Buying a smartphone was a simple process in earlier times. Mostly price, appearance, camera, etc were the prime factors one considered before purchasing a smartphone. Well, times have changed. What are the necessary criteria for buying a smartphone in 2021? More features are added to the smartphone on a regular basis aimed at improving the user experience. Leading brands are investing in new features and upgrading existing features. We have compiled a list of top factors to consider before buying a smartphone. We hope this smartphone buying guide will help you choose your smartphone.
7 Top factors to consider before buying a smartphone
-
Price
-
Operating System
-
Processor
-
Display
-
Battery
-
Memory
-
Camera
Price – Factor #1
One of the most important factors to consider before buying a smartphone is Economics. One has to set aside a budget for your favorite phone. Smartphones are available in India in a wide range starting from Rs, 4999 to Rs.1.5 Lakhs.
Most of the premium features are now available in mid-range phones. Hence it is a good idea to go for a mid-range phone. Mid-range phones come in the range of Rs. 18000 – Rs. 25000
Operating System – Factor #2
Operating systems, are the software for running the smartphone. The most prominent Operating Systems currently in use are Android and iOS. Android is an open-source operating system owned by Google. It is the most popular of the two. iOS are used in Apple products only. Operating System has different versions. Android 8.0(Oreo). Android 9.0(Pie) Android 10.0, etc are the Android versions. The latest Android version is Android 11.
Processor – Factor #3
One of the most important factors in buying decision of a smartphone has to be its processor. Smartphone A Processor is a set of logic Circuits integrated onto a single chip, Its role is to execute all the input commands and calculations. The Processor communicates with all the other components and executes the required tasks. An efficient processor is required for the smoother performance of all smartphone components like camera, display, etc.
Various types of the processor are available in the market. The most important amongst them are:
- Qualcomm Snapdragon
- Samsung Exynos 2100
- Apple A14 Bionic
- Mediatek
Choosing a processor depends upon what type of user you are. If you are a heavy user, a Movie Buff, or a gamer you should go for a smartphone with Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G or higher. If you are a normal smartphone user, a Mediatech Helio P35 SoC processor should be fine for you.
Display -Factor #4
The displays are the most expensive part of a phone and the one which is more susceptible to accidental damage. It also enhances the appearance of the phone. Basically, there are two types:
LCD
- Thin Film Transistor Technology LCD – TFT LCD
- In-Place Switching LCD – IPS LCD
LED
- Organic Light-Emitting Diode – OLED
- Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode — AMOLED
- Super AMOLED
AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) Displays are the commonly used displays. They are the best when it comes to high contrast and color quality. Studies show they cause less strain to the eyes compared to others.
Refresh rate is the number of times the display refreshes every second, Its unit is Hertz (Hz). For a normal user, 60-90 Hz is enough. For gamers and people using high graphics video editing, 120 Hz is preferred, though it drains the battery quickly.
Super AMOLED Displays found in premium segment smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S21. They are very efficient, provides an amazing viewing experience, and give richer color clarity. Some of the smartphones that have SUPER AMOLED Displays are Realme 8 PRO, Samsung Galaxy M42, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, etc
Battery – Factor #5
Battery efficiency is akin to the fuel efficiency of a car. With the invention of high-end games like PUBG, Call of Duty Mobile, the role of a smartphone battery has gained prominence. The battery capacity is measured in mAH. Higher the mAH longer is the battery life, which in turn increases the weight and bulkiness of the phone. For example, Samsung M51 has a 7000 mAH Battery and it lasts for full 2 days and it is one of the heaviest phones in the market (213 g). More advanced Battery chargers are in the market, like Superfast chargers, wireless chargers, etc. Charging a Battery nowadays takes less than an hour, On average, a fully charged battery lasts for more than a day.
The most common types of batteries used in mobiles are Lithium-Ion Battery and the Lithium-Polymer Battery. Li-ion Batteries are more popular with smartphone manufacturers as they are less expensive. . The choice of a battery depends on the type of user. but It is better to go for batteries having a higher capacity than 4000mAh. Read: Tips to increase your smartphone battery life.
Memory – Factor #6
Smartphone Memory plays an important role in the performance efficiency of a phone. It is one of the important factors to consider before buying a smartphone.
Memories are classified into RAM(Random Access Memory) and ROM(Read-only Memory). RAM holds data for a shorter period of time. Hence a loss of power will not save its data. ROM is the internal storage of your smartphone. It stores data for the long term. With higher RAM, the phone runs smoother and multitasking becomes effortless. Higher ROM means the smartphone stores more data. A 4GB RAM with 64GB Storage is comfortable for most users (Redmi Note 9 Pro). As we go higher with the RAM and storage, smartphones tend to get expensive. Premium phones have 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage.
Camera – Factor # 7
One of the most important factors that people look into before buying a smartphone is the Camera. Nowadays smartphones are coming with a triple & quad-camera (4 cameras) Basically, a quad-camera set up consists of a Primary Camera, an ultra-wide camera, a telephoto, and a depth sensor,
An ultra-wide camera takes wider canvas Landscape pictures without side distortions. Telephoto Lens Camera functions in extreme close-up situations to capture pictures in portrait mode. It helps in giving prominence to the pictures in focus, The depth sensor is for measuring the depth or thickness of an object( 3D effect)
Unless you are a photography freak, a 32 MP Selfie Camera with a 64MP Rear Camera is perfectly fine.
Conclusion
These are the important things one should consider before buying a mobile phone. We hope these tips will help you choose your mobile phone.
For more blog posts click here