Value retention league 2022: which 2022 phones hold their value best?
All 2022 phones we track, ranked by value retention — launch price versus live used-market medians, updated as listings change.
2022 Value retention league
23 phones · ranked by value kept per year · median depreciation 27%/yr
| # | Phone | Year | Retention | Depreciation | Used (median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motorola Moto G22 review → | 2022 | 100 | −9%/yr | $68 |
| 2 | Nokia X30 review → | 2022 | 100 | −15%/yr | $240 |
| 3 | Apple iPhone 14 Pro review → | 2022 | 100 | −20%/yr | $400 |
| 4 | Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max review → | 2022 | 100 | −21%/yr | $425 |
| 5 | Sony Xperia 10 IV review → | 2022 | 100 | −22%/yr | $188 |
| 6 | Asus ROG Phone 6D review → | 2022 | 100 | −22%/yr | $375 |
| 7 | Google Pixel 6a review → | 2022 | 100 | −23%/yr | $160 |
| 8 | OnePlus Nord N20 5G review → | 2022 | 100 | −24%/yr | $83 |
| 9 | Asus Zenfone 9 review → | 2022 | 100 | −25%/yr | $259 |
| 10 | Apple iPhone 14 review → | 2022 | 99 | −25%/yr | $250 |
| 11 | Apple iPhone 14 Plus review → | 2022 | 99 | −25%/yr | $280 |
| 12 | OnePlus Nord N300 review → | 2022 | 92 | −27%/yr | $65 |
| 13 | Google Pixel 7 review → | 2022 | 86 | −28%/yr | $158 |
| 14 | Apple iPhone SE (2022) review → | 2022 | 78 | −31%/yr | $100 |
| 15 | Sony Xperia 1 IV review → | 2022 | 74 | −31%/yr | $353 |
| 16 | Sony Xperia 5 IV review → | 2022 | 74 | −32%/yr | $219 |
| 17 | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon) review → | 2022 | 73 | −32%/yr | $259 |
| 18 | Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus (Snapdragon) review → | 2022 | 68 | −33%/yr | $200 |
| 19 | OnePlus 10 Pro review → | 2022 | 64 | −34%/yr | $171 |
| 20 | Samsung Galaxy S22 (Snapdragon) review → | 2022 | 62 | −35%/yr | $147 |
| 21 | Samsung Galaxy S22 review → | 2022 | 61 | −35%/yr | $145 |
| 22 | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review → | 2022 | 54 | −37%/yr | $292 |
| 23 | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 review → | 2022 | 46 | −38%/yr | $143 |
Why a separate league for the 2022 cohort
Phones released in 2022 now sit at the point in their lifecycle where the first steep part of the depreciation curve is behind them, but the price has not yet flattened into long-term stability. Grouping them into their own league removes the unfair comparison against newer models: a 2022 flagship competing head-to-head with a 2025 release would look weaker purely because of age, not because the market rejects it. Within a same-year cohort, differences in retention reflect brand and model dynamics rather than time on shelf.
What the numbers measure
Every row compares the model's launch price with the live median of used listings today, producing a yearly retention rate and a depreciation slope. The used median is the honest middle of the market — it ignores cherry-picked mint-condition asks and broken-screen outliers alike. Because the table is recomputed from current listings, the ranking you see now can differ from what the same cohort showed a month ago, and will keep moving as supply shifts.
Reading a four-year-old cohort
At this age, software support becomes the dominant retention factor: models whose security-update horizon is still open command visibly steadier prices than those approaching end of support. Battery wear is the second axis — replacement-friendly designs hold their medians better than sealed counterparts with the same nominal health. The table's links lead to full reviews where both factors are discussed per model, alongside the spec detail that explains why one 2022 phone ages into a bargain and another into a cautionary tale.
Buying position for this generation
A well-ranked 2022 phone is typically the value sweet spot of the used market: most of the depreciation is already paid by the first owner, while the hardware remains competitive for everyday tasks. Use this league to shortlist, then cross-check the all-years league to see how the cohort's best holds up against the all-time field, and the reviews hub for the full battery of tests behind each row.