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5 Reasons Why It's Better To Get An Older Flagship Smartphone

Diangson Louie March 10, 2016 · 2 min read

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We’ve seen a lot of new phones just this quarter alone and I’m sure there are many who are already thinking of getting one especially the latest flagship. While having the latest smartphone tech is great, sometimes it’s better to just get some of the older generation. We’ll give you 5 reasons why.

1. It’s cheaper now.

We all know that latest flagship smartphones launch at their most expensive which is understandable. However, not everyone can afford to cash out that much. That said, saving yourself some money is one of the reasons to get its predecessor instead.

2. It still has great hardware.

It’s true that the newest smartphones have the latest features and updated tech but for ordinary users, it’s not a big deal. Last year’s flagship smartphones, or even those from two years ago, are still attractive, have high-resolution displays, can still run most games in the App Store or Play Store, and supports the latest OS.

3. You don’t always need the latest features.

I’m sure you want that new camera tech with fast auto-focus, 4K recording, QHD display, 4GB RAM, and waterproofing, but when it comes to day-to-day usage, do you really need them? It’s fun having all the new bells and whistles but if you check on the features that really matters and you might realize that older flagship smartphones actually fits your lifestyle better.

4. Their hardware and software flaws are already known.

Getting the latest smartphone right away also means taking some risks as there are hardware or software flaws that are yet to be uncovered. Going for previous flagships might help you decide which one to get as information about these flaws have already been documented or fixed. In addition, you can also check if some of these phones support custom ROMs, allowing you to give it new features even as it gets older.

5. You can have a shorter upgrade cycle.

Most people upgrade their smartphones every 2 years. That’s also one of the reasons why postpaid plans have the same contract length. But since you took into consideration number 1 and have saved some cash in the process, it will now cost you less to upgrade to a newer one the following year. Just rinse and repeat.

ALSO READ: 2014 Flagship Smartphones That Are Still Worth Getting Today

Why is it cheaper to buy an older flagship smartphone?

Older flagship smartphones are cheaper because they launch at their most expensive, and buying the predecessor saves money.

Do older flagship smartphones still have good hardware?

Older flagship smartphones still have high-resolution displays, can run most games, and support the latest OS.

What risk comes with buying the latest smartphone immediately?

Buying the latest smartphone immediately means taking risks with unknown hardware or software flaws.

React to this article:

2014 flagship smartphones 2015 flagship smartphones flagship smartphones

Diangson Louie

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This article was written by Louie Diangson, Managing Editor of YugaTech. You can follow him at @John_Louie.

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42 Comments

EJ · 6 years ago

Glad to see a photo of the Nexus 6 which I’m still using up to this day for my media consumption!

Nguyen · 8 years ago

Hirap kasi sa phone na budget friendly madali masira kulang ang internal memory. After 30 yrs na lang ako bibili. Un nokia ko na may keypad 5 years ko na ata nagamit natatangal na un mga housing at napundi na backlit ng keypad but still working pa rin.

tonton · 9 years ago

I got brand new BlackBerry Q10 from online seller just this month. It’s my secondary phone to iPhone 5S. I got this BlackBerry for 6,5k only compared to 32K when first released. Btw, my phones are 2013 flagship phones from apple and BlackBerry. :)

tonton · 9 years ago

DyGo · 9 years ago

Kaway2 sa mga LG G3 users! \m/

Romer Apruebo · 10 years ago

I’ve got my Zenfone 2 4gbRAM/64gbROM for just 5kphp and I’m loving it :)

Edison · 10 years ago

Because of this article I got my LG G3 and I’m lovin it. Having a previous flagship is still better than buying a new midrange smartphone.

tonythexplorer · 10 years ago

If nasa work kana, it doesnt matter if anu na specs ng phone basta pwedeng pang net, text and tawag. Mostly sa estudyante lang naman nagkaka issue sa model ng phone. Kung minsan mga manufacturers din ang reason kung bakit nafoforce ka na bumili ng bago. Andyan yung kawalan na ng support sa old models. Wala ng update sa software. Palaki din ng palaki ang mga apps kaya nagiging unstable sa old models or hindi na totally supported. Kaya kahit hindi mo gusto, bibili ka pa rin ng bago for some reasons.

Ros · 10 years ago

I’m using Lumia 930. Mabilis and maganda pa kumuha ng video and pictures. I got it for cheap and its an old flagship that was released 2 years ago.

Ex-Alodian Knight · 10 years ago

After my oppo yoyo died out on me after a year.
I got a sweet deal on a second-hand OnePlus One on Ebay. It had what I need like the charger and the box.

Most of the article is true and I can agree with. I just don’t wanna upgrade my cm12 rom yet because I don’t like to have cortana on my system yet.

paushin · 10 years ago

If hindi pa bumigay oppo find 7a ko hindi ako bibili din ng edge plus ko eh

pisting_yawa · 10 years ago

100% agree with you. A 2 y.o. flagship smartphone from Sony, LG or Samsung is way way better to have albeit more costly than any latest bang for the buck smartphones available in the market.

Ronaldq · 10 years ago

The biggest advantage to me for having older smartphone is the stable custom roms available to flash.

Ravenclaw · 10 years ago

I don’t understand why you’d release such article few days before the selling date of the S7. I wonder why.

Angelo · 10 years ago

I would go even further by saying you can buy a 2nd hand older flagship phone for quite a good deal and some still have receipt with warranty in case of manufacturer defect like the lg g4.

JAMES · 10 years ago

HAPPY WITH MY LENOVO VIBE Z. NABILI KO NG 6,700 SA GREY MARKET. GOOD SPECS, GREAT CAMERA. GOOD BATTERY LIFE.

Easy E · 10 years ago

Sana mag sale na ang nexus6.

ahihu · 10 years ago

agree ako. di naman natin kailangan ng latest phone. as long as naibibigay sa atin ng phone ang dapat nyang ibigay, dapat makuntento na tayo.

sa totoo lang, bago ko binili ang LG G3 ko, almost 8 years kong ginamit Nokia N70 ko. Kung di pa natanggal at nawala yung scroll key nya, baka yun pa din gamit ko ngayon.

almost 2 years ko ng gamit LG G3 ko, at ngayong may LG G5 na, di pa din ako mag-a-upgrade. For what?
Sure, kaya kong bumili kong gugustuhin ko, pero praktikal ako.

Opps!! Eto naman ay ganang sa akin lamang. Kung gusto nyo ng latest, eh di go kayo! Hehe!