One of the best-selling goods on the market right now is probably the smartphone that we use every day. This is because we use our smartphones every day to get things done, and they have a relatively short lifespan of two to three years on average. However, there are also people who upgrade their phones every year. It’s hard to imagine our everyday lives without smartphones: they help us stay connected with family and friends, shop online, pay bills, record videos, stream music, and more.
It can be difficult to figure out which phones offer the best value for money when it comes to things like camera quality, battery life, and even ease of use. If you’re also looking to buy a new smartphone right now, there are a few things to consider before you buy a new smartphone.
Operating Systems
There are only two options: Android or iOS. The decision is much harder than you might think, because both operating systems have a long list of pros and cons. You’re on team Android if you like to play around with your phone and customize it to your heart’s content. You’re on team iOS if you prefer a simple, powerful operating system that gets regular software updates and is supported over time. Android is almost as powerful, but not quite as simple, even though the latest Android version is much easier to use than Gingerbread.
Keep in mind that iOS is extremely limited as an operating system under certain circumstances. For example, if an app isn’t available on the App Store, you can’t sideload it from the Internet; split-screen mode isn’t available on iPhones (only on iPads); you can’t customize your home screen (although iOS 14 may include widgets); and you can’t use launchers to completely change the look of your phone. However, iOS offers a whole host of benefits, including iMessage, FaceTime, regular software upgrades, and most importantly, little bloatware and no ads! Xiaomi, we are talking about you.
Processor
Your smartphone’s processor, also known as a chipset or SoC, is the component responsible for pretty much all of your smartphone’s functions. It is essentially the brain of the system, and most of these processors are also equipped with AI features that essentially make your smartphone as “smart” as it is today. A powerful processor not only keeps your device running smoothly, but is also capable of improving other factors. One example is image processing. Samsung phones, for example, come in two flavors – one with the Snapdragon chipset (the latest is the Snapdragon 865+).
The other uses Samsung’s in-house Exynos processor (the latest is the Exynos 990). Some reviewers have specifically pointed out that there is a noticeable difference not only in the processing power of the two variants – the Snapdragon is much faster but also in the image processing capabilities. So, when choosing your smartphone, it is important to know which processor you will get with it, as the performance directly correlates with it. Among the most popular are Snapdragon, Apple A13 Bionic, Exynos 990, and Kirin 990.
Apple processors are known for their tremendous processing power, and Snapdragon processors are the closest equivalent in Android. There are also lower-power processors for mid-range and budget devices, such as the Snapdragon 730 and 730G, Snapdragon 675, MediaTek Helio G90T and G85, and others that are often found in cheaper 2020 smartphones. If you have a small budget and don’t mind sacrificing some performance to save money, you should consider buying phones with one of these processors, as they lower the cost significantly.
RAM
The general rule for working memory in a smartphone is: “More RAM is always better”. This is because RAM or working memory is used for multitasking, and less RAM means that fewer tasks can be done by the phone at once. Today, 6 or 8 GB of RAM is the standard for all Android smartphones, and the new iPhones are expected to have 6 GB of RAM this year (2020) as well. Therefore, you are on the safe side for the next 2-3 years if you buy a smartphone with 8 GB RAM or more.
Display
The size of smartphone displays seems to be getting bigger and bigger, constantly pushing the limits of what we expect from a smartphone display. They have reached the realm of “phablets”, with displays as large as 6.9 inches! In an age where content is increasingly consumed on our pocket devices (you can hardly call them that these days), that may not be a bad thing.
We recommend anything larger than 5.7 inches so you can really immerse yourself in games and media. As for display types, there are LCD and AMOLED displays. AMOLED displays have variants like OLED or Super AMOLED (in Sam- sung’s case) and offer better contrast and darker blacks. They also help conserve battery life by turning off all of the phone’s black pixels to display “true black.” Then there are different resolutions like Full HD, Full HD+ Quad HD.
While QHD provides sharper images, the difference between FHD and QHD is not too noticeable, especially to the untrained eye. You should also check the screen protection of your device. Gorilla 5 and 6 are usually used in current-generation smartphones and offer decent protection for your glass sandwiches. Nevertheless, we strongly recommend a protective cover.
Storage
In terms of storage space on a device, smartphones used to have the option of using external storage via a micro-SD card. However, most smartphones today only have internal storage, which is due to faster read and write speeds, as external storage is slower.
But the fact that there are smartphones with internal memory now means that you should buy a smartphone with enough storage. So if you are someone who downloads a lot of apps on your phone, you should have at least 128 GB of internal storage on your device. This is also considering all the photos and videos that you will take on the device, which takes up the space as well.
Performance
A powerful smartphone is fast and efficient and offers multitasking functions without being distracting. The performance of a smartphone is directly related to the processor it has. A processor has two key factors: the number of cores and the clock speed. The more cores and the higher the clock speed, the more efficient the processor. Industry-leading processors include Qualcomm, MediaTek, Apple, Samsung, etc.
Apps Compatibility
Most of the time, interest in a new cell phone lasts only for a month or more, and then it is used in everyday life. But app compatibility keeps you interested for a long time. Android has the largest market with millions of apps compared to Windows, iOS or BlackBerry app stores. A variety of apps will make you try new things and discover the hidden features of your smartphone.
User Interface
You should also keep in mind that many devices have their own interface or UI (user interface) on top of Android. OnePlus has OxygenOS, a clean interface that is very close to vanilla Android, Samsung has One UI 2, which has come a long way from its TouchWiz days, Xiaomi has MIUI, which is an ad-fest but well optimized, and Oppo and Realme have ColorOS, which is heavily inspired by iOS. Remember to try out the UI before buying the device to see if it suits your needs.
Camera Performance
Camera features have been a major point of bragging rights on recent phones. Manufacturers always wanted a bigger, more exciting number, whether it was the number of megapixels or the number of actual camera lenses. Three rear-facing cameras are now common – a regular lens, an ultra-wide-angle lens, and a telephoto lens – and even budget phones are equipped with multiple cameras.
Look for features like optical (rather than digital) zooms, night mode for better low-light images, and optical image stabilization. Sometimes these features are ambiguous, and it’s not possible to judge a camera’s performance based on specs alone. If you really care about the photographic capabilities of your phone, you should take the time to read the reviews and check the camera performance before spending your money.
Wireless Charging
Another important aspect of a smartphone is the charging technology it supports. We have seen that charging is now not only wired, but also wireless. This is due to wireless charging technology, where you can place your smartphone on a charging pad and charge it without a cable.
However, wireless charging is currently only possible on flagship phones because a glass back is required to support wireless charging. Currently, Apple’s iPhones support wireless charging, while Samsung phones have long offered this feature. As for others, we know that Google Pixel devices support wireless charging, while OnePlus’ latest smartphone, the OnePlus 8 series, might also support wireless charging.
5G Support
With the ongoing tests for the 5G network in the country, more mid-range phones with 5G connectivity will be launched. 5G refers to the fifth generation of technology standards and promises faster data download speeds. Brands such as Oppo, Samsung and Redmi have all launched 5G-enabled phones.
Connection to USB Pendrives or TV
The smartphone should have a slot for connecting USB flash drives so that you can view and enjoy the videos and photos stored on them. This can help save space on the phone and SD card. It should also be easy to connect to the TV.
Battery Life
If you can’t use your phone for more than a day, it can be frustrating. However, you should keep in mind that the advanced features of a smartphone with a large screen require more power than a simple phone for talking and texting. Battery life is one of the most important things we test when evaluating smartphones.
It’s worth checking the battery capacity of the phone you’re interested in and comparing it to that of another phone with a similarly sized screen. Batteries with a higher capacity usually offer a longer lifespan.
Conclusion
This smartphone buying guide contains everything you need to consider before buying a new phone, including the best smartphone brands, best performing operating systems, camera quality, screen size, processor types, and so on. A smartphone is a cell phone that allows you to do more than make phone calls and send text messages. Smartphones can surf the Internet and run software programs like a computer. Smartphones use a touch screen to enable users to interact with them.
