Longer Software Support Shouldn't Be The Reason You Buy A Premium Phone

Some smartphones, like Apple's iPhones and Google's Pixels, offer several years of software support, depending on what brand you go with. However, there are other smartphone companies that offer far fewer years, like ASUS and its ROG phones, while still charging close to the same amount as one of the more expensive flagship devices. While it might be tempting to look at software support as the most important aspect of whether or not you should pay $1,200 for a smartphone, it really shouldn't be the final deciding factor.

Don't get me wrong, software support is an extremely important part of owning a smartphone. The last thing you want to do is pick one up that you plan to use for years that doesn't receive any software support after the second or third year. Not only do the updates that come out for your device bring new features and new operating system changes, but a lot of it also comes down to software security and patches for potential vulnerabilities that might come up during the smartphone's lifetime. As such, having a phone with long software support is a boon. It's just not the entire story because you can also get a budget phone that will receive a long period of support.

Just because your phone is slated to receive seven years of software support doesn't mean that every new feature released will also be released on your seven-year-old smartphone. This is an important caveat to keep in mind before buying an expensive phone just because it's offered. Sometimes technical limitations might stand in the way, and other times companies might decide to hold back on certain features in favor of pushing them on their newest devices.

We saw this happen with the Pixel 8, when Google shared it wouldn't bring Gemini Nano to the 8. While Google eventually walked that back, other companies like Samsung often release new features to their most recent devices and then take months to bring them to older devices. Some brands, like Apple, have also seen this issue pop up in recent years. When the company first introduced Apple Intelligence, for example, its older devices like the iPhone 14 didn't receive all the upgrades that iOS 18 brought with it, which sparked some confusion from users.

The reason for this was that those devices didn't have enough RAM to support Apple Intelligence, which the iPhone has begun to lean on heavily to help drive new functions. Instead of just buying a phone for longer software support, you should also take a look at what matters and weigh everything together before you make your decision.

Just because you need longer support doesn't mean you have to go with the most expensive phone out there. While the budget phone market is in a bit of a flux right now with the ongoing RAM shortages, we have seen those longer support windows extended to devices that cost far less. The Pixel A series, for example, offers many of the same baseline features as the more expensive Pixel flagships but for a significantly reduced price. Additionally, those Pixel A devices also come with a similarly timed software support window, which means you're getting the same number of years of support but for much cheaper.

This is also true with other smartphone brands, such as Apple and even Samsung, which offer their own cheaper, more budget-friendly smartphones. Of course, not every company is going to approach software support the same way, so understanding exactly what the promise that these companies have made means is important. But if you're letting it be the only reason you buy a premium phone, then you could be missing out on a chance to not only save yourself some money, but also get great software support in the process.