The first question that everyone should ask themselves before buying a smartphone is what use is going to be made of it. If you only need it for calls and emails, you probably don’t need to buy the latest model from the most expensive brands on the market. On the contrary, the mobile phone has become an essential work and leisure tool for some users. In these cases, if functions such as GPS navigation, office applications or multimedia tools are frequently used out of necessity or habit, a higher-end smartphone will be more appropriate.
The first question that everyone should ask themselves before buying a smartphone is what use is going to be made of it. If you only need it for calls and emails, you probably don’t need to buy the latest model from the most expensive brands on the market. On the contrary, the mobile phone has become an essential work and leisure tool for some users. In these cases, if functions such as GPS navigation, office applications or multimedia tools are frequently used out of necessity or habit, a higher-end smartphone will be more appropriate.
Once you have defined a ceiling price (very important!), these are the elements that you should take into account before making the decision:
Elements to consider before buying a mobile
Size
Between a 6.3-inch phablet and a 4.7-inch smartphone there is a big difference, both in the size of the screen and in the grip, weight and manageability of the phone. If you watch a lot of videos, play video games regularly or if you use your smartphone for work, the large models provide you with more comfort, both for consultations and for writing. A smaller screen often means a device that is lighter, easier to fit in a pocket, and easier to hold. In this sense, the current trend is towards large formats.
Autonomy
A key indicator is the power of the battery, measured in milliamps (mhA): the higher it is, the more important the autonomy. The time that a battery can power a mobile phone depends on both its capacity and the consumption of the smartphone. The mobile processor is one of the elements that influences the performance of the device, therefore, it should be ensured that it is one of the most recent, since they are more efficient and require less consumption.
Even so, it is worth taking into account other criteria such as the interface, the type of use and consumption management, etc. It must also be remembered that notifications, the brightness of the screen or the use of bluetooth (on the latter, for reasons of efficiency it should be version 5.0) significantly influence the consumption of the smartphone; so if these features are used
frequently it is worth looking into the best autonomy options or additional solutions such as a second charger. More powerful processors or larger screens consume more power, so actual battery life will depend on how good battery management is on each phone. Reading reviews online or talking to people who already own a certain model is always a good reference.
Storage
Applications demand more and more capacity for their use, in addition to the constant need for image storage, if it is not done in the cloud. Making sure that the smartphone also has microSD card slots that allow for increased storage space is mandatory. In addition, the Android operating system occupies between 8 and 13GB (depending on the manufacturer’s customization), so a 16GB mobile, for example, will only have half that capacity available. The iOS operating system occupies, for its part, between 11 and 17GB, so Apple no longer makes phones with less than 32GB.
Operating system and RAM
This is a matter of taste and applications. Android occupies the dominant position in the market today (more than 80% of the market) and offers great freedom to the user. The negative side is that being the system with the greatest implementation, it is also the most attacked. In this case, users who opt for Android have one more reason to protect their smartphone with a professional tool in addition to having the OS constantly updated. Another option is Windows Phone, which is gaining market share, supported by continuity and compatibility with the Windows ecosystem, the majority among PC users.
Another factor to take into account when choosing a mobile phone is RAM memory. RAM is the main memory (apps and operating system) where the applications and processes of the device are executed. Depending on the use that you want to give your mobile (for example, if you really like to play with your device) you should choose a model with more or less memory. But, as a general rule, the maxim that the more RAM, the better the device, is not always true. Our device can have a lower RAM memory but have high performance, since the key is that the system is well optimized.
Photo and sound function
If you share photos with friends and family on a daily basis, you should consider buying a phone with a good camera. Most of the higher-end models offer very solid solutions in this regard, especially in low-light situations. Other important criteria to take into account are the zoom, the HDR (shooting optimization process), the Flash Led and whether it has a panorama, stabilization or burst mode. The editing and sharing options of the images should not be neglected either.
