Budget Above 40k Need Advice on Buying a New Smartphone – iPhone 16 or Something Else?

[aniketkaushik]

Hey everyone,

I’m planning to upgrade my phone soon and could really use some advice. I’ve been eyeing the **iPhone 16** (128GB) in black, but I’m also open to other options.

Here’s what I’m looking for:
- **Good camera** (for photos and videos)
- **Long battery life**
- **Smooth performance** (I use my phone for gaming and multitasking)
- **Software updates** (I want something future-proof for at least 3-4 years)

I’ve been a long-time Apple user, but I’m considering switching to **Android** if there’s something better out there. Is the iPhone 16 worth it, or are there better Android alternatives in the same price range?

Would love to hear your thoughts and recommendations!

Thanks in advance!

 

[chetansha]

Come to Dubai habibi

 

[aniketkaushik]

Come to Dubai habibi

hahaha...nice idea but i am looking for non pro models. so not this time but yeah maybe next time!

 

[blr_p]

I’ve been a long-time Apple user, but I’m considering switching to **Android**..

Why?

if there’s something better out there.

There has always been something better out there. Specialised options exist but are getting fewer compared to earlier

Is the iPhone 16 worth it, or are there better Android alternatives in the same price range?

For a long time apple user, how are you going to handle the shift? You likely have accessories that work best with Apple. How reliant are you on the apple eco system?

 

[aniketkaushik]

Why?

There has always been something better out there. Specialised options exist but are getting fewer compared to earlier

For a long time apple user, how are you going to handle the shift? You likely have accessories that work best with Apple. How reliant are you on the apple eco system?

Why?

There has always been something better out there. Specialised options exist but are getting fewer compared to earlier

For a long time apple user, how are you going to handle the shift? You likely have accessories that work best with Apple. How reliant are you on the apple eco system?

As a long-time Apple user, I've been using the iPhone and MacBook for quite some time, but honestly, I don't find them as productive as I expected. While many people praise the Apple ecosystem for its seamless integration, it's not something I rely on heavily. Sure, there are some useful features, like being able to copy something on my iPhone and paste it on my Mac, or using AirDrop for quick file transfers. These are good, but for me, they aren't game-changers.

What has caught my attention recently is the Samsung Galaxy S24. I find its camera and overall design much more attractive, and the battery life is also impressive, which is a big plus for me. So, even though I've been in the Apple ecosystem for a while, I feel like I could easily make the switch to Android. The ecosystem is nice, but not essential for me personally.

 

[OMEGA44-XT]

If you are buying an iPhone, no point in asking in a forum honestly. Just buy whichever is in your budget & meets your size criteria, not like Apple has multiple options in the same price category.

Not starting an iOS vs android war, but someone who knows the flexibility of android will never like iOS & someone already deep into ecosystem of Apple will never like android.

For android, can buy S23 256GB for a compact phone & save money. Upgrade sooner in few years than you intended earlier or maybe eye S23 ultra for something big. Even OP12 is decent if you fancy a true fast charging phone vs what Samsung or Apple provides. For other brands, there are some major cons, like UI not upto mark for a flagship (Oneplus' UI is passable but they have fallen from their glory days of good Oxygen OS) or inefficient SoC, like in S24/S24+ & Pixels (doesn't matter if you are not gaming).

 

[vyral_143]

I’ve been a long-time Apple user,

From which phone are you considering this 'upgrade'?

 

[aniketkaushik]

From which phone are you considering this 'upgrade'?

I've been using the iPhone 11 for the past 4 years, and overall, it's still performing really well. The only downside is the battery drains quickly now, but aside from that, everything else works great. However, since it's a 4G phone, I'm considering upgrading to a 5G model for better connectivity and future-proofing.

 

[aniketkaushik]

If you are buying an iPhone, no point in asking in a forum honestly. Just buy whichever is in your budget & meets your size criteria, not like Apple has multiple options in the same price category.

Not starting an iOS vs android war, but someone who knows the flexibility of android will never like iOS & someone already deep into ecosystem of Apple will never like android.

For android, can buy S23 256GB for a compact phone & save money. Upgrade sooner in few years than you intended earlier or maybe eye S23 ultra for something big. Even OP12 is decent if you fancy a true fast charging phone vs what Samsung or Apple provides. For other brands, there are some major cons, like UI not upto mark for a flagship (Oneplus' UI is passable but they have fallen from their glory days of good Oxygen OS) or inefficient SoC, like in S24/S24+ & Pixels (doesn't matter if you are not gaming).

I totally get where you're coming from, and you're right—when it comes to Apple, it's really just about finding a model that fits your budget and size preference, since they don’t have multiple options at the same price point. I'm not here to start an iOS vs. Android debate either, but I wouldn’t say I’m deep into the Apple ecosystem. I use an iPhone and MacBook, but I don’t find them as productive as others might. I enjoy some of the ecosystem features like AirDrop, but I don't rely on them enough to stay locked in.

That’s why I’m considering switching to Android. I haven't decided yet which phone I’m going to buy, but the Galaxy S24's camera, design, and battery life are appealing to me. I’ve also heard good things about the S23 and the OnePlus 12, especially for the fast charging. I’m not a fanboy of any brand, so I’m open to exploring options that fit my needs, which is why I’m here to weigh different perspectives before making a decision.

 

[vyral_143]

I've been using the iPhone 11 for the past 4 years, and overall, it's still performing really well. The only downside is the battery drains quickly now, but aside from that, everything else works great. However, since it's a 4G phone, I'm considering upgrading to a 5G model for better connectivity and future-proofing.

Family member did upgrade from 11 to 15 and it was worth it, many subtle but noticeable changes apart from usual better camera-screen-battery-processor. So 16 should even be better and offer much more.

Alternatively, can wait for SE4 in Q1 next year. Rumors say it would have iPhone 14-ish design on front, A18, single camera, screen from iPhone 14 mostly.

 

[dvader]

Ok this is gonna sound a bit like Louis Rossman but 40k+ on a smartphone, now that they have peaked to a computer level performance (sort of) doesnt make sense to me, having spent money on 4 flagships 4 years in a row, I have come to realize

1. Switching just for the sake of switching is a bad idea, all you will get is frustration. I tried to switch from android to iphone and had to daily drive both of them until I ditched the iphone in frustration.

2. Cameras at least for the purpose of preserving memory are good even in mid-range phones. Spend on storage, backups, disaster recovery (I have posted here how I keep standard backups) to save those memories. I have seen people show off their 64 MP OIS photos only to store it in compressed reduced quality in google photos And if google photos/icloud/etc is the only place you have your photos, thats not backup.

REMMBER when it comes to storage, two is one and one is none.

3. I understand some casual gaming on android but comeon that's just casual. Unless you are getting paid to play. Any midrange phone will do vasual gaming.

4. I had one of the flagship Zenfones from asus. They stopped software updates after 4 years (reasonable) and disabled the ability to unlock bootloader. So going with the brands that dont pull shit like that is always gonna help in long run. Oneplus, Samsung, Xiaomi, Motorola have been better.

5. Battery is something that affects you more than any other spec and gets ignored the most. Big Battery and fast charging, I would never compromise on those two things.

6. There is no such thing as future proofing however there is such a thing as a sensible purchase. You can buy the coolest shit now and it wont be cool 3 months after the release of the product.

So stick to basics. If you are getting a device from your office do whatever you want but paying out of pocket....save your money for your other hobbies.

Motorola Edge 50 Pro is a balanced device. You can take a look.

But given that you are an Apple user go with whatever latest sh&$ they have. Switching would just frustrate you and make you hate android.

And if you are switching cuz Apple doesn't serve your purpose anymore, well I gave you a recommendation.

On phone ignore grammar stuff

 

[altair21]

Ok this is gonna sound a bit like Louis Rossman but 40k+ on a smartphone, now that they have peaked to a computer level performance (sort of) doesnt make sense to me, having spent money on 4 flagships 4 years in a row, I have come to realize

I'll take being compared to Louis as a compliment lol, the guy can ramble but he speaks facts.

5. Battery is something that affects you more than any other spec and gets ignored the most. Big Battery and fast charging, I would never compromise on those two things.\

storage too, I'm crying with my 128 gigs and no expandable slot, but then I'm a boomer who has his music on his phone (easily 50+ gigs), novels, comics etc all the time, And also make sure to get atleast UFS 3.1 if going for a midrange, anything below that and you are just not gonna have a good time backing your shit up. my edge 30 fusion with UFS 3.1 can easily handle FTP loads (multiple GBs, hundreds of photos/music at an avg of 5-10MB/s) without either hanging the phone or the FTP session crashing, meanwhile my father's note 10 pro max with UFS 2.2 cant even handle USB transfers without lag

 

[dvader]

I'll take being compared to Louis as a compliment lol, the guy can ramble but he speaks facts.

storage too, I'm crying with my 128 gigs and no expandable slot, but then I'm a boomer who has his music on his phone (easily 50+ gigs), novels, comics etc all the time, And also make sure to get atleast UFS 3.1 if going for a midrange, anything below that and you are just not gonna have a good time backing your shit up. my edge 30 fusion with UFS 3.1 can easily handle FTP loads (multiple GBs, hundreds of photos/music at an avg of 5-10MB/s) without either hanging the phone or the FTP session crashing, meanwhile my father's note 10 pro max with UFS 2.2 cant even handle USB transfers without lag

+1
Exactly I like my stuff on my hardware. I am not even a boomer ( 28 ). Motorola edge series has been quite good recently, if your usage doesn't include running benchmarking apps and comparing random sh&$ well the device stays out of your way. Oneplus is ok too. Point is save some money, engineers all around the world worked hard to give you an affordable handheld computer, it doesn't do them justice paying that much money for something that's just a computer and not a great one at that.

 

[OneTapHero]

4. I had one of the flagship Zenfones from asus. They stopped software updates after 4 years (reasonable) and disabled the ability to unlock bootloader. So going with the brands that dont pull shit like that is always gonna help in long run. Oneplus, Samsung, Xiaomi, Motorola have been better.

Samsung has some kind of e-fuse named Knox which gets tripped permanently if you unlock the bootloader. This voids warranty and makes most Samsung apps unusable.
You can root the phone and use KnoxPatch to get most apps back but Samsung Pay and Wallet is permanently gone

If you're considering rooting or flashing custom ROMs, OnePlus is generally the best choice, followed by Xiaomi.

 

[dvader]

Samsung has some kind of e-fuse named Knox which gets tripped permanently if you unlock the bootloader. This voids warranty and makes most Samsung apps unusable.
You can root the phone and use KnoxPatch to get most apps back but Samsung Pay and Wallet is permanently gone

If you're considering rooting or flashing custom ROMs, OnePlus is generally the best choice, followed by Xiaomi.

At least Samsung has a way of doing that....brands like IQOO and ASUS; these turds somehow expect me to throw the hardware I paid for as and when they please. Xiaomi, although I hate the 7-15 days waiting period, the devices themselves keep getting the love from the community for years to come. Oneplus and Motorola have been the most painless in my experience, Xiaomi is a close second.

My plan has been to use the device for 2-3 years when the security patches are regular. Then install a custom ROM (I usually don't root a daily driver) and use it until the hardware is no longer reliable.

I don't understand why the smartphone hardware hasn't been standardized yet. I mean IBM released computers around the 80s and by the start of the millennium PC hardware was standardized say in 20 years. Smarphones first became a common say in 2010, It's 2024 and everyone in the smartphone manufacturing world is still doing their own sh**t.

 

[OMEGA44-XT]

I totally get where you're coming from, and you're right—when it comes to Apple, it's really just about finding a model that fits your budget and size preference, since they don’t have multiple options at the same price point. I'm not here to start an iOS vs. Android debate either, but I wouldn’t say I’m deep into the Apple ecosystem. I use an iPhone and MacBook, but I don’t find them as productive as others might. I enjoy some of the ecosystem features like AirDrop, but I don't rely on them enough to stay locked in.

That’s why I’m considering switching to Android. I haven't decided yet which phone I’m going to buy, but the Galaxy S24's camera, design, and battery life are appealing to me. I’ve also heard good things about the S23 and the OnePlus 12, especially for the fast charging. I’m not a fanboy of any brand, so I’m open to exploring options that fit my needs, which is why I’m here to weigh different perspectives before making a decision.

There's a reason I picked S23 over S24 & that is Exynos. 8 Gen 3 on S24 would have made it a worthy contender. Exynos is not great on mobile data for battery life or thermals but newest Exynos is a big improvement over previous ones for sure. If you don't have size restriction, might be able to get S23U for same price as S24 in upcoming sale. Yes, it will get lower number of updates, but OS updates don't add much these days anyways.

I feel 8GB RAM of S24 will become a bottleneck after 4 years or so for the new OS. They should have really put 12GB RAM as minimum considering the 7 years OS update support. AI is gaining traction & it is just beginning.

 

[altair21]

There's a reason I picked S23 over S24 & that is Exynos. 8 Gen 3 on S24 would have made it a worthy contender. Exynos is not great on mobile data for battery life or thermals but newest Exynos is a big improvement over previous ones for sure. If you don't have size restriction, might be able to get S23U for same price as S24 in upcoming sale. Yes, it will get lower number of updates, but OS updates don't add much these days anyways.

I really wish S23U falls below 60k, I'll grab it for sure, right now its retailing for 82k but it still feels a little high considering its almost 2 years old now

 

[OMEGA44-XT]

I really wish S23U falls below 60k, I'll grab it for sure, right now its retailing for 82k but it still feels a little high considering its almost 2 years old now

It is just 1 generation old, 1.5 years old. Except the software support, I am not sure why the age matters. Updates till Android 17 is great & I will any day prefer a reliable 8 Gen 2 over Exynos 2400. Only the 2nd telephoto cam is different on S24U, rest are exactly the same. S23U was 75k on sale few months back, it will likely not be under 60k but maybe 65k is possible at best.

I use a S20FE 5G & helped set up my uncle's S23. Honestly, the only visible improvement to me was the size (I like compact phones). None of the other hardware upgrades are noticeable, sure cameras are better, but it ain't night & day difference. Sure my phone won't get new updates after A13, but it works well for all my tasks. I don't have AI features but can kind of use something similar to circle to search in Gemini. Other AI features are like those features which are good for a few use, but later you never touch it in most cases. Heck many people won't use the s pen for S23U that frequently as well.

Anyways, your call.

 

[altair21]

It is just 1 generation old, 1.5 years old. Except the software support, I am not sure why the age matters. Updates till Android 17 is great & I will any day prefer a reliable 8 Gen 2 over Exynos 2400. Only the 2nd telephoto cam is different on S24U, rest are exactly the same. S23U was 75k on sale few months back, it will likely not be under 60k but maybe 65k is possible at best.

I meant price wise, S23U and S24U are practically the same phone when it comes to improvements, I wanted to get a S24U for my father but like you said that exynos is ugh, so S23U is probably what I'll be getting if the offers on it are good. btw, is it sold via Amazon or Flipkart? Amazon has it currently for 82k and flipkart for full price, I dont want to buy from a third party reseller

 

[OMEGA44-XT]

I meant price wise, S23U and S24U are practically the same phone when it comes to improvements, I wanted to get a S24U for my father but like you said that exynos is ugh, so S23U is probably what I'll be getting if the offers on it are good. btw, is it sold via Amazon or Flipkart? Amazon has it currently for 82k and flipkart for full price, I dont want to buy from a third party reseller

S24U has 8 Gen 3 everywhere, price is the only issue (waste of money to spend the extra 30-40k IMO). S24U might go for 1L but it is not a major upgrade over S23U. This has been the case for many years now.

Many people will be satisfied enough with a good 30-40k Chinese phone as well & will not be able to appreciate a good UI, like what Samsung or Nothing has. I use modes & routines on my Samsung but how many people outside tech forums knows that such a feature even exists.