Want a phone that packs in top of the line performance, has above average image clicking capabilities and feels nice to hold in hands? In that case, flagship phones are the way to go. These offer an overall better experience than budget & midrange smartphones and are most likely to satisfy all your needs but at a premium price.
A latest flagship phone can surely burn a hole in your pocket. But guess what? You don’t actually need the latest and greatest premium phone out there when there already are previous generation phones which are well capable of performing any task you throw at them. I’m talking about old flagships from 1 to 2 years. For instance, 2 years back Android flagship phones came with Snapdragon 865 and even to this date are more than enough for most people who could care less about software updates. Which is why, depending upon the budget one can surely go for old flagship phones and still get almost the same experience as a current gen. phone.
That said, in this article we’ll be listing out some of the top and most capable old flagship phones you can buy in 2022. So without further ado, let’s begin.
When can you see heavy discounts on old flagship phones in 2022?
Expect some great deals on flagship phones during festive season sales such as Holi, Diwali, New Year and year-end sales. Also, e-commerce giants reduce prices on national holiday sales such as Independence day. Moreover, these days pricing varies dynamically and nothing is fixed when the price drops except for iPhones which go on sale for a bargain deal during Flipkart’s Big Billion Day sales every year.
But with or without discounts, flagship phones may often receive permanent price cuts which makes people more intrigued in purchasing them. Here are the best old flagship phones you can get in 2022.
1) iPhone 12
Starting of with 2021’s most selling phone worldwide – iPhone 12. One can’t go wrong with Apple’s almost 2 year old flagship phone, especially for first time iOS users. Apple was able to give a good base to its market share thanks to the Diwali season of 2021 in which the iPhone 12 sold like hotcakes. It could be grabbed for as low as Rs 52,000 – 54,000 for the 128GB ROM variant and that price point it made every Apple wannabe the go-to choice over other premium Android phones. However, since the festive season we haven’t witnessed such aggressive pricing of the iPhone 12 yet but the good news is many Apple premium resellers run offers and discounts making the price similar to the one during 2021’s sale.
Key specs of iPhone 12:
- Display – 6.1″ Full HD 60Hz Super Retina XDR OLED with HDR10
- Processor – Apple A14 Bionic
- Cameras – 12MP f/1.6 main + 12MP f/2.4 ultrawide
- Battery – 2815mAh with 20W fast charging support (no charger in the box)
- No. of 5G bands – 17 bands
2) iPhone 12 mini
Just like its elder sibling, the iPhone 12 mini was also a fan favorite throughout the year 2021, thanks to the festive sales. The iPhone 12 mini is as good as the other models in the 12 series in terms of performance and camera capabilities. That can’t be said for the measly battery which was never the strong point of the ‘mini’. This phone is definitely targeted towards a specific set of people who prefer compact smartphones. As keeping the battery aside, in the world of humungous slab phones, it can be difficult to shift to such a small screen even just for the sake of getting an iPhone.
So if you’re keen on getting an iPhone around Rs 43,000 price point, the iPhone 12 mini although now an old phone can be still considered with the sacrifice of battery life.
Key specs of iPhone 12 mini:
- Display – 5.4″ Full HD 60Hz Super Retina XDR OLED with HDR10
- Processor – Apple A14 Bionic
- Cameras – 12MP f/1.6 main + 12MP f/2.4 ultrawide
- Battery – 2227mAh with 20W fast charging support (no charger in the box)
- No. of 5G bands – 17 bands
3) Realme GT Neo2
Moving on to the Android camp, the Realme GT Neo2 is probably Realme’s best smartphone after the newly launched duo GT 2 and GT 2 Pro. Packing in a premium design with a powerful and well optimised Snapdragon 870, the GT Neo2 can now be found up for grabs for under Rs 25,000 on Flipkart!
At that price, it’s an absolutely great deal considering the specs it provides apart from the flagship-grade chip such as 120Hz AMOLED display, glass back, stereo speakers, thin bezels and 65W fast charging. This old flagship although is now back to its original price but keep an eye out on Flipkart as from time to time this can be bought for under Rs 25,000 with certain bank cards and offers.
Key specs of Realme GT Neo2:
- Display – 6.62″ Full HD 120Hz AMOLED with HDR10+
- Processor – Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G
- Cameras – 64MP f/1.8 main + 8MP f/2.3 ultrawide + 2MP macro
- Battery – 5000mAh with 65W fast charging support (charger in the box)
- No. of 5G bands – 8 (1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA)
4) Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
The Galaxy S20 FE 5G (review) was yet another flagship phone sold in bulk during the festive season of 2021. The reason it’s still one of the best old flagship smartphones is because of the sheer specs and features it is loaded with. Such as IP68 water resistance, wireless charging, a useful telephoto camera and of course Samsung’s signature display and camera capabilities.
The Galaxy S20 FE 5G’s price hovers around Rs 33,000 online and the same can be found in offline stores. However, keep in mind that this phone has already received its 2 out of 3 major Android updates i.e. Android 11 and 12.
Key specs of Galaxy S20 FE 5G:
- Display – 6.5″ Full HD 120Hz Super AMOLED with HDR10+
- Processor – Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
- Cameras – 12MP f/1.8 main + 8MP f/2.4 telephoto + 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide
- Battery – 4500mAh with 30W fast charging support (15W charger in the box)
- No. of 5G bands – 9 (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 40, 41, 78 Sub6)
5) Motorola Edge 20 Pro
Launched just before the year end last year, the Moto Edge 20 Pro is the phone to buy for people having a strong preference for a clean and clutter-free Android experience. Launched at Rs 38,000 you can find the Edge 20 Pro in sales for a price as low as Rs 33,000 which may not seem to be an exciting deal considering the Realme GT Neo2 with the same processor i.e. Snapdragon 870 is available at a much lower price during sales.
Coming to the rest of the specs, the Moto Edge 20 Pro features a gorgeous 6.7″ Full HD 144Hz AMOLED display, whopping 108MP main camera, 8MP periscope telephoto camera which also packs in OIS, 32MP front camera snapper and a decent 4500mAh battery with 30W charger in the box. The only major, that too very major downside of Edge 20 Pro is the lack of stereo speakers.
Also, as it has always been with Moto phones, it was slated to get the Android 12 updates in February 2022 but unfortunately its delayed. So keep in mind if you’re a person who likes their phone up to date because Motorola doesn’t seem to excel in that.
Key specs of Moto Edge 20 Pro:
- Display – 6.7″ Full HD 144Hz OLED with HDR10+
- Processor – Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G
- Cameras – 108MP f/1.9 main + 8MP f/3.4 periscope with OIS + 16MP f/2.2 ultrawide
- Battery – 4500mAh with 30W fast charging (charger in the box)
- No. of 5G bands – 11 (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 38, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6)
iQOO 7
iQOO 7 is yet another Snapdragon 870 phone in this which might have become almost 1 year old, but still holds enough prowess to last at least another 2-3 years until it reaches the End of Updates stage. That said, iQOO has been targetting itself as a gaming-centric brand but surprisingly, all its phones especially the iQOO 7 hold up pretty well in most departments such as camera and battery.
The reason iQOO 7 can be kept as a buying choice is because of its undercutting price of around Rs 25,000 during various sales. For that price you’re getting a Snapdragon 870 as mentioned earlier, 6.62″ 120Hz AMOLED display with 1300 nites of peak brightness, 48MP main camera with OIS, 13MP ultrawide camera and 4400mAh battery with blazing fast 66W charger. Also, if you want a similar phone with a cleaner user experience, the OnePlus 9RT can also be considered.
Key specs of iQOO 7:
- Display – 6.62″ Full HD 120Hz AMOLED with HDR10+
- Processor – Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G
- Cameras – 48MP f/1.8 main camera + 13MP f/2.2 ultrawide + 2MP depth
- Battery – 4400mAh with 66W fast charging (charger in the box)
- No. of 5G bands – 1 (N78)
So folks, these were some of the best old flagship smartphones which are still worth in 2022 with discounts.
