Are you getting tired of flagship smartphones?

Galaxy S20 Ultra (Image credit: Andrew Martonik / Android Central)

Devices like the Galaxy S20 Ultra, Pixel 4 XL, and other high-end phones are a lot of fun to talk about. They're equipped with the very latest specs, often come with features not found in cheaper handsets, and give off a premium/high-end essence.

That said, when it comes time to actually buy a phone, coughing up $1000 or more can make these devices a lot less appealing — especially when you consider the constantly growing market for mid-range and budget models.

Some of our AC forum members recently got to talking about their overall disinterest in flagship phones, saying:

Hi all. My first flagship was the Galaxy S5 and my next and current one is the Note 9. But even I am starting to become disillusioned with flagship phones. It's a number of things. It's not just the price, but the price vs value. My note 9 cost me $1500 here in Australia and whilst it was a lot of money, I didn't baulk at getting it as it was a huge jump over the S5. The S20 Ultra, the...
BlackZeppelin

I went from Galaxy S2 to S5, then S8+. Since I keep my phones for 3 years, the logical choice would now be S20+ or Ultra. But since prices are way too high for me now. I've now purchased the S10 Lite and I don't regret it. It has flat screen which I like better, super fast processor, 128gb and a battery that lasts 2 days most of the time. I'm very happy with my choice. The only negative for me is...
tuckertje01

The Exynos version of the S20 ultra has overheating issues and autofocus issues and a terrible battery life. Mr Whosetheboss did a video saying that the difference between the snapdragon and the exynos versions of the same phone were like two different phones and the exynos is completely inferior. I bought an S10+ with an Exynos chip for £700 in January. It has been a brilliant phone and I am...
Kizzy Catwoman

For me I'd rather buy pre generation flagship phones. The best buys out there right now are the S10, iPhone XS, One Plus 7t and Pixel 4. And you have to make very few compromises when you go for those. Plus, they've already had plenty of software updates so often they're running in peak condition.
ThrottleJohnny

All of this talk got us to wondering — Are you getting tired of flagship smartphones?

Join the conversation in the forums!

Joe Maring was a Senior Editor for Android Central between 2017 and 2021. You can reach him on Twitter at @JoeMaring1.

12 Comments

Kind of yes. Prices have gotten crazy. I think I'm going to skip getting a new phone this year. Nothing I've seen makes me want to give up my OP 7 Pro. I'm really hoping for under display front cameras next year. Then the whole punch hole camera fad will be done hopefully.
I like what LG is doing with the flag ship phone prices keeping it under 1000. The lg V60 is 899.00.
I'm tired of the high prices. Nowadays it is just about adding in frivolous features to drive the price up, or rather justify jacking the price up. I'm done with expensive smartphones especially seeing just how much you can get for <=$500
Yes. Most of the features added are things I don't care about. They keep removing things I do care about. And every flagship seems to want to go with a curved or waterfall screen and I hate the way they look and feel. I'm not even a fan of Samsung's UI but I will probably get a S10 lite because it makes the fewest compromises at a price I'm ok with.
The OnePlus 7T is a much better phone with the same chip at a cheaper price!
Not on my carrier and the Lite can be had for $200 off at Best Buy.
Is anybody really ever tired of having what they think is the best? I would say no, but they are over trhe freaking price!! I will add that in the article the people complaining are all talking about Samsung, as soon as the public learns you can get just as good a phone at a cheaper price , or a slightly less as good for a much cheaper price, it will help the mobile community as a whole.
Just wish companies would put as much support behind the midrange devices as they do the flagships. Seems apple is the only one who consistently updates all of their devices 3-4+ years after launch. Samsung is getting better, but android as a whole needs to work on that.
Used to get new phones for 200$ with 2yr contract now everything is a 540$ lease for 18 months.. Screw these carriers and buy a year old phone on eBay...
Apple just lobbed the biggest bomb onto the cell phone market. 399 for a device 99.9 percent of users will love with a top of the line A13 chip and 5-6 years support. Going to be VERY difficult for Android and Apple flagships to compete in an economy with a lot less disposable income. Nobody I know right now is buying luxury items or tech (and most of my friends are well off) tons of uncertainty and job losses across all sectors.
Android, yes. iPhone, no. iPHones hold value very well, so the cost is less of an issue to me. Additionally, they are very well supported, so you can just keep it and keep it until Apple releases something attractive to you. If you do that with Android, you'll end up with a phone well out of support while Apple is still releasing new major iOS versions for older iPhones. I moved back to iOS this year for that reason. I use my Note9 as a portable media player when I go out on walks, etc. Don't use it for anything else, though...
I have no problems with flagship phones existing. The issue is whether or not the consumer sees the same value at that price tag VS mid-range phones that do 80% of the job those same flag ships do. Every Android phone I've owned was a flagship phone at the time I bought it (HTC Droid Incredible, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note Edge, Galaxy Note 10 +). And obviously the price is one HUGE factor in what I buy. But those phones I owned for over 3 years each (Note Edge was my daily driver for 4 1/2 years) and I want a phone to be as useful for my needs for as long as possible before I feel the need to even think about looking into a purchase. I love the choices that are out there from all the OEMs in the market. It's that choice that will help you decide whatever value you find in a flagship or another midrange phone.

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