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Smartphone manufacturers are pretty smart themselves. They rely on brand loyalty and constant technology upgrades to keep revenues flowing. Need proof? Just go stand outside the smartphone store when the latest iPhone or Samsung Galaxy is released. People will be lined up for hours waiting to be the first in the door.
Brand loyalty certainly has a place in determining the next phone you buy. But it should not be the only factor. In fact, it shouldn’t even be the most important. Your choice should be based primarily on how you use your phone. Before you roll your eyes and click on to the next website, stop and think about it. Think about how you use your phone most frequently.
Sending and Receiving Text Messages
Some 70% of smartphone users surveyed in 2017 said they use their smartphones most often to send and receive text messages. Maybe you are among them. You use your phone for other things, but you use it for texting a lot. What should that tell you about your next phone purchase? It should tell you to only consider phones offering the texting experience you want.
Maybe a legitimate QWERTY keyboard would be a godsend for you. If so, you can automatically eliminate those phones that utilise a virtual keyboard. Find one with a keyboard built-in to the main body of the case or as a separate piece that slides out. Either way, your texting adventures will be more enjoyable.
Imagine how much nicer it will be to write new text messages with real keys under your fingers. Imagine not having to hit a virtual button just to access numbers and special characters. A QWERTY keyboard is the closest thing to real typing on a smartphone.
Making and Receiving Phone Calls
That same research showed that 62% of smartphone users regularly make or receive phone calls. That is no surprise. After all, a smartphone is a phone. Still, the frequency with which you make and receive calls should have an impact on your next phone purchase.
Let’s face it, some phones just get better reception than others. There are phones that cannot seem to manage two or three bars even if you are standing directly under a cell tower. Forget about being a few miles away. You might just as well find a pay phone. On the other hand, there are phones more than capable of turning the faintest signal into five bars.
Beyond signal strength is call quality. This can be affected by everything from software to phone electronics. Your particular phone might have a lousy speaker system. Do you really want to repeat that with your next purchase? Likewise, the software your provider installed for making and receiving calls could be exceptionally good. You will want something just as good on your new phone.
One last thing in this regard is the ability to pair your phone with your car’s entertainment system for hands-free calls while driving. This really is a must in 2021. If you do not have that capability with your current phone, you don’t know what you’re missing. Try it once and you’ll be hooked. That said, you would probably want your new phone to have that capability.
Sending and Receiving Email
Next up on the frequency list is sending and receiving email. More than 54% of smartphone users do it. The good news is that this is less of an issue when buying a new phone. Most of what goes into an email is encapsulated in the app you use. No worries. Email apps are a dime a dozen.
The stock app on your new phone may not be all that great. Just go to your respective app store and look for something new. You might even spend some time online reading app reviews. There’s bound to be something better than the stock app.
Social Networking
People use their phones for social networking almost as frequently as sending and receiving email. This is something else you do not have to worry about too much. All of the biggest social media sites have apps for both Android and iOS. And if you don’t like the app, you can always use your phone’s browser instead.
The one thing to consider is whether or not you plan to use your phone to directly post photos and videos to social media. If so, camera quality could be an issue. Look for a phone with a decent camera capable of taking good pictures under a variety of conditions. Settle for an entry-level camera and you will get entry-level results.
Taking Pictures
Speaking of cameras, 37% of us use our phones to take pictures. Camera quality really matters here. So does the camera app you choose. This is yet another instance in which stock apps may not be up to the task. But there are dozens of apps you can download and install.
A more important concern is storage. Are you a prolific photographer? If so, do you store all of your photos on your phone, or do you offload them to cloud storage or your computer? This all makes a difference. Phones with inadequate storage could leave you in a pinch when you are trying to take the perfect picture of a perfect moment.
Do Your Homework
Even after reading all of this, you might be tempted to stick with your brand just because you think it’s the best. That is certainly your choice. However, you would be doing yourself a big favor by doing your homework before you buy that next phone.
Listen, companies that market with text messages visit sites like SMSComparison.com to find the best deal on bulk messaging services. Phone manufacturers compare the components they buy before they build new phones. Even service providers compare the options before determining which apps will become the stock apps for their phones.
If they are all doing their homework, shouldn’t you? Yes, you should. Blindly buying the next model your favourite brand puts out equates to being willing to accept whatever they offer. You will not know if there is something better out there without looking.
Remember, brand loyalty should not be the determining factor in your next phone purchase. How you use your phone should. Regular use will ultimately determine whether or not you enjoy your new phone or hate it. It is as simple as that.
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