These days, no doubt there are plenty of reviews on various Cellular Phones, and plenty of choice in the market. With many processors, screen sizes, operating systems, cameras and other features, it could become a confusing experience trying to select a cell phone to purchase for yourself, or heaven forbid, buying one for a family member or friend.
Based on the questions people have asked me, and my own personal experience, I have assembled the following FAQ section to help you to make a purchase:
1. Decide the Brand: For good or bad, there are certain perceptions that we have regarding various cell phone brands. Someone may like Samsung, the other Lenovo or Nokia. While there may be good reviews on a particular product, if you feel uncomfortable purchasing it, you had better not go in for it. After all, if something goes wrong with the phone or you find something you do not like about it, your dissatisfaction will be more, and you will have buyers remorse.
Note: This point is of even more importance if you are buying the phone for someone else.
2. PRICE: Often overlooked, price is a very important consideration. Decide on the maximum you are willing to pay. For instance, I am looking for a phone for Rs.10, 000. Then, do NOT pay more than 10% of the price, no matter how good the phone may look. After all, you will need to spend at least Rs. 1000 more for a memory card, screen guard, case, car charger etc.
For e.g. For Rs. 10, 000 I have narrowed down my choices to Micromax A110Q, Nokia Lumia 525 and Xolo Q700. Now, the current hot phone is the Motorola Moto G, which is selling for Rs.13, 000 for the cheapest variant. You may think. hmmm. do I buy it?
The Answer: If you are going to keep the phone for around 2 years or more, you can speed a bit more. HOWEVER, if you are keeping the phone for only 6 months to 1.5 years, it does not make sense to spend more NOW. Given the rapid increase in cell phone technology, a phone with much better specifications than the Moto G will be available in one year from today.
3. Operating System: There are three prominent OS’s available for phones. Android (most prevalent). iOS (for iPhones) and Windows Phone (Lumia series). Blackberry also exists, but they are very niche these days.
Android: The most popular OS, most phones sold these days have it. Also, it comes with a huge variety of apps which people like. If go into a mobile store, chances are 8/10 phones you see will be Android.
iOS: For the Apple iPhone. Given that it comes ONLY with the iPhone, it does restrict your choice of phone to buy.
Windows Phone: A simple interface, in my opinion, more suitable for elders and not-power users (i.e. 90% of all phone buyers). Also a good choice.
In my opinion, each OS has plus and minuses, and you cannot really go wrong with them. Trust me, I have used all three. You will get used to all of them.
4. Screen Size: Remember the earlier days when your phone would have a small screen? Well, these days, screen sizes are becoming huge, with phones as large as tablets. Here is my guide to screen size:
3.5" and below: Mostly found in the cheaper (below 7k models). Would not really recommend it, as a slightly larger screen makes it easier to use the icons and menu on the phone.
4"to 4.3": A good compact screen size. I find phones with these to be the most pocketable.
4.5" - 4.7": Big enough to enjoy multimedia content / reading on the phone, yet more pocketable than the larger offerings.
5" and above: Is a pain to carry in pants pockets and you need to operate them with two hands. BUT, are excellent for watching photos, videos and reading web sites.
Personally, I would like a 4"- 4.5" screen size.
5. Build Quality: Often overlooked, this is something you need to see when you go to the store and try out the phone. While a phone may have good specs, if you do not like the look and feel of it, you will not enjoy using it. And trust me, we all drop out phones, so something which is built well is always better.
6. Battery Life: Given that phones have powerful processors and large screens, having a good battery is always better. How good is good? Well, battery capacities are listed in mAh. For a smaller screen phone(4.5" and below), a battery capacity below 1, 500 mAh may just about be acceptable. Personally, I would want a phone with at least 2, 000 mAh battery.
7. Processor, RAM and Built in Storage: These days, with processors and RAM increasing everyday, I personally would not find it to be too much of an issue, unless your phone is really a budget model. Most models come with Dual Core Processors and Quad Core Models are getting more popular. Unless you run really intensive games, it should not really matter. Keep in mind, more powerful processor= Less battery Life.
RAM: I would personally want at least 1GB of RAM. This is especially important for android phones, which have a tendency to slow down over time. More RAM would help in reducing hanging and some apps may only run with 1GB or more RAM.
Internal Storage: Keep in mind that some phones WILL NOT accept memory cards, like Moto G or the iPhone. In such cases, try and buy the maximum storage than you can get. E.g. for Moto G, I would recommend the 16GB model over the 8GB.
8. Camera Features: Megapixels are overrated. Unless your phone is a bit expensive(15k or more), it will not deliver excellent pictures in low light. To know more about the phones camera, click some pictures in the store and see how they look. A Flash is always a plus point, and it can be used as a torch as well. Regarding video, I would like phone to shoot at least 720p High Definition video, which looks good on an LCD/LED TV.
9. After Sales: In my personal experience of owning phones for 10 years, most likely your phone will not really fail. Physical damage is much more of a possibility. Still, I only had one bad experience, with my Micromax service centre. Still, you need to know which service centres are in your town, if this is important to you.
10. Where to Buy: With a lot of online shopping proliferating, most of us buy phones online these days, but I would recommend taking advantage of any sales happening in your area, and trying out the phones you want to buy at least once in your local store. Trust me, you many decide not to buy a model if you find it to be not nice once you hold it.
11. Essential Accessories: CONGRATULATIONS, you have bought your phone. But now, you need to have certain accessories for it.
Firstly, a screen guard. I do not care if your phone has fangled’Unbreakable’ glass. Trust me, a screen guard ensures that sweat and grime do not affect the screen. A matter finish one reduces the colour s a bit but also ensures low sunlight reflection. Better to get this applied from your local mobile accessories store, where they have plenty of practice.
Next, a case. Which type of case? Well, there are two or three kinds. My favourite is the flip case, which covers the phones screen and protects it when it is in a handbag. Also, you can talk with the flip on to ensure that sweat does not get on the screen.
However, a silicon case also has many benefits. It covers the back and slightly protrudes in the front, and acts like a shock absorber, useful if you bump or drop your phone.
And lastly, a memory card. This is if your phone has a memory card holder. You can get an 8GB card for around Rs. 300, and that would store about 700+ songs - or - 1, 000+ camera photos - or - 3 to 7 movies. If you can stretch it, a 16GB card is the best value in my estimate, coming for around Rs. 500.
Conclusion: There are a lot of good phones in the market and personally, I think it is difficult to make a bad choice. Yes, some phones are better in certain aspects, but you need to look for one that you like and suits you. I hope this guide is of some use in helping you find your dream phone today.