Finding the right smartphone can be an intimidating task, especially when so many different versions are available. Remember that the purpose of a smartphone is that it’s supposed to make your life easier, not harder.
Determine your budget
The first step to determine which phone would be best for you is to set your budget. Knowing the price of the phone and the cost of the associated plan can eliminate unrealistic phones that may be too expensive.
Many phone companies offer major deals on new devices, so doing a little research could help you find the right phone for your needs. Keep in mind that the smartphone plan itself may well be a bigger expense than the actual phone; choosing to pay off your phone in small monthly increments might appear to suit your needs best, but could actually cost you substantially more in the end.
Expandable storage options
Once you’ve picked your ideal smartphone, the next factor to consider is assessing how much storage you’ll need. There are basically two types of devices to choose from: phones that include expandable storage and phones that don’t.
It’s the same principle as a removable battery: Smartphones that feature expandable storage will offer more flexibility if you discover that your needs change over time.
Typical smartphone space bandits
According to Hongkiat.com, there are the classic, recognizable culprits that eat up memory storage on your phone. Assessing how often you use these features can help you determine how much space you actually need:
1. Photos: Approximately 1GB would hold around 256 photos.
2. Gaming apps: If you consider yourself a major gamer, you might need additional storage. Angry Birds takes up a whopping 44.3MG, Temple Run 2 uses 46.8MB, Infinity Blade 3 consumes about 1.4GB and Fruit Ninja HD eats up roughly 49.3MB!
3. Music: If you’re a music junkie, 1GB will store roughly 200 songs on your phone. However, you might consider using an app that utilizes online streaming of your favorite tunes, such as Spotify and Pandora. This will save you significant storage.
4. Documents and reading material: Fortunately, people who like to store Ebooks on their phones will find that they don’t take up much space. Business-related apps, PDF files, and utilities, on the other hand, can eat into your storage more quickly.
Tips for purchasing online
This site counsels that purchasing your smartphone online may have advantages, especially in the financial area. However, there are also a few potential problems you should keep an eye out for:
1. Avoid drastically underpriced phones; this typically implies that the device isn’t fully functional.
2. Watch out for stock photos; often, a seller who is attempting to scam a potential online buyer will use a stock photo to display the product being sold, when in reality the product is defective in some way.
3. Warranty and return information. A genuine company shouldn’t be hesitant to offer a return policy in case the customer isn’t fully satisfied. If a warranty is offered, the purchase should be a solid investment.
