Help For Choosing Between Android Smartphones

Most people change smartphones every couple of years, if not sooner. For some, the decision on what new phone to get is an easy one. You might be dedicated to iPhones or have a particular Android model that you want to stick with. Others have a more difficult time deciding between the various options available to them. Eric Ravenscraft of Lifehacker wrote an extensive piece about how to choose a new Android smartphone. Here, we’ll look specifically at what features are most important and how to choose the smartphone with the best features for you.

• Camera

No one carries their smartphone and a digital camera around everywhere they go. Most users want a phone with a quality camera and it’s one of the most varied features from phone to phone. Just because one smartphone’s camera boasts more megapixels doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best. Each manufacturer uses different tactics and designs to create a better camera. So, do some research and look for comparison tests online that show the type of images a camera will capture and in what settings they’re best used.

• Display

Some users will opt for the biggest, brightest and best high-definition display they can find simply because it has the best specs. That isn’t necessarily wrong, but those super charged displays will cost you battery life and processing power and most users can’t tell much of a difference. The big deciding factor for display is between AMOLED or LCD. AMOLED are usually brighter, with more saturated color. They also use less battery because they only light pixels as they’re needed. LCD provide a more realistic color representation. Different displays are best for different users, but don’t rely on number of pixels to choose your next phone.

• Battery Life

The amount of time your battery lasts would probably be first in this list for most people. Once again, you can’t judge battery life on one statistic alone. Some manufacturers include larger capacity batteries to power more powerful processors and brighter screens for longer. Others optimize hardware to use less battery. Both are good ways to improve battery life so research is key to picking the right phone. Battery comparisons and tests are available online.

• Manufacturer Specific Features

If you haven’t narrowed down your choices by using the first three features, this one could help you make a final decision. Manufacturer’s like Samsung, HTC and Motorola all put their own spin on what comes with their smartphones. HTC includes a live news feed of your social media profiles on your home screen and a feature to control your television. Motorola phones come with a voice control app. These features probably won’t win you over by themselves, but they could help you decide between your top two options.

When choosing a new smartphone, you don’t need to worry about which phone is the best. You need only worry about which is the best for you. Before you even start researching phones, take a moment to think about how you plan to use it and what you need it for.

If you have issues with a new smartphone, or would like to fix up your current phone to feel like new, bring it in to Geek Rescue or call us at 918-369-4335.