Even though the world has been under lock down for the past few months, it hasn’t deterred the smart phone manufacturers from launching new phones in the market. First it was OnePlus launching the OnePlus Nord, and more recently it was Samsung launching the Galaxy Note 20. For someone who is looking to upgrade your phone, when is the right time to buy a new smartphone ?
That is exactly what I’ll be talking about in this blog post. There is a new phone being launched almost every other week and that will be overwhelming for anyone. Also, not everyone can spend lakhs of rupees to buy a new smartphone. Sharing my tips that will probably help you buy a new smartphone.
Life of a smartphone
As technology is advancing, the life of smartphones is reducing. And by that I mean, a single camera lens smartphone bought in 2018 is almost obsolete in 2020. High refresh rate screens, under screen finger print scanner, UFS 3.0 are some of the latest technologies to have arrived to our smartphones. Ideally a life of a smartphone is maximum 3 years in my opinion.
I feel so because in that time frame the software and hardware would have advanced considerably. Especially the apps would become more demanding and probably your smartphone may not be able to handle it.
When is the right time to buy a new smartphone ?
I’ve been using my OnePlus 3T for over 3 years now. And the phone is already discontinued by OnePlus. Over the last year, I’ve been looking for an upgrade to it. First, I eyed at the OnePlus 7 Pro. But the camera was a disappointment and it was too huge for me to handle. These were basis my usage at a store here in Hyderabad.
Next was the Samsung Galaxy S20+. I read a lot about this phone prior to the release and was interested in it. So when the phone actually launched, I visited a store to experience the phone. The phone is good however the Exynos processor heats up the phone a lot. I was able to feel the heat in the 15 mins of usage at the store. I then considered getting the it shipped from the US which has the Snapdragon processor (assuming it doesn’t have this problem)
Then I saw the OnePlus 8 series launch. Before the launch, I guessed it to be priced around 75-80K mark with the features it had and didn’t think of it as a flagship killer. However, once the prices were reveled, it was a great value. I haven’t managed to get it hands on and hence the buying decision is on hold. Also the green screen issues reported by many users is concerning too.
Now – is the time to buy a new smartphone
I save up to buy a new smartphone at least a year in advance. And if the phone I want isn’t up to the mark, I wait for a better one. Like I mentioned in the earlier paragraphs. Now, every time I wait for a new phone to launch, the money I saved up isn’t sufficient as the newer phone would cost considerably more. And if this keeps on going for a few cycles, you would overshoot your budget by a huge margin.
In economics, we studied the concept of time value of money. Which basically means that the amount of money you have today is more valuable than the same amount of money in future. For example, if you are buy something for Rs 100 today, after a year you will not be able to buy it for the same amount because the prices would have increased. And of the factors is inflation due to which the prices increase with time.
The same concept can be applied to smartphones. If I were to ask when is the best time to buy a smartphone, the answer is now ! Not because Amazon is running their Prime Day sale, but with the concept we just read, it makes more sense to buy the phone today that wait for a better phone in future because that will just drill a larger hole in your pocket !
Agree or Disagree ?
After watching the Galaxy S20 Note launching again with the Exynos processor, I’ll probably not get it. So the phone that I’m still looking forward to is the OnePlus 8 Pro and possibly a Samsung Galaxy S20 with Snapdragon imported from the US. Though, I’ve mentioned that the best time to buy a phone is now, I’m myself not being able to follow it. The prices have been increasing eversince the OnePlus 7 Pro and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra could cost more than a lakh !
So, do you agree that now is the best time to buy a new smartphone ? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or tweet to me at @Atulmaharaj or DM me on Instagram.
I try my best to keep up-to-date with the latest in the world of gadgets and technology. Your website is one of the places where I can read about the latest in simple language. It drives home the point
Thanks a lot Srishti ji 🙂
This is very informative 🙂
Thanks for dropping by Triptiji. Glad you found this informative. Hope you’re safe 🙂