while someone writes an updated version of this, my observations for the past 6 years on both fronts: - the superficial feature gaps are lower than ever, and s

while someone writes an updated version of this, my observations for the past 6 years on both fronts: - the superficial feature gaps are lower than ever, and some aspects being better for the budget side (e.g. iphone 16 still with 60Hz display vs 90hz on a redmi a3) - the flexibility with ios is reaching a tipping point (usb-c, altstore in the EU, etc.). meanwhile android ad revenue approaches are getting more egregious by the quarter. - the repair ecosystem for iphones are (arguably) consistently better than budget android phones now. components would still cost a new budget android to change, however. - iphones maintain their resale values, although refurbished marketplace is partially to blame for the continued success recently. for basic use, now more than ever phones can last you for several years, provided the one you use serves your needs today. obviously, a 10x more expensive phone will not last you proportionally longer.