Smartphone Buying Guide: Important Things You Should Know

Smartphone Buying Guide: Important Things You Should Know
Choosing a smartphone is not that easy unless you are fine with wasting money. Whether you are a businessman, a professional or just a student, it is important to determine what you are looking for depending on your needs and budget. It gets tougher with the dozens of smartphones available and you'd easily feel overwhelmed but, getting the right one that's going to fit to your needs will keep your money worth it. Multiple operating systems, different carriers that could offer high-speed 4g networks and a wide range of screen resolutions and designs, there could never be another good time to upgrade your smartphone or buy your first one.
Choose the Operating System that's best for you. Buying a Smartphone is actually harder than buying laptop. Unlike computers, you can change the OS if you don't like what you have. Some renowned operating systems are Apple's iOS, Android, Blackberry OS and Windows Phone 7. They are in different platforms which make them good at different things. Here's an overview of these operating systems.
iOS
Apple's easy-to-use interface, most apps and highest-quality apps and unique hardware and software integration makes this platform hard to beat. It also has iTunes which makes it easy to buy music, movies, books and apps, and Siri voice companion.
Drawbacks are limited multitasking ability and no support for haptic feedback. Social networking services may not be as tight as Android or Windows Phone.
Android
This is the most popular open-source OS by Google that is in a great variety of devices. It is able to get and choose from hundreds of thousands of apps from different app stores (many of them are free). Android got the features 4G LTE, high-speed cameras and HD screens, first and it integrates with social networks for sharing content and contacts. Easy task-switching and home screens can be customized and cool widgets are available too.
However, Android is the most vulnerable to malware since it can get apps from any app stores. It occasionally slows down on some phones and sometimes crashes. iTunes has been better than Google Play store for buying media and updates of this operating system aren't guaranteed.
Blackberry OS
If you can't get through without a physical keyboard, this may be worth a look. Great security management and long battery life is guaranteed. This may be good for people like businessmen who wants to make sure of their emails to be secured because, all emails and internet service goes through RIM's servers.
However, it's hard to recommend an outdated hardware with low resolution screens, slow CPU's and it does not support LTE. There are only few major applications available.
Windows Phone
This could be a tempting choice for first-time smartphone users. Emphasized information at a glance such as Live Tiles on the home screen and the ability to pin almost anything to Start screen means fast access of information. Microsoft services like Office and Xbox are deeply integrated and even when the phone is asleep, camera can be launched.
Limited app selection, specs of phones are way behind, landscape mode optimization not supported and phone can't be used as a hotspot. These are the drawbacks of Windows Phone.
What Specs will meet your needs?
Screen
Larger and larger screens are the big trend in smartphones presently. Surfing the web, playing games and watching movies feels more captivating, especially in a high definition screen, and makes typing a lot easier. It is certainly beneficial to many but, not to all.
Larger screens tend to equal a bigger and heavier design which is the reason why 3.5-inch smartphones like iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s are still so popular.
Devices with big 4.7-inch LCDs that are crammed into an impressively thin chassis are nice, but operating them in one hand are a bit difficult. Tablet-like 5.3-inch screen is gorgeous but looks a bit silly when help up to your head. It all boils down to what you value most- bigger canvas for your content or portability.
Processor
Smartphones have processors just like computers. This determines how fast they can do things such as opening applications, web pages and multitasking. Android smartphone these days respectably has a dual-core processor and quad-core devices as well. Settling for a single-core processor, particularly less than 1GHz is not recommended. A fast A4 dual-core chip in iPhone is good for playing console-quality games.
Memory
There are two types of memory, the system memory is for the device's performance which is good with the standard 1GB, and the memory for storage. MicroSD usually comes with Android phones that can be upgraded up to 32GB. The iPhone with 16, 32 and 64GB sizes while Windows Phones usually have built-in storage in various sizes. If you're planning to store a lot of music or movies on your phone, 8 GB should be adequate.
Camera
If you love taking photos, you should consider 5-MP cameras or higher (16-MP is the highest now) for better quality. Aside from the megapixel, there are more features you should consider such as the lens quality, how quick the camera starts and captures and how it can handle low light situations.
For video quality, opt for smartphones that can shoot 720p HD (1080p is the highest) footage. The best cameras will give you sharp and smooth-looking videos even in dim conditions.
Battery Life
Some people tend to overlook this very critical feature and just focus on how awesome a device can do. Having a smartphone with a fast processor, powerful camera and the amazing 4G LTE will kill your battery fast. In short, a poor battery life makes your device useless by lunchtime. Most phone batteries are 1,700 to 2,000 mAh and 3,300 as the highest.
Operating systems and software inside your device also plays a big role. Windows phones tend to last a day because they efficiently ping data to the network, while some Android phones only last for 5 hours or less. You may also tweak your phone settings to squeeze out extra runtime like using 3G instead of 4G.
TIP: Always remember, technology changes every day. The most expensive premium phone today could be next month's $99 special. If you can wait for a couple of months, you can get your dream smartphone with your budget. Unless you don't have financial problems, you'll get tied with the wrong phone you got for at least 2 years. Don't compromise on quality. Having the best out of your money means taking time to choose. Compare prices, read reviews online or better ask your friends who's got experience with smartphones.