Mobile phones have become an integrated part of our life. It’s hard to imagine carrying out any task without the involvement of our phones. Every year lots of phones are launched with various technology in them. Hence when considering buying a new phone there are certain key features to look for. In this article, we have discussed 7 key factors to consider while buying a new phone.
1] Display
The display is the primary means through which you will interact with your phone. Based on your usage you need to give it a thought on which display works best for you. Majorly 4 types of displays are currently available.
- LCD
- IPS-LCD
- OLED
- AMOLED
LCDs provide a better viewing angle. This means it doesn’t matter how tilted your phone is, you will be easily able to view your screen. On the other hand, Oled displays eliminate the need for backlight which makes them tinner and they provide higher resolution images. Along with display type, do consider the size. It doesn’t make sense to buy a phone with a small display if you are majorly using it for entertainment purposes.
2] Battery capacity
Nobody likes to hunt for a wall outlet serval times a day to charge their phone. Currently, only lithium-ion batteries are used in phones and hence apart from their capacity, there is no other parameter to check. Buying anything below 3500mA capacity would mean running around to find a power outlet. If you use your phone quite often or use it for application that drains lots of power then consider buying a phone with 5000 mA and 6000 mA capacity. It is even ideal for people who prefer a device that can easily last for over a day especially if you travel frequently.
3] Operating system
Currently IOS and Android dominate the market. If you like using IOS there isn’t any choice. As it is a proprietary software of Apple that you can only find on iPhones. Android is owned by Google and almost all the other companies use it. But it is used as the skeleton structure. Often companies use their skin over the Android system. In simple terms, the basic software framework is provided by Google, but companies usually add their themes, icons, and a few more features to make their custom Operation system. Hence switching from one Android to another can be tricky due to changes in the interface. For the same reason, many people prefer to buy a new phone from the same company so they can get a familiar experience.
Another thing to look for is the update. Annually Google launches new OS updates, but it’s the smartphone companies that decide if your particular phone will receive an update. Getting a 3 years update is standard on an Android phone. But in the case of the iPhone, you can receive updates for over 6 years.
Be aware of bloatware, they are apps that come preinstalled with your phone and you cannot remove them directly. Companies do this to promote their applications or there could be a paid partnership with the company.
4] Storage
Most of the new phones do not allow the use of external memory cards to expand your storage. This leaves users to completely rely on internal storage or cloud storage. Again 128 GB is becoming a norm for the premium phone while even budget phones give a minimum of 64 GB storage. OS updates can take up to 1 GB of space. Additionally now and then companies keep updating their application. Hence when considering storage it’s not just about the amount of space you will need for your files but keep in mind the space which will be occupied by your phone system also. So if you are planning to use your phone for over 3 years, regularly takes photos, and use a ton of application then do consider a higher storage model.
5] Processor
The operating system version, user interface, bloatware, and other factors might affect a smartphone’s processing power differently from one model to the next.
For heavy users who routinely use split-screen applications, play demanding games, stream films, and edit photographs, videos, and documents online, smartphones with Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 or Snapdragon 820/821 should offer flawless multitasking. MediaTek processors are good enough for people with nominal usage of their phones.
6] Camera
Be it for personal use or professional, a camera is an essential piece of hardware in today’s phone. With the current advancement in camera hardware and software, many premium phones sometimes outperform entry-level professional cameras. While considering the camera look for hardware specification as well as software aspects. Talking about the hardware you may consider parameters like optical image stabilizer, types of lens used such as macro, telephoto lens, etc. On the software end look for features that might come in handy to you such as night mode, manual mode, panorama, or AI-powered features.
7] Price
Last but not least is the smartphone’s price, which determines everything else. According to your budget, a new smartphone must satisfy all the above specifications and be reasonably priced. It is challenging and time-consuming to choose the right device, but it is good to spend money on a great smartphone that will be used often for at least a few years.
Conclusion
There are several smartphone alternatives available in the present day. The range of alternatives could be too much for some people. Therefore, we advise you to start by defining why you’re utilizing a phone. This might assist you in selecting the ideal phone by removing any unnecessary parameters or features to look for.