This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Help! I Need a New Smartphone, or Do I?

This is a basic guide on helping people make a better decision when purchasing or upgrading their cell phones.

In case you haven't noticed lately, smartphones have taken over. They are part of the growing trend to stay in constant contact with the internet. I could write many articles about the pros and cons of this, but today I would like to keep it simple. Many people ask me what the best smartphone is. I will always be rhetorical here and ask, do you want the best, based on technology, software (ecosystem), or on ease of use? The fact is there are as many choices as there are people who want the technology. There really is not a one-size-fits-all approach, that is why there are so many choices. I will give you some advice on how to help you narrow it down. 

Before you ever go to purchase or upgrade your phone, make a list. On that list ask yourself these basic questions.

1. How much am I willing to spend?

Find out what's happening in Palatinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

2. What is the phone going to be used for the most?  Do I want a phone with a physical keyboard or keypad, or is virtual okay? (ie. texting, viewing videos, playing games, or the good old stand by-talking.)

3. What size of phone are you willing to carry? (this varies greatly and is important for your comfort.)

Find out what's happening in Palatinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

4. What software do you want on the phone? (Blackberry, Android, IOS (Apple), or Windows.) There are a few other choices but those are the main players.

5. What kind of support and training is available for the phone I purchase?

Those are the basics, now I will tell you about some things to avoid.

1. Don't ask a salesperson which phone is best, they are just like any other salesperson and are there for-profit. Most of the time they have a specific phone they are supposed to push. They are not necessarily there to help you, but there to help you spend your money. (exceptions do exist)

2. Don't buy a phone that is too hard or complicated for you to use, if you don't use it fully it's like buying a Porsche to keep in the garage.

3. Don’t get a new phone unless you actually need it. Just because there is newer technology, doesn’t mean you need it.

(Technology is usually on a 6-month refresh due to manufacturing and marketing. That’s why it seems that as soon as you buy a phone a new one comes out. Also, the U.S. Market is a few months behind Asian markets, because that is where it is all made-so they get it first.)

Keep these basics in mind and you should be happy with your decision. Do some research, there are plenty of video reviews on the internet (including youtube) and there are many websites that review phones.

Txsjaxon@gmail.com.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?