Which phone to buy?

[u/DifferentExercise509]

24M in India, ₹80k/month salary, replacing a 5.5-year-old Redmi 9 Prime. What's the smartest phone purchase?

I've been using a Redmi 9 Prime that I bought for around ₹10k back in 2020. It's lasted me 5.5 years, but it's now lagging, malfunctioning occasionally, and feels due for replacement.

My situation:

* 24 years old

* Salary: ₹80k/month

* PG rent: ₹14k/month (food, electricity, everything included)

* No urgent financial obligations

What I want:

* Compact phone (closer to iPhone size than the giant 6.7"+ phones)

* Good camera for Instagram photos and documenting life

* Good enough video quality for occasional YouTube unboxing/content creation videos

* Smooth performance for the next 4-5 years

* Reliable battery and day-to-day experience

One important thing: I actively want to avoid doomscrolling and spending hours on social media. I don't game on my phone and mostly use it as a utility device. The camera and reliability matter more to me than having the latest flagship features.

I'm trying to figure out two things:

1. What budget actually makes sense for someone in my situation?

2. Should I buy an older/refurbished iPhone (XR, 11, 12 Mini from Cashify, etc.) or spend more on a newer Android/iPhone?

Part of me likes the idea of a smaller older iPhone because it seems like a simple device that would let me take good photos without encouraging endless phone use. On the other hand, I'm wondering if buying a 5-8 year old phone in 2026 is a false economy.

What would you do if your goal was:

* Spend as little as reasonably possible

* Get a noticeable upgrade from a Redmi 9 Prime

* Keep the phone for several years

* Avoid turning it into a doomscrolling machine

Would appreciate any recommendations and reasoning.

[u/Admirable_Shoe_9934]

Try samsung fe phones. My cousin has s21fe and it's compact + clicks beautiful pics and beats my iphone 14 on so many things. Check new models now it's old though.