There’s a lot to consider when buying a smartphone like the camera, storage capacity, operating system, cross-device functionality and accessory customization.
In the market for a new smartphone? There are so many smartphone features, gadgets, and catchphrases that manufacturers throw at you. How do you arrive at a purchasing decision?
The Android versus iPhone debate is a hot one. People want to know how to switch from one smartphone after using another for years. I’m going to help you decide how to choose a phone. We’ll have a little conversation about iPhone versus Android, which actually has nothing to do with iOS or Android OS.
Smartphone buyers aren’t monolithic. Some folks care about bells and whistles while others want a phone that simply makes phone calls. Here are some ways to help you better understand your smartphone.
What’s Your Price Range?
First, determine how much you’re willing to spend and how you want to spend it. If you’re an Apple customer, you already know that iPhones tend to be more costly than Android phones. However, a cheaper iPhone SE (2020) for around $400 may be the ideal budget phone for the iOS platform. Samsung is another relatively high-priced brand with models across the price range. On the lower end of the price scale, you’ll find brands like Nokia, Honor, and Motorola. You can save upfront costs with phones that are subsidized via a carrier that you can pay for in monthly installments over a year or two.
Smartphone Performance: Processor And Ram
Your smartphone processor, also known as the chipset or the SoC, is the component that is responsible for just about everything functioning on your smartphone. It is essentially the brain of the system, and most of these processors also come equipped with AI capabilities that essentially make your smartphone as ‘smart’ it is today.
A capable processor not only allows your device to function seamlessly but is also capable of enhancing other factors. One example is image processing. Samsung phones, as an example, comes in two variants - one hosting the Snapdragon chipset (the latest one being Snapdragon 865+). In contrast, the other one employs Samsung’s in house Exynos processor (the latest being Exynos 990).
Camera
Just having higher number of megapixels does not mean that the smartphone camera is better. Several specifications such as camera aperture, ISO levels, pixel size, autofocus and more are essential as well. A 16MP rear camera does not necessarily be better than a 12MP camera. Same theory goes for the front-facing camera.
Higher number of pixels mean that the size of the image is bigger, which becomes more sharper when seen on a small screen. A photographer enthusiast might want a camera with 12 or 16MP sensor under f/2.0 or lower aperture for speedy shots even in low lights. A casual shooter can go by even with an 8MP 0r 12MP camera with f/2.0-f/2.2 aperture.
