We have finally arrived at the last day of 2022 successfully. As the culmination of the Best Device 2022 article series, it's our turn to name the best Mercu Smartphone as well as the best smartphone this year .
Choosing criteria
Landmark class specification.
Has a variety of interesting additional features.
Present with new innovations.
Launched in 2022.
Officially sold in Malaysia.
There is no selling price limit.
Third Place – Vivo X80 Pro
For the first time a Vivo device entered the list of top three flagship devices. After several years of being seen as a sub-brand of Oppo, Vivo came out of the shadow of their "big brother" in 2022. Through the Vivo X80 Pro, a solid device was successfully offered to users in Malaysia.
It is in our opinion better than the Find X5 Pro which we put in the fourth step of this list because it is equipped with a bright screen, a powerful processor, a large battery, a fast charging system, IP68 water resistance and most importantly a ZEISS lens camera system complete with gimbal system.
In addition, the X80 Pro comes with an ultrasonic security system that requires two fingerprints to be scanned simultaneously to further tighten device security. A feature rarely seen on other flagship devices in the market. The reason why it only deserves third place is because Funtouch OS 12 has some bugs. However, we feel the X80 Pro is still better than the Find X5 Pro, Galaxy S22 Ultra and Xiaomi 12 Pro.
Specifications: 6.78” OLED QHD+ HDR10+, 120Hz, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 4nm (1 x 3.0 GHz Cortex-X2 + 3 x 2.5 GHz Cortex-A710 + 4 x 1.80 GHz Cortex-A510), 12 GB RAM, 256GB storage, 50+ 48+12+8 MP (Main), 32 MP (Selfie), 4700 mAh (80W), IP68, Android 12.
Price: RM4999 (12/256 GB)
Second Place – Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max is a smartphone that we say is the “teaser device for Android users”. All the shortcomings of the previous iOS were fixed through iOS 16. Finally, there is the Always on Display feature, better lock screen customization compared to Android, an accident detection feature that is proven to be effective and also the ability to do satellite communication in emergency situations.
Once again Apple shows they don't need to innovate drastically just improve existing systems to work more perfectly. Dynamic Isle which we initially thought was a gimmick actually has many practical features. It was so popular that when an app providing the same features for Android devices was offered, it was downloaded over a million times. In 2023 don't be surprised if Dynamic Isle will be the inspiration for similar features on Android flagship smartphones.
As always the iPhone's strength is its home-made chip. At the time of writing, the Apple 16 Bionic is still the chip with the best CPU, outperforming the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Geekbench test. The video performance of the iPhone 14 Pro Max is also the best in its class on both the rear and front cameras. For video content producers on TikTok or YouTube, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the best smartphone you can own. That's why we put it in second place.
Specifications: 6.7” OLED LTPO Super Retina XDR Dolby Vision, 120Hz, Apple A16 Bionic 4nm (2 x 3.46 GHz Everest + 4 x 2.02 GHz Sawtooth), 6GB RAM, up to 1TB storage, 48+12+12 MP (Main), 12 MP (Selfie), 4323 mAh (27W), IP68, iOS 16
Price: Starting at RM5799 (6/128 GB)
Champion – Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G
Once again the Galaxy Z Fold series we awarded as the best at the end of the year. Why is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 our pick as the best smartphone of 2022? The answer is that it is still the most innovative smartphone, has a large foldable screen, fixes the shortcomings of the Z Fold3 and comes with the best multi-tasking capabilities of a modern smartphone.
The Z Fold4's wider external screen makes it easier to use. The difference of a few millimeters manages to make this screen comfortable to use with one hand. Battery life gets longer because the larger internal screen isn't used as often. The real strength of the Z Fold4 lies in the software. With Android 12L, the tablet feature on this smartphone works much faster than last year's model.
The taskbar offered this year offers up to 10 quick shortcuts for the most frequently used applications. On a foldable screen, the Z Fold4's multitasking capabilities are comparable to those on a Windows and macOS computer.
Everything the iPhone 14 Pro Max can do can also be done by the Z Fold4 but there are many things the Z Fold4 can do that the iPhone 14 Pro Max cannot. The uniqueness of the Z Fold4 qualifies it to be the best smartphone of 2022 in our opinion , especially since the selling prices of these two flagship phones are comparable.
Specifications: 6.2” AMOLED 120Hz, 7.6” AMOLED 120Hz, Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4nm (1 x 3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 + 3 x 2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 + 4 x 1.80 GHz Cortex-A510), 12GB RAM, up to 1TB storage , 50+12+10 MP (Main), 10MP (Outdoor Selfie), 4MP (Indoor Selfie), 4400 mAh (25W), IPX8, Android 12L.
Price: Starting at RM6799 (12/256 GB)
The list of the Best Devices 2022 has been completed. Hopefully with this list it will be easier for all readers to find the most suitable smartphone for their daily needs depending on price, classification and performance. See you in 2023 which we believe will be a more interesting year although it is expected to be more challenging due to economic constraints.