Microphone and camera quality is very important for some of my side projects, and professional-grade equipment can add up quickly in price, volume, and weight.
I'm not spending $1000 on a phone, I'm spending $1000 on a very small and portable (admittedly not quite pro-level) video camera that works well enough in a wide range of light conditions and noise environments.
What kind of side projects do you do? The microphones on smartphones really suck, you can’t capture anything unless you’re in a fairly quiet room or speaking to it up close. The lense just isn’t large enough to capture enough detail. Recording video drains the battery extremely fast. Even as a hobbyist, I find it extremely limiting.
I bought some used recording equipment that’s probably 10 years old for $200, it’s miles ahead of what my smartphone can do.
I'm not spending $1000 on a phone, I'm spending $1000 on a very small and portable (admittedly not quite pro-level) video camera that works well enough in a wide range of light conditions and noise environments.