It would seem that in our time there is nothing easier than choosing a smartphone. Yes, there is a large selection, but the manufacturers have already told us and shown what we need to buy. Nevertheless, we are very often asked what to buy, so as not to be disappointed. Especially often this question comes from those who previously used only iPhone, but decided to try Android. When choosing, there are several points that you need to pay attention to, so as not to regret wasted money. If you have something to add, you can do it in the comments. Let's try to make the world easier and help those who want to join Android or just buy their first smartphone.
When choosing Android – a smartphone, you need to know what to look for.
What to look for when choosing a smartphone
I remember how I bought my first smartphone for Android and chose for a long time. I looked at the photos, compared the specs and thought about what to choose. Now it is necessary to build on the price rather. At the same price, the quality will be about the same, but there are still some “buts”.
Smartphone appearance
The look of a smartphone is more important than it sounds. For example, a light-colored body will be much less finger-splattered. The days when everything was not black was “for girls” are over and people buy exactly the color of a smartphone that they just like. The bonus of a light or bright smartphone is how easy it is to find it in the dark. Especially in the bag.
Moreover, many will pack it in a case anyway. If you are worried that a bright smartphone will be harder to sell, don't worry. In the aftermarket, the color of a smartphone doesn't matter.
Also note that the side plastic frames can scratch. As a rule, if they are gray, the paint can peel off on a budget device. On black, this is usually invisible.
Scratches appear even on expensive devices, and even more so on budget ones.
Everything else in appearance is pure taste. It is really worth paying attention to the points above. For the rest, take what you just like.
Smartphone body materials
Don't be fooled when they tell you that the plastic case is stronger. It will be stronger only if it falls. Because it is more flexible than glass, it will not shatter as much
Plastic is not resistant to scratches at all. The slightest contacts with keys and coins in your pocket will leave their marks. I'm not talking about scuffs from daily use.
The glass is also more pleasant in the hands. True, in the cold, such smartphones are more slippery than plastic ones. Metal frames are also more pleasant in the hands. But, as a rule, they are found only in flagships. Exceptions are rare.
Smartphone performance
It makes no sense to pay much attention to the processor. If you have a strictly defined amount to buy a smartphone, then the difference, as a rule, will be very small. It can be determined by the results of performance tests, the results of which for each model can be easily found on the Internet by the query “performance test (name of smartphone)”.
In any smartphone, except for the most inexpensive, there is more than enough performance for daily use. Big numbers are needed only for games and demanding applications. If you are not doing this, you should not think too much about the processor. Although, it should be noted that it is better to take a smartphone with Snapdragon. The rest of the processor types will be inferior to them.
If you want to play, you need a powerful smartphone.
The amount of RAM is more important, but the features Android are such that it will take everything that is. It's still better to focus on models with at least 6 GB. The very minimum is 4 GB. Then you will definitely feel a lack of RAM. On the other hand, it doesn't make much sense to take a 12 GB model either. Especially if you have to pay a lot for it. If you have questions about the RAM, we have a separate article about that.
According to the built-in memory, everyone is guided by themselves, but remember that the higher the camera resolution, the more space the photos will take. And the system itself takes at least 10 GB. That is, from 32 GB you will only have a third. I consider 64 GB of internal memory to be a sufficient minimum.
Smartphone screen
There are only two main screen types in modern smartphones – IPS and OLED. Many call the second AMOLED and several other similar words. The main difference is that IPS shows a bright picture due to external illumination, and OLED consists of millions of small “flashlights” that shine in your face.
As a result, OLED has a very deep black color due to the fact that the pixels are not physically working. However, sometimes such screens can burn out. If you use it, for example, as a navigator, then phantom symbols may remain on the screen, which will glow for a long time. This is often the case with smartphones from a storefront, the screen of which was lit for several months in a row.
The image on the IPS screen looks less contrasting, but softer. And such a screen, according to many experts, is safer for the eyes.
Colors on the screen OLED will appear more saturated and vivid. Sometimes too much.
Protective glass is responsible for the safety of the screen itself, the most durable of which is Gorilla Glass 6 today. You can scratch it only with fine sand or special tools.
Also, when choosing, you need to pay attention to two more points. First, the permission. If you see the “HD” or “HD +” mark, then there will be 720 pixels on the narrow side of the screen. For “FHD”, “FHD +”, “FullHD”, “Full HD +” the value will be 1,080 points. How many pixels will be on the wide side can be calculated from the aspect ratio. At 16: 9 it will be 1,920 points, At 18: 9 – 2,160 points. Etc.
FHD resolution will be enough for a smartphone with a screen up to 5.5 inches. You can hardly see the difference between FHD and 4K. But simple HD in this case is not enough and the pixels can be noticeable. Simply put, the larger the screen, the higher the resolution should be.
But the refresh rate, which began to grow late last year, is a more important indicator. The larger it is, the clearer the picture will be when changing the image. 90Hz is good, but 120Hz is better. True, this only happens with expensive smartphones. And do not confuse the screen frequency (frames per second) with the sensor frequency (the number of touch readings per second)
Smartphone camera
Probably, the camera is the most important thing that users pay attention to before buying a smartphone. Manufacturers understand this and place great emphasis on the quality of the camera and the number of its modules.
It may seem that the higher the resolution of the camera, the better it will shoot, but this is not always the case. Moreover, some manufacturers are cunning. They give great importance, but do not mention that this is not the resolution of the sensor, but the resolution of the final image, which will be obtained after gluing several images.
First of all, you need to pay attention not to the resolution, but to the size of the matrix, since the physical size of each pixel in this case will be larger. This will have a positive effect on the quality of the picture. A 12 megapixel resolution is quite enough for a good picture, especially if the matrix is at least 1/3 inch. In flagships, it is even 1 / 1.7 inches. The only thing you can't control is the bulging camera. I have already explained in detail why it is simply impossible to make a camera flat.
The camera in a smartphone is very important
Additional modules allow you to shoot with a magnification or, conversely, with a distance, and also provide background blur when shooting in portrait mode. In any case, before buying, you need to search the Internet for examples of photos, since different photos can be obtained with the same sensor in different models. This is due to the fact that sensors are made by several companies and sold to all manufacturers, and each manufacturer “writes” the processing tools himself. Therefore, the quality can vary greatly from smartphone to smartphone.
Smartphone operating system
There is nothing special to say here. You just need to understand that the newer the smartphone, the more likely it will receive the next versions Android. Now you need to buy a smartphone for Android 10. When Android 11 appears at the end of the year, most likely you can deliver it. And these are new functions and capabilities.
Smartphone battery
Here, too, there is nothing special to say. Battery capacity is measured in mAh. The higher the value, the longer it will work. But there are many variables here. For example, whether you play games or your smartphone just lies. Whether the screen is on or you are just listening to music. There are many options, but the more the better. Usually, the battery capacity increases with the size of the smartphone. Large body – large battery. There are almost no removable batteries now, but we don't need them. Ivan Kuznetsov explained in detail why.
Removable batteries are now found only in the most inexpensive smartphones.
There is also a fast charging technology that will help charge a smartphone in a few tens of minutes, but all manufacturers have their own numbers and you need to look at the charging speed in each case. It is often written on the manufacturer's official website in the model description.
There is also wireless charging. It is found only in smartphones with a glass body and allows you to charge a smartphone, albeit not very quickly, but without connecting a wire. In this case, wire charging will also be possible. It only remains to add that the wireless charging station must be purchased separately at a price of about 1000-1500 rubles.
Why is it so difficult to choose a smartphone
It's actually easier than it sounds. As I said above, the main thing is to decide how much you are willing to spend on a communication device. The more, the better it will be, but at one price the difference will be negligible. For this, thanks to the great competition between manufacturers.
If you are worried that the smartphone is made in China, forget about it. All smartphones are made in China. Even the most expensive ones. Moreover, many top manufacturers are from this particular country.
Once you are clear about what you want, you buy it and enjoy it happily ever after. True, I would recommend buying a simpler smartphone, but a new one. I have already told you why I think so. It is not worth repeating now.