What to look for when choosing a smartphone. How to choose a smartphone: inexpensive but good? High-quality Chinese smartphones with Android

Before purchasing any product, it is important to understand for what purposes a smartphone is needed and for whom. Based on these considerations, there is a classification of such devices that satisfies the following requests:

1. How to choose an inexpensive smartphone. In this case, almost any brand of phone will do. The key parameters are the purpose and in whose hands it will be. If the product ends up in the hands of a person who does not need technical frills, then it is better to choose a smartphone without unnecessary bells and whistles. For example, it could be a model.

2. How to choose a mid-range smartphone. Such devices can vary in power and functionality. Powerful models will be the answer to the question “which smartphone should a teenager choose?” In this case, design is also important. A stylish and fashionable device will be an ideal option. One of them -

3. Choosing a smartphone for a child is especially difficult. They pay most attention to the availability of games and applications, so try to choose a device that will have enough memory. Suitable model

It will be useful to read, “ ”.

4. It’s worth thinking about how to choose a smartphone based on parameters and price. In most cases, the number of gadget parameters directly affects the cost. In this situation, a more technically equipped model will cost slightly more. Example, .

5. How to choose a smartphone, price and quality which are comparable is an important question. Even at a low cost you can choose good phone, but the risk of changing the device in a year or two is still high. For example, inexpensive and quality smartphone

What criteria must the display meet?

When choosing a model, one of its main parts is the screen. The display may vary in diagonal, matrix variation, resolution, and sensor type. Depending on the listed criteria, the price of the product varies. Main types of diagonals:

• . Small smartphones have always been in demand in this market. Combination of compactness and high technological capabilities attracts customers. Convenient and simple, they are an ideal option for consumers who do not intend to carry a large device with them. We recommend taking a look at phones that have a screen of this size.

• . The most popular and popular models are presented in this category. Here you can find a wide range of options on offer. All manufacturers produce gadgets with this diagonal.
• . This diagonal is also popular and in demand on the market. Its length allows you to clearly view any image. At the same time, it is visible much better than on previous analogues. The production of models with such a diagonal is carried out by both the above companies and others, for example: HTC, Xiaomi and many others.
• 6.01 and more. Smartphones with this diagonal are the largest of the proposed options. Their size is large enough for a phone, so not all manufacturers decide to produce such products. Another concern is the fact that in terms of dimensions they are close to the size of a tablet.

The next criterion is the type of matrix. It varies depending on the manufacturer. Among the most common:

The first type is based on organic light-emitting diodes. The most popular option is, which has the widest viewing angle of 180 degrees. It provides detail and nothing can be hidden from the buyer’s eye, no matter where he is.

It is also important to decide what resolution the smartphone will have. After all, having chosen a model and not looked at its characteristics, there is a risk that any video file cannot be played on the device. First of all, we are talking about HD files. Despite the fact that they exist in different quality formats (240, 360,480, 720, 1080, etc.), most users prefer viewing in high resolution, since the picture when choosing a lower level is very far from ideal.

In the most popular models, manufacturers have already taken these shortcomings into account and allow you to play video in excellent resolution. For example, one of the recent new products allows you to play videos in 1080p quality.

However, there are still models that do not have this option. However, they are quickly being replaced by more functional ones, because The requirements for smartphones are regularly increasing. Consumers are simply unhappy with the fact that they can't get necessary information, therefore, they opt for a more functional model.

The type of sensor used in the device. The overwhelming majority of the latest models use the capacitive type. Among the advantages are stable operation and reliable touch response. However, in winter there may be problems with functioning. The most common is non-responsive touch.

But you should not only look at the screen when choosing the required model and brand. In particular, you need to thoroughly study the operating system of smartphones.

Types of operating systems

The two most popular operating systems are Android and . It is worth noting that the second system is used exclusively by Apple. Let's take a look at it in more detail and try to see the advantages and disadvantages that it has.

pros	Minuses
Convenient store with games, applications and music.	Expensive. Often, many applications on this OS are more expensive than for Android users.
Exclusive. It only works on the iPhone, thanks to this, the developers managed to eliminate many significant shortcomings.	Closedness. Lack of significant choice.
Progressive interface.	Memory limitation. Only the phone's memory is provided, without the ability to expand it using a removable card.
Proper distribution of energy.	Some applications consume too much energy.

It is worth noting that the iPhone OS is also very secure; on the other hand, it results in an excessive number of blockings when even harmless applications or pages are banned by the company. in social networks. One of the few significant advantages of the iOS store over its competitor is music. If in the case of this company everything is perfectly worked out and users regularly purchase compositions, then on Google Music many performers do not even post their works.

Others, in turn, use . The remaining brands have a common store, which also contains various games and applications. If the buyer does not know how to choose an Android-based smartphone, then it is necessary to understand what goals he is pursuing. When choosing among various variations, it is necessary to understand their power and structural features.

We have already written about what exist « ».

The newest of existing versions– 7.1. It entered the market not so long ago, so there are not so many smartphones with it. More than half of all available Android is occupied by versions 5.1 and 6.0. They have already firmly established themselves in the market and meet all modern requirements for a gadget. When wondering which Android smartphone to choose, the buyer risks receiving an excessive amount of information. The device can become suitable.

But also Android systems there are disadvantages, just like there are advantages. The table below shows them:

pros	Minuses
Huge selection of games and applications.	Very weak state of the music store compared to iOS.
Regular updates.	Not reliable charging. The smartphone needs to be recharged regularly. Many applications are excessively energy-consuming; the smartphone simply cannot withstand the load.
Reliable parallel operation of several applications at once.	Compatibility conflict. Incorrect work applications when updating.
The system is open and multifunctional.	Excessive interface complexity. An abundance of sub-items and folders containing settings.

Question " Should I choose an Android smartphone?“Everyone decides for himself. It is worth noting that by choosing this OS, a vast market of entertainment and applications opens up to the user. Android is developing dynamically and is regularly improved, thereby winning more and more new fans. And if we take into account that the two-year-old versions released a long time ago have already become the most widespread, then we should expect the same from the company’s latest new products.

The choice of operating system is the cornerstone from which the user will subsequently need to build.

Battery

Consumers also don't always know how to choose a smartphone with a good battery. Its capacity is measured in milliamperes per hour (mAh). The length of use of the device without charging will depend on the size. Most products start at 2000 mAh. But such batteries are already being forced out of the market by more advanced gadgets with a value of 3000 mAh and higher. Companies, competing with each other, increased the power of the “heart” of devices to unprecedented sizes, sometimes up to 10,000 mAh. But these are rather exceptions. The bulk fluctuates in the 2000- variation.

This capacity will allow you to stay connected for some time without recharging. More and more applications are being released that are designed to save energy. However, many people overspend it. The charge level also differs in hot and cold weather; in the second case, the smartphone can quickly lose it.
You must purchase the product exclusively with an original battery, otherwise there is a possibility that it will interact poorly with the phone. As a result, stable operation without a charger will be impossible.

Camera

Popular models have a front camera from 5 MP; in more expensive brands this figure reaches . Such graphics have high clarity and quality, so you can see all your favorite captured moments.

Cameras are capable of:

• clearly capture the image;
• edit an existing photo;
• adjust brightness, contrast, and other effects.

There are practically no smartphones left that would make photos “blurry.” New technologies allow you to take the perfect shot even while on the move.

An increasing number of users are putting forward demands regarding the quality of the camera in the gadget. Therefore, when choosing a smartphone, try to get a gadget that will allow you to create the most beautiful pictures and fully convey all the emotions that accompanied the photographer at that moment.

Memory and device performance

Above, among the disadvantages of iOS, it was noted that iPhones have exclusively built-in memory. They are strictly limited. The most popular variations:

• 8000 MB;
• 16000 MB;
• 32000 MB;
• 64000 MB.

Having a limited amount of space available, the user is forced to distribute it wisely so that the phone is not overloaded. New applications help you find memory reserves and, if necessary, slightly increase the available volume.

Android users can be much more relaxed regarding this issue. They are able to increase the capacity of the device and the one available in the phone. Popular volumes in demand are 32,000 MB, 128,000 MB, 256,000 MB. This volume will allow you to store an impressive amount of information on your smartphone.

The processor for a smartphone is the motor part. It is this that ensures the stable operation of the device.

The best processors for Android are made by Qualcomm. They are highly reliable, efficient, and can withstand heavy loads. Protected from constant temperature changes. The Snapdragon models produced by this company are installed on a significant portion of devices. Choosing a processor for a smartphone is not an easy task. You need to know how many cores are required.

Manufacturer selection

A smartphone is a popular device, so many companies produce it. It is better not to trust untested brands and companies that are just entering the market. Because their products will not be as reliable as those from well-known companies. Which smartphone to buy, everyone makes a conclusion based on their own desires or after familiarizing themselves with the device’s parameters. The market leaders are the following companies:

• Huawei;

It is these companies that are the most obvious answer to the question: “Which smartphone should I get?” By giving preference to one of these companies, in return you get reliable quality and a product that will last for a long time. Choosing a smartphone brand is an important matter, so you need to approach it responsibly.

Number of SIM cards

Smartphones are becoming increasingly popular. Such gadgets allow you to handle twice as many calls. Moreover, they solve the age-old problem of phone confusion. Now you don't need to carry many devices at the same time.

Almost all major companies produce multifunctional smartphones. This option has been extended to all manufacturers. Choosing such a device will not be difficult. An excellent option is .

By choosing the model you like, you can enjoy communication and not burden yourself with two or more phones.

Device design and body

Design solutions come in a wide variety. Starting from a wide selection of color palettes, ending with the material from which the smartphone is made. Users prefer to diversify the style of their phone and make it exclusive using stickers and stickers. All this gives uniqueness and will help you stand out from others. But the bright colors in which many models are dressed will also make the day more colorful, and the smartphone itself will make a lasting impression on those who saw it.

Manufacturers use the following types of material in the manufacture of the device case:

• plastic;
• aluminum;
• metal.

Their use is most common in the manufacturing and manufacturing process of a smartphone. With regular use of the gadget, it will gradually wear out and its appearance will transform, but various drops of the device have an even greater impact. Not everyone can withstand such blows.

Smartphones made from more durable materials can withstand a much greater load and remain intact even if dropped from a height. However, metal devices are very prone to dents. But the main thing is that they are more clearly visible on them than on similar plastic ones. Simpler models will suffer significant damage. But, usually, such incidents do not lead to serious consequences, and if a person has a decent smartphone, then it is almost impossible to damage it.

Plastic is known for its inexpensive price and resistance to scratches and minor damage. Metal, in turn, is not susceptible to fingerprints and looks advantageous compared to other materials, since it has recently begun to be used in the production of such devices.

Choosing a quality smartphone means choosing the model that is best suited for solving problems. An inexpensive option would be a gadget. The model combines all the necessary functions that a smartphone should have, while the cost of this device not tall.

Don't forget to protect your device from dust and moisture. So far, few devices can boast of this. At the same time, settled dust and penetrating moisture pose a serious threat to the gadget.

Sound options

On all models, it is possible to regulate and customize the sound based on personal preferences. When playing and listening to audio files on a device, it is better to choose original products for this model. These headphones provide the highest quality and clear sound without any interference.

On smartphones you can configure:

• volume;
• adjust equalizers;
• change frequency.

It is also important to have a high-quality speaker that not only plays music, but also informs about incoming calls and messages. But if you go too far with the volume, there is a risk of damaging your eardrums. Therefore, you need to carefully adjust these parameters to get the perfect combination.

Gadgets have powerful speakers, so be careful and set the value to suit different tasks. Select a smartphone with good sound It’s easy, the main thing is to then configure the remaining parameters. It would be an excellent option.

Where to buy a smartphone

There are many places where devices are sold, but do not trust unscrupulous sellers. Contact the store and buy the best smartphones at the best prices. There are a huge number of models presented here, which vary depending on cost, appearance, shooting quality, technical parameters. Come to MOYO and get the best new products and an individual approach to each client.

The highest quality products and respect for customers, that’s what OMNI-retail offers. Purchase the products and see for yourself.

Thus, choosing the right model is not an easy task. When faced with diversity, the user runs the risk of getting a low-quality device. When writing this article, many types of gadgets were analyzed. We can recommend one that has excellent data and can withstand heavy loads. Such a gadget can serve for a long time and become a reliable assistant in solving the most complex problems.

Watch also the video “How to choose an inexpensive smartphone?”

When buying a smartphone, the primary task of any person who manages their money wisely is to choose a device specifically for their needs. Because any phone, even the most budget one, will bring you positive emotions if it meets your requirements and expectations.

We have prepared detailed instructions about how to choose a smartphone according to the parameters specifically for your tasks. Having studied it, you will be able to distinguish marketing nonsense, under the sauce of which they are trying to sell us the most expensive and, often, not necessary smartphones, and also learn to be guided by things that are really important when choosing. Let's begin.

Housing, materials

Design is a subjective thing, and there are not and cannot be any recommendations for choosing the appearance of a smartphone. However, you still need to know some information regarding the exterior of the device. Almost all smartphones currently produced have the following body types:

• metal;
• plastic;
• ceramic.

A hit of yesteryear that is still popular today, a metal case can be considered the best option. This case looks nice (allows the manufacturer to experiment with finishing options), it is durable, resists drops well, and thanks to its high thermal conductivity, it removes heat well from the internal filling of the smartphone, preventing it from overheating under load. Disadvantage - the body becomes covered with abrasions during use.

The latest trend is a ceramic case, which is often positioned as an image solution. Indeed, such phones look unusual, but you have to pay for beauty - the glass body is slippery and fragile, it is not particularly pleasant to hold in your hands, and the surface itself quickly becomes covered with scratches and loses its original appearance. This is definitely not a choice for lovers of practicality.

Smartphones in plastic case are now presented mainly in primary price category, these are often ultra-budget cars with poor characteristics and mediocre assembly, so there is not much choice here. A pleasant exception was the recently released one (full review at the link), you can also consider the LG K10. Plastic has no particular operational advantages or disadvantages, except that in the cold the phone is not so cold and it is more pleasant to put it to your ear when talking.

The vast majority of smartphones are produced in a monolithic case, which makes the assembly better (no backlash or gaps between individual parts) and allows the devices to be protected from dust and moisture. However, this imposes certain restrictions, for example, you will not be able to replace the smartphone battery yourself as it wears out; to do this, you will have to carry the gadget to the service center. Smartphones with a removable back cover and battery are produced by LG; you can also look for them among ultra-budget devices from Chinese manufacturers (for example,)

Display

When choosing a display, you should pay attention to the following parameters:

• size;
• matrix type;
• permission.

Everyone has their own smartphone screen diagonal that is comfortable for use, so it makes sense to come to the nearest mobile phone store and test it different models to determine what fits more comfortably in your hands. Obviously, smartphones with large displays are better suited for watching videos and consuming a variety of media content, while compact devices are simply more convenient to use. They can be controlled with one hand, which is not applicable to phablets.

The standard screen diagonal today is considered to be 5-5.5 inches, while for particularly large phablets, such as , it reaches 6.44 inches. There are frankly few high-quality compact devices on the market; let’s highlight the iPhone SE (4’’), (4.7’’) and Sony Xperia X Compact (4.6’’).

Next, you should look at the display resolution. There are two options: HD (1280*720) or FHD (1920*720). HD resolution is optimal for displays up to 5 inches diagonal, while for larger diagonals it is desirable to have FHD. Anything less than HD gives a grainy, crumbly picture, more than FHD - 2K, 4K, is simple marketing for which you will have to overpay. The difference between FHD and 2K resolution on a small smartphone screen will be noticed by 1 out of 10 people; it is extremely insignificant.

Parameters such as color rendering, viewing angles and screen contrast depend on the type of matrix, of which there are currently three (main):

1. TN are the simplest and cheapest matrices that are used in ultra-budget smartphones; together with a resolution that does not even reach HD, they provide a low-contrast picture that is frankly unpleasant for the eyes, which is also inverted at the slightest change in viewing angles.
2. IPS is the “gold standard” of modern screen technology. Such displays have good viewing angles and brightness/contrast parameters. Expensive monitors for graphic designers and photographers are made based on IPS, since this technology allows you to achieve the most accurate color reproduction. However, all this concerns high-quality IPS, since in cheap smartphones manufacturers often use frankly mediocre matrices.
3. AMOLED – such displays are a characteristic feature of Samsung smartphones. Features of these matrices are the deepest black color, rich colors(sometimes even excessively) and high contrast. AMOLED screens are also very energy efficient, since the pixels that display black color are simply turned off and do not consume energy at all.

The pitfalls of AMOLED matrices are PenTile (a technology for constructing a pixel network, due to which, even at high ppi, the picture can be loose), as well as uneven wear and burnout of individual pixels. However, now these problems are considered “childhood diseases” of AMOLED matrices; in modern smartphones they are minimized.

Which smartphones to choose is up to you. If possible, hold two smartphones with IPS and AMOLED screens in your hands and decide which picture you like best. In general, IPS can be considered the best choice - take it with confidence, you won’t go wrong, but TN screens should be avoided in 2017, even with a limited budget.

Memory

We will not delve into the jungle of characteristics and types of memory. It’s enough to know that any smartphone has 2 types of memory:

• operational - used to store executable code, in simple terms - to provide tasks performed by the processor and various intermediate data, directly affects the efficiency of the smartphone in multitasking mode;
• the main one is used as storage for all kinds of files (photos, videos, music, etc.).

Minimum Required random access memory for a smartphone today – 2, optimal – 3 or 4 GB of RAM. The rule here is that the more, the better: with a large amount of RAM, the smartphone can keep a huge number of applications in the background, while if there is not enough of it, the applications will be unloaded and launched again the next time they are opened, and the interface and browser itself will work slowly, with noticeable glitches . There are already smartphones on the market with 6 and 8 GB of RAM; this amount is excessive, but it provides a certain foundation for the future, since the appetite for applications and the Android OS itself is constantly growing.

Regarding the main memory, it is worth looking first of all at the possibility of expanding it using memory cards. If the smartphone supports flash drives, then the volume of the built-in storage is not critical, since even if you buy a 16 GB version of the smartphone, you can use a flash drive of the required size.

However, if there is no MicroSD support, what many people like to “please” Chinese manufacturers in an attempt to sell a more expensive version of a smartphone, you will have to overpay for the required amount of memory, which everyone must determine based on their needs. There's no escape here.

16 GB is frankly not enough, even taking into account the fact that music and films can be received online without storing them on the device. The same photos and videos taken with the built-in camera will fill up 16 GB extremely quickly. Therefore, we recommend looking at 32, preferably 64 GB versions of smartphones without flash drives.

CPU

70% of all smartphones on the market come with Snapdragon and MediaTek processors. These are eternal competitors, in the rivalry between which Snapdragon has a noticeable advantage. Roughly speaking, these chipsets are used in all expensive smartphones, while budget devices are equipped with chips from MediaTek.

On paper, MediaTek may have an advantage in operating frequency, number of cores and other characteristics, but due to weak video accelerators, they lose to Dragons in 3D graphics processing. That is, in games, for which this most “powerful” processor is needed, since the average chipset from MediaTek can cope with any everyday tasks (net surfing, applications, video playback).

• We choose smartphones for games with Snapdragon processors;
• if games are not important, you can save money and buy a phone with any chip from MediaTek.

The top Dragon for today is the flagships of previous generations - 825, 821 and 820. In the middle price segment a good choice– Snapdragon 625, 650, 652. And budget chips 430 and 425, which do not claim to be “gaming”, will allow you to play even the heaviest games at medium-low graphics settings.

Camera

The first thing to remember is that the number of megapixels (resolution) of a camera has absolutely no bearing on how high-quality the pictures will be. The final result depends on a combination of the following factors:

1. Light sensitivity (maximum operating ISO) and optical aperture (from f/1.7 in flagships to f/2.2 in most smartphones) affect the quality of photographs taken in low light.
2. The dynamic range of the sensor (mostly IMX sensors from Sony are used everywhere) - the wider it is, the less overexposure and loss of information in the bright areas of the image, and the more details are preserved in the shadows. In top smartphones (Huawei 8 Pro, Mate 9), the second camera is responsible for expanding the DD and this is perhaps the only useful way to use it, since all sorts of “portrait modes” (blurring the background) are nothing more than marketing that does not work well in practice.
3. Autofocus - can be contrast, phase, laser and combined (all 3 combined). The fastest and most accurate is laser autofocus; such smartphones usually cost more, but they allow you to instantly take a photo at the right moment, and not be left without a photo. Choose smartphones with laser or combined autofocus if the goal is to photograph restless small children, animals and any dynamic events.
4. Optical stabilization - when shooting photos allows you to take better pictures in low light or on the go, but it is most important for video. The OS makes the image smooth, without jerking or shaking. And since many modern smartphones can shoot video in 4K, the lack of an OS in them is unforgivable, in which case all the advantages are neutralized high-quality picture. By the way, stabilization can be not only optical, but also electronic - like Google Pixel, however the OS is often more efficient.

And the last, but one of the most important factors influencing the quality of a photo is software, or software processing algorithms. A clear example of this is the many Chinese flagships that take frankly lousy pictures despite the fact that they have top-end sensors, high-aperture optics and cool avofocus. On the other side of the scale is some Nexus 5x, released almost 3 years ago, but in terms of image quality it gives a head start to 90% of modern smartphones.

In general, a smartphone for high-quality photography should be chosen not by characteristics on paper, but by tests and example images. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with ours, which presents the best options for purchase, both among flagships and among budget devices.

Battery

The size of a smartphone's battery has a significant, but not final, impact on its autonomy. No less important is power consumption, which in turn depends on three factors: screen type (AMOLED displays are much more energy efficient than IPS counterparts), processor (the smaller the process used to make the chipset, the better) and software optimization of power consumption.

The record holder for battery capacity today is the Oukitel K10000 with a 10 thousand mAh battery, but this is far from the longest-living one on the market, since the Chinese, as often happens, did not support the hardware with properly optimized software, which is why the K10000 does not hold a charge during active use. much more than

Extremely useful is the fast charging function, which allows you to charge your smartphone in an hour instead of the standard 2-3 hours. Almost all top devices are equipped with it, but recently this technology has also appeared in inexpensive smartphones, for example, which costs less than 9 thousand rubles.

Ours will help anyone looking for a long-lasting smartphone. We recommend you read it.

Which manufacturer should you trust?

And finally, let’s briefly talk about the manufacturers. All companies can be divided into the following categories:

1. A-brands – Samsung, Apple. If you have an unlimited budget and want to buy the best that is on the market (design, functionality, prestige), it makes sense to choose between Galaxy and iPhone - these are cool smartphones in all respects that can be sold on the secondary market without any problems.
2. “Pensioner” brands that are always well-known but do not claim to be market leaders are LG, Sony, HTC, Nokia, Asus, Lenovo (Motorola). These companies offer flagships and mid-range smartphones that are worth your attention and purchase, but budget models are often frankly overpriced. You will have to overpay “for the brand,” while for the same money you can get a much more sophisticated Chinese one.
3. Large Chinese brands - Huawei, ZTE, Xiaomi, Meizu, OnePlus. These companies are gradually taking over an increasing share of the market and often it is they who offer the best smartphones in terms of price/functionality/quality ratio. If you have a limited budget, we recommend looking at these manufacturers.
4. Small Chinese brands - Oukitel, UMI, Ulefone, Doogee, LeEco, Cubot. This list can be continued endlessly; it includes companies that, in conditions of fierce competition, are trying to attract buyers with an even more favorable price/functionality ratio, but the quality of their products is often lame. Hence the high percentage of defects, and since these smartphones are usually purchased directly from China, without any guarantee in Russia, you make such a purchase at your own peril and risk.

That's all. Now you know how to choose an inexpensive, but good smartphone in 2017. Good luck!

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How to choose a good smartphone

Smartphones have long become much more popular than traditional push-button mobile phones. If you go to the corresponding store, you can go crazy with the many touch devices, which have an almost identical appearance. How to navigate this diversity? Perhaps, first of all, you should look at the technical characteristics. And only 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, you will definitely not go wrong with the purchase of a mobile device!

Operating system type

The type of operating system determines which applications will run on the selected smartphone. Now there are three popular firmwares, which in total occupy 99 percent of the market share mobile devices.

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 in Google Play. There are also many games available on Android. Some of them are not inferior in quality to projects intended for portable consoles.

The disadvantage of this operating system is the variety of devices. Some smartphones have non-standard display proportions, others have an unfinished proprietary shell, and still others have some other problems. In short, not on every Android device works the way Google intended. The greatest problems are observed in budget smartphones, with very modest components.

iOS

The iOS operating system powers smartphones and tablets from Apple. For a long time, it was the leader in the number of applications developed for it. Now in this parameter the operating system is inferior to the product from Google. However, it is the leader in terms of program elaboration. The vast majority of them function on any device without any problems. Everything is fine with their interface.

The only way to dislike the system is because of the high cost of owning a device based on it. The fact is that Apple technology costs big money, and in addition to this, the buyer will have to spend money on applications and games - only a small number of them are distributed free of charge. And if you want to achieve maximum comfort of use, you will have to leave a certain amount in the iTunes music service.

Windows Phone

operating room Windows system Phone is living its last days. In the winter of 2015, it will stop receiving major updates. Some smartphones will receive the mobile version of Windows 10 instead. However, Microsoft does not specify which models these will be. Therefore, purchasing a device based on Windows Phone Now it can be compared to buying a pig in a poke. The only advantage of this operating system is the stability of its operation. If we compare budget devices to Android based and Windows Phone, then the product from Microsoft will delight you with better performance.

Unfortunately, the operating system has a lot of shortcomings. The system is poorly developed - some functions are sorely lacking. Not the largest number of applications have been created for it - and this is to put it mildly. Popular programs cost a lot of money, as developers want to somehow recoup their efforts. Existing analogues applications known from other platforms have reduced functionality. In a word, it’s not without reason that Windows control Phone only about 3% of existing smartphones work.

Display size

Photo: sndeep.info

Nowadays, mobile devices primarily differ in their size. There are both small smartphones that can get lost in a woman’s purse, and real phablets - devices that do not always fit in a man’s palm. Nowadays it is a rule to pay attention not to the dimensions, but to the size of the display - this makes it much easier to navigate.

Up to 4 inches

If a smartphone has a screen whose diagonal does not exceed 4 inches, then it will easily fit into any pocket. It should not even protrude from the back pocket of your jeans. But people like such devices much more for their convenient control. The user is able to reach any point on the display with his thumb - no help from a second hand is required. Such smartphones are ideal for girls and teenagers. The disadvantage of such devices is their weak technical characteristics. There are no miracles in the world - developers cannot fit decent components inside such a modest device. There are exceptions, but such smartphones are much more expensive, which is why the point of buying them is lost.

4.1 to 4.6 inches

Devices with such a screen can still be considered compact. They also fit easily into any pocket. But teenagers may have problems with the controls - reaching the upper corners of the display can be extremely difficult. Also, when choosing such a smartphone, you should pay attention to the screen resolution - it should be close to 720 x 1280 pixels (HD). Otherwise you will experience pixilation.

4.7 to 5.1 inches

More recently, such devices were called phablets - they seemed so big. But now we are starting to get used to them. In addition, the creators managed to reduce the thickness of the side frames to a minimum, 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 whose screen diagonal exceeds 5.2 inches are popularly called phablets or tablet phones. You should only consider purchasing it if you absolutely need a huge display for some reason. And you definitely shouldn’t look towards budget devices. They get a low-resolution screen, which is why the required amount of information does not fit on it. In this case, the meaning of such a large size is simply lost.

CPU

When choosing a smartphone, you should definitely pay attention to the processor power. In particular, you should be interested in the number of cores.

Single core processor

Devices based on a single-core chipset are practically no longer produced. Only the cheapest smartphones can be equipped with it, the cost of which is two to three thousand rubles. You should stay away from such devices. For stable operation, any operating system requires decent resources, which a single-core solution cannot provide.

Dual core processor

Dual-core chipsets are still actively produced by Qualcomm, Intel and some others - they are installed in budget devices. When choosing a smartphone with such a processor, you should focus on its clock frequency, measured in GHz. If it is high, then the power should be enough for 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 3D creations may slow down on them.

Quad-core processor

Smartphones with a quad-core processor 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 runs smoothly and without lags. Exceptions occur only on models with a poorly optimized proprietary shell.

More than four cores

Eight-core processors are now becoming increasingly popular. Moreover, active production of ten-core chipsets should begin in 2016! This is a kind of foundation for the future - a rare user will use up all the power in the first months of using the smartphone. The main advantage of such processors is low power consumption. In most cases, only two or three cores work, as a result of which the smartphone consumes battery power in economy mode. The remaining cores are connected only when solving complex tasks - usually this means running 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

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A smartphone can be called a miniature computer. It also contains permanent and random access memory, a processor, motherboard and many other components familiar to us from PCs. RAM contains data about the current state of the operating system and running applications. That's why this element very important. Large companies are constantly trying to break the record by giving their flagship smartphone more and more RAM.

The cheapest devices have only 512 MB of RAM at their disposal. You should buy such a device only if you need very strict savings. Rest assured, after such a purchase you will begin to suffer from the low speed of the operating system and various lags. Not to mention the fact that some applications will refuse to launch - the available RAM simply won’t be enough for them.

Now it’s worth looking towards smartphones that have from one to two gigabytes of RAM installed on board. This volume is quite enough for most users. 2 GB of RAM will ensure the background operation of many applications. You can instantly return to any of them without having to go through the tedious startup process.

Flagship smartphones are already getting 3 GB of RAM. This is ideal. With such a volume, you can forget about forcefully closing any running applications. This should be done only for the sake of reducing energy consumption and increasing the duration battery life.

Built-in cameras

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Any modern smartphone has at least one built-in camera. This is why sales of compact cameras are now declining so much. Most users are simply satisfied with the capabilities of the camera built into their smartphone. And who wants to carry an additional device with them?

If photo capabilities are important to you, then you should carefully familiarize yourself with the relevant functionality of the selected smartphone. Focus not only on the camera resolution, 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 about purchasing.

Many smartphones have an 8-megapixel camera at their disposal. In most cases this is quite enough. However, in some devices, image processing does not occur in the best way, which is why the quality of the final result suffers greatly. Therefore, be careful! Flagships are now getting an even more powerful camera. They are capable of photos that budget compact cameras cannot! Developers are also trying to expand the functionality of the Camera application: the smartphone may be capable of taking panoramas, photospheres and pictures with a blurred background.

Do not forget that many current devices have additional camera, located on the front panel. Its main purpose is to organize video communication in applications such as Skype. If this is important to you, then be sure to pay attention to the resolution of this camera; it must be equal to or exceed 1.3 megapixels.

Connection

The most the main task any smartphone is an organization of communication. And we're not just talking about voice calls. Any operating system requires regular updates and downloads additional applications. In this regard, simplified Internet access is desirable. Modern flagships are capable of connecting to the global web at very high speed. This 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. The wireless module also exists in several versions. The most common standard is 802.11n - its speeds are sufficient 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 transmission. The speed depends only on the load on the router you are connecting to.

Don't forget to check what other communication tools your chosen smartphone can offer. For example, it is desirable to have support for energy-efficient Bluetooth 4.0 technology. It is necessary for transferring data to other devices and connecting wireless headset. In some cases, the NFC module may be useful to you. And some smartphones can please you with the presence of an infrared port, which can be used to control the TV and other household appliances that support this.

Additional functionality

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Memory card slot

When choosing a smartphone, pay special attention to the amount of built-in memory. If it turns out to be insufficient (4 or 8 GB), then only the microSD card slot can save you. As a rule, most devices with such a limited amount of flash memory have it. Flagships offer them much less often, but they also have a little more memory.

Moisture protection

If you want to use your smartphone in any conditions, then it is advisable to choose a model with a waterproof case. At the same time, it is not necessary to focus on monsters with a lot of rubber pads, which usually only disappoint with their characteristics. Instead, you can pay attention to Sony products - many of this company's smartphones are capable of functioning even under water. Samsung also has similar models.

Battery capacity

Unfortunately, many modern devices are not able to work on a single charge for longer than 12-16 hours. If this does not suit you, look for a model with a capacious battery. For a couple of days of battery life, the battery capacity can be calculated at 2500 mAh. If this parameter turns out to be even higher, then you will be looking for a charger much less often. But you must remember that in this case the thickness of the smartphone may be prohibitive. The LCD display also affects battery life. Screens created using Super AMOLED technology contain pixels that glow on their own. The more black colors there are in the picture, the less energy is spent on backlighting. In this regard, the requirements for the battery are more tolerable.

The most popular smartphone manufacturers

Samsung

Samsung is one of the largest South Korean concerns. This company produces not only smartphones, but also tablets, TVs, Appliances and various kitchen appliances. Moreover, the concern is also engaged in construction and some other specific areas. Samsung smartphones Galaxy are a little more expensive than their competitors, but in return they offer wider functionality and a stable working proprietary shell.

Apple

Steve Jobs made a revolution in his time. He introduced iPhone smartphone with a touch screen. It did not require the use of a stylus, which seemed miraculous at the time. Now Apple smartphones continue to be in active demand. Buyers are not afraid even of a very high price. All existing models operate under iOS, a proprietary operating system for which a huge number of applications and games have been created.

Lenovo

The Chinese company Lenovo began producing smartphones relatively recently. But in a short period of time, it was able to enter many markets. Its products can also be found in Russia. High-quality design and adequate pricing policy allow the company to claim a very high level of sales.

Huawei

Huawei is a Chinese company founded in 1988. Its greatest profit comes from the creation and installation of telecommunications equipment. Many people use her services mobile operators with a worldwide reputation. Some time ago, Huawei decided to start producing smartphones. Its products stand out from competitors with decent technical characteristics and reasonable price tags.

LG

The South Korean company LG was once one of the first to produce smartphones based on the Android operating system. Now it actively cooperates with Google, almost every year releasing devices from the Nexus series, devoid of any proprietary shell. Smartphones from the Optimus series please with an adequate price and competent optimization.

Microsoft/Nokia

Nokia's mobile division is now owned by Microsoft. However, American-branded smartphones are still considered relatively rare. The vast majority of devices under the Microsoft and Nokia brands operate using the Windows Phone operating system. From this follows their common drawback - not the largest number of supported applications.

Alcatel

Alcatel smartphones are no longer associated with the French company of the same name. However, this does not prevent them from being one of the most popular on Russian market. Buyers like these devices because of the very low price and reasonable technical characteristics. Smartphones operate when Android help and a minimalistic corporate shell.

Fly

Mobile manufacturer Fly phones was born in 2002. The company is trying to create budget devices. All of them are widely popular in India, Russia and Ukraine. Buyers like the affordable price tag and high-quality build.

Sony

Sony has long been creating Cell 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 decent characteristics. Many models have moisture protection at their disposal, which does not affect the appearance in any way.

HTC

Many people remember the HTC brand from the communicators on which the operating system was installed. Windows Mobile. Currently, the Taiwanese company's smartphones operate under Android control and an incredibly beautiful branded shell. Flagship models are equipped with support for HTC BoomSound technology, thanks to which they sound almost better than all their competitors.

Operator smartphones

In Europe and the USA, mobile operators offer many mobile phones and smartphones under their own brand. In Russia this practice took root only a few years ago. Our operators offer smartphones at very low prices. If you are looking for a budget device, then you should start looking at 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 they are not produced by the Dutch. The models with a capacious battery have the greatest success - they offer a decent battery life.

ASUS

Taiwanese ASUS company was founded in the 80s of the last century. At first, it was engaged in the production of Chinese components. Soon, the high popularity of the products made it possible to enter foreign markets. After this, production expansion began. Many people remember ASUS communicators running Windows Mobile. Now the lion's share of Taiwanese smartphones runs Android.

ZTE

Now ZTE is a huge Chinese company. It was founded in 1985. Then it seemed that the company would only be engaged in the production of telecommunications equipment. But now ordinary consumers know it from 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 retail outlets. Now ZTE has almost completely switched to creating devices under its own brand.

Highscreen

The Highscreen brand belongs to the Russian company Vobis Computer. This manufacturer's product range includes smartphones, tablets, video recorders and some other electronic devices. The most popular smartphones are those that have at their disposal capacious battery. Some models come with a second battery, the capacity of which is not so high. It can be installed in cases where 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 world's first mobile phone (even if it was not as mobile as we are already accustomed to). Unfortunately, at the end of the last decade, the smartphone manufacturer was waiting serious problems. To reduce losses, he had to leave many markets. That is why his devices are so difficult to detect in Russia. The Motorola brand is now owned by Lenovo.

Micromax

This Indian company was born quite recently. At first, it supplied smartphones only to its home market. However, now its products can be found even in Russia. It produces both push-button mobile phones and quite good smartphones. However, for now they beat their competitors only due to their low price tag.

teXet

The Russian manufacturer of electronic equipment under the teXet brand was founded in 1993. It all started with the creation of DECT phones. But gradually the company expanded production, moving to other electronic devices. In particular, you can still find it in stores music players. teXet smartphones are nothing special - they distinctive feature is low cost.

To extend the operating time of a smartphone, it is usually recommended to temporarily disable communication modules - Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC and mobile Internet (/). But what's the point of having a smartphone if it's not connected all the time? And the savings will not be so significant - one or two hours a day. Nevertheless, this is some kind of way, but still a way to slightly increase the operating time of the gadget. The battery charges faster when the smartphone is turned off - keep this in mind if you have very little time to charge.

Over time, rechargeable batteries tend to lose capacity, and if at the beginning of use they hold a charge all day, then after a year, or even earlier, the capacity begins to fall. However, in any smartphone, even those that seem inseparable, you can replace the battery, and as soon as you begin to feel discomfort from the gadget’s too much reluctance to work as much as it should, we recommend changing the battery. If the gadget is still under warranty, this can only be done at a service center, but if the warranty is out, then you can do it yourself.

Design and more

For many, design is the main factor when choosing a smartphone, and the fact that we put this factor at the very end does not mean that we attach the least importance to it. However, as sad as it is to realize, smartphone design has recently become less and less individual, striving for maximum unification. On the one hand, this is not so bad, since unification means that the user can buy any model from any manufacturer and immediately begin to use it confidently. On the other hand, the individuality of the gadget is lost, and the only way the owner can distinguish himself is to buy a beautiful case for the smartphone or back cover. Or inlay the case with gold and diamonds.

Currently, three platforms are leading the market: Android, iOS (iPhone) and Windows Phone; they are preferred by the majority of buyers. BlackBerry is trying its best to compete with the other three operating systems, but so far in vain. Let's briefly look at the strengths and weak sides each OS.

Android

Google's OS is one of the most popular platforms for smartphones. Compared to iOS and Windows Phone, there is a much wider range of devices on this platform from a number of manufacturers (Samsung, HTC, LG, Motorola, ZTE, etc.). Android is more open system, meaning it's easier for smartphone makers to innovate on Google's software. That's why in Samsung Galaxy The S4 or Note 3, for example, can have two apps open on the screen at once, and the Moto X can be controlled by voice without having to touch the phone. You can buy the smartphone from the article on RBT.ru.

There are more than 1 million applications in the Google Play store, that is, in it you will find almost everything you want, but in App Store Apple usually delivers hot apps and games first. We love Android's flexibility and customizability, but some interfaces can be cluttered and easy to get lost in.

IOS/iPhone

IOS 7 has included significant improvements from Apple. Appearance became even more careful, multitasking improved, appeared new Center management for quick settings. Some aspects of the update are confusing, such as the Notification Center being split into three separate tabs, but overall, iOS remains the most intuitive smartphone platform. Apple also leads the way in having a diverse selection of high-quality apps and games (though Android is closing the gap). has improved voice assistant Siri and a definite plus in the emergence of a new music service iTunes Radio.

Windows Phone

More and more people are paying attention to Microsoft's OS, mainly thanks to phones Nokia Lumia. The platform features a dynamic interface with “live tiles” that display updates. These tiles are easily customizable, you can choose from three sizes, move them, add and remove them. Among other benefits Xbox games, video and music, and an integrated Microsoft solution Office Outlook. The number of applications in the Windows Phone store recently exceeded 200,000, including applications for Instagram. But Microsoft's platform still has about one-fifth of the software available for Android and iOS.

2. Choosing the size of the smartphone: phablet or non-phablet?

Demand for phones with big screen. The share of smartphones with displays of 5 inches and larger, the so-called phablets (English phablet from PHone + tABLET - a marketing term denoting a class of mobile devices with touch screen 5 to 7 inches diagonally), currently accounting for about a quarter of all smart phones sold. Although the iPhone 5S with a 4-inch screen became the best-selling smartphone in the United States. The smaller display contributes to a more compact design. If you want something big, choose from Android or Windows Phone models.

5.7 inch Samsung Galaxy Note 3 gives you a larger surface area for viewing photos, movies and games. The trade-off is that it's not that easy to hold with one hand. Phones with even larger displays, e.g. HTC One Max (5.9 inches) and Nokia Lumia 1520 (6 inches) tend to be heavier and won't fit into every pocket. But there are people who are willing to put up with a larger size, especially those who do not want to carry a tablet with them as well.

3. Pay attention to these characteristics

CPU

The phone's processor is the brain of the device and its speed will allow you to open applications without delay, play games smoothly and even edit videos. Modern chip for Android smartphones and Windows Phones - Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (soon 805). This processor provides fast work multitasking and powerful graphics in devices like the Galaxy Note 3 and Lumia 1520.

The Snapdragon 600 (in the HTC One) and S4 Pro (in the Moto X) are also very capable. Less expensive phones use Snapdragon processor 400, the performance of which is sufficient to solve daily tasks, but it is not intended for more active activities. For example, the Galaxy S4 Mini with this processor took 7 minutes and 19 seconds to transcode a 1080p video, compared to 5 minutes and 15 seconds for the Snapdragon 800 that powers the Galaxy Note 3.

Apple's 64-bit A7 chip powering the iPhone 5s offers nearly twice the performance and graphics performance of the previous A6 chip (in the iPhone 5c). This is just one reason why it's worth investing in more expensive Apple devices.

RAM / Random Access Memory

The amount of RAM significantly affects the performance of a smartphone. Modern flagship devices offer between 2 and 3 GB of RAM, while the lower limit for mid-range phones hovers around 1-1.5 GB. If you want to quickly load applications and quickly switch between them, then the more RAM, the better.

Screen

Screen brightness.

Screen size definitely matters, but so do brightness, sharpness, color, and viewing angles. Currently, the sharpest screens for smartphones are 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels). However, there are 720p (1280 x 720 pixels) displays, such as those on the Moto X, which offer excellent image quality. To evaluate viewing angles, we recommend holding the smartphone in your hand and seeing how much the image fades and blurs when the device is tilted.

You can also take into account the following feature: screens with AMOLED technology (typical for many Samsung phones) tend to produce very rich and saturated colors, and LCD displays generally offer more realistic hues. It all comes down to personal preference here.

Built-in memory capacity and its expansion

Considering that you will store everything on your smartphone - from photos and music to videos and applications - you should choose as much memory as possible. Although 16GB is a fairly standard capacity, 32GB of memory is the most preferable choice. For example, an iPhone 5S with 32GB memory costs about $300. There are also more affordable options, including HTC One with 32 GB, its price starts from about 200 USD.

Also, to increase the amount of memory, you can choose a device that has a slot for MicroSD cards, for example, Samsung Galaxy S4, Note 3 and Mega.

4. Smartphone camera (don’t pay too much attention to the number of megapixels)

The fight for megapixels is over, but there are still a handful of smartphones whose cameras have a resolution of 20MP or higher. However, it should be understood that the quality of the image sensor itself is more important. For example, the iPhone 5S was equipped with an 8MP camera, but a new sensor with larger pixels allows you to create clearer images.

Camera functions