Cheap vs Expensive Phones - How close ARE they!?

[@DisturbedNeo]

This is a good example of the 80-20 rule in action. You can get 80% of the phone for like 20% of the cost, but if you want the extra 20% of features, you're gonna have to be prepared to pay a lot more for them.

[@lemonnarc_alt]

Iirc the rule is "Pareto's Principle", and true, that indeed seems to be the case for smartphones these days

[@rezareza1129]

This only applies to android, iphone upgrade only noticable if you change your phone every 5 years.

[@rehany3401]

​@HelpAnimalsPleaseE no some animals gotta go

[@jonightwing901]

Spot on!

[@unnamed7430]

@HelpAnimalsPleaseE nobody cares

[@Mario123007]

It's basically what mkbhd said : "Good phones aren't getting cheap, it is cheap phones that are getting good"

[@kingnobie]

Because expensive phones are getting costlier so even mid range phones are looking cheap It's just a mind game

[@Mario123007]

@@kingnobie not exactly, it is also because techs that flagships introduced are now cheaper so that's why mid range phones are more and more close to flagships when it comes to specs.

[@JackahoonaLaGuna]

@HelpAnimalsPleaseEno

[@Aiden_Gamez_4realz]

Facts

[@Andr3__]

Cheap phones are getting worse in the last 2 years 😂

[@shubhangmehrotra1298]

I think a more interesting comparison would be to compare how these two age. How are the $300-$400 phones from 2021 holding up against the 2021 flagship in 2023 or even the ones from 2019.

[@PaoloSbaraglini]

Underrated comment

[@standavranek892]

It depends by the model and low budget phones are slowly catching up. So 3 years old budget phone might be a lot slower from the factory than the top of the line..

[@patrick17_6]

yea he's done that before hopefully he does that again

[@blackdragon2340]

Budget phones can last upto 3-4 years if you are a general user and not gaming or editing on phones. Camera is still the weakest link of these phones. But spending 300£ for 3 years is not a bad deal. My redme note 9 still runs and has android 13. All though it is buggy as hell but I think that's Xiaomi's fault and not the phone. These phones are great for students I think. You start your university life with one of these and after 4 years you get a job and treat yourself with a flagship

[@blackdragon2340]

Investing in a flagship makes a lot of sense if you need the camera(all of us do but money is a problem) and also keeping that phone for longer. These phones can last upto 5-7 years like iPhone x is still running. But I really doubt beyond 3 years 90% of people will want to use the same phone. Or else phone sells would just tank.

[@BrokkoliSchleuder]

One thing that I undererstimated in day to day life: I like it better to have a 300$ phone with me than having a 1000$ phone with me. The thought of losing/dropping/breaking a 300$ phone is just less stressful than having a 1000$ price tag on such a small device. You can actually "use" your phone without worrying too much.

[@innosanto]

Apple iphone has apple care where if there is theft a new one replacement will cost 100.

[@Pfennigfuchs-z7v]

Geht mir 1:1 genau so.

[@Pfennigfuchs-z7v]

@@innosanto Apple Care for an iPhone is about the same amount of money you pay for a decent Android Phone itself, so I wouldn’t count that as an argument.

[@Poussyeater-w5e]

I get that. I'd feel hella anxious just walking around the city carrying my ultra expensive phone coz I could get robbed at any moment

[@moriyamakyon1067]

@@innosanto you can change to budget phone every 2-4 months (like xiaomi note 12/13) instead of paying apple care

[@Joachim.Jacobs]

This is a really good comparison! A lot of us are hooked into the culture of the iPhone and Samsung, but this really lets us know that there are other options that are still as capable!

[@rep-vile]

Redmi isn't even the flagship line for Xiaomi, the Mi 14 Pro is already out and it's still about half the price of the S23 Ultra. Still wouldn't pay more than 250$ for just a phone.

[@Joachim.Jacobs]

lol a "smart" phone is NOT just a phone. It is a mini computer.@@rep-vile

[@rep-vile]

@@Joachim.Jacobs Yeah this isn't the stone-age, I thought, but ok

[@rustymixer2886]

Does carrier work with $300 foreign phone in usa

[@aoh4905]

true but some people need to do a lot on a phone but i think many only uses for text/phone calls. They should stay budget. People like you should definitely spend over 250.@@rep-vile

[@jebm7]

Entry-level and Midrange phones are what excites me everytime a company introduces them. It's just insane how they put all of those features with such a low price!

[@abd12459]

But they degrade faster compared to flagship units

[@SWY1356]

@@abd12459 honestly depends, i know a friend with a poco f1 who's still holding strong to this day

[@therealsprint]

​@@SWY1356honestly the Poco F1 was a more a flagship killer than a entry level phone...

[@R3in_Ch]

That's not true, stop spreading misinformation. This is not 2010 anymore ​@@abd12459

[@moriyamakyon1067]

@@abd12459 how fast they should degrade to justify price difference? i have xiaomi note 12 for 2 years now, it works perfectly fine and is 136$ phone , so for example 1000$ new iphone should last longer and better than at least 6 cheap phones in the same period of time

[@Fals3Agent]

I actually bought a Redmi Note 10 Pro based on the video this channel posted back when that phone was new. It's actually wild how Xiaomi manages to keep up with the competition at literally the same price year after year, specifically with the Redmi Note lineup

[@amllemans]

same here, i too got the RN10Pro, but the note line up after the 10 series were not upto the level of "features" which should have been "upgraded" with the next series from 10, ie the 11, 12 etc. they've just dropped every sense of features from the 10. The SD chip was changed, the camera which had a 5MP tele macro was dropped & many other.. And so, i've not upgraded from the RN10ProMax since..

[@Fals3Agent]

​@@amllemansI see. To be honest, I think the performance of SD cards really can't keep up with the needs of modern apps, which may explain why it's on the way out. The redmi note 10 pro also doesn't have 5G which I feel is quite important

[@ImmortalChanger]

@@Fals3Agent if you haven't read it a new SD standard, the 9.1 Express, which apparently doubles r/w speeds. I hope this means that we'll get SD card slots back on phones soon.

[@damyr]

@@amllemans Having the Note 10 pro for 2 years now, and I'm satisfied. Looked for possible upgrade, and I feel they don't offer so much more that I could justify spending money on them. It seems my Note 10 pro will have to endure one more year with me... or maybe even 2. The battery seems stable, so I don't think it will be much of a problem.

[@mireafelder8194]

​@@damyrSame for me, I'm still rocking the RN9pro and the 13 pro is the first I think is a real upgrade.

[@jorgereyna2049]

Thank you mate, great video. To be honest, most people don't need a flagship phone. Certainly I know most people in Australia underutilise their mobile phones. I am a photographer that moved from DSRL full frame cameras to mobile photography and to be honest, it doesn't justify for me to pay for a flagship. Good photography is not about the technology, it is about the ability for the photographer to make it happens. I ordered the Note 13+ after doing my homework and I think it will do what I need. Several years ago I used the Mi Note Pro 10, when it was released it was one of the first phones with a Samsung 100 MP camera. Still have it and the only problem is that is slow but still records awesome video and does amazing photography. I made that highly critisised macro lens to works amazingly. With many years of experience in macro photography, good macro is manual and takes time and patients to get it right, even with a 2MP tiny camera, if you have the technique, you can get some decent shots. I can live with all the limitations of the Note 13 Pro+ and put the difference to my mortgage. Funny but many mobile photography reviews are not conducted by real life photographers and a phone, even with limitations will take better pictures if the reviewer knows the basics of lighting, aperture, composition, etc. I think I will test the Note 13 Pro+ and create a video for photographers. Keep the good work!

[@kfirlyle]

I purchased a flagship, Pixel 7 pro, after months of 5g issues overseas that was slowly solved by Google, after 14 months approximately, black spots began to form on the screen from the upper right and spread making the phone increasingly unusable. Often flagships these days are not worth the money spent!

[@Hilmar-iq7xq]

That comment was excellent ❤ thanks

[@IamYasin144]

I am writing this on the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ ,I started with the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini ,then Samsung S7 then i had a Samsung S10 and then i decided to switch to Xiaomi because even though not as good as the newer Samsung and Iphones its way cheaper and basically better in every aspect

[@neeltome5803]

I took a different strategy and just bought an s23 on the used market. I paid the same as the xiamo in this video and ended with the best of both worlds. Just be careful and shop on a trusted platform and make sure you ask for PoP. In my country we have a very trusted local platform that has good buyer protection so it really is the best option!

[@jorgereyna2049]

@@neeltome5803 Good on ya mate. Be careful everyone when buying from FB marketplace, heaps of counterfeit electronics. If the seller cannot provide original invoice don’t bother.

[@harshaddhokale2176]

I purchased the Poco X3 Pro 2 years ago (Controversial Device of 22-23), and gota say, I loved the experience. Especially the developer support it got is amazing. I can customise phone, install custom ROMs, and do crazy things. This device taught me how a mobile and computer works. But got the device dead twice 😅

[@alandoesexist]

ah yeah mine too. but we indonesian got a good technician who can repair poco x3 pro, thank god it just cost us $30. n never since was best phone performance

[@DarkGT]

Faulty chip soldering in that model. Gaming beast of a device for it's time. That is why I avoid Xiaomi devices in general - bad build quality and internal designs.

[@BLUEBOYLUGOS]

that phone is heavy as shit

[@4bafiafzil999]

I'm contemplating 2nd hand Poco x3 pro as well given that it only cost me like $75 for 8gb ram and 256gb rom in pristine condition but after further reading in gsmarena with lot of mobo and soldering issues, it feels quite like a gamble unless there's surefire way to tackle those issues in the first place

[@injeolmi6]

Hey! Killing your phone tinkering with it is part of the experience! Glad you got it working again.

[@The.Jedi.Wizard]

One of the most simple, honest and yet professional reviews i ever seen. U win a like and a subscriber.

[@PrinceKeeven]

Tbh I feel we're already at a point where if we're to justify spending more than 1000$ on a phone they should be a groundbreaking feature or at least some sort of longevity that allows us to justify the price point as in any consumers point of view spending more just to have a bit more power or just a bit better of camera quality doesn't seem irrelevant especially when cheap phones now days are getting closer and closer in terms of performance and longevity

[@rabahaicha7724]

iphone

[@aaronscrewface]

Yeah phones like the Oppo Find X6 Pro/Vivo X90 Pro+/Xiaomi 13 Ultra/Nubia Z50 Ultra really raised the bar with what you can get for $1000 in a phone. I have zero issues with Apple phones at all but would never NEVER pay the kind of money they ask for their shit when there is much better options for just as much or cheaper.

[@iAmNothingness]

My 3 year old iphone going strong while the new zfold 5 i got last week .. the battery is meh on the samsung. It loses more battery while not being used than my THREE YEAR OLD IPHONE.

[@not_sure_about_that_but]

fr like I can build a decent pc with that money or I can buy a phone to scroll reels and watch youtube while eating lol

[@ATLsF1N3ST91]

​@@iAmNothingnessThen you have a defective phone and you need to return it. My Fold 5 lasts all day long on a single charge.

[@engrfka]

At this point im convinced that smartphones have become quite cheap to produce and companies are making wayyyyy more profit with their flagships just due to their brands. Its like buying a Louis Vuitton bag that does the same job as a cheaper bag

[@hoilst265]

This. When they've run out of new features and designs - or when it's plateaued, like I believe it has now - they start jacking them price to make it seem like a "luxury" good, and not just a useful object. Flagships in Australian in 2013, when I sold them, were $700-800AU. With inflation, that should be around $900-1000 today, which is where "mid range" phones like Moto Edge 50 pro and Nothing Phone 2 sit. Instead, a Pixel 9 Pro sells for $1500. And that's just the candybar, not the XLs or foldables...

[@kentho7093]

I agree with those companies making a lot of profits, but comparing them to bag brands like LV isn't really fair, tech companies spend a lot of money on R&D, hiring cost for engineers also aren't cheap.

[@fabioooh]

​@@hoilst265idk really now AU currency but those arent mid range,mid range is something like moto edge 40 neo or poco F5 pro ,they cost around 400€ and they have all high end specs you need ,maybe they lack just a bit on camera

[@abhimanyuvenugopal9707]

I've had a Redmi K20 Pro for 4 years and just recently switched to a S23 Ultra. I love the Ultra but honestly the Redmi still actually performs really well and that's a 4 year old phone. Battery and Camera are the areas I noticed the biggest differences, but considering the price it's frankly not enough difference. Redmi just makes really amazing phones for the price. Typing this from my Redmi while watching a movie on a Monitor with Samsung Dex on my S23 Ultra😂

[@pro1692]

I shifted from k20 pro to xiaomi 13 pro and i can say its better than 23 ultra in every aspect except the software stability

[@SomethingSomewhereJustOnce]

r/kothibanglacheck

[@gouravfromuk]

Watching this on my 4 yr old k20 pro. It is still working as smooth as new.

[@rockzs74r]

After trying Dex on my mates phone once. Thats one feature I was craving. Especially if you somehow own Samsung TV or Monitor. You genuinely can operate those phone as PC. Office PC at least. The first time I tried it I was so mind blown. My friend come to my house specifically to try dex because I happen to own a Samsung TV. And we ended up exploring the whole Dex and Samsung ecosystem

[@abhimanyuvenugopal9707]

@rockzs74r I agree. Dex is one of my favorite things about Samsung. I have a monitor that also charges the phone when using Dex. Non stop Dex 😅

[@philby1]

The insane thing is they have got people to belive $349 is cheap for a phone.

[@insertname6]

Mid-range would be a more correct word.

[@LivrusNay]

​@@insertname6more than mid range, it's something in between mid and high range, Xiaomi itself sells good phones for only 170 to 200 dollars

[@Lordkleinstein]

it's midrange ​@@LivrusNay budget: 0-300 midrange: 0-700 high-end:700-

[@grancoast]

you're not gonna find a good or lasting phone under $200, even if it's made by xiaomi

[@janatlmb2770]

Same here

[@DRIVER-SEBVET]

The mere fact that we're actually questioning spending the extra cash is already a huge win for the affordable phone....fact!

[@jayh40515]

For me personally, I have always questioned spending the extra cash. My last 2 phones have been pre-owned phones bought at a much cheaper price than if I purchased them new, no regrets. I have found that it's better to buy a 1 or 2 year old premium phone than buy the newest flagship.

[@CRIMSON-WAVE.]

Facets

[@pixels_per_inch]

Agree, makes no sense to buy the S23 and S23+ now that Samsung has downgraded their displays to 1080p. Even this budget phone has a higher screen resolution at 1/3 the price.

[@DRIVER-SEBVET]

@@CRIMSON-WAVE. is it your breakfast 💩🤔😂😂😂😜

[@jorgealan997]

I got both a note 20 ultra and an s20 ultra to use as my daily drivers for 200-250 each. So far they have been really good, but because samsung no longer supports SD on the flagships. Xiaomi and Poco have been on my radar to be the next devices i use. Any recommendations?

[@lishen6019]

8:28 punch line so good it gave me ads 🤣

[@Checktech77]

Ye he mark that point of the video for add

[@denisaganea5187]

Same shit, got an ad at the same time. Adsensational~

[@jerosmateoabamongga5918]

Adsetional bro same thing we got

[@janethardy1225]

THE ADD IS TRIGGERED

[@misty_09]

Relatable af

[@leavingsoulsBO]

As a former mid tier phone user I recently splurged on an S23 Ultra. Reason? Long term use. Something that is often overlooked and I noticed just by seeing friends who did this investment in the past is that, even beyond update support, mid tier phones start to show their age by the second year of use. They become slugish because of the new android version raising the requirements, apps use more battery and this affects every aspect (sometimes even the dialer as I dealt with a Moto G Stylus a few years back). While top tier phones with sometimes ludicrous specs for the type of device will weather just fine for years. I had to use for a day a friend's Galaxy S7 and I didn't feel the age of it like I already noticed in my A52 which already started overheating easily compared to when I bought it and kind of realized why he still daily drives that instead of buying a new one. I might have a better opinion down the line since the S23 Ultra is quite recent, but I believe this is often boiled down to "update support" and doesn't quite paint a clear picture of the actual device longevity. That of course goes out the window if you enjoy changing devices, but for me is a nightmare everytime and I hope this will stick around for some time

[@alphawarriorthegrandmaster]

Still rocking my note 8 since launch, and this thing is glued to my hand. I've put a custom rom which is a lightly debloated oneui port from the note 9 and ot is even faster then before. Before i needed always the latest and greatest, but this phone is a keeper

[@nope6471]

I feel the slugish part with my moto g7+ rn. though I yet to see battery and heating issues. I think the slugish issue might be more due to filled up storage? I have 64gb internal + 32gb micro sd, both are 80% full.

[@peterfalklhoste9809]

I had an opposite experience. I'm very happy with my 3.2 year old Xiaomi and I don't notice much difference in the longevity. And after 4ish+ years most cellphones become outdated imo, independent of the price range. I prefer to spend the extra money on things like desktop PCs and laptops

[@gianpakasa]

A52S still doing very well here

[@ImmortalChanger]

This is why I want a phone with a Snapdragon chip (I'll probably get the Note 13 Pro), because when the official ROM gets sluggish, I can simply switch to a custom ROM and keep using your phone for longer. For example, my current Redmi Note 8T would be a nightmare to use with the official MIUI 12.5 EE. However, I've installed ArrowOS 13.1 and I can safely say that it will last a couple more years. It's much faster compared to MIUI. The only bummer is video quality which is horrifingly bad on custom ROMs for some reason, even with MIUI camera.

[@minecraftpro9848]

1 little thing as a Xiaomi user myself about the software ads, if you go into any of the applications that have ads and go into their settings there is actually a setting to just disable ads

[@ameya88]

Just few settings you will never have to single ad on mi phones you can totally uninstall all bloatwares

[@Man-DD]

Fr? I couldn't find it in the settings. Could you tell me where that is?

[@minecraftpro9848]

@@Man-DD it's not in the phone settings itself, its per app so you have to go to the app settings and disable it from there

[@akilbarboni4198]

​​@@Man-DDsettings passoword and security>privacy, scroll down to ad services and turn it off. While u are at it, turn off "enroll user experience program" too.

[@JoenHarlver]

@@Man-DD some stock apps have it, but they still will give u pop ups from time to time when u use them, just open the app & then into settings to disable them, tho i dont use any mi app & blocked all the notifications for them since they are mostly useless anyway

[@The-Fishkeeper]

I haven't been able to justify the price of a high end flagship for several years now. For me a midrange or midrange flagship is more than enough. If I were due an upgrade now I would probably go for a Pixel 7a.

[@internetenjoyer9186]

Don't normalise 350$ being labelled as "cheap"

[@darkalpha28]

my one plus nord 4 after all the discounts is my most expensive phone till now

[@internetenjoyer9186]

@@darkalpha28 hahahaha

[@Krystalmyth]

350 was cheap for a phone even in 2015.

[@PrayTellGaming]

I remember being 14 or 15 and spending like 400 Euros I had saved up for a phone, I think it was Nokia's first 3G phone. And that was not cheap by any means, 350 isn't cheap but it's also not expensive for a phone...

[@archux_]

for a phone it is cheap.

[@thesecondtonone3010]

Appreciate this kind of comparison! Most of the time people tend to overlook how much entry-level phones have advanced with the technology that allows them to. So price-wise, I can still see the Xiaomi as a huge win for what it does for you as a daily device. The S23 Ultra, same as iPhone 15 (Pro), is no doubt one of the best phones out there, but the price we pay for the "premium" far outweighs the actual functionalities it offers. One thing I have noticed is that these cheaper phones are so well-made these days. They don't feel as cheap as they did in the past.

[@zuluswazi9470]

I agree and am wondering if its possible for Xiaomi to upgrade their battery to that of the Samsung S23 Ultra as Arun says its an old type. I'm quite happy with Xiaomi mostly cos they integrated all the features i had seen in a small white Vivo phone years ago. And when it finally landed here in Swaziland i purchased the Redmi Note 4 probably in 2016 as i was using a Sony xPeria. I was intrigued by this small brand that does more than anticipated, IR Blaster actually and standard photos. The ability to control all electrical gadgets in the house with a phone in 2016 was big in 2016 and i was a pioneer. I still help people setup their Redmi phones to control their decoders, TV's and home theatre system with their phones and that makes Xiaomi big and reputable here in Swaziland where he economy is very low. I wouldn't be surprised to learn its he highest selling phone in Swaziland and 3rd Best Selling in South Africa after Samsung and iPhone.

[@rapator9270]

Cheap and mid-range Chinese phones are designed to last 2 years. Xiaomi has even said so. The phone that you take out of the package will be as it is for exactly 2 years, then the software updates will disappear. The phone becomes slower and the camera even worse for some reason. I will never buy a Chinese phone again. There are so many small compromises that don't stand out at first glance.

[@rapator9270]

Besides, nobody wants to buy a used Chinese phone. After 6 months of use, I was able to sell it for 1/3 of the price. Aftermarket prices prove my point.

[@rapator9270]

When I buy Samsung's top models, I'm practically sure that this phone will serve me well for 5 years.

[@AS-zn8di]

​​​@@rapator9270i agree having used xiaomi for more than 6 years and owning 3 mid range xiaomi phones.They come with compromises which is noticeable when you use it like the software sucks battery is also bad and after sale value is much worse than any flagship phones which makes sense.which is why i will always recommend to buy flagship if you can afford it.its well over worth it!

[@decomposingbrains]

As someone who's used flagships and "flagship killers" through the years, that's always been what I've seen, even on other areas in tech, the more expensive the items are the better they are, but usually the items at 25-75% (depending on features wanted) of the "flagship" price are the best price/quality, and the items at both under 25% and over 75% price of a flagship you're usually within diminishing quality/price ratio. PS I consider flagship as 1000, not 1400 as they started being released now

[@MaikyMoto]

I still have a Xiaomi M9T Pro from 2018 which has a full uninterrupted OLED panel that runs at 90hz, snapdragon 855 and 6GB of RAM. Also has fast charge and a beefy battery. I paid 279$ back then. Samsung and Apple are overpriced just because there is very little competition.

[@mollypage1549]

Yup.. Oneplus taught me this!

[@imgettingold9407]

Agreed... for example the s23+ is a great example of this. So close to the ultra in price but so far away in terms of specs

[@humphrey7680]

​@MaikyMoto mi 9t pro? that was released on 2019 and its only 60hz

[@blaise_exclusive]

I make tech videos just like mrwhosetheboss I would preciate if you gave them a shot

[@josefpavlat8551]

I actually thought that the sensor in the Redmi is an older iteration of the one in the Galaxy, but the S23 Ultra uses the IsoCell HP2, while the Note 13 Pro+ has the IsoCell HP3. This actually shows the post processing differences in those two phones even better, because I doubt that Samsung would make newer sensor worse than the previous.

[@HSK_EDITS]

I think gcam is best for xioami phones because it has hardware but lack in processing thats where gcam comes

[@crocop2o12]

Samsung is very greedy and ev1L they want us to get blind they use 240 Hz PWM even on the ultra S23 and S24 , while Honor have 3840 Hz PWM screen !! not only on this they are so cheap but EVERY transistor is the cheapest possible in their devices not only phones, they buy it for less than 1 cent while the smaller companies like oppo , etc, they buy better quality so your device don't broke right after the warranty

[@soumyadityaagarwalla1517]

S24 ultra enters the chat with worse sensor at 10x

[@HSK_EDITS]

@@soumyadityaagarwalla1517 actually samsung s23 ultra has telephoto lens at 10 while Samsung 24 ultra has only 5x

[@soumyadityaagarwalla1517]

@@HSK_EDITS thats why i said worse at 10x shots than before

[@zn74]

Probably about 90% of the users do not utilize 40% or more of the high end phone's potential. The only reason people say their phone is better is because they pay a premium for it, but compare it to a budget phone and they can't tell the difference.

[@jsnparc619]

Finally , Arun's take of Cheap vs Expensive. You are the champ for us who can't buy expensive phones.

[@again-again-again]

If this is a cheap phone, idk what you guys are doing

[@enuesic]

@@again-again-againthe redmi or the galaxy

[@again-again-again]

@@enuesic both of them

[@chrispdo]

​​​​​@@again-again-againin todays standards spending 300-350 is cheap considering its about 25% of the high end devices cost and can give you 75%-80% of the stuff the high end phones have. And although yes, you can spend 100-150 for a phone these phones are absolute garbage. You can't really expect to do much with them unless you use them for basic needs like calling or texting (so they are good phones for older people that sheldom use them for anything else).

[@again-again-again]

@@chrispdo ouch, I'm using a $40 phone

[@jayb2705]

Budget phones have come a long way, you get a lot of bang for your buck now. It's also down to the flagships having a bit of stagnation, design stays the same and you get a bit more processing power and a slight improvement on cameras each year. It would be interesting to compare a flagship from today to one from 1-3 years ago to see if that's better than a budget phone. Also I think the Google Pixel 7a is the best budget phone with the fewest compromises on processor, camera and software.

[@romandasaleknavicius2677]

A bit more procesing power - thats about 3-4 times.

[@RennieAsh]

I still use a 2020 flagship that you can get for 1/5 or even 1/6 the price of a new one. The only things I'd really want is the better camera sensors and improved battery life. Not that I usually drain the battery.

[@johnweak6788]

Nah, pixel 7a not better than IPHONE xr*, Camervise

[@Catadventures131]

​@johnweak6788 false google better then iphone

[@johnweak6788]

@@Catadventures131 7 pro maybe, but not 7a, it's budget

[@HiggsBugson]

You forgot the best Xiaomi feature. The IR remote.

[@stevie-ray2020]

I've used that feature of my Redmi Note 10 to control a number of devices, especially my Pentax DSLR!

[@zenonrosario]

IR Blaster beats them all.

[@MrCarboxylate]

yeah, use it all the time on tons of devices

[@AnshulYadav-zc9uq]

lmfao real, at this point xiaomi is a a feature ambassador of ir blasters

[@oscartomlinson11]

I loved it and was absolutely locked on to staying with Xiaomi because of this, until I left school and literally haven't used it since, I'd probably still have that opinion if I used it a lot. But my partner still has one so I guess I can use that if I need lol

[@denulwelianga9686]

I think we need a part 2 for this discussion because something is cooking in the horizon.

[@saketpandey18]

Those photos really looked good on the Redmi as compared to the Samsung!! It's amazing seeing budget phones providing flagship level experience!!

[@MrArgonlegends]

A huge impact in my opinion is also the quality of memory chips in a phone. My motorola Rayzr HD was totaly fine after years and the budget moto g of my mum and girlfriend wasn't nearly as long lasting as it should

[@bubeleretshe2251]

"It looks like a Rolls Royce until someone pulls up with a real Rolls Royce."

[@xenon6947]

Doesn’t matter if you are not into rolls Royce.

[@SimonEllwood]

Except Rolls Royce cars do not standup to subjective scrutiny. You will be saying Rolex make great watches next.

[@stevenARTify]

I just ordered this phone earlier today. I've been using Samsung phones constantly for about 16 years. Now changing from a Galaxy S20 to this Redmi phone, after 4 years.

[@fioraz1988]

I've tried many phones in the shop and I came out that the same Redmi was the real bargain. Of course if you don't have the need to save money the most expensive are the best ones, but that's actually pretty close and you can save a lot of money if cost savings for you is important. Want a better camera? Get yourself a pocket camera with 1 inch sensor and stop spending 1.500 bucks all the times to have a slightly decent camera. For example a Sony ZV1 will take better pics than any other smartphone, you just can carry it in the pocket of the jacket or take it with you when you go on holiday or on important dates. For the rest of the days you would still have a very decent smartphone cameras. Frankly speaking all smartphones take very poor quality photos unless in excellent lighting conditions, so I would still decide to save money and invest them in something different.

[@MoAbdelkader]

Excellent knowledge... especially the excellent lighting bit. I had an S20 Ultra for more than 3 years... frankly, I didn't appreciate the camera that much and to be completely honest, I'm never buying a phone that big again. Complete nuisance in size and no pocket is large enough... not worth it at all

[@fioraz1988]

@MoAbdelkader in the end I got an s23 base. The camera is good but the samsung camera app let me down. I've installed lmc camera, a port of gcam and it's at least 10 times better now.

[@karadara9215]

I have the Xiaomi 12T, which has a slightly better processor. Games play just fine at 60FPS and often at high settings, which, for mobile gaming, just doesn't make that much of a difference to me. I think the biggest difference really is camera quality and functionality, as the other stuff is something that's impossible to notice unless you're really used to it.

[@deancameronkaiser]

Agreed I've also got a Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro and it still serves me well for my everyday use case. I'll keep on supporting Xiaomi because their phones are affordable and deliver good performance as well.

[@ahmadsallehinhussein7711]

I regret sellimg my redmi note 10 pro. Currently using 12t. Both phones are amazing but it is tempting to try on flagship phones as i have never had one before 😢

[@techwidkashif]

I also used 12t and my fav was 120 Watt fast charging. Xiaomi Nailed it

[@taehyungpapi6132]

Always a fan of honest reviews. Also thank you for giving us a chance to see beyond the big phone brands. There are also other phones worth our money!

[@NormallyPenguin]

bro this is the best phone channel i could EVER find, HECK EVEN A TECH CHANNEL CAUSE THIS EXPLAINS EVERYTHING TO ME!!

[@philipberlanda]

I think getting midrange/budget phones is the way to go. I have a Samsung galaxy a71 that was on sale and I've had it for almost 3 years and it was a year old when I got it. Also the problem with expensive phones is that if you keep buying them they keep raising the price year after year because they think you want more expensive phones.

[@trippinhard250]

I think it's also about the brand. You bought a cheaper Samsung which is much more reliable than a cheaper Xiaomi.

[@bespokepenguin103]

@@trippinhard250 Unfortunately Samsung intentionally Nerfs their own budget and mid range devices to push you higher and higher until you just give up and buy a flagship. MKBHD made a video about how they push you to buy the flagship.

[@trippinhard250]

@@bespokepenguin103 It's still the better choice because a Xiaomi phone degrades within a year

[@BananaBlooD9517]

Sadly Samsung decided to kill the A7* series so we're left with the A5* as midrange

[@karthikeyan53]

​@@trippinhard250no way. Xiaomi phones last long. It's totally based on the SoC in it. If you bought a ultra cheap Xiaomi phone definitely it will degrade within year.

[@RedPianist]

Your editing skills have come so far, well done Arun and your team!

[@thefourninjas3821]

Me to

[@maximusg88]

He's got a team for this mate

[@brei.z]

@@maximusg88Their comment mentions the team...

[@sujal1583]

​@@brei.zhe cant read

[@hichicon4953]

I don’t think he edits his videos

[@crystalraider5785]

Well-said, Arun. To think that midrange phones have come to this level, even as close to as "rivaling" flagships goes to show how magnificent our world's tech have come. That being said, I'm really excited to see you review the S24 Ultra. Bet you're just as excited. 😆

[@ColtSievers1000]

Mid rang aren't mid range like they use to be mid range was 250 to 400 now mid range is 400 euros to 900 euros . It's all nip picking Xiaomi is really a great phone so is Samsung if one is going to play games get an Xbox or pc for the job if one wants top photos buy a dlsr camera . Both people's that buy either phone will use it more or less the same way photos to social media there not going to control the space station with there phones are they lol

[@kieronmarshall2658]

id say its more a case of the tech guys have run out of new things that are really new not tweaks which means the lower tier phones are catching up on flagships.

[@DehyaRhea]

​@@ColtSievers1000well it all depends. Xbox is a gaming console. You really can't take it anywhere or use it for anything else. Dslr aren't cheap either. Different lenses cost a lot. And they aren't water resistant. + You have to carry it around all the time. Mobile phones are durable and samsung can be used as a desktop w dex. The only game I play is genshin as of now so a phone is great for me as I can travel with it everywhere.

[@aaaaaattttttt5596]

LoL hell nah.. pocoF1 & note 9 were like almost the same phones if you do use gcam... (Basically same battery life, charging, support, performance, cameras,signal, face id, fingerprint , speakers, 4k60, 960fps slowmo etc . except display ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯).That was the last time when it happened and by now budget phones are just straying behind cz of growing prices of chipset mainly

[@LaurenceLDN]

@@ColtSievers1000 Best camera is the one that's with you... (I haven't missed my DSLR...and actually enjoy the creative challenge of working with a smartphone)

[@DavidNapoles-ee2xl]

Your videos are one of my few really go to when I need to know about a specific phone

[@lormor460]

Great comparison. The Redmi looks like a great phone with a reasonable price. I remember when the flagships cost that.

[@idruvak]

Plus, you can turn many of the redmi & Poco phones into a superior version of the Google pixel with a custom ROM like evolutionX or RisingOS.

[@JoenHarlver]

@@idruvak if u can live without banking apps sure

[@idruvak]

@@JoenHarlver but there are spoofing apps\magisk modules to hide root too.

[@ziogas2000]

I've had iphones, switched to samsung, and 3-4years went on my first xiaomi redmi note pro 9, still going smooth till this day, feels like a steal tbh , never had a problem with software, quality, responsiveness etc. This year decided to upgrade to pro 14 (even though I don't really need to) just more of a gesture to the xiaomi company as a thank you, I remember after using apple or Samsung phones for so long either software, phone itself, battery, just something went so outdated, stuttery, drained quickly etc, just some problems overall, xiaomi as a budged phone way to good, and especially if you use your phone often that 20minutes full charge function by far tops all the flag phones. I'll rather have that then slightly more functional camera which at times feels like actually taking lesser shots.

[@JohnnysCafe_]

I am still using my Mi8 because it's a great phone, my family say I take the best photos and they use flagship phones. I use it to pay for everything, don't carry cash anymore. The Xiaomi Mi series are excellent phones.

[@syree8581]

I relate to this a lot, i personally switched from redmi note 9 pro because of a battery issue that i suddenly started to have, probably because of excessive use and charging it under pillows/at work it hot places lol. Till this day that phone is as smooth as i remember getting it, i haven't had any software issues at all and overall it is a really reliable phone. I recently switched to Redmi Note 13 pro 5g because i didn't want to spend a lot of money on a new phone that will probably get destroyed in the same time margin as the last one. And honestly apart from the sharp display, pretty cool refresh rate and fast system, the camera thats installed is really really good. I remember my note 9 pro having a lot of issues in the dark, taking some photos was also challenging, a lot of blurriness and loss of quality in some spots. But this phone does really well, sharp, sick stabilisation although it can get a little bit focus-losing if you are walking down the stairs. It really does feel like handling a camera just a very small and cut down version of it, and I'm absolutely in love with more funcionality added to the "pro" section in the camera app, changing iso and zoom while recording feels smooth and almost instant

[@pangoytalala4886]

I'm currently using redmi note 11 rn and my only issue is the signal in some areas. But it's all good, since it does well on other areas or features of the phone considering for its price. I compared it to samsung counterpart that are at the same price range and it performs better.

[@thefirehawk1495]

using a redmi 9s here, still good for having dual apps with spotify in the background or playing a game while having youtube open. The age is just now starting to show.

[@JohnnysCafe_]

@@thefirehawk1495 that's a coincidence because my better half is still using her Redmi note 9s today, I tell her it's well past time she upgrades but she still likes her 9s. It has been the best value phone I know of.

[@Virosaa]

imagine paying 1400 dollars for a phone...wtf man

[@eixd3396]

I wouldn't even buy a phone which is 350 dollars

[@jayjaygolden5123]

This is why I typically buy flagship phones from a gen or two ago, secondhand. They sell for next to nothing even when in pristine condition, and often come with case, charger, and perhaps even a fresh screen protector.

[@blablup1214]

But if you buy a two year old phone aren't you already lossing most of the advantages ? And I wouldn't say they sell for next to nothing. An S21 Ultra can easily cost more than the 350$.....

[@freezingicy9457]

@@blablup1214 longer software support and refinement is what you are basically getting if you buy an old flagship

[@blablup1214]

@@freezingicy9457 The video said, flagships have about 4-5 years support. And this cheap flagship onnly 2 years. If I buy and already 2 year old flagship. I shouls also have arround 2 years support left. So why should they have longer software support ?

[@StuartQuinn]

It's the degraded battery that keeps me from doing this.

[@IDOLIKIofficial]

it's easy to replace @@StuartQuinn

[@louisax4058]

The last flagship phone i bought was the Galaxy S8. Since then i've been buying mid tier phone because they are more than enough for my needs. I don't take 140 selfies per day and i am also not addicted to social media so that helps a lot.

[@Dark.Syndicate]

good mentality

[@MS10x]

Then I guess you got a good life

[@Kevins-Philippine-Retirement]

We live in the Philippines where vlogging is BIG. I just got my wife an Infinix Zero 30 5G for Christmas. She is becoming a more serious vlogger and really loves the front camera with 48Mpixel and up to 4k@60fps with a front facing flood/flash. Nothing in its price range even comes close, plus there are many other features about that phone, such as 144Hz refresh rate, 68W charger included, etc., that will shock you for the price ($250USD).

[@pranav2633]

The pixelcount doesnt tell much the color quality is still probably is going to be worse than a iphone 15 eventho they have same camera

[@NoMercy076]

maybe you've never used a highend Smartphone.. Try it and see.. of course you won't look and use a midrange and lowerend Smartphone after this

[@SWY1356]

@@NoMercy076 except for the prices

[@SACKBOY123432]

​@@NoMercy076 It's great for the price, some people can't afford the newest phones even if the colors are better

[@mastadas]

Well, you buy flagship phones for flagship soc, camera, and a couple of extra functionality (wireless charging, IP rating, dex, pen?), nothing else. If you are a casual user, and don't need top of the line hardware and camera, you are basically fine w/ any decent midrange phone.

[@galdi7947]

OneUI 6 on Android 14 is just fantastic. I just got it in the UK about a week ago and it has made the S23U experience so much better

[@Barra.The.World.]

Same with my s22 Ultra

[@huntno]

Really? Now you got me excited for improvements on my s21

[@mydogsteppedonabee8380]

One ui is utter garbage. They keep introducing new features without optimizing the software. I had both an s21fe and and s23 ultra. God rid of both because the battery on both of those phones were god awful. And my God, the phones heated up like a toaster on simple browsing.

[@HarrySwettenham26]

I upgraded yesterday on my S23 Ultra. It's fantastic and I really do like it. I have had lots of phones in the last six years but keep coming back to Samsung and I am truly in the Samsung club and advise any android user to choose a Samsung flagship as the performance and support over the years is Samsational (to quote Arun). Since 2016, I have had an S7 (excellent), an S9 Plus (terrible), switched to a Xiaomi Mi9 which was good at first but died about a week after the 1 year warranty of a software issue (multiple software glitches throughout its ownership). I had to claim on the insurance who gave a cash settlement so bought a three week old S20 FE 5G which was an unbelievable phone. After almost two and half years, I upgraded to the a new S23 Ultra as the offer was too good to pass up. I now know that this Ultra will see me for four to five years which I think is a great investment. Especially now that we have the Snapdragon chips in the UK & EU instead of the dreaded Exynos chips.

[@Barra.The.World.]

@@HarrySwettenham26, Samsung is way on top of (Apple 🍎)

[@BJ-kc3vw]

I honestly think there will always be a down side to going cheap when it comes to tech, especially when it comes to smartphones, Great vid

[@anetizen6404]

They're not night-and-day differences. I'll still buy flags but only under discounts.

[@prajwalkrishnabhat5539]

Yes but unless you are a power user, the benefits of having a flagship compared to a good mid range is not worth the price increase.

[@planatgame]

In some categories only tho

[@ogge8375]

sure there are some advantages to flagships (there has to be some way to justify the price) but for most normal people a more budget option is more than sufficient and a majority of people wont even make use of or notice all of the features even on the budget phone.

[@RovianGameplays]

It's so obvious this video is sponsored by Xiaomi, even if he makes it feel like it isn't..

[@craigdaly5111]

I had a Redmi note pro last year. Bought second hand from a store, for a very reasonable price actually. I have to say the phone was excellent! Display was great, software was really good, surprisingly so actually. Highly recommend 👍

[@mr.aleximer]

Had, was.... ? :D

[@ABCErmina1991]

On my Redmi note 10 pro I got them today)

[@sashankvissa2358]

Fantastic review!! Better than 99% of the reviewers out there who do not understand the tech that well

[@jezz6002]

i'm getting the redmi 13 next month and this video made me so much more excited

[@light_96-b4f]

There's no difference between redmi 12 and 13

[@ThySovereignLP]

I want you to expand on this. Brging in more mid tier phones for a showdown. Nokia, Sony, Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, Reno and so on.

[@wilrivera2668]

... I dig these comparison videos. I enjoy the spotlight being put on more affordable phones.

[@mskagome118]

Rather, the phone is cheap or expensive the moment I take it out the box there’s a screen protector on. I’m not taking no chances freak accidents happen. Awesome review both phones are nice.

[@Pannenkoekenplantje]

I like this comparison, because it is based on how someone uses their phone. For me, camera isn't important, most photos are of where I parked my car and the like. Audio and microphone is much more important, because I make a lot of calls and hearing one another is key.

[@EuroRory]

Just an absolutely fabulous review. It's these type of videos that keep me coming back to this channel. Well researched Well put together And absolutely gives the viewer great knowledge and entertainment every single time. Can't wait for some of the ideas that you bring back from your trip to Japan. You deserve your success.

[@PaulBateman69]

Check the blunder he said about Li ion vs Li polymer battery

[@ardjheycalderon5828]

It would also be interesting to see a new comparison of the latest flagship versus 2 or 3 years old flagship where it's already heavily discounted. I know these comparisons have been done in the past, but given the advancements that these flagships had in the past 3-5 years have either been minor or just an added feature. Especially how the diminishing return was mentioned as you go higher.

[@dannyclub09]

I second this. I'm sure it'd be a lot closer.

[@kunzhang8977]

Newest budget phone versus old flagship seem interesting too.

[@F1ve-seveN]

I've been that kind of user and I can give you my thoughts. I bought a 2 and half years old Samsung S20+ last year and have been using it for an entire year until I broke it by tripping on the road and smashing it to the asphalt = = Now I switched to s23 ultra and have been using for over 3 months now. I would say the 2 to 3 years old flagship generally has almost similar on paper spec with top mid ranger of today. But the details you're getting would be the selling point for older flagship. For example, s20+ has 65M main cam that matches the most mid-range nowadays, but the night picture is still way ahead. And the OIS you can get from old flagship is just better, despite the midrange now also claimed to have ois. Older flagship also has this advantage of better soc compared to midrange now. They're cooler, not so power hungry, yet their performance are still edging out the midrange of this year. However, one noticeable down side are screen degradation. The s20+ I bought were the leftovers on stock, so it should be one of the best conditioned old phones. Still, I found out that I couldn't reach the peak brightness they claim on the spec sheet anymore. The claimed peak was 900 nits, but mine can't reach past 750nits. The battery is also crucial. I got mine with 80% health because it has just been stored on the shelf for too long. That s20+ cost me about 340 US, so it's cheaper than this Xiaomi phone.

[@ardjheycalderon5828]

@@F1ve-seveN thank you for sharing. It means it would still be cost effective to just buy a 2 or 3 yr old flagship brand new, than top mid range phone. This is probably why they(manufacturers) try to top the spec of mid range phones nowadays. I would even argue that as a power user, there would still be a difference between an old flagship vs the new top mid range.

[@SunKing909]

Now they are changing the gear. Intially they upgraded their chips a lot every year but we are near the moore's law so they focused a lot more on cameras and as the difference between cameras have diminished a lot they brought up the next big thing A.I. Google has already done that, Samsung is focusing on that too as their main feature to steer people away from their mediocre performance upgrades.

[@kaunas88]

Like most things, beyond a certain price point the money goes into increasingly expensive parts, which only provide a modest improvement, because getting closer to perfection requires ever greater cost with smaller and smaller returns.

[@eggsee_]

7:43 the battery "issue" gap getting bigger after 3 years on the Redmi doesn't actually matter since it's price is 1/4th of the Samsung, having to upgrade your phone after 3 years (Xiaomi phone android updates usually is for 2-3 years anyway) for just 300-400 USD is fairly cheap, cheaper with discounts and sales. Also with the midrange CPU being not as power efficient also doesn't actually being a cons since fast charge exist. "It's better to have and not need, than to need and not have"

[@aokyoutsuki7744]

...huh, oh yeah forgot about that, was thinking of transfer data but brands now have the loyalty app so as long as you stick with the brand its a done deal

[@gamerz9488]

Another alternative would be to go for prior generation flagship. None of the new phones this past couple of year were exciting to me, no new innovation so I bought a S20 Ultra for 150$ last year and it's still doing all that I throw at it.

[@edwarddeaddead1128]

Good video mate! Love seeing content not filled with coperate greed but with honesty

[@irfanj]

One thing I like about xiaomi is how you can port gcam into it and play around with the settings. Once you hit the sweet spot, it almost can topped the S23 ultra photo quality.

[@jafarbiri5644]

i was thinking the same things

[@sgky2k]

Would the mediatek chip support the mod?

[@muhfaj3791]

​@sgky2k yes, i did it.

[@biswasronit]

Xiaomi phones are great for Gcams, I have taken many photos that left people asking about my flagship phone lol. I used a Redmi Note 8 bdw.

[@bkingtz1]

What is gcam and how, what, where? 🙂

[@lilsweeny1678]

Bought the Poco X3 nfc 3 years ago and it's absolutely rock solid till this day and the camera is ridiculously good even when put against previous flagships💪

[@VladimirMizich]

I have a Poco F1. Got it early 2019. Almost 5 years later it's still solid for all my tasks. Just look at this use: - several email accounts synced, constant daily notifications - around 100 apps installed, many of them syncing and sending notifications - I take fotos several times per week, no trouble there, I mostly use the native camera app, but also have Gcam sideloaded for great pictures in the dark/complete darkness, which was a criticism of the Poco F1 from the start, trouble taking pics in the dark, nope, never experienced that - several music apps installed (Spotify, Tidal), I listen to music several times per week at the gym, music streaming through phone - banking apps a couple times per week - browsing web almost daily, looking something up - calendar apps synced - note taking apps, all synced - shopping apps, used a couple times per week - use Google Maps several times per week - messaging apps daily use - graphic intensive games installed (Summoners War Sky Arena, Ragnarok M, etc.) which I run "occasionally" to securely in-app purchase stuff, otherwise I run the same games on PC, but in terms of functionality, those games run on the Poco F1 super smooth too, it just naturally eats battery quicker I'll just end my rant here. My point is; There is no battery degradation to my knowledge, not that I notice, and I do pay attention, after almost 5 years, and I use my phone heavily as you can see. Most of the time I charge it once in 2 or 3 days. Sometimes I'm just paranoid and want to have it topped up just in case, and I'll plug it in at at 40%-50% daily. You know what I mean. It's silly though. Most of the time those 40-50% are enough for another day, which is why I'm saying 2-3 days usually on one charge. And keep in mind, the phone is constantly doing something (syncing, connecting, loading), or I'm doing something actively. That's good battery life. So honestly, it's all a marketing ploy by different manufacturers to make people buy their phones and not buy the competitors phones. The marketing is all bs. "oh, the battery degrades. this phone only lasts you 2 years. wow" Nonsense. Most mid-range phones are fantastic. Here's a real statement. Almost all smartphones nowadays are extremely overpriced, especially the "flagship" ones, and NO, they do not offer significantly better functions at all. If you're smart, look at the hardware and the features you get for a specific price, and if the balance is good, get that phone. Usually, those phones are between 300 and 500 at most. Anything more expensive than that is just a scam.

[@shehantharindu128]

Commenting with poco X3 nfc 3 Years Old

[@umairmohamed2809]

Is poco x3 better than redmi note 13 pro ? (i am going to buy I a new phone so suggest me a good one )

[@harvs14.]

​@umairmohamed2809 poco always better than redmi lineups. Same specs but more affordable

[@karthikeyan53]

​@@umairmohamed2809get poco f5. It's bang for buck.

[@emeremgbere8025]

Thanks Guy,i always enjoy ur analytic skills whenever i come across ur videos on phone comparison.

[@LionClawed]

As an editor myself, the amount of editing put in this video is crazy! Props to the editor.

[@sukhjindersingh8274]

Trust

[@bricolmane]

As an ex-editor myself, I see this as an absolute win

[@nmac101]

6:21 Redmi phones actually do have a great battery life, it's MIUI that ruins it. My Redmi Note 5 with MIUI died in about 6 hours with the screen on. When I unlocked its bootloader and installed AOSP, it was faster, more updated, and when I tested the battery life, it lasted about 18 HOURS with the screen on. MIUI just sucks.

[@justforlaughsmate3900]

Pls tell us how to do this in simple term

[@nmac101]

@@justforlaughsmate3900 you can look it up

[@sbbillusionist]

I think the sweetest spot currently is buying a previous year flagship. I recently got a OnePlus 10T for $300 with SnapDragon 8Gen1 and top of the line specs and it is cheaper than the Redmi and much closer to Samsung in performance.

[@bakededded]

8gen1 is awful chip. That is why its so cheap

[@sbbillusionist]

@@bakededded 8gen1 is awful compared to what? 8gen2? Obviously, but I still think it is capable enough especially when it beats it's predecessors in performance like the 888

[@jakobn2913]

​@Meowmeowmewowo it has the 8+ Gen1

[@jefferycoleman3781]

Ive been using a Redmi note 7 pro for over 4 years, bought it used. It is unlocked, rooted, and still on the original firmware with call recording. I love it!! It needs a new battery tho.

[@lukashasselhoff3940]

I can’t believe you’re catching up to MKBHD in subscriber count. Keep up the good work Arun!

[@threeuniquefingers]

5:32 Its just my own hypothesis but What I think is happening here, is that Samsung is deliberately reducing the upload speed to match it with the download speed as closely as possible. I figure this will make information communication more reliable. Cuz if the upload is faster, the phone might request a data packet , but since the download speed is low, by the time the first packet gets downloaded the phone might’ve requested 2-3 more data packets which might cause interference. I don’t know I’m no telecom engineer or smthg…just a thought. Correct or inform me about this if possible ❤

[@rishikeshkuntheti]

I am rocking both an s23 as my primary phone and a Redmi 11t as my secondary phone. Honestly I am so happy with both my phones as it evens out what I need from day to day. The battery on my Redmi is remarkable going to 3 to 4 days with a mix of onscreen and standby. but the samsung provides the ultimate experience in terms of mobile photography on par to current iphones. ultimately if you have to choose a phone, it relies on basically what sort of experience you are looking to have for the next 2 to 4 years.

[@sdsd4139]

Are you a drug dealer?

[@vyrnius]

@@sdsd4139 hahaha, not only drug dealers use two phones, but many people need one phone for work and another for personal use. Of course, you could just use two SIM cards, but either the work phone is provided by the employer, or you simply want to completely separate the two worlds.

[@rishikeshkuntheti]

@@sdsd4139 lmao no. I mean it's pretty normal to keep your old phone active even after getting a new phone right 😂. Besides, it helps to have a backup phone incase something happens to my main phone, helps me track my main phone, have messaging apps in both phones, and maintain more sim card slots when I travel abroad.

[@pietercronje6938]

My first Xiaomi phone was the Redmi 4. I have since used the Note 6 and I am currently using the Note 8. Fir the price there is NOTHING better in my opinion. I use my phone as a tablet as I am unable to afford one and has not been disappointed in the least. The only gripe I have with the Redmi phones are the adds and the bloatware but I have learnt to live with that. I am sure that can teach myself how to be a developer and work around it but I think I will practice on my Note 6 first. Thank you for a very informative channel. I love the way you test and compare everything to the finest detail. Pieter Cronje

[@internettroll7604]

I upgraded to the Ultra 23 this summer from a Note 8 that I was still happy with. Only reason I went with the Samsung over a budget phone is I was upgrading for hearing aid capabilities. Only I phone and top tier Androids had the software/hardware I needed to operate the hearing aids. If it weren’t for that I would still have the 8 or a budget phone.

[@apk878]

Any android phone running 14 or higher is capable of using tf software's

[@heyamax]

From note8 to s23, wow! Exactly the point of this video, high end phones can last way longer than these cheap phones so in the long run you save a lot instead of buying new phones every year.

[@dicekolev5360]

​@@heyamax Most of Samsung and Iphone users still buy newest phone every year anyway. Pure brainwashing. They market 7 years of support like there will be much people keeping kne phone more than 2-3 years max.

[@kevinsong712]

​​@@heyamaxRedmi 13 series gets 3 years of OS updates and one additional year of security updates. Not all budget brands are bad with updates like he claims, especially ones from a larger company.

[@pasmas3217]

@@heyamax i would say it depends... i just run dead my old phone of around 4,8 years. a phone that i paid 142$ for. yes it did die suddenly on me... after 4 years and 9 months though.

[@phoqueme]

I still have my OnePlus 6, still working great after nearly 5 years. But since it has reached the end of its support updates, its only a matter of time until it becomes obsolete. It's been the best phone i've had so far, looks like this Redmi is a worthy successor, very impressive

[@054siddarth3]

cant agree more, been using it since launch and it's still lightning fast. My only concern is battery life and camera

[@Shevchenkocss]

I was still using my OnePlus 6 until last week, moved on by now to another company, because OP are getting to expensive for my taste. With that being said my OP6 worked great, until last year, then the fast charge stoped working among other things, the phone at this point feels slow and at the end of his life. Still it lasted more than i was hoping now.

[@therealovy77]

I still using mine, as phone and preffered media player, with LDAC Bluetooth connection. I changed the battery last year and it is going strong...

[@SkNero]

Interesting. I have the 6T and I feel like the phone got very sluggish. The camera was never that good to begin with. Maybe it also has to do with usage and acceptance by the user, but I definitely feel like an update is overdue for me.

[@Morzsaszar]

Bsht, I am using many years old android without issue, so if your 1+ just reached eol, you can still use it for many years

[@sumeetsahu578]

Will u compare Samsung $400 phone with Samsung $1400 phone...??

[@nein3533]

No need to compare the S series in comparison to J or A series has NOTHING on Xiaomi etc because Samsung just wants to make money

[@scroopynooperz9051]

He should actually compare the $350 Redmi Note 13 Pro with a $400 - $500 Samsung.. yeah that would probably be a bloodbath 😂

[@yeatcatforever]

The mic on the redmi really got me surprised, it sounds pretty ood tbh

[@voyagerdeepspaceexploratio5023]

Problem with the S23 is often that you accidentially cover one microphone when recording. It won't change until I get some kind of Gimbal for it.

[@kmjoe]

Been using Redmi Note 8 Pro for probably around 4 years now, surprisingly, its not slowing down much or much battery problem thus far. Gotta say xiaomi is a pretty solid buy as compared to the Samsung galaxy S series I've had in the past (distant past), which didnt last very long before hardware issues pops up (screen or battery).

[@dariosucevac7623]

same here, been using the note 8 pro until recently when i bought the new poco f5, the 8 pro still works flawlessly tho

[@swampertnite7793]

I have a redmi note 8 and its still going like no problem. Its i have to say very durable i have thrown it so many times but no scratch or problem.

[@olblue3478]

It uses Li-on battery

[@jeans19]

​@@swampertnite7793same experience

[@dragance9993]

I have an Redmi note 8t that fell from like 12 meters and fell on the display too, display intact, the phone bent slightly, back glass shattered, camera glass shattered, front camera cant open, but the phone still runs smooth, even the back camera still opens and shoots pics, blurry as hell tho, after I broke it I bought Redmi Note 10 pro, still have it and it runs flawlessly, Xiaomi delivers a great value and phones you can rely on without overspending

[@pgordhan2429]

I think the thing to consider here especially with the older battery tech and the price etc is that you can afford to replace your phone more often than you probably might with the flagships. I know some people just lazy their way into a 2-3 year contract, and then have to hang onto their cracked phone because they can't afford to repair or replace it. Whereas with a budget phone it's not so much a problem because they're so easily replaceable. For me personally, I like a mid-range phone, but I want a flagship camera. That's something the smartphone world is lacking right now.

[@IVIakeItHappen]

That's google pixel's Territory

[@Benri05]

​@@IVIakeItHappenI always wanted a Pixel but the 5g network doesn't work in my country since google locked it to just 4g in certain countries.

[@AlexisNavarro-y1o]

@@Benri05 meh 5g is way overrated anyway

[@Benri05]

@@AlexisNavarro-y1o not in my area, 4g here is abysmal at like 3mbps while the 5g signal runs at 300mbps

[@catzrmazing2]

9:14 "Smooth, beautiful and jiggly" 💀💀🤨😏

[@tay_rizul]

* 9:04

[@Weaseltube]

This is the kind of review we need see WAY more often. Too much flagship content that's interesting but not useful to regular users (yes, we do exist)! Also he is spot-on with his analysis. I have a 2019 budget Xiaomi and the Li-poly battery is dying - exactly as he said. It's been a great phone for a non-power user - exactly as he said. The only weaknesses I noticed was cell reception in my underground garage, and a struggle to take crisp photos - exactly as he said. Thank you! Probably gonna get a Poco M6 Pro next.

[@wiktormorzewski4901]

Actually, Li-Po is much better in terms of longevity. Li-Ion is often put in flagships due to it's more prevalent degradation and higher density which converts to longer single-charge battery life. On the other hand the less dense Li-Po is much more heat resistant, doesn't go up in flames in case of physical damage (like puncture or bending) and lasts far longer over the years. No battery lives forever, but certainly don't take this video as a memorable statement. Li-Ion is just more convenient for flagship smartphone manufacturers since it incentivizes a sooner upgrade. Li-Po in newer, pricier, more durable and long-term longevity is better. It just doesn't last as long on a single charge. And hey, with Li-Po you can get some insane charging speeds for pretty much half-free compared to Li-Ion which would burst out in flames very.. briefly before Li-Po finishes charging.

[@rudrachakraborty2696]

This! This is the content I was missing. Tech that actually we could imagine buying. Thank you Arun!

[@Ubernewb111]

honestly that's been my take away as well. I'd love to get a phone that costs a fraction of the price as a flagship but I need the processing power that the flagships offer.

[@MrMozkoZrout]

Do you now ? Are you compiling code from source on it or rendering graphics or whatever ?

[@ajplayer221]

If processing power is all you need, then maybe realme is better for you, currently, they have the cheapest snapdragon 8 gen 3 for onmy 450$ (at least in my country).

[@Sternburg]

Just buy a strong laptop then

[@TheMidnightillusion]

Regarding the build quality, it would be interesting to know how much difference the better screen and body actually make in the real world. For example in what circumstances would the flagship Samsung phone survive taking damage that the Redmi phone wouldn't? Or to put it another way, is the extra protection you're paying for actually warranted? Once again we get a situation where there's no doubt that the more expensive phone is better, but are the improvements actually noticeable and useful to regular people? I would argue they aren't, which is why I won't be shelling out 1300+ moneys for a flagship phone.

[@jimmyngo2191]

The gap is getting shorter and shorter. With me still using my LG, it still good for everyday tasks.

[@Meet_Your_Death]

I mean the samsung phone already takes less damage than Apple devices based on tests conducted by phonebuff channel. You can expect Xiaomi to be worse or at least the same level as Apple

[@a_thul_]

Trust me I had the realme gt me and it had leather back and it started to peel off by year one so it's not a durable material for a phone

[@jimmyngo2191]

@@a_thul_ If you are near I can make a new leather back for you. It cost almost nothing.

[@iAfroTech]

Also nobody ask regular people to buy flagship. They have ego issues so they buy flagship they don’t even use deeply.

[@pav30918]

Literally the best video on phones I have ever seen . The comparisons were perfect and ... REALISTIC . Thank you so much for this video ❤

[@Daario-Naharis]

I disagree with battery degradation part, my Redmi 9 absolutely trashed my S22 Ultra interms of battery performance. I also use hotspot quite frequently which I cannot imagine using on s22 ultra due to it being heat up all the time.

[@HSK_EDITS]

Because redmi 9 has li-lon like Samsung, so yeah redmi is going to win easily

[@yashthapa3268]

Coz budget phones are usually better than flagship phones in terms of battery because of processor but Samsung really improves their battery in s23 series

[@emmanueltolentino4825]

@@HSK_EDITS My redmi note 8 pro which has LiPo is still working after more than 4 years. Note that in the first year of the phone, it was running non stop for around 20 hours a day. Even when Im sleeping, the phone is running ragnarok game while charging.

[@INTJ791]

​@@HSK_EDITSits because s22 use exynos with defect samsung chip

[@HSK_EDITS]

@@INTJ791 so what can i do anything about that or you can do anything

[@Vishad_Vishwakarma]

i was just waiting for someone to compare this large gap of price to performance ratio, I have been using Xiaomi products for 8 years and never get disappointed in any aspects, its best for average to high spec users, great video btw

[@am53n8]

We've come pretty far from the days of the galaxy ace, where anything that was not a flagship was sometimes barely usable. These cheap phones are good enough for most people now

[@gokaikai]

there are also things that are user specific that may lean us towards flagship devices. for starters, i loved how flagships have DisplayPort support on their usb-c, so i can plug my AR glasses or a portable monitor directly to my phone. this is an example of something that is simply omitted from non-flagships. also, kudos for noticing that flagships uses li-on batteries which are superior in charge retention and performance.

[@abckxd3311]

And how these budget phones stands against iPhone base/plus models... kindly cover this !

[@Silent.killer_007]

Then he will become tim apple and say "but in iphone u get far better cam , os upgrades and most importantly titanium so get iphone 15pro max instead dis cheap crap"

[@ACDetailing00]

@@Silent.killer_007You forgot performance. The A16 from 2022 > SD8 Gen 2

[@Silent.killer_007]

@@ACDetailing00 in cpu yes its much more powerful but not in gpu, 8gen2 from 2022 > a16 And 8gen3 got 60% more powerful gpu than a17pro in 3d mark wild life, also in real world gaming tests

[@ACDetailing00]

@@Silent.killer_007 real world gaming tests always results in the iPhone coming out on top bro. Link 1 video showing otherwise

[@sibulelemrwebo294]

We need more videos like this Thank you Arun for providing us with information while keeping us entertained

[@Hakunamataaa]

this one needs to becoma a series atleast once a year

[@HRR560]

Disable animations in developers menu and xiaomi matches the speed. Also you can extend ram to 18gb from the menu.

[@Reeve-vf6zk]

exteding RAM should only be done on phones with 2-4GB RAM

[@Vex-sn7ne]

Another thing is that there is a flexibility for what exactly you need, there are some phones in the 400 dollar range with 80-90% flagship performance but worse camera hardware hardware and software. So even if you're a power user, if you're willing to sacrifice one component of your phone(cameras or performance), you can get 90% of a flagship. The redmi note 13 tries to be a decent all rounder so suffers in both camera and performance,if they decided to disregard cameras, they would have amazing performance and vice versa

[@Atmaspeaks]

For the performance champs, they have poco

[@paulzx]

Redmi has K60 Pro, which has the same 8Gen2 CPU. Half price, bad cameras.

[@zuluswazi9470]

Great observation. The Redmi Note 13 isn't wow and isn't bad on camera until one compares it with the S23 Ultra and iPhone 14/15 Pro Max. I want to buy the Xiaomi 13 Pro actually. Pardon if i misread your comment.

[@iAfroTech]

Poco F5 or nothing. No Redmi, no Poco X. Only Poco F with Snapdragon like Poco F3, Poco F4 with SD870 and now Poco F5 for flagship performance m, better screen and long term use.

[@irfannasim9092]

@@iAfroTech isnt the f5 worse than the 13? the f5 is equivalent with the 12

[@Nomade.end7]

message: Xiaomi 14 offers 95% to 99% of the experience that the Samsung S 23 Ultra offers, at less than half the price😂

[@Jesse6463-h2n]

I'm currently using a REDMI A3 no I bought for about $120 and it's amazing bang for the buck. Works great. Sure I can't play the new star wars game but it does run WOT and star trek FC. And I won't go bankrupt if I lose it.

[@quadcorefxesoy8326]

If I remember it right, li-ion degrades faster due to the memory effect as it takes harder to charge the more cycles it went through. Li-po has no memory effect but with a lesser charge density. In terms of safety, li-ion bursts flames compared to li-poly when punctured or overheated that's maybe why they won't gamble too much on high powered charging. The only "safe" battery are those lifepo batteries but i don't know if it's available already on phones

[@prajwalbharambe343]

Yeah. Li poly is better😂

[@wiktormorzewski4901]

Yep. Li-Ion is just better performant on the surface which is why it often reaps good opinions due to flagship reviews. The same batteries are also the reason people upgrade their flagships more frequently than they would've otherwise. It's just convenient for phone manufacturers to push those into the flagships. Good battery life reviews without giving an insight into the matter certainly doesn't help this.

[@TheFemtos]

You're wrong. Li-ion is just a more general term. "Pol" refers to a type of electrolyte used in a battery cell. Some manufacturers may simply not specify this.

[@quadcorefxesoy8326]

@@TheFemtos you're wrong. "Lithium Batteries" is a general term. Li-po and Li-ion are different.

[@TheFemtos]

@@quadcorefxesoy8326 Nope =)

[@hamzaio7670]

Can i just say that this guy's video quality has improved in a very major way in the past few months,keep the good work up,amazing video😊.

[@Kryptolistic]

I have been using my xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro since early 2020 (Right when the pandemic started). I've never cracked a screen or anything on a phone so longevity is always top notch due to how I take care of my stuff. Battery is slightly weaker, it can still run COD mobile really well, charge speed is still the same, it does get hotter than when it was new, but being almost at year 4 it's insane and I only payed 300USD for it. The other thing is I have used it for gaming almost every day since I bought it (Summoners War, COD, Idle Angels and other random titles), I have been using a Ringke case from Amazon and it's falling apart too haha Will try upgrading to this Note 13 Pro+ later this year

[@randomgeek6035]

Great video. I would absolutely love another with old used flagship models versus new new.