Salman
Smartphones are an asset nowadays. There are so many options out there that choosing one would be difficult. So, how to know which smartphone is the right for you? There are various things you should keep in your mind before buying a smartphone. As smartphone technology is changing in no time and many companies are launching new smartphones in the market. As you are going to buy your first smartphone or you want to change your smartphone then you should keep a few things in your mind. As there are a lot of good options out there and we will help you in finding the right smartphone for you.
We will give you an in-depth view that will help you in figuring out that “Which Smartphone is Right for you”.
First Figure out Your Needs
Before figuring out which smartphone to buy, you have to consider a few things before buying that phone. Some people want a large screen, some want a smartphone that can be used with one hand and some want the best camera phone. It all depends on your needs and your budget. The first thing you should do before buying any smartphone is to list out the most important features you want in your smartphone. After listing out all the features, you should compare the smartphone which has those set of features. If that smartphone is in your budget and has all the features which you need then you should buy that smartphone.
Choosing an Operating System
Nowadays Android and IOS are the only smartphone operating systems that are worth considering. As both are easy and user-friendly but both operating systems are different when you compare them. As both operating systems have their app store and offer various apps which you can use. There are fewer limitations in android when you compare it with IOS. However, IOS is more secure as compare to android so both have some positive and negative points.
Android
Different devices are available at different price points if you want to buy an android smartphone. Samsung, Huawei, One plus, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Motorola, Nokia are the companies that are offering different android smartphones at different price points. As in android smartphone, there are more customization options which are available. You get built-in apps like Google Maps, Gmail, and Google Docs in these smartphones. These apps are also available on other platforms but if you want to use Google Assistant and Google Now in your day to day life then you should go for an android smartphone. There are some pros and cons of android.
· PROS
- Easy to use
- Can be customized
- Fewer restrictions like sharing data with other persons using Bluetooth.
- More options available at various price points
· CONS
- Less security
- Slow in giving software updates to users as compared to IOS
IOS
If you want a secure and accessible experience, then you should go for an iPhone. You get many options in android at various price points but there are limited options if you want to buy an IOS smartphone. Yes, iPhone is expensive mostly new ones but you get a far better experience and more security as compare to android smartphones.
If you already have a MacBook or an iPad, then an iPhone is probably the one which you should buy. In iPhone, you also get built-in apps like iMessage and facetime. So if you want to use these apps then you should go for an iPhone. There are some pros and cons of IOS.
· PROS
- Easy to use
- Quick to learn
- More security
- Apps are checked before being released in the App Store, so you can rest assured they are safe to use.
- Giving users more software updates as compared to android that is why people are still using old iPhones. You can get the latest IOS 13 update on iPhone 6s.
· CONS
- iPhones are expensive.
- You get a lot of restrictions on IOS like you cannot share data with another person who does not have an iPhone.
Pick a Size for your Smartphone
Nowadays smartphones are getting bigger, with the latest high-end models and budget cell phones are measuring between 5.5 and 6 inches or more. With a bigger screen, you get a better experience if you want to browse on the internet or you want to watch videos on your smartphone. However, some people don’t like bigger smartphones and find them too large and difficult to hold.
People who want to use mobile phones with one hand will look for a smaller screen size. As latest smartphones have bezel-less displays which means a smartphone of 5.8 inches will be easy to use with one hand as compared to a smartphone of 5.5 inches with bezels. Screen sizes are available at different aspect ratios, and you can get different smartphones of different sized bezels.
Check the Specs
Next thing you should check before buying any smartphone is the specs. The processor controls all the thinking processes of a smartphone that how fast can phone think. After processor, RAM determines how much the phone can think about at once. Next thing you should check is the storage space. As storage space tells about how much room it can provide for your apps, music, games, and other files.
As cloud services are rising and more and more people are using these cloud services. Services like Netflix, YouTube, Spotify and other services allowed users to not download any data in their smartphones. If anyone wants to listen to music then they can use Spotify or Soundcloud. With access to the internet, they can use these services. So storage space is not that relevant nowadays. Various features you should look for are listed below:
· Screen Resolution
As we spend many hours looking at our smartphone screen so it is better to have a smartphone which has a high resolution. Smartphones should have Full HD screen which will be 1920 x 1080 pixels, or it can have 2160 x 1080 pixels, only if the smartphone has a modern aspect ratio of 18:9. If the smartphone you want to buy has a resolution of 1080p or higher than that smartphone would be good enough for you.
As many high-end smartphones have OLED screens and OLED screens are much better as compared to the LCD screens. Both latest Samsung’s (Galaxy and Note) range and Apple’s iPhone (11 pro and 11 pro max) have AMOLED screens. As you will not get these smartphones at the budget end of the market.
· Mobile Phone Design
A lot of phones nowadays have glass front and back which makes them delicate and likely to get marks. If you drop your smartphone more often than it is better to buy a smartphone that does not have a glass back and front. As most smartphones have fingerprint sensors so you should buy a phone whose fingerprint sensor position suits you. In most high-end smartphones we have face ID so sometimes you don’t need fingerprint sensor. However, fingerprint sensors are safer to use as compared to face ID.
· Good Performance
You can determine smartphone performance from two things one is processor and other is RAM. If a smartphone has a newer processor then you get better experience both in terms of both speed and power efficiency. Apple latest A13 bionic chip in iPhone and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855+ in android are efficient in terms of speed and power.
RAM is quite important in smartphones but when you look at specifications of iPhone you will see that you don’t need much RAM because the iPhone is much better in dealing with memory management. But your smartphone should have a minimum 4GB of RAM.
· Latest Software
If you are going to buy a new smartphone then you should buy a smartphone equipped with the latest software. In iPhone, we get the latest software updates quite often but if you want to buy an android smartphone then you should look for the latest android version. As most of the manufacturers often apply their user interfaces on top of Androids so it takes a while for the users of Samsung, Huawei, One Plus etc. Latest versions of Android may not be available to you if the manufacturer decides not to update. Google smartphone Pixel 4 gets immediate and consistent Android updates.
· Good Camera
Most people look for a good camera quality in a smartphone so it is better to check the camera quality of the smartphone which you want to buy. You can judge a camera quality of smartphone by looking at the megapixels and aperture size or f-number. If a smartphone has more megapixels then it does not mean that the smartphone has better camera quality. Many factors combine to determine the quality of a smartphone camera like aperture (how much light the sensors let in).
Latest smartphones have multiple camera lenses which allow us to take single shots. Latest smartphones have three-camera setup, one for simple shots, one for wide-angle and one for telephoto. If you want to buy a smartphone that has the best camera of all the smartphones then you should look for professional reviews and sample photos online.
· Battery Life
The performance of the battery can be determined by the type and power of a battery. Phone battery size is measured in milliampere-hours (mAh). If a smartphone has more mAh, which means that smartphone can last longer as compared to smartphones with less mAh. However other factors, like the screen size and resolution, will affect how quickly the battery will run out.
It is better to look for online reviews of tech people because manufacturers sometimes quote wrong figures of battery. As more mAh batteries are becoming common in smartphones so if you want the battery to last longer then you should go for a smartphone with a larger battery.
· Durability
As glass front and back smartphones are common so it is better to use protective covers if you drop your smartphone more often. Latest smartphones are water and dustproof. If you want to buy a smartphone which is water and dust resistant then you should check specs of that smartphone. If it is mentioned in specifications that this smartphone is water-resistant then you should look for at the rating of that smartphone. If a smartphone has IP67 or IP68 ratings then that smartphone will not be damaged if dropped in water.
· Price
One of the most important things we look for before buying any smartphone is the price of that smartphone. First, you should decide your budget and see what’s available in your price range. As stated earlier Android smartphones are available at more price points as compared to the iPhone. There are many Android Phone manufacturers so you can get a lot of options if your budget is low.
Android smartphone manufacturers have expensive flagship phones but also offer decent mid-range smartphones. With the influx of Chinese manufacturers in the android market, we are getting a lot of good smartphones at low price points. Oneplus is one of the manufacturers that is offering more features in less price point. Their new model Oneplus 7t was the best performing smartphone in 2019. More features and less price is what attracted the people towards this smartphone.
Yes, flagships perform better as compare to budget smartphones but it depends on you that you are willing to spend more dollars on a flagship or you can go for a budget smartphone. Apple now launches three iPhones per year, with older ones staying on sale at lower prices. Apple also gives you an option to trade your older iPhone with a new one. Latest Apple iPhone is available at three price points.
- iPhone 11 Pro starts at 999$
- iPhone 11 Pro Max starts at 1099$
- iPhone 11 starts at 699$
You can get previous versions from there site as well like iPhone 8 and iPhone XR if your budget is low. You can buy refurbished and second-hand smartphones as well. It all depends on your budget. Older iPhones users are more as compare to the new ones because older IPhones get software updates quite often and people don’t feel the need of buying a new iPhone. If you want a smartphone with the latest chip, software, multiple-camera setup then you should go for a new smartphone.
