I used all Android flagships of 2022 — this is the phone you should buy

I used all Android flagships of 2022 — this is the phone you should buy

(Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)

I get to use a lot of phones. We just crossed the halfway point of the year, and I've already gone through over 30 phones. I have seven phone reviews scheduled just for July (I'm writing up the fourth one now), and while a majority of phones I use tend to be aimed at the mid-range category, I tried out all flagships released over the last 12 months. 

That includes the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy S22 Ultra, iPhone 13 Pro Max, Pixel 6 Pro, Find X5 Pro, OnePlus 10 Pro, Xiaomi 12 Pro, and Realme GT 2 Pro. Of all the devices I used this year, one stands out in particular: the Pixel 6 Pro. 

Because of the frenetic launch cycle at the start of the year, I could only use the Pixel 6 Pro for any extended amount of time two months ago. I've always liked Pixel devices for their software and camera prowess, so I couldn't wait to get started with the Pixel 6 Pro. 

What was immediately evident after I switched to the Pixel 6 Pro as my daily driver was the fluidity. All Pixels I've used up to this point felt somehow lacking on the hardware front; they never really measured up to their rivals. But that wasn't the case with the Pixel 6 Pro. 

Thanks to the custom Tensor platform and software optimization, the Pixel 6 Pro held its own against the best Android phones, and that's true to this day. After a month and a half of use, I have zero issues with the device.

There are two areas where the Pixel 6 Pro has a big lead over all other phones: software and cameras. Google's software efforts with Material You makes Android that much more fun to use, and I like the bright colors and redesigned widgets. Pixel-first features like Now Playing and Recorder are small additions, but they make a big difference in day-to-day use. 

There's also something to be said for the fact that the Pixel 6 Pro has no bloatware _ I can't say the same for most flagships. 

Then there are the cameras. The Pixel 6 Pro combines Google's software wizardry with custom hardware and great new lenses that make the phone stand out a lot more. 

The result is that the Pixel 6 Pro continues to take outstanding photos. What it does better than any other phone is portrait shots of inanimate objects — I took these photos of the Nothing phone (1) from the Pixel 6 Pro, and they're on par with what I would get from my Olympus OM-D E-M5 II. 

All flagships take great photos in any situation. The Pixel 6 Pro does it on the first try itself, and that's something I don't get with any other phone. 

The best part? The Pixel 6 Pro is now available for $699 (opens in new tab) — $200 off its usual retail price. That makes it a downright bargain considering just what you're getting here. I like the Galaxy S22 Ultra almost as much, but even accounting for it being on sale for $839 (opens in new tab), it doesn't do enough for me to dethrone the Pixel 6 Pro.