What Smartphone do you really need?

Smartphones have become ubiquitous in the modern world, and seemingly we would be lost without them, but the question is which smartphone is right for you? In the earlier days of smartphones, the performance and features rapidly evolved year to year, and smartphone makers usually only had a small number of mostly flagship phones to choose from. Now there are so many different phones at each price point, it can be hard to work out what is the right phone.

There are really three broad categories of phones that you could choose from:

Hight-End/Flagship
Mid-Range
Budget

Below we explore which may be right for you

High-End/Flagship

These phones are normally the most expensive in the phone makers lineup. They have the most features, and premium look and feel, but they also cost the most.

In 2025 these these phones give you maximum performance, the best cameras, AI features and a premium design. Phones in this category should also last a long time, as many manufactures offering years of content updates. If you are in the market for a flagship phone then it will often come down to individual preference as many of these phones are very similar in terms of cameras, performance, and features. The following are some considerations when looking for in s flagship phone:

Android or Apple - Which eco-system are you already invested in or prefer. This will determine if you want to buy an iPhone or one of the many Android phones
Screen - flagships tend to offer very high resolution screens often with high brightness and great colors. Again these will vary, but the screens on a flagship phone will offer the best viewing experience.
Durability - Can it withstand a number of years of use without breaking. Even with a case,, phones can still get scratched. If you like going to the beach for example, sand can get in between the case and phone and scratch the phone. If you like outdoor activities then a consideration is dust and water resistance, as well as how does it survive if it was accidently dropped. If you are spending a significant amount of money on a phone.
Performance - Most flagship phones are going to be similar in performance, but some may be slightly better at some tasks then others. If you are a regular user, you will unlikely notice the difference in performance on most flagship phones, however if you need the extra performance then look for benchmarks on performance for each of the smartphones on your shortlist.
Camera - Camera performance can vary, however you would expect that a flagship phone should deliver great photos, and most of the time which one will come down to performance preference, don't just look for the one with the most megapixels, but the quality of the photos in different lighting conditions and what software features may be there to help you shoot photos like a pro.

Size - Some smartphone makers, like Samsung give you an option of size, the Galaxy S25 for example has a 6.2 inch screen whereas the S25+ has a 6.7 inch display. Generally those phones that are larger are going to have better battery life as those phones usually have bigger batteries. If however you are after a smaller phone that performs the same as as a larger one, then something like the Galaxy S25 or a google Pixel 10 might be the one for you.
Budget - How much do you want to spend. If budget is the limiting factor, then wait until there are deals on one of the phones you want, like for example at black Friday sales or at other times.
Battery life - Some phones last longer than others, there are some great compassions out there that test these out. Most phones will last enough for a full days use on a charge, but there are some that really push the battery to the limit.
Other Features - These are things like charging speed, wireless charging, and AI features may sway the decision one way or another.

If you are after the best phone, then the flagship may be the category for you, however you may find that the gap between flagship phones are are next category is not is big as you may think.

Mid Range

Mid range phones can often be less then half the cost of the flagship phone yet with features and performance that are not far off that of a flagship phone for the average user. If you are using your phone like most people do, for content consumption, web browsing and social media, a mid range phone may be what you are looking for. These are the phones that are best for most people. They have.

Android or Apple - Which eco-system are you already invested in or prefer. There are many phones in the Android ecosystem, with more limited options available for Apple.
Screen - mid-range to offer very high resolution screens often with high brightness and great colors. Again these will vary, but the screens on a flagship phone will offer the best viewing experience.
Durability - Most mid range phones will have slightly cheaper materials, and may not have the latest Gorilla Glass, however if you put a case on your phone then this will not be an issue. If you look after your phone whatever you buy, it will last for quite a while.
Performance - There can be a variety of performance in mid-range phones as many are at at slightly different price points, so look out for a phone that offers good performance performance for the price point
Camera - Camera performance can vary, however you would expect that a mid-range phone should deliver very good photos, again the cameras will not be quite as good as the flagship phones, but again here we are after value. For most people a mid-range smartphone camera will produce great results.

Size - There is a wide variety of sizes available, however the most popular Samsung mid range phones tend to be on larger side, for instance the Galaxy A56 has a 6.7 inch screen.
Budget - There are a number of different price-points available here, so look out for a phone that offers great value like the Samsung Galaxy A56.
Battery life - This is where mid-range phones come into their own, they often are more efficient than their flagship counterparts, and the battery-life on many mid-range phones is excellent
Other Features - Mid range phones may not have all of the bells and whistles compared to their flagship phone, but for most people these are not features that hurt the experience of the using the phone.

Budget

Budget phones are those at the lower price point end of the market. These are phones that offer a more no-frills experience (especially in performance) but offer good value for those looking for a cheaper but capable smart phone. Do note that its likely you will need to replace a budget phone sooner than you would a flag-ship or mid-range phone due to the limitations on the phone and often much less software updates.

Android or Apple - If you are after a new budget phone, then you are really limited to Android devices.
Screen - Budget phones offer good screens with lower resolutions and less brightness than those more expensive phones. These phones are adequate for use, but might not have the best viewing experience.
Durability - Budget phones will have cheaper materials, however they can be quite durable even though they have a cheaper price. If you use a case this will not be an issue.
Performance - This is one of the biggest drawbacks of a budget phone, as they will have much slower performance than those more expensive phones.
Camera - Camera performance can vary,, however expect the cameras on a budget phone to be more basic and offer reasonable photos but far lower quality than you will find on a more expensive phone.

Size - There is a wide variety of sizes available in the budget phone space, so choose a size that is right for you, again the bigger phones will have a bigger battery, if that is important to you.
Budget - Prices vary, but generally the more you pay, the better phone you will get, but do compare phones on your short list as some will offer better value than others.
Battery life - Battery life on a budget phone will generally be very good as they are lower in performance, they will often have better battery life than more expensive phones.
Other Features - Budget phones often miss out on bells and whistles of more expensive phones, so you will often lose out of things like wireless charging, AI features and more.

So which is right for you?

For most people a mid range phone is going to cater for your needs; will save you a lot of money, and offer much better performance than Budget phones. If you are after the latest features and the most performance then a flag-ship phone may be the one for you, but compare them to a mid-range phone, you may be surprised how capable a mid-range phone really is. Another options is to buy last years flagship phone which should be cheaper but still give great features and performance. If you are really budget constrained then compare budget phones, as they vary a lot but some of them provide great value.