I have often wondered if the current budget mobile smartphones (in my use case, the Samsung Galaxy's) with the lesser-known model names such as the 'A05s' are just restamped flagship (or plus) phones from the past.
I can say from a recent experience, that they definitely are not.
The A05s that I took for a test drive (while good value for under $200), was definitely not up to scratch of a Galaxy+ from 2019. (even though the A05s was released in 2023, it is a current budget phone available though most outlets).
In comparison it was laggy, picture quality took a dive, sometimes does not respond when taking a photo, constant flash light when shooting video, poorer mobile reception (no bars vs 2 bars on old plus). Basically a whole lot of things that I just haven't really seen mentioned in the comparison sites.
Just mentioning this out of interest. It is good in a way for those spending $1200+ on a new phone, as it at least helps to justify the cost. Waiting 5 years to get todays tech at a budget price may apply in principle (to varying degrees), but there is a noticeable difference in build quality, speed & functionality.
I think the best outcome for those not wanting to spend top dollar is to purchase a second hand plus or ultra, rather than a new budget.
Like a second hand car, you don't know how reliable it will be, but if there are no problems the everyday user experience will be a lot better.
Has anyone had any bad experiences purchasing second hand 'reconditioned' or 'refurbished' phones from commercial online retailers?
Samsung still needs to make a profit selling the phone.
For a phone that retails $200~$250, if we assume that Samsung has profit margin of say, $100 per unit, they'll have to cheap out by using a processor that's already several generations old and use bottom of the barrel LCD displays, camera modules, speakers etc..
You can't compare it to a flagship phone built 5 years ago and had an original retail price of $1200+. Those margins would have allowed Samsung to put in whatever was the best SoC, display and camera modules at the time. If you factor in inflation, that $1200 device back then might actually be $1500 in today's money.
Does 5 Year Old Flagship Phone = Modern Budget Phone? The answer is depends, we've seen some absolutely crazy prices for modern budget phones that have specs that are on equal footing with older flagship Galaxy S series.