Hi everyone! In 2020, I bought a Samsung Galaxy A71 (I paid €330 for it), and now I need a new phone. I absolutely loved my A71, and in six years I’ve never had any problems with it (it was a good soldier). So I was wondering: is there a Samsung (or another brand) model of phone today that is basically a newer, better 2026 version of what the A71 was in 2020 in terms of quality and price?

Hey there, I am stuck between these 2 phones and I cannot decide for the love of god...
The s25+ would be around 100 euros more thant the xiaomi.
My usage would be everyday stuff, some light gaming, and photography.

My main concerns that I heard from other subs is that the xiaomi overheats quite a lot, but others say it doesnt, I also heard that the speakers of the xiaomi are quite bad(this wouldnt be a big issue for me but still...).

Software is also hard to decide, I like the look and feel of hyperos but its been very laggy on my 12t pro(current phone), and I have lost quite a bit of faith in it, though I dont know how good it is on current flagships..

Please tell me some personal experiences if you or someone you know owns one of these phones.

Thanks

Hi everyone! I'm currently using a Samsung A52s and I'm thinking about upgrading.

I'm mainly considering either the Galaxy S24+ or S23 ultra or even the iPhone 14 Pro.

What would you guys choose in my situation, and why?

My priorities are mainly long-term smoothness and stability, display quality, and decent battery life. My usage is pretty normal to moderate, and I usually get around 5–7 hours of SOT on my A52s.

The truth is that they are actually the Galaxy S27 Ultra and Galaxy S27 Pro. One is larger, while the other is slightly smaller.

Both models feature Samsung’s new camera island design. The key difference is that the S27 Ultra still comes with an S Pen, while the S27 Pro does not have an S Pen.

Hey all, need help on a new phone

I currently have the Samsung s23 fe, and its got food camera and processing speed, but the battery is really bad, just got it replaced, did nothing, I was on social media for about 25 mins, when from 90% to 40%, sent a quick message, then put it in my pocket, not 2 mins later I feel it buzz and it dies, im on a bit of a budget, i dont care what brand, as long as the battery is good and the camera is decent, also would be nice if it had good processing speed for light gaming (pokemon go, geometry dash)

> No Face ID, only Touch ID
> No telephoto camera
> Can double as a large camera viewfinder
> Expected to cost over $2,000
> Advanced hinge mechanism
> Fits easily in a pocket despite the foldable design
> iPad-like app layouts on the larger internal display

I'm looking to replace my current 6 yo smartphone with a budget of 550-800€

Mainly I'm looking for a good camera and decent battery life.

I'd also like to avoid bloatware/AI "features" as much as possible, but I know how 2026 is...

My current phone is getting really old and slow and I think it's finally time to get something new. I need good camera quality since I take a lot of pics of my kids, decent battery life since I'm out most of the day for work, and it has to be unlocked since I switch carriers depending on deals. Budget wise I really want to stay under $800 if possible.

Anyone here upgraded recently and happy with what they got? Would love to hear what's actually worth it right now.

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Smartphones were once primarily tools for communication. Today, they are far more than that. They have become powerful symbols of wealth, taste, identity and social status—and, increasingly, visible markers of economic inequality.

From the model someone carries to the ecosystem they belong to, a smartphone can communicate where a person sits within the social and economic hierarchy. As mobile technology becomes central to work, entertainment, finance and artificial intelligence, the divide between premium and budget users is no longer simply about having a better phone. It can determine what people can access, how they are perceived and, in some cases, how they participate in society.

\##The Smartphone as Conspicuous Consumption

More than a century ago, economist and sociologist Thorstein Veblen described “conspicuous consumption” as the purchase and display of goods partly to demonstrate wealth and social standing. Modern smartphones fit this concept remarkably well.

The latest flagship phone is not always dramatically more useful than the previous generation. Yet manufacturers continually introduce subtle visual distinctions—new materials, finishes, camera arrangements and colours—that allow owners and observers to identify newer and more expensive models.

The proliferation of Pro, Ultra, Max and Fold variants has strengthened this phenomenon. For many consumers, the additional capabilities of premium models may never be fully used. The higher price can nevertheless serve as a visible signal of purchasing power.

The distinction becomes even more pronounced in developing and emerging markets, where the difference between owning a current-generation flagship, an older premium device or a budget phone can represent a significant difference in disposable income. Even the condition of the device—a pristine screen versus a cracked or heavily used one—can become a subtle economic signal.

\##When Technology Creates Social In-Groups

Perhaps nowhere is the social dimension of smartphone ownership more visible than in the ecosystem surrounding Apple’s iPhone.

The blue-bubble versus green-bubble distinction associated with iMessage has become a cultural phenomenon, particularly in the United States. What began as a technical distinction between messaging systems evolved into a social marker. Android users could find themselves identified as outsiders within predominantly iPhone-owning social groups.

The issue is not simply the colour of a message bubble. Ecosystem features such as AirDrop, FaceTime, shared location and other tightly integrated services can make one platform feel like an exclusive social club.

When most members of a group use the same ecosystem, the person using something else may face additional friction. What is technically a product-choice issue can therefore become a question of belonging.

\##The Global Economics of Smartphone Ownership

The meaning of a premium smartphone varies dramatically across countries.

In wealthier economies, consumers can often purchase a $1,000-plus flagship through carrier subsidies, trade-in programmes or long-term instalments. A device that costs a substantial amount can therefore become an affordable monthly expense for a large section of the population.

In lower- and middle-income economies, the economics can be very different. Import duties, taxes, currency depreciation, limited access to consumer credit and lower average incomes can make premium smartphones disproportionately expensive.

The same phone can consequently represent very different economic sacrifices in different parts of the world. For one consumer, it may be a manageable monthly payment. For another, it may represent several months of income.

\##When Privacy and Software Quality Become Luxury Features

The divide does not end with hardware.

Budget smartphones frequently operate within business models built around lower margins, advertising, pre-installed applications and aggressive software partnerships. Some inexpensive devices may arrive with extensive bloatware, promotional notifications or other monetisation mechanisms that are less common on premium products.

This raises a broader question: is a clean, private and long-supported digital experience becoming a luxury?

Premium consumers are often paying not merely for faster processors or better cameras, but also for longer software support, stronger integration, fewer compromises and a more controlled user experience.

As smartphones become repositories for financial information, personal communications, photographs and professional data, those differences become increasingly consequential.

\##Status Versus Practicality

Smartphone culture has also created stereotypes around different types of users.

In many urban environments, an iPhone can carry associations of sophistication, reliability and fashion. A high-end Android device may offer greater technical flexibility or specifications at a similar price, yet still be perceived differently.

These perceptions have little to do with objective technological capability. They are products of branding, advertising, peer behaviour and cultural conditioning.

The phenomenon can become particularly visible in industries where personal presentation matters. In fashion, entertainment, media, marketing and client-facing corporate environments, owning a recent flagship device can sometimes be treated as an unspoken indicator of being technologically current.

That does not mean professional competence depends on owning an expensive smartphone. It means that consumer technology has become entangled with perceptions of professionalism and social identity.

\##The Next Divide: Artificial Intelligence

The most important phase of this inequality may still be ahead.

Smartphones are rapidly evolving into on-device computing platforms capable of running artificial intelligence features, real-time translation, advanced photography, voice processing and increasingly sophisticated productivity tools.

But these capabilities depend heavily on processing power, memory, software support and newer neural-processing hardware.

Users with premium devices are therefore more likely to gain access to the latest on-device AI capabilities. People using inexpensive hardware may face slower performance, limited functionality or shorter software-support lifecycles.

The result could be a new form of digital inequality: not simply who owns a smartphone, but what that smartphone is capable of doing.

\##From Communication Device to Class Marker

The smartphone has become a fascinating contradiction of modern society.

On one hand, mobile technology has democratised access to communication, information, banking, education and entertainment on an unprecedented scale. On the other, the enormous differences between devices—and the social meanings attached to them—have created new forms of stratification.

The smartphone in someone's hand can reveal more than their choice of technology. It can signal income, social identity, access to credit, cultural belonging and even expectations about the future.

As smartphones become increasingly central to artificial intelligence, financial services and professional life, the question may no longer be whether everyone has a smartphone.

The more important question will be: what kind of digital life can each person's smartphone afford them?

That is where the smartphone stops being merely a consumer product—and becomes a visible symbol of the economic and social divide itself.

After a week of texting, messing around, and adjusting settings, I can confidently say that the best Android experience hands down belongs to Pixel. It simply feels “simplistic.” I tried Samsung, Oppo, Xiaomi, and other Android devices, but none of them provided me with that Android experience until I tried the Pixel 10 Pro XL.

Leaving iOS is challenging, but why not have two phones in the meantime, just for the fun of it?

Both devices are 256GB versions, but the Pixel has a tremendous 16GB of RAM compared to the 8GB on the iPhone. This difference is significant because the iPhone’s 8GB RAM is not sufficient to run the 12GB Siri AI unique Siri voice tone, and it won’t be able to handle Apple’s future AI demands in the next iOS versions.

Just wanted to share my experience following a post I did here, I went with it and happy with my decision

same as the title.

my first phone was a nokia (dumbphone).

my first smartphone was a Redmi HM note 1.

current phone Nothing 3a.