2022 is coming to an end. With 2023 just a few days away, we decided to take a look back at the tech we’ve used this year. There are many tech products that interest me, but I decided to narrow it down to 5 products in total. It took me a while to filter through everything, but in the end I landed on the devices that I personally use the most and actually use to this day.
No, there are no iPhone or Samsung Galaxy smartphones on this list. In fact, not a single Apple or Samsung product. Frankly, their product just didn’t suit me in 2022. In my opinion, Apple didn’t do enough to innovate. In my opinion, the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro are a bit forgettable, just a new iteration of the iPhone 13 series. When it comes to Samsung, the same can be said for the Galaxy S22 series. It goes without saying that Exynos reigns supreme in Europe. More on foldables later.
Either way, keep in mind that this is just my opinion and the selection of products I’ve enjoyed the most. With that said, the devices I landed on, in alphabetical order, are the ASUS ZenFone 9, Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2, Huawei MateBook X Pro, Huawei Watch GT Runner, and OPPO Find N2. Each of these products is described below in the order listed here. So let’s get started.
ASUS Zenfone 9
I briefly owned the ASUS ZenFone 8 and it was a really great phone. In some ways it always seemed one step behind. Then ZenFone 9 came out and my opinion completely changed. I love compact smartphones and when it’s not only compact but also good in every way, it really drives me crazy. The ZenFone 9 is my most used phone of his 2022, and for good reason. This handset improves on pretty much everything the ZenFone 8 has to offer. Well, it improves in all major respects.
As for the design, it is completely different and better. It remains compact but has a clearer identity. The ZenFone 8’s design was forgettable, but it looks a little unique.There are two prominent cameras on the back, which I actually like, and the soft-touch back is also very nice. I’m here. The sides are flat, but the edges are chamfered, and in collaboration with the backplate, the phone has a great hand feel. Very comfortable to hold and use. That can’t be said for many flat-sided phones, the iPhone (yes, plural).
The 5.9-inch display on the front is the perfect size for my taste, and it’s a very nice 120Hz panel. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 offers great performance and helps with battery life. Speaking of which, the ZenFone 9 shines in the battery life department. Exceeding the 8-hour screen-on-time mark is no problem at all. Even better, the camera is a huge improvement over the ZenFone 8 and is actually quite good. I really like
Sure the phone doesn’t have wireless charging for example but it has so much to offer and even an audio jack on top of everything. You get a really good smartphone package with a scanner (which supports gestures). This is arguably the best compact smartphone of 2022.
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2
Huawei has been releasing true wireless earbuds for a long time. The latest premium pair offered by the company is the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2. Not only do these earbuds look great, they also have great battery life, very good build quality, and sound great. If so, it’s worth it.
These earbuds are more boxy than most other earbuds I’ve used this year, but that’s not a bad thing. They have shorter stems than most other products and are not bulky at all. The touch panel on the side is responsive and fun to use. Of course, you can customize it to your liking.
The sound quality is excellent, the best I’ve heard from true wireless earbuds. The soundstage is very wide and the mids and highs levels are very good, but you also get some bass. Voice feedback is also welcome, as is wireless charging. It can also hold a charge for a long time, even when not in use.
What I didn’t particularly like was the case itself, mainly because it’s glossy. Right after the really crappy plastic, of course. Some sort of matte finish goes a long way. At least the white model I used didn’t show fingerprints.
Huawei MateBook X Pro (2022)
The Huawei MateBook X Pro (2022) is Huawei’s most premium laptop released in 2022. It’s very expensive, but it’s also great. Let’s talk about the design first, as it’s definitely worth your attention. The Huawei MateBook X Pro (2022) is at least partially made of magnesium. That’s actually part of the reason it’s so light. This 14-inch laptop weighs just 1.38 grams and feels great in your hand. Its matte finish is welcome.
The bezels around the display are really minimal and the display stands out. It’s very color accurate, offers a high refresh rate and is also very sharp. Yes, it is also touch sensitive. The upward-facing speakers are included here, and they’re pretty good too, offering a rich, full-bodied sound. It took me a while to get used to it, but once I got used to it… I couldn’t go back. The keyboard also feels premium and has very good key travel. In fact, it was one of my favorite keyboards to type on in 2022.
The Intel Core i7-1260P CPU and 16GB of RAM performed really well, especially in the tests I used. It’s still holding up nicely. It offers a good fingerprint scanner, fast charging, and even advanced face scanning. The only thing I didn’t particularly like are the ports. The laptop has 5 ports, 4 of which are USB Type-C and the 5th is an audio jack. Unfortunately, it doesn’t even have a single USB-A port. Other than that, we had a few issues with the price and auto-brightness, but we didn’t really have any complaints about this tablet. I still don’t, it’s an excellent machine.
Huawei Watch GT Runner
I’m really a particular person when it comes to smartwatches. My main requirements are good battery life, good design for my needs, wireless charging and competent software. Personally, quite a few Huawei smartwatches hit the bill in 2022. Not many smartwatches on the market offer great battery life. The Huawei Watch GT Runner is the watch I decided to highlight.
This watch looks a little stealthy, a little sporty, a little classy, all in the same package. The buttons are very clicky and the rotating crown is a pleasure to use. The display is sharp, bright, and has good touch response. This watch offers excellent battery life. With this thing, I was able to get about 10 days of battery life on average. This is basically better than mainstream smartwatches, which Apple and Samsung products can’t even come close to.
The Watch GT Runner also came with a very nice silicone band that I used a lot.Huawei’s watch’s software has improved a lot over time and now it basically does everything I want. It will be executed. I mainly use my smartwatch for notifications, controlling music, and checking the weather. However, this watch can do more than that. For example, we have a big focus on fitness. Wireless charging is also a nice point. It’s very reliable, and he rates it higher than his Huawei flagship product this year, the Huawei Watch GT3 Pro. Been using this for a while too.
OPPO Find N2
The OPPO Find N2 is actually the last smartphone I’ve reviewed in 2022, and I’m happy about it. it’s simple. The form factor was perfect and the only thing that would have improved the experience was the global software. I was able to install the Google service and using it was and still is a really great experience. As I mentioned earlier, there are some stumbling blocks due to the lack of software and Android tablet apps, but I won’t go into that.
It looks more sophisticated than its predecessor. The rear camera module also looks nicer, although in my opinion it has flatter sides. The brushed aluminum feels great in the hand and the hinges are great. Not only is it comfortable and sturdy, but it also minimizes wrinkles. This foldable also features a gapless design, unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 4. By the way, the folds are also much less noticeable than those on the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
OPPO Find N2 is very compact when folded. This, I believe, is the whole point of having a foldable smartphone. It should be easy to use with one hand when folded, and a really nice big canvas when unfolded. That’s exactly what it is. Combine the fact that it’s 42 grams lighter than its predecessor with a significantly longer battery life and better performance, and you’ve got a real winner here. It’s also worth noting that the speakers are great and the camera is nothing to scoff at either, OPPO should definitely bring this phone to markets outside of China.
