Change my thoughts: Most individuals should purchase last-gen telephones

I do know you need that shiny new telephone your favourite model simply launched, however don’t let your feelings get one of the best of you. Shopping for final yr’s mannequin is the higher selection for a number of causes. And this doesn’t simply apply to high-end telephones, but additionally to the extra inexpensive fashions from the Pixel A and Samsung Galaxy A lineups.

And simply to be clear, I’m not speaking about shopping for a used machine from a stranger on the web. I’m speaking about shopping for a brand-new, sealed unit of a telephone that was launched a few yr in the past. Right here’s why I imagine that is sensible for most individuals.

There are two advantages to purchasing final yr’s telephone when it from a monetary standpoint. The primary one is that you just’ll save a fairly penny. Retailers have to filter their stock when the brand new mannequin is launched, so it can save you lots of of {dollars} on a brand-new machine.

For instance, every week or so earlier than the Pixel 10 collection was introduced, the Pixel 9 was $200 off, when you had been capable of get a $300 low cost on the Pixel 9 Professional. The 9 Professional Fold provided probably the most financial savings at $500.

It was an identical story with the Galaxy S24 collection. The S24 Extremely was $500 off days earlier than the S25 collection made its debut — that’s virtually a 40% low cost.

However the preliminary financial savings are only one a part of the story. It’s a must to maintain the resale worth in thoughts as properly. Telephones lose most of their worth within the first yr. As you may see from the instance above, the value of the brand new Galaxy S24 Extremely dropped by virtually 40% in that time-frame. So for those who had been to purchase it at full worth at launch for $1,200, you would need to promote it for lower than $800 a yr later, since folks might simply purchase a brand new one from the shop at that worth.

Shopping for it at $800 a yr after launch means you’d lose much less cash promoting it after 12 months or so, because the depreciation just isn’t as large in yr two as it’s within the first yr.

The times when the newest telephone was a considerable improve over its predecessor are lengthy gone. Most new gadgets are typically nothing greater than iterative upgrades, providing a barely quicker chipset, marginally improved cameras, and some further software program perks — largely AI-related.

For reference, the S25 Extremely comes with a more recent SoC, an improved ultrawide digital camera, thinner bezels, extra rounded corners, and a barely decrease weight. However, its S Pen misplaced Bluetooth assist, which is current on the S24 Extremely. I don’t assume these further options are price $500, as you probably received’t expertise a lot of a distinction — if any — in day-to-day efficiency and use between the 2 gadgets.

A year-old telephone is usually not less than 90 if not 95 % pretty much as good as the newest mannequin for as much as 40% much less cash. And for those who’re frightened about lacking out on all these further software program options it has, don’t fear. The key ones normally — though not at all times — nonetheless make it to older gadgets, however with a brief delay.

Even for those who purchase a year-old telephone, the software program assist will nonetheless have you ever coated for years to return. Granted, this will depend on the telephone you purchase, however for those who get a mid-range or high-end Pixel or Galaxy, you may count on not less than six extra years of software program and safety updates, contemplating these gadgets include a seven-year software program replace promise.

Most individuals don’t use a telephone for greater than that anyway, so the software program updates could have you coated all through the possession of your machine. This implies you’ll get a lot of the newest software program options which are a part of new Android releases, in addition to safety updates that can maintain your machine protected.

This could additionally technically assist with a tool’s resale worth, because it’s simpler to promote a telephone that also has a number of years of software program updates left than one which acquired its final one two years after launch.

So from a software program replace perspective, you’re not likely shedding out on a lot with a year-old telephone versus a brand-new one.

The issue with new telephones is that there could also be manufacturing points and defects that you just simply aren’t — and might’t be — conscious of. Folks normally begin speaking about these weeks after gross sales of a brand new mannequin kick off and so they have had time to check out their gadgets totally. So from that perspective, shopping for a brand-new machine is usually a gamble.

Granted, I’d argue that almost all gadgets are issue-free, however some fashions or particular items can have issues. If we had been to go to the acute, all I’ve to do is point out the Word 7 that spontaneously caught fireplace years in the past. However I wish to be extra reasonable right here since one thing like that may be very uncommon.

What’s not uncommon are points with overheating, batteries, cameras, and shows. For instance, some S25 telephones had points with streak traces showing on a number of the photographs taken, gradual and inconsistent charging, and notification delays. Shopping for it a yr after launch provides Samsung time to repair these issues in the course of the manufacturing course of. By buying a mannequin from a later manufacturing batch, there’s much less of an opportunity that you just’ll find yourself with a defective unit.

So to sum up, shopping for a brand new unit of final yr’s mannequin means you’ll get monetary savings, the telephone will maintain its worth higher, the variations in efficiency and software program will likely be negligible, and also you received’t have to fret about getting a defective unit as a lot. To me, the selection is evident. Nonetheless, your mileage might differ.

If cash just isn’t a serious concern and also you wish to keep on the bleeding fringe of tech, there’s nothing incorrect with shopping for the newest mannequin. However for most individuals, shopping for a year-old telephone is the higher choice. Don’t agree with me? Let me know why within the feedback and attempt to change my thoughts.

I additionally wish to level out that I used the S25 Extremely and S24 Extremely as examples a number of instances, since these are the final two generations of Samsung’s high-end telephones. However remember that the S26 collection is simply across the nook, so for those who’re considering of getting a Samsung machine, wait till the brand new gen is out after which go for the S25 when it’s on sale.