So,Set out to buy a smartphone for yourself or to gift someone but caught in the floodwave of the smartphones available?Don't worry,I'll help you out :)Well,I'm here to help you-this will be most beneficial in case you're going to grab your first smartphone !!!
Table of Contents
- Set a price point
- Choose an operating system
- Look out for these features
- The often Ignored factors
- Still confused?
- Few recommended ones on Amazon
Set a price point
The first and foremost thing to keep in mind is to see your budget and decide on how much can you spend to buy that expensive litle wonderbox.Now-a-days,you can get a good value for money smartphone as low as $75,so even if you are having a tight budget,don't loose your hope,you can still end up buying your dream smartphone.Seeing the wide range of smartphones available,you don't need to empty your pockets if you can't afford to and still can grab a decent smartphone.
So,I hope now you have stuck to a price point in your mind which should be decently flexible.
Choose an operating system
I must stress the fact that this is the most important step towards selecting your dream phone.
You have got a wide range of choices here.The current leaders in the smartphone wars are Android and iOS.
==> If you are having a go at iOS then make sure you have got a fairly big budget and a very narrow range ahead.You either have to go for a iPhone 4,4S or 3gs.The reasons for this choice may lie with the presence of other Apple products in your kitty which will provide better synchronisation between the different gizmos you have got plus it will allow the use of the accessories you already own for the devices you previously have.One important point here,if you live in a 4g ltee network,then you better not opt for it as even iPhone 4s doesn't support it yet.Another thing is,if you are a tweaker like me and want to customise it,you won't be able to do it as much as you can in an Android powered device.
==> If you choose Android platform,welcome to the world of customisation.Almost everything is possible in Android(exagerrating,am I?).You get a lot of support to customise it the way you wish using some great resources on the net.Another favourable reasons are you get to choose from thousands of devices literally,with some big names in the market like Samsung,HTC,Motorola etc. backing it up.Moreover,the nice integration of google services with this OS makes it a crowd puller.And,also if you want a cheaper yet powerful device,this has to be your choice.My personal favourite.
Likewise Windows Phone is for the regular windows loving people with with a microsoftful experience.Selecting the blackberry now-a-days is primarily because of BBM,blackberry messaging service.Given the deteriorating quality and quantity of apps for Symbian and blackberry devices,their market is shrinking.Choosing either of the three stated above is thus likely to be propelled by one's own taste.
My personal favourite here is,you might have known till now,is Android due to the wide range of devices available + the customisation factor.
You have got a wide range of choices here.The current leaders in the smartphone wars are Android and iOS.
==> If you are having a go at iOS then make sure you have got a fairly big budget and a very narrow range ahead.You either have to go for a iPhone 4,4S or 3gs.The reasons for this choice may lie with the presence of other Apple products in your kitty which will provide better synchronisation between the different gizmos you have got plus it will allow the use of the accessories you already own for the devices you previously have.One important point here,if you live in a 4g ltee network,then you better not opt for it as even iPhone 4s doesn't support it yet.Another thing is,if you are a tweaker like me and want to customise it,you won't be able to do it as much as you can in an Android powered device.
==> If you choose Android platform,welcome to the world of customisation.Almost everything is possible in Android(exagerrating,am I?).You get a lot of support to customise it the way you wish using some great resources on the net.Another favourable reasons are you get to choose from thousands of devices literally,with some big names in the market like Samsung,HTC,Motorola etc. backing it up.Moreover,the nice integration of google services with this OS makes it a crowd puller.And,also if you want a cheaper yet powerful device,this has to be your choice.My personal favourite.
Likewise Windows Phone is for the regular windows loving people with with a microsoftful experience.Selecting the blackberry now-a-days is primarily because of BBM,blackberry messaging service.Given the deteriorating quality and quantity of apps for Symbian and blackberry devices,their market is shrinking.Choosing either of the three stated above is thus likely to be propelled by one's own taste.
My personal favourite here is,you might have known till now,is Android due to the wide range of devices available + the customisation factor.
Look out for these features
A capacitive hi-res screen,battery life,CPU,Adobe Flash support
So now,you've selected your cash to be spilled and the OS,let's move on to something specific to the model you've set your eyes on.
If you are looking for an in-depth review or specs list for your device,google "your_device_name specs/review".GSMarena is a trusted site in this section.Read out the user reviews at the bottom of the page to get an idea about performance of the phone.
If looking for a touchscreen device,always prefer for a capacitive one over a resistive touch screen.A capacitive screen is far more responsive to touch than resistive.To test if you get hands on a device,if the touch works woth your nails or something plastic (careful,you might scratch the screen) then it is resistive,otherwise it is capacitive.The resolution of the screen is another important thing-again higher is better
See the specificaions of the CPU,if you're a hardcore gamer,look for something faster,may be dual or quad core.Look for bigger battery life,if you work somewhere you can't get a charger easily..Generally,the higher the mAh reading of the battery,higher is the battery life.
If you are scared of typing on touch screen due to those fat thumbs of yours,seek for devices for which swype is available,it really makes typing a breeze.Otherwise look for a handset with a hard keyboard.
Make sure that the device supports adobe flash,if you watch a lot of flash videos online
If you are looking for an in-depth review or specs list for your device,google "your_device_name specs/review".GSMarena is a trusted site in this section.Read out the user reviews at the bottom of the page to get an idea about performance of the phone.
If looking for a touchscreen device,always prefer for a capacitive one over a resistive touch screen.A capacitive screen is far more responsive to touch than resistive.To test if you get hands on a device,if the touch works woth your nails or something plastic (careful,you might scratch the screen) then it is resistive,otherwise it is capacitive.The resolution of the screen is another important thing-again higher is better
See the specificaions of the CPU,if you're a hardcore gamer,look for something faster,may be dual or quad core.Look for bigger battery life,if you work somewhere you can't get a charger easily..Generally,the higher the mAh reading of the battery,higher is the battery life.
If you are scared of typing on touch screen due to those fat thumbs of yours,seek for devices for which swype is available,it really makes typing a breeze.Otherwise look for a handset with a hard keyboard.
Make sure that the device supports adobe flash,if you watch a lot of flash videos online
The often ignored factors
If you have selected an android phone,check out the list of supported devices by Cyanogen,an after-market firmware:It makes sure you have the latest version of android OS running on your Device even if your device manufacturer doesn't release an official one.Does your phone pops out of your tiny pocket often,or you have children who consider your expensive cellphone a football?Then you should better go for a rugged smartphone which are water-resistant,dust resistant and don't get scratched easily to make sure they are with you Forever...(not forever,you know it,but for quite a few years.
Does your workplace doesn't allow you to have your phone connected to the charger,then better choose a phone with longer battery life or make sure an extended battery,which you can buy on later,is supported by it.
Find out if the manufacturer you've chosen is having a service center near your residence,in case of any mishap with your device.Also,check if your device has a seperate section at forum.xda-developers.com,if yes then nothing better than that,because the guys over there are very helpful and allow you to tweak your phone to squeeze out the max functionality out of it.
Still confused?
Still stuck between those two handsets with nearly identical features?Leave a comment below(no login/registration required) and I might remove your confusion !!!Please fill out the poll given along the lens to share your views with others.
Did we miss out on some important factor,tell us below :)
Excuse me for my misspells and brevity...
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