So much of the news cycle for smartphones is about flagships. The next big thing coming down the pipe. That basically always comes hand-in-hand with a focus on pricing. Is it too high? Is a company being aggressive or lazy with its pricing scheme? Will the price prevent it from taking off?

And of course, specs play a huge part in the story, too. Even as we see the smartphone market mature and devices get less and less differentiated by pure hardware. People still talk about the latest processor, and the amount of RAM, and just how much storage is built into the phone. That's because these elements still matter, even if they mainly serve as a means to compare one phone to another.

It mostly comes down to features these days. Things like the camera. Or, more specifically, cameras.

But the price can't be ignored. Not at all. Which means sometimes the price tag can determine which phone is in our budget. Sometimes a $999+ phone just isn't feasible, even with monthly payments. Which makes the mid-range market a solid area to explore.

Mid-range phones have shown that they can offer quite a bit to the smartphone market these days, even without breaking the bank. Sure, some mid-range phones can get lost in the shuffle because they don't really offer anything to stand out, which can be an issue for a company trying to sell phones.

Still, having plenty of options to choose from, all of which can safely fit within a particular zone of pricing and specs, isn't a bad thing. Saving money on a phone isn't a bad thing, even if it means you aren't getting the latest and greatest features when compared to a high-end flagship.

HTC recently unveiled a new mid-range smartphone. As one can probably guess, it won't blow your socks off with all the power under the hood, but it seems like a pretty solid handset for the most part. It should get the job done for most people who would be in the market for this type of device. Especially with the big display and large battery.

But, I'm curious: Do you find yourself leaning towards mid-range phones more often these days? They've certainly matured in their own way, in their own market, so are these the types of phones you buy in an effort to save some money? Let me know!