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I remember last March, I stood in a phone shop with over twenty million VND in cash. Looking around, I saw smartphones ranging from a few million to tens of millions of VND. I was overwhelmed. Then I did the most foolish thing: I chose a cool-looking phone, forgetting about whether I could afford to pay it back later.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
The Story of Money and Dreams
Everyone wants the best flagship phone. But do you really need it? Back then, I convinced myself I needed a twenty-eight million VND phone to “work efficiently.” It’s funny, because I only used it for browsing Facebook and taking pictures of food.
Nowadays, many people borrow money to buy expensive smartphones. That’s okay, as long as you carefully calculate how much you can pay each month. A friend of mine borrowed fifteen million VND to buy a Xiaomi 15 Pro, paying it back over eight months, almost two million VND each month. His salary is eighteen million VND, so he’s doing well. But there’s another guy who borrowed thirty million VND to buy an iPhone 16 Pro Max while his salary is only twelve million VND. Guess how miserable he is afterwards.
Things I’ve Learned After Four Phone Changes
**A powerful chip isn’t as important as a long-lasting battery.** Before, I used a really good Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but the battery only lasted four and a half hours. It was incredibly frustrating. Now I use a phone with a mid-range chip but a 5800mAh battery, and it lasts all day without worry.
**A 200MP camera sounds impressive, but…** most of my photos are only 12 or 50 megapixels. Nobody needs 200 megapixels for Instagram (unless they’re professional photographers).
**A 144 or 120 hertz screen?** Honestly, I don’t see a difference.
The Timing of the Purchase Also Matters
Don’t buy a phone right when it comes out. I’ve been fooled twice. Last June, I bought a Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus for 9.2 million. By September, the price was 7.8 million. It drove me crazy.
When to buy? Two or three months after a new flagship comes out, older models drop drastically in price. Or during sales of 11 for 11, 12 for 12 (but be careful because many shops raise prices then lower them).
I tracked the price of the Poco X7 Pro for six weeks. The price fluctuated from 8.5 to 7.1. Thanks to my patience, I saved 1.4 million.
The Premium Features Aren’t Worth the Price
240W fast charging? Do you really need a full charge in nine minutes? I use a 67W charger, it takes 35 minutes to fully charge, which is perfectly acceptable. Furthermore, fast charging degrades the battery faster.
Sixteen GB of RAM on a smartphone? Excessive for most users. Eight GB is enough for multitasking.
I realized I didn’t need all the flashy features after looking back at my actual phone usage habits. You should do the same before deciding to spend or borrow money on a new phone. Clearly define what you really need instead of listening to advertisements. Saving 30-40 percent on costs is normal if you know how to choose wisely.