5 reasons to buy old used flagship smartphones instead of new

 

Vendors will not praise us for this article, but we will be appreciated by people who want to save money and at the same time get a top-end smartphone. Let’s make a reservation that we are writing this guide for users who see the point in a flagship smartphone in principle. For those who have enough budget models from Xiaomi, Redmi, Oppo, Realme or the M line from Samsung, this material may not be interesting. BUT. But if you are a fan of buying affordable but new smartphones from a showroom, so to speak, then perhaps next year you will switch to used flagships. And that’s why.

 

Last year’s processor is still sufficient

 

The industry-wide slowdown in processor performance has been observed for several years now. Last year’s flagship chip is essentially as powerful as this year’s chip. The difference of a hundred hertz is more likely to be needed by marketers than by users. For example, the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 is already in its 3rd generation, adding hundredths of gigahertz and focusing on optimization. There is no noticeable increase in frequency and other methods of increasing performance are used. This also saves on the production of chips, since writing software is sometimes cheaper.

 

The chips are complemented by artificial intelligence software algorithms to more efficiently use the different cores included in the processor structure. Indeed, if the algorithm “sees” that the user is opening the Facebook feed for the 10th time in a day, then it will not unload it from memory. And knowing that social the network does not load the processor too much, it will immediately launch cores at a lower frequency to process simpler data.

 

Camera still good

 

It is worth understanding that not all flagship smartphones take photographs and videos well. The current ranking of the best camera phones can be found on specialized resources such as DxOMark. However, with top-end smartphones, there is a greater chance that good camera modules will not be destroyed by deliberate cutting of photo capabilities for the sake of market positioning.

 

Among the leaders there may be exotic models or ones that are difficult to find on official sale in our country. For some time, the Huawei flagship was in the top, which was good in everything except that it did not have Google services. Yes, dancing with a tambourine was needed not too intense, to add them or find a replacement for your favorite applications. However, the mere fact of fiddling with a thousand-dollar smartphone was not encouraging.

 

 

At one time, we compared the camera capabilities of the Galaxy S Ultra smartphones and were impressed that, in fact, the algorithms of all three work equally well. That is, if you choose one of the Galaxy S22, S23, or even more so the S24 Ultra, you will in any case get an excellent camera phone. Judging by the comparison results, the only difference is in the naturalness of the results in night photography and the shades of the photo in difficult lighting – examples were given for scenes at dusk and dawn. And so, for a lower price you get an up-to-date camera phone.

 

Updates for years

 

All manufacturers provide longer software support periods specifically for flagship models. Moreover, both compact and top-end, with prefixes named Pro, Plus, Max or Ultra. For at least 3 years, security updates will come from Google, and for one or two years the vendor himself can improve the software algorithms of the camera, power system, and eliminate any glitches that may arise. This is a kind of global warranty from the manufacturer for each user.

 

 

The obsolescence of flagships is longer

 

This is indirectly related to all of the above points. The hardware is still productive, the algorithms are working properly, the battery life is still sufficient, the camera takes excellent pictures, the new Android is already here. In fact, the only reason to change your flagship smartphone may be a breakdown that is too expensive to fix in a service center, a broken screen, for example. It may also be that you are simply tired of your smartphone or you are chasing new products, considering it your duty to purchase the latest models.

 

 

Let’s give a complex example, but related to time relativity for flagship smartphones. We once bought a Galaxy S10e. This is the flagship model of Samsung, which once received a compact version, not too limited in characteristics. At the time of purchase he was already 2 years old. Not only did it cost $250, while maintaining its perfect appearance, but it also served the owner well for another 3 years. Now the device continues to work and fully satisfies basic needs.

 

What’s important is that it still has the same fast interface and an acceptable camera that takes pictures head and shoulders above modern budget cameras. Well, a high-quality AMOLED screen is already on everyone’s lips. The battery lasts a little less; according to the system itself, it has a resource of 90%. But it still works all day long in calls and Internet mode.

 

And, of course, the cost

 

Here you can turn to price aggregators, getting an interesting snapshot of the cost of flagship smartphones of past years. However, it is worth noting that over the course of a year, new Android smartphones do not lose much in price. At best it’s $100-150. But they will have a valid store guarantee.

 

Another approach would be to buy a used flagship. Here, of course, it is important to make sure that the seller is reliable and rely on honest and independent reviews.

 

 

It is important to add that you can buy a used top-level smartphone for much less. The discount for a two-year-old model can be $300-400. And this is already a worthwhile help. At the same time, it will not necessarily be in poor cosmetic condition. The fact is that Android smartphones lose value much more than iPhones. And there are many careful owners who immediately after purchase glue a film on the screen and put on a case.

 

Data security is not an unimportant factor these days. No one knows what files and with what content were stored on the phone by the previous owner. Therefore, it is worth double-checking that the smartphone has been reset to factory settings and all personal files have been deleted. This will make it easier for both you and the previous owner.

 

You can talk a lot about how it is more profitable to buy an iPhone, because it can be sold for more. But you can also balance with used smartphones without investing heavily in an update. By the way, we recently compiled a selection of the best smartphones of early 2024, there are many interesting models there.