Choosing the perfect smartphone that will meet your requirements and meet current trends is not easy. Especially if you do not understand the technique, and the variety of smartphones on the market scares you.
Then we will give some tips and recommendations, after which the choice of a new phone will be less stressful and long-lasting. Although you will have to spend some time trying to determine the requirements and choose the perfect smartphone for you.
Table of Contents
Narrow the selected circle
The first thing to do is limit your selection from the hundreds of available models to several options. In fact, it’s much easier than it seems. To get started, decide on a budget and try to stick to this amount. This means that you will no longer consider buying smartphones that exceed your budget. For example, if the maximum amount you want to spend is about $ 400, forget about premium smartphones such as Galaxy S10 Plus or OnePlus 7 Pro .
Then specify the functionality that is of great importance to you. If your budget is less than $ 1,000, you will have to compromise when choosing a smartphone. If you travel often, you will most likely need a device with a good camera and a capacious battery.
If you use your smartphone to watch movies or start games, pay attention to models with a large display and high resolution support. The same applies to other functional ones. For example, think about whether you are ready to give away a 3.5mm headphone jack or front stereo speaker. Make a list of the features and capabilities of the smartphone that are most important to you and those that you can opt out.
Tip : If you rarely use your smartphone, don’t play it or take photos too often, then don’t buy a flagship.
Try to analyze how you use the device and without which you can not do it. The main mistake when choosing a smartphone is that people overpay for unnecessary functions that they don’t even use.
If you manage several calls and text messages a day, from time to time checking email and messages on social networks, then buying an expensive flagship such as the Galaxy Note 9 is a waste of money. The same as taking Ferrari and driving it several times a week to the supermarket and back.
When choosing a budget and important functionality, start looking for suitable smartphones that meet these requirements. If there are difficulties in this process, on our site you will find various lists of the best smartphones (according to specific features) that will help you make the right choice.
For example, if your budget is around $ 400, the quality of the camera matters to you, the presence of “clean” software and you don’t need a powerful device, then pay attention to Google Pixel 3a . However, if you are looking for a smartphone with flagship equipment, and other functionality is not particularly important to you (e.g. microSD connectivity or high-quality camera), then Pocophone F1 , powered by the Snapdragon 845 processor , is right for you.
Of course, we’ve only given the simplest examples. When you decide on budget and functionality, you’ll have about five or ten smartphones that meet certain criteria.
Listen to the opinions of experts
Another way to limit your choice – learn expert opinions. To do this, you can read smartphone reviews on our site or read interesting models on Youtube . This will definitely help you make the purchase decision.
For example, you might be interested in the LG G8 ThinQ because of the Z camera, which can remember a unique hand pattern, as well as take screenshots or open applications using hand gestures without touching the screen. Sounds fascinating, right? But if you read any LG G8 ThinQ review , you’ll immediately understand that the innovative functionality is too slow and inaccurate. In a way, this can only be called a great advertising feat.
Tip : Read reviews and reviews to understand which smartphones deserve attention and which do not. Knowledge is power!
Or are you interested in last year’s Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro . It is equipped with an unusual fingerprint scanner that similar smartphones do not have in the same price range. Again, if you read a review, you’ll understand how useless the scanner is, given that it only works 40 percent of the time.
So, read the expert opinion and try to critically perceive all the advertising noise of smartphone manufacturers. Remember, they want to convince you that every new feature is the best and most needed thing in the world. But in fact, it almost always turns out that it all works either in the way we would like or simply does not need ordinary users.
Test the device yourself
If you have the opportunity, go to the electronics store and test the other smartphones on the list. Thanks to personal experience, you can understand what this or that device looks like in reality. In addition, these photos of smartphones that the manufacturer offers often mislead buyers. In addition, you can see how the phone is in your hand, feel the difference between different housing materials (for example, glass, metal, plastic) and so on.
Do not forget about the dimensions of the device. The larger the screen, the more convenient it will be to watch the video. But it also means that the smartphone will not be so convenient to hold with one hand or in your pocket. Get ready for the fact that you may have to compromise after you personally see some smartphones.
In addition, you should ask the consultant to turn on the device that interests you to test specific functions independently. Run several applications, take some photos in the main and front camera. On average, 7-15 minutes is enough to understand if the smartphone is right for you or not.
As soon as you test the device in practice, immediately eliminate unnecessary. If you finally doubt some suitable models, then making your choice will not be difficult.
Take your time to buy
As soon as you find the right smartphone, take your time to buy it in the first available store. Check prices in other places if you want to save several hundred or even thousands of rubles. Remember that prices may vary significantly depending on the store.
The easiest way to compare prices is by price or by dropping by. In this case, don’t forget to manually go to some websites. Believe me, the difference in prices can be really impressive. In addition, some networks often have promotions, bonus programs and other lucrative offers that will help you save money.
It is important to consider the time of purchase. For example, if you like a new smartphone that has not yet been on sale, it’s worth pre-ordering. Most manufacturers offer customers pre-order free gifts such as microSD cards , headphones and even VR headsets .
The worst time to buy is right after the start of official sales. At the moment smartphones have the highest prices. And although some models, such as OnePlus and Google Pixel , rarely go on sale, even for them, just a few weeks after launch, manufacturers can make discounts. And again, we can talk not only about several hundred, but even thousands of rubles.
If you want to buy an older model, don’t be lazy and see when the company plans to update the line. When this happens, the prices of previous models generally receive impressive discounts.
Therefore, if you want to save on buying, take your time to buy a phone. Take some time and check the market offers. You will definitely be rewarded with the remaining savings from the initial budget that you can spend on something else.
Other tips and advice
There are other tips and tricks that will definitely help you choose a phone. First of all, do not be afraid to buy devices from other manufacturers unknown to you, and not just those you are used to. Check out other brands from LG , Google , Samsung and Xiaomi .
The fact that you know little about other companies does not mean that they create bad smartphones. As we have said, you will quickly understand a good phone in front of you, looking at a few reviews or reading reviews about it. Do not forget that buying a device even by some technological giant, there will certainly be no problems with it. For example, some LG smartphones had problems loading data, and Galaxy Note 7 devices were at risk of fire.
Tip : If you want to save, think about buying a supported or restoring device.
In addition, remember that you do not need to buy only the latest smartphone models. Some devices, released one or two years ago, can have all the necessary functions and save a lot of money. Most often, the latest versions have only small updates and improvements compared to their predecessors, but at the same time have a much higher price.
If costs matter, look for refurbished or supported devices. However, when buying them, you need to consider other functions.
If you need a device with the latest and latest version of Android , it’s best to choose Google Pixel or Android One devices . Fast enough to download updates and smartphones from OnePlus . As for such giants as HTC and LG , as well as less known Chinese manufacturers, updates come to their devices with slight delays.
These are probably all the tips and recommendations that should be considered when choosing a smartphone. If you have any ideas or suggestions that you want to share, be sure to leave comments below!