When you buy a new phone, you might look directly at which processor it contains. That’s understandable, but probably not that important anymore. We explain why most smartphone chips are now quickly fed up. And so you don’t have to spend that much money at all.
Most smartphone chips get fed up quickly
When Apple announces fresh iPhones, it’s always about how fast the new chip is. And with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Qualcomm recently presented a worthy alternative to Android phones. The percentages are flying around you: the CPU is 10 percent faster and 25 percent more efficient. The GPU, important for games, performs 25 percent better and is 40 percent more efficient.
You may wonder how important that is. Ten years ago, cheap smartphones were often unworkably slow. You almost had to go for an expensive device to enjoy it a bit. You can now get by with a Samsung Galaxy A52s of around 300 euros. This phone is fast enough for all daily tasks. More efficient chips are of course always useful, but a slightly slower processor usually needs less power than the fastest one anyway.
The Bill Gates legend
When you comment on technological progress, there is always someone who quotes Bill Gates. The former Microsoft boss is said to have once said that 640KB of memory in a computer is enough for everyone. We are now sometimes tens of gigabytes. The absurdity of Gates’ supposed statement (which he probably never actually made) should show that progress is important everywhere and at all times.
We certainly do not want to say that faster chips are of no use. If you play heavy games every day, you may notice that they run a little smoother with a brand new processor. Moreover, today’s chips enable tomorrow’s features. Those who get started with virtual reality and augmented reality need all possible computing power.
The big question is of course: do you really do that? Most consumers mainly use their phones for texting, surfing, emailing and taking photos. Nowadays you no longer need a device of 1000 euros. How much you do have to spend depends a bit on how critical you are.
Don’t mind if you occasionally have to wait a beat for an app to open? Then you will certainly find something to your liking in our top 6 of smartphones under 300 euros. Do you occasionally play a somewhat heavier game? Or do you like it when animations always run smoothly? Then choose a nice device from our top 6 smartphones under 500 euros. They all have a good chip. As an average user, you really don’t need more speed.