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Business Insider

Apple shocked the world in 2017 when it unveiled the iPhone X.
An iPhone for under US$500 – and 4 other low-priced phones
However, people were more shocked by the phone’s US$999 starting price than by its radical redesign.

Still, Apple’s strategy worked: customers loved the iPhone X, despite it having a higher starting price than any before.
We also know that Apple’s strategy worked since so many smartphone makers followed suit the following year, overhauling their own devices to look like, and cost about as much as, the iPhone X.

Google’s Pixel 3 XL features a “notch” like the one on the iPhone X, and starts from US$900.
Does how you charge your phone cut its lifespan?
LG’s V40 ThinQ also looks like an iPhone X and has a similar starting price of US$950.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9 notably does not look like an iPhone X, but it does have the most iPhone-like starting price at US$1,000.

Following Apple’s smartphone strategy is nothing new.
Apple has inspired the industry numerous times, so it should not be surprising to see rival phone makers raise their prices to stay competitive with the iPhone.
Why Huawei’s smartphones are mostly unheard of in the US
The side effect, though, is that many of the most popular smartphones you can buy right now have very high starting prices.
Phone makers will argue that higher prices are justified: since current smartphones perform better, look better and feature more expensive components than before, they should be priced higher, too.
Yet not all smartphones are priced this way. In fact, you can find plenty of incredible phones at more than reasonable prices.
The best example is the OnePlus 6T, a top-of-the-line smartphone that costs only US$550.

The Moto G6 also features everything you will need in a smartphone, including a solid camera, a big display, great battery life and even fast charging. The price is only US$250.

So, it is possible to have a great smartphone experience for less money – but most people will continue to buy from the bigger phone makers anyway.
Aside from the fact that they usually have more money to spend on marketing, bigger companies tend to provide better customer support and more timely software updates. Availability matters, too, and the top phones are usually available in more locations.
From iPhones to foldables, these are the best new smartphone options in 2019
So, if you own a phone from one of the big names, such as Apple, Samsung or Google – try to hold on to it for as long as you can.
If you upgrade to one of the latest phones made by any of these companies, you will be likely to pay more than you ever have for a new smartphone.
If you really need a new smartphone now, consider it as an investment.
You can spend less money up front for a great phone, such as the OnePlus 6T, or you can splurge on a flagship smartphone from Apple, Google or Samsung – but you are likely to have to spend more money to adequately protect your purchase.


So, do the little things to make your current smartphone last as long as it can.
Preserve your phone’s battery by monitoring screen brightness and various power settings.
Get a case – and insurance, in case you drop it. Treat it carefully just like a computer, because it is one!
You should upgrade to a new phone right now only because you need to. There are not enough “must have” features in the latest phones to make them worth the price of upgrading.
Today’s phones have more pixels than your parents’ television, have batteries that last all day long, and they are still thin enough to fit in your pocket. But smartphone innovation is maturing.
“Wow” innovations, such as the Retina display and fingerprint sensor, are few and far between.
Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
This article originally appeared on Business Insider .


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Smartphones

Why you should not rush to buy Apple, Samsung and Google’s latest smartphones

Smartphone innovation is maturing and there are few major improvements in the major manufacturers’ latest devices. Photo: YouTube/MKBHD

Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

Antonio VIllas-Boas/Business Insider

Hollis Johnson

YouTube/SAMTIME

YouTube/MKBHD

An Apple iPhone that costs under US$500 – and 4 other low-priced smartphones that are among the world’s 20 best

The Google Pixel 3a is an impressive, scaled down version of its flagship Pixel 3 phone. Photo: Business Insider

Motorola

Razer

Does the way you charge your smartphone reduce its lifespan?

No matter what you do, your phone’s battery charging capacity – and therefore its lifespan – will grow shorter over time as you use it. Photo: Business Insider

Photo: Hollis Johnson/Business Insider. From Business Insider wire

Getty. From Business Insider wire

Photo credit: Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider . From Business Insider wire.

Photo: Reuters. From Business Insider wire

flickr.com/wahamiltron. From Business Insider wire.

Photo credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty. From Business Insider wire.

Photo: Hollis Johnson/Business Insider . From Business Insider wire.

Why Huawei’s smartphones are mostly unheard of in the US

Huawei's new Honor 20 smartphone, which was launched in London on May 21, but is not available in the United States. Photo: Reuters

FILE PHOTO: A 3-D printed Huawei logo is seen in front of displayed 5G words in this illustration taken February 12, 2019. To match Special Report HUAWEI-USA/CAMPAIGN REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo

Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies Co. introduces the new P30 smartphone series in Tokyo on May 21, 2019. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

FILE PHOTO: A 3D printed Huawei logo is placed on glass above displayed U.S. flag in this illustration taken January 29, 2019. To match Special Report HUAWEI-USA/CAMPAIGN REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Members of the invited audience of fans and media try out the new Honor 20 series of phones following their global launch in London, Tuesday, May 21, 2019. The phone is made by the Chinese company Huawei and the top of the range model Honor 20 Pro will sell for around 599 euros when released. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Most people in the US buy their smartphones from network carriers. Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider

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Most new devices from major manufacturers offer few great innovative improvements and are expensive


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