Andrew Martonik is from the Android Central.
All the hype is in the release cycle of a flagship phone. The cost of the high-end phones has gone far north of the $1,000 mark in recent years. One of the best phones in the market, like the S21 Ultra, will set you back $1,200 if you don't trade in. It is pushing towards $2,000 for foldables.
The commoditization of smartphone hardware means that older models often sell for less. The core experience of the S21 Ultra is largely the same as the previous S20 Ultra. A refurbished S20 Ultra can be yours for as little as $699, $500 less than the top-of-the-line 2021 model.
The year-old Z Fold 2 is now available for half its original price.
Software support was a major argument against buying an older phone. After a year, most older phones dropped off the radar in terms of platform updates. That is no longer the case. High-end phones from big brands such as Google are now supported for four years or more. Is it smart to buy a current flagship instead of looking for a more mature model?
Alex Dobie is from the Android Central.
There's a big difference in support depending on the manufacturer you choose. Software support lifespans are getting longer. The latest phones from the two companies will be covered by security updates until at least 2025. The pace at which those updates are rolled out has made a difference for the company. The day-one updates have always been good for the phones. The recent release of OneUI 4 to the Galaxy phones has shown that not only can the company push new updates and features to current-year phones in record time, but that older models like the S20 and Note 20 series should also be receiving OneUI 4 as well.
The increased competition has forced update slackers like OnePlus to take notice. The brand, once laser focused at the enthusiast segment, announced a new and more aggressive update schedule in recent months, including a promised three years of security updates for flagship phones.
There is no guarantee that these updates will arrive in a timely manner. It's worth considering the track record of your chosen brand before buying an older flagship. It's likely that the 2020 phones will have the latest version of the operating system, but the newer models like the Find X3 Pro and the OnePlus 9 Pro will not be released until later in the year.
It can be difficult to find a 2020 flagship in the U.S., and instead you'll have to go bargain hunting on eBay or Amazon.
If you're looking to buy a flagship in late 2021, a discounted 2020 model is still a great buy. We expect the same thing to happen when the Pixel 6 is first birthday. The latest phones from the search engine should see serious discounts. They have four years of security updates ahead of them.
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