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Now that 2022 is drawing to a close, the Android Police team has been looking back over the year of gadgets to consider the very best tech we got our hands on this year. We’ve been lucky enough to try hundreds of impressive new devices over the last 12 months, and we’ve put together our favorites across a bunch of different categories.

The first half of the year saw some of the biggest tech reveals, with OnePlus surprising us with the first big phone intro of the year, closely followed by the Samsung Galaxy S22 series at the end of February. Google I/O then shocked us with an early taste of the Google Pixel 7 series and the Pixel Watch, but we didn’t get to try those devices until much further into the year. Foldable phones were blowing up in popularity all around the world, with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 dominating in the US, and foldable options from Honor, Xiaomi, Motorola, and other brands appearing in other countries.

We’ve spent thousands of hours trying out the best, and to be honest, the worst, consumer tech gadgets money can buy, so we’ve put together our top 12 picks over a variety of categories including smartphones, tablets, Chromebooks, wearables, headphones, and more. Let’s get started with our biggest award of the year: smartphones.

Best smartphone: Google Pixel 7 Pro

Our pick for the best smartphone of 2022 is the absolute best Pixel money can buy. Last year, we chose the Pixel 6 over the Pixel 6 Pro, but this year we deemed the top-end handset to be worthy of our most prestigious award. The design hasn’t changed much since the Pixel 6 series, but those refinements we do get are part of what makes the Pixel 7 Pro stand out. As ever, the camera is phenomenal, this time there’s a new Tensor G2 chipset powering the whole thing, and we love the fact the Pro model comes packing 12GB of RAM. If you’re after the absolute best Android phone in 2022, you’ll want to opt for the Google Pixel 7 Pro.

Runner-up: Google Pixel 7

Best budget phone: Google Pixel 6a

The Google Pixel 6a is the undisputed king of the budget phone in 2022 with it securing a 9 out of 10 rating in our review. It’s remarkable the sheer value Google has managed to provide with a cheaper alternative to its main Pixel series, and if you’re not after one of the absolute top-end smartphones on the market you’ll likely be happy with the Pixel 6a. The Google Tensor chipset and 6GB of RAM mean you’ve got a powerful device, the 6.1-inch screen is bright and beautiful, the camera is genuinely great, and it has pretty good battery life, too. If you’re after a new cheaper smartphone, the Pixel 6a is our top pick.

Runner-up: OnePlus N20 5G

Best gaming phone: Asus ROG Phone 6

If you’re looking for a gaming phone in the US in 2022, your options are sadly quite limited. Luckily, you don’t need those others when the best of the bunch is available to you, and it just so happens that’s the Asus ROG Phone 6. Long battery life, great power, and phenomenal stereo front-facing speakers are the highlights that took it to the top of our rankings this year. It’s not a cheap option, but if you’re looking for the best mobile gaming experience to play Apex Legends: Mobile or League of Legends: Wild Rift, you’ll want to consider the Asus ROG Phone 6.

Runner-up: Redmagic 7

Best tablet: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus

After some sparse years for Android tablets, 2022 brought us a variety of new options. Mostly those were from Samsung, the go-to brand for Android slates lately, and the company’s Galaxy Tab S8 Plus has managed to secure our award for the best tablet of the year. Its gorgeous 12.4-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate makes watching films or streaming YouTube a joy, and the design is even more elegant than previous iterations of Samsung’s top-end tablet. It isn’t cheap, but it can do a lot more than most other Android tablets on the market, so it takes our title for the best tablet in 2022.

Runner-up: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra

Best smartwatch: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5

In the year that finally brought us the long-awaited Pixel Watch, we sure didn’t initially expect to be giving this title to the Galaxy Watch 5. Although this smartwatch is largely more of the same that we saw on the Galaxy Watch 4, the improvements Samsung did deliver are some pretty important ones, especially if you’re upgrading from an older smartwatch. The Watch 5 features sapphire glass that’s much more damage-resistant than the glass on previous models and the battery is bigger. Little improvements like these add up to make for one of the best smartwatch experiences we’ve ever had.

Runner-up: Google Pixel Watch

Best headphones: Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony has been the brand to beat in the ANC headphones market, and it remains on top with its latest release. The Sony WH-1000XM5 don’t change the game from the company’s last set of headphones, but a tweaked design and additional features enhance what Sony’s able to offer. In his review, Android Police’s Gadgets Editor Taylor Kerns said, “With tight audio, industry-leading ANC, and battery life that stretches up to 30 hours with ANC on, they’re a fantastic pick for anyone in the market for high-end noise-canceling headphones.” Our main criticism is the fact this new design doesn’t fold, but if that’s not a concern for you, these are a top pick.

Runner-up: Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless

Best earbuds: Google Pixel Buds Pro

The Google Pixel Buds Pro are the best choice of earbuds to pair with your Android phone. Google has had a turbulent history with earbuds, but 2022 was the year when the company finally nailed it. As we put it in our review, “Fourth time’s the charm”, which we think sums up Google’s history in this space quite well. The Pixel Buds Pro feature competent ANC, a great transparency mode, far improved touch controls, and, on top of everything else, good audio quality.

Runner-ups: Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

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  Image source: Samsung.

  Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro

  The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are Samsung’s smallest, lightest, and best wireless earbuds yet. They improve on the Galaxy Buds Pro in every way, with better sound quality, more fulsome active noise cancellation, and support for 24-bit audio. They’re also IPX7 water and dust resistant.

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  Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

  The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II don’t come cheap at $299, but they feature excellent audio quality and ANC that can go toe-to-toe with what you’ll get in leading over-ear headphones. If you’re in the market for premium earbuds, the QC Earbuds II need to be on your radar.

Best Chromebook: HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook

Dragonfly is a name that exudes speed, a light profile, and tenacity — three things HP’s Elite Dragonfly Chromebook nails. Google may never make a Pixelbook again, but the Dragonfly is as close as we’re likely to come for a long, long time. It’s wonderfully slim, the keyboard is comfortable, and you can get some fantastic screens on it. Both 2K-resolution 450-nit and 1080p 1000-nit touchscreens are available, giving us a Chromebook you can well and truly use outdoors in full sunlight, if you have to. While it can be painfully difficult to get past its list pricing, HP has slowly started to give it the discounts it deserves. So long as you can wait for those deals, this is the ultimate Chromebook on the market right now.

Runner-up: Acer Chromebook Spin 714

Best smart home camera: Nest Doorbell (wired)

The Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen) really represents a refinement of the Nest Doorbell (battery) from last year. It brings back the option for 24/7 video recording, for peace of mind of knowing who’s at your door throughout the day and night. It’s also smaller than the previous generation, taking up less space around your porch. If you’re looking for a new smart home doorbell this year, the Nest Doorbell is our top pick.

Runner-up: Wyze Cam v3 Pro

Best gaming accessory: Razer Kishi V2

The Razer Kishi V2 takes everything that was great about the first iteration of the Android controller and drastically improves the formula for 2022. You still get a side-by-side controller you can slap your favorite phone into, but now there’s more room to accommodate larger devices, and you can even fit phones with their case still on, for a nice ease-of-use boost. Borrowing from Backbone’s design, the rear sliding mechanism is now much thinner, cutting down on weight, with micro switches for all buttons, ensuring reliable input that’s plenty tactile. The whole thing feels great in hand, thanks to improved ergonomics with its rear grips. Suffice it to say, if you’re looking for the best controller released in 2022, even despite some tight competition, Razer has come out ahead with the Kishi V2.

Runner-up: Gamevice Flex

Best product Google killed this year: Google Stadia

YouTube Originals, Google Hangouts, YouTube Go, Assistant Driving Mode, Google Surveys… Google has had a pretty prolific year for cutting products. Nothing compared to its shutdown of Google Stadia, though, which we first learned about in late September. The game streaming service was less than three years old, but it’s set to shut down in early 2023. If you’re a Google Stadia diehard fan, we’ve got a guide on how you can get refunds for your Stadia purchases.

Runner-up: Android Auto for phone screens

Android Police Reader’s Choice Award: Coming soon

We’re still looking for our winner of the Android Police Reader’s Choice Award 2022, and we’ll be announcing your top pick on December 19th. You’ve still got time to vote, so head to our poll now to have your say on the best smartphone of the year.