Well over a billion smartphones were sold across the world in 2016 and one of the great things about the fierce competition in the smartphone industry is that prices are tumbling down. But maybe not quite as quickly as we would expect and not always on the phones that we think are the best.
Why? Because the larger phone companies have the ability to charge you upwards of $900 for a flagship phone when you don’t lock yourself into a 2-year contract. And people are buying these phones, or they are signing contracts that charge them upwards of $100 a month in fees.
But, there is a shift happening that every phone shopper needs to be aware of.
A New Era
There has been an interesting trend in smartphones over the last couple of years. The gap between the best and the worst phones has decreased dramatically, meaning low-cost handsets have been creeping closer to high-end performance, while year-over-year improvements to the premium devices have been, well, mediocre.
Why is this happening? The reason lies in manufacturers’ desire to provide appealing innovations. Innovations that matter. Each year manufacturers try to ensure their new phones offer new and exciting features, but they always seem to fall short of the mark. Regardless, the keep bumping prices up to meet their quotas and increase hype.
How You Can Cash In On This
Today, you don’t have to spend insane amounts of money to have a cutting-edge smartphone in your pocket. You may not be able to save $100s on an iPhone 7s, but you will be able to knock off half the price of an android phone that is actually rated better than or on-par with that same iPhone.
In fact, did you know that the average selling price of phones declined to less than $300 last year? And, according to the IDC, it will continue to fall further. That makes buying a smartphone outright, without being locked into a two-year contract, a realistic possibility for everyone under the sun.
The Best Phones With the Best Deals
There are 3 highly rated phones in particular to look for when wanting deals on a new smartphone. So when shopping for a new phone that can do it all, don’t overpay with these options:
Samsung Galaxy S8 // Just when Samsung wasn’t expected to outperform their previous release of the Galaxy S7, they unveil a phone that has been deemed the best looking phone on the market. With the most advanced smartphone processor out there, top-notch battery life, the S8 is considered to be the best Android phone you can buy, and Samsung isn’t slowing down there. The phone starts at $750, but many are saying that the curved infinity display and the overall speed of the phone is making every penny worthwhile. But with a little research above, you can find some great deals on this beastly phone.
Google Pixel // If you’re looking for a phone people buzz over, the Google Pixel is definitely a top option. In it’s never-ending quest to try to catch-up to every other major technology company in the world be it in telephones or self-driving cars, we’re introduced to the Google Pixel. It features all of the convenience of an Android phone but none of the drawbacks of the Galaxy S7, for people still gun-shy about that phone.
OnePlus 3T // When you pay $300 less than other phones, you’re going to have to expect less, but this phone is still a nice upgrade from the OnePlus 3 that was released only a half-year earlier. The biggest difference is the camera on the front-facing side, doubling in quality from 8 megapixels to 16, and like most 2017 cameras, promising to take better pictures in lower light. The OnePlus 3T can be had for $439 before savings.