Plenty of great Android phones are released every year, bringing yearly improvements like more AI features, better cameras, higher performance, and brighter screens. However, these new flagship devices tend to be expensive.

But again, colleague Ryan Haines points out that you don’t have to buy a whole new phone. He recommends the Pixel 8 Pro as one of the best old flagship phones to buy. We also included a poll in his article asking users if they prefer a brand new phone or an old flagship. Here’s the thing.

Would you consider buying an older flagship phone?

We posted polls on our website, Twitter page, and YouTube account, and all three polls showed that a majority of people would prefer buying an older device over a brand new flagship phone. More than three-quarters of readers surveyed said they always buy used phones, while nearly two-thirds of Twitter followers voted the same. YouTube’s poll was a closer exercise, with 55% of voters saying they would prefer to buy a used device.

Respondents across all three platforms gave various reasons why they preferred older flagship phones over newer versions. Many users point to the discounted price, while some point to the multi-year update promise on older phones as a reason to buy them.

Some users, such as YouTube follower @rosaria8384, have also stated that the new phones offer only minor improvements over older devices:

Given the incremental changes between models, I’d rather buy the previous model.

It’s hard to argue with that, especially with phones from brands like Samsung. For example, the Galaxy S24 is basically the S23 with a brighter screen, a new chipset, and a better refresh strategy. But even the phone, which on paper looks like it has more substantial upgrades, isn’t all that different from its predecessor.

However, some respondents also gave reasons for buying a new phone, long-term use being one of them.

“Since my phones usually last four years or more, I always buy new ones,” says follower MrZequal.

“No, I have never bought a used phone. I would rather buy a brand new phone and keep it for years than buy used phones frequently.