What’s going on, guys? My name is Wade with Tech Daily. So, if you’re in the market for a new Samsung smartphone, right now is probably the best time to get one. And I don’t necessarily mean brand new, though you’re safe for a while if you do want something from the current lineup. I really just mean new to you. Whether you want to swap out your old phone for a less old phone or just need a decent device at a great price, or if it is finally time to get something shiny and new, I think there are a ton of great phones to choose from. I mean, obviously Samsung releases like 50 new phones a year. So, in this video, I’m going to talk about which Samsung smartphones I think are the ones to buy, the oldest ones that would still be good, the best deals, some suggestions if you want certain specs and features, and I’ll also let you know which of these would be good in the long term if you want to maybe keep your phone for a little while. I’ll also have links to each one of these phones and a few more down below in the video description if you want to do some research or pick one up yourself. And if Okay, so let’s start with the oldest Samsung phone that I think is still worthwhile to buy right now and use for at least a couple more years. Essentially, it’s any of the S21s. The regular S21, the S21 Plus, or the S21 Ultra. You can find these phones for well under $300. The regular S21 is actually under $200 at this point. And out of the trio, I really think the S21 Plus would be my all-around pick. For, let’s call it 200 bucks even, you’ve got yourself a big 6.7 in display that’s still a dynamic AMOLED 2X panel. Not quite as bright as today’s screens, but a great viewing experience nonetheless. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 888 5G processor, which is a powerhouse and not far from what you’d pay a,000 bucks for in a current flagship phone. and it’s probably still better than any 2025 mid-tier chip, too. And best of all, this phone did receive the Android 15 and 1 UI7 software updates. So, it’s current and up to date, at least for the next few months. You’ve also got a solid triple camera setup with a telephoto zoom lens, a good-sized 4,800 mAh battery. This is a flagship phone after all. A few years old now, but flagship still. And I think just from a sheer price to spec ratio, there’s not much better than this. However, this phone has reached the end of the line now with its software updates. So, this is as updated as it’ll ever be. And some features, mainly Galaxy AI related, won’t ever come to this phone. But for some folks, this might even be a positive. No new or different software changes to mess you up. No unnecessary AI things intruding on your apps. What you see here is what you get and what you’ll have until you finally toss this phone into the bin. But for the time being, the S21s are the oldest phones that are still good and an amazing value if you wanted to buy one right now. If you have a little more money to spend and want a lot more features, then the S22 Ultra might be an even better option. Somehow, this phone is now under 350 bucks from Amazon Renewed and other third party websites, which means it’s nearly 14th what it costs originally, $1,200. Yet, this phone I consider to be a relatively modern and current flagship device that still has a lot of years left in it. I mean, this is the Ultra. This is the top-of-the-line, the biggest, the best with a huge quad HD display, the Snapdragon 8 Gen1 chip, 12 GB of RAM and 108 megapixel camera setup with a telephoto lens and periscope lens. You also have a big 5,000 mAh battery, 45 watt fast charging, and most importantly, the S Pen, the good S Pen, the built-in S Pen with all the fun features and writing and drawing abilities. I honestly think that this phone right now is the best all-around option. Whether you have an older S series or even a new A series or other mid-tier device, this blows anything else out of the water that you would buy today for $500 to $700 probably. And unlike the S21 lineup from a moment ago, this S22 Ultra does have some more updates coming its way. It’s slated to get Android 16 and 1 UI8, which will likely happen eventually within the next few months. Hopefully, that will be the last major update for this phone, unfortunately. But you’re guaranteed at least a year or more of this phone being current, and you can go well beyond that without an Android update and survive perfectly fine. I truly think this is the best bang for your buck option right now. And if you have an older phone or a mid-tier device, like I said, and want to get back to flagship, this is what you should get. Honestly, out of all the phones I chose for this video, this is my top pick for sure. Now, if you want to try something totally different, but don’t want to fork over four figures to do so, I think it finally makes sense to get a used foldable, and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 at under 250 bucks is probably the best option available right now. You can also snag a ZFlip 4. They’re about 300 bucks. And either way, that’s a fraction of what these phones cost new. Speaking of new, I know Samsung just announced the new Z Flip 7 and ZFold 7, which are massive upgrades from the last few years, but if you just want to see if a folding phone makes sense for you, I think this is a great option right now. No, the Z Flip 3 isn’t the most modern or spec heavy smartphone. While it does still have the Snapdragon 888 chipset, its camera setup wasn’t too wellreceived, and Android 14 was the last and final software update this phone saw, apparently. But I don’t think any of that is as important as its form factor. Obviously, price was one of the top things that kept people away from foldables. But now, if you just want to try it out, test it for a few months, play around with it, experience it, for a couple hundred bucks, you can finally do that. I’m personally a big Flip fan. I think this form factor makes sense. It’s small, it’s compact, it’s comfortable, and in using an older, cheaper Flip, I would be more interested in eventually getting a new one potentially. I consider this a try before you buy option and less of a keeper phone for the long term. And if you haven’t yet experienced any folding phones, this could be a pretty decent option. If you’re all about price and just want the absolute cheapest Samsung phone available that’s still usable and current, well then the A16 5G is the obvious answer here. I mean, yeah, you could get something older and lower tier like an A01 or a different kind of folding phone, but I’m assuming you want a modern smartphone with decent specs. The A16 is actually this year’s budget Samsung banger. It’s one of my favorite phones for sure and a fan favorite overall. You can snag one for 150 bucks new and unlocked from Amazon or more than likely your favorite carrier will offer this phone for free with a service contract. The A16 overall is a pretty basic device, but it has a lot of the specs and features you’d still want. A big 6.7 in screen. That’s a 1080 resolution super AMOLED 90 Hz. Actually still has a micro SD card slot so you can get yourself some extra storage if you want. It’s one of the few remaining phones that offers that. It’s powered by the MediaTek Demensity 6300 chipset, which is perfectly fine for the price. It’s got a 5,000 mAh battery, 25 watt fast charging, and its biggest value proposition might just be its software lifespan. Yeah, buying this phone today affords you a current and up-to-date Android and Samsung experience. But Samsung guarantees six additional Android updates. So, not only can you keep this phone for years and not miss out on any features, but if you wanted to buy this phone next year or the year after, you could do so and still expect the phone to see additional updates. I wouldn’t normally recommend a current brand new smartphone like this. But for the vast majority of folks who just need a simple and decent device for casual day-to-day usage, I don’t think there’s a better Samsung option out there right now. It’s not the craziest, most powerful, spec heavy phone. It’s just a solid device at a great price that’s going to last you a long time. Now, I have two honorable mentions that are sort of similar and I think are good options for different reasons. I should probably just say any Samsung A50 something, but I’ll give you two specific ones. The A53 and this year’s A56. I like the A53 because, well, for one, it’s super cheap now, around 150 bucks on Amazon and sometimes even cheaper than that. It’s a good-looking phone with a lot to offer. A big 1080p super AMOLED screen at 120 Hz. Decent triple lens camera, big battery, and a micro SD card slot as well if you still like to use that. On top of all that, it does still have one more Android update remaining. It should see Android 16 at some point soon, so it’s got a little while longer feeling current. The downside is it’s powered by Samsung’s Exynos 1280 processor, which doesn’t really get a lot of love. But if you don’t know the difference between Exynos and Snapdragon and MediaTek, then none of this really matters. I just think for the price, it’s a pretty good option. And within the same tier, of course, there’s this year’s A56. Now, this phone is about as close to a flagship S series as you can get at this point without going over the line. The problem is that it’s still a $500 phone, more or less, a little less if you’re outside the US, but this phone is supposedly launching here in the States this summer at full price. If you’re okay with paying that much, or maybe your carrier is giving you a deal, then you’ll end up getting truly a great phone. 120 Hz super AMOLED 6.7 in display, all premium Gorilla Glass Victus Plus build with an aluminum frame, a decent camera setup that’s a bit better than in years past with these A series, and six Android updates in the years to come. So, this phone has half a decade more of being up-to-date and current. It is powered by an Exynos chip, too, the new 1580. But I found this phone to perform really well over the last few months that I’ve had it, and I think it’s an okay option for a current 2025 Samsung phone. Though, I do think price-wise, there are probably better options available. One question I get asked often in the comment section is, “Well, what about the FE?” And my answer to that is pretty straightforward. It’s just cheaper and better, frankly, to get a regular S- series phone instead. The first FE, the S20 FE, while it is my all-time favorite Samsung smartphone, is just too old now to consider. The S21 FE at like 170 bucks is an okay option, but for literally the same price, you can just get a regular S21. The S23 FE is now well under $300, but once again, so is the regular flagship S23. The S24 FE, which is technically the current one at the moment, is not a phone you should buy new, but it’s also not really discounted anywhere. And once again, regular S24 is just going to be a lot cheaper. So yeah, an older or renewed FE doesn’t make a ton of sense, unfortunately. And I would really only recommend one if you can’t get a flagship S series for some reason or maybe if your carrier is offering it for free somehow. Otherwise, a used or renewed flagship S series is always the better option. Last but not least, if you do want a brand new 2025 Samsung flagship like the S25 or the Edge or even the new foldables, well, you’re pretty safe in buying them right now. We’re basically mid-release cycle for these flagships. The new foldables were also just announced, so you’re good to go for a while on not seeing anything new. Obviously, every carrier you can think of runs continuous deals and offers for current Samsung smartphones, but you can also get a used or renewed S25 now for a few hundred bucks less. And there’s always the option to trade in your older device for a bit of a discount or credit as well. I think Samsung has a great lineup of flagship phones to choose from this year. It might sound crazy, but I’m actually the biggest fan of the S25 Edge. Still, I think it’s a great device with that thin form factor and all the flagship features and everything. Again, while there are plenty of other smartphones to choose from that are maybe cheaper or a better value, I would get a current S series phone today without hesitation, but only if it’s been something you’ve been eyeing for a little while and you’re okay forking over the funds. I’m looking at this strictly from a timing perspective. This is exactly the middle of the release cycle for these. And for the foldables, like I said, they’re literally brand new, so you’re good here. and you won’t be facing any new phone regret until at least January or February. So, there you go. Those are my thoughts on some of the best Samsung phones to buy right now and to keep for a little while, too. What do you guys think? Are there any other ones you would have liked included on this list? Let me know in the comments down below. I’d love to hear your thoughts, of course. Hopefully, you guys did enjoy this video, though. Be sure to follow Tech Daily on Twitter and subscribe to the Tech Daily YouTube channel if you haven’t already.