- Dec 12, 2000
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I thought it would be a good idea to compile some wisdom from around this forum regarding smartphones and what to buy. I'll start off the thread but I'm by no means any authority, so I'd like as many contributions as possible.
Now, my job is unique in that I get to play with lots of Android devices, oftentimes 1-2 months prior to release. So my guide might be biased towards Android. I've gained a lot of insights that I want to share, and I'd like to hear your thoughts as well, especially as they pertain to other devices.
So, without further ado:
THE SMARTPHONE BUYING GUIDE:
Read This First:
First, some pointers (keep in mind I'm assuming you're on post-paid; pre-paid has different rules):
Choosing your carrier is more important than picking your phone. Do this first. I cannot stress this enough, but DO NOT choose your carrier based on the device. You should consider the following factors in order of importance to you:
Don't rely on reviews--trust your own eyes, hands and fingers. Some examples:
Now, my job is unique in that I get to play with lots of Android devices, oftentimes 1-2 months prior to release. So my guide might be biased towards Android. I've gained a lot of insights that I want to share, and I'd like to hear your thoughts as well, especially as they pertain to other devices.
So, without further ado:
THE SMARTPHONE BUYING GUIDE:
Read This First:
First, some pointers (keep in mind I'm assuming you're on post-paid; pre-paid has different rules):
- If you're in the market for a new device (i.e. contract up for renewal, etc.) don't get stuck in the "waiting game". You know what I'm talking about. You think about getting a new phone, but you want to wait for all the reviews. Then maybe you're waiting for a maintenance release to fix some bugs. But then you hear rumors of another device and you decide to wait it out longer. This is bad. Smartphones are obsolete in 6 months, sometimes less. The longer you wait, the longer you'll be waiting for your new contract to expire. My advice--buy within 4-6 weeks of your contract expiration date, and you should only wait that long if there's a new "halo" device coming for the carrier you've chosen.
- Don't buy a "budget device". This is also a mistake. Buy the best device available (according to your criteria--see below) and don't worry about the up front cost. You'll be paying the same price for service and data either way (regardless of 3G or 4G on most carriers.) Again, see the note above about obsolescence. Buying a mid-range phone means you're buying last year's technology. And you'll be stuck with it for 2 years.
Choosing your carrier is more important than picking your phone. Do this first. I cannot stress this enough, but DO NOT choose your carrier based on the device. You should consider the following factors in order of importance to you:
- Coverage: Where do you use your phone? How good is the service in these areas? Do you have HSPA+, WiMax or LTE coverage in your area?
- Monthly Recurring Cost (MRCs): What is your monthly budget? Based on the services you want, what would your monthly spending be on each carrier?
- How Many Minutes: How many voice minutes do you really need? Do you need an unlimited everything plan, or should you save on minutes and spend more on data?
- Data Policies: Do you need unlimited data or is capped data fine? How fast do you want your data to be (does it matter if you're usually within range of WiFi?) Does your carrier use QoS to slow down service during peak times? Will you be tethering?
- Texting: Does your carrier bundle text service or does it charge extra in your plan? Do you need unlimited texting if you'll be using Google Voice/GroupMe/Kik Messaging etc. for messaging?
- Performance: What makes a phone feel "fast"--is it the snappiness of the UI? The speed of the data connection? Synthetic benchmark scores? Speed of the processor? Get a feel for the device in the store before you buy it. My advice for Android phones--dual-core is a gimmick (for now). Android 3.x might have more multicore optimizations, but Android 2.x has very few. The only difference I've seen is with synthetic benchmarks and installing app updates. The most important performance factors for Android phones (in my chosen order): 1) Amount of RAM (get more than 512mb-1 GB preferred), 2) CPU arch--Exynos > OMAP4 > Snapdragon Series 3 > Hummingbird > OMAP3, 3) CPU/GPU acceleration (enabled in browser, NEON support, etc.), 4) Data speed.
- Battery Life: How important is this to you? Are you willing to invest in multiple chargers? I have a charger on my desk at work, 1 next to the bed, 1 in my car, and 1 in my suitcase. I also have a microUSB cable with my laptop. Don't think of anything less for a 4G phone. If you need >8 hours, don't buy 4G/LTE (or keep it turned off by default); if you need >12 hours, buy an iPhone or Windows Phone 7; if you need >24 hours, buy a BlackBerry.
- Apps: Which apps will you be using? Are you already invested in iOS or Android apps? If so, that should make your decision easier. Are you willing to sacrifice app support to use Windows Phone 7 or BlackBerry?
- Form Factor: I personally don't care too much about the form factor--if it's too bulky I won't put it in my pocket (I'll use a belt clip instead); if it's super-thin and light I'll put it in a case anyway, so the difference in thickness would be negligible.
- OS: Besides figuring out your preference for iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7 or BlackBerry, you may want to check whether your device/OEM gets timely updates to the latest version of the OS. For Android, consider other factors such as root ability, custom ROM support and "pure Google" vs. "bloatware/crapware" if that's important to you.
- International Roaming: Where do you travel/what networks do they use? How often do you travel? Will work pick up the tab for roaming costs? Can your phone be SIM-unlocked to support local prepaid SIMs? My experience in traveling to Asia and other 3rd-world countries--data service there is non-existent. You're better off picking up an unlocked world phone from eBay that lasts 1-2 weeks on standby and using local prepaid SIMs.
- Accessory Support: Does your device have 3rd-party accessory support? If this is an important factor, you'll probably be looking at the iPhone. If you don't mind paying a premium for OEM accessories, you should stick with a top-tier OEM like Motorola or Samsung. If all you need is a good Bluetooth stack, you should be fine. For Android, you may want to check whether your device supports USB Host Mode, NFC, Bluetooth 3.0 and WiFi Direct--these protocols are important, especially considering ongoing development of the Open Accessory API.
Don't rely on reviews--trust your own eyes, hands and fingers. Some examples:
- Technically, the Droid Bionic might be larger and heavier than the Droid X2, but it "feels" lighter to me.
- The newer PenTile screens aren't really that bad as some would have you believe.
- Windows Phone 7 rocks. Yes, I'm an Android fan boy and I'll admit it. Even on older hardware (Snapdragon Series 2) it just feels 10x faster than Android. I have the RTM build of Mango on my Trophy now and it's even better. But a lot of people would never even consider it without trying it first.
- Some mid-tier phones and certain OEMs will use shitty digitizers that don't respond to touch input well...you can tell almost immediately after trying out the phone. Avoid.
- Do you have big hands? Are you accidentally fat fingering the capacitive buttons?
- Does your phone need to fit inside your skinny jeans?
- WTF BlackBerry OS 7 still has the stupid hourglass half the time? Seriously???
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