With so many smartphones in the market, it is hard to make a decision before settling for a device that best suits your needs. Whether you are looking for a simple phone or a high performance phone there is a lot of variety to choose from. The problem is no longer buying a bad phone, it is making sure that you get the best deal possible. You want to make sure that the phone you buy is worth every penny and even more. Let me give you a number of things to consider before buying a phone. Here is a 5 step guide:
Carrier and network coverage
This is what you should always check first before buying a smartphone. You have seen an amazing phone with superfast 4G internet and you are thinking of buying it. Before you do that, first make sure that you can get a data signal at home, where you work and even where you usually hangout. No matter how wonderful the phone is, it is no good to spend some serious cash on it if you have to climb trees or walk for kilometers in order to read your emails. You should also check data charges and make sure they are not going to strain your pockets.
Step 2:
Operating system and price
The operating system is Android alright, but what version of Android is it? There are phones with very old versions of Android and you should try to avoid them. I am sure most people would want a phone with the latest version which is the lollipop. The price of the phone is a tricky issue and you should be very careful about it. The Total Cost of Ownership is something you should be very keen on if you are not buying SIM-free. It varies from operator to operator and the price plans can be dramatically different.
Screen size and design
The past few years of evolution of smartphones have given rise to phones with some really large screens. If you are the kind of person who uses your phone to watch videos and play games then a big-screen phone will definitely fascinate you. On the other hand, there are some of us who are really concerned about portability and you might find the big phones to be a burden. You will have your phone for quite some time and you should make sure that the design suits your taste.
Step 4:
Battery life and storage
Unfortunately, there has not been much development in the battery life of smartphones. Considering just how much time we spend on our phones, you should make sure that you get a phone with above average battery life. Having to carry your charger everywhere you go is quite annoying. Internal storage is also a very important thing in a smartphone. If you don’t want to spend time debating on what apps to delete then you should avoid phones with stingy memory. Getting one with a slot for extra storage would be a plus.
Camera and special features
When it comes to camera, most people have fallen victim of the megapixel myth. Don’t let mega pixels fool you: a camera with more megapixels does not guarantee better quality photographs. If you are someone who loves selfies then a good front camera is a must have. Smartphones are coming with lots of special features to beat the competition and you should be very selective about these. There are some which are totally worthless and there is no point paying the extra cost for them. However, there are some really helpful features but these vary from person to person.