Easy Things to Consider When You Buy a Smartphone

So you need a new phone and you need it fast. We don’t all have in-depth technical knowledge to go deep on some of the powerful specifications that today's smartphones offer. And to be honest, you don’t always need to. But it does help to have a grasp on the basic specs that could make a difference for you. There’s a few simple things that you’ll want to consider to make sure a new phone fits your needs. Check out the list below to make the decision process easy. 

Image: Burst

Size

Okay let’s start with the obvious. When it comes to size we don’t just mean size of the phone, we also mean size of the display. Are you someone that wants a smaller phone to carry around? Do you have a tricky time typing on a smaller keyboard or navigating an interface with bigger fingers? You might want to consider a larger phone simply based on screen size. 

Battery

Want your phone to hold a longer charge? Well, you’re probably going to need a bigger battery. mAh (milliamp hour or ampere-hour) is the measurement of electric charge over time; it's commonly used to refer to the capacity of a battery. Basically, when it comes to mAh, the higher the number the higher the battery capacity. So for example. 5000 mAh vs. 3800 mAh; the 5000 mAh will give you longer battery life. Doesn’t mean that 3800 mAh won’t suffice but it’s something to consider.

Storage

Phone models come in a range of storage capacities, measured in gigabytes (GB) the higher the gigabytes the more storage. It’s common for the most recent smartphones to have at least 128GB of space (with many offering 256GB or even 512GB.) Storage space isn’t as much of a concern these days with cloud storage. But if you’re purchasing a refurbished phone you might want to consider that some of the older models don’t offer as many gigabytes as the newer ones. 

SIM and eSIM 

A SIM provides a unique identifier for a carrier’s network. An eSIM is built into the device while a standard SIM is a small physical card that gets put into your phone. The benefit of an eSIM is that your device can be configured quickly and over the phone; it’s generally more time efficient. Some models support both SIM and eSIM. 

Cameras 

On to the big one — because who isn’t taking photos and creating content on their smartphones? When it comes to cameras you’re going to want to consider the front-facing (selfie camera) and rear camera. Check the Megapixels. Essentially the more megapixels, the more you’re able to zoom in and crop an image with clarity. Other things to think about?

• How does a camera perform in low-light?
• How many lenses does the rear camera have?

Are you shooting a lot of video? You might want to see if your phone shoots 4K (60 frames per second). If you’re a sucker for content, you’ll probably want to invest in some of the newer model smartphones for crisp images and high-quality video 

Weight

Okay it might not be a huge deal for everyone  but more often than not we’re holding our phones. Many of us are even working on our phones nowadays. If you’re someone who is attached to their device or has limited mobility with your hands, you might want to think about the weight of the phone.

Age

When you buy an older phone you’ll want to know if the model gets the latest software and security updates. For the most part, reputable tech companies like Apple and Samsung will enable models to receive updates as long as they can, but there does hit a point when they stop. For example, the Apple iPhone 6S will receive iOS 15 but a model older than that will not. Do you put a lot of apps on your phone? With apps becoming more powerful the processor on an older model might struggle to run the latest games or photo-editing software. If you’re just using an older smartphone for texting and a call here and there, it might be the perfect fit for the price. 

Looking to learn more before you make your purchase? You might want to check out 

What to check before buying a second hand iphone

What’s the difference between a new and refurbished phone?

What are the rules with phones and relationships?

Why Refurb?

Frank Mobile - Australia’s premium refurb