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The All-time Phones for 2022
Nosotros test and charge per unit hundreds of mobile phones each twelvemonth. Whether you're looking for Android, iOS, or a simple feature phone, these are our top picks for a variety of budgets and capabilities beyond the major United states wireless carriers.
Our Experts Have Tested 61 Products in the Mobile Phones Category in the Past Year
Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make meliorate ownership decisions. (Meet how nosotros examination.)
For near of us, mobile phones are at the heart of our universe. The typical feature set of these palm-size marvels is astounding. It'south your phone, your messaging device, your spider web browser, your photographic camera, your music player, your GPS, and more. The phone you cull volition bear upon your life in a multitude of ways. That's why nosotros're hither to help you lot pick exactly the correct one.
Punch Up the Perfect Telephone
We're a smartphone-dominated nation, with 4G LTE networks serving information faster than many habitation cyberspace connections, and 5G spreading across the land. Though we're at present down to three major wireless carriers, virtual carriers such every bit Google Fi, U.s.a. Mobile, and Visible continue competition live and push prices down. But some of our choices have constricted a bit: The smartphone OS marketplace is basically down to Apple tree's iOS and Google'south Android, and it's hard to find a really good simple voice phone nowadays.
Hither at PCMag, we review about every smartphone released on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless, and many of their sub-brands such as Heave, Cricket, Metro, and Visible.
Rather than purely choosing the phones with the highest ratings here, nosotros're trying to deliver a list of phones that are spread broadly beyond different price points. This listing is generally focused on the hottest, newest devices, but yous tin can likewise discover great value in slightly older phones, so be sure to shop around.
The Samsung Galaxy Fold3 5G gives you a large canvas for creativity (Photo: Molly Flores)
What should you exist looking for when buying a cell phone? Hither are some key points to consider.
Which Cell Phone Carrier Should You Choose?
Despite all the recent hardware and mobile software innovation, your wireless service provider remains your almost important decision. No matter what device you buy, information technology's a doorstop unless you have solid wireless coverage. Mayhap you have friends and family on the aforementioned carrier that you talk to for gratuitous, and you don't want that to change with your adjacent phone. Maybe y'all're lusting after a certain device—say, an unlocked smartphone for international travel. And of form, you lot desire to choose a carrier that offers fair prices, and provides the best coverage in your area. These are all skillful reasons to put the carrier decision get-go.
T-Mobile won our Fastest Mobile Network honor last year, every bit it had the but meaningful US 5G network in 2021. During the past year, T-Mobile has expanded its "ultra capacity" mid-band 5G network to 185 million Americans, and that network's performance is head and shoulders higher up AT&T and Verizon where information technology's available. You demand a 5G phone to take advantage of the new network, though, and it'southward mostly available in major metro areas.
AT&T excelled in rural coverage in our tests, with the best performance of the iii carriers in areas away from cities and off the interstates. Verizon's millimeter-moving ridge 5G is spectacular when you can observe it, though it's still not widely available. Both AT&T and Verizon are starting to testify dramatic network improvements in central cities equally they brainstorm to turn on new C-band channels for their 5G networks.
U.s.a. Cellular is just available in about one-half the country. It has a reputation for good client service, but has been suffering recently in our surveys equally readers accept said its prices and LTE network quality don't match upwardly to some of the alternatives.
There are also plenty of virtual operators that use the big three networks but offer lower monthly rates, cheaper international calls, or other benefits. They're normally better for lighter users and almost don't have family plans.
AT&T owns Cricket, T-Mobile owns Metro by T-Mobile, Verizon owns Visible, and Google owns Google Fi. Verizon now besides owns Net10, Page Plus, Simple Mobile, Straight Talk, Total Wireless, and Tracfone, although it may sell off some of those brands. We spotlight some of our favorite virtual operators in our roundup of the best cheap phone plans.
Do Y'all Need a 5G Telephone?
5G arrived in 2019, and most new smartphones now back up some form of it. But though 5G may modify everything in the future, it's not going to happen immediately.
As noted above, our Fastest Mobile Networks tests for 2021 showed huge gains by T-Mobile, more often than not thanks to mid-band 5G in urban areas. If you're a T-Mobile customer (or thinking of becoming i) in one of those areas, get a 5G telephone to take advantage of that new network.
AT&T's nationwide "5G" network is oft slower than its 4G coverage, which is very fast. The company has also said information technology won't curl out C-band equally quickly as Verizon volition. And then y'all don't need a newer phone to get the best out of AT&T right now.
Verizon Wireless is famed for its elevation-notch network quality. It just turned on C-band 5G in 46 metro areas, and data shows that information technology'south making a difference. If you're in one of the C-ring areas, upgrading to a C-band compatible 5G telephone with Verizon is a adept move. Otherwise, Verizon's "nationwide" 5G is only slightly faster than LTE and you don't need to business concern yourself with it as well much. You can find more 5G recommendations on our listing of the all-time 5G phones.
(Ane annotation: you may see a "5G East" icon on your existing AT&T telephone. That isn't 5G; it is a marketing ploy. Your telephone is nevertheless running on 4G.)
Locked vs. Unlocked Phones
Equally carriers have moved to increasingly more disruptive service and pricing plans, the value of unlocked phones has been rising appropriately.
Unlocked phones are bought from a tertiary-political party store or directly from the manufacturer, and aren't tied to a specific carrier. Usually, you can use them with AT&T or T-Mobile. But some popular unlocked phones piece of work on all iii major carriers. For the almost flexibility, look for a recent Apple iPhone, Google Pixel, Samsung flagship, or Motorola phone. If you're subscribed to a depression-price MVNO service, it'southward worth making sure your unlocked phone volition work on its network; we've received several emails stating that some MVNOs aren't supporting phones that are equipped to work on their networks.
In the past, unlocked phones typically worked on all the major carriers, but 5G phones are a different story. Apple, Google, and Samsung's 5G phones will work on every major The states carrier, but many other brands either accept limited band support or are only certified for specific carriers. AT&T customers should accept extra caution before buying an unlocked 5G phone, since many phones that will theoretically work on its network have however to be certified by the carrier.
Google's Pixel 6 is the best midrange Android phone correct now (Photo: Steven Winkelman)
What Is the Best Smartphone?
As more people become accustomed to instant e-mail, web, music, and messaging access at all times of the day, regardless of where they are, smartphones have become almost indispensable. That said, there'due south plenty of diversity out in that location—not to mention devotees of specific Bone platforms. Sometimes, a platform'south user interface or app selection only speaks to y'all, and that's all there is to it. With that in heed, and at the adventure of attracting flames, let's break it downwardly as well as nosotros can for those who aren't so fully vested.
There's actually less variety in smartphone platforms and designs than in that location was a few years ago. Android and iOS are the two major smartphone platforms, both in U.s.a. sales and in the availability of third-party apps. The iPhone has the best app store and the best media features. Just Apple tree'south tightly controlled ecosystem can feel stifling to some, and iOS isn't easy to customize or modify. At that place'due south far more variety amongst Android handsets, and Android's open-source nature makes it a tweaker's dream. But it as well means fragmented third-political party app compatibility, occasional bugs, carrier-installed bloatware you tin't remove, and scattered, often sporadic Bone updates.
Phones are available in a wide range of sizes and shapes, to fit various types of hands. Samsung'southward Milky way S22 and Apple's iPhone 13 mini are narrower than most other phones, like shooting fish in a barrel to hold in one mitt, and still have plenty of screen real estate. The iPhone 13 Pro Max, on the other paw, is gigantic, best for people who desire a large window into their online world and/or a large camera viewfinder.
Strictly interested in Android? Head over to our best Android phones roundup. Baffled by the variety of iPhones? Here's how to determine which iPhone to buy. And if you lot want to document the world around yous with your phone, we've rounded upwards the best camera phones too.
The Best Feature Phones
A good portion of the US population is still using simpler phones, but at that place are surprisingly few current choices out at that place. There are nonetheless reasons to get a elementary, less-expensive device: They're easier to utilize, and they accuse much lower monthly fees considering information isn't involved. There are some killer deals for phonation-just usage on virtual carriers such as TracFone and Consumer Cellular.
Recommended by Our Editors
The Sonim XP3plus is one of our top picks for feature phones (Photo: Sascha Segan)
Our favorite voice telephone correct now is the Sunbeam F1, a simple phone that comes in three feature-restricted models. We also like the Sonim XP3 for AT&T, the Kyocera DuraXV Farthermost for Verizon, and the Sonim XP3plus for T-Mobile. If your budget is tight, the lowest-cost voice phone worth getting is the unlocked $49.99 Nokia 225 4G.
Different smartphones, feature phones are a matter of "what y'all encounter is what yous get." They don't receive software upgrades or run thousands of additional apps. For vocalism quality, read our characteristic on how to brand your cell phone calls sound better. Wireless network coverage is always the biggest factor, only individual phones tin can vary in reception, earpiece quality, transmission quality through the microphone, and side-tone (the echo of your own voice that helps prevent you from yelling at the other person). A phone with middling to poor reception quality can be about impossible to use in a marginal coverage surface area, while one with excellent reception can make the best of the fiddling signal that'due south available. Another point to consider: Some phones take much louder speakerphones than others.
For more than, run across our picks for the all-time phones for seniors. Nosotros also have a roundup of the best phones for kids.
What'due south the Best Time to Buy a New Telephone?
The best time to purchase a new telephone is when you demand one. If your phone took a header in the pool or met its demise on the pavement, get whatsoever's available that best meets your needs. Only if you're watching your budget or riding the cutting edge, a little knowledge and planning can keep y'all from ownership a phone that's about to be discounted or replaced with something newer and cooler.
The pandemic and the global chipset shortage accept upended the usual phone release cycles, and nosotros're not sure if that's going to change back. Based on 2020 and 2021, here'south when we think some of the major flagship phones will announced in 2022. These are just guesses, though:
-
Apple tree: iPhone 14 in September 2022
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Google: Pixels in October 2022
-
Samsung: New foldables in August 2022
By the way, if you're wondering where the Moto Edge+ and the OnePlus ten Pro are, they aren't on this list; both have flaws that render them good rather than great.
Want to Spend Less?
This story tends to be headlined past very expensive phones, but yous can get a perfectly good smartphone for nether $300.
The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G is our favorite budget telephone right now. The Galaxy A33 should exist launching presently and we're keeping an eye out for it. For under $200, the Moto G Power is the current leader.
At $429, Apple'due south 2022 iPhone SE is the least expensive new iPhone. Its major feature is 5G, but if you don't intendance about that, an older or used iPhone (such every bit the iPhone 11, the 2020 iPhone SE, or the iPhone XR) is a perfectly fine option.
For more on getting phones for less, see our list of the best cheap phones.
Finally, we update this story every fourth dimension we review a new phone worth a spot on the list, so it changes often. Exist sure to cheque back soon for our latest recommendations.
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Source: https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-phones
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