Some of the leading smartphones on the market are known for their high-performance processors, advanced built-in cameras, sharp displays, and ample storage. With so many choices available, selecting the right smartphone can be quite a task. In these cases, individuals should consider their budget and key features of the smartphone. They should also understand how these features will benefit them to make an informed buying decision.
Battery
One of the top smartphone features to look for is its battery. Even if a phone has a super-clear display or a high-megapixel camera, it is practically useless if it does not have a good battery. While the battery power can be boosted externally, it must be able to last long. So, individuals should look at the battery capacity. It must handle all the phone’s uses, from taking numerous photos to streaming content.
The batteries should ideally last for over 48 hours on a single charge. Even 12 to 16 hours of battery life after continuous use is considered decent enough. While looking at the battery life, individuals should make sure to check whether it is capable of charging quickly. Along with charging time, other battery life features include the battery’s capacity. The more capacity a battery has, the longer its life will be.
Operating System
The phone’s operating system (OS) is a popular feature to look for. In general, the choice of the OS is a personal preference. Most individuals stick with the same system, even though they might change their phones. This is primarily because using the same operating system makes users familiar with the software. There is no need to learn how to operate a new phone.
Despite personal preference and familiarity, learning about the different operating systems available across smartphones can be helpful. This is because switching to another OS can bring a host of extra features that individuals may find more appealing.
Android and iOS are two of the major operating systems for smartphones. While iOS is exclusively available for Apple devices, Android OS can be found on phones made by a wide range of manufacturers.
Processing Speed
A top smartphone buying tip is to check the processing speed. Most individuals tend to overlook this feature. The processor is the powerhouse of the device and runs all the functions and software applications of the phone. The processor’s speed is measured in GHz, which is the clock speed. A phone with a faster processor typically delivers better performance, which is especially important for activities such as gaming or streaming videos. Similarly, a phone with a processor speed of less than 1 GHz cannot load webpages fast enough. Having multiple cores or coprocessors can also increase the speed of a phone. Usually, a multicore processor with a speed above 1 GHz is useful for seamlessly using a phone’s features.
Camera
Over the years, smartphone technology has become quite advanced, especially in terms of cameras. Users can now take high-resolution photos and videos with professional camera-level clarity. Most phones come with rear-facing and front-facing cameras. The capabilities of each are different.
The basic feature to look for in both cameras is the picture quality or photo resolution. It can make all the difference between good and bad photos. A camera that has high megapixels can take higher-resolution photos. While the number of megapixels is one of the key attributes to look into for phone cameras, there are some other features that are useful for camera quality comparison.
Action Shots
When taking photos of objects in motion, such as an action shot during an event like sports, the camera must have the right settings. Otherwise, the photos may appear blurry. A customizable aperture or image stabilization feature is required to take such action shots.
Landscapes
It can look simple, but capturing outdoor landscapes is a difficult task. Cameras often struggle to balance the contrasting lighting between the sky and the ground. However, cameras with ISO or HDR features can effectively manage these lighting differences, resulting in high-quality landscape images.
Nighttime Shots
A camera captures grainy photos with insufficient ambient light without night mode. With night mode, a user can get high-quality photos even during nighttime.
Display
One of the best mobile phone features to look for is the display of the phone screen. This is because the screen is the main way to interact with the gadget.
There are several display and resolution tips to consider while purchasing a smartphone. For instance, the screen should be big enough to read everything and use the various features comfortably without straining the eyes. Also, the phone’s display settings must have accessibility features that make the icons larger for greater convenience.
Storage
There are several smartphone storage options. Most affordable phones have a minimum storage capacity of around 64GB. Out of the total storage, around 10GB is taken up by the operating system and preinstalled apps.
For users who want to get into gaming or record videos, a phone with a higher storage capacity of around 128 GB is suitable. Most high-end phones come with even bigger storage of 256GB or higher.
