July is closing the curtains, and we look back the important launches that this month had to offer. Unlike June, July was way more hot with important releases. We saw the rise of many smartphones powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. the usual set of important releases. However, unlike some rumors, there are still a lot of devices set to come in August. Anyway, the month of July brought us important releases such as the Xiaomi 12S series. These devices kicked the new Qualcomm processor into the light of day. The month was certainly a good one, and here is our list of the best smartphone launches of July 2022.
In addition to Xiaomi, we also saw Realme making its move with the Realme GT 2 Master Explorer Edition. Unlike the previous iterations, the new device came as a true premium flagship. iQOO also made a comeback to the flagship scene with the iQOO 10 series in China. The iQOO 10 Pro is the fastest-charging device to reach the market. After all, it’s the first one to get “commercially-available” with 200 W charging. Meanwhile, the Indian audience will get the iQOO 9T in August. It will serve the market until iQOO 10 arrival. ASUS also made a comeback with the ZenFone 9 and ROG Phone 6.
The best smartphones of July 2022 are here
Other gaming brands such as Black Shark, and Red Magic also made their move. Even Nubia decided to upgrade its smartphone portfolio with a new Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Nubia Z40 Pro S. We can also cite the Nothing phone (1), after all, it’s one of the most relevant releases. Although it’s certainly not the most powerful.
BEST SMARTPHONE LAUNCHES OF JUNE 2022 – DISCLAIMER
As aforementioned, this list below brings some of the best smartphones launched in July 2022. At least in our humble opinion. Maybe, you’ll think I’m missing a smartphone on this list. Don’t worry, you’ll be free to comment and share your opinion in the comments section. The devices below are those who stole our attention, created hype and anticipation ahead of their release and etc. There are various options in the flagship segment, as well as some devices that get the spotlight in the mid-range segment. Worth noting that this list is not only composed of the devices that perform better but also brings some good contenders that stole the attention due to their appeal, no matter the segment they’re targeting.
Xiaomi 12S
We start our list with of best smartphone launches of July 2022 with the Xiaomi 12S series. These devices have basically opened the season of releases in the “standard smartphone” category. These devices were really powerful and scream “premium” appeal. And certainly deserve a place on our list.
The vanilla Xiaomi 12S model sports a compact 6.28-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display. The panel has a 120Hz refresh rate support. Furthermore, the phone also comes with Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos support along with HDR10+ certification. It also has a peak brightness of 1100 nits.
The phone has a 4500 mAh battery with 67W fast charging support, 50 W wireless charging, and 10 W reverse wired charging. In terms of software, it runs Android 12-based MIUI 13 out of the box. Obviously, you can expect it to get MIUI 14. Going back to the phone, the Xiaomi 12S has dual speakers and an in-display fingerprint scanner.
In the camera department, the phone has a 50MP Sony IMX707 main camera. It comes with a 13 MP ultrawide camera and a 5 MP tele-macro camera sensor.
Xiaomi 12S Pro
Moving on to another device that deserves a place in our list of best smartphone launches of July 2022 – The Xiaomi 12S Pro.
The 12S Pro sports a 6.73-inch Quad HD+ resolution, E5 AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate support. It’s a crispy panel playing in the Quad HD+ resolution segment. Something that is only available on super-premium flagships nowadays. The 10-bit display offers 1500 nits of peak brighand tness, a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus; Furthermore, it has an in-display fingerprint scanner.
Leica optics for the best smartphones
Interestingly, the Xiaomi 12S series mark Xiaomi’s partnership with Leica. Therefore, the Xiaomi 12S Pro has Leica-tuned triple-cameras on the back. It has a 50 MP main camera, a 50 MP ultrawide, and a 50 MP telephoto camera with 2x zoom. It’s a really powerful combination of cameras, so you can expect stellar pictures to be captured with these smartphones. The device also features a 32 MP front camera. The device packs a 4600 mAh battery with support for 120W fast charging and 50W wireless charging.
Both phones feature a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC under the hood. They come with up to 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. Worth noting that the Xiaomi 12S Pro also sells in a variant with the MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ SoC. This one has a 5160 mAh battery with 67W fast charging support.
Xiaomi 12S Ultra – One of the best smartphone launches of 2022
The true king of the lineup is the Xiaomi 12S Ultra. The device is the Xiaomi 12 Ultra or Mi 12 Ultra that we have been talking about for months. However, Xiaomi has ultimately scrapped the original plan with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 for this new variant. It brings a supreme camera setup and the optimizations brought by Leica and Qualcomm with the newer Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. It certainly is one of the best smartphone launches of July 2022. Perhaps, it’s even one of the best releases of the entire 2022.
The new ultra-premium smartphone from Xiaomi sports a 6.73-inch AMOLED display with a Quad HD+ resolution. The panel is a 12-bit curved display with a 120Hz refresh rate support. The phone uses cutting-edge LTPO 2.0 technology. Therefore, it refreshes from 1Hz to 120Hz depending on the on-screen content. It’s a tech measure that prevents the battery from draining without a need.
The king of Xiaomi smartphones returns
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra also features a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. It comes with 12 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of internal storage. The device draws power from a 4,860 mAh battery with 67 W fast charging, 50 W wireless charging, and 10 W reverse wireless charging support. Xiaomi has packed its Surge P1 and G1 chipsets to ensure better battery management. Some may not be happy with the lack of 120 W charging, but the device still has one of the best battery backups in the industry.
On the back, there is a Leica-tuned triple-camera setup. The 12S Ultra has a 50 MP Sony IMX989 1-inch sensor. It’s the first 1-inch sensor to reach the market and promises impressive results. It is accompanied by a 48 MP ultrawide camera and a 48 MP periscope camera with up to 120x hybrid zoom. Yeah, the zoom capabilities are astonishing.
The phone also features a 32 MP front camera packed inside the hole-punch cutout at the top centre of the display. The 12S Ultra runs Android 12 out of the box. It has a layer of MIUI 13 on top. The phone also features an in-display fingerprint scanner, Harmon-Kardon-tuned dual speakers, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, 5G, 4G VoLTE, etc. Unlike the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, the 12S Ultra does not bring any kind of secondary display in the rear. Anyway, many consider this a gimmick.
iQOO 10
iQOO also enters this list with two very relevant releases. The company rises up one number in its flagship lineup with the iQOO 10 series. These devices are powerful hardware-focused smartphones that deserve a place among the best smartphone launches of July 2022. These devices also bring the iconic design from the BMW series.
The iQOO 10 sports a 6.78-inch Full-HD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz screen refresh rate. The panel also supports HDR10+ content and is quite bright. Under the hood, the phone goes by the same Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. There is up to 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. In terms of optics, the phone packs a 50 MP (GN5) main camera, a 13 MP ultra-wide, and a 12 MP telephoto lens. The rear camera comes with OIS and supports up to 20x digital zoom. It comes with a 16 MP selfie snapper. It’s a decent combination of optics, and it’s a department where iQOO is really improving. The focus of iQOO flagships was performance, but the recent entries are also making good in the camera department.
The phone is packed with a 4,700 mAh battery and comes with support for 120 W fast charging. Other features include Android 12 OS, an in-display fingerprint scanner, LTE, Bluetooth 5.3, and dual-band Wi-Fi 6e.
iQOO 10 Pro
The iQOO 10 Pro flaunts a 6.78-inch Quad-HD+ E5 AMOLED display with a 120Hz screen refresh rate (LTPO). Just like the vanilla, the screen supports HDR10+ content as well. Under the hood, the phone is powered by Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. However, the Pro variants bring a dedicated V1+ camera chipset. The phone comes with up to 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and offers up to UFS 3.1 512GB of internal storage.
Further, in the camera department, the device comes with a triple rear camera setup with a 50 MP main camera, a 50 MP ultra-wide angle lens, and a 14.6 MP telephoto lens. The phone also comes with OIS. To the front, there is a 16 MP selfie snapper. The phone draws power from the 4,700mAh battery and comes with support for 200W fast charging. You’ve heard right, that the iQOO 10 Pro is the fastest-charging smartphone to reach the market.
Other features include 9.5mm thickness, 216-gram weight, an in-display fingerprint scanner, Android 12, 5G, 3930 mm sq. VC cooling chamber, NFC, Bluetooth, and dual-band Wi-Fi.
Realme GT 2 Master Explorer Edition
Realme also made its move in July 2022 to keep its name in the headlines. The company launched its best flagship of the year in the form of Realme GT 2 Master Explorer Edition. It’s a really impressive phone with premium specifications.
The Realme GT 2 Master Explorer Edition sports a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It also supports HDR10+. The handset also comes with X7 independent display chip. Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. The device comes with up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM. It’s the world’s first phone to feature the LPDDR54X standard. In terms of storage, you get up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
The Master Explorer returns as a true flagship
In the camera department, the GT 2 Master Explorer Edition sports a triple rear camera setup. It comprises a primary 50 MP (IMX766) primary sensor with OIS, a 50 MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and 40 x microscope lens. It comes with a 16MP selfie camera on the front. Further, the GT 2 Master Explorer Edition draws power from a 5,000 mAh battery unit with support for 100W fast charging speed. This is also Realme’s first phone to come with a GaN charger. GaN stands for Gallium Nitride and it reduces heat by up to 85%. With the new GaN charger, the device will charge to 100% in 25 minutes.
Other features of the device include an under-screen optical fingerprint scanner, dual VC flagship cooling system, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, 4G LTE, 5G, NFC, dual speaker setup with Dolby Atmos, USB Type-C port, Android 12 OS with Realme UI 3.0 running on top.
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ASUS ZenFone 9
After a long silence, one could have thought that ASUS was done with the common flagships. However, the company returns all of sudden with the ASUS ZenFone 9. It’s certainly one of the most relevant launches and deserves a place among the best smartphone launches of July 2022. The device has a very capable set of specs, and a compact body and display. So, if you’re into small displays, the ASUS ZenFone 9 probably is your only option.
The ASUS Zenfone 9 sports a 5.9-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz screen refresh rate. This phone will come with a Full HD+ 2400 x 1080 pixels resolution with a 20:9 aspect ratio. The phone’s screen is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. Under the hood, the phone is powered by the Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor and will be available in three configurations 一 8GB + 128GB, 8GB + 256GB, and 16GB + 256GB. The phone uses LPDDR5 RAM and UFS3.1 storage.
A compact super-flagship among the best smartphone launches
In the camera department, the Zenfone 9 will feature a large dual camera module on the back with 6-axis gimbal stabilization. The device packs a 50 MP Sony IMX766 camera with OIS. This is accompanied by a 12MP ultra-wide camera with an IMX363 sensor. The Zenfone 9 also comes with a 12MP Sony IMX663 with dual PDAF.
In the battery department, the Zenfone 9 packs a 4,300mAh battery, which is an upgrade from last year’s 4,000mAh battery. If you don’t think these numbers are expressive, please remember this is a compact phone with limited room. However, there is something that is not impressive, the charging speed. The device supports only 30W fast charging (0 to 50% in 30 minutes). It’s really annoying but is still faster than the iPhone 13 and the Galaxy S22. Another good thing, the charger will be bundled in the box. Interestingly, the ASUS ZenFone 6 is one of the only major flagships with a headphone jack. The 3.5mm jack is present on the top of the phone. Of course, if you opt for wireless earbuds, there are enough codecs to ensure a good experience. In terms of software, the phone runs on Android 12 out of the box.
Other features will include IP68 dust and water resistance, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, a dual speaker setup, 169 gram, and touch-sensitive strip above on the side, a Google Assistant button, vapor chamber cooling, support for 8K video recording, WiFi 6/6E, Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC.
Nothing phone (1)
Carl Pei’s master plan when founding Nothing has finally become a reality with the launch of the Nothing phone (1). The device comes with bold promises, solid software support, and decent hardware. It’s one of the best smartphone launches of July 2022 for sure. However, time will tell if the market will make this as successful as the OnePlus One was in its days.
The Nothing Phone (1) comes with a 6.55-inch OLED display with a 120Hz screen refresh rate and Full HD+ resolution. The phone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 778G+ processor with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. The phone comes in a transparent back with a Glyph interface, which is a set of LED lights present on the back of the phone and is customizable. Furthermore, the Nothing phone (1) comes with Gorilla Glass protection on the back as well as on the front.
Here comes Nothing to conquer the list of best smartphone launches
In the camera department, the Nothing Phone (1) features dual rear cameras on the back with a 50MP Sony IMX766 primary snapper and a 50MP Samsung JN1 ultra-wide angle lens. There is also a 16MP Sony IMX471 selfie snapper on the front.
Further, the phone draws power from the 4,500mAh battery unit with support for 33W fast charging. Furthermore, there is also support for 15W wireless charging and 5W of reverse wireless charging. However, the device will not come with a charging adapter in the box. The 45W charging brick, Nothing Power 45W will be sold separately for Rs 2,499. As for the software, the Phone (1) runs on Nothing OS based on Android 12 with nearly not many bloatware apps.
Other key features include dual-band Wi-Fi, a dual speaker setup, an under-display fingerprint scanner, and a 240Hz touch sampling rate.
ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro
The next devices on our list are the ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro. Both devices have basically the same set of specifications, so we’ll treat them almost like a single one. These devices are really impressive, but that’s one of the goals of gaming phones – impress hardware lovers. In this category, the ROG Phone 6 series will not disappoint. Furthermore, the devices will keep the unique design full of fancy features, ports, and triggers. Both devices deserve a place among the best smartphone launches of July 2022.
Both phones share most of the hardware. However, the ROG Phone 6 Pro has up to 18GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. The Pro model also is the only one with ASUS’ ROG Vision display on the back.
The two gaming phones sport a 6.78-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 165Hz refresh rate and 720Hz touch sampling rate support. There is also a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The display also supports 1200 nits of peak brightness and has a touch latency of 23 milliseconds.
Two gaming beasts with the same processor – two entries at the best smartphone launches of the July 2022 list
Under the hood, the phones feature a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. For thermal management, the ROG Phone 6 series features the new GameCool 6. It includes multiple layers and components like a vapor chamber. There are also two layers of enlarged graphite sheets, etc. There is also the AeroActive Cooler 6 fan, which can be attached to the back of the phone. Asus has also updated the Air Triggers on the left edge, which now supports nine remappable modes and 10 new motion gestures.
The devices pack a 6000 mAh battery with 65W fast charging support. Courtesy of the big battery and the cooling mechanism inside, the ROG Phone 6 series is fairly thick at 10.39mm. The devices also weigh about 228 grams. The devices come with two USB Type-C ports, which are mounted on the right and bottom edges.
Both devices feature stereo speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phones also come with a triple-camera setup on the back. There is a 50MP Sony IMX766 main camera, a 13MP ultrawide camera, and a 5MP macro camera. For selfies and streaming, the phones also feature a 12MP Sony IMX663 front camera sensor.
The ROG Phone 6 series runs Android 12 out of the box and will get updates for two years. The phones also feature WiFi 6e support, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, two SIM card slots, etc.
Nubia Z40S Pro
Nubia also decided to upgrade its Z-series flagship with the Nubia Z40S Pro. The new phone brings the updated Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC and has up to 18 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. It’s the only “standard flagship” or “Non-gaming flagship” that has such amount of RAM so far. In fact, most of the OEMs are starting to play with 16 GB of RAM. In comparison to the Z40, it also brings a new vapor chamber that keeps temperatures lower. This certainly makes a good combination with the newer processor that is more efficient. The device also has a bigger 5,000 mAh battery with 80 W fast-charging. There is also another variant with 4,600 mAh battery and 120 W fast-charging support.
The phone comes with a 6.67-inch AMOLED screen with a 144 Hz refresh rate and 480 Hz touch sampling rate. The phone has 2,400 x 1,080 pixels of resolution. The panel supports HDR 10+ content and has 100% of DCI-P3 coverage. It’s also quite bright with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits. The Nubia Z40S Pro also comes with stereo speakers with DTS:X Ultra tuning.
In terms of optics, the device comes with a 50 MP Sony IMX766 sensor with Optical Image Stabilization. There is also a 50 MP ultrawide shooter, and an 8 MP periscope lens with OIS. The phone has a 6 LED flash and a flicker sensor to improve low-light photography.
Moto G42
The world is not only made of flagships, so we definitively need to add some budget phones to the list of best smartphone launches of July 2022. Budget lovers will certainly enjoy the Moto G42. The latest entry for a lineup that always focused on value for money.
The Moto G42 sports a 6.4-inch Full HD+ AMOLED Screen with DCI-P3 color space, and 700 nits brightness. The downside is a regular 60Hz screen refresh rate. Under the hood, the phone is backed by an octa-core Snapdragon 680 SoC, which is based on a 6nm fabrication process. The phone comes in a single RAM and storage option with 4GB LPDDR4X RAM and 64GB of storage. In addition, the phone also supports a microSD card. That’s a trademark for budget phones.
In the camera department, the Moto G42 comes with a triple rear camera setup. There is a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle + depth lens, and a depth 2MP macro snapper. On the front, the phone comes with a 16MP selfie camera. The device draws power from the 5,000mAh battery and supports 20W Turbo charging via a Type-C port. In terms of software, it runs on Android 12. Motorola promises one major update to Android 13. However, it will receive three years of security patches.
Other key features of the device include a stereo speaker setup, Dolby Atmos, Qualcomm sound certification, NFC, IP52 water repellent design, and 3.5mm headphone jack.
Honor X8
We’ll close our list with the Honor X8. The device is also a cost-effective offering from Honor. The brand keeps trying to steal the heart of former Huawei fans, but is giving slow steps into the global markets. Let’s hope for a big presentation at IFA 2022. However, for the time being, the company has a lot to offer in the Chinese market. The Honor X8 is a budget 5G smartphone that has the Snapdragon 480+. It’s one of the few phones betting on Qualcomm budget 4G SoC.
The Honor X8 boasts Snapdragon 480+ chip. This processor contains eight Kryo 460 cores with a clock speed of up to 2.2 GHz, an Adreno 619 GPU, and a Snapdragon X51 5G modem. The budget phone has up to 6 GB of RAM and up to 128 GB of Internal Storage.
In addition, the device flaunts a 6.5-inch panel with Full HD+ resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate. There is a small notch at the top of the display that houses an 8-megapixel selfie camera. The rear camera now has a three-component configuration: a 48 MP camera, and two “decorative” 2 MP cameras for depth sensing and macro shooting.
Additionally, the equipment includes a side fingerprint scanner, a Bluetooth 5.2 adapter, an NFC controller, a USB Type-C port, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Power is provided by a 5000 mAh battery with support for 22.5W charging. In terms of software, there is a big controversy – Android 11. Let’s see if the global version will get Android 12.
