What to Look out for When Buying a Smartphone

In the current technology-driven world, owning a smartphone has become a necessity, some sort of a basic need. Phones have become an integral part of our lives. Be it shopping, keeping in touch with others, or booking trade show furniture rental in Las Vegas, we simply cannot function well without them.

With the market virtually saturated with all kinds of smartphones, deciding on the one that suits you best can be difficult. There are so many features on offer that determining the ones to prioritize over the rest is like an exam in itself. 

To help you wade through the junk, here are the things you have to keep in mind when buying a smartphone:

Your Budget

You are limited to a specific range of phones based on your purchasing power. Higher-end phones usually cost over $1,500. For most people, that is a little to steep for a gadget that small. Fortunately, thanks to the emergence of new players in the game, you can get a pretty decent phone for $500 or less. All you need to be wary of is where you get them because there are a lot of counterfeits passing off as genuine products.

The Display

The display is a deal-breaker. It is one of the few phone features that you should never compromise on. A phone’s display plays a huge part in determining your user experience. If it is sharp and in full HD, then you can enjoy playing games and watching movies on it.

The best phone displays have a resolution of at least 1920 x1080p. Anything less than this is substandard.

The Processor

Processors come in many types, and they vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. A heavy user phone, one that is used to play games and watch HD videos, requires a powerful processor. 

Decent processors do not come cheap. Some of the most powerful processors in the market include Exynos 990, Snapdragon 865, and Apple A13 Bionic. Light users can make do with phones that run on Mediatek processors.

The Camera

The camera is a big deal to many people since posting good images on social media is everybody’s obsession. Some phones boast of 108MP cameras; however, this does not mean that the cameras are that good. For the average user, an 8MP camera can handle their selfie needs just fine.

For the experienced photographer, things like ISO levels, aperture size, and autofocus are important. Better camera phones are being unveiled every day and at cheaper prices too.

The Battery

As smartphones add more heavy features like bigger RAM, powerful processors, and cameras, power use also increases. To counter this, there is a need for bigger batteries that do not drain too quickly. For this reason, always go for a phone that has at least a battery capacity of about 4000mAh. Anything below that is a raw deal.

However, how you use the phone also determines how fast the battery drains. You could have a 6000mAh battery, but it will make little difference if you are on the phone all day.

Storage

Phone storage has been a traditional need that still continues to be a big decider for many phone buyers. Despite living in an age where everything can be streamed or stored in the cloud, the need for bigger storage capacity has never slowed. Big cameras take big pictures, this needs big storage if you wish to keep all your files in one place for easy access.

New phones are slowly ditching the 16GB storage in favor of 32GB and 64GB.

User Interface

The ease of use is an essential factor when hunting for a phone. The newer the operating software, the faster the phone and the better the user experience. Older software tends to lag and can turn even the most powerful phone into a dud. Aways go for phones that have the latest OS already installed.

Build Quality

Most smartphones are built using glass, metal, or plastic. Those made of glass look more stylish and sleek but are prone to damage and are expensive to repair. If you are the type that drops their phone too often, then go for those made of metal or plastic casings. You can add a protective screen or a cover later on.

The Age

It is advisable to go for brand new phones, after all, decent ones do not cost too much these days. However, sometimes you may come across a high-end phone that is either second-hand or refurbished. If it is in good condition and works without any glitch, then there is no problem getting it for half the price. You have to be careful when dealing with this kind of product, verify that they are not stolen goods first.

The Brand

There are some smartphone brands that everybody wants to be associated with—iPhone and Samsung, for example. For years, these two have built a reputation around themselves that equates to quality products. For this reason, their phones are expensive, and anyone who can afford them is considered to be a classy person.

If you are the type to succumb to peer pressure, then get a big brand phone by all means. Please do not sell your kidney though; it is not worth it.

Rollout Pace

The need to stay ahead of the competition has forced companies into an unhealthy race where they unveil new phones twice a year. A phone is barely six months old before another version of it with very little or very huge changes gets unveiled a few months later.

If you can hold off for a bit rather than rush, you could find yourself a better, cheaper phone.

Conclusion

People are spoilt for choice when it comes to phones. Couple that with the low prices, and you have yourself an unhealthy habit where people buy and discard two phones in a single year. A good phone, when properly taken care of, should last 2-3 years at least. As consumers, it is time we controlled our appetites for new phones and learned to manage with what we have for a while.