Stuff’s MWC Awards 2022: The best phones, laptops and highlights

This week at Mobile World Congress 2022 in Barcelona, our team of gadget experts have been busy getting their hands on most of best new phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches and other devices starring at the popular tech show . As ever, we’ve got our favourites – and you’ll find all the MWC highlights you need right here with none of the filler. Without further ado and in no particular order, here are the gadgets we’ve chosen as worthy winners of Stuff’s coveted MWC 2022 Awards.

Realme GT Pro 2

Full story: Realme GT Pro 2 is the new wallet-friendly flagship killer

Fun fact, the Realme GT Pro 2 is going to the be first phone available in the UK with Qualcomm’s new top-of-the-range Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor when it launches on March 8. It’ll only beat the mighty Galaxy S22 Ultra to the distinction by a few days, but it’s still a major scalp for the emerging manufacturer to claim.

More impressively still is what’s on offer for the modest £599. With flagship killer written all over it, the Realme GT Pro 2 reminds us of some of the very first OnePlus phones, before the one-time startup became a big name brand in its own right. In addition to the best Snapdragon processor, it promises a beautiful 7.67-inch OLED screen (3216 x 1440 pixels) with a 120Hz refresh rate, up to 12GB of RAM, and a triple camera setup consisting of a 50-megapixel main camera, 50-megapixel wide-angle, and a 3-megapixel microscope lens. 

In short, it’s going to be (on paper at least) one of the , at around half of what you might pay for a similar spec sheet from a more established manufacturer – an easy pick for one of our MWC gongs.

Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro

Full story: Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro is here to slay the MacBook Air

Samsung’s follow-up to last year’s Galaxy Book Pro might look the same as its predecessor, but make no mistake: this is a serious upgrade and the easiest of our MWC highlights to pick. The main addition is new Intel 12th-gen silicon, with the standard Galaxy Book 2 Pro configuration featuring a Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage.

There are numerous internal upgrades available including Core i7, up to 1TB SSD, and discrete graphics, but the Galaxy Book 2 Pro’s biggest selling point is its ultra-lightweight design: the 13.3-inch model weighs just 870g, while the 15.6-inch variant is 1.11kg with integrated graphics and 1.17kg with top-rung Intel ARC graphics.

It’s noticeably lighter than many of its rivals, namely a certain MacBook Air. making it not only the best laptop of MWC, but arguably the best new product of the entire show. Throw in the option of 5G and you might just have the ultimate ultra-portable.

• Read more: the best laptops to buy today

Huawei Matebook E

Full story: Huawei’s new Matebook E has an eye-wooing OLED screen

If the Galaxy Book 2 Pro is bringing the fight to the MacBook Air, then Huawei’s Matebook E is taking the fight to the Microsoft Surface Pro. It’s staking a serious claim to the 2-in-1 crown, with probably its biggest selling point being a stunning 12.6-inch OLED screen that delivers vibrant colours across the board, including brilliant blacks.

It can be equipped with some pretty tasty specs, too, with a high-end configuration getting you Intel Core i7 (11th gen) with Iris Xe graphics, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. All that kit runs nice and cool thanks to a new graphene-infused cooling system and ultra-thin Shark Fin fan.

It’s also the first Huawei laptop to offer stylus support, namely the Chinese company’s new M-Pencil, while four built-in speakers promise impressive spatial sound – both of which could help the Matebook E appeal to artists and creatives.

The price is now confirmed as €649, which currently works out at £535 based on the exchange rate at the time of updating. We can’t wait to put it through its pace in full, as that super-slick screen looks to be a cut above and it was one of the real MWC highlights this year.

Honor Magic 4 Pro

Full story: The Honor Magic 4 Pro’s specs are simply insane

MWC is still all about the phones – and nothing we’ve seen this year at the Fira Gran Via can compete with the new Honor Magic 4 Pro. It’s got a beautiful 6.81-inch OLED display (2848 x 1312 pixels) with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and a first-of-its-kind high-frequency dimming feature to further improve viewing in low light conditions.

This is an out-and-out flagship to worry the likes of the Galaxy S22 Ultra and iPhone 13 Pro, coming with Qualcomm’s latest and greatest processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, backed by 8GB/12GB of RAM and with 256GB/512GB of storage on-board. It ships with Android 12, so the combo of Google’s latest software and the fastest chip should make it one of the slickest running devices around.

Another major talking point is the mind-boggling triple camera system on the rear, comprised of a 50-megapixel wide sensor, 50-megapixel ultra-wide, and a 64-megapixel telephoto with 3.5x optical zoom. That’s complemented by a 12-megapixel front selfie cam and 4K HDR10 video shooting.

Best of all is the 4600mAh batery…wait, what? That’s right, not because of its size, but because it supports 100W wired and wireless charging, meaning it can reach nearly 100% after just 30 minutes – a stat that throws some serious shade at the competition. The device can be had from £899, which is positively affordable for that kind of spec sheet, though the killer 100W fast-charging kit will set you back a bit extra.

Oh, and there’s the option of a vegan leather finish. Because why not.

Oppo Find X5 Pro

Full story: Oppo reveals Find X5 Pro flagship phone

Although technically now launched at MWC, the Oppo Find X5 Pro made its public debut in Barcelona this week. Combined with its premium design and top-notch specs, this earns it a place in our Best of MWC Awards guide.

The Find X5 Pro is a 6.7-inch device that stuns from the start thanks to a luxe ceramic finish that’s the highlight of an all-round premium design. This high-end ethos is equally evident on the spec sheet, where a beefy 5000mAh battery is joined by Qualcomm’s top-of-the-range Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor under the hood.

Arguably the headline feature is its 4K Ultra Night Video mode, though, which marks a first for Android devices and is powered by Oppo’s own MariSilicon X. The camera set-up itself combines two of the biggest, most respected names in the game, with Sony IMX766 sensors partnering with custom Hasselblad software to for a powerful end-to-end shooting package.

With a not inconsiderable £1,049 price tag, Oppo’s latest is aiming to take on flagship standard-bearers like the Pixel 6 Pro. Judging by what we’ve seen around MWC, it’s up to the task.

Poco X4 Pro

Full story: Poco X4 Pro launches with a pixel-packed 108MP camera and bright yellow paint job

It might be the Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro 5G on the inside, but there’s much to love about the 299 Euro 6.67in X4 Pro. As well as eye-catching yellow and blue finishes, the headline is the 108MP main camera (yes, really) which is joined by an 8MP wide-angle camera and 2MP macro cam (which we doubt will be worthwhile as they usually aren’t), plus there’s a 16MP camera on the front. The display promises to be excellent, too, with a slick 120Hz refresh rate.

Things should zip along nicely with the upper midrange Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chip and Android 12, while there’s a 5,000mAh battery juiced up by a nippy 67W charger. Cheap, but very cheerful.

There’s an even cheaper one, too if you don’t want 5G, with a 6.43in 90Hz screen, 33W charging and a MediaTek Helio G96 processor.

• Read more: Best smartphones

Check out even more MWC highlights in our main roundup as we bring you the best of the best from Barcelona this year