. Which is also why we put it here instead of the slightly newer Note 12 Series. An alternative is the Note 10 Pro, which is great but still similarly priced locally, so you might want to save the extra 50 or so bucks and just get the big boy instead. OR if you’re that pressed, there’s this:

Redmi Note 11:

Availability: Locally

Alternative : Redmi Note 10

Now look, we actually wanted to give this spot to a Tecno or Infinix device at first, after all if you’re shopping for less than $200, you run into those phones a lot. But the regular Redmi Note 11 is just too good of a deal to pass up. Remember all those good things we said about the Note 11 Pro, they apply here too with just the exception of a 50MP camera instead of a 108MP lens. For that you get a $180 or slightly less price locally here in Zim. Just to be clear, this is a phone you could buy and probably be satisfied with for the next 2 to 3 years(unless you get super rich and want to manifest mbinga energy), and this phone is going for less than $200. That’s a bargain no matter how you look at it, and it beats buying an iPhone or Tecno that you might want to swap after a year of use.

Specialist phones

These are the phones that either do something a little different or stand out more. They might adhere to the norm most of the time, but they have something about them that other phonemakers can’t create or have stayed away from. As such if you have a little extra flair about you, theses are your phones.

Foldables:

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

Availability: Locally | Regionally (SA) | Internationally

Alternative : Galaxy Z Fold 3

We consider this sort of a win by default because honestly, there are actually devices out there that CAN beat this phone. But since 90% of those aren’t easily obtainable, this is what most of us will have to settle for. And thankfully, this phone/tablet hybrid is still a really good one. In fact it’s almost a victory lap for Samsung now. With a solid set of cameras (basically the same ones on the S22+), limited water resistance, tweaks to that hidden/invisible camera, and of course the best processor you could get in the past year. Again: solid. But besides the camera and and processor, everything else great about this phone could be applied to it’s predecessor, the Fold 3, including that S-Pen support. It shows Samsung iterated so fast here that they’ve basically hit a wall. And we’ll that’s not a bad thing. For one more year, this device deserves to be king, but that might not be the case next year.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

Availability: Regionally (SA) | Internationally

If the Fold is the king, this good looking beauty is the queen of foldables. The Z Flip basically hit the ground running since day one and now you can even catch some people using them out in the world. The Flip 4 basically maintains its lead and while I’d raise contenders for the Fold 4, here the Flip still seems more dominant. Yes OPPO, Huawei and Motorola are launching competitors, but none of those have seemed definitively superior, let alone been available too. Again, this should change, but for now this is probably still the most stylish foldable you can buy, and for good reason, Samsung nailed it.

Photography/ Cameras

Sony Xperia 1/IV

Availability: Internationally

This one might seem strange to you, after all we kept praising the Pixel, S22 Ultra and the iPhone for their capabilities. And if you’re just a regular joe or entry level photography enthusiast, those are the phones for you. However if you’re looking for some professional level camera performance and control, the Xperia 1 IV is still your best choice. Sony’s made a habit of making their devices even more niche as of late, with a cloud processing service to edit audio and video coming with this phone as well, but still the big draw here is the granular control and capability of this device’s sensors. If you’ve ever used a professional Sony camera, this will feel exactly like that. Yes the S22 Ultra gives some pro mode controls as well, but nothing this deep. It’s the most analogue experience you can have on a fully digital system. And speaking of analogue, if you love sound, this is probably the device for you too, especially since Sony not only has a headphone jack with Quad DAC capabilities like LG used to have, but also a special codec if you use Sony’s wireless earphones/headphones for the best audio quality possible. You can see why they call this a mobile studio.

Gaming:

Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro

Availability: Internationally

In 2017 or so when gaming phones first became a thing, I found them ridiculous. But now in a world of game streaming, the Steam Deck and even dedicated mobile gaming devices like the Razer Edge, it’s pretty obvious that gaming phones have somehow found that market that we thought was nonexistent. And thankfully, despite being a little ridiculous in a few ways, ASUS’s ROG phone 6 is still an amazing phone. Let’s start on the more ridiculous side :this thing could be your PC. It has up to 18GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and enough brute force power to actually warrant the fan attachment it comes with. It still has TWO charging ports and LED lights at the back with a customisable display.But on top of all that, it has a 6000mAH battery, a headphone jack, an awesome 120Hz display, water resistance and honestly, it’s hard to ask for more here. In being overkill, this phone does almost everything right. Yes the cameras aren’t the best and it still has no wireless charging, but again, this is a mobile gaming device. Is a Nintendo Switch judged by how well it’s camera performs? Exactly. If you’re not going to buy a Steam Deck and want a fusion between your gaming device.

And that’s our list. We tried our best to cover things as best as we could , and we hope you appreciate the info we gave you. Of course this is still a subjective subject and if you have some phones you think we missed , let us know in the comments or on our socials. Stay tuned for our updated lists as the year continues.

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