For me, I am very good at working around phone limitations. As long as the phone offers the core functionality like having great battery life, great reception, doesn't hang everyday, then I am pretty content with any phone. SoC stuff is just for gamers or showoffs. Fast and smooth early on. Starts to lag after a year or two. I know how to work around most limitations and can accept them for midrange phones.
What I really can't control usually is camera quality. I might filter it or PhotoShop, but if the camera is bad, the photos will turn out bad. That's the main difference for me between getting a cheaper phone and a flagship. But 90%of my NEEDS in a phone can be met from cheaper phones since I am not a social media/selfie addict. And sometimes those cheaper devices are better in areas like comfortable size and battery life thanks to lower resolutions/smaller displays.
I currently prefer the mini versions of the current flagships with "5.5+ and Quad HD. The mini versions of flagships in 2015 or in 2016 will have flagship specs from 2013-2014 or come to its performance and camera quality. Today's era of phones is becoming more of a numbers game and an endless cycle of bragging about new features you don't really need or use.
But carriers and OEM's will keep pushing flagships to postpaid users that get bigger and bigger every year because that's where the real profits are. Manufacturing cost is about $200. Sell it for $800+ or get stuck in a contract. But the real value isn't in flagships but the phones that cost under $200-$250 that are offered by Xiaomi, ASUS, Meizu, and the mini version of flagships from LG, Oppo, Gionee, etc.
What I really can't control usually is camera quality. I might filter it or PhotoShop, but if the camera is bad, the photos will turn out bad. That's the main difference for me between getting a cheaper phone and a flagship. But 90%of my NEEDS in a phone can be met from cheaper phones since I am not a social media/selfie addict. And sometimes those cheaper devices are better in areas like comfortable size and battery life thanks to lower resolutions/smaller displays.
I currently prefer the mini versions of the current flagships with "5.5+ and Quad HD. The mini versions of flagships in 2015 or in 2016 will have flagship specs from 2013-2014 or come to its performance and camera quality. Today's era of phones is becoming more of a numbers game and an endless cycle of bragging about new features you don't really need or use.
But carriers and OEM's will keep pushing flagships to postpaid users that get bigger and bigger every year because that's where the real profits are. Manufacturing cost is about $200. Sell it for $800+ or get stuck in a contract. But the real value isn't in flagships but the phones that cost under $200-$250 that are offered by Xiaomi, ASUS, Meizu, and the mini version of flagships from LG, Oppo, Gionee, etc.