Sunday debate: Buying a mid-ranger every year vs. a flagship every other one
- S
- Sin
- 3Hq
- 08 Feb 2023
Much more of idea buy and keep and have that phone forever
- K
- Kaki
- dZs
- 02 Feb 2022
Last time I used a mid range phone for 3 years without any major issues.
- S
- Siim
- m2J
- 19 Jun 2020
Buy used but in great condition previous generation flagship from a trusted seller. Get 2.5x cheaper
- A
- Acting Grand King
- vV5
- 16 Mar 2019
1.) Buy last years flagship and use for 2 years.
2.) Buy current flagship and use for at least 3 years.
3.) Buy mid range phone or 2 yr old flagship and use for 18 months.
- T
- Tarmín
- r2S
- 31 May 2018
Anonymous, 27 May 2018Xiaomi fans won't understand this I'm a Xiaomi fan, and proud user of a 2016 Redmi Note 3 Pro, which is still working well, but getting hot and draining battery, so I'll replace it with a Redmi Note 5.
- w
- waczze
- RDS
- 31 May 2018
I often look for an outdated flagship with a very affordable price similar to a mid-ranger. Like earlier this year I got an LG G5 for less than 90 USD. :)
- V
- Vegetaholic
- sXj
- 31 May 2018
This time can't agree with Yordan. Ro is completely right. I have been taking flagship devices every two years for awhile. I can say that my over two years old galaxy S6 would destroy most of the midranger easely with more superior chipset and quality camera easely, even my S4 from 2013 with lineage OS is still very capable device and would definitely could compete with lower end midranger by speed. Lastly my one year old S8 is unreachable for any midranger so nothing else to add, you get what you pay for, flagships will all the time offer longevity and better support when any midrangers period.
- S
- SHAZAMM
- LKn
- 30 May 2018
Fake News Alert, 28 May 2018"most flagships last less than one year" Can you provide... moreyh sure...its called lithium battery...used your brain for the rest because if you dont understand what i mean by that...you dont deserve to be on gsmarena or have an argument with anyone on tech
- z
- zodiacfml
- xCD
- 29 May 2018
I tried answering this and I was not able to find an answer. I realized, the question, is actually not practical. One doesn't upgrade regularly unless you're in a phone post paid plan.
Outside post paid, it is not the best to upgrade at specific intervals. It is best to upgrade when you need or want it. If you are following technology, it is best to upgrade to a new SoC manufacturing process as it offers better battery life/performance over the last gen.
My upgrade to the S8+ is nearly perfect. I still have a working Nexus 5 but I can't avoid the urge to Samsung's flagship. It has 10nm SoC, OLED HDR display, small bezel design, storage expansion, and a huge battery life (vs. my Nexus). It was so good that I wished I have more time to use it but most working of us in the working age has less time.
The only downside with the upgrade is its stronger structure, thus, larger, thicker, and heavier than my N5.
- r
- rbb
- bE8
- 29 May 2018
I think the aproach you want to follow depend highlly on the brand of choice. For e.g. in case of Xiomi, I feel that there is no need to buy flagships because in just few months, a midranger is going to surpass it in term of specs and performance. But If we look at iPhone, a 2-year-old iPhone can still match the performance to a current midranger of any brand and the latest flagship minus the bells and whistles.
What you need to decide is what kind of buyer are you. If you want latest specs and trends, midrangers are for you. But if you are a person who wants to experience the premium quality and willing to stick to only one device, Flagships are the best bet.
- ?
- Anonymous
- vjw
- 29 May 2018
Stan, 28 May 2018I've had Samsungs up to Note 3. They all begin to lag soon ... moreNote 3 is a long time ago. Try using the latest versions without Touchwiz.
- t
- techperson211
- v0q
- 29 May 2018
Midrange is a wate of money. For me I'd buy the last year flagship instead. More updates and support.
- ?
- Anonymous
- vV5
- 29 May 2018
S6 User, 28 May 2018Overall the XZ2 is not better than the S9, they're both gre... moreThis time around, the Xperia XZ2 proved to be as good and, on occasion, even superior to the Galaxy S9 in this shootout. The funny thing is, Sony's phone hit the Galaxy where it hurt most - low-light photography. Support it properly, and the XZ2 will deliver better pictures that the S9 at night, in full auto at that.
- AdamBoy64
- Fv4
- 29 May 2018
God, 28 May 2018That's a sweet CPU. But even an i3 6100 wipes the floor wit... moreYeah, looks to be about ~%20 faster. Guess that'll depend on the use.
Certainly noticable in games, maybe not noticable enough though.
Seeing as he has an impressive OC on it, the difference is probably less.
- AdamBoy64
- Fv4
- 29 May 2018
I'm not the sort who is overly concerned about specs. So I'd buy a mid-ranger and run it until it no longer supports security updates, and then replace the phone.
- G
- God
- mZg
- 28 May 2018
Stan, 28 May 2018I still have a Q9650, OC'd to 4Ghz, as a daily driver. The ... moreThat's a sweet CPU. But even an i3 6100 wipes the floor with it in games. And probably almost all other stuff too.
- G
- God
- mZg
- 28 May 2018
Still running the mighty LG G2 here
- S
- Stan
- rRU
- 28 May 2018
S6 User, 28 May 2018Overall the XZ2 is not better than the S9, they're both gre... moreI've had Samsungs up to Note 3. They all begin to lag soon after you load it up with apps. Same goes with dev devices at work. Later ones aleviate this issue with adding more RAM, but for some strange reason, all samsungs lag after a while if you dont clear memory manually once in a while.
HTC One M7 on the other hand never lagged.
- S
- S6 User
- sXg
- 28 May 2018
Anonymous, 27 May 2018If you want flagship buy Sony. XZ2 is faster than any flags... moreOverall the XZ2 is not better than the S9, they're both great, it comes down to preference, if you checkout one then you would be wise to compare the other, physically, side by side if you can, not just on paper.
https://m.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s9_vs_sony_xperia_xz2_shootout-review-1743p6.php
Which Samsung models slow down & lag soon?
Certainly not the flagship models.
I got this S6 brand new for £400 on release of the S7, (& when I knew for sure that the S6 active was USA only).
Currently on Android 7 Nougat with a March 2018 Security Patch, it's as fast as the day I got it, I cannot find any lag anywhere.
Due to receive Android 8 Oreo (which S7's are now receiving).
The only downside is the battery life has reduced which I can either fix myself, but consumers shouldn't have to run the gauntlet of getting a replacement battery that isn't a fake (if you're not sure go for a well known OEM from a trusted source), then melt the glue on their phone with a heatgun to disassemble their phone compromising the IP68, just to replace the battery!
Or I could pay £40 to have it replaced professionally.
I could get a powerbank, more green waste?
At least we have recycling facilities at our supermarkets.
Batteries should be user replaceable!
Next, I might get the:
S9 Active (if it's available in Europe), or
S10(+) if it is truly great,
or the S9+ if it's at a more reasonable price.
I'll compare them against the competition.