A guide for buying Phone : Flagship phones vs Budget Phones

Recently my beloved Nokia C2 "died" and it took me back to when I sort out to buy it. There were a lot of flagship phones in the market, while my beloved was one of the budget phones that got at least a mention on TV. Budget phones and mid-range phones give the user the ability to have a decent phone at a lower price. But what is the difference between a budget phone and a flagship phone? and which one is better to have?

Flagship, Budget and Feature phones, what are they?

There are three kinds of people who go out of their way to buy phones: those who need a device to communicate with others; those who need a decent phone to do a little more than just call their mum; and finally, those who love munching gizmos (see what I did there, pun intended), and will buy every new phone. 

Telcos know this and that’s why they make different phones for these different people which can be grouped into three categories, namely:

1. Flagship phones
2. Mid-range Phones/Budget phones
3. Feature phones

So, which is which and how much of a big deal are they?

Flagship Phones

Flagship phones are high-end devices that showcase the latest and greatest technology from a particular smartphone manufacturer. Often branded as the "best" or "most premium" options available, and typically come with a price tag to match. Generally, they are the expensive phones you see on TV, for example, iPhone 14 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Budget Phones & Mid-Range Phones

Not everyone can afford a flagship like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, but plenty of cheaper devices offer an experience to transcend the world at least. They provide a smartphone experience but with fewer features and for a fraction of what flagships cost, or even less. These are what I call Budget phones (and mid-range phones) which offer the best balance between performance and price.

Feature Phones

Feature phones are generally what we call ‘Katululu/Kabambe’ phones. They are not smartphones, and they don’t come with the best technology. However, they provide basic mobile functionalities, i.e., you can call your mum or text your best friend.

How do they compare against each other?

Not everyone can afford a flagship, and not everyone fancies a feature or mid-range phone. I'll point out their differences and similarities, to advise on your next phone purchase with these few pointers.

Display/Screen technologies.

Currently, most new smartphones have a relatively high refresh rate (120Hz) be it flagship or mid-range, This is replicated when it comes to basic display features like colour accuracy and Pixel density.

However, flagships come with QHD displays, meaning they have super high pixel density, resulting in sharper images and videos. This combined with LPTO panels and they beat a 1080p budget phone with a 120Hz refresh rate.

This leaves feature phones in the dust. They typically have smaller screens with lower resolution and pixel density than smartphones. They often have a basic colour LCD or TFT display.

Design

The biggest way Flagships set themselves apart from their budget siblings is their pristine screens. I guess you have figured by now this is the same case as design. This is the reason why you’ll find a flagship phone with a glass back and a budget phone with plastic backs, or gorilla glass victus on flagship phones and recently Gorilla glass 3 or 5 on budget phones. Feature phones are packed with a physical keyboard and a small screen.

Camera Technologies  

By now you probably know which phones have an edge over cheaper siblings in image quality and camera features. They carry the most advanced camera systems, including wide-angle and telephoto lenses. Flagships have features like optical image stabilization, high dynamic range (HDR) imaging, etc.

Budget phones typically come with a semi-superb camera (both front and back -facing) that can take decent-quality photos and videos, few arrive with a dual camera or more. However, they have improved in terms of camera performance.

Feature phones often have basic camera systems, with low megapixel counts and limited features. These cameras aren’t clear, and this is a basic thing everyone knows, most don’t come with a front camera while others do.

Horsepower

Flagship processors have peaked, thus manufacturers may begin to shift their focus towards other areas of smartphone technology. Moreover, many smartphone applications do not require the full processing power of even current flagship processors.

However, flagship phones do have the most powerful processors and high RAM, making them capable of handling heavy multitasking, demanding apps, and advanced mobile games. 

While some applications like gaming and video editing may benefit from more powerful processors, most everyday tasks like checking email, and using social media can be easily handled by budget processors. This means you can get the same top-of-the-class experience at a bargain.

Feature phones usually have basic processors and low RAM, making them suitable for basic tasks like calling, texting, and simple web browsing.

Battery & Charger 

All a basic phone owner wants is powerful cameras with high processor performance, and a battery to last two days. As if that’s not enough, a charger is provided when buying the above-mentioned powerful phone.

Flagship phones have larger capacity batteries than budget phones and feature phones the more advanced features, all of which require more energy to operate.

With lower-end processors tuned for better power efficiency, budget phones can last longer between charges due to more manageable power and display needs. Thanks to their limited functionality and small screens, feature phones often have small batteries that can last for several days on a single charge.

Most flagships (if not all), have done away with providing chargers when purchasing a phone, which may prove quite cumbersome. They make up for this with faster charging capabilities and wireless charging, which is worth the amount spent on a charger. Budget phones (Feature phones included), come bundled with an adapter which offers slow charging, with a few exceptions.

Software Support

The newer the phone, the longer it will be supported. Most companies (except Google and Apple), don't give equal importance to their affordable lineups, thus flagships get priority over budget phones before they push the updates, and this gap increases with time.

Feature phones do not get updates, unlike their smartphone cousins. They typically have a basic operating system with limited software support, often with no option to install third-party apps.

Price

The prices of phones vary greatly depending on their type, brand, model, and specifications. However, I can provide a general overview of the price range of the different types of phones discussed above: 

• Feature phones are the most affordable types of phones, typically priced between KES 1,000 and KES 5,000. However, some feature phones with more advanced features and capabilities can cost up to KES 10,000.
• Budget phones and Mid-range phones are priced slightly higher than feature phones, with a price range of KES 5,000 to KES 50,000. some mid-range phones with high-end features and specifications can cost up to KES 80,000.
• Flagships are the most expensive type of phone, with a price range of KES 50,000 to KES 200,000 or even higher. Flagship phones from top-tier brands like Apple and Samsung are typically priced at the higher end of this range, while flagship phones from other brands like Xiaomi and OnePlus are priced slightly lower. 

Conclusion

So, what do you buy? It all comes down to your budget and then your needs, these are subjects I can’t dictate and it’s all on you. flagships, mid-range phones and feature phones are all incomparable in terms of looks, design and technology.

If you just want to call your precious mum, I would say buy a feature phone, and you’ll as well text her love. If you have some money they get a mid-range, trust me you’ll love the internet experience, but if you have lots of money, and further you love technology, a flagship like iPhone 14 awaits your humble palm. You just have to go ye forth and choose your poison.

Parting Shot(not really important)

I am pretty sure you’ve read and watched the debate on whether to buy a new budget phone or an old flagship. we’re usually advised to buy an older flagship phone if your budget allows, I’d say do that but as a general rule, don't go for anything older than a year, especially in the Android world because your 'new' phone would be closer to its end of life, and software updates would also become infrequent.