Buy a new smartphone

Ready for a new smartphone, but are you not sure how to make the right choice? That is not crazy. The range is large and the prices are sometimes very different. Therefore, take a good look at what you find important. For example, a good camera, lots of space for videos or just calling and surfing the internet. There are many points to watch out for. We list the most important considerations.

An important choice is between the different operating systems. Such a system determines how the telephone works. In smartphone land there are two major players:

• android. This operating system for smartphones and tablets is from Google. Android is available on phones from all kinds of brands, such as Samsung, Huawei, Nokia and many others. Android is easy to use and easy to customize to your own taste.
• iOS. This is Apple’s operating system. As for phones, it’s only found on iPhones, the smartphones that Apple makes. Many people like the design of iOS and find it easy to use. It is also useful that the telephone and operating system are made by the same party. As a result, they are well integrated.

If you choose iOS, you will automatically end up with an iPhone (or vice versa). If you prefer a device with Android, you still have to look at the brand of the phone. Samsung has been the Android market leader for years, supplying budget smartphones, luxury phones, and everything in between. Nokia is known for reliability. In recent years, Chinese smartphones from the brands Huawei and Xiaomi have also become popular. They provide good quality for lower prices. However, there are concerns about privacy.

When comparing smartphones, you will notice that prices are very different. Is a 1000 euro phone so much better than a 150 euro phone? And if so, where does that come from?

Often, phones are classified into these categories:

• Budget phones. Phones up to 300 euros are often called budget phones. They often work perfectly fine, but have, for example, a less good camera or less storage capacity. Those who mainly want to call, whatsapp, e-mail and use the internet can work well with this.
• Mid range phones. These mid-range phones cost between 300 and 500 euros. They’re powerful phones that let you do just about anything: take great photos, play games, stream videos, navigate, and so on.
• High end phones. These are the phones from 500 euros. They are the most luxurious phones. The high price can, for example, be due to a top camera, a large computing power (and therefore a lot of speed), a lot of storage or a special design.

About fifteen years ago, the screens of smartphones were still very small and the keys were separate from the screen. Meanwhile, the touch screens seem to be getting bigger and bigger. An average smartphone nowadays has a diagonal of about 15 centimeters. Also pay attention to the edges of the phone. They also count towards the total size.

Small, medium and large all have their advantages:

• A small phone is easy to hold, especially for people with small hands. The phone also fits more easily in a pocket or purse. This is useful if you want to take the phone with you outdoors.
• An average-sized phone is slightly less compact, but does have a pleasantly large screen. Watching videos or playing games is therefore more comfortable.
• A large phone has the advantage that more text fits on the screen, or that the text becomes larger. That’s great for those who have trouble with the small letters. Also, a large phone is useful when watching videos. A possible disadvantage is that the telephone is less easy to operate for people with small hands. And that it fits less well in a pocket or purse.

The storage capacity of a smartphone is often between 16 and 512GB (gigabyte). The operating system and other default apps have always taken up some of that storage. How much you need depends on what you want to do with the phone.

If you mainly want to call, email and use the internet, a small storage is sufficient. Do you want to download many apps and like to take pictures and videos? Then a storage of 64 or 128 GB is recommended. If you really want to keep a lot of photos, videos, music and apps on your phone, 256 or 512 GB is best.

It is possible to add extra storage capacity to the phone. This is possible with an SD card. The phone must have an SD card slot for this.

Just like with a computer, the processor and working memory determine how fast the smartphone works and how many tasks can be performed simultaneously. In general, the higher the RAM and the more modern the processor, the better the phone will perform. Also, don’t get too hung up on numbers. More important is how the phone and the software work together.

With a powerful processor and a high working memory, the smartphone will generally be better able to run heavy programs. For example, photo editing, games or streaming videos.

A lower working memory and a less powerful processor will therefore have more trouble with this. This is no problem for daily use, such as calling, surfing the internet and WhatsApp. Those programs require less computing power and will therefore simply work as they should.

It’s nice if a smartphone lasts all day, without having to hang it on the charger. How long a smartphone lasts is partly determined by the power of the battery, but also by what you do with it. Streaming videos, for example, costs much more energy than emailing or WhatsApp.

The capacity of the battery is expressed in mAh. That stands for milliampere-hours. The higher the number of mAh, the longer the phone should last. About 2000 mAh is quite normal for a phone. With normal use, a 2000 mAh phone can last a whole day without worrying about the battery running out. If you use your phone a lot, for example to stream videos and music and surf the Internet extensively, you are better off with a more powerful battery. Phones with 3000 or 4000 mAh are a better choice.

Nowadays you can take very nice pictures with a smartphone. Even cheaper phones are often equipped with great cameras to take fun shots for family and friends. For the photography enthusiast, it is recommended to buy a slightly more expensive phone. The cameras in some more expensive models are not inferior to a digital camera.

Most smartphones today are equipped with multiple lenses. In addition to the standard lens on the back of the phone, there is often a ‘front camera’ on the front as well. This is useful for taking selfies or for video calling. Some phones even have a third or fourth lens. That is often a wide-angle or telephoto lens.

Have you found the right phone? Then buy additional accessories if necessary. One accessory that is certainly smart to buy is a case. This makes the phone better protected against drops and scratches.

Other accessories are:

• A screen protector. A transparent film that goes on the screen of the phone. It protects the touch screen from scratches.
• A charger. A phone comes standard with a charger. But an extra charger can be useful, for example one upstairs and one downstairs. You can also just buy an extra charging cable. This is great, for example, if you would like a longer cable.
• A phone holder. Handy if you want to put the phone up, for example when watching a movie, or to follow a recipe while cooking.

It should be clear that there is a lot to consider when buying a smartphone. But how do you come to an actual choice? Fortunately, there are handy sites with which you can compare all models. You can compare telephones at The Consumers’ Association and Tweakers.

Enter a number of requirements there (usually on the left of the screen) to arrive at a selection of smartphones. For example, start with a maximum price and the amount of storage space you want. The more requirements you fill in, the fewer devices are left. Are there no results? You will have to adjust the requirements for that. If you are left with a number of phones that meet your requirements, look for the differences and consider which features you value most. The sites indicate where you can then buy the smartphone of your choice.