With CES 2022 drawing to a close, it's time to take a look back at the highlights of the exhibition. In particular, here are some of the top phones that were showcased on the real and virtual show floors of the exhibition.

Smartphones are not usually a big topic at CES, but this year we saw some pretty interesting ones. Most of them are inexpensive, like the new models from TCL and Nokia. However, despite their low prices, these phones offer some premium features, plus compatibility with the increasingly important 5G.

An even more premium model was also introduced last week: the OnePlus 10 Pro, which will not be revealed in its entirety until January 11, but an official teaser was released to get our attention. That's not too hard to do, given that it touts amazingly fast charging, a beautiful sounding screen, and some camera advancements. Vivo's V23, on the other hand, caught our eye with its color-changing body, but focusing solely on that would be disrespectful to other capable mid-range specs.

We also had the chance to try out Samsung's latest device, the Galaxy S21 FE, which is also the first major model to be released in 2022. Its specs are starting to look a bit dated, as it is based on another model released last year. However, it remains a well put-together phone that will be attractive to users who can't stomach the price of a full-fledged flagship.

Read on for more details on the phones at CES 2022.

We haven't seen all of these phones yet, but the OnePlus 10 Pro is probably the biggest phone being talked about at this CES.

There's no word on a release date outside of China, but we can appreciate the phone's impressive specs: as OnePlus has officially teased, 80W wired charging, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, 120Hz LTPO 2.0 display, and triple rear camera system tuned by Hasselblad. These are all details that will ensure that the 10 Pro will reach the top class of smartphones in 2022 and stay there throughout the year, even if more models are introduced.

Our initial review of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE allowed us to actually touch this model. And while it's certainly nice, it feels like it's missing it's moment to shine.

The concept of a less expensive entry-level Galaxy S device is a good one, as exemplified by last year's excellent Galaxy S20 FE. And indeed, we like the fact that the S21 FE uses the same Snapdragon 888 chipset and 120Hz refresh rate as the base Galaxy S21, but features improved low-light photography and a software upgrade with Android 12. However, the Samsung Galaxy S22 is expected to arrive next month, and it seems too late for Samsung to launch a phone based on last year's flagship instead.

5G is (slowly) becoming available across the US, and the TCL 30XE 5G and 30V 5G are here to make sure you are ready for it at affordable prices.

We are a bit confused by some of the specs on these phones. For example, the 30XE has a smaller 6.4" display than the 6.7" 30V, but only the XE has a 90 Hz refresh rate. Importantly, however, both use 5G-enabled chipsets and will likely sell for around $300.

The Nokia G400, one of four new smartphones Nokia has announced specifically for the U.S. market, is another budget 5G phone, but with a bit of luxury.

First, you get a large 6.6-inch handset with an FHD display with a 120 Hz refresh rate. It also has three rear-facing cameras and a 5,000 mAh battery for longer battery life.

We saved the most unusual for last: the Vivo V23 series is an attractive mid-range smartphone with strong specs, including a 108 MP main camera, 90 Hz refresh rate, and dual selfie cameras on the Pro model. But did we mention it also comes in different colors?

Choose the Sunshine Gold colorway, take the phone outside and expose it to sunlight, and the back of the phone will change from green to gold. It's a clever trick that is sure to get people's attention. Too bad this phone is not likely to appear on the US or UK market for the foreseeable future.

So there you have it: CES was not overflowing with phones, but there were a surprising number of noteworthy handsets that got us excited about what will happen in the world of phones in 2022.