If we take a look at the current smartphone market, it is highly inflated. A decent recently launched product will cost you at least 800 hard-earned bucks. This is an insane amount of money to spend on a phone, and I am against it.
I am rocking a 2022 flagship, which is the Samsung Galaxy S22+, and it can do all those things that its newer iterations, the S23+ and S24+, can. So, there is no point in spending more on minor upgrades.
Anyway, if you have been on the lookout for a flagship phone that doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket, you are at the right place. I will be sharing a list of flagship phones that still hold up in 2025 and offer great value for money. So, if that sounds good to you, let’s get right into it.
Please note that most of these phones in my list haven’t been launched before 2022, so they are still relevant.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus
Starting with the one that I have been using personally, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus.
Why do I consider it a relevant choice in 2025?
Starting with the first is its display. Samsung has been known to make one of the best displays out of any manufacturer. In fact, they manufacture them for many other companies, like Google and Apple. So, they must be good, right?
Well, in the S22 Plus, it is a 6.6-inch display with HDR10+ support that clocks at 120Hz. And oh, it is a Super AMOLED display with one of the best colors on a smartphone. I adore watching content on this display on my high-speed fiber internet because it just feels so nice and crisp.
On top of all of that, it still doesn’t feel underpowered by any means. The first-gen Snapdragon 8 was a great processor of its time, and is still powerful by today’s standards.
As for the cameras, it is a triple camera setup that checks all the boxes from ultrawide angle to the telephoto. And of course, its 50MP main camera takes great pictures and videos.
All in all, I am more than happy with my S22 Plus, especially because of the price (around $399 for very good condition).
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Now, if you want a great camera system along with long-term software support, Pixel 8 Pro is your best bet.
Google has promised to keep the operating system of this phone updated for seven years at the time of the launch. It is past two updates, and there are still 4-5 major OS updates remaining.
As for the cameras, the magic doesn’t lie in the hardware. Since Google is a software company, it has nailed the post-capture processing. That doesn’t mean that its camera hardware is bad, in fact, it’s great!
Just like the S22 Plus, it still has a triple camera system with ultrawide, telephoto, and a main 50MP shooter.
However, there are some things that you should know before swiping your credit card for the Pixel 8 Pro.
I will be honest, the processor in the Pixel 8 Pro is below par. It is underpowered because of Google’s custom-made chipsets – the Tensor G3. It struggles with raw power. If you play a lot of mobile games on your phone, this isn’t the flagship phone you should get.
But if you don’t play games on your phone, you are going to be just fine with the Pixel 8 Pro.
iPhone 14 Pro
If you have been an Apple user in the past and you like the overall feel of the iOS, the iPhone 14 Pro is the most value-for-money iPhone currently on the market.
Why do I still like it? Well, why not!
It checks all the boxes of a modern smartphone. The 120Hz display was missing on all the base variants of the iPhones until the iPhone 17, and the iPhone 14 Pro was the first iPhone that had the Dynamic Island and an always-on display, along with 120Hz introduced with the 13 Pro. Honestly, that was my only complaint from Apple.
With a 120Hz OLED display and the other bells & whistles of the Pro iPhone, I like the iPhone 14 Pro.
It had an Apple A16 Bionic chipset, which was the most powerful chipset of its time. Is it still any good? Well, yes! Whether you want to play games on it or just want to use it for casual tasks like emailing, video calling, checking social media, and more, you will be perfectly fine.
Now, the ball is in your court.
Which one should you go for? All of these are great options, and it is up to you to decide which one to go for. If I were you, I’d get the Galaxy S22 Plus because of its well-rounded features and specifications.
