Top 20 phones of the year 2022

In 2022, several hundred smartphones were launched, some more successful than others. Now that we’re saying goodbye to the year, it’s time to look back at some of the best models measured by a very important metric – their popularity among you, our readers.

Here are the top 20 phones that you searched for the most over the past 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 31st.

The 5 most popular phones in 2022

Just like last year, Samsung Galaxy phones have 9 positions in the Top 20. The clear leader (by a large margin) is the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G. However, the other two S22 members fell behind the Galaxy S21 FE, so Samsung might want to reconsider the fate of the Fan Edition series. Also note that of the 9 Samsung phones, there are 5 Galaxy A models and four from the S series.

Xiaomi has 6 places on the chart – the Redmi Note 11 secured the third place, just behind the Galaxy A53 5G. Its sibling, the Redmi Note 11 Pro 11 Pro 5G, isn’t as popular, but it’s also on the list. The Xiaomi 12 Pro and Xiaomi 12 (the December 31st phones we mentioned) were also some of 2022’s most popular phones, the 12S Ultra could have been too if it had launched earlier or gone global.

Most Popular Phones in 2022: #6 to #10

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is the most popular Apple phone from this year, it’s not even close to the rest of the 14 series. The affordable iPhone SE is Apple’s second entry on the Top 20 list, although it didn’t place as high as its predecessor in 2020.

OnePlus is historically one of the more popular brands in our database, so it’s no surprise that the OnePlus 10 Pro made the list. No North this year though. Still, not a bad showing for a company that is younger than most 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 make it into the Top 10.

Most Popular Phones in 2022: #11 to #15

Google is also getting some recognition this year, though not for the well-reviewed Pixel 7 series – it’s the humble Pixel 6a that represents the Google phones this year (we hear a Pixel 7a is coming soon).

Finally, a few notable things. We don’t know how many Sony Xperia Pro-I units have been sold, but the phone ignited people’s imaginations and almost cracked the Top 20.

Then there is the iPhone 14 Plus, the newcomer to the family after the departure of the mini. It ranked far lower than any other iPhone 14 series model (the 14 Pro isn’t far outside the Top 20).

Most Popular Phones in 2022: #16 to #20

Another thing to note is the lack of any foldables in the Top 20. In fact, the most popular foldable is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, but it’s outside even the Top 50. As you can see from the number of affordable phones in the chart below, the price is still an important factor, and foldables are not ready for mass adoption. Maybe in 2023 – we’ll meet here in 12 months to discuss.