Currently there are hell lot of varieties in the Smartphone Industry. Be it the local brands or the global brands you can find many variants of devices in their portfolio. Choosing the right one for you can be a big task especially if you are new to smartphones. It may take days to decide your favorite phone. And looking at the releases of newer and better devices every week just adds more confusion for making the right decision.
Here is a compiled list of specifications to look for before purchasing a smartphone. The guide explains about the configurations which suits better for the smartphones under Rs 20k price tag.
1. Operating System:
Currently there are 4 choices in this section. Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android, BlackBerry’s BBOS and Microsoft’s Windows Phone Os. And there are more to join this list soon which includes Mozilla’s Boot to Gecko Os, Ubuntu Os and Tizen Os. But currently let us consider the smartphones based on the above 4 Os which are already available in the market.
Since we are looking at the smartphone below rupees 20,000 so the Apple and BB devices are ruled out as they come under premium segment.
Among the other two the droid has many advantages. For eg, the number of available apps for almost everything you want, endless customization, multitasking, frequent upgrades and smooth touch UI.
Major disadvantage of this Os is its an easy target from the hackers and other mobile virus.
Android v4.2.2 (Jelly bean) is the very latest in the market today. But currently there are very few devices with this version available in the market today. Look for a smartphone atleast with android v4.1.1 (JB) or a device with an option to upgrade from ICS to this version. With this version you get benefits of Google Now Support, improved camera feature and better user experience. Smartphones with Gingerbread are considered as outdated in today’s world.
In the WP section currently there are very few smartphones available in the market with the latest WP8 version. Nokia’s Lumia 520 and Lumia 720 are the latest to join this list.
The WP8 Os is one of the most beautiful looking Os when compared to others. The user can take advantage of the Live Tiles and other microsoft apps. And this Os is less vulnerable to virus attacks as compared to its rival. Currently the apps are less but the number is steadily growing.
Smartphones running on Windows Phone 7.5 are not upgradable to the latest WP8 as there are different kernels in both. So look for a smartphone with WP8 only as the WP 7.5/7.8 are getting outdated (outdated means no apps or no upgrades in future).
2. Processor:
Processor is an important feature to look at. These days not only the big brands but even the domestic giants are also releasing their smartphones with Quad Core processors.
Basic mantra of having more cores in a device is to maximize the processing power as to reduce the lagging effect during multitasking. So look for a handset with minimum 2 cores perhaps Cortex A9/A15 or Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 would be great choice. Also for the Game lovers the graphics core in the device is a must to play high graphics games. Qualcomm’s Adreno or ARM’s Mali 400 are better for this job.
3. Memory:
In this segment basically you need to look for minimum 1GB of RAM, 4 to 8GB of internal storage and expandable memory slot.
RAM is the run-time memory accessed by the Os and other running apps. These days some of the devices are loaded with 2GB RAM for handling more number of apps at a time. But these smartphones cost more than Rs 35K.
If the device doesn’t have an external memory slot then atleast it should have the internal storage more than 16GB.
4. Display Size & Quality:
Display size should be chosen not only based on the quality but also on your palm size. Because a phablet smartphone (more than 5inch screen size) hardly fits in small palms. Ideally the screen size between 4.3inch to 4.8 inch would suit most of the people.
Resolution of the screen is directly proportional to its screen size. So more the screen size higher the pixels counts should be. Looking at the budget for a 4.7inch smartphone the pixel resolution of 960×540 would be perfect combination. Also look for IPS integrated displays. Such screens give a wide viewing angle. If the screen is protected from Gorilla Glass or other types of screen protector than its all done.
5. Battery:
Nothing much can be said regarding the battery as most of us already know that it is the battery which enables us to utilize the phone’s functionality. If a battery with poor capacity is packed in the device then it is most likely to drain within couple of hours of usage.
The capacity of battery depends of many factors in the phone like number of processors used, display size and Data Network capability (3G, 4G). Ideally for a 4.3 inch smartphone with Dual Core processor and 3G support the battery of 2000mAh would be sufficient for more than a day’s use.
What are your top 5 specs which you will consider before buying a smartphone? Let us know in the comment section.