Smartphone Guide

Operating System:

Before going into the details of the smartphone hardware, first you will have to select an operating system which you want to use. There are handful of choices available for you in operating systems section of phone. Below is the brief introduction of the popular operating systems so you can choose according to your desire.

Android OS:
Android OS launched by Google, is the most popular operating system for smartphones. Android OS provide you more control of the smartphone, access to UNLIMITED Apps and games, Google Drive, Photos, Google Maps and lot of other things. Android OS is always up-to date for current and future challenges. You will find a variety of smartphones from low-range ($100) devices to high-range ($800) devices which are featuring Android OS.

iOS:
iOS, by Apple, is another popular operating system available in smartphone range. It provides exciting features like Siri, reliable and secure system with great performance etc. You can find iOS only in iPhone series made by Apple. But to buy a new iPhone you should have a budget of $500 and above.

Windows Phone OS:
It is another operating system available in smartphones, which is made by Microsoft. If you want to enjoy a touch of windows in a phone, you can buy a windows OS smartphone available in Lumia series. Like Android OS smartphones, Windows OS smartphones ranges from low to high price.
There are few other operating systems as well in smartphone range like Symbian, Blackberry etc. but they are used less or not any more.

Performance:

Performance is another important aspect of smartphone. While measuring performance of a smartphone, you will have to pay attention to processor, ram, GPU, chipset of the phone. Below is the brief but descriptive introduction of the terms used above.

Processor:
A processor is responsible for the execution of instructions which means it controls of execution of the different tasks of the smartphone. The higher the processor is, the faster the smartphone will be. Processor is measured in terms of hertz (Hz). Modern processors often run so fast that gigahertz (GHz) is used instead. One gigahertz is one billion cycles per second. Also there are different categories in processors according to their processing speed. Which are

1. Single Core
2. Dual Core
3. Quad Core
4. Octa Core
   

Above arrangement is as to their speeds. Which means the last in the list is the most powerful processor yet. An Octa-Core processor will be faster than quad core processor.

GPU:
GPU stands for Graphics Processing Unit. It is a co-processor exists in smartphone, which performs graphical calculations and transformations so that the main CPU does not have to execute graphical work. The introduction of GPU in smartphone have greatly increased the performance of a device, especially when used for tasks such as 3D gaming where lot of graphics are involved. GPU is very important for better gaming experience. Different GPU like Qualcomm Adreno, ARM Mali----, NVIDIA Tegra and lots of other are available in smartphones.

RAM:
RAM is another important factor involved in smartphone performance. All the tasks of smartphone are performed by it. Obviously Bigger the RAM is the faster the smartphone will be. The measurement unit of RAM is in kilobytes (KB) or megabytes (MB). Different mobile manufacturers are offering ram in different sizes starting from 256MB to 4GB (there are also rumors of 6GB or 8GB ram in the smartphone). For better performance you should select a smartphone with bigger ram.

Chipset:
Chipset is like motherboard in Computers, as CPU is soldered on the Chipset inside a mobile device which tends to improve the performance, and saves lot of space. For better performance a good chipset is also necessary. Popular chipsets are Snapdragon by Qualcomm, Tegra by nVidia, Intel Atom, Mediatek.
A smartphone with 2GB of RAM and Quad Core Processor will be faster than a smartphone consisting 1GB of RAM and Dual Core Processor. Also if you are willing to buy a smartphone for gaming purposes than pay special attention to performance section because gaming performance is mostly delivered by CPU, GPU and RAM.

Internal Storage:
Although storage capacity is not much involved in performance but it is an essential part of smartphone. The smartphone with more internal storage capacity means that you can save ample amount of data (movies, games and apps etc.). You should also consider the external storage provided by the smartphone.

Related: Best Budget Phones

Display:

Display is another important aspect of smartphone which should be considered before buying a smartphone. A mobile with good display screen also conveys good impression about your personality. Below are the things which you should consider in order to choose display screen.

Screen Size:
While selecting screen size you should consider a screen size which is comfortable and also fulfilling you other needs. There are plenty of screen sizes available in the market starting from low screen size 2.8 inches to extra-large screen size 6.8 inches. In our opinion screen size from 4.5 inches to 5.2 (sometimes 5.5 inches) is comfortable to use with one hand. Also you should consider another important point which is Screen to Body Ratio listed aside of the screen size in the specifications. The Display Screen to body ratio means how much of the surface the screen represents when compared to the whole device. For example, a smartphone with a ratio of 100% means only screen will be visible from front as it will cover the whole surface of the body. Try to select a smartphone with larger screen to body ratio. Smartphone having large display screen allow a better experience while watching movies, playing games and browsing. But on the other side the big-screen phones are heavy, and can be uncomfortable to carry in your pocket.

Screen Resolution:
Screen Resolution means the number of horizontal and vertical pixels on a display screen. You should select a smartphone with higher resolution which depicts the graphics brighter and sharper. There are plenty of resolutions available like 720p, 1080p, 1440p and many more. Another thing is PPI (Pixels per Inch) which shows that how many pixels are combined to form one inch of the screen. More PPI means the graphics of the display screen are livelier and brighter. Our Opinion is to go for higher resolution and more PPI while picking the display section of the smartphone.

Read More: Display Screens Explained

Camera:

For some people the camera matters more than any other component of the smartphone, especially since most people use their smartphones as their primary shooters. The craze of selfies and snapshots have urged the mobile manufacturers to boost the camera technology. While judging the quality of camera, don't go by numbers alone that this phone has 12MP camera, so it will give awesome snapshots etc. Instead, pay attention to image quality, aperture, pixel size and features. As far as camera features, look for Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) to reduce blur and improve low-light performance. Other features are Auto HDR, Auto Focus, Panorama etc. Another way of checking quality of a smartphone is you can view online sample images of that particular camera. In our opinion, Good snapshots are a result of sufficient megapixels, good lens and sensor technology of the camera.

Read More: Camera Basics Explained

Read More: Camera Features Explained

Battery:

Battery is another important aspect upon which you should pay special attention. Battery is the power house of the smartphone. You may have chosen the best hardware, but if you keep running out of battery, your handset is quite useless. The capacity of the battery is measured in terms of mAh. You should select a smartphone with higher battery capacity. Many factors including the screen size, processor, operating system and overall usage determine how long a smartphone lasts on a charge. A 2500 mAh battery is usually good enough for smartphone having 5.0 inches display screen. Try to select those smartphones which come with lithium-Polymer batteries over lithium-ion batteries. Because the former are lighter, and also retain their charge for longer than the other. Also look for removable batteries as they are easier to replace than the non-removable battery.

Read More: Battery Types

Our ADVICE:

To conclude the smartphone selection guide, we have a valuable advice which you can consider during the selection process. Reputable smartphone brands tend to have better market value. Which means if you are not satisfied with smartphone quality, you can sale it by only suffering a little loss of money. Also Reliable smartphone brands tend to have better after sales service. But if you're opting for a smartphone from a lesser-known smartphone brand, it is always good to check for its service centers in your country / city. A search of the internet about a company's track record should give you a fair idea if this particular organization have the capability to meet its warranty commitments.