Mid-Range Smartphones Look More “Feature Loaded” Than Flagships – Here’s Why

The Indian smartphone market is driven by competitive pricing. Even though the sales of flagship phones are going up, the majority of the Indian smartphone consumer is inclined towards a more pocket-friendly option as a smartphone. This gives rise to the multiple price segments in the Indian market. The Indian market has segments like the mid-range flagship, budget-mid-range, premium-mid-range, etc. One thing that is common in all of these segments is the mid-range price point. However, irrespective of these segments, there are some differentiating factors between a mid-range phone and a flagship, and it’s not just the price. Then why do mid-range smartphones look more “feature-loaded” than flagships? In this article, we will be discussing the same. We will talk about the mid-range smartphone market, features, and much more.

The Mid-range Smartphone Market

The Indian market is based on competitive pricing. Mid-range phones offer competitive prices for the features they offer, but there are always some big-or-small cost-cutting. A new trend shows that the main focus of many mid-range smartphones is on the camera and the display.

It is evident by looking at most mid-range smartphones in the market that the selling point of these phones is either the camera module or the display. The Nokia 9 Pureview, launched in 2019, came with 6 rear cameras for multiple modes of photography. The phone was priced at slightly below INR 40K and perfectly fits the “premium-flagship” segment.

Many smartphones today come with a high refresh rate display panel, going all the way up to 144Hz. However, some screens are IPS LCD instead of AMOLED, and even though it is not bad, it does take away something from the experience. An AMOLED display just looks slightly better.

The Mid-range Performance

An interesting thing about mid-range smartphones is that every new line-up comes with a newly designed chipset. Even the chipsets and processors are divided between segments. A better alternative would be to use the old flagship chipsets in the mid-range phones. Processors like the Snapdragon 865 or the 870 have a much better performance profile than many newer chipsets. The performance of the newer mid-range smartphones can get much better with older flagship chipsets. That being said, the newer processors are marketed and presented in a way that makes them look better and “fast”.

The Mid-range Build Quality

The build quality is what holds a phone together. It is important to have a solid build, and multiple mid-range smartphones come with a polyester glass back, and multiple other names that are basically plastic. The majority of mid-range smartphones are built of plastic. Even the premium mid-range phones might not come with an aluminium body or frame. This does not mean that mid-range phones are built bad, but they might be marketed to be stronger than they are because the market for that segment is bigger.

The Mid-range Battery Performance

A smartphone runs on battery, and for consumers, it is essential to have a battery that will last them the entire day. This is the reason mid-range smartphones come with a bigger battery than flagship phones. The flagship chipsets are more optimized and deal with battery usage in a much different manner. However, when a consumer sees 3700mAh and 6000mAh batteries side-by-side, they might think that a bigger battery means better performance.

Conclusion

Mid-range smartphones are not a bad choice or option for you. The point of this article is that sometimes these products might look like a better version of themselves. This is the reason mid-range smartphones look more “feature-loaded” than flagship phones. For more such exclusive stories, keep an eye on Techburner.