Most of the time on websites like ours (ones that are wholly or partially dedicated to mobile tech, that is) you’ll find a ton of op-eds, unboxings, and reviews of phones. For the most part, you’re going to find that most of the focus is put on to the flagship devices. For people who only look forward to purchasing flagship phones, this is fortunate; you have tons and tons of content to choose from when it comes to narrowing down exactly which flagship phone you want to buy. However, all others get slim pickings, if any at all.
But just because there isn't tons of content covering the lesser known phones doesn’t mean they don’t exist, or that people don’t want them. In fact, right now we’re witnessing a strange revolution of sorts (in my opinion) where lower cost (and lower class) smartphones are no longer the taboo subject that they once were. If you wanted a flagship phone, you wanted it for a reason - they worked a good bit better than the free or cheap alternatives. If you wanted a free or cheap alternative, then the old saying “You get what you pay for,” could have certainly been used and applied.
Springing for a flagship phone today is a frivolous thing. In fact, because of this new revolution I’m starting to let go of my old standards that I have to purchase the most expensive smartphone with the best specs in order to get a prime experience. That’s simply not the case these days. I may be using the HTC One (M8) as my daily driver as part of the 30 Day Challenge, but I can say that beyond the shadow of a doubt there are many days where I do, in fact, miss using my Moto X. Not only is the size nearly perfect for me, but the even the specs don’t show so horribly. The phone has always been snappy enough for me, and the features are quite good in my opinion. Even the quality of the phone isn’t half bad. Is it the most prestigious? No. But, as I recently discovered, the material of the phone doesn’t really mean a whole lot when you’ve always got a case on it.
You also have the Moto G and the Moto E, two of the lowest priced smartphones on the market with decent specs. These two alone have made big strides, particularly in the name of Android, to ensure that flagships aren’t the only phones worth looking at these days. When it comes to purchasing a phone at full price, most phones will run you $300-$400; these two, however, manage to stay below the $200 mark. You also have a few Windows Phones to choose from, which are almost guaranteed to work well despite lower-than-average specs.
It’s a good day to be interested in smartphones, my friends. Gone are the days where your phone would work for any longer past the first update if you decided to go for a cheaper phone; gone are the days where, if you were completely out of options when it comes to contractual upgrades, you had to pay upwards of $400 for a shoddy smartphone. While buying a flagship phone still has its perks over cheaper phones (because there are some) the difference between flagship and non-flagship are no longer night and day.
With that being said, and with us being where we are, how are you about buying smartphones, readers? Do you always spring for flagships, or have recent changes within the industry made you change your ways? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Image via Gadgets To Use
