Buying a brand new smartphone can be a tricky job if you don’t know much about the technology, price and availability of brands and their handsets. While some people end up buying handset with unsatisfactory features, others feel cheated with the overpriced MRP at which some of the retail stores continue to sell the handset even if there is any price drop or discount option. Here are a few points to keep in mind before buying a brand new smartphone.

Platform

One of the most important consideration while buying a brand new smartphone is knowing about the mobile platforms they run on. There are 3 major mobile platforms popular all around the world:

Android:
Available in all budget of smartphones from an inexpensive model to a high-end flagship handset. Android is all about Google’s vision towards smartphone world, it has nice integration of Google services, most of the services are free, it is less restricted in terms of sharing options, Play Store has most of the free apps available for download.

iOS:
Apple developed iOS and it is one of the most refined and restricted mobile platform. It has whole ecosystem of apps and services but for most of them, you will have to pay a price. It is only available on iPhones and iPads.

Windows:
Despite Microsoft’s effort to push it ahead in competition against rivals like Android and iOS, it has always lagged in apps department. But since Nokia and Microsoft has spent a lot on windows platform, the platform is fluid enough to carry out all the tasks except gaming with least hardware requirements. The app availability is not as good as the other 2 platforms but eventually it will catch up sooner or later.




Brand

Choosing Brand is crucial because it will play an important role in deciding whether your handset will get upgrades, services and good trade in options or not. Bigger the brand, more is the reach-ability to their customers providing better services, more are the chances that the handset will keep getting system updates for the next couple of years or months.




Hardware and Design

Screen:
The size and resolution of display depends on how you use your smartphone. If you often stream videos, edit photos or videos, or download and view movies, then a smartphone display ranging from 5.5-inch to 6-inch, full-HD or QHD resolution should be good enough for you. Anything larger than a 6-inch display not just makes the handset extra bulky, but also difficult to carry around. If you are a regular user and largely use the smartphone for checking emails, chatting and browsing social media apps, then anything from 5-inch to 5.5-inch HD or full-HD display handsets is perfect.

Processor:
The processing power of a smartphone varies from one device to another depending on several factors such as OS version, UI, bloatware and more. If you are a heavy user who need to edit images/videos/documents online, play heavy games, stream videos or often use apps in split screen mode, then smartphones with Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 or Snapdragon 820/821 should make multitasking fluid for you. Light users will be happy with handsets that come with MediaTek processors.

Memory and Storage:
Always look for 1 GB or more RAM in case of Android phones, Windows phones can run flawlessly with 512 MB RAM. Always consider at least 16 GB of internal memory and option of micro SD card or 32 GB of internal storage if expansion option is not available. Again it solely depends on your requirements how much you store on your handset.




Battery Life and Usage Time:

One of the vital factor in smartphones is the battery life. Most of the users get disappointed with the pathetic battery life on their smartphones. Battery life is not just about the bigger battery or more mAh, it’s about getting more usage and stand by time. Insist on having at least 2300 mAh battery (excluding iPhones and windows phones) and usage time of at least 12 or more hours.




Service Centers:

When something goes wrong with our handset, we look for customer care and service centers, availability of service centers is deciding factor if you think you don’t take care of your phone and something eventually might go wrong.




Online vs Retail Stores:

While some retail stores continue to sell smartphone at the same MRP even after the price drop, online stores are deal breakers, offering some interesting discounts or gifts occasionally. One should check the current price of a particular smartphone model online through various web portals before buying one. Always insist on buying genuine products with original manufacturer warranty. Never rely on seller’s warranty because in case of faulty product, you will have to contact seller for warranty. If you are getting the same smartphone model at right price with warranty through retail store, then it is good choice.




Explore the Connectivity:

When buying a smartphone, consider the network signal available where you live or work. Many phones support 3G Internet, but if you opt for a smartphone that’s 4G or LTE (Long Term Evolution) compatible, then you can enjoy faster online usage with a 4G SIM. However, it won’t do any good if there’s no 4G coverage in your area. Most phones run on GSM, which allows you to change SIM card and devices whenever you want. Very few phones support CDMA, which offers better call quality.




Consider Security:

You’ve always installed the latest security software to keep your work laptop or desktop computer secure, but have you given thought to the security of your smartphone? These days, some smartphones come with an extra security feature — a built-in fingerprint reader. Smartphones with fingerprint sensors let you unlock your phone with one touch. Also important is encrypting your phone, since it blocks thieves and attackers from reading your personal data without a special decryption code.