Alright, when it comes to buying a smartphone many things come into play since we are not talking about basic mobile phones. Now, you need to factor in multiple aspects before you get to buying a phone. If you are rich and do not care much about the budget then this list might not be for you. But if you are one of the countless who buys a phone as sort of a companion for some time then you might need to jot down a few points before investing in a smartphone model. As a fellow Indian, I have had my fair share of troubles before investing in a smartphone. But after some research and lots of usage, it generally boils down to these few things.
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1. Budget:
Now, the first one is not only obvious but the most important factor in deciding your next smartphone. It rules over all the other factors for easily perceived reasons. The more features you want the more amount of cash outflow will occur from your wallet. But don’t worry. Nowadays, companies have become very decent at producing feature-crammed smartphones at attractive price ranges. So, even if your budget is around Rs. 7000-8000, you can still get a decent phone.
The most important thing is to fix your budget and have a variation of Rs. 500 to Rs. 1000 mostly dwelling on the cheaper side. This is essential if you don’t want to go beyond budget because smartphone companies are very good at playing with the prices to lure customers. For example, if you have a budget of Rs. 15k then it is best to look for a phone in the range of Rs. 14k to 15.5k and not going overboard to buy a Rs 16k phone just because it has a certain attractive feature. Believe me, if they are adding a feature like an in-display fingerprint they are taking away something. But if you want to keep everything then you have to go way overboard.So, STICK to your budget. If you have a budget of around Rs 20,000 then checkout this list .
2. RAM and Processor (For simpletons like me ‘Speed’):
Not to sound too dramatic but the need of the hour is fast phones. I could have separated RAM and Processor into two points but it is better to keep them together as they feed off each other. RAM in layman’s term is the memory available for your apps to run. The more the RAM more Apps you can run at the same time. The processor is the brain of your phone. A better processor means efficient and smooth performance.
So, you have to balance it out a bit since getting the best processor and lots of RAM will easily overshoot your budget. So, look for the best processors at your price range and then couple it with the amount of multitasking efficiency you actually need. Do, you want to play PUBG or COD mobile and listen to songs and browse the net at the same time without any lagging or you are just looking for a phone for casual use. This will determine the RAM you need. Generally, you may not need more than 4 gigs of RAM and a Mediatek or Qualcomm processor. Also, make sure to check how much of free RAM you will actually get.
3. Internal Memory:
Nowadays, most mobile phones come with either a hybrid sim slot or no support for external memory at all. So, it is crucial to look at the internal storage capacity of the phone. Try choosing the memory size you need but not the memory size you want. It might seem that more is always better but it is not the case. Most of your phone’s storage will be utilized by WhatsApp Media and other Media. But still, unless you are using your phone as a substitute for a hard drive then 64 gigs is great for casual use. Again, make sure to check how much of free memory you will get for personal usage.
4. Camera:
Looking at how the general population of our dynamic nation is behaving it is a safe bet to assume that you like taking pictures with your phone. Be it a selfie with your friends or capturing the beautiful mountainscapes of Leh you need to have a decent camera quality and herein lies the greyest area which the companies try to capitalize on. Don’t get attracted by the pixels. Try to know or research about the image quality. How good is the low light imaging as well as daylight one? Is the front camera capable of taking natural pics or is it just using digital magic and producing an artificial-looking image. Pixels look cool on paper but doesn’t translate well into real-life (obviously depending on the company).
Nowadays, there are many YouTube channels who unbox phones and give a detailed explanation of the camera quality. But don’t go for sponsored videos. Since they will tend to gravitate towards the positives. Try to get a full picture (no pun intended). Look, no camera will spill out the perfect picture for you but if you know the drawbacks you will know whether you can ignore it or work around it or you need that feature.
5. Design and Built:
You need a phone that has been built to last. Don’t go for phones which advertise as the slimmest phone. Research if it can actually survive the strain. After all, you will need to carry it around. Look for a phone which will be comfortable for you and has a nice grip. Of course, you can put a grip cover if you want. If you are a one-handed user look for a phone which has a nice bezel or is small enough for your thumb to reach the other side. Also, see if the front screen has a good quality gorilla glass. Screen damages can cost a fortune to repair if you go to the customer service centre. At last, you do need a stylish phone too. After spending so much you need a phone that looks like it was made for you. Jokes aside, choose a phone which is of strong built but also has a design that you like.
