Must-Have Features For A Smartphone

Smartphone Checklist: All The Functions You Need To Have

In today’s day and age, owning a smartphone has become essential for many people, more so than cars or houses. Smartphone developers seem to be dropping new models left, right, and center, so much so that it’s almost exhausting keeping up with the latest tech trends and products. If you’re thinking of getting a new smartphone but don’t know where to start, you’re in luck. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the top features you should look out for when purchasing your next smartphone. Continue reading to find out more!

1. Screen Size — What is the Right Screen Size for You?

Back when flip phones were still in fashion, screen size didn’t matter much. After all, phones were used primarily for texting or calling in the old days. But, smartphones have revolutionized the way we use handphones. In fact, texting and calling have almost become secondary functions of handphones. Instead, people now use smartphones for things like surfing the web, streaming videos, and scrolling through social media. As such, screen size now plays a major role in determining which smartphone we buy. With a bigger phone, we don’t have to strain our eyes when watching videos, playing games, or reading text.

So, what should your phone size be? Ideally, your phone screen size should range between four to five inches. Not only are phones of this size comfortable to hold and use, but they are also more practical as they are light and just the right size to fit into your pocket.

Big Phones (Phablets) — Should You Get These Instead?

Dell was the first developer to venture into producing larger phones. The Dell Streak, Dell’s first five-inch smartphone, was a complete failure. Seeing the public’s adverse reaction to the product, developers kept smartphone screen sizes at around 4.3-inches in 2010 and early 2011. In late 2011, Samsung took the risk and released the Galaxy Note that had a screen size slightly larger than five and a half inches. Unsurprisingly, the product was met with unfavorable reviews.

However, by late 2012, it was reported that more than ten million units of big smartphones, or phablets, were sold. What was the reason for this sudden interest in bigger screen sizes? Well, it boils down to the simple reason that bigger phones are more convenient to use. With a bigger screen, it’s easier for people to see things on their phones. You don’t have to go through the hassle of zooming in and out whenever you want to read something on your phone.

Using phablets has its pros and cons. At the end of the day, deciding on what phone screen size you should get boils down to personal preference, so pick whatever is more comfortable and convenient for you.

Pros of Phablets

Bigger screen size allows you to see more without having to worry about straining your eyes or zooming in and out — ideal for those with poor eyesight or the elderly
Great for watching videos or reading

Cons of Phablets

Uncomfortable to hold, especially if you have small hands
You will have trouble fitting it in some pockets

2. Screen Quality and Resolution — How Vivid is the Display?

You’ve probably come across the term ‘retina display’, especially if you’re an Apple user. Nowadays, smartphone developers draw attention to a smartphone’s screen quality and it’s even become a selling point for many smartphones. And, understandably so. A smartphone’s display is the first thing that catches your attention. Clear, vivid graphics are much more attractive than a grainy, low-lit screen. As such, apart from a smartphone’s screen size, you should also take note of its screen quality. A screen’s display quality is affected by two components, display technology and resolution.

There are two main types of display technology, LCD and AMOLED screens. LCD screens are slighter more bright and clear than AMOLED screens, which make them a preferred choice for many. Furthermore, the latest versions of LCD screens like IPS come equipped with better viewing angles and color accuracy. On the other hand, though colors may appear more vibrant on AMOLED screens, they are not as accurate as those displayed on LCD screens.

Screen resolution has to do with the number of pixels on a screen. A higher resolution means that there are more pixels on the screen, thus making the graphics clearer and more detailed.

3. Camera — Can It Replace DSLRs?

Another selling point that smartphone developers have capitalized on is the smartphone’s camera. With the rise in social media use, more and more people are taking photos and sharing them online. To capture and post the best quality images, many people are also interested in getting better cameras. Smartphone developers like Apple advertise their new iPhones through ‘Shot on iPhone’ ads that highlight the smartphone’s amazing camera capabilities.

But, you should know that the quality of a smartphone’s camera can’t be determined by its specs alone. The only way to determine a smartphone’s camera is to test it out yourself. If you’re buying a new smartphone and plan on using it to take videos or photos, forget about asking the salesperson about its camera quality. They’re most likely going to tell you that it’s superb. Instead, try taking photos and shooting videos on it to determine if it’s up to your standard.

How to Know If a Phone Has A Good Camera

Choose the smartphone model you want. Newer models tend to come with better cameras so choose one of those if a smartphone’s camera quality is important to you.
Do some research on the smartphone’s camera quality. Look for online reviews where users share their experience using the camera. Are the photos too saturated, blurry, or overexposed? Does the camera work well both indoors and outdoors? These are some questions you should consider before purchasing the smartphone.
If possible, look for photographs that have been taken with the smartphone. Most online reviews come paired with photos that the reviewers have taken. Do note that the quality of some photos may have been affected during the uploading process.
Watch videos that have been shot on the smartphone. Just because a smartphone is good for taking photos, doesn’t mean it’ll be good at shooting videos too. While watching the videos, pay attention to audio quality as well because you’ll most likely need to record some audio while shooting videos.

Conclusion

You will most likely carry your smartphone everywhere, so it’s definitely a good idea to get one with the features you like. Wouldn’t it be such a shame if you forked out all that money, only to realize that the camera or audio quality isn’t as good as you expected it to be?

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