Not sure what you're looking at when you see a mobile phone spec sheet? Don't worry, you're not alone. Spec sheets list the technical specifications of a phone model, and they're supposed to help us decide which phone is the best one to choose. But they're so full of abbreviations and technical jargon that it can be tough to know what exactly it is that you're looking at. Today we're telling you how to buy the best mobile phone for an average user. So if you want something that's decent, but don't necessarily want to spend over five hundred pounds on a top of the line device, then here's what you need to look for.
When in Doubt, Go for a Cheap Android Phone...
We're going to get in to individual specs in a moment. But first, if you really don't know what to look for then the best advice we can give you is to go for a cheap Android phone. There are plenty of choices when it comes to Android phones, meaning you'll get lots of options when it comes to how your phone looks and feels. But there actually isn't that much difference between one cheap Android phone and another. You're likely to get a very satisfactory experience no matter which model you choose to go for. We recommend any of the Sony Xperia series, of the mid-range HTC models, or even the cheaper Samsung Galaxy phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S II, as decently priced and decently functioning models. With that being said, we will know show you exactly what you should be looking for on that mysterious spec sheet.
Screen Specs...
There will be several items on the spec sheet that talk about the screen on the phone. The one that should most concern you is the screen size. On smart phones the size of the screen you're getting is important, and not just because you'll get a better video and web page viewing experience. Most smart phones no longer have physical keyboards, meaning that you'll have to type on an on screen keyboard. The bigger your screen is, the bigger the on screen keyboard will be, and the easier it will be to type. You should be looking for a screen that's at least four and a half inches. You'll also see a listing for screen material. In order, from normal to exceptionally good, those materials are: LCD, TFT LCD, AMOLED, Super AMOLED, Retina. There's nothing wrong with an LCD screen, you'll simply get a slightly better picture with more brightness the further up the list of screen material you go. The other two screen specs that you'll see are resolution and PPI. Resolution will tell you how bright and clear the picture will be, whilst Ppi (or pixels per inch) will tell you how crisp and defined the picture will be. The higher the numbers, the better the display on your phone will look. You shouldn't worry too much about these numbers, since almost all smart phones have great displays nowadays.
Processor Specs...
The processor on your mobile phone is like the engine in your car, and the more powerful it is, the faster your phone will be. Processor specs are sometimes also listed under CPU, but it's the same thing. Don't worry too much about the name of the processor, it's the number that's important. For an average phone you should look for a processor that's about 1400 MHz (or 1.4 GHz, it's the same) for a good phone experience. Also look out for processors that say they're dual or quad core, since these tend to be more reliable.
RAM Specs...
Your phone needs to reserve a little bit of memory to perform every day functions, like opening apps, connecting to the internet and sending messages. This is referred to as RAM. If RAM is too low, your phone won't be very responsive, and it might freeze often, or even crash. You should look for at least 1 GB of RAM on a decent phone, which should be enough to make sure that everything is running smoothly and without problems.
Camera Specs...
All modern smart phones will come with a camera. Camera specs are measured in megapixels, or MP. The higher the number, the better your camera will be. Cameras of 5 MP or below will not take pictures that are good enough to print out or to blow up to regular size, since you'll just end up with a photo made up of little squares if you do this. You need a camera of at least 8 MP to take a good picture. The more MP you have, the more detail you will get on your photos.
Internal Memory...
Internal memory, or internal storage, refers to the amount of stuff you can store on your phone. How much you need really depends on how much music and data and how many photos and games you want to keep on your device. For an average user, around 16 GB is enough, though if you want to put your whole music collection on your device you should go for 32 GB instead. Extra memory on a phone does end up making the phone much more expensive, of course. A good tip is to look for a phone that has a Micro SD slot. This will let you go to any electronics store and buy a relatively cheap Micro SD card. You plug that card into your Micro SD slot, and you get more memory on your phone. This is usually much cheaper than buying a phone with a larger internal memory.
Connectivity...
Finally, you'll want to look at connectivity. All phones nowadays will have Bluetooth and WiFi. When it comes to internet connectivity you should have at least 3G. HSPA+ will get you faster internet speeds, and 4G will get you even faster internet speeds- though you'll need a special 4G mobile data plan with your operator to take advantage of this.
Author Bio:
Cheap android phone deals were advertised online, and Sam Jones was interested in the money they could potentially save him. Before committing to any of the offers, he searched the online price comparison site uSwitch, just to make sure he was getting the very best deal available.
When in Doubt, Go for a Cheap Android Phone...
We're going to get in to individual specs in a moment. But first, if you really don't know what to look for then the best advice we can give you is to go for a cheap Android phone. There are plenty of choices when it comes to Android phones, meaning you'll get lots of options when it comes to how your phone looks and feels. But there actually isn't that much difference between one cheap Android phone and another. You're likely to get a very satisfactory experience no matter which model you choose to go for. We recommend any of the Sony Xperia series, of the mid-range HTC models, or even the cheaper Samsung Galaxy phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S II, as decently priced and decently functioning models. With that being said, we will know show you exactly what you should be looking for on that mysterious spec sheet.
Screen Specs...
There will be several items on the spec sheet that talk about the screen on the phone. The one that should most concern you is the screen size. On smart phones the size of the screen you're getting is important, and not just because you'll get a better video and web page viewing experience. Most smart phones no longer have physical keyboards, meaning that you'll have to type on an on screen keyboard. The bigger your screen is, the bigger the on screen keyboard will be, and the easier it will be to type. You should be looking for a screen that's at least four and a half inches. You'll also see a listing for screen material. In order, from normal to exceptionally good, those materials are: LCD, TFT LCD, AMOLED, Super AMOLED, Retina. There's nothing wrong with an LCD screen, you'll simply get a slightly better picture with more brightness the further up the list of screen material you go. The other two screen specs that you'll see are resolution and PPI. Resolution will tell you how bright and clear the picture will be, whilst Ppi (or pixels per inch) will tell you how crisp and defined the picture will be. The higher the numbers, the better the display on your phone will look. You shouldn't worry too much about these numbers, since almost all smart phones have great displays nowadays.
Processor Specs...
The processor on your mobile phone is like the engine in your car, and the more powerful it is, the faster your phone will be. Processor specs are sometimes also listed under CPU, but it's the same thing. Don't worry too much about the name of the processor, it's the number that's important. For an average phone you should look for a processor that's about 1400 MHz (or 1.4 GHz, it's the same) for a good phone experience. Also look out for processors that say they're dual or quad core, since these tend to be more reliable.
RAM Specs...
Your phone needs to reserve a little bit of memory to perform every day functions, like opening apps, connecting to the internet and sending messages. This is referred to as RAM. If RAM is too low, your phone won't be very responsive, and it might freeze often, or even crash. You should look for at least 1 GB of RAM on a decent phone, which should be enough to make sure that everything is running smoothly and without problems.
Camera Specs...
All modern smart phones will come with a camera. Camera specs are measured in megapixels, or MP. The higher the number, the better your camera will be. Cameras of 5 MP or below will not take pictures that are good enough to print out or to blow up to regular size, since you'll just end up with a photo made up of little squares if you do this. You need a camera of at least 8 MP to take a good picture. The more MP you have, the more detail you will get on your photos.
Internal Memory...
Internal memory, or internal storage, refers to the amount of stuff you can store on your phone. How much you need really depends on how much music and data and how many photos and games you want to keep on your device. For an average user, around 16 GB is enough, though if you want to put your whole music collection on your device you should go for 32 GB instead. Extra memory on a phone does end up making the phone much more expensive, of course. A good tip is to look for a phone that has a Micro SD slot. This will let you go to any electronics store and buy a relatively cheap Micro SD card. You plug that card into your Micro SD slot, and you get more memory on your phone. This is usually much cheaper than buying a phone with a larger internal memory.
Connectivity...
Finally, you'll want to look at connectivity. All phones nowadays will have Bluetooth and WiFi. When it comes to internet connectivity you should have at least 3G. HSPA+ will get you faster internet speeds, and 4G will get you even faster internet speeds- though you'll need a special 4G mobile data plan with your operator to take advantage of this.
Author Bio:
Cheap android phone deals were advertised online, and Sam Jones was interested in the money they could potentially save him. Before committing to any of the offers, he searched the online price comparison site uSwitch, just to make sure he was getting the very best deal available.
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