In terms of price, new flagship phones are very costly. So, it might take a while before you save enough money to get your dream phone. You might need to sell laptops, cell phones, or any personal items or electronics to get the money.
Another option is to wait over a year or two to allow the price to drop. But, when that time comes, a new mid-range phone could be on the market that might also catch your interest. These phones possess a few flagship qualities at a cheaper rate.
So, now, the question is, would you give up your dream of buying an old flagship for a new mid-range phone? You need to compare the two phones using several parameters to answer this question.
Comparing New Mid-Range Phone With Old Flagship Phones
Research shows that there are over 294 million smartphone users. The statistics show that people must have had quite a challenge choosing between the old flagships and the new mid-range phones. To solve this problem, several vital aspects determine which of these phones is a wise choice to buy. They are;
- Storage Capacity
New mid-range phones have the edge over old flagships in storage capacity. At first, old flagships and mid-rangers might have the same capacity. But the difference is that most mid-rangers can expand their storage using SD cards.
Currently, mid-rangers support the UFS 3.0 internal storage closing the gap with new flagships UFS 3.1. So, if you previously had flagships, you can put these phones up for sale and buy a new mid-ranger. Also, there are several stores you can look into that deal with trade-in phones.
- Body Framework
When considering better body design, flagship phones take the win. But this win is a close one with upcoming Chinese brands. Cell phones such as Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi close the gap in body build.
Old flagship phones tend to have that expensive look due to the glass designs on their backs. But that expensive look becomes real when there is an unintentional fall. You will have to pay a considerable amount to replace the glass back design. If you don’t have the cash for a repair, you can look for places that sell used phones.
New mid-range phones don’t seem to worry about a fall because of their plastic makeup. This plastic cover helps the phone’s longevity and reduces the chances of breaking. But, even when there is a breakage, it is easier and cheaper to fix, unlike flagships.
- The Processor, Hardware, and SoC
Most flagship phones will have the same bonus points regarding hardware, processing speed, and SoC. These three features are vital points to look out for, especially if you want to use the phone for over two years.
Also, the flagship SoC has better working performance than the new mid-rangers. This is because chip makers have returned to remodeling the old flagship phones. This speed improvement on the old flagship’s hardware makes the mid-rangers seem slow.
This phone speed difference might not be significant to primary phone users. But, it is very relevant for those engaged in intensive graphical work and processing. So, for those who want good performance, consider old flagships.
- Battery
Without a doubt, mid-range phones have the edge over flagships in battery capacity. This is because the old flagship phones’ designs are slim and compact enough to look appealing. Unfortunately, this results in the production of smaller cells that have lower battery life.
The case is different with the new mid-range phones. The midrange does not pay much attention to esthetics. So, they have large cells that produce longer battery life. But mid-rangers come with fast charging abilities, a quality lacking in flagships.
But old flagships have an uncommon feature. These phones support reverse wireless standards and wireless charging. Again, this is a quality that is absent in mid-range phones. Yet, mid-rangers are the best bet when it comes to battery sustainability.
- Display
Old flagships from two years ago and below have better display features than new mid-range phones. For example, old flagship phones, such as refurbished iPhones, have higher color sensitivity. This results in a higher refresh rate of the AMOLED panel. Also, an old flagship is preferable for phone users who like curved screens.
AMOLED panels are common among mid-range phones, but they still lag compared to flagship phones. Old flagships seem to have a higher refresh rate than new mid-range phones.
Another point for the old flagship phones’ being higher is that some mid-range phones use LCD panels. Unfortunately, these LCD panels have poorer display quality than AMOLED panels. As a result, display qualities such as color accuracy and reproduction are diminished.
An added advantage to old flagship phones is HDR10/10+/Dolby Vision. So, if you have an old iPhone, you can have it reset. Having your iPhone reset will save you the cost of buying a new one while retaining all the excellent display qualities.
- Picture Quality
The fact remains that new mid-range phones still compete with previous flagship phones’ picture quality. But, there might be a few exceptions, as some mid-range phones could have great cameras.
Now, this disparity narrows down to the quality of sensors and image processing. The quality and type of lens, alongside the multi-lens optical image stabilization, are also inclusive.
So, when comparing flagships with mid-range phones with these qualities, flagships tend to take the lead. The old flagship offers a better telephoto lens, which might be absent in mid-rangers. With all these advantages, the old flagships produce better videos with less light image quality.
So, you should reevaluate when you think, “how do I sell my iPhone.” But, if the phone is terrible, you can look for places selling electronics.
- Operating System (OS) and Software Updates
OS and software updates are not common among new mid-range phones. The case is different from old flagship phones. The aim of buying flagship phones is the presence of regular and guaranteed software updates.
With software updates in demand, the shelf life of these two phones seems similar. But, this balance is unstable with the updating features of Samsung mid-rangers. Yet, even with the Samsung advantage, flagships are a better choice.
The Bottom Line
Which is better, new mid-rangers or old flagships? In the long run, it narrows down to the features you like to have in a phone. For example, you might desire longevity of battery life and mid-range phones offer that. Also, mid-range phones have better storage capacity.
But, if you are searching for speed and better performance, look to old flagship phones. Flagships also offer excellent build quality, display, picture quality, and software updates.
