Your first choice is whether you wish to utilize an iPhone or a Google Android phone. Both have a different feel and look regarding how they operate. iPhone users find it really hard to opt and continue using an iPhone. At the same time, Android users feel that the iPhone app store is not up to the mark and battery life is a letdown.
How to go about acquiring a smartphone?
Android phones comprise nearly all non-Apple smartphones of note, with phones from Samsung, Google, OnePlus and several others competing for attention. They operate on Google’s Android OS running system, which is open source and can be customized by the maker. So, a Samsung Android will likely function a bit differently to an OnePlus Android. Heads up, Huawei is currently undergoing problems with Google and android support for new Huawei phones is non-existent. Huawei is ready to launch its own OS, but that’s a new and untried proposition for mobile phone users.
Android has the benefit of Google’s enormous algorithmic processing capability and seamless communication with the extensive Google products suite. On the other hand, on every non-Google Android phone, there is a constant fight between the phone producer and the OS maker. The majority of Android phones effectively double-up on applications, so you could have a Samsung music app and also the standard Google Play Music, a standard gallery and then Google Photos. Most smartphone users opt for using the Google suite as it’s connected to a single account and the services are pretty well-developed. However, numerous apps can trigger Android devices to really feel somewhat cluttered and overloaded.
Additionally, Android updates cater to dozens of different gadgets from different manufacturers, implying that it takes a significant period for preparation. So while the top of the line Android phones obtain the updates quickly, it can take longer for them to reach the remaining devices. Undoubtedly this can result in safety and security threats.
On the other hand, all Apple‘s iPhones work on the company’s standard OS, referred to as iOS, with nearly all devices from iPhone 5 onwards currently operating on iOS 12.
So, which do you choose? Inevitably, it’s totally based on your preference and while there are important distinctions between the two options, it deserves mentioning that both are really excellent. Some customers like the option you get with Android, and at the moment Android phones have peaked in terms of the variety and quality on offer. Having said that, safety and security are guaranteed through updates from Apple which has maintained its popularity, in spite of some battery problems on older iPhones.
The Smartphone Checklist
- iPhone or Android: This is the toughest question for a newcomer. Apple iPhones are the preferred selection in the US and UK, however powerful Android phones offered by Samsung and Google currently supply plenty of options beyond Apple.
- Data, mins and messages: There are several cellular plans that offer unlimited talk time and messages. Data is a tricky component and depends on your FB, Instagram, WhatsApp, internet browsing etc. Some cellular companies offer calculators that quantify data consumption based on daily usage. Don’t go for higher GB plans just to play safe.
- Phone camera: Mobile phone cameras can be a critical component of the final purchase decision. 12 MP plus cameras are a common offering in premium smartphones and the high-end phones boast of 3 cameras to cover every possible image/video aspect.
- SIM only: This is an excellent method to get the maximum amount of data. Check websites that offer a comparison between different cellular plans.
- Battery life: A phone is as useful as it’s battery and it should at least last a day’s usage. Double-check battery life versus what the critics state and look at user’s comments on major blogs.
- Smart buying: An upfront contract comprising the phone and cellular plan might look sweet but add up total costs over the contract duration. You might be able to buy the phone outright with a monthly sim at a lesser cost. This might be worth saving for in the long-term.
What to look for in a “Smart” phone?
Smartphones have adapted very quickly in the last decade. The premium phones look similar and the specs sport minute differences. Some important selling points are explained below:
- Display size: This is gauged diagonally from top to bottom. Current dimensions vary from just under five inches to nearly over six inches for screen size, which can be fairly large to hold with one hand. Each user has his/her own preference and for normal use, the 5-inch variant should do the trick.
- Battery life: Any type of phone with significantly more than 24 hours is considered very good. Many makers will place battery worth on “talk time,” but the phones will, in fact, last days if left on standby mode.
- Storage space and memory: You can expect phones with lower specs to possess around 2GB of RAM, the memory space that improves the phone’s efficiency, although better models will have closer to 4GB RAM or far better. Anticipate at the least 32GB of storage; search for 64GB or more for a good deal. Android phones allow storage increment through memory cards while iPhone variants charge higher prices for phones with higher storage.
- Camera: Many mobile phones will take excellent images and high-end variants compete to provide the best camera experience. Megapixels (MP) are not the end of the world, yet they can create shots with greater close-up details.
The best smartphone deals?
Mobile phone purchasing is not getting any cheaper, as the $1,449 iPhone XS Max’s price tag shows. Granted that you can buy a fully loaded laptop for the same price, but that’s digressing from the topic. This means that the top of the line smartphones command premium prices, therefore obtaining the ideal model is more vital than ever before. Technological innovation is worth considering as phones become obsolete in 3-4 years and hence you have to make a logical choice.
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As mentioned before, there are some bargains you can manage when opting for a network, but at the same time, outright acquisition of your preferred mobile phone will prove feasible in the long-run. This method of acquisition means you can control the cellular plan and minimize data, talk time consumed.
Phone jargon
A typical smartphone review will leave you fuddled with the types of technology involved and which options/features to use at specific moments. Manufacturers don’t want to be left behind and they are prone to explaining just how excellent their processors are or discuss the aperture of their phone cameras and why it beats the competition. All that info is excellent if you’re a tech expert, but as far as the average customer goes, it has a tendency to seem like unnecessary chatter. So knowing this jargon will help you answer questions like ‘How to buy a smartphone?’
The following brief guide will explain common phone lingo, what it is, as well as exactly how it’ll affect you when using the smartphone.
- All-day battery: Usually most modern-day mobile phones use a 3330mAh which is fairly cumbersome however how much efficiency you receive differs depending on your phone use, screen illumination, variety of apps, and unmanageable points like your phone processor. As far as customers are concerned, most phone manufacturers have adopted the term ‘all-day battery’ as a catchphrase which covers a lot of different things. As far as normal usage is concerned, none of these batteries will last the complete 24 hrs. It’s truly important to review battery test results prior to your purchase, as opposed to simply taking the makers word for it and regretting later. Battery life also depends on the type of usage and if you are an avid HD gamer on mobile phones than it’s better to invest in a good power bank.
- Processor: Occasionally called the Central Processing Unit or CPU (particularly in PC terms), this is basically the essential component that decides how fast the phone will operate. That includes everything from loading apps to watching the video clip. It also decides how many apps the phone can handle running simultaneously. A better processor basically translates into a faster phone.
- RAM: Short for Random Access Memory. This is the space in which your phone will store all the info it needs at the moment. Essentially, this is the feature that decides the quantum of apps you can have running at once prior to degrading phone performance. A mighty processor and low RAM means constant problems for the avid smartphone user. This means that the phone is fast but it isn’t equipped with a lot of space to work with. Majority of smartphones feature 6GB or 8GB of RAM.
- Display size: Measured diagonally from the top corner to the phone’s opposite side. The display size differentiates phones, phablets and tablets. Anything over 6 inch display size is looking to enter phablet territory.
- Bezels: This is a trendy term for the ‘edges’ of the display which refrain from lighting up and displaying stuff. Bezels are not in fashion as they are part of the dead screen. Manufacturers are finding ways to eliminate bezels and introduce all-display screens.
- Water resistance: This does not equate waterproofing. Water-resistance implies the phone can endure exposure to small quantities of water, whereas waterproof implies that it’s equipped for underwater usage. Waterproofing itself does not mean the phone is fit for deep-sea diving. A lot of phones that are water-proof can be submerged till a certain depth, however, take them beyond the permissible limit and the added stress will certainly damage them.
- Megapixels: A unit of photo dimension equal to one million pixels. Pixels are the tiny dots on your display combine to create pictures. A camera with higher megapixels can take larger as well as higher quality photos. Nonetheless, megapixels aren’t the end of everything. These days image management software programs can make the pictures taken from a camera with fewer megapixels look far better than a device with a greater megapixel ability.
Do let us know what you look for in a smartphone and why did you buy the one you currently own! Thanks for reading, hope it helped you in some way.
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