Smartphones have become essential to most people’s daily lives, providing quick access to email and the internet. High-end models function like portable computers with professional-level cameras, while basic phones fit comfortably in one’s hand.
Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android currently lead the market, each offering advantages and disadvantages for specific tasks.
Know Your Needs
When purchasing a smartphone, consider your needs carefully. What features, such as big screens, long battery lives, or 5G connectivity, will best meet them? Additionally, an operating system must be chosen.
Apple, Google, and Microsoft each offer three major smartphone operating systems: iOS (Apple’s), Android, and Windows Phone. Each offers its own advantages and disadvantages. For instance, Apple’s iOS is known for being user-friendly enough that even toddlers can grasp it. Yet its power features satisfy productivity gurus, allowing innovative apps such as controlling TV remotely with smartphones, tracking fitness, or improving sleep to come first to iOS devices.
Other key considerations when shopping for a smartphone include internal storage capacity and battery performance. If you plan on storing lots of music, photos, and videos on your phone, opt for a higher capacity. If you frequently run out of juice quickly, a long-lasting battery should also be prioritized.
Shop Around
Based on your needs and preferences, there are endless choices for smartphone purchases, from full retail models without signing away two years or paying carrier-subsidized rates up to selecting between Apple iOS or Google Android OS operating systems as your option.
Operating systems vary among mobile phone users worldwide and directly impact a phone’s cost, so choose carefully before making your selection. Refurbished or used devices may save money, but ensure sellers are reliable before investing.
The most popular smartphone purchase is via a carrier contract with a subsidized price upfront. However, this comes with restrictions and penalties if you break or change carriers early or switch carriers later on. FullFull retail smartphones offer better long-term value, particularly during new phone launches when stores or carriers try to offload existing stock quickly.
Consider a Contract
Contract plans often offer more affordable smartphones because device manufacturers subsidize them through carrier plans; moreover, monthly costs tend to be much lower than their off-contract equivalents. This means you can get even the best gaming smartphones at a more affordable long-term price.
At the end of your lease term, you have several options to decide how you wish to return or purchase your phone for an agreed-upon buyout fee. Please be mindful when leasing any device as this cost could vary significantly among phone carriers and should be carefully considered before hiring one.
Purchasing a phone outright can eliminate the need for contracts and is an attractive choice for consumers who wish to switch telco providers at will. However, sufficient funds must first be secured for payment up front; financing a smartphone typically involves credit checks that could cause temporary drops in your score.
