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Buying a new smartphone in this frenzied time can either be easy or difficult depending on what your opinion is. While some people consider it easy to choose a new smartphone from the many options out there since you can easily pick out the one that suits you, others find it somewhat difficult because just like someone who has a lot of clothes has a hard time choosing which one to wear, the person who has a lot of money may find it hard to decide between all the many options out there. But whatever your opinion may be, the guidelines below will help you know what to look out for in a smartphone.

So here are key features you need to consider before getting a new phone.

smartphone operating system

OPERATING SYSTEM

The most popular operating systems in use now are Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android. iOS generally offers ease of use although their devices are generally expensive, while Android offers good customization options and is quite very affordable. One could also go for Microsoft’s mobile platform, Windows mobile which offers simplicity and deep integration with Microsoft products. Blackberry is also available for people who want to do a lot of instant messaging and for entrepreneurial uses.

CONNECTIVITY

Recently, internet usage has seen a huge growth in Nigeria and Africa and as such it is very necessary to check the network capability of the phone you want to get. At the moment, most smartphones are equipped with 2G and 3G network, while few high-end phones have 4G and 4G LTE.

Also, your smartphone should have basic connectivity features like Bluetooth and WLAN. You can also opt for phones with NFC (Near Field Communication) which is becoming useful in making cashless payments, and GPS for navigation.

SCREEN TECHNOLOGY AND SIZE

The screen type (LCD, AMOLED, RETINA) and resolution (measured in pixels) must be considered. Most smartphones are now equipped with HD, full HD and 4k resolution. Also, a good phone should come with a form of protection like gorilla glass.

Screen size is also a major factor nowadays. An average phone now should have a screen size of about 4.7 inches (measured diagonally). Some phones go up to 6.8 inches on the phablet level as seen on the Huawei P8 Max.

MEMORY AND PROCESSOR

The memory and processor of a phone dictate how many tasks you can run at a time, and how fast your phone operates. So if you are a heavy user that plays lots of 3D games and does other memory demanding tasks, you may need a phone with at least 2GB of RAM space and a Quad core processor with a speed of 2GHZ and above. A good phone should have a minimum of 16GB of internal storage and an option for expansion with memory card.

smartphone camera

CAMERA

The camera of a phone has increasingly become one of its most important features. In checking the camera quality of a device, attention should be on the lens type, image stabilisation option, camera resolution, aperture and pixel count. Although pixel count nowadays doesn’t prove the worth of a camera. Selfie cameras are also becoming very handy and should have a good resolution and wide angle lens.

BATTERY

In the end, a good battery gives you enough juice for you to enjoy the other cool features of your phone. A feature phone doesn’t really need a lot of battery power but a smartphone with a lot of high power components will need a long lasting battery. A proper smartphone should have a battery capacity of about 3000mAH and more. Battery power banks are also available now, but you don’t want to be carrying one around all the time.

MISCELLANEOUS FEATURES

With some extra cash, one can get a smartphone with added functionalities like fingerprint scanning, wireless charging, pedometers and heart-rate monitors amongst others. All these are built to make your smartphone experience more thrilling.

Lastly, don’t be a cheapskate, chances are high that once you commit to a new phone, you’ll hang onto it for a while. Therefore, buy the best device you can afford. You’ll need the camera quality and processor to last you as long as possible until your next upgrade. The battery, too, becomes less efficient at holding a charge as your phone ages, so you’ll want to choose one with a high capacity.

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This article was first published on 28th August 2016

tobenna-ezike

Tobenna is a writer, programmer and musician who is passionate about God, tech, and music. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook by clicking the icons below.