​Things to Consider Before Buying a Smartphone

While not every smartphone is expensive, for many, buying a smartphone is an investment. Anyone who's up for buying a smartphone definitely looks for general specs. However, a smart buyer would go beyond and look at multiple other factors that matter as much.

Below are the nine factors you should consider before buying a smartphone.

People buy smartphones for a variety of reasons. For some, it is for calls and texts, while for others, it's a portable computer on the go. So you need to know what your purpose is for buying a smartphone. To do that, answer the following,

• How much do you care about camera quality?
• Does display quality matter to you?
• How many hours of battery time do you require?
• Do you need a fast performing phone?
• Do you have any specific need that's a deal-breaker for you?

Once you answer the above, you can further narrow your options.

The most expensive smartphone is not necessarily the best phone for you.

Once you've narrowed down your choices (question 1 above), now look for the phone that fits your budget.

Now that you know your usage, what specs and features you require in your smartphone, find your next smartphone on OLX Pakistan.

If you do not change smartphones frequently, the build quality should matter to you. It goes without saying that a badly built phone won't last long.

But first, what is build quality?

If you think build quality means having a glass back instead of a plastic one, think again. If you are going to use a case on the back, the material doesn't matter as much. A phone with good built quality would be easy to carry, both in hands and pockets. Make sure it has smooth transitions and curves on the back. The front display should seamlessly melt away into the metal side rails, making the phone feel solid.

Smartphones have grown with the time. And we mean literally. Take for example a "phablet" – a combination of phone and tablet. Though it has advantages like excellent video experience, it has some cons as well like it's not easy to hold or carry in a pocket.

If you are okay carrying a heavier and bigger phone, then go for a phablet, otherwise stick with a more traditional screen size of 5 – 5.5 inch.

Arguably, the iPhone 13 Pro Max offers the best display. But do you need this phone?

Almost every phone these days comes with a Super AMOLED display. The calibration of these panels is what matters the most. Midrange and upper midrange phones often come with 1080p displays that are more than fine for daily usage. You may find QHD+ 1440p panels in high-end smartphones but that isn't practical since to get the most out of the battery, many high-end devices automatically lower the display quality.

The same is the case with high refresh rate displays. Most new devices do come with a 90Hz panel. This means the displays on these devices are also up to the mark in smoothness. You don't need a 120Hz panel as the shift from 60Hz to 90Hz is quite significant. However, the same can't be said about the jump from 90Hz to 120Hz refresh rates.

Even if you won't be using the phone camera too much, you would still want to have a decent mobile phone camera. This is because you'd still need a reasonable camera for video calls, etc.

Whenever buying a new smartphone always ensure it has a good camera quality. Use stabilization systems for camera sensors, low light capabilities, AI shots, portraits etc. These assessments will help you verify the camera quality of mobile phones.

If you are a gamer, then you should prioritize performance. But if you are a regular user then any midrange or premium smartphone will work for you. Snapdragon or MediaTek processors coming in most midrange and upper midrange phones can handle anything you throw at them from gaming to extreme AI capabilities.

Snapdragon 700 series processors are fairly common, while MediaTek often comes with helio processors. Either of which is good, but Snapdragon is more efficient and practical.

Most of the smartphones these days come with a minimum of 4GB RAM, which considering the demanding applications, isn't enough. For decent performance, 6 GB RAM is the minimum. However, added RAM is always a bonus.

Just like RAM, 64GB storage is also considered an entry-level ROM. A mobile phone with 128GB of storage capacity is more than enough for most people.

What's good about a mobile phone if it's not long lasting?

If your daily usage is a lot, you need to get a phone with a battery which is at least 4000 mAh.

Mobile phones are more efficient than ever before with blazing fast charging speeds. Many of these phones get recharged within an hour if not less.

We have made it easy for you to identify and evaluate different factors when buying a new phone. Let us know in the comments; what else do you consider when buying a phone?