(Pocket-lint) – Samsung is one of the world ‘s largest smartphone makers and as such offers a huge number of devices to suit various budgets and lifestyles. Whether it’s the ultra-premium Galaxy Z Fold 3 or the affordable Galaxy A55 5G, Samsung has something for everyone.
Samsung phones fall into three distinct categories. Here’s a quick breakdown:
The Samsung Galaxy S range is the company’s main range of flagship smartphones. All of their models have a premium waterproof design , plenty of power, and the best cameras. Interestingly, the latest S22 Ultra has a built-in S Pen stylus, which is normally only found on Note devices. This is because the Note series has been officially discontinued, although it lives on through the current Ultra.
The Samsung Galaxy Z series represents the company’s foldable smartphones, sitting at the top of the portfolio in terms of price and featuring its latest design innovations. Currently, it consists of the Z Flip and Z Fold phones, which are in their third generation.
The Samsung Galaxy A is the sub-star range, sitting below the S range in terms of price but borrowing several of its design features, such as full screens and under-display fingerprint sensors.
With so many different devices on offer, it can be difficult to choose the best Samsung smartphone for you. Therefore, we have compiled a list of our favorites to help you decide.
What are the best Samsung phones?
Samsung Galaxy S22+
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy ZFold 3
Samsung Galaxy ZFlip 3
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
The best Samsung phone: Our top pick
POCKET-LINT
Samsung Galaxy S22+
For
powerful hardware
excellent cameras
Beautiful 120Hz AMOLED display
Against
No expandable storage
Not compatible with the S Pen
Not much different from the S21+
Samsung has changed things with its 2022 lineup. Normally, we’d put the Ultra model at the top of our list, but this time around, we think most people will be better off with the S22+.
Slightly smaller than the S21+ that came before it, but with a more refined design, the S22+ is everything we want from an Android flagship.
The camera system is superb, with an improved portrait mode and a bunch of AI features like auto framing and auto night mode, and the screen is big and bright with no curved edges. The powerful processor and clean user interface, too, make the Android experience snappy and responsive.
If you own an S21, it’s not necessarily one that will make you rush to upgrade, and the lack of S Pen support may annoy some people, but this probably represents the sweet spot for those looking for a new Samsung phone.
Samsung phones that we also recommend
Although the Samsung Galaxy S22+ is at the top of our list, we know that it won’t be the right phone for everyone. That’s why we also recommend taking a look at the four devices below, which cater to a range of styles and budgets.
POCKET-LINT
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
For
Large, bright screen with adaptive refresh
Impressive set of cameras
Integrated S Pen stylus
Against
Does not support MicroSD cards
Expensive
The S22 Ultra is the first S-series device to feature an integrated S Pen stylus.Stylus support has been greatly improved, making it smoother than ever. With the Note series suspiciously missing lately, the S22 Ultra seems to be the one of choice for Note fans.
The camera system, already impressive on the S21 Ultra, has undergone a number of advancements that make it a very capable device. It can even capture 16-bit RAW images if you’re serious about photography.
Couple this with a powerful processor and an impressively large screen, and Samsung has a winner with the S22 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra review: The ultimate reinvention?
POCKET-LINT
Samsung Galaxy ZFold 3
For
giant foldable screen
Great software experience
S-Pen support
Against
Visible wrinkles and reflections on the screen
The camera under the panel is not very good
The Samsung Z Fold 3 is a phone with a real wow factor and is sure to turn heads wherever it’s used. Like its predecessor, the idea is for it to be a phone when you need it, but fold up into a tablet when you need a bigger screen.
Aside from its foldable party trick, the phone boasts top-notch hardware and decent battery life. The camera suite is solid but not groundbreaking, though we dare say image quality is good enough for most people.
Folding screen technology has some unavoidable issues, most notably the visible wrinkling and weird reflections caused by the coating, but if you can get past them, the Z Fold 3 is an exciting device and one of the best foldable phones you can buy.
Samsung Galaxy ZFlip 3
For
AMOLED front touch screen
well designed
Powerful with solid software
Against
The usual creasing problems in the folding screen
Commitments made to reach price point
The Z Flip 3 is a more nostalgic version of the smartphone with a folding screen. Remember when all you had to do to lock your phone was close it? Well, that’s back thanks to folding screen devices like the Z Fold 3.
Instead of folding to become a larger screen device, the Z Flip 3 is a traditionally sized smartphone that folds to become a pocket-friendly device.
It’s our favorite flip phone to date, and it boasts a host of design options, as well as powerful specs under the hood. In addition, it has a more affordable price.
Unfortunately, that comes with some compromises, like less-than-stellar battery life and fairly rudimentary cameras.
POCKET-LINT
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
Fo
Excellent design and screen
microSD card slot
IP67 rating
Against
Does not have a 3.5mm headphone jack
