Best Gadgets of 2022 (Pt 2): Handsets of the Year

One of the most remarkable aspect of the phone world remains how wide a choice consumers have. Our selection of the best buys for 2022 range in price from R279 to R26,999.

Best Feature phone

Nokia 105 Africa edition (R279)

The 5th generation of one of the most popular feature phones yet produced (and a regular winner in this category) is geared towards the needs of the African continent. It brings to the market FM wireless radio on a cellphone without the need for earphones, so the phone can be used as a regular FM radio. It retains the popular features of previous editions, namely a built-in torch and a selection of games. It comes with 4 MB RAM and 4 MB internal storage. The 1.77-inch screen uses QQVGA colour, meaning it displays basic colours. The 800 mAh removable battery promises 12 to 15 hours of talk time, and 18 days on standby.

Entry-level smartphone

Mobicel Vibe Dual Sim (from R379)

With a 4-inch VGA screen and the Android R Go operating system, it is as basic as smartphones get. It has 1GB Internal memory, an 8GB main camera and 2MP selfie camera.

Lower mid-range smartphone

Tecno Spark 8C (R3,299)

The Tecno Spark 8C is an entertainment-oriented device, with a large 6.6-inch display, and 90Hz screen refresh rate, along with a long-lasting 5000 mAh battery. This means that it is great for gaming as well as watching video, two of the most common mobile activities of young users. For the entrepreneur, the device’s new Memory Fusion technology allocates more storage to RAM to enhance multi-tasking, by extending its 4GB RAM to 7GB RAM, in line with higher-cost mid-range phones. It makes decent photos and videos, with an 8MP front camera with flash, and a 13 MP AI-enhanced dual camera on the back. Along with  AI Scene Recognition and HDR mode, it uses multiple algorithms to bring images up to the standard of phones double its price.

Mid-range smartphone

Huawei nova Y70 (Recommended retail price of R5,499)

The Huawei nova Y70 Plus is an outsized smartphone with a massive screen and massive battery to match – but a moderate price tag. The Huawei interface is smooth and innovative, with gesture navigation features that one can learn fairly quickly. Despite a large 6.75-inch screen with 1600×720 resolution and a massive 6,000mAh battery, it weighs less than 200g. It supports 22.5w SuperCharge, which gives it a good few hours usage from a 10-minute charge.Its triple rear camera includes a 48MP main lens with f/1.8 sensor, a 120° 5MP ultra-wide-angle camera and a 2MP depth lens. A 8MP selfie camera on the front uses AI software to smooth out skin and highlight key features.

Upper mid-range smartphone

Samsung A53 (Recommended retail price R8,494)

Samsung’s mid-range Galaxy A series solidified the place of 5G as a mainstream spec in the mid-range of smartphones costing less than R10,000. It features a quad-camera on the rear, comprising 64MP main lens,12MP ultrawide, 5MP macro, and 5MP depth, and a 32MP selfie camera. The screen offers a smooth 120Hz, 6.5-inch, 1080×2400 resolution display, on. The specs are similar to last year’s A52, but instead of a Qualcomm processor, it uses an Exynos 1280 octa-core chip manufactured with an ultra-thin 5nm process, and software optimises the performance of the phone to a new level.

Premium mid-range smartphone

Huawei nova 10 Pro (from R15,999)

The new Huawei nova 10 Pro has a front camera that, not long ago, would have done any smartphone’s main lens proud: an autofocus ultrawide 60MP lens, the highest we have yet seen on the front of a smartphone. The main camera is paired with an 8 MP portrait close-up camera, making this one of the rare true dual-selfie cameras on the market. The nova 10 Pro is 7.88mm thick and weighs 191g, with 8GB RAM, and 256GB storage. Despite the dimensions of the phone not being gigantic, a high 91% screen-to-body ratio delivers a huge 6.78-inch display – great for watching the videos one makes or downloads. It provides double-HD resolution of 1200 x 2652 pixels, with 429 ppi (Pixels per inch) density.

Lower flagship (high-end) smartphone

Oppo Reno8 Pro (fromR19.999).

The Oppo Reno8 Pro is the first Oppo handset retailing in South Africa at above R16,000. It runs on a computer chip that has been described as the most energy efficient processor of 2022, the MediaTek 5nm Dimensity 8100-MAX SOC,. It is powered by a 4500mAH battery, and ships with an 80W charger using Oppo’s proprietary SuperVOOC fast-charging technology, which enables a 50% charge in 11 minutes. The question was: can we get the phone ready for a working day out of the office while we catch that last cup of coffee? The answer was, yes. The 6.7-inch screen has a fast 120Hz refresh rate and 1000Hz Ultra touch response, meaning it is instantly responsive in mobile gaming. A 50MP main camera, using a wide-angle 23mm lens with a focal length of f/1.8, is supplemented by an 8 MP ultrawide 16mm lens and a 2 MP macro lens, which combine to give 4K functionality. A 32MP selfie camera allows 2X zoom,

Upper flagship (high-end) smartphone

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G (from R26,999)

The S22 Ultra with S Pen spells the end of the Note series, which has redefined handset sizes since 2011, when the first Note launched. Its success forced Apple to abandon its cherished argument that users did not want large displays, and today the so-called “phablet” form factor is standard in flagship smartphones, to the extent that the term is no longer used. The incorporation of the S Pen also signals the end of the divide between “productivity” and “lifestyle” handsets, recognising that the two needs have merged. The camera is built with a 2.4um pixel sensor — Samsung’s largest pixel sensor ever. It comes with 12MP main, 10MP ultra-wide, 3x 10MP telephoto, and 10x 108MP super-telephoto lenses, with a 10MP front camera.

Foldable smartphone

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip (R21,999)

It’s not the top of the foldable range, but it’s the best value for money, at almost two-thirds the price of its Z Fold sibling. Thanks to the gorgeous design, a compact and elegant form factor, and an accessible price, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 is poised to turn heads wherever it is opened. That, to be frank, is the primary purpose of the device. It allows a seamless transition from Quick Shot videos shot with the closed phone, to FlexCam camera mode with the phone opened. That’s aside from the folding action allowing shots to be set up from any angle.

* Arthur Goldstuck is founder of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Twitter on @art2gee