Finding the Right Smartphone for You: iOS or Android
Ready to upgrade your smartphone? Want to ensure that you make the right decision and buy the best phone for your needs? Here are a few things you need to consider:
iOS or Android?
When you’re buying a smartphone, one of your biggest considerations is going to be whether iOS or Android is the better option for your needs, Generally speaking, iOS is easier for the average person to use while Android gives you more choice and freedom to customize your phone.
If you’re just looking for a smartphone you can pick up and use without having to configure anything, an iPhone will probably work better for you, whereas if you want to be able to do things like extending your phone’s memory, play around with the hardware or install custom software, Android would likely suit you better.
Do you need fancy features?
If you look at the details for the new iPhone 12 at https://macpaw.com/how-to/new-iphone-release, for example, you will see that it comes with a lot of exciting new features such as 5G connectivity and LiDAR scanning capabilities, but do you really need these features and will you use them?
If you would use the features, then the phone is probably worth every penny, but if you are unlikely to use them at all, choosing a phone with fewer impressive specs may be the better and more affordable option. It’s natural to be enticed by fancy extras, but if you won’t use them, what’s the point? You should always tailor the phone you choose the features you want and need to use.
Screen size matters
The size of your phone’s screen will have a direct impact on well it works for you. For example, if you choose a smartphone with a screen that’s blogger than 5.5 inches, it could be difficult to use it one-handed, which might hamper you in day to day life, or if you choose a phone with a screen that’s too small for you to be able to read what’s on it very well, that’s going to be a bummer too.
Try to think about how you use your phone every day, and any limitations you have that screen size could impact upon and choose accordingly.
Camera megapixels aren’t that important
A lot of us put a lot of stock in how many megapixels our phone’s camera has, but we may have been wasting our time all along; you see the number of megiapxels a phone’s camera has is less important than it has a low aperture number, dual lenses and image stabilization for example – these are the things that will help you to take amazing photos, not the megapixels which are pretty universally decent enough on most mid range+ smartphones.
Battery life
One of the worst things about smartphone ownership is when the battery dies, so when you’re looking to buy the right smartphone for you, you need to look for a phone that offers at least 10 hours or life after a full charge. That way, you can get through a full day without having to worry about your phone dying on you. These days, even budget smartphones can manage 10+ hours of life, so if the phone you’re considering doesn’t, you may want to think again.
Get enough storage
Phones that don’t offer at least 32GB of storage are ripping you off. It doesn’t cost much for the manufacturers to give you at least this amount and doing so will enable you to store a decent amount of photos, videos, games, and apps without having to pay more for cloud storage. Many Android phones offer microSD cards so you can expand your storage by hundreds of gigs, so if you know you’ll want to store a lot of stuff on your phone, they could be the way to go, but aim for at least 32GB internal and you won’t be disappointed.
Don’t be blinded by design
There are some really beautiful looking smartphones out there, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with you wanting to choose a device that looks good but doesn’t put style over substance. Look for a phone that delivers everything you need AND looks great for best results, but if you can handle slightly less attractive phones with better features, go for that every time because when it comes to smartphones, how well they work is the most important thing.
Choosing a new smartphone can be tough with so many options available, but if you take the time to think about your needs, you will be able to get it right.
