Smartphones are a necessity and have been for a long time now. They’ve come a long way since they were introduced in the late 2000s and they really can do it all. In the old days, people used to have multiple devices to fulfil a smartphone’s different roles: camera, MP3 player, laptop, GPS, and of course a mobile phone. Buying a new smartphone is daunting and that’s why we’re here with this guide.
Like many other things, the cost of a smartphone has been rising, at least for flagships that is. For example, a new iPhone 6 in 2014 cost £539 and the bigger iPhone 6 Plus cost £619. An iPhone 15 Pro costs £999 and the Pro Max costs £1,199. In general, technology gets cheaper over time as things progress. Nowadays you can find budget phones that do most of the things a flagship does, but with a no frills package. However, is it really the most economical option? That’s what we’re exploring in this blog post. We’ll be looking at things to consider when buying a new smartphone.
Do you really need it?
This is an important question to ask yourself when buying a new smartphone. It should also be the first question you ask yourself when making any purchase. You should be honest with yourself when buying new things. If your phone works well for your needs and you’re happy with its performance, there’s no need to upgrade unless you prioritise having the latest tech. If your battery life isn’t as good as it used to be, it might be worth considering a battery replacement, which can run anywhere from £50-200. That’s a lot cheaper than buying a new phone. Another stopgap option is buying a power bank, better yet it comes in handy for travel!
The brain loves novelty and buying shiny new things. Acquiring something shiny and new feels good because your brain releases dopamine. The whole point of marketing is to get the consumer to part with their money. Companies spend lots of money convincing you that you need to buy the latest smartphone or gadget.
What do you use your smartphone for?
It’s important to think about what you use your smartphone for when you’re considering buying a new smartphone. Different people have different priorities.
Here are some examples of different priorities:
- A shutterbug might want to have more storage space for their pictures so they don’t have to worry about that dreaded “storage full” notification. They might also want a smartphone with multiple cameras so they can take ultrawide and zoomed in shots.
- A videographer or vlogger might value a smartphone that can shoot in 4K or 8K HDR and has good stabilisation. They may also want a phone with a lot of storage or expandable storage.
- Those who like to watch movies or TV on their phone might want a fancy OLED HDR display, high pixel density, a bigger screen, good speakers. They might want to avoid phones with a notch, big front camera cutout, or wide bezels.
- Gamers might want a smartphone made specifically for gaming that prioritises performance and speed.
- People who are always on the go might want a phone with a long battery life or fast charging.
- Power users who use intensive apps might value performance and fast processing speeds.
- Some people like a compact phone that easily fits in your pocket and is easy to use single-handed.
- Environmentally-minded people might value repairability and sustainability, so they might buy a used or refurbished phone or an easy to repair phone.
- If you’re an adventure travel enthusiast or a bit clumsy, you might want a phone that is made with durability in mind.
- And then there’s people who just want a basic phone for calls, texts, emails, and basic internet browsing.
Regardless of your needs, you should look at the different options in the market and narrow them down based on your needs. The good news is with the smartphone market being huge, there’s a smartphone out there for you.
What’s your budget?
In financial planning, the advice is to make sure you live within your means and align money to your objectives. If you’re someone who loves bleeding-edge technology, then you budget and prioritise for a flagship when buying a new smartphone. If you just want a phone that’s good enough to do the basic everyday tasks, then you can get away with a midrange or budget model. With technological advancements, a lot of features once limited to flagships can be found in midrange and even some budget smartphones.
Here’s a price range for each level of smartphone:
- Budget: £150-300
- Midrange: £500-700
- Flagship: £800+
When buying a new smartphone, think about what you’re using it for. If you’re on a budget, consider if a midrange or budget phone could suit your needs. Obviously when buying a midrange or budget phone, you’re going to be compromising on some things. But it may not be a big deal for you depending on what you want.
Some examples of features you might be giving up when buying a midrange or budget phone are:
- Wireless charging. This might not be a big deal for you if you tend to plug in your phone, plus wireless charging can degrade your phone battery quicker.
- Super fast charging: Another thing that might be nice to have, but not essential. Like wireless charging, this can also degrade your phone battery quicker.
- Water and dust resistance: A lot of less expensive phones won’t have as high of an IP rating so they might not be as water resistant. There are a lot of waterproof cases on the market.
- Camera quality and variety. You may not get the full variety of cameras, but a lot of midrange phones have great cameras, like the Google Pixel 8a. Certain features like OIS (optical image stabilisation) and night mode might be missing or not as good, but think about how important these features are to you.
- Display quality. You might be missing out on a high refresh rate of 120hz, but for basic tasks you won’t really notice it’s missing. Most smartphones these days have an OLED screen, but some OLEDs are better than others. Cheaper phones often won’t be as bright as more expensive phones. If you’re often using your phone in bright environments, keep this in mind.
- Processing power and software updates. Budget and midrange phones are often not going to have as good of a processor as their flagship counterparts. This means that they might not support software updates for very long, which can lead to your phone becoming obsolete.
- The phone design might look a bit out of date or not as luxurious. Some people might not mind the back of the phone being plastic because at least it won’t shatter.
- The phone will depreciate more. This might not matter to you if you plan to keep your phone until it falls apart.
How long do you plan to keep your phone?
When buying a new smartphone, it’s important to consider futureproofing. Unfortunately, planned obsolescence is very much a thing in the smartphone world. There’s not much point in buying a phone that you want to keep long term if it won’t get software updates after a couple of years. Software updates are necessary to keep your data safe and for many people their entire lives are on their phones. Phones like the iPhone, Google Pixel, and Samsung Galaxy get software updates for four to seven years, which is great for those planning to keep their phones long term. Meanwhile a lot of budget phones don’t get software updates for as many years, so while the upfront cost is a lot lower, over time you might be paying more money to replace your outdated phone.
In general, it’s good to think about your purchases in terms of cost per use or cost per year of ownership. You might find that the cost per year of ownership for a nice flagship phone that you keep long term is comparable to the cost of getting a budget or midrange phone that you keep for a couple of years. For example, if you bought a £1000 iPhone 15 Pro and you keep that for 5 years, that’s £200/year. Meanwhile if you bought a cheaper iPhone SE for £429 and keep it for two years that’s £214.50/year.
When is the best time to buy a new phone?
A new smartphone model comes out every week and it can make your head spin. It’s tempting to buy a new phone right when it comes out because it’s the latest and greatest. Keep in mind that it’s only going to be shiny and new until the next model comes out the following year. As well, glitches and bugs often show up in the early release stage, so it’s not bad to wait until those bugs are fixed. However, a lot of Android phones go on sale right before the new model comes out. So if you are someone who wants a new phone, but not the latest, that could also be a good option. Any flagship phone is going to have top of the line features so it’s not terribly out of date if you buy one a year or two after it comes out.
Does buying a used phone make sense?
When buying a new smartphone, a used phone might be tempting. They can be found on the high street or online. For peace of mind, you could buy an certified refurbished phone from a retailer. Typically a used phone will be graded as Grade A: like new, Grade B: very good, or Grade C: good/acceptable. The better the condition and the better the specs, the more it will cost. If you use a phone case, then cosmetic flaws like scratches and little dents might not matter. If you’re buying refurbished or used from a shop, make sure you have a warranty.
Phones from private sellers on eBay or Facebook Marketplace can be even cheaper, but they’re more of a gamble because there’s no warranty or checks done on the phone. They’re sold as-is and if it breaks, you’re out of luck.
Phone Plans: phone contract or pay as you go?
You’ll also need a plan to go along with your phone. The three options are pay monthly phone contract, SIM only contract, or pay as you go.
Pay monthly phone contracts are usually a fixed term of 12-36 months and you don’t have to worry about topping up, but you need a credit check. The good news is if you’re buying a new phone and you have a contract, you can spread out the cost of your phone time, so it’s one bill. However, if you’re not happy with your phone plan, you’ll pay a hefty fee to cancel your contract. It can also be more expensive than other options, especially if you’re not interested in replacing your phone often. Phones bought through pay monthly phone contracts are locked to the network, but they can be unlocked later.
If you already have a phone, you can get a SIM only plan. These plans are typically more flexible and are either monthly rolling or short term contracts. Of course, because you’re bringing your own phone, these plans are cheaper than pay monthly contracts with a phone. The downside here is you’ll also need a credit check.
If you prefer complete flexibility, you can get a pay as you go (SIM only) plan. This can help you manage your spending on your mobile phone usage and you can pay for what you need. Typically you pay a fee per minute, text, and mb of data used, but there are pay as you go bundles that offer better value. There are plans for less than a tenner, but these come with a smaller data allowance. But that means you’ll have to pay for your phone outright and manually top up every month either via an app or at a convenience store or supermarket. It’s not as convenient and there’s an up front cost to purchase the device.
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