Tips How to buy Smartphone

Do I Need a Smartphone?As more people become accustomed to instant email, Web, music, and messaging access at all times of the day, regardless of where they are, smartphones have become almost indispensible. That said, there's plenty of variety out there—not to mention devotees of specific OS platforms. That makes sense, though; sometimes, a platform's user interface or app selection just speaks to you, and that's all there is to it. With that in mind, and at the risk of attracting flames, let's break it down as well as we can for those who aren't so fully vested.

Right now, Google's Android and Apple's iOS are the two top smartphone platforms, both in U.S. sales and in availability of third-party apps. The iPhone has the best app store, the smoothest user interface (which some people don't like, but many do), and the best media features. But there's still no T-Mobile version, and Apple's tightly controlled ecosystem can feel stifling to some. Android sales have now surpassed the iPhone by a significant margin; you can buy Android phones on seven U.S. carriers, and there are plenty of Android handset choices. At the time of this writing, AT&T is offering more than 20 Android phones. Many come with rich features like high-speed 4G Internet connectivity, fast dual-core processors, 4-inch (or larger) hi-res screens, and free GPS navigation. Also, Android's open-source nature makes it a tweaker's dream. But it also means fragmented third-party app compatibility, occasional bugs, carrier-installed bloatware you can't remove, and scattered, often sporadic OS updates.
Don't get us wrong: There are other solid smartphone platforms. But there are issues with each.

BlackBerry market share is in freefall; RIM's star is fading fast as attention shifts away from email and enterprise-managed devices. Microsoft's Windows Phone 7.5 is already on its way out, as Microsoft is abandoning the platform ahead of an entirely rewritten Windows Phone 8 OS coming later this year, although it's well-positioned to take a distant third in the U.S. after Android or iOS if RIM's woes continue. Nokia still does well outside of the U.S., but sales are nearly non-existent here, and now the company is in the middle of a complex transition to Windows Phone. HP canned webOS last year, so that one's out of the picture.

Perhaps most importantly, none of these other platforms have nearly the same level of third-party app support as iOS or Android. For many folks, apps are the primary reason to get a smartphone. Apple's App Store leads with more than 600,000 apps that are put through a rigorous quality check process. The iPhone also plays the best games. Google Play (formerly Android Market) is catching up quickly, though. Many independent developers like the freedom Google Play offers, as Apple can put the kibosh on whatever app category it feels like (such as vintage game console emulators), but not all apps run on all Android phones; there are so many phone models that maintaining quality control is tough. Other smartphone OSes can run apps, but there are much fewer available, and usually don't match their iPhone or Android counterparts in sheer power.

Regardless of your thoughts on platforms, form factor is also important. Touch screens allow for slimmer devices, smoother user interfaces, easy Web browsing, and a quality video-playback experience. And thanks to a lack of hardware buttons, third-party app developers can design their dream control schemes without worrying about differences in button layouts. But for some, typing on a touch screen can be a drag. Hardware QWERTY keyboards are easier to type quickly on, and are still ideal for many messaging fiends. But hardware keyboards either add bulk, in the case of horizontal and vertical sliders, or they reduce screen real estate, in the case of BlackBerry-like slabs.

Texting and Voice PhonesIn the age of mobile apps, smartphones get all the buzz these days, but roughly half of the cell phones sold in the U.S. are feature phones including camera phones, music phones, waterproof phones, texting phones, or just plain voice phones. There are still reasons to get a simpler, less-expensive device. And it's not just about being a Luddite. Maybe you want to save on the device itself and reduce monthly fees by avoiding a smartphone's $20-$30 data package, or you just don't want to be tethered to the Internet all the time.
Unlike smartphones, feature phones are a matter of "what you see is what you get." They don't receive magical software upgrades or run thousands of additional apps. (Some feature phones come with "app stores," but don't be fooled: These exist primarily to sell you additional-cost services, as well as ringtones, wallpaper, and basic games.)

Because even feature phones do almost everything, you should decide what capabilities you need or want most. Start narrowing down your choices by first ranking the five major categories of features in order of importance: voice quality and related capabilities; messaging; camera and camcorder; media playback; and Web, GPS, and other features. Once that's done, you'll be able to concentrate on a more narrow selection of feature phones. If you're big on text messaging, you want a phone with a  hardware QWERTY keyboard, plus an unlimited texting plan. If you've got a small child, a camera is probably important. If you want to ditch your old iPod, keep an eye out for good media features.

For voice quality, read individual phone reviews. Wireless network coverage is always the biggest factor, but individual phones can vary in reception, earpiece quality, transmission quality through the microphone, and side-tone (the echo of your own voice that helps prevent you from yelling at the other person). A phone with middling to poor reception quality can be almost impossible to use in a marginal coverage area, while one with excellent reception can make the best of the little signal that's available. Another point to consider: Some phones have much louder speakerphones than others. A few have buggy Bluetooth stacks that make pairing with headsets and in-car hands-free stereos a pain.

The same advice I gave above about form factors also applies to feature phones. In this case, in addition to touch screens, sliders, and QWERTY slabs, you'll also have basic voice phones that are either candy-bar shaped with numeric keypads, or flip phones that open up to a larger, more comfortable numeric keypad. Flip phones have the added benefit of not needing a keyboard lock; close the phone, and you won't mistakenly dial someone while it's in your pocket. For the accident-prone, some phones, like the Kyocera Hydro on Boost Mobile, are even waterproof or ruggedized.

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