BEFORE BUYING A NEW SMARTPHONE 2020

THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE BUYING A SMARTPHONE

Smartphones have now turn out to become our unique companions. We carry them everywhere, and thanks to these incredible devices, we can now use the Internet and apps on the go. That is why buying a smartphone is a pretty exciting experience but sometimes, can be intimidating. There are a lot of phones being sold out there, each with their own perks and pitfalls, thereby making it hard to decide which one is best for you.

Before buying a smartphone, you should get your priorities straight first and make sure you consider the following factors:

  OPERATING SYSTEM

iOS (Apple’s mobile platform) and Android (Google’s mobile platform) are the two mobile platforms on the planet. For applications, features, and capabilities and ease of use, they are the only options you need to be looking at. The mobile space is more or less 100% owned and controlled by Apple and Google.

Google’s Android platform is the number one mobile operating system on the planet, being used by billions of phones from different manufacturers. If you want the best prices, and more control over your phone, Android is the way to go. For many, iPhone (which perhaps is the most famous phone on the planet) is the ONLY phone they’ll ever use.

The latest Android version available as at time of writing this post is 10.0 and IOS is 13.1.

Android Benefits

More Choice; Prices Vary From very Cheap to Premium

Android Flagships Have the Latest and Greatest Tech – Things like 5G and Quad-Lens Cameras

Android is More Open than iOS; you Can Do More with Android – It’s More Customizable

iOS Benefits

More Secure Than Android

iPhones Get Better Software Support

Older iPhone Models Still Run Great (Years after Release)

Apple’s CPU is The Most Powerful on the Planet

    DESIGN AND FUNCTIONALITY

As technology is experiencing swift development, smartphones are increasingly starting to resemble one another. Their outward appearance and features now look alike, thereby making our choices influenced by marketing campaigns.

Some persons prefer phones with curved edges designs (like the Samsung S series) while others are good with whatever design. Before buying, check the quality of the device to ensure you'll be able to use it in the way which is most comfortable and convenient for you (provided these features are important to you). Consider the environment you work under then know what type of material is suitable for your phone. If you work in the industries where you come into contact with metals, it is good to buy a mobile phone that won’t crack easily. If you are one of those fond of dropping your smartphone, it's advisable to go for a metal or a plastic built handset.   

 SIZE AND TYPE OF DISPLAY

There are various screen sizes available to cater for every needs. If game freak, you need to get a mobile with at least 5.2 inches. As for the display technology, there are two main types in Android: LCD and AMOLED. The main difference between the two lies in the projection of light. In theory, LCD screens tend to be brighter and display content better when in direct sunlight, while the AMOLED display offers sharper contrast and more saturated colors. Whenever you want to buy a new smartphone consider one with at least a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels or more.  

  PROCESSOR

The processor is the brain of the device on which the overall performance of a phone depends on. Having a fast processor inside your mobile phone will make your phone perform faster when you power it on, when you run heavy apps, when you launch games and also when editing photos and many more. Some of the best processor available these days are Qualcomm snapdragon, Samsung Exynos 8890, Kirin 950, Qualcomm 820 and Qualcomm 810. Samsung Galaxy S7, LG G5, and Xiaomi M5 are using Qualcomm820 processor. When you’ll be going to buy a new smartphone check that it has one of the above-mentioned processor.

    INTERNAL MEMORY (RAM)

Ram is the storage area for applications during their execution so the processor can easily access and process them. Before buying a new smartphone ensure it has a minimum 2GB RAM. And don’t just be tricked by the specs written on the case of the phone about the capacity of the RAM. 

  
 STORAGE (ROM)

Before you buy a new smartphone, think of how much space you need. Have in mind that some games can take up to 1GB of storage Also, remember the OS occupies large storage together with the apps that come with your mobile phone. And if you are a movie and music lover and want to store a large number of movies and audio and video songs then go for 64 or 128GB but if you won’t be consuming much storage on your phone, you're pretty OK with 32 GB. The bigger the storage space, the more expensive the phone is. Although you can use a MicroSD card to expand your smartphone's storage capacity but a larger internal memory is recommended over using an external card.

  BATTERY LIFE

Battery life is one of the most important features to consider when choosing a new smartphone. There are many factors that can drain your battery easily such as the screen size, screen resolution, processing speed, and the operating system. You should aim to buy a mobile phone with at least 3500mAh and above as this seems to be the standard.

   

 CAMERA

Smartphone manufacturers are starting to pay more attention to camera quality lately, and that's a great thing for the users because our smartphones are becoming more and more like a digital camera. I advise you not to dwell too much on the numbers of MP (MegaPixel) of the phone.

The number of MP does not produce a better-quality photo. Apart from megapixels, ISO, lens quality, aperture as well as autofocus speed produce a better quality image and you can capture HD photos with your mobile, so just go for a phone with at least 16 megapixels camera with f/2.0 aperture or lower. Consider a Samsung S9 or iPhone X if you’ll want to get HD pictures from your phone camera.

   

 ADDED FEATURES

Finally, you necessarily need to consider a few other things. Does it have stereo speakers? High-end phones like the iPhone X and Galaxy S9 do, which means you hear audio coming from the top and bottom (or left and right if you’re watching a movie and playing games.) Does it support wireless charging? This can be convenient if you want to just drop your phone on a pad at your desk. Does it have a headphone jack or will you need to use Bluetooth headphones or an adapter with your wired headset? Is it Water-proofed? Does it support newer 4G & 5G networks? This means you’ll be able to download apps, games, files and more at much faster speeds.

  PRICE

Last on the list, what do you want to spend on your next smartphone? Is it worth it to use all your salary or is it perhaps appropriate to limit yourself and choose something cheaper but equally powerful? Remember that for any price range there are some devices better than others.

So, make the right choice and follow these tips when buying your dream smartphone!