7 best upcoming phones of 2022 and beyond: the handsets we’re excited to see

2022 has been a great year for phones so far. We’ve seen the Samsung Galaxy S22 range for example, complete with a radically different Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, while Apple has launched a whole bunch of phones, including the notch-free iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

We’re approaching the end of the year now, and major launches might be in short supply, but we expect things to pick up again in early 2023.

So we’ve listed all the most anticipated upcoming handsets of 2022 below, along with those you can look forward to in 2023. These are phones that in most cases are likely to be great, and at the very least should be interesting, unusual, or innovative.

Samsung Galaxy S23

The Samsung Galaxy S23 and its siblings – including the Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S23 Ultra – are likely to be the most popular Android flagships of 2023, and we’re expecting to see them early in the year – probably in February.

Leaks suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra could get a monstrous 200MP camera, and that every S23 model will use a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset everywhere in the world, rather than some regions getting an Exynos one.

We haven’t heard a huge amount else yet at the time of writing, but expect rumors to ramp up as we get closer to launch.

Google Pixel 8

The Google Pixel 7 only launched in October 2022, but it and the Pixel 7 Pro were so good that we’re already eager to see what Google cooks up for the Pixel 8.

So far we haven’t heard much about this phone, other than that it will probably use a Tensor 3 chipset and support satellite communications, but we expect class-leading cameras and generally strong software.

Stay tuned for more information, because leaks and rumors are sure to start emerging in greater quantities as we get closer to the phone’s launch.

Google Pixel Fold

The Google Pixel Fold is a phone that we’ve been hearing about for years, and more recently we’ve heard that it might land in late 2022. That said, a 2023 launch is now looking more likely.

From what we’ve heard so far, the Google Pixel Fold might have a 7.6-inch foldable OLED screen, a 5.8-inch cover display, and the same Tensor chipset as the Pixel 6 range. It could also look like the phone in the image above, which sources claim shows the design of the Pixel Fold.

We’d take all of this with a pinch of salt for now, but this could end up being one of the few non-Samsung foldable phones that’s worth getting excited about.

iPhone 15 Ultra

Obviously the entire iPhone 15 line is enormously anticipated, but it’s the intriguing talk of an iPhone 15 Ultra that has us the most excited.

This phone could land in place of an iPhone 15 Pro Max according to rumors, and could have better cameras than even the iPhone 15 Pro, along with a focus on battery life and a very high price.

This probably won’t be out until September 2023 if it lands at all, but it’s a phone you might want to get saving for.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is set to be Samsung’s next foldable flagship, but we’re not expecting to see it until August 2023, so there’s a while to wait.

As such, we also don’t know much about it yet, but an early leak points to it using the bound-to-be-powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and having similar cameras to the Galaxy Z Fold 4.

If nothing else, expect it to have a big foldable screen so it can double as a tablet, coupled with a similarly big price tag.

Sony Xperia I V

The Sony Xperia I IV was one of the most interesting phones of 2022, thanks among other things to a continuous optical zoom camera. That’s a feature you won’t find on other brands, and it helped Sony’s flagship stand out from the crowd.

So far we haven’t really heard anything about the Xperia 1 V, but we’d expect it will offer similarly unusual cameras, along with a great screen and flagship power – along hopefully with some innovative new surprises. Look out for it around the middle of 2023.

Xiaomi 13 Pro

The Xiaomi 13 Pro could be among the best camera phones of 2023, as leaks suggest it will have a 1-inch camera sensor.

That’s bigger than the sensors used in the vast majority of phones, and could potentially lead to superior snaps.

Beyond that, the Xiaomi 13 Pro is rumored to have a trio of 50MP cameras on the back, including wide, ultra-wide and telephoto ones. It’s said to have a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, up to 12GB of RAM, up to 512GB of storage, a 4,800mAh battery with 120W charging, and a 6.7-inch 2K screen.

So it might have impressive specs accord the board. Look out for this phone in either late 2022 or early 2023.