What’s the Difference? Flagship vs Entry-Level and Mid-Range Phones

Smartphone is a product that is used by everyone in the world day or night. You cannot think of spending even a day without a phone as it has now become an important part of our life. Be it work, entertainment or communication, we depend on our cell phones for everything. But when it comes to buying a new phone, a big question comes — should one buy a flagship phone or a non-flagship phone? What is the difference between the two? Is the hefty price of a flagship phone justified, or can a non-flagship phone do just as well? Let’s understand in detail.

What are flagship phones?

A flagship phone is the most advanced and premium model of any brand. These phones reflect the company’s technological prowess and innovation. They have the fastest processors, the best camera systems, premium build quality, latest connectivity technology, newly launched OS, and other useful exclusive features. For example, Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra, Google’s Pixel 9 Pro, and Redmi’s Note 14 Pro+ 5G fall into the category of flagship phones.

In short, if I want to define a flagship phone, then it is a phone which is 3-5 years ahead whatever you get in the entry-level or mid range non-flagship smartphones. The beauty of flagship phones are… they give top-class performance even after 2 to 3 OS updates and 3 to 4 security updates. These phones do not slow down easily as their hardware is built to be fast, optimized, and designed to easily handle future software updates.

While purchasing, you may also hit with a similar term which commonly known as the flagship killer. This means, there are some devices in market which will give you same experience at low cost. In short, these type of devices lack somewhere in design, display quality, camera quality, or up to 2 OS updates… but offer nearly same powerful hardware like super fast CPU, 8-12 GB RAM, latest gen connectivity, and a bigger internal storage of 128GB/256GB.

Example: I have a Oneplus 10R, which I purchased in August 2022. It is a flagship killer phone, still it competes with many other phones that falls under Rs 30,000. The storage is 90% full, yet it doesn’t lag and gives battery backup up to 12 hours. Mobile games like PUBG, Free Fire Max, and Call of Duty run very well, means you can still use this device as a gaming phone!

Some special features of a flagship phone:

• High-end processor: A flagship phone will have the latest chipsets like Snapdragon 8 Elite, MediaTek Dimensity 9500, or Apple A18 Pro, which make heavy gaming and multitasking easier. These high end latest gen processors or well-optimized, consume less battery and offer better results like process images quickly, helps in quick video editing etc.
• Best-in-class camera: In these device, company offers best camera that works well in low-light conditions and capable to record videos in 8K resolution and also packed with advanced computational photography.
• Premium design: Mostly in flagship devices, you get a premium design like a glass & metal body, thin in size, and light in weight. Also the device is water-proof (certified with IP68), and the display quality (120Hz refresh rate) would be of top class or best in the industry!
• Battery and Charging: Phone’s battery is quite important and in premium segment devices, companies always offer best and quick solutions. The flagship phone offers wireless charging facility, additionally with fast charger of 80W or higher you can fully charge the device in around 30 minutes!
• Long-term support: In flagship device, the software updates and security patches are available for 4-5 years. Means with one time investment, you can use your device for next 4-5 years and this guarantees that all apps like banking apps, learning apps, and video streaming apps will work without any issue.

What are non-flagship phones?

Non-flagship phones are those that offer good performance at a lower price than flagships. They may lack some features, but they prove to be a better option according to the needs. These are:

• Entry Level Smartphones (Price Rs 7,999-10,999)
• Mid-Range Smartphones (Price Rs 11000-29,999)

An entry level phone and mid-range phone both are called non-flagship smartphones. There price in Indian market starts from Rs 7,999 and goes up to Rs 29,999. Later high-range smartphones (or flagship killer) come which are priced between Rs 30,000 to Rs 60,000.

For Example: Entry level smartphones like Redmi A Series, POCO C Series, Moto G Series, Realme Narzo N Series, Samsung’s F/M Series and Mid-Range smartphones like Redmi Note Series, Samsung Galaxy A Series, OnePlus Nord Series, Motorola Edge Series, iQOO Z Series, and Google Pixel A Series are some popular phones that fall in non-flagship category.

The entry level smartphones are for general use and mostly comes with 1 year OS and 2 years security update. The drawback of these phones is that they become slow after some time due to increased memory and also their hardware is not capable of handling the new updates. Example: If you buy Moto G35 today, it will work for 1 year but later it will start lagging and in the next 2 years it will become very slow and unresponsive. I purchased Narzon N53 for my mother in 2023, and now it responds very slow + hangs a lot during call pickup!

Regarding the mid-range smartphones, they are better than entry level phones and works very well for 3-4 years. These devices promise 2 OS updates and 3 security updates, means you can run latest version of new applications and also enjoy live video streaming or play some very lite games. When you feel the device is slowing down anymore, you can delete apps, free up storage and give it to your kids or parents who need the phone only for light use. Example: I purchased Samsung Galaxy M31 in 2021 and it is still in use. It is a mid-range device which I use to record videos, to click photos and for communication using whatsApp. Even I run some social media apps like X, Facebook and Instagram…all work fine on Galaxy M31 and still getting decent battery backup!

Flagship vs non-flagship: Which one to choose?

If you are a tech enthusiast, do heavy gaming or professional photography, then a flagship phone will be better for you. A flagship phone gives you extra feature (3-4 year software update) which you won’t get in other models. Additionally, a flagship phone always stay ahead in the race than other entry level, mid-range, and high-range smartphones.

If you buy a flagship device today, you will find its hardware still better and powerful than other mid-range and entry level phone.  It takes approximately 7-10 years for a flagship phone to become an entry-level phone.

Apart from that, if your budget is low and you just need a phone to use social media, calling, and casual gaming, then a non-flagship phone (entry level or mid-range) is also a very good option. But remembers guys, after 1-2 years, the entry level phone will start struggling… However mid-range range phone still be with you for longer time as they come with 2 years of software updates.