Midrange Samsung phones are not built for longevity
I have been using Samsung phones for over 5 years, and I must say that they completely blow your mind in the short term. When you first start using their phone brands, you feel like you can not get enough of their entire ecosystem, which is true.
Samsung's ONE-UI
Initially, the excitement of using a new phone brand can be exhilarating, but these feelings fade after 5 or 6 months of use, which is not the case with Samsung and the ONE UI.
I have used other Android brands, and they are not as visually appealing as Samsung devices. Consider an older phone, such as the Galaxy Note 10, which was released in 2019. This Samsung phone outperforms some Android brands released in 2025.
These examples demonstrate how Samsung was once ahead of the curve in technology and can be considered trailblazers in bringing competition to Android.
Samsung is miles ahead, thanks to their superior screen displays, and it will not be until 2023 or 2024 that we see phones like the OnePlus and Google Pixel using Amoled and OLED displays. Why not?
Most brands want to incorporate the features that people want into newer devices, and most of these brands have only recently begun to produce what Samsung is producing, but at a lower cost.
I applaud Samsung because they did not really have a foundation to build on, so they experimented a lot, which is probably why they still benefit from brand favouritism today.
iPhones in the Apple ecosystem as well are solid. They are probably not as flashy in terms of hardware and display, but they compensate with durability, stability, and quality.
Cheaper, but durable?
However, one thing people do not realize about Samsung products, particularly phones, is that they are not built to last long; they are built like fast cars, delivering everything in a burst of speed but wearing out quickly. This is evident in how quickly their software wears out.
The first year is always perfect, but you start to notice lags in the RAM and the camera gets softer as time goes on. You will notice that the refresh rate is lower than it used to be.
Then, around the third or fourth year, you start to notice problems with the hardware. If you are not using a flagship like the "S series," your Samsung will come with a plastic back, which easily degrades over time.
Almost every older Samsung phone I have come across has these issues. If you are a terrible user, you will also have to deal with broken screens (which are the most expensive to replace).
iPhones are not like this. I have an iPhone from 2021, and it still looks as new as yesterday. I do not use it (iPhone) every day, but it is still as durable as the day I bought it, and the software is still as good, despite the fact that it is aged.
Despite being an excellent user, my Samsung, which I have owned since 2022 (a year before I purchased it), has completely failed. The buttons on the sides have fallen off, and the plastic back has lost its color and is falling off the main phone. I use a phone case, but even that did not keep the phone from degrading.
This demonstrates that Samsung mid-range phones are not built to last because there is little or no attention paid to the phone's hardware.
Most Samsung midrange phones are not designed for long-term use due to software and hardware compromises. However, if you want a powerhouse, you will need to spend more than €1000 on the high-end S series. However, there are cheaper alternatives to Samsung, particularly the OnePlus and Google.
Go for the ones your money cannot buy
However, if you already have a Samsung maxi, I would not recommend any Samsung midrange device because they are not designed to last long. Unlike the Samsung S-series. These ones age like fine wine, just as you will see people using iPhone 8 and 9s by 2025. This is the outcome of my long-term observations and investigations.
I learned my lesson, and if you want to own a Samsung phone, I would not recommend purchasing a midrange phone. Xiaomi phones have better hardware than most Samsung midrange devices.
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I have never used a Samsung phone, but I can attest to your claim that iPhones last longer. The one that I have been using since 2021 is still clean and working fine! My plan was to get a Samsung phone as my next phone whenever I am ready to get a new one.
If you want a good Samsung, go for the S-series. The midrange ones will do the job for 2-3 years and capitulate when it's going to 4 years. But the high-end ones are built to last up to 6 to 8 years if you use them well. The only disadvantage of the iPhone is the limited ecosystem system and the poor battery, but overall, iPhone last longer.
I plan to start with the s23, Most of the phones I have used last more than 5 years, before someone eventually snatches them from me, which is because I got a new one lol... so i won't have issue with Samsung screen, I know how to use phone xd
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I'm pretty happy with my Galaxy a52 (I think it's now 3 years old) and with only two little scratches on the screen, my own fault there's still nothing wrong with it, with the heavy usage I would be ok if it needs replacement after 2 to 3 years and anything extra I will take it, on average I replace my phones every 4 to 5 years I think and spend around €400 for a new device.
I've had Iphones for work and never could get used to them 😅
4 to 5 years is a good time. My own Samsung is going to 4 years and it has completely fallen apart, and if I don't change it in the next 4 months, it might be gone forever.
You're right when you say 400€ every 4 to 5 years is not bad. However I don't think I want to use another Samsung midrange device
You get what you pay for, but I do agree that they are not built to last. I think the hardware just naturally decays over time, and it just starts to struggle quite a bit. I still prefer the android environment compared to the iphone environment though.
Yeah, the short answer is that they're not built to last that long, and it's such a pity because they're very expensive. I know the higher end Samsung are more expensive, but a phone that expensive should comfortably give you 6 to 7 years.
I've always had pretty good luck with Samsung, but have avoided the lower to mid range phones. I still have an old iPhone 8 that works great as a camera. Lately it seems like a lot of manufacturers and using cheaper and cheaper components. The faster they die the sooner you pay them more money for another one...
The newer Samsung are atrocious and Samsung as a company as smooth criminals. They manage to make the phone function well for one year or two and completely falls apart in the third year.. what type of Samsung do you use?
I have an S22, but it seems like a lot of manufacturers have already started to program in used obsolescence. It lasts so long then self destructs... Apple at one point would stop fixing "bugs" in the software after a period of time so people would have to upgrade when the old one slowed down to the point it was hard to use.
I'm not sure what my next phone will be yet, although I'm already saving up some extra money to cover the purchase cost. The stupid things cost a fortune these days.
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Greetings @josediccus ,
What an informative post....thank you for writing this review.
It is quite handy to know a bit more about our phone options especially to this level of detail.
All I have ever had are Apple products...I hope they are able to compete out there...but one never knows. I am hoping there is a break through in phones that gives the user privacy and more choice. I know ...high hopes! ^__^
Kind Regards,
Bleujay
Thanks for the support..
I have an iPhone, and that's the only apple product I've ever used. I'm more into the android ecosystem. I must confess that iPhones are solid and built to last. Some people say they have Apple products for many years.
So you use an apple laptop?
Greetings @josediccus '
Thank you for your kind query.
For everything I use an iPadPro, I have both a small and a large one (for artistic mostly).
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I had a Samsung back in the days, battery would explode every 6 months, I changed for an other Samsung and it lasted a little so I just said screw Samsung and I switched to Asus, then one plus and now Honor
The battery just capitulates and I think that's probably because of heavy use. I use mine for like 16 hours a days and sometimes they get so hot.
I know about ASUS they'll quite small and portable, but I don't think they're available in Nigeria. The OnePlus is great too.
The Honour, is it made by Huawei?
I had absolutely zero problems with oneplus until the mobile network died and there was no way to get it back to work... Honor is from Huawei yes, so far it's good
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https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/1kttp6i/midrange_samsung_phones_are_not_built_for/
This post has been shared on Reddit by @tsnaks through the HivePosh initiative.
I wish I had seen this post before purchasing fairly used s9 ....my first time using a Samsung device and the feeling is different from other android ...but I hope against hope that I get to use it for atleast some learnt of time to afford me a new phone
I still would prefer using my samsung to iphone though, iphones are too complicated in everything aside from the camera quality. for me iphone are always too difficult to operate. the only cons i see in samsung is yes the camera quality depreciates over time and its dame expensive to fix once broken especially the screen
Indeed, Samsung brought a huge revolution to the smartphone world, especially when it comes to the screen and user experience.
I was using the samsung phone from last three years and suddenly motherboard of phone get stop, the screen of phone shuts automatically and when I gave phone for repair as it comes, the green line on screen come up the other problems were like phone get hang, heat-up, poor camera quality. A last month I buy a new iphone and I am not happy to have it. Android are useless my opinion...
What I've love most about Samsung phones is the UI, especially its features, I think most of it a top notch within the Android ecosystem. I've not so recently switched to Xiaomi after having a Redmi Note 8T which I've used for 3 years before it start giving me uncontrollable problems. I think midrange phones are generally not build to last beyond a few years, better to purchase flagship phones, even when they're on the more expensive side.
Mine hasn't degraded physically, but in time the OS updates fill out the memory. And I don't think any of these can be removed, so after a while one would be forced to change the phone or add more memory. And the later doesn't seem to make sense for an older phone.
I think it just makes sense to get another one after a few years. Mine has capitulated in over 3 years and it's just surprising how it now lags and the RAM doesn't seem to be enough for everyday use..
When I use it intensively, like I did on my days off from the beginning of this month, it shows its age, and I'd like a new one. But normally I don't push it to the limit at all, since my work is done almost entirely on the laptop, not on my phone.
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