2022 saw the launch of several hundred smartphones, some more successful than others. As we say goodbye to the year, it’s time to take a look at some of the best models measured by a very important metric: their popularity with you, our readers.
These are the top 20 phones you searched for the most in the last 12 months. We included some phones that technically debuted in 2021, but it didn’t feel fair to exclude those that started shipping on December 31.
The 5 most popular phones in 2022
Like last year, Samsung Galaxy phones occupy 9 positions in the Top 20. The clear leader (by a wide margin) is the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G. However, the other two members of the S22 fell behind the Galaxy S21 FE, so Samsung may want to reconsider the fate of the Fan Edition series. Also, keep in mind that out of the 9 Samsung phones there are 5 Galaxy A models and four from the S series.
Xiaomi occupies 6 places in the table: the Redmi Note 11 secured the third place, just behind the Galaxy A53 5G. Its brothers, the Redmi Note 11 Pro 11 Pro 5G, although they are not as popular, are also on the list. The Xiaomi 12 Pro and Xiaomi 12 (the December 31 phones we mentioned) were also some of the most popular phones of 2022, the 12S Ultra could have been too if it had launched earlier or gone global.
Most popular phones of 2022: from 6 to 10
The iPhone 14 Pro Max is the most popular Apple phone this year, not even close to the rest of the 14 series. The affordable iPhone SE is Apple’s second entry on the Top 20 chart, though it didn’t rank as high as its predecessor. predecessor in 2020.
OnePlus is historically one of the most popular brands in our database, so it’s no surprise that the OnePlus 10 Pro makes the list. No Nord this year, however. Still, it’s not a bad showing for a company that’s younger than most of the other brands on the list. Most, but not all: Nothing Phone (1) is the brainchild of OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, and it managed to attract enough interest to land it in the Top 10.
Most popular phones of 2022: from #11 to #15
Google gets some recognition this year, too, though not for the well-reviewed Pixel 7 series: it’s the humble Pixel 6a that represents Google’s phones this year (we hear there’s a Pixel 7a coming soon).
Finally, some notable things. We don’t know how many Sony Xperia Pro-I units have been sold, but the phone ignited people’s imagination and almost broke into the Top 20.
Then there is the iPhone 14 Plus, the newcomer to the family after the release of the mini. It ranked much lower than any other model in the iPhone 14 series (the 14 Pro isn’t too far out of the Top 20).
Most popular phones of 2022: from #16 to #20
Another thing to note is the lack of foldables in the Top 20. In fact, the most popular foldable is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, but that’s outside even the Top 50. As you can tell by the number of affordable phones in the chart below, price is still a big factor and foldables are not ready for mass adoption. Maybe in 2023, we will meet here in 12 months to discuss.
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