Welcome to our recap of the top news articles of 2022. Having covered the first two quarters of the year it’s now time to go over the most interesting stories of Q3.
In Q3, we got probably the biggest smartphone announcements of the year, not counting the Galaxy S22 series. The months of July, August, and September saw the announcement of the iPhone 14 series, the new Galaxy Z series, the Nothing phone, the Xiaomi 12S series, the Asus Zenfone 9 and ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro, among others.
Apple’s event was the most anticipated. The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max brought the Dynamic Island replacement for the notch, as well as the first 48MP camera on an iPhone, and the A16 Bionic chip. The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus matched the Pros in size (this is the year Apple made a Plus instead of a mini), had the same autofocusing selfie camera, but kept the A15 Bionic chip.
Xiaomi once again made the world cast envious looks at Chinese customers with the 12S Ultra. The flagship brought a 1-inch type main camera sensor with Leica tuning, as well as a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip.
The Nothing phone (1) went official but there really wasn’t that much left to uncover – the months of heavy teasing had laid it all bare.
In mid-Q3, Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Z Flip4 alongside the new Galaxy Watch5 series, and the Galaxy Buds2 Pro.
The Galaxy Z Fold4 got a main and zoom camera upgrade, IP water and dust rating (the first on a foldable), as well as support for a special kind of S Pen with a retractable tip. The Galaxy Z Flip4 got a slight battery increase and a much-needed charging speed bump. It also got a new main camera and an IP rating.
Huawei and Sony held major announcements – the Mate 50 series and the Xperia 5 IV. Motorola unveiled the Razr 2022, taking the device back to flagship status with a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. Moto also announced the Edge 30 Ultra with a 200MP camera and the Edge 30 Fusion with a 50MP camera.
The earliest Galaxy S23 series rumors also got started in Q3. We learned that the series will comprise the same S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra, and carry mostly the same design.
Ok, on to Q4!
There’s a new chipset too, unlike the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus.
Along with a 6.73-inch E5 AMOLED display, 4,860mAh battery with 67W charging.
No more teasers, we now have all of the details.
The two models improve the camera hardware and software compared to the 12 and 12 Pro and bring a more efficient chipset.
The chipset is new, but also the camera setup and battery.
The latest ROG Phone installments bring new chipsets, 165Hz screens and better cameras.
The phone brings 67W fast charging and a 108MP main camera.
The phone offers some neat features like a dedicated GPU chip and LPDDR5x RAM.
Both use the 8+ Gen 1 chip, in fact, in addition to the custom V1+ chip that helps with image processing from the GPU and the camera.
It’s joined by the Redmi Buds 3 Lite.
There is no larger Flip model, at least not this year. But for fans of small phones, this is one of the few Android flagship options.
The phone also brings 120W fast charging and a big VC liquid cooling chamber.
Not everyone will be able to charge at 150W, though.
Besides the chipset and connectivity, most of the specs are the same as the 4G Galaxy A23.
Open sales in China start on August 15.
The aspect ratios are now more manageable, but the phone itself is less bulky than its predecessor. It is powered by the SD 8+ Gen 1 and charging is faster.
They are advertised to offer up to 29 hours of total playback.
A flagship Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset and a main camera that captures brighter photos and videos.
The Pro model has a titanium body, but all three get the premium sapphire crystal, which is more resistant to scratches.
The new phone starts from CNY5,999 (less than $900) but is available only in China for now.
Motorola X30 Pro is the first phone with a 200MP main camera.
It also gets the latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset and improvements across the board.
The Redmi K50 Ultra boasts a rare 12-bit AMOLED panel and a 5,000mAh battery with fast 120W charging.
The Xperia 5 IV doubles down on environmental impact by removing all accessories from the box.
Both midrangers have a 5,000 mAh battery, competitive prices.
And a notched display with advanced facial unlock.
The Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 offers big jump in performance, photo and video capture and connectivity.
It’s the lowest standing member of the new Mate 50 series.
The new watches bring a temperature sensor, crash detection, and low-power mode.
That’s right, the new 6.7″ non-Pro model is called “Plus”. It and the 6.1″ model use the A15 chip from last year and have improved cameras on the front and back.
The headline-grabbing 200MP sensor is optically stabilized and can do 16-in-1 binning.
The Fusion is powered by the Snapdragon 888+, the Neo uses the more modest 695. The Fusion also has a better main camera with a 50MP 1/1.55″ sensor.
The ROG Phone 6D Ultimate comes bundled with an AeroActive attachment.
The larger battery capacity combined with the more efficient chip bring tangible improvements to endurance.
It’s a rebranded Poco M4 5G.
The next budget device won’t be that different from the current A16.
The floodgates have officially opened.
The Moto Razr 2022, X30 Pro and S30 Pro will be unveiled in China tomorrow and will go on sale later that same day.
New minimalist takes on classic Nokia phones form the past.
A full review of the 12S Ultra is on the way, but we thought you would appreciate a quick look at the capabilities of the new Leica-branded camera.
Or in other words, the leakster is saying no QHD+ resolution for the Galaxy S23 and S23+.
Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan is most likely the culprit.
It’s identical to last year’s Redmi Note 10S but without a charger in the box.
This is the first device to come out with the MediaTek Helio G99 chipset.
The update improves GPS stability. This was unexpected since the S8 series received its supposedly final update a year ago.
In an attempt to boost iPhone sales for Q4 2022.
We put Google’s 2022 Pixel through its paces to find out if it’s a worthy buy.
The camera modules can easily be swapped but the charge port is cumbersome to get to.
The company has been diversifying its suppliers to avoid delays in launch.
Check out the successors to last year’s GTR 3 and GTS 3.
Apple might be bringing back the classic battery percentage as part of the new status bar.
The F21s Pro’s 4G model will feature a 64MP primary camera.
The 12T Pro will be Xiaomi’s first 200MP phone and will use the SD 8+ Gen 1 chipset. The vanilla 12T will go for a MediaTek chip instead.
OxygenOS 13 will premiere on the OnePlus 10 Pro, then the new 10T.
These are the first Note 12 series smartphones having 5G connectivity.
The iPhone 14 ‘Plus’ is shown as well, sporting the same size as the Pro Max at a lower price.
The Nokia 110 (2022) can play MP3s from a 32GB microSD, can receive FM radio, there is a camera and flashlight, it will even play a game of Snake.
It looks just like the Redmi Note 10 Pro, except that one had the more powerful Snapdragon 732G chipset.
If you go peeking really close, you will notice some minute differences, but otherwise they’re practically identical.
A pill shaped opening will house the Face ID system, a round hole will hold the upgraded FaceTime camera.
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