Weekly poll: do flagship chipsets still matter?

12 November 2023
The latest silicon brings higher performance and advanced features for image processing, game graphics and AI. But do you really need all that?

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  • ?
  • Anonymous
  • 3%s
  • 12 Nov 2023

I have Xperia 5 II with SD865 which is already few years old, but when I watch speed tests of the newest chipsets like SD8 Gen 2, I see absolutely zero reasons to upgrade. I think software is more important - I had 2 Samsung phones before this phone and had zero issues software-wise, but I am constantly getting bugs with the Sony... So my next phone is likely going to be some Samsung midranger, even if the gpu won't be as powerful.

    I never buy new phones. I am very happy about the existance of flagship chipsets. I get a 2-3y old flagship for a tiny fraction of the cost of a new phone and about half the cost of a new midrange with similar performance. I can recommend this method.

    People who buy new flagships don't like to keep them very long and they obviously don't care about getting a good deal so... they're great to buy from.

      • S
      • S
      • PIW
      • 12 Nov 2023

      Why does GSMarena have to do a poll each week? It is meaningless to do polls so frequently. Polls should only be done if there is a real need for it.

        .. Having a flagship System-on-Chip (SoC) is undoubtedly desirable, but it does come with a price tag. Personally, I prefer to wait for a year or two after a flagship phone's initial release when its price has significantly depreciated. As for software updates, I tend to use my phone until it is no longer supported with security patches, at which point I resort to flashing custom ROMs. However, before making any decisions, it's crucial for me to ensure that the phone is popular among developers and extensively covered in forums. This way, I can benefit from a thriving community and ongoing support.

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          • P C M
          • XVJ
          • 12 Nov 2023

          If midrange SoC had come with strong AI and Image processor then I would have definitely said midrange is enough. But that's not the case.
          So, flagship SoC is a must.

            To me right from the A17 pro and 8 gen 3, it's enough performance already and shouldn't matter anymore. Because right now it's just a matter of multi and single core scores, as well as optimization.

              • S
              • Stoon
              • rXE
              • 12 Nov 2023

              prices are too high ... it's unbearable

                Yes. Mainstream midrange performance and features have not catched up even to 2021's flagship performance (Snapdragon 870). Specially in the GPU department.
                When you take a look, a few months ago Snapdragon 695 was still being released everywhere...

                We need more distribution for chipsets like the Dimensity 8100/8200 or the recently announced Snapdragon 7s Gen 2.
                POCO F5's 7+ Gen 2 is an outlier, but it would be nice to have it on more phones as well.

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • XUv
                  • 12 Nov 2023

                  potato4k, 12 Nov 2023For Android, yes, it matters, simply because Qualcomm inten... moreI care about modem
                  But not modem performance but "still good" in bad signal.
                  Those good modem on 8 series Snapdragon translate to "still can internet" on bad signal

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • XUv
                    • 12 Nov 2023

                    Junior11, 12 Nov 2023Only about 40% of flagship users know how to utilize the ch... moreI care about flagship chip is because of the modem.
                    On a place where's signal is not good, the different between flagship chip and not is significant

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • Tiu
                      • 12 Nov 2023

                      Flagship chipset on the vanilla flagship ensures that in 1.5-2 years, people who use regular-sized phones will have that choice in the midrange price segment (in some markets, the only other option is the iPhone SE).

                        • D
                        • AnonD-1073493
                        • 3c3
                        • 12 Nov 2023

                        i have a pigeon to send messages

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • 3Qc
                          • 12 Nov 2023

                          Anonymous, 12 Nov 2023They don't . People only think they do because of mark... moreFor everyday use, true, flagship is not needed.
                          Until you want to do something more, a bit more intensive game, or even more demanding multitasking, then you'll immediately notice the difference.
                          Same with camera. When there's a lot of light mid range camera will do just fine with plenty of detail.
                          But if conditions are less than perfect having a better camera with better ISP will yield a much better result. Not to mention mid range phones usually are missing a telephoto camera.

                          It's not about using the phone to the max everyday. It's about having the tool you need, when you need it. That's why it's better to buy a 2 year old flagship than modern mid range. Software support is overrated, especially when you have community doing a better job.

                            I'm on exynos people 😭

                              • S
                              • Simon7
                              • 7AH
                              • 12 Nov 2023

                              What matters is the power efficiency far more than the performance. The 8 gen 2 was a major improvement over the previous generation mainly in that department. I’d take smartphone chips that perform similarly, for a few more generations, but last longer on battery. That’s what’d make me the most excited to get new phones with the newest chipsets.

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                                • AnonD-1003792
                                • 3ZK
                                • 12 Nov 2023

                                I still have a Realme 7 with Helio G95. I don't recall it stuttering once. Maybe things would load faster with a flagship chipset, but I gotta say that modern midrange chipsets still provide a great experience.

                                  Lol, is this even a question with AR knocking, 200mp cameras raw shooting, AI editing, control and other data heavy madness...
                                  It's no longer about if some last year chip is good enough when you see some chips perform ahead of others even in the same year.

                                    I'm waiting for the day I'll be able to use my phone as a PC, dex s23u is close but not good enough. thanks to Cassia (win x64 -> android arm64) I may finally get what I want when paired with a 8 Gen 3/9300 phone that has a desktop mode (and that hopefully doesn't throttle like the s23u. wish vivo, with its flagship reaching 99% stability on a regular-sized body, offered a desktop mode).

                                    plus, nowadays, more powerful also means more efficient. the days of the 625 consuming nil are over. even the redmi note 13 pro+, with its supposed super efficient 7200, has bad battery life. I still enjoy low powered phones though, the redmi note 9s 6gb is a joy to use with custom roms.

                                      Chipset is the heart of device and software is the brain, so yes, it matters.

                                        Here's my two cents on the subject of chips and modern phones. They're getting more expensive while offering less for the same price. You can blame covid, demand for them going up and nobody compaining why a flagship phone went from 300$ to 1000$, but the best market for relatively cheap and still flagship phones is now Chinese manufacturers.
                                        Poco F5 is (in my opinion) the best phone you can get right now, because of zero brand price bump.

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