What you need to know before buying that smartphone (Brief Analysis of Smartphone For Novice)

Smartphone has been one great technology that has made life easy in today's world. From multi-tasking to fast internet transaction using various applications. One can wonder if the human race will end up being a lazy race due to much technological assistance. Well, we can all blame civilization for that.

Smartphones today comes in different sizes, designs, specs and prices which has made me to write this article on what to consider before buying that smartphone you admire.



Below are the key features/specifications of a smartphone.

1. CPU
2. Camera quality
3. Memory.
4. Battery.

1. CPU: CPU stands for Central processing units. This is where all data are processed in your device. The CPU consists of the Operating System(OS) and the Processor.

There are various types of OS but the major OS we have in Nigeria are:
i. Android OS
ii. Windows OS
iii BlackBerry OS
iv. IOS(Apple)

The processor responds to and processes basic instructions that drive a device(Smartphone).

The Smartphone processor comes in multi-cores but the common cores are Dual Core, Quad Core, Octa-core and currently, Deca-core.

The type of your processor determines how fast your device responds to and  processes a command.

The Quad core is faster than Dual core, but so far, Deca-core is the fastest.

When you download an app and install it on a dual core device, it can take at least one minute before it installs but a quad core takes less than 30secs before it installs.

A quad core processor so far is the balanced processor for a smartphone because it is fast and less battery consumption unlike Octa-core and Deca-core.

BUT.....

Dual core seems to be the best in battery consumption because it uses lesser number of cores. The more cores a devices uses, the more it consumes battery. The only advantage a quad core has over a dual core is the inability to use more applications(Multitask).

Quad core and above is mainly for people who play HD games and other heavy applications.

So, if you are not a heavy user, a dual core processor can make you happy.

You ever wonder why your phone of 4000mAh drains faster than another phone of 3000mAh? Check both processors....

2. CAMERA: The ladies will be much interested in this point..Yea, selfie and all that. What determines how clear your camera can be are the GPU(Graphics Processing units), Lens and PPI (Pixel per inch), your processor also has a role to play too.

Now the BIG question!

How come a phone of 8MP is sharper than another phone of 13MP....hmmm...could it be the the other phone is fake?

No, the phone with 13MP is not fake.

Before you buy that smartphone, do a little research about the phone online and get the FULL specs. Look for the GPU and PPI.

Now the reason why the phone with 8MP camera has more quality than the one with 13MP is because the 8MP phone has a higher GPU and PPI.

To get a good resolution and graphics, go for GPU with above 400 Mali and PPI above 320ppi. This is why most Samsung devices have good resolution but there is a price to pay..your battery will suffer it. High GPU, the faster the battery drains..

3.MEMORY: The memory is divided into ROM and RAM. Most people don't know the difference. The ROM is the internal storage where applications, videos, Music, Documents and other things are stored. It also accommodates the Firmware of a device.

The RAM is also a memory for storing Application Data.

When you install an app, for instance WhatsApp with size 28MB, it is stored in the ROM but the moment you key in your details and you start sending messages and pictures, the size increases. That additional size is your data and it is stored in your RAM.

Most people complained that their phone hangs at a point and they can't play some games on their devices. Well, what you were actually doing is trying to turn a 25 litres of water to fit in on a 4 litres of Jug. I would advise you go for 1GB and above RAM for flexible usage.

4. BATTERY: The battery of your device is also another important feature you should consider before buying a device. If you are in an environment where power shortage is imminent, then you should go for a mobile phone with bigger capacity. Don't forget what was said about processor and battery consumption in the first point. I would recommend the follow:

Dual core---1800mAh and above
Quad Core--3000mAh and above
Octa-core---4000mAh and above
Deca-core---5000mAh and above


Conclusion: Inasmuch as your choice of smartphones depends on your budget, you should also consider certain factors that may affect the usage of the phone on the long-run. Getting a second hand device is not also a bad idea but let it be from a reliable source. Smartphones can may not be as smart as it is called when it doesn't satisfy you or meet your expectations.