Phones are getting better much faster than most of us realize. Now, they can do any number of things including running several apps at once, playing games that were initially designed for computers, and taking high-quality pictures. The caveat is that you may need an upgrade. These are some things you should look for before you make the plunge and spend hundreds on a new smartphone.
Good Screen Size
"Good screen size" can be pretty subjective. You’ll want something that fits in your pocket or something you can comfortably carry around with you. The last thing you want to do is purchase a new phone that feels cumbersome or one that’s too small for you to use. Hold your potential phone at least once and try to play around with it. Afterward, buy it online. Chances are, you can save some money and get a better deal by purchasing a phone online rather than in a store.
High-Quality Display
A high-quality display is essential. Color quality and brightness matter than resolution. A 4K screen is great on a phone, but it’s probably overkill. You want your phone to respond to change in light and the outdoors, because what use is a phone that you can’t see outside? You’ll also want to purchase an AMOLED display rather than an LED display.
Great Battery Life
Battery life is another huge thing you should consider. You want something that can hold a charge for at least 10 hours. Anything less will feel useless. If you’re a heavy user and use apps on a regular basis, you'll want to purchase a large battery to last throughout the day. Most phones will display battery size as “mAh.” The higher the number, the better. For average users, 3,000mAh works well.
Minimum 32GB Storage
Smartphone storage can fill up super face if you love apps, pictures, and videos. Even your text messages can take up a ton of space. Anything less than 32GB storage will feel like hardly anything. Most phones are sold as 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. Naturally, 64GB is ideal, but never buy anything lower than 32GB. If your smartphone allows for an external microSD, then a smaller size is alright but will seem more hassle than it’s worth.
Great Camera
Megapixels are a decent way to tell if a camera is great, but you should really look at the specs. Aperture is the opening of the camera lens. When you take a picture, your camera senses how much light is in the setting and adapts to it, opening the lens wider or less. For a phone camera, you want the best aperture you can get. The lower the number, the better, because this means it can open side and take pictures in low-light situations.
You’ll also want to pay attention to any special features that may be offered with your new smartphone. Duel lenses are great for capturing dynamic scenes while optical image stabilization makes a clear image even if you’re moving.
Strong Build Quality
We all drop our phones at least once. Even if you have a phone case, some builds are weak, and the phone can break. Now, fixing our devices can be pretty expensive since there are few seams. Read reviews online, and they should give you a good idea how well the phone is built.
