Decode the Smartphone Scene: Your Snappy Smartphone Buying Guide

12 min readJan 22, 2024

Finding the right smartphone has never been easier

Welcome to the ultimate smartphone buying guide! Navigating the vast world of smartphones can be overwhelming, but fear not — we’re here to simplify the process. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or a casual user, this guide will help you make an informed decision, considering your preferences, needs, and budget. Let’s embark on a journey to find the perfect smartphone tailored just for you.

Below are top 6 things you need to know before buying a smartphone

Performance
Display
Camera
Battery
Operating System
Security & Connectivity

Performance

A high Performance phone makes you feel that the device is fast, smooth and you can do more things at the same time, without any lag or the phone hanging.

The critical factors defining a smartphone’s performance are :

i. Processor

ii. RAM

iii. Storage

i) Processor

“The more powerful the processor, the lesser your phone will hang.”

The processor is the brain of the smartphone.
The power of a processor is determined by the number of cores, clock speed and technology used.

Choosing the right processor depends on :

a. Manufacture and Series

b. Your Usage

c. Processor Specifications

d. AI (Artificial Intelligence)

e. Graphics Processing Unit.

a. Processor Manufacture and Series

The processor brands today use a mix of technology and have a range of processors, right from the entry-level to the most powerful and intelligent processors.

Qualcomm processors are the most common, with other options like MediaTek, Exynos, Kirin & Apple’s bionic chips.
High end processors give better performance with lower battery consumption, however they have a premium price.
Brands like Samsung, Honor and Apple also have their own chipsets like Exynos, Kirin and A12 Bionic. This enables them to create the right combination of hardware and customized software for optimal performance.

PRO TIP : A higher number in the processor name means higher performance. For example, Snapdragon 255 is better than Snapdragon 660, which is better than Snapdragon 450.

b. Usage

The right processor is the one that suits your usage. Use the below tables to assess you usage and find the processor you will need.

Use this link to get full list of Processors : https://nanoreview.net/en/soc-list/rating

c. Processor Specifications

Higher Cores + Clock Speed = Better Performing Processors

This is how processor specifications will look like — “1.4GHz octa-core processor” or “2.4 GHz quad-Core Processor”.

This is a combination of 2 key features:

Clock Speed — for e.g. 1 GHz
Cores — for e.g. Octa-Core

While higher core count may not always lead to good performance, higher clock speeds almost always do. Ideally, a higher clock speed with more processor cores will give better performance.

d. Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities

Some smartphones today come with AI processors which allows the smartphone to monitor usage patterns, surroundings and make their own decisions to improve performance.

MYTH BUSTER — Everything marketed as “AI” Powered may not truly be AI. They could use onboard AI or AI from the cloud. The first one is generally more efficient. Look for the processor functions in detail to decide if the smartphone is truly designed to leverage AI.

e. Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

Most smartphones also have a separate processor for graphics.

The GPU processes graphics on a phone.
GPU impacts gaming performance.
This is usually in built with the processor
Qualcomm’s processors comes with Adreno GPUs while Huawei and Samsung use Mali GPUs.

ii. RAM

More RAM = Better Multi Tasking

The More RAM your phone has, the more tasks your phone will be able to do at any given time.
RAM is measured in GB and usually available in 1GB, 2GB, 3GB, 4GB, 6GB, or even 8GB.
The table below shows what RAM is right for your usage

PRO TIP : Buy Smartphones that has upwards of 6GB of RAM. This will help in future proofing your phone.

iii. Storage

The More storage you have, the more games, apps, images, videos, or movies you can store.
Measured in GB, also called internal memory or ROM.
Some phones come with expandable storage, where you can add a memory card separately if you need additional storage. This helps you add storage when you run out of it.

PRO TIP : Buy phone that has upwards of 128 GB of storage

2. DISPLAY

“A smartphone with a good display creates rich pictures and immersive viewing experience”

There are 6 things you need to consider to get the right smartphone display :

i) Screen Size

ii) Aspect Ratio

iii) Screen Panel Size

iv) Resolution

v) Screen PRotection

vi) Design

i) Screen Size

“Bigger Screens give more cinematic, immersive viewing”

When it comes to screens, bigger is usually better for an immersive viewing experience.
Screen size is measure in centimeteres and inches along the diagonal of the screen.
Normally, bigger screen size leads to bigger phone siz, which may become cumbersome to hold for some users.
Bigger screens also consume more power, and hence, you should look for higher battery for a large screen phone.

ii.) Aspect Ratio and Bezel Less Displays

While a bigger screen bring benefits, it adds weight and physical size to the phone. Phone brands have understood this, and began finding solutions to give more screen in the same physical size phones.

Bezels:

These are the borders between the screen and the frame of the phone.
Narrow bezel phone pack bigger screens in the same physical size of the phone.
Phones with low or no bezels are called bezel-less phones.
A bezel less phone can accommodate a 6-inch phone in the same size as a normal 5.5 inch phone.

Notch:

Notches come is various shapes and sizes, all with the goal of maximising the display’s real-estate.
The notch can house anything from the microphone, multiple cameras, the earpiece or any combination of the three.
Some smartphones ditch the notch in favor of a punch-hole display, where the front camera sits in the display itself.

Aspect Ratio:

it’s the ratio of height to width of a screnn.
Aspect Ratio determines the total length and width of the display, given a particular screen size.
16:9 was the standard aspect ratio, but now, 18:9 and 19:9, which reduced the width of the smartphone, but increases the length, making the phone easier to hold.

PRO TIP : Consider phones with a pop-up camera or punch hole or waterdrop notch for bigger screens. Smartphone makers use these 2 techniques to allow for even more screen sizes and reduce bezel.

3. Panel Type

“Better Panels allow for more vibrant colors, immersive viewing experience”

Modern smartphone use either IPS-LCD or OLED Panels for the display.
TFT-LCD was the most affordable display technology available, but offered poor viewing angles.
IPS-LCD is found in most budget and mid-range phones now, and has better viewing angles and true to life colors.
OLED panels allow for vibrant colors, better contrast, and better battery life.
Some phones come with AMOLED displays and some with Super AMOLED displays, Super AMOLED is Samsung’s exclusive branding for their AMOLED displays.

PRO TIP : AMOLED displays with HD resolution may not be better than a non AMOLED displays with FHD resolution. AMOLED displays with HD resolution may not be better than a non AMOLED display with FHD display.

4. Resolution

Higher Resolution = Sharper, clearer images.

Resolution is the number of pixels there are on a display, usually measured in terms of Width x Height,
Higher number of pixels delivers higher clarity or sharpness.
Higher Resolution screens also usually use more battery power.
Common resolutions available are HD, Full HD and Quad HD, with Quad HD being the best available resolution.

HDR v Non HDR:

HDR allows for Rich, life like colors.

HDR enhances the amount of color your smartphone screen can display.
Most non-HDR phones are good enough to enjoy any kind of movie.
For a superior experience, choose a smartphone with HDR-enabled displays.

Refresh Rate :

Refresh Rate determines how smooth the UI and games look when you interact with them.
Most phones have a refresh rate of 60Hz, which is good enough more most things.
Some phones come with 90Hz or even 120Hz refresh rates and are aimed mostly at gamers.
High Refresh Rate displays can drain the battery faster.

5. Screen Protection

Screen Protection keeps your expensive and precious screen from shattering to bits in case of accidental drops.

Displays are usually delicate and can break on falls.
Displays are also one of the most expensive parts of a smartphone to break and replace.
Screen Protector is an additional protectibe layer of glass on a screen, meant to prevent screen damage.
Gorilla Glass is the most commonly used protective glass. Higher the number against it, stronger the protection is.

Pro Tip: Gorilla Glass or equivalent doesn’t make your smartphone immune from damage, but just reduces chances of damage. Cautious usage or addition of screen protectors, covers on the phone is recommended.

3. CAMERA

Phones with good camera capture images that are clear, sharp and rich in colors.

There are 6 things that come together to make a smartphone camera, a “good” camera.

i. Resolution

ii. Lens & Optics

iii. No. of Cameras

iv. Modes and AI

v. Front or Selfie Camera

v. Video Recording

i.) Resolution

Higher Resolution (measured in megapixels) gives more detail and sharper images

Resolution refers to the number of pixels your camera has.
Resolution is measured in Megapixels (MP), and higher number denotes higher resolution.
All things being equal, a camera with higher resolution captures images with more natural details and sharpness.

MYTH BUSTER: More Megapixels doesn’t always lead to better images. Apart from the megapixels, other factor like quality of lens, optics used, number of camera and software used impacts picture quality. A camera with higher megapixels but inferior optics may not produce better images.
PRO TIP: The pixel size is just as important as the number of megapixels in the camera. Larger the size of individual pixels, higher the sharpness and lesser the noise.

ii) Lens & Optics

Better Lens and Optics produces clear, haze-free and sharp images.

Lens:

The lens helps focus the light on the camera sensor so that the things in sharp focus.
Smartphone camera typically use plastic lenses, but more expensive cameras use glass lenses, which are superior.

Aperture:

Bigger Aperture ensures better low light photography

Aperture is the size of opening of the lens, which lets light come in and fall on the sensor.
Bigger Aperture allow for more light to fall on the sensor, and are bettwe for low light photography.
This is written as f/1.4, or f/2.0 or f/2.8. Smaller number in denominator means bigger aperture and are far better for low light photography.

iii) Number of Cameras

Higher number of camera allow for more details, and photography modes.

With multiple camera on board, users can shoot images of a vast variety such as portraits (using the depth sensor) or shots of far away objects (using the telephoto lens)

Sensors:

Depth Sensor —

Highlights the depth of the photo.
The famous “Bokeh effect” or “Potrait Mode” is achieved by this, to get DSLR like potraits that blurs the background while focusing on the subject.
Some phones are capable of producing the depth essect using softwaree too, and do not require lenses.

Telephoto Lens

Helps in zooming in to give clear pictures with the same clarity even in 2x or more zoom.
Some phones have sotware zoom too, but a telephoto lens allows hardware zoom which provides better clarity.

Wide Angle Lens

Can capture more part of an image than a regular camera.
Useful for group shots or group selfies.

vi) Video Modes

Higher Video Recording Resolution = Sharper, Clearer Video

Smartphones can rescord video in many resolutions — 4k, 1080p and 720p, with 4k being the highest resolution.
Higher resolution means you can play it on bigger screens with losing quality or seeing grain on screen.

PRO TIP: The higher the resolution of the video you record, the more space it’s gonna consume from your storage. Hence, consider a higher internal storage or add extra memory cards if you plan on shooting 4k videos.

Frame Rate:

Higher Frame Rate = Smoother Playback

It refers to the number of photos captured in one second when you shoot videos.
This is measures in Frames per Second (FPS), which means the number of frames captured by the camera in 1 second.
High frame rates come in handy when you are trying to capture fast moving action. A fast moving action sequence recorded in 60fps would play back more smoothly than the one shot at 24 fps.
Higher frame rates hence give you smoother videos.

4. Battery

Higher the battery capacity, longer your phone’s charge will last

Battery capacity is mesaured in mAh, with higher numbers indicating higher capacity.
The time your smartphone battery lasts will depend on your usage, power efficiency of the processor, screen size and resolution and battery capacity.

5. Operating System

A better Operating System makes phones easy to use, ensures smooth perforrmance with less bugs and hanging

Popular operating systems available today are Android or iOS.

Some Smartphone makers add their layers on top of stock Android OS (for example, EMUI from Huawei or MIUI from Xiaomi). These are called Custom Android Versions.

Extra Features that are not a part of Stock Android:

Additional Custom Layers on top of Stock Android OS allows smartphones makers to provide features, apps and capabilities that aren’t available in stock android. This could be features like applying themes, use custom icons, gesture control or even change the way the operating system works.
Custom Versions of Android are a little more demanding on the processor and RAM due to pre-installed apps or any bugs caused due to the UI layer which may slow the phone down.
This can sometimes lead to bloatware, which are non-removable pre-installed apps.

6. Security

Smartphones ate personal devices, and security features allow you to keep it secure.
While a phone can be unlocked in many ways, not all of them are equally secure.
Popular ways of unlocking the phone includes On Screen Passwords, Finger Print Sensore and Face Unlock.
A fast way to unlock the phone also saves time and effort as you need to unlock the phone many times in a day.

i) On screen Passwords

Easy and cheap, but not Secure

These are easy to set up, and require no hardware in the phone.
However, this is not secure as marks on the screen can be observed to know the password. Or someone might see you keying it in, and use that to unlock the phone in your absnce.

ii) Fingerprint Sense

Most Secure and Fastest way to unlock the Smartphone

Your unique fingerprint is the key to unlocking your phone, and hence, allows highest security.
It’s very difficult and expensive to trick the fingerprint scanner, something your average person would not have access to.

iii) Face ID / Face Unlock

Just look at your phone to Unlock

Unlock your phone just by looking at it.
FaceID uses multiple point scanning of your face and matched the face on record.

That’s all for today, folks.

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Until Then, Cheers & Sayonara