Things You Need to Consider Before Buying Your New Smartphone

If the time has come again for you to invest in a brand new smartphone, you’re in luck. The mobile industry has never been bigger, and its top-selling products have never been smarter and more reliable. Whatever you’re looking for, you’ll have no problem finding it.

Presuming you prefer Android over iOS, the options are truly endless. And if you’re not an impulsive buyer, we’ve compiled a short list of things you might want to consider before you make the final decision. Here’s what you need to know about smartphone prices and trends.

• Price Is (Traditionally) a Guarantee of Quality

Whatever the product, there are essentially two types of buyers – those who don’t mind spending a little extra on quality and those who don’t believe that price is a guarantee of anything. With phones, there’s no special dilemma. High-end smartphones usually live up to the hype.

So let’s see which manufacturers control the hype this year.

The most popular smartphone brands are currently Samsung and Huawei. You’d be paying a lot of money for Galaxy Note 9 and Mate 20 Pro, so it's only natural that you’re wondering whether or not it would be worth it. According to users and experts alike – yes.

If you don't mind shelling out around 1K, you’ll have no buyer’s remorse.

• But You Can Still Get a Great Phone for Cheap

Meanwhile, “smaller” manufacturers like Xiaomi and OnePlus are creating equally powerful and reliable smartphones for half the price. For example, the excellent Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 costs no more than $500.

If you’re more comfortable with this price range, check out these brands:

• Xiaomi: M1 A1 is another great choice.
• OnePlus: OnePlus 6T has been gaining a lot of steam lately.
• Huawei: cheaper versions include Mate 10 Pro.

Honor, Pocophone, OPPO, Vivo, and Meizu are solid contestants in this category as well. Read some reviews on Honor 10, POCO F1, OPPO R17 Pro, Vivo NEX S, and Meizu 16th before you go on and buy a $1000 phone. The similarities in performance specifications may surprise you.

• The Right Time to Buy Is Never “Right Now”

Whatever decision you make, never buy a smartphone as soon as it comes out. Smartphone prices tend to drop by half in only a couple of months. Having the best new gadget first is okay when you’re a preteen. As an adult, cashing out twice as much is somewhat irresponsible.

• There Are Endless Options to Choose From

The good thing about today’s smartphone market is that there are so many options to choose from. After years of waiting, you can finally buy a brand new regular phone again! In case you’re tired of smartphones, here’s fun news: Nokia 3310 ($55) is looking sharper than ever. But this phone probably couldn't satisfy your current needs, however nostalgic it may be.

So why not start by making a list of them? What is it that you need from a smartphone?

Are you looking for a great display? OnePlus 7 Pro, Google Pixel 3 XL, and OnePlus 6T are said to be the best in this category. The best camera phones in 2019 are Huawei P30 Pro, Google Pixel 3, and Huawei Mate 20 Pro. Huawei wins when it comes to battery life as well.

In fact, Huawei is at the very top of each category, including general performance and speed. Huawei’s 7nm Kirin 980 chip, found in Huawei’s Mate 20 Pro and Mate 20X, as well as the Honor Magic 2 and View 20, is the second-best, right after Apple’s A12 Bionic chip.

But according to ExpertReviews tests, the much cheaper OnePlus 6T provides “roughly 79% of the performance of the most expensive smartphone, the iPhone XS Max.” And this is exactly why making a performance-to-price comparison before a purchase is a smart idea.

• Don’t Forget About Smartphone Security

Data breaches have become so common now that you must consider online safety, especially when it comes to mobile browsing. In terms of security, the best Android smartphones are Google Pixel 3, BlackBerry KEY2, and Galaxy Note 9 ($650 - $1,000).

In the world of smart gadgets, you can always use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) for that extra layer of security. It encrypts your internet connections and hides your location, making you difficult to target.

Buying a new smartphone is not an easy task. But these tips should help you decide what you want. You just have to shop around for the best device that suits our needs perfectly.