Yes. Makes a difference. I went from budget to midrange and then flagships and it makes a difference. Budget phones wear out a lot quicker. I have used midrange phones for 3 years before they become unusable. I have recently got a s22 and just it does feel like a different beast even if you do...
are 3d printers really that cheap these days :O
i think of these purchases as my drunk self apologizing with gifts for the stupid hangover they created.
credit where credit is due, you dont get the same "feel" of a flagship / iphone from any mid range phones. not even one plus or the new disco phone does.
I put one plus "feel" as samsung FE series.
Honestly if you wait a bit, old gen phones get quite cheap. i got my s22 for 600GBP ish in jan 23.