So you just bought a flagship smartphone and you’re pretty stoked about it. Why not? It’s got killer specs, improved features, and a form factor that stands out from the crowd. Having a top-of-the-line smartphone does have a lot of advantage over other handsets, but they also have a fair share of disadvantages. In this article we enumerate some of them.
1. The slightest damage is a sore sight
Whether it be nicks, scratches, or a part of the body chipped off, the slightest damage is a sore sight from its otherwise sleek exterior.
Because of this, you tend to be extra careful with your smartphone. Be mindful, though, not to reach the point that you’re just too careful with your phone by keeping it safe and scratch-free. Just enjoy it. After all, remember that it’s a tool and not a collector’s item.
2. They often force you to spend on accessories and services
If you really want to protect your phone from unwanted scratches and scars, there are phone cases available for purchase that guard the frame of the device. There are also tempered glass screen protectors that work better than plastic ones if you want to keep your display at its pristine condition, and even gadget insurance that covers an array of accidental damages.
Of course, all these come at a price so if you want added protection for your phone, you’d have to shell out extra money.
3. They are magnet to pickpockets
If feature phones aren’t attractive to snatchers and pickpockets, high-end smartphones obviously are. Flashing around a brand new iPhone carelessly might attract the wrong kind of attention when done in a public and crowded place.
As a tip, avoid using your expensive smartphones in these kinds of environments but if can’t be helped, why not buy an affordable feature phone that you can use at times like these?
4. Their parts and repair services cost more
Once damaged or if something isn’t working well, some parts and repairs actually cost a lot when done in authorized centers. There are cheaper alternatives from third-party stalls but it could be risky and will void the manufacturer’s warranty.
5. Losing a really expensive smartphone is hard to replace
If you accidentally dropped and destroyed your phone or it was stolen from you, not only does it make you feel really bad but it is also actually stressful.
It could be a birthday gift to you, you might have worked long and hard for it, or spent a fair amount of your savings buying this device. Whatever the reason, losing an expensive smartphone is just harder to replace than a budget one.
6. There will always be something better
Sure, you have the latest phone right now but in a few months’ time there will most likely be a successor released that sports faster internals, new features, and probably a new look.
This becomes a disadvantage if your satisfaction relies on having the latest model in the market since that way, you’ll be needing to change phones every half a year or so.
Those are some of the things we see as disadvantages when you have an expensive handset. Do you have anything to add? Fee free to leave a comment below.
If your habit is to drop the phone, in the canal, it is better to have a cheaper phone. You can drop more cheap phones than one expensive phone.
Number 6 is the truest of the true. Considering the performance difference between the most expensive smartphones on the market and the 10k+ php mid-range ones, the only real reason to go for the expensive ones is because they’re the “top of the line.”
Bigger numbers on paper, miniscule increase in performance notwithstanding. So the moment something new comes along with an even *bigger* number, there goes your justification for getting the expensive ones over the mid-range ones.
My strategy is to opt for a postpaid plan where you can get your desired premium phone for free.
I like buying flagship phones after a year or two of its release, because their prices not only dropped, but they continue to be:
1. Supported by the manufacturer and online community when it comes upgrades.
2. Accessories are still out there and are cheaper because they new flagship had flooded the stores.
3. It is still brand new and the design and features are not that outdated.
4. Did I mention they are a lot cheaper specially if you buy them cash?
I plan to buy either the S6 or S6 Edge a few months after S7 comes out. Imagine getting that same phone which is now 25-30k at probably 15-18k. You just have to be patient.
When the Galaxy S3 hit 10k used years ago, I snapped it up.
Still using it now… Not really inclined to upgrade since it still runs Chrome well enough, Camera is still decent, Usability is still acceptable…
Smartphones have reached the point where the midrangers can pack enough of what the Average user needs.
I’d still buy a premium smartphone because for the most part they DON’T CUT CORNERS and negatively affect the performance in all aspects of the smartphone.
Case in point: My Galaxy Note 3 and LG G Pro 2 (both Snapdragon 800, 3GB RAM, 5.0) were the premium smartphones when they were first released, and run BETTER than any of the new midrange and even “budget flagship” phones, even the 4/64 Zenfone 2 “Samsung killer!” In gaming and general use, Zenfone lags in even the small things. No lag in both Korean phones! And the camera is just better on the Note than the Zenfone. Also, developer community support gravitates towards flagships and premium services (this is why the Note 5 has already ROMs aplenty when the Lenovo K3 Note has very few.)
There’s just a sense of quality with a tier one device (even from a few years ago) compared to the cheaper phones that are nothing more than to balance corporate checkbooks.
this is so true!! never ever flash your high end smart phone in public.