It’s kinda hard not to get swept up in the new phone market. When Tim Cook stands on that stage, and Apple brings out a pretty new iPhone colour that niggly little capitalist beast pops out in all of us.
But, if you can regulate your retail reflexes for long enough you’ll eventually come to your senses and realise that you probably don’t need to throw $2,000 at your next phone. Most people don’t need the most expensive iPhone or Samsung, or even the next most expensive (or even the one after that).
There are more affordable handsets out there than there are flagships, and there’s a simple reason for that. People want them, and manufacturers listen. Here are five reasons why you shouldn’t bother with a flagship, and opt for a cheaper phone instead.
1. It's cheaper in the long run too
The fact that a cheap handset doesn’t cost as much money is kind of a no brainer. But the savings don’t stop at just the initial purchase. If you own your phone outright then you can shop around SIM-Only plans that are SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than mobile phone bundles.
Most major provider SIM plans start from around $40 a month, and they just don’t have that much data with them. On the other hand, smaller providers like amaysim, Moose Mobile, or Circles.Life will give you an absurd amount of data for far less than that.
All of these small providers use one of the three major networks, so you’re still going to get great coverage but you’ll simply pay less for it.
These are the most popular SIM-Only options for under $20 per month.
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#1
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SpinTel 
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#2
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Pivotel 
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#3
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Swoop 
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#4
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Moose Mobile 
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#5
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Boost Mobile 
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#6
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Lyca Mobile 
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#7
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amaysim 
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#8
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OnePass mobile 
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#9
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Vodafone 
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2. You’re not locked to a provider (for the most part)
While most plans are contract-free right now, if you opt for a flagship phone on a plan you’ll need to stay with the same provider until you’ve paid it off. This can mean up to 36 months of paying extra on your mobile plan fees, even if you’re not happy with the provider.
On the other hand, if you decide to just buy a cheaper phone and get a SIM-Only plan with it, you are free to shuffle between providers as much as you want without any penalties or fees.
There are a couple of exceptions though - if you buy a prepaid phone through Optus, Telstra or Vodafone it may be locked to the network. If this is the case then you can pay an unlocking fee and use the device anywhere.
Otherwise, you’ll just want to make sure that the SIM-Only plan you go with is contract-free. The vast majority are these days, but there are still some with a contracted term and if you decide on one of these then you may face early termination charges.
Here are some cheap phones available right now.
Moto G57 5G
- 6.7 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 8MP
- Front Camera: 8MP
Galaxy A17 5G
- 6.7 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 5MP, 2MP
- Front Camera: 13MP
Nubia Focus 5G
- 6.6 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 108MP, 2MP
- Front Camera: 5MP
3. Battery life is often better than flagships
Flagships have a bunch of bells and whistles, but those extras can put a drain on your battery. On the other hand, cheaper phones tend to have ridiculous battery life. Where the flagship Samsung Galaxy S21 struggles to make it through a day, Samsung’s budget device the Galaxy A52 lasts up to two days between charges.
There’s something soothing about not feeling the need to pack a charger every time you leave the house.
4. Repairs are cheaper
Have you ever broken the screen on your iPhone? The initial break hurts, but hearing the quote to get it repaired hurts even more. More affordable handsets go hand in hand with more affordable repairs.
Let’s look at Samsung again. The cost to repair the screen on the S21 is $390, while the A52 is $270. If you’re a clumsy phone owner, it's probably more fiscally responsible to go with something that isn’t going to cost you an arm, and a leg every time it jumps out of your hands.
5. Cheap doesn't mean bad
There is this perception that cheap is synonymous with bad quality, but that simply isn’t true. More affordable handsets do all of the important things that your flagship device does, they just don’t cost a small fortune.
Affordable phones will keep you connected, some even with 5G connectivity, they have the equipment to take great photos, and they’re only getting better.
Chances are your chosen smartphone brand has something more affordable than the flagship you’ve had your eye on, or they may even have previous versions of the higher-end tech for a lower cost. Most major phone manufacturers create cheaper phone models that make their brands more accessible to more people. Even Apple jumped on the bandwagon with the iPhone 12 mini - sure it’s not cheap, cheap, but it’s much easier on the wallet than the Pro Max.
Anula Wiwatowska
Offsite Editorial Lead | Instagram
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