Buying a new iPhone or Android phone? where to look

Popular high-end phones like that iPhone 13 prothe google Pixel 6 Pro and Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra Pack massive power, amazing camera systems and a range of features designed to make everyday tasks easier. But these premium phones come with correspondingly high prices, which means they might not be the best option if all you need is a decent no-frills device.

The wide range of different phone manufacturers should make shopping easier, but sometimes makes it more confusing whether you’re looking for the highest quality Elite phone or a cheaper phone like this Pixel 5A 5G. The best devices on the market not only have different price tags, but also different camera specs, screen sizes, and storage capacities.

In this article

To help you avoid the jargon and spend your money right, I’ve compiled my tips for buying a phone in 2022.

How to buy a new phone: top phone buying tips

• Know what matters most to you: Is it the screen size? camera quality? Battery Life? This will help you narrow down your choices. Phones like the iPhone 13 Pro, for example, have incredible cameras that are almost as good Compete with the quality you would get from a DSLR. If you are a photographer then spending money here is a good idea. If not, you can probably save yourself a bundle.
• Don’t discount the mid-range: Features from last year’s flagships always trickle down to this year’s mid-range phones. You can get a great phone that does almost everything a premium phone can for a fraction of the price. Google’s Pixel 6 Pro offers a great zoom camera, but the base Pixel 6 has most of the same key specs and comes at a cheaper price.
• Shop the sales: Look for deep discounts and special offers around major holidays, especially Amazon’s Prime Day and Black Friday. And find out what your grace period is if you need a quick return or exchange.
• Last year’s phones: They can often be very much. Wait for this year’s launch to get last year’s phone cheaper when stores and carriers may be looking to dump their existing stock.
• Hold the phone in a store first: You may love it or hate how it looks and feels in person.
• Check if you are already invested: Have you already bought many iPhone apps and iTunes movies? Stick with an iPhone if you still want access to it. Likewise, if you’ve invested in tons of Android apps, you should stay on that side of the fence. Otherwise it’s easy enough change platform.
• Buy a case and screen protector: They protect your phone from costly damage and increase the phone’s resale or trade-in value when you’re ready to move on.

Smartphone performance vs. budget

In general, the performance matches the cost. The very latest and greatest technology is usually expensive. Flagship phones have the best cameras, the most powerful processors, and can even boast cutting-edge tech flexible displays. Due to the high prices, these phones are only worth considering for those who want to have the absolute latest technology in their pocket.

Not everyone needs such cutting-edge technology, however, or may just not be willing to shell out the $1,000 or more that is typically required to get it. Luckily, the mid-range sector of the phone world has been one of the fiercest battlegrounds for companies to compete in, resulting in some amazing phones that won’t break the bank. Features like wireless charging and multi-lens cameras that were once the domain of flagships are now commonplace on mid-range phones.

Even budget phones still offer decent camera quality and enough power to enjoy all your daily web browsing, WhatsApp and Instagram.

4G or 5G?

5G is the latest standard that promises blazing-fast mobile data speeds on the go. Like any new technology, it’s common to see it on high-end devices, but it’s also becoming more common on much cheaper phones.

5G coverage isn’t universal yet, so it’s important to ask yourself whether you need 5G speeds at all, and more importantly, whether they’re available where you live. If you plan on keeping your phone for at least a couple of years, you can expect 5G to become more and more the norm during that time. If you’re undecided now, nine months from now you may feel different and regret not taking the plunge sooner.

screen size

All phones have steadily gotten larger in recent years, with the iPhone 13 Pro Max measuring a whopping 6.68 inches and the Galaxy S22 Ultra measuring 6.8 inches. Small phones aren’t that common anymore, though There are a few options to consider if you don’t want a massive screen stretching your pockets.

On the iPhone side, the iPhone 13 Mini is the best option. At 5.4 inches, its screen is much smaller than its bigger brothers, but it still packs the latest processors and offers super-fast 5G speeds. Alternatively the iPhone SE is similar in size but has reduced specifications and is available at a cheaper price.

camera performance

Camera features have been a major point to brag about with rights in recent phones, with manufacturers always wanting a bigger, more exciting number, be it the number of megapixels or the number of actual camera lenses. Three rear cameras are common today — a regular lens, an ultra-wide lens, and a telephoto lens — with even budget phones packing multiple cameras.

That’s great, because more lenses mean more shooting options when you’re on the go. But that doesn’t mean that one multi-lens camera is as good as the other. As with processing power, the more you spend the better the results you’ll typically get, with the absolute best cameras typically being found on the most expensive flagships.

Look out for features like optical (rather than digital) zooms, night mode for better low-light images, and optical image stabilization. Sometimes these features may not be clear, and it is not possible to judge a camera’s performance based on specifications alone. If you really care about your phone’s photographic capabilities, take some time to check out the reviews and see how the camera performs before you spend your money.

Battery life

Most phones, from the budget end to elite flagships, can last most of the day on a single charge. Bigger phones might have bigger batteries, but they also have bigger screens and often more powerful processors, so they drain that extra juice quickly. Few phones give you more than a day of usage. Here are some things to consider:

• Always plan to fully charge your phone overnight.

• Look for features like fast charging that allow your phone to draw a lot of power in a short amount of time. However, do check if your phone comes with a compatible faster charger as an old USB plug may not support it.

• Your battery will last longer if you avoid more demanding tasks like gaming or video streaming. It also helps keep screen brightness down.

processor power

Top-end phones have powerful processors and typically up to 12GB of RAM. It’s enough to get these phones to perform any task without breaking a sweat, but you don’t have to spend flagship-level cash to get excellent performance.

Most decent mid-range phones offer enough power to handle all your day-to-day needs. You can still play almost any game from the Google Play Store and Edit your high-resolution photos in apps like Snapseed. There’s little you could throw at most mid-range phones that they couldn’t handle.

As you move towards the budget end of the spectrum, you’ll start to notice a slowdown in things like gaming. More demanding 3D games may appear more stuttering and may even quit unexpectedly. However, basic tasks like emailing, listening to Spotify, and browsing Instagram shouldn’t be a problem.

How much phone storage do you need?

Most phones, even the budget ones, come with at least 32GB of storage, 10 of which can be occupied by preinstalled apps and the phone’s operating system. If you never plan on recording video and gaming isn’t your thing, 32GB might be enough, but otherwise consider 64GB as the minimum.

High-end phones — especially those that can record high-quality 4K video — offer capacities of 256GB or more. With so much storage space, you hardly need to think about deleting old files.

If the phone supports microSD cards, that’s another matter, because these days you can buy 32GB microSD cards (or larger) for very little money, and plugging one into your phone will increase the amount of storage space that’s on it You have access increased dramatically.

bonus material

Many of these features are common on phones in different price ranges today and should be considered when shopping.

• Fingerprint scanner or Face Unlock: A scanner can be integrated into the display on the back or even invisibly. Biometric security, as it’s called, is more secure than having to remember a PIN.

• Water repellent: Do you often answer calls in the rain? Look for a phone with at least an IP67 rating to protect it from water and spilled drinks.

• Wireless charging: This is available on many phones, some of which now offer faster wireless charging speeds as long as you use a compatible charging pad.