THINGS TO CONSIDER AND HOW TO GET A GOOD SMART PHONE

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING MOBILE PHONES (SMART PHONES)

Nowadays, the power and functionality in a palm-sized smartphone would have taken up an entire storage room in the 1960's. Today, your cell phone is a constant companion, a pocket-sized link to the news, entertainment and social circles that color your world. It's your office assistant, your bank, your game, your book, your radio, your music player, your source of entertainment, your Bible, your Quran, your weight loss monitor and so much more.

That's why it's so important to find the right mobile phone that best fits your needs.

This post is to help you take informed decisions and advice you on the things to consider before buying a mobile phone.

THINGS TO CONSIDER:

1.   WHAT DO YOU WANT TO USE IT FOR?

Do you want to use your phone just to make calls and receive calls? Or do you need your phone to send text messages only? Alternatively, do you want to use your cellphone to take pictures? Browse the internet?

The thing with smartphone technology these days is that there are so many phones in the market and they are all the 'best' at one thing or the other. Some phones have the best cameras, the best internet browsers etc. In choosing your mobile phone, focus on what you want to use it for. If you understand exactly what skills and capabilities you'd like to see in your new phone, it'll help you avoid paying too much for features you don't want or need.

For a good balance, we like the Samsung Galaxy Notes, Samsung Galaxy S, HTC Ones, Sony Xperia, LG, Huawei, Nokia Lumia. For iPhone loyalists, consider the iPhone 5 to 6 plus range. For monetary considerations try the Tecno, Gionee, Innjoo, Infinix smart phones. Other new high-end smart phones and pablets are also advisable if it won’t put a hole in your pocket or break your bank account.

2.   WHAT'S THE BATTERY LIFE?

With many smart phones having dual-core, quad-core, octa-core processors and big screens, smart phones have been more powerful–or more power hungry. Yes, specs and apps matter, but what good are they if you’re looking for a charger by midday?

One way to tell how much battery life your smartphone will provide on a charge is to take a look at the battery capacity. Typical phone batteries start in the neighborhood of 1,700mAh and go all the way up to 5,000mAh. Generally, the closer you get to 3,000mAh (milliamp hours) — or above the better. Check battery life in terms of talk time, standby time, music play time, video play time etc at several GSM phones websites.

3.   DOES SIZE MATTER?

All pun intended. Big-screen phones are growing on shoppers. In fact, phablets (phones with displays 5 inches or larger) now account for about 20% of all smartphones sold in the Nigerian market. Bigger phone screens give you a lot more real estate for watching movies, playing games and enjoying photos. The trade-off is that the phone isn’t easy to operate with one hand, tends to be heavier and can be a tight fit for front pockets.

Large (5.5 inches, 5.7 inches, 6.0 inches): So-called "phablets" (phone + tablets) have bigger screens, which provide a generous viewing area and easier on-screen typing. But they can be bulky.

Standard Size (4.5 to 5.2 inches): The mainstream size for flagship phones like the Galaxy S5, Nokia Lumia and HTC One.

Compact Size (Below 4.5 inches): Many phones, including the 4-inch iPhone and the 4.3-inch HTC One Mini provide smaller, more pocket-friendly form factors.

4.   WHAT OPERATING SYSTEM SHOULD YOU USE?

If you're buying a smartphone, the operating system can make a big difference in how you use your device. At the moment there are four major operating systems vying for your attention. Here's a brief overview of what each one has to offer.

Android and Custom Android ROMS

*  Open source platform that allows third-party developers to create apps and tools

*  Designed as a consumer- and social network-centric platform

*  Easy to customize to match your needs and tastes

*  Over a million apps available via the Google Play store

Apple iOS

*  Integrates iTunes app and Safari mobile Web browser

*  The same technology powers all Apple devices for seamless communication between Apple devices

*  Thousands of officially approved apps available via the App Store

BlackBerry OS

*  Created for business users for easy access to e-mail and text messaging

*  Updated BlackBerry 10 operating system creates a more interactive, user-friendly experience

*  Ideal for international use

Windows Phone

*  Personalized, user-friendly experience that communicates seamlessly with Microsoft computers and other devices

*  Easily customizable touch-screen interface

*  SkyDrive app allows easy management of documents, photos and videos

CAMERA

A phone's camera depends on a whole host of variables. Though you might think that more megapixels is better, that's not always the case. You can get sharper images from a 5-megapixel camera than from an 8 or 16-megapixel shooter, so it's better to concentrate on other specs such as the quality of the lens as well as the camera sensor. (Check Samsung, Blackberry, HTC, Sony, LG Camera quality)

STORAGE & EXPANSION

Given that you’ll store everything from photos and music to videos and apps on your smartphone, opt for as much internal memory and upgradable memory as you can. We recommend you choose a device that has a micro SD card slot.

Edited by: AdeDanCompTech