How Much Should You Spend on a Smartphone? 8 Price Points Compared

Smartphones travel astatine various value points. From nether $100 to complete $1500, there's thing disposable for everyone. But really overmuch should you really walk connected a caller phone? What features tin you expect from each value point? And astir importantly, which value is correct for you? Let's find out.

Under $100: Fit for Kids aliases Elders

Buying a caller smartphone nether $100 is not recommended unless you're buying it for kids aliases elders. At this price, manufacturers don't person an inducement to innovate, truthful nan champion you tin get is simply a telephone that tin hardly get you done nan time pinch mean use.

Expect bad performance, bad camera, bad battery, bad build quality, bad display, and mediocre storage. That's why, alternatively of buying a caller telephone astatine this price, you're amended disconnected buying a second-hand fund telephone that'll activity astatine slightest somewhat reliably and not beryllium excessively large an inconvenience.

Expected Features:

• Rear dual-camera setup; 8MP main and beforehand camera; 1080p video @ 30fps
• 2GB RAM; 32GB retention pinch microSD paper slot
• HD LCD surface pinch heavy bezels
• 5000mAh artillery
• All integrative body; headphone jack
• Micro-USB charging larboard

$100–$200: Basic Functionalities

Things amended rather dramatically erstwhile you jump from nether $100 to up to $200. People who bargain astatine this value are looking for basal functionalities, particularly bully artillery life and decent storage. But cameras, build quality, and capacity stay poor. This value constituent is fresh for you if your usage lawsuit is constricted to web browsing, societal media, ray gaming, and ray photography.

Expected Features:

• Rear triple-camera setup; 48MP main camera; 16MP beforehand camera; 1080p video @ 30fps
• 4GB RAM; 64GB retention pinch microSD paper slot
• FHD LCD screen; 90Hz refresh rate; teardrop notch
• 5000mAh battery; 15W wired charging
• All integrative body; headphone jack
• Rear capacitive fingerprint sensor
• USB-C 2.0 charging larboard

$200–$300: Value for Money Hotspot

Image Credit: Samsung

The $200–$300 bracket is wherever you person nan champion chance of uncovering nan champion value. In this segment, a mostly of nan bestselling phones travel from Chinese telephone makers. Unfortunately, if you're successful nan US your options present will beryllium overmuch much constricted than elsewhere successful nan world.

Wherever you are, you tin besides find immoderate coagulated deals from Samsung. Phones astatine this value constituent are not only packed pinch each basal features but besides often person quirky designs to differentiate them from different options.

Expected Features:

• Rear quad-camera setup; 48MP main camera; 16MP beforehand camera; 4K video @ 30fps
• 6GB RAM; 128GB retention pinch microSD paper slot
• FHD+ AMOLED screen; 90Hz refresh rate; punch-hole beforehand camera
• 5000mAh battery; 25W accelerated wired charging
• All integrative body; headphone jack
• Rear aliases side-mounted capacitive fingerprint sensor
• USB-C 2.0 charging larboard

$300–$500: Flagship Killers

The $300–$500 bracket is simply a very breathtaking one; it's wherever nan flagship killers are born. The extremity present is simple: connection flagship specs astatine an affordable price. OnePlus popularized this trend, but arsenic much brands entered nan marketplace pinch their flagship killers, this value bracket has go much competitory than ever.

Phones astatine this value scope are targeted towards a much tech-savvy assemblage that understands specs and a spot of jargon; they tin tally astir high-end mobile games good but not flawlessly.

Expected Features:

• Rear triple-camera setup; 64MP main camera; 13MP beforehand camera; 4K video @ 30fps
• 6GB RAM; up to 256GB storage; nary microSD paper slot
• FHD+ AMOLED screen; 120Hz refresh rate; punch-hole beforehand camera
• 5000mAh battery; 25W accelerated wired charging
• Aluminum and integrative body; nary headphone jack; IP67 standing
• Under-display optical fingerprint sensor
• USB-C 2.0 charging larboard

$500–$700: More Than Specs

Image Credit: OnePlus

In nan $500–$700 value bracket, you're paying a premium value for a premium product. As bully arsenic flagship killers are for nan worth they offer, they thin to attraction much connected nan halfway specs and little connected nan features that aren't shown successful spec sheets.

So speech from astonishing performance, you tin besides expect awesome build quality, an IP68 standing (for protection against particulate and water), louder and cleaner speakers, amended package optimization, astonishing cameras, and amended haptic feedback.

Expected Features:

• Rear triple-camera setup; 50MP main camera; 32MP beforehand camera; 4K video @ 60fps
• 8GB RAM; up to 256GB storage; nary microSD paper slot
• FHD+ AMOLED screen; 120Hz refresh rate; punch-hole beforehand camera
• 5000mAh battery; 25W accelerated wired charging; wireless charging
• Aluminum and integrative body; nary headphone jack; IP68 standing
• Under-display optical fingerprint sensor
• USB-C 3.2 charging larboard

$700–$1000: Actual Flagships

Image Credit: Apple

Although you tin astir apt find them nether $700, astir modern flagships unrecorded successful nan $700–$1000 value bracket. This is besides wherever nan competition betwixt Android and iPhone really heats up.

Here, you are paying not conscionable for nan astonishing specs and hardware, but besides typical features specified arsenic 8K video support, QHD resolution, LTPO display, and overmuch much cutting-edge tech. Phones successful this conception are very reliable, travel pinch premium features, and return further measures for privateness and security.

Expected Features:

• Rear triple-camera setup; 50MP main camera; 12MP beforehand camera; 8K video @ 24fps
• 12GB RAM; up to 512GB storage; nary microSD paper slot
• LTPO QHD AMOLED screen; 120Hz refresh rate; punch-hole beforehand camera
• 5000mAh battery; 65W accelerated wired charging; wireless charging; reverse wireless charging
• Glass and aluminum body; nary headphone jack; IP68 standing
• Under-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor aliases look unlock
• USB-C 3.2 charging larboard

$1000–$1500: Bleeding-Edge

Image Credit: SuperSaf/YouTube

At up to $1500, you're getting nan champion of nan best. For a value this high, you tin get features that nary different value constituent tin replicate. This intends stunning cameras, unsocial designs, maxed-out performance, tighter integration pinch nan ecosystem, and specialized features.

The extremity present is to maximize convenience and destruct nan request for different tech gadgets. For instance, computational photography replaces DSLRs, 1TB retention replaces outer difficult drives, and reliable build value replaces nan request for backmost covers and surface protectors.

Expected Features:

• Rear quad-camera setup; 108MP main camera; 12MP beforehand camera; 8K video @ 24fps
• 12GB RAM; up to 1TB storage; nary microSD paper slot
• LTPO 2.0 QHD AMOLED screen; 120Hz refresh rate; punch-hole beforehand camera
• 5000mAh battery; 65W accelerated wired charging; wireless charging; reverse wireless charging
• Glass and aluminum body; nary headphone jack; IP68 standing
• Under-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor aliases look unlock
• USB-C 3.2 charging larboard

Above $1500: Foldables

Image Credit: Samsung

Above $1500, you're almost exclusively looking astatine book-style foldable phones specified arsenic nan Galaxy Z Fold 5 aliases Honor Magic V2 that connection a wide main surface and a screen surface that resembles a normal smartphone screen.

Granted, you tin get a flip telephone for nether $1000, but arsenic we covered successful our comparison of nan Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy S23, flip phones are much astir manner than practicality. Book-style foldables, however, unlock a full caller level of productivity and intermezo acknowledgment to their immense tablet-like main surface that allows for enhanced multitasking and immersion.

However, successful nan expansive strategy of things, foldables are still a comparatively caller invention which intends they do travel pinch immoderate drawbacks specified arsenic reduced durability owed to nan vulnerable main screen, precocious repair cost, nary particulate resistance, and worse artillery life than flagships. These are conscionable immoderate reasons why foldables aren't mainstream yet.

Expected Features:

• Rear triple-camera setup; 50MP main camera; 12MP beforehand camera; screen surface camera; 8K video @ 24fps
• 12GB RAM; up to 1TB storage; nary microSD paper slot
• LTPO 2.0 QHD AMOLED main screen; screen screen, 120Hz refresh rate; punch-hole beforehand camera
• 5000mAh battery; 65W accelerated wired charging; wireless charging; reverse wireless charging
• Glass and aluminum body; nary headphone jack; IP68 standing
• Under-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor aliases look unlock
• USB-C 3.2 charging larboard

Which Price Is Right for You?

Image Credit: Dusan Petkovic/Shutterstock

Depending connected your usage case, nan correct value for you will vary. The summation successful specs is not perfectly linear successful smartphones; immoderate high-end features are easier to replicate successful fund phones while others are not. Plus, retrieve that simply having bully specs doesn't ever show nan full story.

If you're a casual user, there's nary constituent successful buying a high-end telephone specified arsenic nan Galaxy S23 Ultra aliases iPhone 14 Pro Max since you're not going to usage those premium features that often anyway. In that case, you should look for a telephone successful nan $200–$300 bracket to get nan astir value.

If you're a powerfulness user, you request a telephone that tin grip mundane abuse; some from nan successful and out. That intends awesome performance, awesome artillery life, and awesome build quality. For that, hunt nan $500–$700 value bracket, but support an oculus retired for promising flagship killers too.

If you're a gamer, you attraction much astir performance, cooling system, and typical gaming-centric features than camera and h2o resistance. In that case, you tin oculus a dedicated gaming phone successful nan aforesaid value range, i.e., $500–$700.

If you want a premium telephone pinch typical features that tin easy past astir 5 years, look astatine flagships for astir $700–$1000. Beyond $1000, nan spec upgrades aren't arsenic big, but if you want that bleeding-edge acquisition aliases nan very champion camera performance, it's available.

You should only spell supra $1500 if you cognize for judge that you request a foldable phone. Frankly speaking, it's astir apt amended if you don't bargain a foldable phone—not until they get free of astir of their drawbacks, astatine least.

Choose nan Price Right for You

No matter your budget, you tin almost ever find a bully woody erstwhile buying a caller phone. Smartphones person evolved truthful accelerated successful caller times that you really don't request to walk a batch of money to get an wide bully experience.

For nan mean consumer, we wouldn't urge going beneath $200 aliases supra $700; effort to debar some extremes. Feel free to travel backmost to this guideline erstwhile you're successful nan marketplace to bargain a caller telephone to measure your needs much clearly.