The Samsung Galaxy s21 in white, pink, purle, and black.

How Much Should You Spend on a Smartphone? 7 Price Points Compared

Smartphones come at varied worth factors. From beneath $100 to over $1000, there’s one thing out there for everybody. However how a lot do you have to actually spend on a brand new telephone? What options are you able to anticipate from every worth level? And most significantly, which worth is best for you?

Let’s discover out.

Beneath $100: Match for Youngsters or Elders

Shopping for a brand new smartphone beneath $100 just isn’t advisable except you are shopping for it for youths or elders. At this worth, producers do not have an incentive to innovate, so one of the best you will get is a telephone that may barely get you thru the day with medium use.

Count on dangerous efficiency, dangerous digicam, dangerous battery, dangerous construct high quality, dangerous show, and mediocre storage. That is why, as a substitute of shopping for a brand new telephone at this worth, you are higher off shopping for a second-hand price range telephone that’ll work not less than considerably reliably and never be too huge an inconvenience.

Anticipated Options:

  • 5MP most important and entrance digicam
  • 2GB RAM; 16GB ROM with microSD card slot
  • HD LCD display with thick bezels
  • 2000mAh battery
  • All plastic physique; headphone jack
  • Micro-USB charging port

$100–$200: Fundamental Functionalities


A smartphone in airplane mode

Issues enhance fairly dramatically once you soar from beneath $100 to as much as $200. Individuals who purchase at this worth are searching for primary functionalities, particularly good battery life and first rate storage. However cameras, construct high quality, and efficiency stay poor. This worth level is match for you in case your use case is proscribed to net looking, social media, mild gaming, and lightweight pictures.

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Anticipated Options:

  • Rear triple-camera setup; 12MP most important digicam; 8MP entrance digicam; 1080p video @ 30fps
  • 4GB RAM; 64GB ROM with microSD card slot
  • HD LCD display; teardrop notch
  • 5000mAh battery; 15W wired charging
  • All plastic physique; headphone jack
  • Rear capacitive fingerprint sensor
  • Micro-USB charging port

$200–$300: Worth for Cash Hotspot

The $200–$300 bracket is the place you’ve gotten one of the best likelihood at discovering one of the best worth. On this phase, a majority of the bestselling telephones come from Chinese language telephone makers. Sadly, in case you’re within the US your choices right here shall be way more restricted than elsewhere on this planet.

Wherever you’re, you can even discover some stable offers from Samsung. Telephones at this worth level aren’t solely filled with all important options but additionally usually have quirky designs to distinguish them from different choices.

Anticipated Options:

  • Rear quad-camera setup; 48MP most important digicam; 16MP entrance digicam; 4K video @ 30fps
  • 6GB RAM; 128GB ROM with microSD card slot
  • FHD AMOLED display; 90Hz refresh price; punch-hole entrance digicam
  • 5000mAh battery; 15W wired charging
  • All plastic physique; headphone jack
  • Rear or side-mounted capacitive fingerprint sensor
  • USB-C 2.0 charging port

$300–$500: Flagship Killers


oneplus nord 2 camera featured

The $300–$500 bracket is a really thrilling one; it is the place the flagship killers are born. The objective right here is easy: supply flagship specs at an inexpensive worth. OnePlus popularized this development, however as extra manufacturers entered the market with their flagship killers, this worth bracket has grow to be extra aggressive than ever.


Telephones at this worth vary are focused in the direction of a extra tech-savvy viewers that understands specs and a little bit of jargon; they’ll run most high-end cell video games properly however not flawlessly.

Anticipated Options:

  • Rear quad-camera setup; 48MP most important digicam; 16MP entrance digicam; 4K video @ 30fps
  • 6GB RAM; 128GB ROM with microSD card slot
  • FHD AMOLED display; 120Hz refresh price; punch-hole entrance digicam
  • 4500mAh battery; 25W quick wired charging
  • Aluminum and plastic physique; no headphone jack; IP67 score
  • Beneath-display optical fingerprint sensor
  • USB-C 2.0 charging port

$500–$700: Extra Than Specs

Within the $500–$700 worth bracket, you are paying a premium worth for a premium product. Pretty much as good as flagship killers are for the worth they provide, they have a tendency to focus extra on the core specs and fewer on the options that are not proven in spec sheets.


So except for superb efficiency, you can even anticipate nice construct high quality, an IP68 score (for cover in opposition to mud and water), louder and cleaner audio system, higher software program optimization, superb cameras, and higher haptic suggestions.

Anticipated Options:

  • Rear quad-camera setup; 64MP most important digicam; 32MP entrance digicam; 4K video @ 60fps
  • 8GB RAM; 128GB ROM; no microSD card slot
  • FHD AMOLED display; 120Hz refresh price; punch-hole entrance digicam
  • 4500mAh battery; 25W quick wired charging; wi-fi charging
  • Aluminum and plastic physique; no headphone jack; IP68 score
  • Beneath-display optical fingerprint sensor
  • USB-C 2.0 charging port

$700–$1000: Precise Flagships


Super Retina Display on iPhone 13

Though you may most likely discover them beneath $700, most fashionable flagships stay within the $700–$1000 worth bracket. That is additionally the place the competitors between Android and iPhone actually heats up.

Right here, you’re paying not only for the superb specs and {hardware}, but additionally particular options resembling 8K video assist, QHD decision, LTPO show, and way more cutting-edge tech. Telephones on this phase are very dependable, include premium options, and take further measures for privateness and safety.

Anticipated Options:

  • Rear quad-camera setup; 64MP most important digicam; 32MP entrance digicam; 8K video @ 24fps
  • 12GB RAM; 256GB ROM; no microSD card slot
  • LTPO QHD AMOLED display; 120Hz refresh price; punch-hole entrance digicam
  • 4500mAh battery; 65W quick wired charging; wi-fi charging; reverse wi-fi charging
  • Glass and aluminum physique; no headphone jack; IP68 score
  • Beneath-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor or face unlock
  • USB-C 3.2 charging port

Above $1000: Bleeding-Edge

Above $1000, you are getting one of the best of one of the best. For a worth this excessive, you will get the options that no different worth level can replicate. This implies beautiful cameras, distinctive designs, maxed-out efficiency, tighter integration with the ecosystem, and specialised options.


Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra camera and iPhone 13 Pro Max camera side-by-side
Picture Credit score: SuperSaf

The objective right here is to maximise comfort and remove the necessity for different tech devices. As an illustration, computational pictures replaces DSLRs, 1TB storage replaces exterior exhausting drives, foldable telephones exchange tablets, and difficult construct high quality replaces the necessity for again covers and display protectors.

Anticipated Options:

  • Rear quad-camera setup; 108MP most important digicam; 32MP entrance digicam; 8K video @ 24fps
  • 12GB RAM; 1TB ROM; no microSD card slot
  • LTPO 2.0 QHD AMOLED display; 120Hz refresh price; punch-hole entrance digicam
  • 4500mAh battery; 65W quick wired charging; wi-fi charging; reverse wi-fi charging
  • Glass and aluminum physique; no headphone jack; IP68 score
  • Beneath-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor or face unlock
  • USB-C 3.2 charging port

Associated: Galaxy S22 Extremely vs. iPhone 13 Professional Max: Which Is Higher?

Which Worth Is Proper for You?

Relying in your use case, the correct worth for you’ll differ. Do be aware that the rise in specs just isn’t completely linear in smartphones; some high-end options are simpler to duplicate in price range telephones whereas others aren’t. Plus, do not forget that merely having good specs does not at all times inform the entire story.


man checking out smartphone specs in store feature
Picture Credit score: Dusan Petkovic/Shutterstock

Should you’re an off-the-cuff consumer, there is not any level in shopping for a high-end telephone since you are not going to make use of these premium options that usually anyway. In that case, you must search for a telephone within the $200–$300 bracket to get essentially the most worth.

Should you’re an influence consumer, you want a telephone that may deal with on a regular basis abuse; each from the out and in. Which means nice efficiency, nice battery life, and nice construct high quality. For that, search the $500–$700 worth bracket, however maintain a watch out for promising flagship killers too.

Should you’re a gamer, you care extra about efficiency, cooling system, and particular gaming-centric options than digicam and water resistance. In that case, you may eye a devoted gaming telephone in the identical worth vary, i.e., $500–$700.

If you need a premium telephone with particular options that may simply final about 5 years, take a look at flagships for round $700–$1000. Past $1000, the spec upgrades aren’t as huge, however if you would like that bleeding-edge expertise or the easiest digicam efficiency, it is out there.

Select the Worth Proper for You

Regardless of your price range, you may nearly at all times discover a whole lot when shopping for a brand new telephone. Smartphones have developed so quick in current instances that you simply actually need not spend some huge cash to get an general good expertise.

For the common client, we would not advocate going under $200 or above $700; attempt to keep away from each extremes. Be at liberty to come back again to this information once you’re available in the market to purchase a brand new telephone to evaluate your wants extra clearly.


Samsung-Galaxy-S22-Ultra-vs-iPhone-13-Pro-Max-models copy
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