Smartphones are supposed to make our lives easier. With the right smartphone you can manage e-mails and appointments, get directions, keep track of your workouts and what you eat, shop, share information with friends, listen to music and watch movies. So why is finding the right smartphone so darn confusing?
Lots of people feel stupid when picking a smartphone. Which is the best platform, Android or iPhone? How can you find the best deal on the phone you want when not every cell phone carrier sells or works with all models? How can you avoid paying for minutes or data plans you never use? How can you avoid overage charges? Which phones have features worth skipping and which features are must haves? Do you even need a smartphone or will a regular mobile phone do?
Smartphones aren't cheap (and neither are the plans they sometimes require), so taking the time to do a little research first and figuring out exactly what you need, want, and can do without, is worth it. We'll show you how to narrow down your options, find the right phone, carrier and plan for you so you end up with the right smartphone -- and maybe even some money left in your pocket. With these five tips for picking the right smartphone, you'll be leaving the cell phone store with the right phone and feeling downright...well, smart.
1.What Operating System
The OS (Operating System) of your new Smartphone can make a big difference in how you use it. It comes pre-installed on your phone and it is the software that basically allows your phone think and processes information. When it comes to Smartphone’s there are a few Operating Systems that stand out and you’ll most likely end up choosing one of the few options below.
Apple OS – Is the operating system found on Apple products like the iPhones, iPod Touch, iPads etc. The iPhone is the device that you’re going to be interested in as a mobile phone. Apple is a pretty solid operating system which is very user friendly and has a pretty decent app market. Apple’s app (application) market is a more secure marketplace then that of many other phones and has an extremely wide selection of apps to choose from.
Android – Android isn’t found on Smartphones made by a single manufacturer, it’s an open source Operating System released by the mighty Google. Not many operating systems can stand up to Apples iPhone but the Android OS does, even passing it in some areas in my opinion. One of the greatest features of the Android OS is the applications found on its marketplace, now known as the Google Play Store. Because of the idea of 3rd party programs being allowed without the rigorous approval that iPhone developers have to go through the app marketplace on Android phones has an extremely wide range of apps available, most being free. And I don’t know about you but Free is always in my price range.
Now because of this less strict policy it is a give and take kind of situation. You have access to a wider selection of games and apps and yes many are free or extremely affordable but because of the open source philosophy (which is awesome) almost anyone has the opportunity to create and load an app for Android phones. Because of this some apps might not be written as well as others and of course has a minor possibility of causing issues on your phone, also it takes time to develop these apps so many of the free apps such as free games come with minor ads unless you buy the full version (which is common almost everywhere and anywhere these days). As long as you just keep an eye on the apps you download though you should be fine. If you download an app and your phone starts acting strange all you should need to do is uninstall the app you downloaded and not use it any more.
Windows – run by Microsoft another powerhouse when it comes to software the Windows 7 and Windows 8 operating system offers many of the powerful features found on the other two operating systems already mentioned above such as automatic backups to your Windows Live ID (a free service) which is much like the Android backup to Google. Except Windows phones also offer the cloud which allows you to save even your pictures online. Imagine taking a picture on your phone and it then showing up on your computer when you get home. Isn’t technology awesome!
Blackberry OS – Research In Motion (RIM) has fallen back a tad in popularity since its inception due to the release of other Operating systems but it is still a major player among Smart Phones, especially when it comes to using your phone for business. Blackberry’s main strong point is its email capability, not only because of its ability to sync and use Microsoft’s Exchange Servers (used by the majority of businesses as their primary email service) but because its email is pretty much instant. When you send an email on a blackberry phone it doesn’t matter if the person is standing right next to you or on the other side of the world they get it pretty much instantly, it’s amazing. Though Blackberry phones seem to take forever when it come to updating them their OS is strong and the phones have really good backup and restore capabilities. As for the app market, Blackberry has some catching up to do, but if you’re using your phone for business don’t forget to consider Blackberry.
WebOS – was originally an Operating System developed by and for Palm Phones the first being the Palm Pre released in 2009, this OS was later acquired by HP (Hewlett-Packard) who seems to have some pretty big plans and to use the OS as the platform for its future devices. Keep your eyes on palm they might be the next Apple iPhone if HP plays its cards right… on the other hand, maybe not, but who can tell the future. Though Palm phones seem to take forever to load up when you first turn them on, the palm operating system is pretty solid. Like Blackberry phones the app selection on WebOS phones are a bit limited compared to Android iPhone and Windows devices.
Most of these operating systems offer pretty much the same features when it comes to using your phone, they just offer them in different forms. Try to keep your operating system in mind when choosing what kind of Smartphone you want to purchase.
2.Screen Quality
Not all Screens are Created Equal, and not all screens are made the same, but for the most part, the average user won’t notice too much of a difference between screen types and it most likely will not be a huge contributing factor when deciding your phone… Some names you might run across include LCD AMOLED Retina BRAVIA and some minor others. The LCD and AMOLED are the two most common among screens found on Smartphones.
TFT-LCD (thin-film transistor liquid crystal display) often just referred to as LCD is the most common type of screens and are found on all sort of Smartphones ranging from the most affordable to the some of the more pricy phones. These types of screens might be a tad wider and not as thin simply because of their design using light to shine through the pixels to create its picture.
AMOLED - Active-matrix organic light-emitting diode, or AMOLED for short don’t use a backlight because each pixel actually produces its own light. There are many types of AMOLED screens but many are a little more pricy to produce so are less common than the LCD screens.
In a nutshell you won’t notice a huge difference between screen technologies, however if you mostly use your phone for searching the internet, reading documents, or reading text for that matter than LDC might be your preferred choice. If you use your phone for watching videos, movies, gaming, etc, the AMOLED might be your preferred choice.
3.How Good is the Camera?
Now and days these new Smartphones can take better pictures than your digital camera can, which is perfect for you because you might not always have your camera with you but chances are that you will have your phone with you.
When comparing cameras on your potential Smartphones you can start by comparing their megapixels. In a nutshell the higher the megapixels count then the sharper the picture. Megapixel means one million pixels so a six-megapixel camera can produce images with six million total pixels. If you have two phones and they appear to be exactly the same except one has a 4 megapixel camera and the other one has an 8 megapixel camera then chose the one that has 8.
Minor Side Note: the higher megapixel then the higher the resolution and more storage space your pictures are going to take up. Also remember when texting or sending a picture the resolution is sometimes diminished.
4.Configuration
If you’re going with iOS, your choices are pretty straightforward: you can get the iPhone 5S with its 64-bit processor, fingerprint scanner, and fancy new camera, or you can get the colorful iPhone 5C. Either way, you have to be content with a 4-inch display and no physical keyboard. Despite the uniformity of the iPhone’s hardware design, however, it’s a recipe that has worked for millions upon millions of happy iOS users.
One of Android’s strengths is the vast variety of hardware that runs it, but at the end of the day, your choice comes down to either a smaller device to fit in your hand or a massive device with a screen nearly as large as a tablet’s. Motorola’s Moto X straddles the two extremes, offering a 4.7-inch display in a phone that’s comfortable to use in one hand. But typically, the most powerful and desirable Android phones have massive screens, while the models with smaller screens tend to have lower-end specs and features.
Larger phones, such as the HTC One, LG G2, and especially the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, can be a bit cumbersome to use, especially if you are trying to do something with one hand. Your best bet is to head to a carrier store and try out the device before purchasing it to see if it’s comfortable for you.
For some reason, Android device makers have not been able to keep up with Apple when it comes to cameras either. Despite some promising advances made by Samsung, Sony, and LG, the iPhone still offers a more consistent camera experience.
You may have noticed that none of our recommendations offer a physical keyboard. There’s a reason for that: many device makers simply don’t offer the option any more. Fortunately, virtual keyboards have come a long way in accuracy, speed, and predictive features, making the lack of a hardware keyboard a non-issue for the vast majority of people. And when a physical keyboard is available, it is usually on devices that are so low end, you probably shouldn’t even consider them. BlackBerry is the primary proponent of the physical keyboard, and it produced the best one on the market. But the company’s apparent intent to exit the consumer market is enough reason for us to leave it off of our recommended platform list.Windows Phone devices fall somewhat in the middle: more choices than iOS, but nothing like the vast array of different Android devices. Nokia’s Lumia devices run the spectrum, from the diminutive Lumia 520 and its 4-inch screen to the much larger, 6-inch Lumia 1520. Nokia also pushes the envelope when it comes to camera technology in its devices, debuting new technologies such as optical image stabilization well before its competitors.
5.Pricing and Budget
The budget could be the biggest spoilsport when it comes to taking a final decision. You must ensure that you do not overspend. While you should also make sure that you do not compromise on important things for a small price differential. You are the best judge of how long you plan to use the device and must make an informed choice based on a comprehensive research, which you do not regret at a later stage.
Moreover, you could also make use of various price comparison sites like mysmartprice.com to get the best price a particular device is available for at various online stores. You could also use the lowest or best price so derived as a benchmark to negotiate the price with your neighborhood store guy.
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