As we are near the halfway of 2025, one of the wise options in buying a phone is going for old flagships to save money. Looking at the upgrades from each generation, flagship phones only have minimal upgrades in the past few years–with the biggest one this year focusing on larger batteries thanks to silicon-carbon tech. We stand by our belief that old flagships still pack a punch, beating any current midrange phone. That being said, we check out some of the old flagships that’s worth buying in 2025.

Old Flagships Worth Buying in 2025:

• Galaxy S24 Ultra
• iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max
• OnePlus 12
• Xiaomi 14
• HONOR Magic5 Pro

Galaxy S24 Ultra

Average Marketplace Price (2nd hand): Php 40,000 (12GB/256GB) 

Where to buy: Samsung Physical Stores, Official Samsung Shopee store

Just like its predecessor, the Galaxy S24 Ultra feels more of an iterative upgrade. Unless you need a slightly bigger display and that new ultrawide camera, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is still fine for 2025 and is still among the top choices if you are into shooting concerts. After all, you get practically the same set of Galaxy AI features found on the S25 Ultra. If you want a brand new unit, the 512GB variant sells for under Php 80k at Samsung’s Shopee store.

iPhone 15 Pro

Average Marketplace Price (2nd hand): Php 45,000 (15 Pro Max 256GB)

Where to buy: Hard to find a brand new unit unless you are lucky to find one at Authorized Apple Stores like Beyond the Box

The iPhone 16 Pro may be among the hottest iPhones right now, but an iPhone 15 Pro is still not bad. You get a USB-C port with fast transfer speeds, support for Apple Intelligence, and a price tag that’s roughly the same as a brand new iPhone 16. You may lose out on Camera Control, but otherwise the iPhone 15 Pro is good enough for serious content creation.

OnePlus 12

Average Marketplace Price (2nd hand): Php 28,000 (12GB/256GB)

Where to buy: Hard to find a brand new unit, so better find a used one that’s officially sold locally

The OnePlus 12 took a beating last year because of its very high price tag, but with the OnePlus 13 out it has become more affordable. You can snag one for around Php 30k in the secondhand market, but make sure it’s a global unit to save you from headaches in case any issue comes out. Save for the bigger battery and updated ultrawide and periscope cameras, the OnePlus 12 is still a solid flagship in 2025.

Xiaomi 14

Average Marketplace Price (2nd hand): Php 30,000 (12GB/512GB)

Where to buy: Xiaomi physical stores, Xiaomi Official Shopee Store

Xiaomi has stopped bringing its Pro flagship models since the 13 series. However, the Xiaomi 14 is one of your best options if you’re after a compact flagship phone that does not compromise with cameras. If you’re not particlar about having a bigger battery capacity, the Xiaomi 14 technically has a better telephoto camera than the Xiaomi 15 with a 75mm focal length equivalent (vs 60mm). You can still get it for new at under Php 46k for the 256GB variant at Xiaomi’s official Shopee store.

HONOR Magic5 Pro

Average Marketplace Price (2nd hand): Php 25,000 (12GB/512GB)

Where to buy: HONOR Physical stores and official Shopee store

It may be the oldest flagship on our list, but the Magic5 Pro is still a potent contender especially if you’re after cameras. It’s periscope camera can do 3.5x optical zoom, and HONOR’s post-processing software can give you good shots even if you push the periscope camera to its maximum 100x digital zoom. What’s also great? If you want to get it new, HONOR sells the Magic5 Pro with a new price of Php 49,990 at their Shopee store.

That rounds up some of the old flagship phones that you can consider in 2025. Which one do you plan to buy?