Our smartphones are central to our lives. In a way, they are like a hub in the centre of a city where all roads intersect and come together. They provide instant communication via voice, text, and video. A universe of entertainment options is available at the click of a screen, and we can shop for anything from anywhere. Our apps let us plan trips, find restaurants with great reviews, and keep up with our loved ones and friends in ways never possible before.
The newest smartphones offer a host of incredible advanced features too, from professional grade cameras to amazing processing power in the palm of our hands. With all the great features on the latest mobile devices, choosing the right smartphone can be a complex task. Fortunately, Melita’s helpful Mobile Phone Wizard Tool can help. It lets you highlight the features that are most important to you, and after answering a few guided questions, you will receive a customised list of phones that fit your requirements. With the Wizard, you can quickly explore and find the perfect phones for your needs.
Understanding the Different Factors That Influence Your Mobile Device Choices
Let’s look at the different factors that might be most important when you are choosing your new mobile device;
Price
Cost varies a lot when it comes to mobile devices, and it is often a reflection of the smartphone’s features and capabilities. If you are interested in the absolute top of the line models, you will be looking for a manufacturer’s flagship models. Entry-level flagship models may also give you every feature you would like, at a slightly less expensive cost.
Most users, though, will gravitate toward the mid-range models, where competition between manufacturers is fierce. In this range, you can get incredible features at a far more affordable price. If your needs are more basic, you may find that leading budget phone models will get the job done. In addition to choosing a great device, you will want to be comfortable with what you are spending too.
Display
If you stream a lot of videos, watch downloaded movies, or edit images, you would be best served with a display size of 14 to 15.25 cm. Displays bigger than that will leave the phone feeling too bulky. Apple iPhones utilise OLED display technology, while Android models typically use either LCD or AMOLED.
Full HD+ resolution will provide a wonderful video experience. If you only use your smartphone for simple web browsing, texts, and calls then an HD model display would suffice. Full HD offers 1080p resolution, while HD is only 720p.
Battery
Smartphone displays typically use more battery energy than other components of the device. In general, bigger displays with higher resolution (more pixels) will consume more power. Your connections, which include the phone signal, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, data, and location services, also have a significant effect on your battery life.
Every time your phone connects, it draws on battery power. And when you use those connections, you will reduce your available battery charge too. There are tradeoffs to consider. New smartphones have higher resolution screens that draw more power, but also have processors designed to better optimise battery use. It’s best to look for real life tests and benchmarks for your favourite phone models, and see actual standby and usage results.
Security
Your smartphone contains a veritable treasure trove of personal information, so security should be one of your top concerns. Look for smartphones that incorporate added security features like fingerprint or iris scanning to help keep your information safe.
You might also consider encrypting the data on your phone. In case of theft, this can prevent others from accessing the personal information on your phone.
Camera
With a top-quality mobile device, you will be able to take professional quality photos and record crystal clear videos too. While you may not think you need a high-end camera on your smartphone, there is nothing more disappointing than being unable to capture a beautiful scene in nature when you want to share that moment with loved ones and friends.
Some phone models are noted for their incredible video capabilities, while others provide a superior picture-taking experience. While you’ll want to look at features such as megapixels, optical stabilisation and hybrid autofocus, it would be worthwhile to read the reviews to see how your preferred device models perform in real life.
Storage
You will find that most of today’s mobile devices come with a minimum of 32GB of storage; expect some 10GB to be consumed by the operating system and preset apps. This would be sufficient if you are not going to be recording videos or gaming.
There are also smartphone choices that offer 64GB or 128GB of storage, and you can always add a 32GB microSD card if you need more. In high end phones that record 4K video, look for storage of 256GB.
Charging
Another factor that comes into play with smartphone usage is charging speed and features. If you are out and about, or working on projects that really tap your battery use, you may want to look for a device with rapid charging. Some manufacturer’s devices let you charge your phone in less than 30 minutes.
Wireless charging is another feature that you might want to consider. Although it’s not as efficient as standard wired technology, it can make charging nearly effortless.
Updates
Keeping the software on your mobile device updated is critical if you want to help assure the integrity of your smartphone. Regular software updates patch flaws in existing security, add new security levels, fix bugs, and upgrade existing features. Installing updates regularly will also improve the performance of your smartphone.
Network
Increasingly smartphones, even the more affordable ones, fully support 5G. When compared to 4G/LTE, 5G offers better download speeds, reliability, and lower latency. If you are looking at a new smartphone that you will be using for the next several years, a 5G capable device would be a good choice.
How to Use the New Handset Wizard Tool
You can take the complexity out of your smartphone buying decision by using Melita’s Mobile Phone Handset Wizard Tool. The first step is to choose 3 features that mean the most to you. You’ll get to choose between Price, Display, Battery, Camera, Storage, Body, Charging, Network and Security & Updates.
From there, you will be asked a couple of questions related to each feature. The Wizard will then generate a list of the different devices that match your features and the parameters you specified. You’ll be able to find out more about each model, as well as see pricing information. Instead of spending hours doing research, you will be presented with the perfect choices in an instant.
Things to Consider Before Making a Decision
When deciding on your new mobile device, you are going to want to assess your requirements and determine the budget you are comfortable with. You will then be able to use the Wizard to compare key features that truly matter to you.
Other important things to consider include how long you plan on keeping the smartphone and how long the manufacturer would support it. The ergonomics and design are quite important, so visiting a physical store and seeing and using the phone first hand is a plus. You might even seek professional advice in the form of unbiased reviews before making your final decision.
Conclusion
Working your way through the maze of different smartphone features and capabilities can be quite complex. With Melita’s Mobile Device Wizard you can cut through the clutter and streamline the process. Simply specify the features that are most important to you, answer a few questions and you’ll have your list of top choices.
The wizard can quickly tell you which smartphones meet all your needs, making it easy to find one that you will enjoy using for years to come.
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