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The Best 5G Phones in 2022

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The Best 5G Phones in 2022

Gone are the days when people only used mobile phones to text and call. Today, most phones are smartphones with many features that make them function like portable computers, cameras, GPS systems, etc. Such phones come with internet connectivity, and when you don’t have access to Wi-Fi, you could still get a connection via your cellular network. You might’ve encountered EDGE, 3G, and LTE speeds in the past, but the latest is 5G technology, which promises impressive network speeds. Not all smartphones support 5G yet, but most top smartphone brands have released 5G-ready models in recent years. Apple and Samsung have been the frontrunners, and they undoubtedly make reliable phones that can make your life easier. When you’re looking to buy a new 5G phone, it would be advisable to research its specs beforehand. You would want the phone to have a powerful processor to help it run smoothly. It also needs excellent battery life so that you won’t have to keep recharging it throughout the day. Having a top-notch camera system would also be beneficial if you love taking photos for your social media accounts. Here are some of the best 5G phones you can get your hands on in 2022.

01 iPhone 13 Pro Max

There’s no denying that Apple makes some of the most innovative phones on the market, and millions of people regularly upgrade to their latest models each year. Their most recent high-end 5G-capable model as of early 2022 is the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Their lowest storage variant is 128 GB, which costs $1,099, while their largest storage capacity offer is a 1 TB model worth $1,599. The company has no problems giving their top-of-the-line phones a hefty price tag since people see that they get their money’s worth. The 13 Pro Max is available in graphite, silver, gold, sierra blue, and alpine green. The phone has a stainless steel design, a ceramic shield front, and a textures matte glass back part. The phone’s display measures 6.7 inches diagonally, and it has a Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion. It’s a high-quality all-screen OLED display with a 2778 x 1284 pixel resolution. The screen has superb motion handling because of its 120 Hz refresh rate, and its HDR capabilities make everything sharp and detailed. The A15 Bionic chip, 6-core CPU, and 5-core GPU make running apps and multitasking on the phone a breeze. IPhones are well-known for their superior camera performance, and the 13 Pro Max comes with a 12 MP camera system with ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto lenses. With its portrait mode, you can take DSLR-like photos with depth control and advanced bokeh. You can even take stunning pictures at night thanks to the phone’s Night Mode. This smartphone is also fantastic at taking videos because it can film 4K content at 60 fps with HDR and Dolby Vision capabilities. It also allows you to take all the high-quality Instagrammable selfies with its 12 MP front camera. One of the phone’s unique features is its Face ID, which you can use not only for unlocking your phone but also for easy login and validation for different apps and services. The iPhone 13 Pro Max also has improved battery life, FaceTime audio, video calling, Siri voice-control, and dual SIM support. You can confidently bring the phone to the beach or pool parties because it’s water, splash, and dust-resistant. Apple included earphones and a power adaptor with their phones in the past, but you only get a free USB-C to Lightning cable these days.

Pros

  • Top-notch performance
  • Fantastic bright 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display with a 120Hz refresh rate
  • Excellent battery life
  • Superb camera front and back camera system
  • Various smart features

Cons

  • Expensive

Specification

  • Price $999
  • OS iOS 15
  • CPU A15 Bionic
  • Battery Type Lithium-ion
  • Internal Memory 128 GB/6 GB RAM
iPhone 13 Pro Max

02 Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

Samsung’s answer to Apple’s high-end 5G models is its Galaxy S22 Ultra. This 5G-capable smartphone is the fastest phone of the brand as of early 2022 because it comes with its latest 4 nm processor that guarantees a powerful CPU and GPU. The phone is available in 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB models. Its durability won’t disappoint you because it has an Armore Aluminum frame and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. It also has an IP68 dust and water-resistance rating. The Galaxy S22 Ultra features a 6.8-inch Edge Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x display with 1,750-nit peak brightness, allowing fantastic screen visibility even when you’re outside under bright sunlight. The phone has a 120 Hz refresh rate, perfect for streaming videos and playing games. The S22 Galaxy Ultra will help you step up your social media game with breathtaking photos and videos because of its 40 MP front camera, 12 MP ultra-wide camera, 108 MP wide-angle camera, and two 10 MP telephoto cameras. You can also take photos from a far distance, thanks to its 100X Space Zoom. Its 5,000 mAh battery makes the phone’s juice last you an entire day, and it features 45 W Super Fast Charging. The phone comes with a built-in S Pen, and it also boasts an IP68 rating. If you buy the Galaxy S22 Ultra from the Samsung website, you get four free months of Youtube Premium, three free months of Spotify Premium, six months of 100 GB One Drive cloud storage, six free months of SiriusXM Streaming, and $100 Samsung Credit. The phone is available in phantom black, burgundy, phantom white, green, graphite, sky blue, and red.

Pros

  • Bright 6.8-inch Edge Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x display with a 120Hz refresh rate
  • Fantastic 5G support
  • 40MP front camera, 12MP ultra-wide camera, 108MP, wide-angle camera, and two 10MP telephoto cameras
  • Cameras have impressive low light performance
  • IP68 rating

Cons

  • Predecessors had higher RAM and longer battery life
  • Pricey

Specification

  • Price $349.99
  • OS Android 12, One UI 4.1
  • CPU Snapdragon 8
  • Battery Type Lithium-ion
  • Internal Memory 128 GB/8 GB RAM
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

03 iPhone 13

If the iPhone 13 Pro Max is too large and expensive for you, you can always go for the iPhone 13. The most affordable option for this 5G phone is the 128 GB variant which costs $799, while the 512 GB variant is the most expensive, with a price tag of $1,099. The iPhone 13 is available in red, starlight, midnight, blue, pink, and green. It features a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a 2532 x 1170-pixel resolution at 460 ppi. The display has HDR, Wide color (P3), True Tone, Haptic Touch, and fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. Like the 13 Pro Max model, the iPhone 13 also comes with the A15 Bionic chip that guarantees top-notch performance. The phone comes with a 12 MP wide/ultra-wide camera and a 12 MP TrueDepth camera. It has 2x optical zoom out, 5x digital zoom up, portrait mode with advanced bokeh, Depth Control, portrait lighting, Smart HDR 4, etc. It also has Night Mode, which will allow you to take breathtaking photos in low-light conditions. The iPhone 13 can film videos in cinematic mode with a shallow depth of field in 1080p at 30 fps. For its HDR video recording with Dolby Vision, you get 4K resolution at 60 fps. The phone has Apple’s Face ID function that you can use to log in or confirm payments across different apps. Aside from its 5G connectivity, the phone also comes with Gigabit LTE, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology. The phone’s built-in GPS makes it convenient to navigate through the different cities using the Maps app. If you have friends who are also iPhone users, you can quickly contact them using iMessage or FaceTtime video calling. Apple’s latest software update even allows users to share their screens on a video call. You won’t be disappointed by the phone’s battery because you can get up to 17 hours of video playback or 55 hours of audio playback with every charge. The iPhone 13 comes with MagSafe support for convenient wireless charging up to 15 W. All phones bought as of writing will come preloaded with iOS 15, and you get a free USB-C to Lightning cable. The only downside of getting the iPhone 13 model is that its display’s refresh rate is limited to 60 Hz.

Pros

  • Impressive 5G support
  • Bright and high-quality display
  • Excellent battery life
  • More affordable than competitors
  • Fantastic dual-camera system

Cons

  • 60 Hz refresh rate
  • Could improve its charging speed

Specification

  • Price $699
  • OS iOS 15
  • CPU A15 Bionic
  • Battery Type Lithium-ion
  • Internal Memory 128 GB/4 GB RAM
iPhone 13

04 Samsung Galaxy S22+

The next best 5G phone you can get from Samsung is the Galaxy S22+. The phone has a 6.6-inch Infinity-O FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with adaptive color contrast and a 120 Hz refresh rate. Its glass-metal-glass design with a strong aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass makes the phone durable, lightweight, and aesthetically pleasing. You can pick between a 128 or 256 GB storage capacity, and it’s available in phantom black, phantom white, green, burgundy, and pink gold. The phone features 8 GB RAM and a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor. You can take superb photos because of its 12 MP ultra-wide camera, 10 MP telephoto camera, 50 MP wide camera, and 10 MP front camera. The phone can shoot 8K video, and your footage will be smooth and stable because of its Auto Focus Video Stabilization feature. Its Night Mode is excellent for taking photos or filming at night, and its Portrait Mode allows you to capture images with your subject well-focused. The Galaxy S22+ Ultra has a long-lasting 4,500 mAh battery that features 25 W Super Fast charging. The phone has a convenient Google Duo feature that allows you to stream content with your friends who are also using Galaxy S22 phones running on Android 12 OS. Unlike the S22 ultra, it doesn’t come with an S Pen, but it isn’t too much of a deal-breaker if you’re not used to using a phone with a stylus.

Pros

  • Bright and high-quality display with 120 Hz refresh rate
  • Powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor
  • Excellent camera system
  • Impressive 5G support
  • Satisfying battery life

Cons

  • No S Pen support
  • Could use expandable storage

Specification

  • Price $899.99
  • OS Android 12
  • CPU Snapdragon 8
  • Battery Type Lithium-ion
  • Internal Memory 128 GB/8 GB RAM
Samsung Galaxy S22+

05 Google Pixel 6 Pro

Considering how much Google has evolved since it was first formed in the late ’90s, it’s not surprising that they also began selling smartphones. One of their best models is the Google Pixel 6 Pro. This 5G-capable smartphone has a fantastic 6.7-inch display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus with a refresh rate of 120 Hz and HDR10+ support. It features a custom Google Tensor chip that makes its speed superior to its predecessors. The phone comes in 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB variants, and they all feature 12 GB of RAM. Its camera system is impressive because you get a 50 MP wide camera, a 48 MP telephoto camera with 4x optical zoom, a 12 MP ultra-wide camera, and an 11.1 MP ultra-wide selfie camera. The rear camera has a maximum resolution of 4K at 60 fps. Users can use the Portrait Mode, Motion Mode, Magic Eraser, and Face Unblue to get the best photos possible in any environment. The Pixel 6 Pro uses a Li-Ion 5,003 mAh battery that lasts for a day per charge, and you can charge it quickly with a 30 W fast-charger. You don’t have to worry about any data breach because the phone is equipped with next-gen Titan M2 security. The Pixel 6 Pro is available in cloudy white, sorta sunny, and stormy black.

Pros

  • Durable and vibrant 6.7-inch display
  • 120 Hz refresh rate
  • Top-notch Google Tensor chip
  • 12 GB RAM
  • Incredible cameras

Cons

  • In-display fingerprint sensor can be pretty faulty

Specification

  • Price $881.37
  • OS Android 12
  • CPU Titan M2
  • Battery Type Lithium-ion
  • Internal Memory 128 GB/12 GB RAM
Google Pixel 6 Pro

Brett Clarke

Apr 11, 2022

82 Articles Published

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We're not just tech junkies, but we're also tech experts. Each and every "Best of.." list on TechJunkie is curated by our content-area subject matter experts to provide a well-rounded, unbiased perspective to help and inform you, our reader. Our lists are constantly reviewed and updated, so you can be sure you're reading relevant and up to date information.

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