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With so many mobile phones on the market to choose from, knowing which one is right for you can be pretty difficult. The average customer has a hard time understanding the technical jargon used in mobile phone spec lists, and reading these list is instrumental in making sure that the phone you're getting is both right for you and good value for money. Plus, most people only buy a new mobile around once every two years, and since mobile technology changes so fast what you expect from a phone this shopping trip is not exactly the same as what you expected on your last trip. Today we're taking a look at some of the things you should expect from a good quality, mid-range phone these days. So if you're in the process of mobile shopping, here's a little help for you...
Touch Screen Phones Need Big Screens
The first difference that you'll probably notice in newer phone models is the sheer size of them. Whilst we used to be looking for the smallest phones that we could find, the advent of touch screen phones now means that we're looking for the complete opposite. The thing is that touch screen phones need big screens. This isn't just so that you can watch videos better. A touch screen device has no physical keyboard, meaning that you're going to need to type on an on screen keyboard. The bigger your screen is, the bigger the keyboard is, and therefore the easier and more comfortable typing is. And, of course, with so many people relying on their mobiles for the internet, a big screen means that you can read full web pages without having to zoom and scroll as much as you would have to on a smaller screen. Look for screens of at least four inches on mid-market mobiles.
Processors are Important
You're also going to need to look at the processor, or CPU as it's sometimes listed, on any phone that you're interested in. A processor is like the engine on your car, and the more powerful it is, the faster your phone will be. This is important because recent software programs and games will need a solid processor with good speeds in order to run. On a good, mid-market phone you'll be looking for a processor of at least 1 GHz (or 1000 MHz, it's the same thing). You'll also want to look for at least a dual core processor, though more and more mid-market models are coming with quad core processors. A dual or quad core processor will give you more speed and more reliability in your mobile. This should be large enough to give you a comfortable user experience, and will keep the phone small enough that you can still slide it into your shirt pocket.
All about Mobile Memory
There are two kinds of memory on a mobile phone. The first is known as internal memory, and this determines the amount of photos, videos, music, games and other data that you can store on your device. The more internal memory you have, the more data you can keep on your phone. An average smart phone is going to get between 8 GB and 16 GB of internal memory. However, keep an eye out for models that list a Micro SD card slot. This allows you to buy a cheap memory card from any electronics shop that will expand the memory on your phone. This will be a far cheaper option than buying a phone with more internal memory. The second kind of memory on your phone is called RAM. This is the amount of memory that your phone keeps in reserve for performing everyday tasks such as opening apps. The more RAM you have, the more responsive your phone will be, the faster it will respond to your input. Also, RAM effects how well a phone can multi task, or run more than one programme at a time. Too little RAM and you'll find that your phone lags, freezes or even crashes. On the average smart phone you should be looking for around 1 GB of RAM, which should be more than enough to keep your phone snappy and responsive.
Operating System Version
Just like your home computer, your mobile phone requires an operating system. There are four main operating systems on the market. All iPhones use Apple's iOS, while all Blackberrys use RIM. The other two choices are Android and Windows. The system that you choose doesn't really matter too much, since there isn't really one system that's just better than the others. In fact, most people just find that they have a personal preference when it comes to the system that they want on their phone. The spec that does matter though is the version of the operating system that a phone runs. With an iPhone or a Blackberry this isn't too much of an issue, since each of these models will come automatically running the highest operating system version that the device is capable of running. For a Windows phone you want a device that has either Windows 7.5 or Windows 8. On an Android phone you want to see Android 4.0, 4.1 or 4.2.
Camera Specs
A camera is a standard feature on any smart phone these days. Camera specs are measured in megapixels or MP, and the higher the number the higher the resolution of your camera. Higher resolution cameras are capable of capturing more fine detail, therefore taking better and clearer pictures. The standard smart phone will come with an 8 MP camera. However, many mid-market models are now coming with two cameras, a front facing and a rear facing camera. In this case, the rear facing camera will be higher resolution. Front facing cameras average around 2 MP, since they're generally used more for video calling than for taking photos. Keep this in mind when you're looking at camera specs on new mobile phones.
Sam Jones liked the idea of touch screen phones so decided to shop around for a great deal. He used uSwitch and similar price comparison sites to find the best offers that fit right into his budget
