By Erick We’re almost into the end of January – and OnePlus and Samsung were the first to release their flagships for the year. By all accounts, the OnePlus 13 was received with great fanfare, while the Samsung S25 series not so much. In another 12 months, there will likely be a OnePlus 14, and a Samsung Galaxy S26 series.
A few months from now, there will be the iPhone 17, 17 Plus, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max (and a rumoured 17 Air). There will be a recorded/live event where Tim Cook will appear in a black jacket and say “Good Morning” and then for the next 60 or so minutes he and his staff will make a well-rehearsed cinematic presentation.
There will also be an IQOO 14, a Google Pixel 9.5 or whatever and maybe a Redmi 14/15 series, whether each will have their own showy event or now.
This whole flagship release cycle has been going on for a few years now, and has some success in making us consumers spend more money than we should.
Today, the annual smartphone release cycle has become a part of culture – a cultural phenomenon that extends far beyond a showcase of mere technological advancement. With major manufacturers like Samsung, Apple, and OnePlus launching new flagship devices each year, we need to examine why this cycle persists and how it reflects deeper social dynamics.
To be honest, I don’t even like the word flagship.
Flagship: noun, the best or most important product, idea, building, etc. that an organization owns or produces.
Cambridge dictionary
The Business of Annual Releases
If you stop to take a look, phone manufacturers have carefully crafted their annual release strategies to maximize both market presence and profitability. These regular launches serve multiple purposes:
- They create predictable revenue streams and help companies plan their R&D, manufacturing, and marketing budgets
- They maintain competitive positioning against rival manufacturers
- They generate consistent media attention and customer excitement
- They optimize supply chain efficiency through regular production cycles.
However, beneath these business justifications lies a more complex reality. Many of these annual updates offer only incremental improvements—slightly better cameras, marginally faster processors, or minor design tweaks—while being marketed as revolutionary changes. This strategy often feels designed to drive upgrades through planned obsolescence rather than genuine innovation.
And, once every two or three years, each of the phone makers will introduce something visually striking from the previous model, which I call the “flagship collector”. For example, look at the obviously-new hardware changes from Apple for the iPhone series:
- iPhone 12 introduced Magsafe
- iPhone 14 introduced the dynamic island
- iPhone 16 introduced the dedicated camera button.
While each of these contributes to functionality, one is forgiven for asking why don’t these innovations come all at once, or why are they reserved at first for only the most expensive model in the series, and in the next series rolled out to all the models?
Also, this should be obvious – flagship phones are often the primary source of profit for many companies. By launching a new “high-end” model every year, they capture the attention of high-spending customers (who sometimes sadly put it on their credit card or pay in EMI) and maintain revenue streams. Even if there are incremental improvements, these new devices often carry premium price tags, which can significantly impact a company’s bottom line.
The Social Status Game
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this phenomenon is how smartphones, particularly iPhones, have evolved into powerful status symbols. What was once simply a communication device has transformed into a social signifier that can indicate wealth, tech-savviness, and cultural awareness.
The social pressure to own the latest model manifests in several ways:
- The subtle judgment faced by users with “older” models (even if just 2-3 years old)
- The infamous “green bubble” phenomenon in the US, where iPhone users can instantly identify Android users in group chats
- The association between having the latest flagship phone and being perceived as successful or fashionable
Tech companies actively cultivate this status dynamic through carefully orchestrated marketing strategies:
- Premium packaging and design that emphasizes exclusivity
- Marketing campaigns focused on lifestyle and identity rather than technical specifications
- Strategic partnerships with luxury brands and celebrities
- Artificial scarcity at launch to increase desirability
- Premium pricing that positions their products as luxury items.
A yearly release creates anticipation. It builds excitement among consumers and generates buzz. Companies use these releases as an opportunity to dominate the news cycle, with press conferences, influencer campaigns, and advertising all designed to make the new phone the focal point of tech discussions. Skipping a release could harm a brand’s image as “stagnant,” especially in a sector where novelty drives consumer interest. High-profile launches generate free publicity through global events, social media trends, and news coverage, are designed to keep the brand relevant year-round.
The Hidden Cost
The irony of this situation is striking – and upsets me: many consumers stretch their budgets or go into debt to maintain an image of prosperity through their phones. This mirrors broader patterns in consumer behavior, where people purchase luxury cars or designer clothing beyond their means to project a certain social image.
This has been made easier with what they call the “upgrade cycle” – with the option to receive a (very nominal and embarrassingly small) discount for a “trade-in”. And the trade in layer works in a way that you are inclined to trade in every year – because they offer more “trade in value” for the more recent models than older models.
By releasing a new model every year, manufacturers encourage these trade-ins or upgrades. Customers who may have bought a previous flagship are enticed to upgrade again, whether through better performance, new features, or design improvements. They want you to tell yourself ‘I am justified in trading in the phone I bought just last year and works perfectly with the phone that released yesterday, because I will not get as much trade in value next year for it”. Please don’t do that.
This phenomenon raises important questions about our relationship with technology and consumer culture. When did our phones stop being tools and start becoming status symbols? How much of our upgrade decisions are driven by actual need versus social pressure?
Take Action
As we continue to navigate this landscape of annual releases and social pressure, it’s worth considering whether this cycle serves our best interests as consumers. While technology will continue to advance, perhaps it’s time to reassess our relationship with these devices and the social significance we assign to them.
The next time you feel the urge to upgrade to the latest flagship phone, ask yourself: Are you upgrading for the features, or for the status? The answer might reveal more about our digital culture than we’d care to admit.
Your smartphone choice doesn’t define your worth, even if marketing campaigns want you to believe otherwise. True innovation should be measured by how technology improves our lives, not by how effectively it signals our social status.
Here’s a simple exercise – if you use flagship phones, aim to use your phone for at least three years. If you think your phone won’t last that long, don’t spend the money on a flagship phone. The difference in specs between a mid-range phone (or the iPhone vs the iPhone pro and pro max if you’re an iOS user) does not justify paying twice the price for the phone, and if you’re concerned about top-of-the-line camera, invest the difference in amount in a standalone camera that will last more than 3 years.
Thank you for reading! My name is Erick and I am an Indian Tech blogger and content creator. I talk about more than just new gadgets and software – I talk about tech policy, trends and consumer behaviors that you need to know about and that could be affecting you, so you can make more informed tech related decisions. I stay out of sponsorships, affiliates or sponsored content so that you can be assured that my reporting is completely independent.
Share this post with a friend or family member who should read it, or share it on your social media. And do follow me on the platform you use the most:
This is detailed, informative, and very well-written!
[…] read my cautionary note for buying flagship […]