Smartphones have become an integral part of our lives and play a vital role from the time we get up in the morning till we get back to sleep. As soon as we get up, usually the first thing we do is to check for notifications or rather shut the alarm! Whatever it may be, in this era of technological advancements there are companies which come up with their products having some or the other distinct factor which makes it stand out from the rest.
Here, I will list out the basic tips which you should keep in mind before buying the perfect smartphone for you. Yes! Every phone is not ideal and not everyone is a geek out there to know every aspect of a device.
Before heading to get your smartphone, do make a note whether why are you buying a smartphone or rather for what purpose. It makes no sense for a person who wants a camera centric phone but rather gets a pure performance based one as the shopkeeper claims or recommends it to him for his higher share of profit. Hence, get your priorities right.
The phone can be good in either:
1. Performance
2. Camera
3. Battery
4. Design and ergonomics
5. Smooth UI or rather stock ROM
6. Secure software
7. Constant updates and support
8. Media
These were just some areas in which a smartphone may be good at. It is never possible to achieve greatness in all but rather in a few areas. Take for example any flagship device. Everytime the company will claim it to be powerful, have a stellar camera, have great user experience, etc. yet the truth is that it excels in just 1 or 2 areas.
Since the end of the year 2015, we have been seeing numerous companies launching their share of devices for a competitive pricing. As the devices launch, so is the confusion for the consumers to pick their ideal device. The main focus area has been the budget i.e in Indian rupees under 20000 or $300 approx.
Here, I will list out the basic tips which you should keep in mind before buying the perfect smartphone for you. Yes! Every phone is not ideal and not everyone is a geek out there to know every aspect of a device.
Before heading to get your smartphone, do make a note whether why are you buying a smartphone or rather for what purpose. It makes no sense for a person who wants a camera centric phone but rather gets a pure performance based one as the shopkeeper claims or recommends it to him for his higher share of profit. Hence, get your priorities right.
The phone can be good in either:
1. Performance
2. Camera
3. Battery
4. Design and ergonomics
5. Smooth UI or rather stock ROM
6. Secure software
7. Constant updates and support
8. Media
These were just some areas in which a smartphone may be good at. It is never possible to achieve greatness in all but rather in a few areas. Take for example any flagship device. Everytime the company will claim it to be powerful, have a stellar camera, have great user experience, etc. yet the truth is that it excels in just 1 or 2 areas.
Since the end of the year 2015, we have been seeing numerous companies launching their share of devices for a competitive pricing. As the devices launch, so is the confusion for the consumers to pick their ideal device. The main focus area has been the budget i.e in Indian rupees under 20000 or $300 approx.
- As I said earlier get your priorities right , the next step is to decide how much can you shell out for a new phone. There are a variety of devices which are performance oriented in the budget segment , hence here it does not become an issue however for camera you might have to spend a bit more.
For eg. The XIAOMI REDMI NOTE 4 has a quite powerful chipset but has average camera performance but can be bought for as low as $180 or Rs11000 (3GB variant) . However, for better camera, the HONOR 6X is an ideal device but for slightly higher price i.e about $ 200, though its just a marginal increase.
Another case is the price point of above Rs. 30000. This range has a variety of devices however its mainly dominanted by the performance beast i.e the ONEPLUS 3T. The device has a decent camera however, for camera centric folks going for the higher priced LG V20 ( available offline for about ₹40000 ) or the Samsung S7 will be a better option.
(DO REMEMBER, I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY SMARTPHONE BRAND. ALL BRANDS MENTIONED HERE ARE JUST FOR REFERENCE PURPOSE AND NOT FOR DEFAMING OR PRAISING THEM. NO POSTS ARE PAID OR SPONSORED AND ALL VIEWS ARE PERSONAL)
- The next important thing is checking out for end user experience. Whether you may get your ideal device or not (may be due to budget constraints) yet the end user experience is what matters the most. Getting a device with sluggish UI or usual stutters could be a nightmare and hence the way to check out is either having an In-hand feel or via YouTube or blogs and reviews.
- Ok! I wont make the post more long but this point will focus on overall factors. Never ever fall for marketing. Marketing has been something which the brands tend to lurs the consumers and make them believe that their device is the best even though it might not be. E.g the Samsung J2 this device was sold in millions of quantity inspite of having mediocre specs and a below average camera all thanks to marketing.
Many brands specify only the number of cores and not the actual processor model. E.g. the Snapdragon 430 has 8 cores and the Snapdragon 820 has 4. So some brands in advertisement focus only on core number and market it as more cores more better performance which is never the case .
RAM is also used as a marketing factor where even if the processor is not capable enough to use that much RAM, the brands tend to market the device as more RAM more better performance. Again its never the case and do remember, there are not all apps or rather very few apps made to use the RAM to its full potential
RAM is also used as a marketing factor where even if the processor is not capable enough to use that much RAM, the brands tend to market the device as more RAM more better performance. Again its never the case and do remember, there are not all apps or rather very few apps made to use the RAM to its full potential
Another place for numbers is the Megapixel count. Always a 13MP camera will not be as good as the 12MP camera. E.g VIVO and OPPO. THEY TEND TO FOCUS MORE ON SELFIE CAMERA AND MORE MEGAPIXEL COUNT.
- The final point for this post will be the comparison of prices. Always when opting for higher priced device or any device which is available offline apart from online, do make comparisons in pricing.
The LG V20 which was initially released for a price of ₹55000 is now available offline for under ₹40000 whereas online retailers still sell it for about ₹45000.
These were a few pointers which can be considered as basic tips to consider while buying your next smartphone. If you find it useful then please do share and if you find it to be basic then congratulations YOU ARE A GEEK.
(DO REMEMBER, I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY SMARTPHONE BRAND. ALL BRANDS MENTIONED HERE ARE JUST FOR REFERENCE PURPOSE AND NOT FOR DEFAMING OR PRAISING THEM. NO POSTS ARE PAID OR SPONSORED AND ALL VIEWS ARE PERSONAL)