2022 is set to be yet another impressive year for the tech industry, with a huge cohort of exciting mobile phones being released. From new foldable technology, to exciting flagships from some of the industry’s most established and up and coming brands, we’re thrilled to see yet more advancements in the smartphone universe.
Apple and Samsung are inevitably front runners, with upcoming releases always a hot topic of conversation, but which handsets are consumers most eager to get their hands on in 2022? We delved into the data to find out which models people are searching for on Google the most, ahead of their heavily anticipated global launches this year.
The Top 20 Most Anticipated Phone Releases for 2022
While it may come as no surprise that the iPhone 14 ranked as the most anticipated phone of 2022 and dominates global searches, the top 10 is littered with a variety of exciting brands, from Vivo to Xiaomi and OnePlus.
South Korean brand Samsung cements itself in second place after Apple, with Finnish brand Nokia landing in ninth, but the rest of the top 10 brands all hail from China. Interestingly, the only foldable phones to find themselves in the top 20 are the Oppo Find N (11th) and Google’s Pixel Fold; in 11th and 17th places, respectively – Oppo’s foldable device with its seamless design beating the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy Fold models.
| Rank | Phone | Global Searches (Last 12 months) |
| 1 | Apple iPhone 14 | 1,110,030 |
| 2 | Samsung Galaxy S22 | 518,000 |
| 3 | Apple iPhone SE 3 | 285,470 |
| 4 | Vivo V23 | 195,700 |
| 5 | Xiaomi 12 | 165,300 |
| 6 | Oppo Reno 7 | 162,610 |
| 7 | OnePlus 10 | 148,100 |
| 8 | Realme GT 2 | 134,700 |
| 9 | Nokia X50 | 92,100 |
| 10 | Honor Magic 3 | 89,720 |
| 11 | Oppo Find N | 76,900 |
| 12 | Huawei Mate 50 | 44,900 |
| 13 | Poco X4 | 40,500 |
| 14 | Google Pixel 6a | 37,000 |
| 15 | Redmi K50 | 37,000 |
| 16 | Nokia 10/X60 | 33,700 |
| 17 | Google Pixel Fold | 24,700 |
| 18 | Poco F4 | 22,200 |
| 19 | Oppo Find X4/X5 | 16,920 |
| 20 | Asus ROG Phone 6 | 16,500 |
1. Apple iPhone 14
Perhaps unsurprisingly, 2022’s most hotly anticipated phone is the iPhone 14. Likely to arrive in September 22, just like September 21’s release of the iPhone 13, the iPhone 14 series has garnered over 1 million global searches in the last year alone – over double that of the next phone in the rankings. While the 14 itself will be relatively similar to the 13 aesthetically, the Pro and Pro Max – and a potential new model known as the iPhone 14 Max will likely have a completely overhauled design, along with some serious camera improvements.
2. Samsung Galaxy S22
A way off the excitement surrounding the iPhone 14 but still firmly in second place, is the Samsung Galaxy S22, a follow up to the much-loved S21. With over half a million global searches and potentially landing significantly sooner, with a February release looking likely. Similarly to the iPhone 14, the Samsung Galaxy S22 series will consist of multiple models – likely the S22, S22 Plus and the S22 Ultra, which will potentially land as the S22 Note due to a more angular Note-like design, and a slot for the S-Pen. All models will have sleek glass backs, significant camera upgrades and the highly anticipated Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Exynos 2200 chipset.
3. Apple iPhone SE 3
With just over 285,000 global searches last year, the iPhone SE 3 is garnering a lot of interest for people who might not want to wait until the end of the year for the iPhone 14. With a potential release rumoured as early as March, the SE 3 will look similar to 2020’s iPhone SE but will likely offer an A15 Bionic Chipset and 5G. It could also land as the iPhone SE Plus or even the iPhone SE Plus 5G.
4. Vivo V23
Already launched in India, the Vivo V23 and V23 Pro should be on their way to the rest of the world in 2022, having accumulated more than 195,000 searches collectively last year. With a stunning black or gold design, the V23 is straight edged while the Pro has polished curves, and with a triple rear camera and high-res dual selfie shooters – the camera capabilities on these models are really something to get excited about.
5. Xiaomi 12
The Xiaomi 12 series was unveiled in December 2021, and we’re likely to see its global release in the first quarter of 2022. With the highly desired Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, an impressive triple camera and even faster charging speeds on the Pro model, there’s a lot of anticipation for these handsets, along with over 150,000 searches collectively last year. The 12X is a more affordable version, with a drop down to the Snapdragon 870 chipset and no wireless charging.
6. Oppo Reno 7
The only brand other than Apple to feature more than twice in the global top 10 most searched phones ahead of 2022, the Oppo Reno 7 series was launched in China in 2021 – with hopes for a wider, global launch set for 22. All phones are set to support 5G and fast charging, but the SE model will drop down on camera quality along with its price. Consumers appear eager to get their hands on one of the handsets, with the Reno 7, Reno 7 Pro and Reno 7 SE’s combined searches surpassing 160,000 last year.
7. OnePlus 10
With a global launch set for 2022, the OnePlus Pro – complete with brand new camera design and powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset – is on its way to the rest of the world, but will arrive before its counterpart the standard OnePlus 10, which actually may not come at all. Though the OnePlus 10 Pro doesn’t have too many extravagant upgrades compared to previous models, the company has revealed stylish designs in both Volcanic Black and Emerald Green, with potential white and light blue variants too.
8. Realme GT 2
Realme hasn’t released a premium flagship, until now. The Realme GT 2 is a significant improvement on 2021’s offering, but the GT 2 Pro is taking this brand to another level, amassing 134,700 Google searches in the last year. Yet another handset equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, the Pro also has a 120Hz AMOLED display, lightning-fast charging and has a triple camera, providing the widest lens on any phone yet – a 150 degree ultra-wide with a 40x zoom microscope.
9. Nokia X50
Racking up 92,100 Google searches last year, the Finnish brand Nokia’s entry into the top 10 comes in the form of the X50 or X50 Pro. Whether both models will be made available, or only an X50 Pro will be released is still unknown, but the X50 is likely to be the most premium offering within Nokia’s affordable X range yet. The global chip shortage delayed the X50, which consumers had hoped would come in the third quarter of 2021, but it’s looking like a launch will happen at some point in 2022.
10. Honor Magic 3
Honor, sold by parent company Huawei last year, is following up their Honor 50 Model with their first flagship phone. The Magic 3 Series was launched in China already, but is set to release globally at some point in 2022. Both the Pro and Pro Plus models will be equipped with the Snapdragon 888 Plus processor, and the standard will have the Snapdragon 888. Each model will have a triple camera, with the Pro and Pro Plus offering higher quality options, and each phone will have white or black glass and ‘Blue Hour’ or ‘Golden Hour’ design, both options being made of vegan leather.
Has all this talk got you excited about getting your hands on a new device this year? Why not sell your old mobile phone first, or take a look at the refurbished phones we have available if you’re not quite ready to take the plunge on one of 2022’s brand new offerings.
Methodology:
We compiled a list of over 50 phone models set to be released globally in 2022, by tracking any mentioned in news articles covering ‘2022 phone releases’. The models were then analysed using Google Keyword Planner. The number of total global searches for each series of phones and any variation of the terms used to describe them (e.g., Honor Magic 3, Honor Magic 3 Pro, Honor Magic 3 Pro Plus, Magic 3, Magic 3 Pro, Magic 3 Pro Plus) were calculated for the last 12 months and used to provide the final rankings.
All data correct as of January 2022.