OUR DIFFERENCES
Buying cycles are something which companies are aware of. They normally buy computers every three years or so. A while back when the good phones were sold as part of plans, the buying cycle was locked in for the duration of the plan. Nowadays, most people buy whenever they need to or when they just want to. When looking at your smartphone purchase for the year, here are some easy buying tips to make the process less of a hassle.
After ten years, the debate about smartphones continue. The question still remains, on whether you should go on and buy an iPhone or use an Android phone instead. This has become one of greatest religious questions of our time. It is almost akin to Canon-Nikon fanaticism. The truth is, that there are few things one system can do that the other cannot. Regarding security, both are almost equal in security.
The only question that you should think about is whether you have already invested in one system as opposed to the other. If you have bought apps or media which is not compatible with the other system, then you might be locked into using a specific OS. Otherwise, if you are like a large part of the population, who use both iPhone and Android, then you have the best of both worlds.
- Consider the Feature Phone
There is a resurgence in interest in the feature phone, if only because of the hype behind the upcoming Nokia 3310. The feature phone is a basic phone which you can use to make calls and send text messages. It has other features like a clock, calculator, music player, possibly a camera, and games. The memory is not expandable, and you can’t add apps. Typically, these phones also do not have access to the internet.
If you are one of those people who just use their phone to tell the time, make calls and send text, then you are better off using a feature phone. They may be dumb, but these phones are cheap, and they do the job. As an added bonus, feature phones have very long battery life. In addition, these types of phones are much easier to repair at your nearest cellphone repair shop.
- Wait some time.
If you don’t really need to buy a phone immediately, it would pay for you in the long term. Most phones which don’t sell fast get to be discounted after 6 months. There are a lot of models to choose from. These are not second class models. In fact, most top of the line phones can get discounted up to 50% within the year, and even before the next model comes along. Most Android manufacturers have very good models which fall into this category.
If you can really wait, think about last year’s model. A wait of one year, or shorter, would still get you some of last year’s best models. These are older hardware, but that does not mean that the devices are obsolete. If you are concerned about obsolescence, then buy a phone which is LTE capable, and uses USB-C. These models would be able to keep in step for at least 5 years.
If you think about it, you might not really need the latest model. If you think that last year’s model meet your requirements, go ahead and buy one. Top of the line models which have been replaced by this year’s model, typically have deep discounts, and it is practically a steal. Consider the make and model carefully. These are not just serviceable, but are still top-notch, just not this year’s top of the line.
What do you store in your cell phone? A lot of business related content is in the cloud. You might even have a lot of personal items in the cloud as well. That leaves storage for apps, music and videos. It may not be easy to calculate how much space you need, however, the great part about external storage is that it is quite cheap. If you can afford the largest microSD cards that your phone can carry, please do so. You would be very happy about it much later.
No matter how look at it, phones have only a limited amount of secondary storage. You can extend this with the use of microSD cards, if there is a slot allotted for it. The prices of these cards are getting cheaper every day. There is no need to scrimp on the cards.
There has been a debate lately about whether it is better to have a single USB-C port or to have the traditional cellphone with a headset jack. This may be a deal breaker for those who would want to be always listening to their music. There are, of course, some workarounds, and this is where it might be better to stick with either the new tech or older mini-DIN stereo headset jacks. Alternatively, there are always Bluetooth headsets or speakers. Make no mistake that sooner or later, all cellphones will make use of a USB-C port. This is the way of the future. However, if you have qualms about switching, you can still use cellphones which have the audio jack.
When you are buying a cellphone, think about how you have been using your cellphone and whether the new ones can accommodate your habits and existing hardware. One other consideration which is not included in the list is the support you should expect from the manufacturer. If the support is crappy, you should also look into the nearest iPhone repair center.
