Around me, ever fewer people are buying high-end phones. Our uses for smartphones haven't evolved in over 5 years, yet the hardware has progressed fast. Unless you're into AR/VR, competitive 3D gaming, or publishable photography/video, there's no reason to spend more than $300. Especially since sealed batteries and short OS updates (even on the Apple side) and rapid HW progress make Mobiles a very fungible investment. My PC is 7yo, my phone 3yo... guess which feels old, and will get a replacement budget commensurate to its useful life ?