Features to look for in a good smartphone (1)
Ozioma Ubabukoh
Several smartphones flood the market each month. Captivated by remarkable features, cutting-edge designs and specifications, consumers have a lot to choose from. This can make it difficult to choose the phone that is right for you. But with this guide, you will learn the features to look for when buying a smartphone. That way, you don’t have to be tantalised by a mediocre phone with a two-year contract.
The features below are based on in-depth analysis and research and personal accounts from consumers
Screen size – What is the right size for you?
In the old days of flip phones, having a big phone was not necessary. What is more, people mostly used their phones for talking and texting. Those cheesy 2D graphics were not pleasant to look at either. As a result, a larger screen seemed more burdensome than useful. But things began to change as smartphones entered the scene.
People literally marvelled when the first waves of 4.0 and 4.3 inch were introduced in late 2009 and early 2010. From then on, it became clear that a whimsy 3.5 inch screen or less just doesn’t cut it anymore. What is the right size? The ideal screen size ranges from 4.0 to 5.0 inches because handsets in this range maximises versatility and functionality. For example, smartphones in this category are more comfortable to hold in one hand and they easily fit into your pocket.
4.0 to 5.0 Inches – Why practical?
Comfortable to holdEasily fits into your pocketRelatively light weightNot too big and not too small
Big phones (phablets) – Are they right for you?
Seeing the dismal failure of the first 5.0 inch smartphone (Dell Streak), smartphone manufacturers shied away from designing larger phones. As a result, smartphone screen size generally maxed at 4.3 inches from 2010 to early 2011. Bold and aggressive, Samsung went against the odds and introduced the Galaxy Note in late 2011. As expected, it was reviled by many tech reviewers. Some went as far as calling it “useless.”
Hot Tip: Phablets are ideal if you have poor vision, read ebooks, watch movies and browse the web regularly.
After selling more 10 million units by the third quarter of 2012, it was clear that phablets captivated many customers. Why were some customers attracted by those seemingly cumbersome gigantic phones? Surprisingly, it is because of the same thing as average-sized smartphones – convenience. Phablets make it easier to see the content in the screen, especially webpages. As a result, you won’t have to zoom in and out repeatedly to view a webpage or read a document. Granted, phablets are not as comfortable as their smaller cousins.
Benefits of phablets
Larger screen enables you to see much moreIdeal for the elderly and those with vision problemsSuitable for watching movies and videosGood for reading ebooksImproved multitasking
Disadvantages
Less comfortDifficult to use with one handCannot fit in small pocketsScreen resolution and quality – How vivid is the display?
From the iPhone’s retina display to the HTC’s Super LCD screens, it is obvious that manufacturers put a lot of emphasis on the display of their smartphones-and for good reasons. The display is the first thing you see when you turn on the screen. As a result, manufacturers are not only concerned with the size of the screen, but with the quality of it as well. Two key factors that determine display quality are resolution and display technology.
Hot Tip: Buy devices with at least a 720p display and a pixel density of 300 ppi.
Screen resolution is basically the amount of pixels in the screen. If you move very close to a TV or a computer monitor, you will notice miniature individual squares, so to speak. Those “squares” are individual pixels. The more pixels a screen has, the clearer the display will be. If the screen has enough pixels, the human eye cannot see them-which is where the term “retina display” comes from. Therefore, a high resolution display enables you to see more on the screen with much more clarity and detail. When buying a phone, make sure the display has a resolution of 1280 by 720 or higher.
As for display technology, it is not major feature to worry about. The key differences are between the LCD and AMOLED screens. The LCD screens have a slight advantage over AMOLED screens due to accuracy and brightness. Newer forms of the LCD displays such as the IPS and the S-LCD provide even greater colour accuracy with excellent viewing angles. AMOLED displays provide saturated colours that make more vivid. Though they provide good colour saturation, the colours are not always accurate in AMOLED displays. There always seems to be bluish tint or a yellow wish hue in the screen.
Camera – Can it replace your point and shoot?
Some of the most cherished and embarrassing moments are engraved in photos – it’s all about the type of you camera use. As more people ditch their point-shoot cameras in favour of smartphones to take photos, choosing the right camera phone is becoming increasingly important. However, with all of the smartphones laden with mega pixels, it is very hard to choose the right camera phone.
As a result, you cannot determine the quality of a smartphone’s camera by just looking at its spec sheet. Do not bother asking salespersons because they will likely tell you the phone’s camera is exceptionally good, though they have never tried it themselves. An effective way to find out the quality of a phone’s camera is by looking at test photos and videos.
How to know if a phone has a good camera – A quick guide
Determine the phone you want. It is best to choose newer phones because they tend to have better cameras than older models.Look at online reviews of the phone’s camera. What do the reviewers say about the camera? Are its pictures overexposed, washed out, over-saturated, blurry and out of focus? Or are the photos clear and accurate? It is also important to check about their comments on how the camera performs outdoors and poor lighting conditions.View sample photos taken with the phone’s camera. Reviewers usually upload photo samples taken with the camera. View those photos to have an idea of the kinds of picture the phone takes. However, be mindful that many reviewers reduce the quality of the photos to facilitate the uploading process. Therefore, unless it is a raw and unedited photo, keep in mind that the sample photos may look different (usually worse) from the ones the phone actually takes.Watch sample videos. Some smartphones are able to take great photos, but subpar videos. Thus, it is crucial to watch sample videos that were taken with the camera. Observe the quality of the video and audio while watching the samples. Does the video look blurry and over exposed? Is the audio distorted, high-pitched and choppy? Look closely for those signs. To find sample videos, go to a video sharing site (i.e. YouTube), type the name of the smartphone and the word “video test” or “video sample” behind it (i.e. “Galaxy S4 Video Test”).Software features – How useful are they?
People are lured by products with amazing features. Realising this, Samsung crammed its Galaxy smartphones with all of sorts of enchanting features. Consequently, masses of people flocked to get their hands on the Galaxy S4 – causing Samsung to sell 20 million units in just the first two months. Of course, manufacturers often pretentiously adorn their phone’s features in advertisements. But, are those features really that useful or innovative? Will they truly be of any use to you? Regardless of how eye-catching the feature is, any interest on it abruptly dwindles when users find out that they don’t suit their needs.
How to choose a smartphone with the right features – A quick guide
Choose a phone. Of course, the newest phones generally have the latest and most productive features.Find out the features it has. You can do this by using Google, Bing and other search engines (sample keyword: “Top Galaxy S4 Features”)Check out video demonstrations of the features to see if they are really as useful as advertised. While the Galaxy S4 has many features, things such as Smart Pause and Smart Scroll are gimmicky and annoying to some users.Assess your needs. While watching how the features work, think about how they can benefit you and make you more productive. If they don’t suit your needs, there are no real incentives to buy a phone that has them.
Read: Features to look for in a good smartphone (2)
