Smartphones: Features that Matter

Choosing a good smartphone can be a very difficult task today. Ironically, it is hard to pick the best model because there are so many great phones out there! Still, there are several reasons why some manufacturers release products that cost $1000 or more, while others manage to offer similar hardware components and software features in great-looking devices that cost $500 or less. So, how do you choose the best smartphone for your budget? Here are several criteria that you should take into account.

1. Price

If you've got a small budget, choose an Android phone. It's that simple indeed, because Apple's smartphones are much more expensive.

2. Operating system

Everyone knows that the major players in the smartphone industry are Apple and Google, with their iOS and Android operating systems. Apple has a robust OS that is (arguably) safer than Google's OS, and its App Store offers lots of polished, fully functional apps. On the other hand, it is true that iPhones aren't as flexible as their Android-based counterparts, so data exchange can be a bit cumbersome sometimes.

Google's Play Store has started modestly, with only 40,000 apps (or so), but now it has become a real rival for Apple's App Store. And since Android is an open source operating system, it can be customized by phone manufacturers to their liking. It may sound like a great idea, but this level of customization has actually decreased Android's security level. It is known that Google releases security patches regularly, but since phone manufacturers tweak Android's source code, Google's patches can't be applied directly. So, if security is essential and you are an Android fan, one of Google's Pixel smartphones may be the ideal solution.

3. Gaming features

If you love to play games on your phone, be sure to learn as much as possible about the available Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), the mobile equivalents of the 3D video cards that are installed in regular PCs. As a bonus, a fast GPU will also help your smartphone render high definition movies without skipping any frames.

4. RAM

The more memory your phone has, the better, of course. Still, Apple has managed to optimize its OS quite well, making it run fast even with less RAM. Always go for a smartphone that's got 4 GB of memory or more.

5. Storage space

This is an essential feature for most users. If you pick a phone that was manufactured by Apple, you won't be able to increase its storage space, so choose a model that's got at least 64 GB of memory. Android users are spoiled, because with most phones you can easily add an external SD card that can have capacities of up to 512 GB.

6. Screen size

Gone are the days when people wanted tiny phones, to make them fit in their tiny jacket pockets! Today, bigger is definitely better! So, go for a phone that's got a screen of at least 5 inches.

7. Camera resolution

Many people believe that more megapixels translate to higher quality photos, and this is true to a certain extent. Still, if you love to take pictures, you shouldn't base your purchase on the sheer number of megapixels. Don't ever buy a phone without seeing some of the images that it is actually able to produce.

8. Battery

We have gotten used to charging our phones on a daily basis, isn't it? However, people who pick smartphones which have removable batteries can easily carry a spare in their pockets. If your preferred phone manufacturer doesn't offer these types of devices, be sure to pick a smartphone that's got a big battery. Go for models which have batteries of 3,000 mAh or more.

9. Reviews

It goes without saying that you should read as many phone reviews as possible before purchasing a product. The smartphone that you are interested in may look great, but if it's got a poor display, which doesn't allow you to read messages in direct sunlight, it is useless! So, Google "phone model review" and learn as much as you can about each device that makes it into your "most wanted" list.

Good luck!