10 Things to Check Before Buying a Smartphone

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Gone are the days when buying a smartphone was restricted to calls and SMSes. Now is the era of a complete revolution. And, with Smartphones adorning the guise of advanced technology, there is nothing they cannot do.

If said that humans’ lives are running on smartphones – it will not be an overstatement to make.

Right from keeping a track on your meetings to the apps meant to make you healthy, in the most obvious manner a smartphone is one such thing that is running your day and how?

Smartphones

However, considering the number of smartphones available in the market, it becomes quite strenuous to find the one that would fit your requirements well, right? Wrong! If you know what to look into a phone, the process will become nothing but a plain-sailing. So, if you are ready to buy a phone, here are some factors that you must consider.

01. Build Quality

While navigating through different types of smartphones, you will come across only two types when it comes to build quality – plastic, and metal. Although apart from this, there are some such smartphones as well that have been manufactured with glass-coated panels, however, the number is very restricted. Since the durability of a phone mainly depends on its build quality, it is important to buy the one that would not end up causing you buy another phone just in the matter of few months.

Even if you are buying a refurbished phone, make sure you get it checked by a specialist for durability and other things to rectify if there’s any need for mobile phone repairs.

So, if you think that you are very clumsy and can drop the phone often, then it is recommended that you buy either the one built with plastic or the one built with metal. Such smartphones can even live if dropped from the height of 2-3 feet. Also, make sure that its edge radius is little and not very high.

02. Display

The display is one of the most important factors to consider. It simply depends on how you perceive to use your Smartphone. Since smartphones vary as per their display size and resolution, make sure that you are choosing the one that would fulfill your requirements. If you stream videos, download and watch movies, edit videos, and pictures, then a smartphone having the display size from 5.5 inches to 6 inches with QHD or full HD resolution would be perfect for you.

However, if you intend to use your phone only to browse internet, chat, check emails, use apps, then a smartphone from 5 to 5.5 inches in full HD or HD would be appropriate for you.

Or else, if you only want a smartphone to download and play latest Android games, then a phone with 5.2 inches should be good enough for you.

03. Processor

Another important factor to reflect upon is the processor. The better the processor, the smoother and efficient will your phone run. It is just like the hub that is responsible for the entire performance of the smartphone. Choosing a processor again depends on how you are going to use your phone. If you are going to run heavy editing apps on the phone, play games, stream videos, edit documents online, use several apps, then you can consider buying a phone with Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 or Snapdragon 820 or 821.

On the contrary, if you are contemplating to not use the device often, then a smartphone with MediaTek processor would be sufficient for you.

Don’t just buy a phone just because you have heard the name of processor it is using. Go a step further and know more about it, like clock speed, manufacturing process, flagship grade, and more.

04. Camera

Having a good camera in the smartphone can turn anyone into a photographer. However, just by having a high number of megapixels doesn’t really mean that your phone has the best camera. There are several other specifications as well that go into deciding its worth, including ISO levels, camera aperture, hybrid autofocus, pixel size, optical stabilization, special effects, manual modes, and much more.

If you are a photography fanatic, then you may consider buying a phone with either 12 MP or 16 MP under f/2.0 or lower aperture to get quick shots even when the light is low. If you are not much into photography, then a camera of 8MP or 12MP with f/2.0 to f/2.2 aperture would be perfect for you.

These days, you can easily find a smartphone with the dual camera as well as front-flash light, which you can consider for better selfies. Additionally, make sure that you check other features, such as panorama, burst shot, 360-degree, modes, effects, etc.

05. Battery

When it comes to battery, the usage differs from person to person. Most of the time, people get fooled by the number of mAh. They consider – higher the number, more will be the battery life. However, there are several factors that come into play for this.

To tell you the fact, displays that have higher resolution consume more energy. So, consider the resolution of your smartphone if you don’t want the battery to be drained soon. Again, if you use the phone heavily, with games, apps, videos, and more, then make sure that you buy a phone with 3500mAh battery or more than that. On the other hand, if you are a light user, then you can even work with 3000mAh battery.

Other two important and considerable factors are the charging speed and the removable tendency of the battery.

06. Operating System

The operating system and user interface are also considerable factors when you are ready to buy a smartphone. Since they help in smooth interaction, thus, make sure that they are simple as well as easy. Although there are several operating systems that you can come across, however, the top three that are ruling the market are Microsoft’s Windows, Apple’s iOS, and Google’s Android.

Among these, Android is the topmost preference of people. The latest upgrade to Android Lollipop 5.0 has brought faster and smoother interface. Coming to iOS, it also provides an amazing experience to its users. With its trendy look, sophisticated features, and smooth interface, iOS has bagged the second top position. And then comes Window, standing at the third position, it is giving worthy competition to the other two OS.

So, depending on your requirements and preference, you can select the operating system for your smartphone.

07. Storage

For the current generation, smartphones are not another option to chat or make calls, however, it is one such device that stores all their personal information. Most of the storage is taken by the pre-installed apps and the operating system. So, if you are thinking that you will get the exact amount of space as mentioned, you are living under curtains.

So, consider your usage before you finalize the storage. If you download a lot of apps, then you can consider buying a phone with 32GB, 64GB or 128GB of storage. If not, you can even buy a model with 16GB of internal memory, which supports microSD card expandable up to the number required to you.

When it comes to RAM, then the least that you can get is 2GB. You can even bet upon the higher one if you think that the usage will be more than that.

08. Security and Extra Features

Right from social media login details to bank details, today, people find it easier to store all the confidential data on their phones. That makes it even more important to consider what type of security a phone provides. With new and latest features of biometric security, new models have become very secure. While iOS provides touch ID authentication; on the other hand, Android comes with fingerprint security system. Talking about Windows, it uses iris scanning technology to help you keep your phone protected.

Coming to extra features, there are several things that you can consider in your smartphone. However, make sure that the features available suit your requirements adequately.

09. Speakers

Smartphones have definitely become a great way to keep yourself entertained all the time. Whether you are waiting for a public transport or stuck up on a long journey, if your phone has good speakers, things will be bearable. So, if you rely on music, video streaming, and video conferencing, then considering speakers is highly vital for you. If you like to keep yourself entertained all the time, consider buying a smartphone with front-facing speakers. This will help you get clear sound.

Or else, if you don’t pay attention to these things much, then you can buy any other regular smartphone with bottom-firing speakers. If not, then you can even get a phone that comes with speakers placed at the back. Make sure that they are loud enough and have an adequate base.

10. Price

Last but extremely important is the budget factor. If you are restricted by the number, then it becomes even important to navigate through accurately and keenly so that you wouldn’t end up committing a grave mistake. To begin with, set a clear budget and check out all the smartphones that come under that amount. And then, look at all the essential features in each model as mentioned above.

If you want, you can even purchase online; however, if you are doing so, always stay attentive and avoid mistakes. Make sure that you are investing in a good company. If you don’t have enough budget, then you can consider brands like Lenovo, Xiaomi, HTC, Motorola, and Samsung. And, if you think that budget is not a big deal for you, then you can go a step further and buy Oppo, Vivo, Apple, Micromax, and more.

Conclusion

Purchasing a smartphone can become all the way more tedious if you are buying for the first time or are not aware of the essential factors that should be considered. A phone has become nothing less than a companion for everyone. Since there are several options in front of you, right from budgeted to the costliest ones, you can simply differentiate them according to your requirements and needs.

So, if you are all set to purchase a new phone, consider these top 10 factors and buy the one that would leave everyone in awe.

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