Choosing the right mobile

Work doesn’t stop just because you’ve left the office. If anything, you just multitask more. So it’s critical to get a mobile phone that can work as you want.

Alice finished her school and got into a good college. Like everyone else, she too demanded a cell phone. Her parents had promised her a mobile phone if she scored good marks, so they took her to the mobile store in the nearest mall. She started looking at different models and was soon very confused. One phone company claimed to have the best designs, the other argued they had innovative features and some other claimed to be user-friendly.

Alice spent more than an hour getting acquainted with the features of various cell phones. She found it difficult to make a choice and returned home without buying a mobile. This situation may take place when you walk into a mobile store without proper planning. Here’s a quick guide to know how to buy a mobile phone, compatible to your needs.

Choosing the right phone

Picking up the right mobile phone is not easy. You may need to answer some questions like, what kind of phone do you need? What is your budget? What is the purpose of buying a mobile? Keep these important aspects in mind before visiting the store.

ZOPO C2 White 5.0 inch Dual Sim Smartphone

Lifestyle

A mobile phone has to be in sync with your lifestyle. Teenagers mostly prefer phones with a camera , MP3 player, radio and video recorders. Some girls tend to choose phones with feminine looks and prefer soft colours. On the other hand boys prefer sturdy handsets. Internet lovers are inclined to buy mobile phones with General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) connectivity. Those who enjoy games will opt for phones with high quality games.

Budget

Budget is the core of every purchase. Is your budget tight or flexible? Answering this question may solve half of your problem. Try accommodating your purchase within your budget.

Purpose

You should not opt for fancy mobiles with camera and video playback, if you are going to make lot of business calls. The high-end mobiles consume lot of battery and it may become cumbersome to charge the battery often while handling important business deals. A student’s choice of mobile phone will be very different from that of a professional.

ThL W100 3G Smartphone Android 4.2

Choosing the right mobile dealer or store

Buying your mobile phone from the right place is important. Look out for discounts, schemes and offers that are available in the market. Choose a reputed dealer who provides a bill with a warranty. Check whether the dealer or retailer has received positive feedback from previous buyers.

What makes a user-friendly mobile?

User-friendly mobiles make life simpler. Often a mobile with an outstanding design may not be a user-friendly model. A few significant aspects can be considered if you want to buy a user-friendly mobile phone.

Display screen

Look out for a screen size that will be visually comfortable. You must keep in mind the resolution and quality of colours that are displayed. Thin Film Transistors (TFT) screens can be preferred if you are into gaming or want to watch good quality videos on your mobile phone.

Keypad

We often ignore little details while purchasing any gadget and it is not an exception while buying a mobile phone. Double check if you are comfortable with the keypad of the handset which you are going to buy. People tend to buy a particular model as they may like sleek looks, but it may not be as user-friendly.

Connectivity

If you are a regular internet user, then it is sensible to opt for a GPRS or Enhance Data rates for Global evolution (EDGE) enabled handsets. These features will allow you to be online anywhere, anytime and be in touch with anyone. Check mails, surf on social networking sites, chat with friends or simply browse through the net. Infrared will allow you to transfer files from one phone to another very easily. These wireless features make exchanging songs, pictures, videos and text very simple.

Look out for a phone with high quality sound. Polyphonic ringtones are the order of the day but buying a cell phone which plays MP3 songs as the ringtone would be a better option. If your cell phone comes with earphones and in-built speakers then one should ensure that they are working. Handsets with earphones are useful to make calls while driving or doing any work.

Memory

If you are using your cell phone as a business or a multimedia device then you should consider phones with adequate or expandable memory. You may consider handsets with 128 MB, 256 MB, 512 MB or 1 GB or as high as 8 GB memory cards, as per your convenience. Mobile phones tend to hang or perform slowly when they are high on memory due to the stored data.

Battery life

Battery life is a very important aspect while purchasing a mobile phone. Handsets with poor battery life can disturb your communication and can make it difficult to use other features. Buy a mobile phone from a reputed brand that provides long lasting and durable batteries. Check if the dealer can provide replacement if something goes wrong with the battery. Do not forget to check the price.

Multimedia

Purchasing a cell phone with FM or a MP3 player or both is good idea if you are crazy about music. Mobile phones with cameras enable you to click pictures and store them as memories. You can show your creative side by editing short video clips on your phone. Consider the screen resolution; the number of mega pixels and the zoom depth are the main aspect related to a digital camera. There is not much difference between five and three mega pixels. So save on your budget by avoiding going for a higher resolution. A three mega pixel is the best a mobile phone camera can give you.

Other necessary applications

Life becomes simple if you check the small details. Look out whether you have other applications like alarm clock, calendar, reminder, calculator, stopwatch, pedometer etc. in your mobile phone.

Mobile Bills, Guarantee and Package

Always ask for and preserve your mobile phone bill. In case of any technical problems it will be important to show the bill and demand replacements and repair. Mobile repair under the guarantee period is usually free. Save box pack of your mobile, other accessories and brochure. If you ever decide to sell your phone, the complete pack will fetch you a better price than just the mobile.

How to get the best Mobile?

Here are some more tips to buy the best mobile phone

1.Figure out what you want. Determine the phone carrier you want (example: Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, etc.).

2.Compare plans that include free phones. Look in paper for two phones, one ‘free’ and one that costs about $100. Call this the “Net Cost of Phone”.

3. Call a mobile phone store with a hypothetical situation. Tell them that you lost your phone and you need to buy a new one. Tell them that you are debating between the two phones you identified in the next step. Write down the prices of the phones, respectively. Call this the “Gross Cost of Phone”. You’ll notice that the phones are not even close to the advertised price. No worries, you’re just doing research.

4.Understand what the companies want. Cell phone stores want to make profit on a phone they outright sell. Estimate they want to make $50. Call this “Profit on Phone”.

5.Know what motivates stores. Cell phone stores want to make at least $100 for each contract they have signed (estimated number). Call this the “Contract Profit”.