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04 November 2022

The Best Phones for Everyone in 2022
6 Minutes BY The Three Team

The mobile phone market is pretty big these days isn’t it. Throughout the year, we stock over 60 different smartphones at any one time. That’s a lot of choice. Navigating that choice can be tough. We’ve researched the best phones for everyone based on interests, job. Now it’s time to share that with you.

You can read through the lot, or just jump straight to the section you need by clicking below:

Best Camera Phone
Best Small Phone
Best Big Phone
Best Phone with a Big screen
Best Phone for Taking Notes
Best Phone for Shooting Video and Vlogging
Best Phone for Gaming
Best Phone for Battery Life
Best Phone for Music with a Headphone Jack
Best Phone for Older People
Best Phone for a Child
Best Builders Phone
Best Phone for Deliveroo Riders
Best Phone for Hard of Hearing 

Best Camera Phone

Believe it or not, there was a time we used our phones to call people. Wild, right? Today, we probably use our phones more for entertainment and photography than we do communication. That’s why we’re kicking off with picking the best camera phone in this guide.

One trend throughout this guide will be splitting most recommendations into Android and iPhone. The reason for this is simple. Some people just aren’t for changing. They’ve made their choice and are firmly nested in either Camp Android or Camp iPhone; and that’s completely fine. Both sides make excellent smartphones.

Best iPhone Camera – iPhone 14 Pro Series

The best iPhone camera on the market today can be found in two phones. It’s shared with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Both phones use the same camera system. The only difference between the two.

Rather than go on about it again here, you can check out our full guide to iPhone 14 for more details on similarities and differences between the rest of the iPhone 14 range.

Both the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are the top-rated iPhone cameras of 2022, surpassing the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. Both of these Pro models feature incredible 48-megapixel cameras with optical image stabilisation and up to 6x optical zoom.

Beyond the impressive hardware, Apple’s A16 Bionic chip provides lots of software smarts to improve your image capturing too. The A16 Bionic is reserved for just the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Unlike previous years where all new iPhones got the latest chip. All of this means the clearest crispest shots and Portrait mode captures, even at night.

Best Android Camera – Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

Every year, Samsung launches a wide range of smartphones. Their top-of-the-range flagship phone is the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. Here you’ll also find one of the very best cameras to every feature in an Android smartphone.

The Galaxy S22 Ultra prides itself on putting an impressive selection of shooting options into your hands. It can capture gorgeous regular and bokeh style shots. But things start to get really interesting when it comes to zoom.

This phone offers 3x and 10x optical zoom, which is impressive in itself. But then Samsung went further and added 100x Super Resolution Zoom. Distance isn’t a barrier to capturing great photos anymore. There are some great real world use cases of this like concerts and sports events.

It’s also great if you’re into a specific niche like moon photography. While capturing the moon with a phone will always be tough, the Galaxy S22 Ultra Night Mode is great for this shot.

Best Small Phone

Once again, we’re splitting this into iPhone and Android.

Best Small iPhone – iPhone 13 mini

It did feel for quite some time that we just wanted bigger phones. There was no limit. We wanted the line blurred between phone and tablet. But that wasn’t the case for everyone. Some people wanted a slightly smaller form phone and that remains the case.

If you’re seeking out the best phone on the market but want to keep the size down, the iPhone 13 mini is the best choice. This phone features everything you’d get in a full-size iPhone 13. It even runs on the same processor as the iPhone 14 released this year.

Unfortunately, Apple decided not to release an iPhone 14 mini. That’s why the iPhone 13 mini remains one of the best small form phones on the market across all operating systems.

Best Small Android – Samsung Galaxy Flip 4

Samsung has truly created something wonderful with the Galaxy Flip 4. If you’re after a nice small phone that neatly fits in a pocket, handbag, or even a clutch, look no further. Samsung uses a unique form-factor to give you a full-size phone with a 6.7-inch screen. The trick is that it folds in half.

Genuinely, this is one of the most unique phones on the market that fits right into your pocket. The unique form-factor also means the phone will stand itself up for watching movies on the go or taking group pictures while travelling.

Best Phone with a Big Screen

Samsung Galaxy Fold 4

While bigger isn’t always better, bigger is sometimes all you’re really looking for in a phone. If you’re an iPhone fan, the choice is simple. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is as big as it gets.

Over in the Android camp, Samsung offers the massive Samsung Galaxy Fold 4.

We’ve already introduced you to how brilliant folding phones can be and this is as good as it gets. When you own a Samsung Galaxy Fold 4, you have both a phone and tablet in your pocket at all times.

Closed, the Galaxy Fold 4 measures 6.2-inches but it’s quite slim. You’ll be surprised how well that much phone fits in your pocket. Then the magic happens as you unfold the phone, revealing a 7.6-inch display. You can even use the front screen on the phone to preview photos taken with your primary camera. That’s some seriously high-quality selfies.

The Samsung Galaxy Fold 4 is also S-Pen compatible, which makes it the obvious choice for another popular use.

Best Phone to Taking Notes

Samsung Galaxy Fold 4

Whether you’re an interior decorator, architect or general worker who loves getting some work done on the go, digital note taking can be a game changer. Unfortunately, if you want to do this with Apple, you’ll need to get an Apple Pencil and compatible iPad. In the Android side of things, Samsung offers S Pen support across some of their phones too.

While the Galaxy S22 Ultra supports S-Pen (effectively making it the modern Samsung Galaxy Note), the Galaxy Fold 4 is the ultimate note-taking smartphone. Once you open the phone up into “tablet mode”, you have a massive space to take notes. The S-Pen is highly responsive and will feel like a regular pen in no time.

Once you’ve written your notes, the Samsung Notes app will let you convert your handwriting into digital text. That means easy reading and sharing.

Best Phone for Shooting Video and Vlogging

iPhone 14 Pro Max

Plenty of phones on the market are great for shooting and capturing video. Indeed, this is a growing trend nowadays with Dublin even hosting a full film festival dedicated to movies and shorts shot on mobile.

If you’re looking for the most complete smartphone for shooting video, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the best choice. The reason for picking the iPhone 14 Pro Max is twofold.

First of all, there’s the capturing. This phone can capture 4K video at 24fps, 25fps, 30fps or 60fps. You can even shoot HDR 40 video up to 60 fps with full support for Dolby Vision. All of this is made possible with some incredible hardware built into the phone.

But capturing is just half of the job. You’ll need to edit that video too and many creators will do this on the go nowadays. The iPhone 14 Pro gives you a bigger editing area to work with. Apple, by the nature of their small range of phones, also ensures access to the best apps optimised specifically for Apple.

Apps like Filmic Pro and Filmic Remote will work on both iOS and Android, but they always work that slightly smoother on iPhone. That’s why movies like Steven Soderbergh’s “Unsane” were shot using iPhone.

If it’s vlogging you’re looking to get into, iPhone is also great for high-fidelity accessories like shotgun and lapel mics.

Best Phone for Gaming

iPhone 14 Pro Max

Many might scoff at the idea of an iPhone as a gaming phone. But this goes beyond the gaming PC versus Mac debate. When it comes to gaming, Apple’s A16 Bionic chip is one of the best on the market. Combine this with an accessory like the Backbone One Controller and you’ve got quite the “handheld gaming console”. On Three 5G, you’ll even get great games of Fortnite or PUBG when away from home.

Now all you’ll need is an Apple Arcade subscription that you can buy using 3Pay and you’ll be gaming on the go in no time.

Best Phone for Battery Life

Nokia 225

You kind of new it would be a Nokia right? Now, it’s important to fully understand the Nokia 225 and why it’s got the best battery life. We’re assuming that you want a wild amount of battery because you’re attending a festival or just want a 2nd phone that doesn’t need charging. This is where the Nokia 225 excels.

The Nokia 225 is an old school feature phone. That means there’s no touch screen and very limited smart features. Because the phone isn’t constantly looking for notifications from Facebook and emails, you’ll get several days of standby time here.

If you were looking for battery life while remaining smart, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is a standout performer.

One tip we have when using a smartphone is to check your power settings. You’ll often find an app like TikTok can be going wild in the background checking for notifications. With a few taps, you can limit this app’s access to background data and save yourself lots of battery life.

Best Phone for Music with a Headphone Jack

Nokia G60 5G

Every time we look at this, it’s getting harder and harder to find a phone with a headphone jack option. But for audiophiles, this can be a crucial element of picking a new phone. The debate ranges over audio fidelity and Bluetooth versus wired headphones. That debate will likely rage for sometime, but as it does you still need to know which phones come with a headphone jack.

This was a throw up between the likes of the Oppo Reno 8, Samsung Galaxy 04s and the Nokia G60 5G, with the Nokia just beating the two. There are lots of reasons to love the Nokia G60 5G; a 50MP camera, 4500 mAh battery and Bluetooth 5.1 supporting aptX HD and aptX Adaptive.

All of those codecs makes this a great phone for music lovers in general. But the inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack will swing it for hardcore audiophiles who like plugging their headphones in with a cable.

Best Phone for Older People

Oppo Reno 8 Lite

We know what you expected to see here. You just thought this would be the Doro phone didn’t you. We do indeed sell the Doro 6820 and it’s a fantastic phone for older people who just want a nice tactile phone. It even packs in a camera and some great accessibility features.

However, older phone users have become a lot more demanding from what their phones offer. Keeping in touch with family is essential and thanks to technology, it has never been easier.

So they’ll likely want a phone that has smart features, but is easy to use. That’s why we’re recommending the Oppo Reno 8 Lite as the best phone that’s simple to use.

The reason this is a great phone for the older people is manifold. The phone has a large vibrant screen and great front facing camera for calls.

But the really clever feature is Easy Mode. Once enabled, all the more complicated features of the phone are stowed away and hidden. App icons and fonts are bigger and easier to see. Everything about Easy Mode makes the phone more usable. Sit down with whoever will be using the phone. Together you can set it up and put all the most important apps right in their eye line.

Combing the Oppo Reno 8 Lite with Easy Mode gives you the best of both worlds smartphones have to offer.

Best Phone for a Child

iPhone SE 2022

We’ve already written a comprehensive guide to when the time is right to buy your child their first phone. The iPhone SE is a great phone for the job. It’s not the cheapest but does have some great features that make it perfect for kids.

First of all, it’s likely they’ll want some sort of an iPhone and this is the best value entry point for Apple’s smartphone range. It’s also a nicely sized phone with a relatively small 4.7-inch screen. Great for smaller hands.

But Apple also invests heavily in their Find My eco-system. This means you can link Apple AirTags to your children’s valuables so they get reminders if they’re about to leave something important behind.

You can also use Apple’s location sharing to share up-to-date location data within your family to put your mind at ease when they’re on the way to school.

Best Builder’s Phone

Samsung X Cover 5

We’ll be totally honest. One of the best builder’s phones on the market is the CAT S62 Pro. It’s tough as old boots and even has an onboard FLIR thermal camera for finding heat leak issues. Unfortunately, as tough as the phone is, it’s even tougher to get in Ireland.

We do, however, offer the Samsung X Cover 5. The X Cover series from Samsung is the best from one of the world’s leading phone makers wrapped up in a rugged tough case. This phone is designed to go with you on adventures or to the building site.

The phone is IP68 certified, has a replaceable battery and a really strong case to stand up to the elements. That replaceable battery means you can bring a few spare batteries on particularly big adventures. But just because it’s tough, doesn’t mean it’s not an excellent phone in its own right.

The X Cover 5 features a fantastic screen, 16MP primary camera and 5MP front facing camera. This means you can watch Netflix on the go or keep in touch with family on video calls.

Buying the X Cover 5 means you can get on with life without worrying too much about the phone in your pocket.

Best Phone for Deliveroo Riders

Samsung X Cover 5

Because their jobs are outdoors and Irish weather is famously hard to predict, we’d also recommend this phone to any Deliveroo riders or other food delivery workers. A waterproof and rugged phone is valuable. But a phone that lets you carry a spare battery on your shift is priceless. 

Best Phone for Hard of Hearing

Doro 6820

The Doro 6820 is an excellent choice for those who are hard of hearing or hearing impaired. First of all, the phone itself is extra loud. This means an extra loud ringer and speaker for calls. Even if you have Bluetooth hearing aids, you could be caught off guard while they’re charging. That extra volume comes in handy.

If you don’t have Bluetooth hearing aids, the Doro 6820 is Hearing Aid Compatible (HAC). HAC allows compatible hearing aids to connect wireless to compatible phones. This is usually done with a telecoil. HAC greatly improves your ability to use a phone with a hearing aid.

You’ll be glad to know that many other brands support HAC on many devices too, including Apple and Samsung.

Hopefully that’s helped you pick the perfect phone for yourself or someone else as a gift. If you’re still not quite sure, head on over to our shop and browse our full range or visit your nearest store for some expert advice.

Hopefully that’s helped you pick the perfect phone for yourself or someone else as a gift. If you’re still not quite sure, head on over to our shop and browse our full range or visit your nearest store for some expert advice.


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