Are you looking to get yourself a new smartphone? Here are the top 5 things I consider before buying a smartphone.
With the incredible range of smartphones available these days, It is getting more difficult to find what suits your needs. There are more and more of models that might be deceptively appealing without actually suiting your needs.
1. Feel, Size & Form
If the phone doesn’t fit my rather small hands, it makes using it a 2 handed affair and I’m way more likely to fumble and drop it.
This for me is very much a hands-on affair, I get my mitts on any phone I can to see what I like. Strangely I’ve held some high-end phones I find uncomfortable and difficult to use.
This also defines for me what screen size makes sense. I just don’t have large enough hands to handle a 5.5″ screen.
2. Memory – what’s enough?
At least 1GB of base RAM and at least 8GB extended if I can expand that with a microSD. No microSD then at least 16GB.
If you are big into gaming, photo’s, music or video then more is better.
3. Upgradeable OS
Contrary to what most people think, I’m not too worried about which operating system I use. I’m techno-literate and OS agnostic. What I want is for my OS to update, as there is no surer way to make your phone obsolete than to have it stuck on an old OS.
Apple iOS is king in this regard, you device will still have a shiny new OS when you come to sell it which will mean it will fetch a better price too.
Android is updated for varying periods on different devices, a general rule is that the more expensive and popular the device, the longer the support will be. Samsung S4 Galaxy phones will get Lollipop but not Marshmallow unless you root the device.
This is where Google Nexus devices are great, you get roughly 3 years of updates and the updates happen faster than any other manufacturer.
4. Staying power – battery
Larger batteries mean longer battery life all things being equal. I’m not interested in charging my phone every 12 hours if I can avoid it. Longer battery life means I’m less likely to get caught out with a dead battery and a loss of connectivity.
OS plays a role here as newer versions of the common OS’s generally have better battery life than old versions.
5. Dual SIM
A nice option for African conditions where Cellphone companies rip users off when it comes to data bundles.
6. Megapixels?
Most smartphone cameras feature 16MP sensors. Anything above 8MP however should be more than adequate. The other thing that you must look out for is a larger aperture. The larger the aperture, the easier it is to shoot in dim light and this is perfect for those who are photography enthusiasts. Generally, cameras with an f/2.0 or less boast wider apertures.
Bonus: What’s the price?