this post was submitted on 04 Feb 2024
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In the current spectrum, how much should one spend to get the best value? I know everyone has a different taste and budget. But analysing the current trend of smartphone culture could give a bit of insight into spending wisely.

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Under $300 IMO, that gets you a used flagship model from 1-2 years ago that isn't too much different from the current models.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago (2 children)

The issue is that currently the 1-2 years used flagships have a lot of issues

  • Samsung S21 and S22 have bad batteries, not even talking about Exynos if OP is based in the EU
  • Pixel 6 and 7 have bad connectivity and also some battery issues
  • OnePlus aren't what they used to be

That reduces quite a lot what should be the main source of used flagships

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Every generation has issues to be fair, I have an S21 and it's been great.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Interesting, Snapdragon or Exynos?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

Snapdragon on mine

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

P7 only has connectivity issues in third world countries like the US. It's not a problem in Europe

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I use apple phones, but i usually run 3-6 years behind.

Currently have an 11 , I think they are up to 14. I don’t really see what the new models do.

Still the thick end of 250 quid.

I don’t know what people who spend 1000 tell themselves.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago

See the new models have a bigger number so that is better

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

That I had a savings goal that I put a dollar a day into for three years to get there lol.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It's funny, I bought an s9 plus at launch and was recently "kicking tires" thinking of upgrading.

Looked at the recent crop and from my judgement, they're about 15% better than this one for the things that matter to me. For only $2,000 CAD

Looks like I'll be having the screen and battery replaced and keeping this for another 7 years.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I prefer older used flagships. It's hardly depends on the use case though. I don't care about camera, games or what so ever. Phone, messenger and maybe a handful of apps for social and homelab. So for me it's max 100€

[–] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago (2 children)

This is getting to be a better and better option with Google and Samsung promising more than 3yrs of OS updates.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago

These questions are so exhausting.

How much does a car cost?

Look, you have to figure out what you need and what you can afford and then research it.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago

$2,000,000,000

This comment was sponsored by big tech

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

I tend to limit myself to max €100 per expected year of use. It's just a phone to me. My Nokia 6.1 was €300 and is still working. Main requirement is the availability of an alternatuve rom for it.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 10 months ago (11 children)

Divide the total cost by how many years of OS updates are given by the manufacturer.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (6 children)

This, plus make sure it's hardware security updates too, and not just OS updates. Some disenguious vendors like to confuse the two terms in their favor. I.e. fair phone.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

For me its 250-350. I can usually get a 1 or 2 generation older flagship device at that price, refurbished.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

250-350 of what currency?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago

Pixel A series for $300 is a good deal, or just deal with the OnePlus models. I don't use my mobile much anyway

[–] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago

Value is subjective.

When the Pixel 7 came out it was incredibly good value for money. Buttery smooth, high quality cameras, best quality android experience $500. Unbeatable, and made the A series not worth it that year.

This year I'd probably say the pixel 7a.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago

Whatever the most recent cheapest Pixel costs

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

I thought maybe if I buy flagship Samsungs, I won't have those problems I had with Xiaomis, unpredictable bugs, slowing down, also maybe Samsungs have better build quality...

tho I don't have those and yeah, much better build quality, my Note 20 Ultra still had issues where warranty replaced almost the whole phone - after one year. My Fold 4 cracked its own inner screen by the peeling off screen protector, which costed me with a one time offer around 150USD. Again, in one year after buying.

the price don't matter. it's just pure luck at this point.

I used to buy phones for around 150USD. tho this trend of mine was only possible 5-10 years ago.

My BlackBerry Z10 and Z30 costed me this much, and those were the best smartphones I ever had and will have.

after this Fold 4, no idea what will I get, but I hope for several more years, this won't be an issue.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago (3 children)

My advice would be to stay away from smsung

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, just find a phone that was cutting edge 3-4 years ago. get it used off amazon or wherever for like $200-300. I bought my Samsung Galaxy S10 like 4 years ago, it still runs amazingly well.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

This is going to be even better with 7 years of updates on flagship smartphones from Google, samsung and Fairphone going forward. Your phone would still be updated and fairly secure by the time you get it.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It depends. If you can find good deals then any phone within $300-$500 should suffice. They are for the most part quite similar.

My current one cost $350. It has 12GB of ram, 1TB of fast ufs 3.1 storage. A 120hz curved amoled display with HDR support(on youtube). Also supports 67w fast charging. Plus, stereo speakers and a capable dimensity 7050 Soc. The camera is also nice with OIS.

I was considering a midrange Samsung. But, the deal(1Tb of storage and 12gb of ram, within $350) was too good to let go and Samsung wasn't providing any price cuts to justify the price. So, I made the choice. YMMV. Good luck.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Which phone is it? My pixel 5a's camera just gave out and I'm in the market.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

250€ because I spent that much 18 months ago and still super happy

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

I wouldn't spend more than 300 bucks

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

I paid for the Pro version of the Pixel on my last go round, and I have to say it wasn't worth it at all. Unless you're doing gaming on your phone, the previous year's flagship is almost definitely good enough. Or go for the non-Pro if you don't care that much about the camera.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (2 children)

My general rule of thumb when getting a cheap device:

  • want the cheapest device even if it has dubious ads and tracking: xiaomi
  • want a relatively cheap device and ok with first party ads/promotion and tracking: low end Samsung

The thing with cheap device is it's not guaranteed to have 3rd party roms available, and even if one exists, it's not guaranteed how long they'll be maintained, so it's not a factor when I'm trying to get a very cheap device.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

Best to look for current rom development on a device first. The Lineage device list is a big part of why I'm now going to Pixel.

Generally you get roms on the newer devices, and the older they get, development drops off.

Also depends on the device. If it was a flagship, it tends to have a longer rom lifespan because the hardware has a longer usability curve.

The Lineage device list is interesting in that you see which devices are (generally) more usable long term by the development cycle.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

I think it depends on your use case and how strapped you are. Unless you're gaming, you don't need a super performant phone these days. Anything midrange will perform around the same as a flagship in normal phone tasks. What does matter is the form factor, battery life, and support window.

That being said, I basically only recommend the pixel series these days, because they support grapheneOS and they're just cheaper than other phones with that long of a support window.

Samsung and Motorola do make some nice hardware though.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

The best value smartphone on the market is the Fairphone 5. 70 euros per year, amortized over 10 years. Compare with a cheap, slower, but more expensive to repair Samsung A14, which would only last 2 years before the battery starts dying, and cost 85 euros per year over that time.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

Best value is around 300-400 $ But it depend on what you need on your phone, and you need to choose well.
https://www.kimovil.com/ has some good comparison.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I paid NZ $469 for my current Samsung A31 almost four years ago, I wasnt fussed about the camera but wanted a 3.5 mm jack and lots of storage. Its now looking fairly shabby but still works well. I'll use it until its dead and get another phone around the $400 mark. Midrange, not top end, but not a budget phone either. It needs to do a number of jobs (play music, navigation, web surfing, record rides and hikes, camera, find cheap gas, tell me how much UV dosage I'll get at any particular time, weather, messaging on 3-4 apps plus calls of course) and be reasonably robust. Style and status dont come into it, I dont care about any of that

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I typically buy a new flagship on sale and hold it for 4-5 years. Buying a new $300 phone means you start with mid-range performance and go down from there over time. This means you'll either have a really slow phone for the last year or two or you'll need to replace it sooner.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

Depends on what phone you get and where it cuts the corners. The Snapdragon 845 in my Poco F1 is still plenty fast 4 years later. The camera is still respectable even today.

The plastic body and shitty LCD screen aren't great, but that was already there when I got it.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

I spent £250 on my Motorola G73 and am very happy with it

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Somewhere between 300-500 Prioritising getting a decent chipset over the rest of the features, because having all the gimmicks doesn't matter if the phone feels slow after a few years of updates.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

Euro, although it should still apply to dollars since phones tend to be a bit more expensive here.

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