10 Things to Consider Before You Buy a New Smartphone
This device is used on a regular basis by a large number of people for a range of purposes and is necessary for any type of work or connection. In today’s market, there are numerous manufacturers producing cell phones with various features and capabilities, making it difficult to keep track of everything. Smartphones aren’t inexpensive, which is why you should take your time deciding which one to buy. This post will go over ten topics about smartphones that you should consider before purchasing one in order to obtain the best value for your money and a smartphone that you can enjoy for many years.
Android or iPhone
Android and Apple’s iOS are the two most popular smartphone operating systems today. Both of these operating systems are similar in terms of basic operations and procedures, but they also have some variances that will have a significant impact on your decision. Many smartphone manufacturers, including Samsung, Huawei, Oneplus, and others, employ Android OS. These phones have their individual themes, but they all use the same operating system, therefore most of these cell phones will be very similar. This page will tell you why Android is better than iPhone.
Apple is the only manufacturer that uses and incorporates iOS into their smartphones. This does not necessarily imply that it is a less desirable operating system. The Apple iOS system is well welcomed by the Apple customer community, and all other iOS-powered devices function well with the features and systems that they have. This page will tell you why iPhone is better than Android.
Display and size
The display quality and size of your phone are two significant factors to consider and will be determined by your personal preferences. Phones come in various sizes, and some people prefer larger displays because they look better and have a bigger battery, while others prefer a smaller phone, which is more convenient to handle. The display might also differ from phone to phone because different types of displays differ in image quality, brightness, resolution, price, and other factors.
LCD
LCD screens are widely utilized in smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other electronic devices because of their high image quality, brightness, and energy economy. LCD displays have a lower manufacturing cost than other displays, however, they have lower contrast and deplete your battery faster than AMOLED and OLED screens.
OLED
The term “Organic Light Emitting Diode” (OLED) refers to a more stunning form of LED screen. OLED displays don’t use backlights because each pixel is separately turned on and off. Apple has OLED technologies on some of their iPhones, which they name “Super Retina XDR or Retina display” which will allow the panels to have pure blacks and will also eliminate any backlight bleeding.
AMOLED
“Active Matrix OLED” is a form of OLED display that is increasingly being used in smartphones due to its high-quality display and lower power consumption. Most Android phones use this type of display because it provides higher quality than OLED and is slightly more expensive.
Super AMOLED
Super AMOLED is a more advanced type of AMOLED display found in high-end smartphones. Super AMOLED displays are smaller and have a higher screen brightness than other types of displays. These displays provide finer colors and darker blacks than standard AMOLED panels, making them the greatest display type for a smartphone.
Battery life
What good is a smartphone if it can’t keep you going throughout the day? Battery life is critical since we rely more on our phones for various functions. The size of a smartphone battery is measured in milliampere-hours (mAh), with a larger mAh corresponding to a longer battery life.
Keep in mind that other factors can have an impact on battery life. One factor is the display and refresh rate of the phone. You’ll consume your battery faster if you use a phone with a 120 Hz refresh rate. Other factors can also affect your battery life. If you wish to improve your iPhone battery life, visit this page.
Charging capabilities
There is a wide range of charging ports and charging capabilities among different smartphone manufacturers. There are many things to consider, such as fast charging, wireless charging, or what type of charging pin each smartphone uses.
Charging port
Almost all Android phones use a USB-C port to charge and transfer data. The USB-C port on the phone allows faster charging and data transfer than the micro-USB or even the Lightning port on the iPhone.
Fast charging
Another essential feature to have on your smartphone is fast charging. Most modern smartphones have this capability, which allows them to be charged using a fast-charging brick and cable. Fast charging charges your phone far faster than a conventional charger, saving you time.
Wireless charging
Some smartphones also support wireless charging, which is slower than charging with a cable but more convenient. There are also Android smartphones that allow “reverse wireless” charging, which means they can wirelessly charge other devices.
Camera setup
Smartphone cameras have evolved with time, and high-end phones now feature cameras capable of competing with pricey DSLRs. Smartphone cameras have multi-lens systems, various megapixels, and various camera software and functionalities. The main types of camera lenses and significant specifications to consider are listed below.
The main camera
The primary camera lens will have the most megapixels (MP), which refers to picture resolution, and will be the lens you use while taking normal photos and videos. A higher MP value produces a more detailed image, but it is not the sole factor in taking beautiful photos.
Some smartphones also include OIS (optical image stabilization), which allows you to take images or videos with a stabilizing mechanism in the camera lens, resulting in a stable video.
Ultra-wide and wide-angle lens
Most modern phones include an ultra-wide or wide-angle camera, which can capture a wider image than a standard camera lens. This means you can include more of the scenery, but it also means you will lose some image quality.
Telephoto lens
Telephoto lenses are excellent for taking pictures from a distance. These lenses are excellent for shallow depths of field photography as well as for taking photographs from a distance. Because of this, this kind of lens is excellent for taking portrait pictures.
Lidar sensor
Another sensor present on iPhone Pro versions 12 and up is the LIDAR sensor. The term “Light Detection and Ranging” refers to a sensor that monitors how long it takes for light to reflect from an object. This sensor enhances your smartphone with remarkable capabilities such as 3D mapping of the environment, AR measurements, improved photo quality and depth, and more.
Another sensor, called TOF (time of flight), functions similarly to the LiDAR sensor but comes at a cheaper price. It is included with some Android smartphones.
Camera software
Having additional camera lenses or a higher megapixel count on your phone does not guarantee that the photos you shoot will look better. The camera software has a significant impact on image quality, and different phones have different software. Most iPhone camera lenses are only 12 MP, yet they nevertheless provide good results due to camera features like night mode, portrait mode, automatic mode, and more.
Security
Your smartphone is a personal product that includes sensitive information that should be safeguarded against intruders, scammers, and hackers. Every phone comes with a lock and other security features, but some phones are more secure than others. We’ve outlined a few things to think about when it comes to phone security.
Fingerprint sensor
Because there is no longer a home button on the newest generation iPhones, fingerprint sensors have been removed, but this hasn’t stopped Android phones from having fingerprint sensors on the side, back, or even under the screen. A fingerprint sensor allows for rapid and safe access to your phone, which is a convenient feature to have.
Face recognition
Face recognition lock is a popular security feature thanks to its security and fast speed, which is accessible on the majority of smartphones. iPhones offer Face ID, which is safe facial recognition software that uses millions of laser dots to map the user’s face, whereas Android phones use the camera and algorithms to recognize your face.
Ports
MicroSD slot
Many Android phones also have a MicroSD slot, which allows you to expand your storage. In case you want some extra storage on your phone, this is a useful feature.
There are also phones with two SIM card slots, so if you need two phone numbers, you can have them on the same phone.
Microphone jack
If you want to listen to music on your smartphone, you will need a pair of Bluetooth earphones, since most newer smartphones don’t have a microphone jack. Although Apple no longer has a microphone jack on their phones, many Android phones still have one. Remember that you can buy adapters to connect to newer smartphones that lack a microphone jack, allowing you to utilize wired earbuds.
USB-C vs Lightning port
The majority of modern Android phones also have a UBS-C port for charging, which is a superior sort of port to the iPhone’s lightning port. USB-C is capable of faster charging and data transfer than a lightning port. Having a smartphone with a USB-C port is advantageous because this type of connection is quickly becoming a universal port found in a wide range of electronic products.
Processor
Your phone’s processor (CPU) is its brain, responsible for pretty much everything. If you are buying a new smartphone, the processor is an important specification to consider since the CPU will affect the performance, speed, and battery life of your device.
Apple A-series
Many consider the Apple Bionic chip, which is used in newer iPhone models, to be one of the fastest and most power-efficient mobile processors. Apple began employing their A-series chip with the iPhone 7, and they have not disappointed, since even older iPhones are still running smoothly.
Qualcomm Snapdragon
The majority of Android phones are using Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, which come in a variety of versions based on the chip’s efficiency and price. The new flagship CPU, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, can be found in high-end phones such as the Samsung S23 series.
Samsung Exynos
Samsung Exynos is a series of mobile processors produced by Samsung and used only in their devices. Exynos chips are typically found in Europe and India, while Qualcomm Snapdragon chips are mostly found in Samsung phones in the United States.
MediaTek Dimensity
MediaTek Dimensity is a semiconductor company that produces mobile CPUs for low-end affordable phones to high-end powerful phones. These processors can be found in smartphones from ASUS, Xiaomi, and OnePlus.
5G vs 4G
Compared to a smartphone with a 4G network, a 5G smartphone will run faster. The technology of 5G is not just a premium feature for top-of-the-line smartphones since many mid-range smartphones are also equipped with the technology. While 5G networks may be faster, 5G might drain your battery faster, and there are only a limited number of 5G towers worldwide.
Storage
The amount of storage you select will impact how much data you can store on your smartphone, including images, apps, songs, documents, and other media. On a smartphone, there are several storage options to select from, ranging from 32, 64, 128, and even 512 GB. Remember that you can also store data online using services like iCloud for iPhones or Dropbox for Android phones, which makes it more convenient because you can effortlessly transfer data across devices and retrieve your data fast and securely.
- Storage of 32GB to 64GB may be sufficient for light users.
- 128GB to 256GB of storage should suffice for most users.
- Heavy users or those that take a lot of photos/videos or keep a lot of data may want 256GB or more.
Cloud storage
Cloud storage is a convenient way to save data and files on your smartphone, and you can connect all of your devices to make sharing not just easier but also more accessible. Cloud storage is also a safe way to save data like photos and documents without the need for a physical storage device. Apple devices employ iCloud, which provides a safe and simple way to store and transfer data between devices. Other cloud storage options for Android smartphones include Dropbox and Google Drive.
Release date and software updates
New software and updates are continually being released for all smartphones because updates include new security features, address problems, and add new useful functions to your phone. Apple guarantees six years of software updates on all iPhones from the day they are released.
Because of this, the iPhone is an excellent investment and can be used for many years. Android phones, on the other hand, are not so fortunate, and the length of software updates varies depending on the manufacturer; for example, with Samsung phones, you can expect 4 years of Android OS updates and 5 years of security patches.
