Smartphones have long been much more popular than traditional push-button cell phones. If you go to the appropriate store, you can go crazy with a variety of touch devices that have almost identical appearance. How to navigate in this diversity? Perhaps, first of all it is necessary to look at technical characteristics. And then pay attention to the design. This article will try to highlight the main characteristics that play the greatest role in choosing a smartphone. If you read this text, then with the purchase of a mobile device you will definitely not lose!
Type of operating system
The type of operating system determines which applications will run on the selected smartphone. Now there are three popular firmware, which together occupy a 99 percent share of the mobile device market.
Android
The most famous operating system for which hundreds of thousands of applications have been developed. Many programs are distributed completely free of charge - they can be found on Google Play. Also on Android there are many games. Some of them are not inferior in quality to projects designed for portable consoles.
The disadvantage of this OSes is the variety of devices. Some smartphones have non-standard proportions of the display, others have at their disposal a flawed branded shell, others still have some problems. In short, not every Android device works as it was intended by Google. The greatest problems are observed in budget smartphones with very modest components.
iOS
IOS operating system endowed with smartphones and tablets from Apple. For a long time, she led the number of applications developed for her. Now in this parameter, the operating system is inferior to the product from Google. However, it is leading in terms of program development. The vast majority of them operate on any device without any problems. Everything is in order and with their interface.
Do not love the system only for the high cost of ownership of the device at its base. The fact is that Apple equipment costs a lot of money, and in addition to this, customers are waited for spending on applications and games - only a small number of them are distributed for free. And if you want to achieve maximum comfort of use, you will have to leave a certain amount in the music service iTunes.
Windows phone
The Windows Phone operating system lives its last days. In the winter of 2015, she will stop receiving major updates. Some smartphones will be replaced with a mobile version of Windows 10. However, Microsoft does not specify which models it will be. Therefore, the purchase of a device based on Windows Phone can now be compared to buying a cat in a bag. The only advantage of this operating system is the stability of its work. If you compare budget devices based on Android and Windows Phone, then the product from Microsoft will be pleased with the best performance.
Unfortunately, the flaws in the operating system - a great many. The system is not sufficiently developed - some functions are in short supply. For her, not the largest number of applications has been created - and this is to say the least. Popular programs cost a lot of money, as developers want to somehow pay back their efforts. Existing counterparts known for other application platforms have reduced functionality. In short, for good reason, only about 3% of existing smartphones are running Windows Phone.
Display size
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Now mobile devices primarily differ in their size. There are both small smartphones that can get lost in the women's handbag, and true phablets - devices that do not always fit in the male palm. Now it is a rule to pay attention not to dimensions, but to the size of the display - so it’s much easier to navigate.
Up to 4 inches
If the smartphone has a screen, the diagonal of which does not exceed 4 inches, then it will easily fit in any pocket. He should not even protrude from the back pocket of his jeans. But much more such devices love for convenient control. The user is able to reach with his thumb to any point on the display - the help of the second hand is not required. Such smartphones are ideal for girls and teenagers. The disadvantage of such devices are weak technical characteristics. Wonders in the world does not happen - the developers can not fit inside such a modest device worthy components. There are exceptions, but these smartphones are much more expensive, because of what the meaning of their purchase is lost.
4.1 to 4.6 inches
Devices with this screen can still be considered compact. They are also easy to put in any pocket. But teenagers can have a problem with control - it can be extremely difficult to reach the upper corners of the display. Also, if you choose such a smartphone, you should pay attention to the screen resolution - it should be close to the parameter 720 x 1280 pixels (HD). Otherwise, you will encounter pixelation.
From 4.7 to 5.1 inches
More recently, these devices were called phablets - they seemed so big. But now we are getting used to them. In addition, the creators managed to reduce to a minimum the thickness of the side frames, as a result of which the width of the device was significantly reduced. Of course, this does not apply to budget devices.
From 5.2 inches
Devices with a screen diagonal of more than 5.2 inches are popularly called phablets or tablet phones. You should consider purchasing it only if for some reason you really need a huge display. And certainly you should not look in the direction of budget devices. They get a low-resolution screen, because of what it does not fit the right amount of information. In this case, the meaning of such a large size is simply lost.
CPU
When choosing a smartphone, be sure to pay attention to processor power. In particular, you should be interested in the number of cores.
Single core processor
Devices based on the single-core chipset are practically not produced. They can be endowed with only the cheapest smartphones, the cost of which is equal to two or three thousand rubles. From such devices it is worth to stay away. Any operating system for stable operation requires decent resources that a single-core solution cannot provide.
Dual core processor
Dual-core chipsets are still actively produced by Qualcomm, Intel and some others - they are put in the budget devices. When choosing a smartphone with such a processor, you should be guided by its clock frequency, measured in GHz. If it is high, then the power should be enough for the stable functioning of both the operating system and the most popular applications. However, it should be understood that devices with a dual-core processor are not gaming devices - Gameloft's three-dimensional creations can slow down on them.
Quad-core processor
Quad-core smartphones are the most popular. The power of such a chipset is more than enough to run any applications and games. And the operating system on such devices works smoothly and without lags. Exceptions are only on models with poorly optimized proprietary shell.
More than four cores
Eight-core processors are becoming increasingly popular.Moreover, in 2016, an active release of 10-core chipsets should begin! This is a kind of reserve for the future - a rare user in the first months of using a smartphone will spend all the power. The main advantage of such processors is in low power consumption. In most cases, only two or three cores work, as a result, the smartphone consumes battery power in economy mode. The rest of the kernels are connected only when solving complex problems - usually this means starting a three-dimensional game. The disadvantage of such chipsets is their high cost. Therefore, there are no cheap devices whose processor consists of six, eight or ten cores.
RAM
A smartphone can be called a computer in miniature. Inside it, too, there is a constant and operational memory, processor, motherboard and many other components, familiar to us from the PC. RAM contains data about the current state of the operating system and running applications. That is why this element is very important. Large companies are constantly trying to break the record, endowing their flagship smartphone with more and more “RAM”.
The cheapest devices have at their disposal only 512 MB of RAM. Buy such a device should be only if you need very strict savings. Be sure that after such a purchase you will suffer from the low speed of the operating system and various lags. Not to mention the fact that some applications will refuse to start - they simply do not have enough RAM.
Now it’s worth looking at smartphones that have between one and two gigabytes of RAM installed on board. This volume is quite enough for most users. 2 GB of RAM will provide background work for many applications. You can instantly return to any of them without observing the tedious launch process.
Flagship smartphones are already getting 3 GB of RAM. This is the perfect option. With this volume, you can forget about the forced closure of any running applications. This is to be done only for the sake of reducing power consumption and increasing battery life.
Built-in cameras
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Any modern smartphone has at least one built-in camera. That is why now sales of compact cameras are dropping so strongly. Most users simply have enough features built into the smartphone camera. And who wants to carry an additional device?
If photo opportunities are important to you, then you should carefully familiarize yourself with the relevant functionality of the selected smartphone. Focus not only on the resolution of the camera, but also on the quality of the resulting images. The easiest way to do this is to search the Internet for reviews of the device you are thinking of buying.
Many smartphones have at their disposal an 8-megapixel camera. In most cases, this is enough. However, in some devices, image processing is not the best way, because of which the quality of the final result is very much affected. So be careful! The flagships now get an even more powerful camera. They are capable of photographs that are not available to budget compact cameras! Also, developers are trying to expand the functionality of the Camera application: a smartphone may be capable of shooting panoramas, photosphere and blurred background images.
Do not forget that in many current devices there is an additional camera located on the front panel. Its main purpose - the organization of video in applications such as Skype. If this is important for you, be sure to pay attention to the resolution of this camera, it must be equal to or exceed 1.3 megapixels.
Connection
The most important task of any smartphone is the organization of communication. And it's not just about voice calls. Any operating system requires regular updates and downloads of additional applications.In this regard, simplified Internet access is desirable. Modern flagships are capable of connecting to the global web at very high speeds. It uses 4G networks, also called LTE.
If you are not going to actively use the mobile Internet, then 3G support will be enough for you. The same can be said about Wi-Fi. This wireless module also exists in several versions. The most common standard is 802.11n - its speeds will be enough for the vast majority of consumers. Well, the 802.11ac standard is intended for residents of large cities, where a dual-band connection is required for stable data transfer. The speed depends only on the workload of the router to which you are connecting.
Do not forget to check what other means of communication the selected smartphone can offer. For example, it is desirable to have support for energy-efficient technology Bluetooth 4.0. It is necessary to transfer data to other devices and connect a wireless headset. In some cases, you may find the NFC module useful. And some of the smartphones are able to please the presence of the infrared port, through which the TV and other home appliances that support it are controlled.
Additional functionality
Memory card slot
When choosing a smartphone, pay special attention to the amount of internal memory. If it turns out to be an insufficient amount (4 or 8 GB), then only a microSD card slot can save. As a rule, it has most of the devices with such a limited amount of flash memory. The flagships are much less likely to please them, but the amount of memory in them is slightly larger.
Moisture protection
If you want to use your smartphone in any conditions, then it is advisable to choose a model with a waterproof case. It is not necessary to focus on monsters with a lot of rubber linings, which usually only distress their characteristics. Instead, you can pay attention to Sony products - many smartphones of this company are able to function even under water. There are similar models and Samsung.
Battery capacity
Unfortunately, many modern devices are not able to work on a single charge longer than 12-16 hours. If you do not like it - look for a model with a capacious battery. For a couple of days of autonomous work, you can calculate the battery capacity at 2500 mAh. If this parameter is even higher, then you will be in search of a charger much less often. But it must be remembered that in this case, the thickness of the smartphone may be prohibitive. Also, the battery life is affected by the LCD display. Created by technology Super AMOLED screens have in its composition of pixels that glow independently. The more black colors in the picture - the less energy is spent on the backlight. In this regard, the requirements for the battery are more tolerable.
Most popular smartphone makers
Samsung
Samsung is one of the largest South Korean concerns. This company produces not only smartphones, but also tablets, televisions, household appliances and various kitchen appliances. Moreover, the concern is also busy in construction and some other specific areas. Samsung Galaxy smartphones are a bit more expensive than competitors, but instead offer a wider functionality and a stable working branded shell.
Apple
Steve Jobs at one time made a revolution. He introduced an iPhone smartphone with a touch screen. He did not require the use of a stylus, which then seemed like a miracle. Now Apple smartphones continue to enjoy strong demand. Buyers are not afraid of even a very high price. All existing models are running iOS - a proprietary operating system for which a huge number of applications and games have been created.
Lenovo
The Chinese company Lenovo began to engage in the production of smartphones relatively recently. But in a short time she was able to enter many markets. Including its products can be found in Russia.High-quality design and adequate pricing allow the company to claim a very high level of sales.
Huawei
Huawei is a Chinese company founded in 1988. The greatest profit to her is the creation and installation of telecommunications equipment. Its services are used by many world-famous mobile operators. Some time ago, Huawei decided to start producing smartphones. Its products stand out from the competitors with decent technical characteristics and a sane price tag.
LG
The South Korean company LG at one time was one of the first to start producing smartphones based on the Android operating system. Now she is actively cooperating with Google, almost every year releasing devices from the Nexus series, devoid of any proprietary shell. Smartphones from the Optimus series are pleased with an adequate price and competent optimization.
Microsoft / Nokia
Nokia’s mobile division is now owned by Microsoft. However, smartphones under the American brand are still considered relatively rare. The vast majority of devices under the brand names of Microsoft and Nokia work using the Windows Phone operating system. It follows from this that their common shortcoming is not the largest number of supported applications.
Alcatel
Alcatel smartphones are no longer involved in the French company of the same name. However, this does not prevent them from being among the most popular in the Russian market. Buyers like these devices because of the very low price and reasonable technical characteristics. Smartphones function using Android and a minimalist proprietary shell.
Fly
Mobile phone manufacturer Fly was born in 2002. The company tries to create low cost devices. All of them are widely popular in India, Russia and Ukraine. Buyers like the affordable price tag and high-quality assembly.
Sony
Sony has long been creating mobile phones and smartphones in collaboration with the Swedes. However, at the beginning of this decade, the Swedish share in the joint venture was bought out. Now Sony smartphones have a signature Japanese style and worthy features. Many models have at their disposal moisture protection, does not affect the appearance.
HTC
Many people still remember the HTC brand on communicators, on which the Windows Mobile operating system was installed. Now smartphones of the Taiwanese company are running Android and an incredibly beautiful branded shell. The flagship models are endowed with the support of technology HTC BoomSound, thanks to which they sound almost better than all their competitors.
Operator smartphones
In Europe and the US, mobile operators offer a variety of mobile phones and smartphones under their brand. In Russia, this practice took root only a few years ago. Our operators offer smartphones at a very low price. If you are looking for a budget device, then you should start viewing the options with operator devices (MTS, Beeline, MegaFon).
Philips
Philips products have always been in demand. Smartphones under this brand remain popular even now, when their production is not occupied by the Dutch. The most successful models have a capacious battery - they offer a decent battery life.
ASUS
The Taiwanese company ASUS was founded in the 80s of the last century. The first time she was engaged in the production of Chinese components. Soon the high popularity of products allowed to enter foreign markets. After this, the expansion of production began. Many people remember ASUS communicators operating under Windows Mobile. Now the lion's share of Taiwanese smartphones works with Android.
ZTE
ZTE is now a huge Chinese company. It was founded in 1985. Then it seemed that the company would be engaged only in the production of telecommunications equipment. But now, ordinary consumers know it on smartphones that do not have the highest price tag.Their production began in 2010 - then they were branded devices that were sold by operators in their own outlets. Now the company ZTE almost completely switched to the creation of devices under its own brand.
Highscreen
The Highscreen brand belongs to the Russian company Vobis Computer. The range of this manufacturer includes smartphones, tablets, DVRs and some other electronic devices. The most popular are smartphones, which have at their disposal a capacious battery. Included with some models comes a second battery, the capacity of which is not so high. It can be put in the case when you do not want to increase the thickness of the device.
Motorola
The Motorola brand has been around for over 80 years. It was this American company that created the first mobile phone in the world (even if it wasn’t as mobile as we are used to). Unfortunately, at the end of the last decade, the manufacturer of smartphones had serious problems. To reduce losses, he had to leave many markets. That is why its devices are so difficult to detect in Russia. Now the Motorola brand is owned by Lenovo.
Micromax
This Indian company was born quite recently. At first, she supplied smartphones only to her home market. However, now its products can be found even in Russia. She produces both push-button mobile phones and quite good smart phones. However, while they win over competitors only due to their low price tag.
teXet
The Russian manufacturer of electronic technology under the brand teXet was founded in 1993. It all started with the creation of DECT-phones. But gradually the company expanded production by switching to other electronic devices. In particular, in the stores you can still find its music players. TeXet smartphones are nothing special - their distinguishing feature is their low cost.
