Hot take: Flagship chipsets are no longer necessary

25 October 2020
As we approached the limit of Moore's Law, it became apparent that any further advancement would come at a cost

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  • ?
  • Anonymous
  • PZa
  • 26 Oct 2020

[deleted post]And you get all your info from the trustworthy source of Facebook. We get it, you don't like Chinese phones. But you spam your sh*t here all day.

    • ?
    • Anonymous
    • XTk
    • 26 Oct 2020

    Zero , 26 Oct 2020Samsung and LG phones laughs on the back. iPhone SE 2020 l... morei don't remember samsung or LG sell flagship chip for cheap
    also iPhone SE is perfect example for "flagship chip scam" that explained in this article

      • S
      • Sudhey
      • s81
      • 26 Oct 2020

      Disagree.. fact is there will always be a demand for more power and hence flagships, and if it comes at some costs today, so be it. These costs are bound to come down over time; with today's flagship performance becoming tomorrow's mid range daily workout..

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • utL
        • 26 Oct 2020

        The Article Is Really Good. the problem is with the people who comment, the article tries to address people from all backgrounds, a 865 won't make your life easier. imagine you and your friend in a cafe, do you really need that extra 0.35 secs of snappiness to improve your life and post a photo to instagram with the fancy filter. i guess 765 would be plenty adequate. most people don't do gaming on their smartphone, even if they did it would be for games like pubg, or among us, etc. gamers don't really care about graphics quality, first they want distance visibility and high and consistent frame rate, as far as i know only oneplus supports pubg at 90 fps that too at a reduced quality, and majority play at 60 fps, and the visual quality comes in at second, except gaming i can't think of a scenario where i would require a 865. sure Photoshop camera is an exception. but majority want a smartphone that just works, tech enthusiasts are a small portion of the smartphone consumers. with 765 you can save like a 300$ and use the phone for 2-3 years then buy a new one after that, but 865 will be good for longevity i agree. hence stop this B.S. Discussion

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • IKR
          • 26 Oct 2020

          Overpriced Pixel 5, 25 Oct 2020Very true bro. The money spent on a 765G Google pixel 5 you... moreIt also depends on what you do with your phone. Personally owning a flagship phone is like driving an exotic car in a suburban town, I never play games on it or take advantage of the amount of performance headroom it has. The closest I get to taking advantage of it is using the camera but even then I doubt the processing is too demanding on an 865 anyway. If the Pixel 5 had expandable storage, a slightly bigger battery and a headphone jack I'd "downgrade" in a heartbeat.

            I didn't read all that, but there is still an issue. Even the flagships have very deficient video codec hardware. Apple ProRes Raw support would make for a great experience. But Apple went to challenge the Red patent, which seemed overly generous, and caved into them eagerly. Maybe they realised they might challenge one thing but still need a license for another thing, and whmere put in a hard place?

            So, flagships are good places for extra specialist hardware, like high quality video codecs in the latest formats (like h266 and up coming h267) gpu's, real AI, AR etc. Some of these things are so small to fit on a chip, even a mid range can do it.

            In wide field video (action recording, and frame afterwards) 16k plus is usable

              We are living in the 2020s and smartphones are no longer cool. Even with the LG Wing and foldable displays, none of it wows the world any more like it still did a decade ago.

                The cheap Chinese phones are saving money with much lower spec'ed radios. Compare the Poco F2 Pro with the 865 to a similarly priced 765/765G phone.

                Depending on where you live, the difference in radios could mean nothing or everything. Variety is good.

                  Anonymous, 26 Oct 2020Miui is outstanding. Ads can be switched off. For the pri... moreNot all ads can be switched, true they deliver outstanding value but software is biggest weakness of MIUI. Late software update (5 month redmi note 9 PRO still on MIUI 11), bloated, and average user cannot tweak their phone like tech enthusiast

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • 3vW
                    • 26 Oct 2020

                    "Big fan of this phone" PUNS! NO!

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • KSE
                      • 26 Oct 2020

                      [deleted post]Only.... Lol with the price jump every year the normal version of their phone is Porsche price now. No thanks

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • KSE
                        • 26 Oct 2020

                        Mid range selling at $700 is good value? Few years back 700 can get you absolute flagship chip.

                          • D
                          • AnonD-122899
                          • QXN
                          • 26 Oct 2020

                          I have a Poco F2 Pro running on 865G with such a lower price tag. So why not?

                            • ?
                            • Anonymous
                            • rJJ
                            • 26 Oct 2020

                            Anonymous, 25 Oct 2020Poco and Xiaomi has destroyed the statement since a long timeStill they r currently struggling to release another poco F1 or Remi k20 pro/mi 9t. Both k30 pro/poco F2 pro and Mi 10t r a lot more expensive than previous gen. But I would say midrange like poco X3 is enough now for a experience that poco F1 gave. Need not we have a flagship like F2 pro

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • Kx6
                              • 26 Oct 2020

                              [deleted post]ok boomer

                                This year is the first time since 2009 I didn't buy a new smartphone. For 10 straight years, I always got a new phone whether flagship, midranger, or low-end.

                                First time I'm really comfortable with the tech I have. My Pixel 3 has a GPU still more powerful than the Pixel 5. I've reached a point where I don't care for smartphones like before and content using my phones for a minimum of 5 years.

                                My next upgrade could be 2025.. Pixel 10. I get what the writer is saying. The others who want to keep upgrading, go right ahead. Nobody is telling you to stop. Just won't be worthwhile as before.

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • PZa
                                  • 26 Oct 2020

                                  Anonymous, 26 Oct 2020the chinese phones sell because of people who only need spe... moreMiui is outstanding. Ads can be switched off. For the price, Xiaomi phones can't be beat.

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • fCL
                                    • 26 Oct 2020

                                    A13X does not exist, ARM Mac Mini used an A12Z from iPad Pro 2020 lineup!

                                      Anonymous, 26 Oct 2020the chinese phones sell because of people who only need spe... moredo you speak from experience by using XiaoMi phones or just rant together with others?
                                      I have been using XiaoMi phones for the last six years and I am pleased with each and everyone of them

                                        • J
                                        • JDK
                                        • ybx
                                        • 26 Oct 2020

                                        r33fd, 25 Oct 2020This post is stupid and I'm going to tell you why. ... moreThis article is saying that all the stuff that flagship proccesors can do are very simmilar to midrange proccesors to the point where it's no longer worth the extra cost.

                                        True, some companies try to fit in the best hardware for good prices.

                                        But ultimately, having the utility of a phone plus decent specs is probably all you need right now. That's why many people can hang onto phones for 5 years.

                                        There will definetly be people like you that always want the latest and greatest, but the "latest and greatest" is getting less important these days.