Laptop vs Smartphone - The Battle Continues
You must be wondering where to invest money - in a laptop or a smartphone. Both these devices have become integral and inseparable part of our lives. Work from Home and School has changed our outlook and brought these devices into the limelight.
Let me assist you in deciding which device is the best option for you.
Identify your needs
If you are looking for office work, where you need to continuously work on worksheets and documents and prepare presentations, then a laptop is the ideal bet for you. A basic laptop of the current generation Core i3 is an excellent choice. Do not get fooled by the older generations which are priced low, as they may not get support in the subsequent years.
If you are in a profession where you continuously are video conferencing, you need a faster processor and quick checks, a premium smartphone is your best bet. Any smartphone costing between 35k - 65k will be a good investment.
For students, many parents prefer laptops or tablets due to screen size. But the camera quality and speed of the laptops or tablets with very low specifications can be a big disadvantage. A mid-range smartphone costing somewhere between 12k to 25 k with a bigger screen is a good investment. Not only do you have excellent camera quality, with a fast processor, but you can also use it for multiple purposes. The large screen problem can be solved by casting the phone on your flat-screen TV monitor.
Is Camera Quality Important?
If yes, then go for a smartphone. Not even laptops that cost over 2 lakhs can give you the camera quality that a phone can provide. A phone that costs just 12 k gives you a better camera or video quality than a laptop that costs you double.
Budget
If your budget is under 20k, then a smartphone is your way to go. I would suggest against buying second-hand laptops since it’s very difficult to assess their longevity and often more money is spent on repairing them than the money spent on buying them. Older processors mean they lag more often making the user experience very frustrating. Their longevity and support are also not guaranteed.
High-End Graphics
A laptop is what you need. Even though a smartphone gives you great RAM and space, it cannot replace a laptop with a graphic card. Softwares like Adobe Photoshop or CorelDraw run better on these systems. A gaming laptop that starts from 95 k onwards is where your options start from. Anything below that will not suffice your needs.
While Buying a Laptop, this is a checklist you must follow:
☑️ Processor- Intel or AMD
☑️RAM -2GB/ 4 GB/8 GB/ 16GB
☑️Check if RAM is fixed or upgradable
☑️Graphics Card
☑️Storage Space - 500 GB Minimum
☑️If Storage is Hard drive or SSD ( SSD is expensive but has faster performance and durability)
☑️Ports
☑️ Operating System -Microsoft or Mac
Buy a laptop that comes with OS ( Buying it separately will turn out to be costlier/ Pirated versions compromise your laptop)
☑️Battery Life- Always assume that it will be less than what the brand claims
☑️Screen Size and Display
☑️Brand- Choose a brand that has been in the market as a performer and has good after-sales service in your area
While buying a Smartphone, this a checklist you must follow:
☑️ Operating System- Android/IOS/Windows
☑️Processor, Cores and Speed
☑️Screen Type- LCD or AMOLED ( LCD display if fragile, easily breaks)
☑️ Screen Size
☑️Memory - Fixed or Extendable
☑️Camera- Resolution and pixels
☑️4G /5G Support- Buy 5G support
☑️Battery Life
☑️Accessories
☑️Brand- Choose a brand that has been in the market as a performer and has good after-sales service in your area
Things to Remember
Buying phones and laptops from online e-commerce sites is a good choice if they are verified and you have bought from a particular seller before. Going to the nearest store and checking the device physically before buying is recommended. Do not get fooled by sales and go for impulsive buys. Always check for specifications, features, generations, date of manufacture properly before making an online buy. Your online buying experience is a happy one, only if you are an aware and careful consumer. When in doubt, go to consumer forums and check for reviews. The reviews on sites can sometimes be misleading. So a review from Quora or any other Consumer platform is a good place to get authentic user feedback/information.
Happy Shopping!! Don't forget to add your comments and recommendations.
