smart phone buyers guide

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SMART PHONE BUYERS GUIDE 8 Questions Designed to Match you up with the Perfect Smartphone for your Needs and Budget. Presented by the minds @Laptop Magazine

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Buying a smartphone gets tougher all the time. And guess what? That’s a good thing, because there’s never been a richer selection of devices on the market. With multiple operating systems, a wide range of screen sizes and designs and different carriers vying for your attention with high-speed 4G networks, there’s never been a better time to upgrade your smartphone—or get your first one.

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Page 1: Smart Phone Buyers Guide

SMART PHONE BUYERS GUIDE8 Questions Designed to Match you up with the Perfect Smartphone for your

Needs and Budget.Presented by the minds @Laptop Magazine

Page 2: Smart Phone Buyers Guide

IntroductionThere’s never been a richer selection of Smartphone devices on the market. Complete with multiple operating systems, a wide range of screen sizes and designs and different carriers vying for your attention with high-speed 4G networks, there’s never been a better time to upgrade your smartphone— or become a first time user.

Get the latest Smartphone insight @Laptop Magazine.

Which OS is Right for You?Which Carrier Do You Want?How Big is Big Enough?What Specs Matter?How Good is the Camera?Does it Have 4G, and if so What Kind?How Long Does the Battery Last?How Much Should You Spend?

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WHICH OS IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

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iOSApple’s unparalleled ease of use, unique integration of hardware and software and vast number of apps and accessories make this platform tough to beat.Pros:•Easy-to-use interface •Most apps and highest-quality apps•Siri voice companion• iTunes makes it easy to buy apps, movies, music, books and more under one umbrellaCons:•No 4G yet•Social networking services not as tightly integrated as on Android, Windows Phone•Limited multitasking ability•No support for haptic feedback, physical keyboards

Get the latest Smartphone insight @Laptop Magazine.

AndroidGoogle’s open-source OS is the world’s most popular, thanks to its presence on a great variety of devices on multiple carriers and a selection of hundreds of thousands of apps (many of them free). Because Google doesn’t issue strict standards for who can use its OS, handset-makers are free to build cutting-edge devices with the latest features.Pros:• First to get new features like 4G LTE, HD screens, high-speed cameras• Customizable home screens, cool widgets• True multitasking, easy task-switching• Integrates with social networks for contacts, sharing content• Ability to get apps from many different app stores, sideload apps• Multiple Google apps tie into OSCons:•Android most vulnerable to malware•Occasional crashes or slowness on some phones•Google Play store not as robust as iTunes for buying media•OS updates aren’t timely or guaranteed

Your Options

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BlackBerry OSGiven how far behind the curve RIM is—pun intended—it’s hard to recommend a BlackBerry device right now. That said, if you want really long battery life and very-secure email or, if you can’t live without a physical keyboard, BlackBerry may be worth a look.Pros:•Great security management•Good physical keyboards•Long battery lifeCons:•Weak, outdated hardware with low-res screens, slow CPUs and no LTE support•Few major apps•All Internet service and email goes through RIM’s servers, which have experienced major outages in the recent past. If they go down, you go down.

Windows PhoneA slick interface with an emphasis on glanceable information at a glance and deep integration with Office, Xbox and other Microsoft services make this OS a tempting choice, especially for first-time smartphone owners.Pros:• Live Tiles on the home screen let you access info fast• Can pin almost anything to Start screen• Groups feature saves time• Microsoft Office, Xbox Live, and Zune marketplace integration• Can launch camera even when phone is asleepCons:•Limited app selection•Phones way behind in the specs race•OS not optimized for landscape mode•Can’t use your phone as a hotspot

Get the latest Smartphone insight @Laptop Magazine.

Round 2

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WHICH CARRIER DO YOU WANT?

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AT&TIn the past year, AT&T has made great strides, releasing its own 4G LTE network in more than 31 cities with additional markets on the way. Unfortunately, the faster speeds haven’t yet affected public perception, as Consumer Reports readers rated AT&T the worst of all four networks in a recent surveyAT&T’s voice plans start at $39.99 for 450 minutes while data plans start at $30 for 3GB. Unlimited texting costs $20 per month.Pros:•Fast 4G LTE phones•Best supportCons:•Limited LTE coverage compared to Verizon 

Confused on which carrier to go with? Try visiting @Laptop Magazine for the latest advice.

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SprintSprint is the only carrier that offers an unlimited data plan, providing all-you-can mobile broadband for all its phones, even the iPhone 4S. Consumer Reports readers were very happy with the carrier, as it tied with Verizon for the highest customer satisfaction rating in January 2012. Sprint’s biggest problem is that it lags behind AT&T and Verizon in LTE, though the carrier will launch its first six markets this summer.Sprint plans start at $79.99 a month ($69.99 + $10 premium data fee) for 450 minutes with unlimited data and texting.Pros:•Unlimited data planCons:• LTE not launching until summer 2012

Confused on which carrier to go with? Try visiting @Laptop Magazine for the latest advice.

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T-MobileT-Mobile usually has some of the lowest prices around, with a $79.99 plan that offers unlimited minutes, unlimited text and 2GB of data. The company also earned a solid B on our carrier support showdown and got high marks in Consumer Reports’ customer satisfaction survey. T-Mobile won’t get its 4G LTE network off the ground until 2013, but many of its 4G HSPA+ phones achieve good download speeds. T-Mobile is also the only carrier that does not sell the iPhone.Pros:Relatively inexpensive plansGood customer serviceCons: Only major carrier without iPhoneNo LTE yetData throttled to low speeds after you exceed your limit

Get the latest Smartphone insight @Laptop Magazine.

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VerizonVerizon sets the gold standard for U.S. carriers with the largest 4G LTE network. The carrier also has some of the industry’s leading handsets with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, iPhone 4S and Motorola Droid Line in tow. The company tied with Sprint as the leading carrier in Consumer Reports’ 2012 customer satisfaction survey. Verizon’s voice plans start at $39.99 for 450 minutes while data plans start at $30 for 2GB. Unlimited texting costs $20 per month.Pros:Largest 4G LTE networkGreat phone selectionCons:More expensive than Sprint and T-MobileHas experienced multiple 4G outages

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HOW BIG IS BIG ENOUGH?

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The big trend in smartphones right now is larger and larger screens, and there certainly are benefits to thinking big. Surfing the Web, watching movies and playing games feels more immersive, especially if the display is high definition, and typing can be easier.  

Devices like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and HTC One X cram big 4.7-inch LCDs into an impressively thin chassis, but they are a bit difficult to operate with one hand. The Galaxy Note really pushes the envelope with a tablet-like 5.3-inch screen, which is gorgeous but looks a bit silly held up to your head.

See which Smartphone is leading the pack today by visiting the experts @Laptop Magazine.

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WHAT SPECS MATTER?

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What to look atScreen Processor Don’t even consider a phone with a resolution less than

800 x 480, and give strong preference to phones with HD (1280 x 720) screens. The iPhone has what Apple calls a “Retina” display because it packs 960 x 640 pixels into just 3.5 inches for a very high pixel density of 329 PPI.

As for screen types, Super AMOLED panels, such as those found on Samsung’s phones, offer great contrast and deep blacks along with wide viewing angles but can be difficult to read outdoors. The latest LCDs, such as the Super LCD 2 screen on the HTC One X, offer great color saturation and a brighter picture.

Just like PCs, smartphones have processors under the hood that determine how quickly they can do things like open applications, render Web pages and multitask. These days, any respectable Android smartphone has a dual-core processor, with quad-core devices starting to arrive as well. Don’t settle for an Android phone with a single-core processor, particularly if it’s under 1-GHz in clock speed. Chips like Nvidia’s Tegra 3 and dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 represent the current state of the art.

The new iPhone has a fast, A4 dual-core chip and souped-up graphics for playing console-quality games. Windows Phones are still stuck on single core. The operating system still functions pretty smoothly with these chips, but we do notice a slight lag when processing data from the Web.  

Memory If you want the most performance possible, a

minimum of 512MB of system RAM is good with 1GB being the standard for high-end Android devices. When it comes to storage, many Android phones come with a microSD card that can be upgraded up to 32GB, but others include only sealed-in memory.

The iPhone is available in 16, 32 and 64GB sizes while Windows Phones tend to have built-in storage of various sizes.

See the latest Smartphone findings @Laptop Magazine

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HOW GOOD IS THE CAMERA?

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Picture This…8-megapixel cameras are standard on higher-end smartphones, but you’ll also find some models with 5-MP sensors in the value range and as high as 16-MP on the high end. But while the number of megapixels matter, so do other features, such as the quality of the lens, how quickly your camera starts and captures photos and how well it handles low light. If you can, play with the smartphone in the store to see if it’s good enough to stand in for your dedicated digicam. Or check out our smartphone reviews. 

If you care about video quality, opt for a smartphone that can shoot 720p HD footage. You’ll find 1080p shooters on the most premium handsets.

Right now, the best camera phones out there are the iPhone4S, Samsung Galaxy S II and HTC One series.

Learn more about the latest picture & video

capabilities @Laptop Magazine.

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DOES IT HAVE 4G, AND IF SO WHAT KIND?

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How fast you connect to the Web can make a huge difference in how much you get out of your Smartphone. Unless you have your heart set on a particular phone like the iPhone or BlackBerry Bold that only supports only 3G, go for a 4G handset and remember that not all 4G networks are created equal. Only networks based on the LTE protocol provide speeds that are fast enough to outrun your home Internet connection. 

We’re talking about download speeds between 5 and 12 Mbps, and upload speeds between 2 and 5 Mbps. At present, both Verizon and AT&T have LTE networks, but Verizon’s coverage is much broader. Verizon offers LTE in more than 230 markets, covering two thirds of the U.S. population. AT&T is in 32 markets, with plans to double that by the end of 2012. Sprint is moving to 4G LTE in mid-2012, starting with six markets. T-Mobile will join the LTE party in 2013.

T-Mobile’s 42 Mbps HSPA+ network delivers fairly good download speeds but mediocre upload speeds, and Sprint’s aging WiMax network has the same weakness, along with difficulty reaching far inside buildings.  

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DOES IT HAVE 4G, WHAT KIND?

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Do you have the power?Having a fast processor, ultra-powerful camera and blazing 4G LTE speeds doesn’t mean a whole lot if your battery runs dry by lunchtime. That’s why it’s critical that you choose a smartphone that can go the distance. Having a large-capacity battery helps, such as the one inside the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx. It’s rated for 3,300 mAh, compared with 1,700 to 2,000 for most other phones.But the operating system and software inside your phone also plays a big role. Windows Phones, for instance, tend to last all day on a charge because they’re pretty efficient when it comes to pinging the network for data, whereas some Android phones last 5 hours or less on a charge. We test Smartphone endurance using the LAPTOP Battery Test, which involves continuous web surfing over a 3G or 4G connection. In general, 4G LTE phones run out of juice faster than 3G phones because the radio uses more power, but there are settings you can tweak to squeeze out extra runtime. 

Battery

Power

Processor

Battery Size

Operating

System

Software

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HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU SPEND?

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Expectations$50 to $100 $100 to $200 What used to be a wasteland of low-

rent Android phones is now populated by handsets with 4G LTE speeds and sharper designs. You won’t find high-def screens in this price range and design quality isn’t top notch (expect plastic, not metal), but overall you can get a very good deal if you spend just 50 bucks. We’re talking dual-core phones with 5-MP cameras.

Expect a step up in processing speed, camera quality and display resolution as you move to this price range. The iPhone 4S is the quintessential $199 phone, with an advanced 8-MP camera, 1080p video capture and the voice-powered Siri personal assistant. Design also improves as you get above $100, with sturdier unibody designs.   More than $200

• There are very few phones available in this price range, but the ones that do certainly make a statement. You’ll get the most cutting-edge specs—think big HD screens, 4G LTE speed, superslim designs—along with cutting-edge features. The Galaxy Note, for example, lets you write on its monster-size 5.3-inch display. And the Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx has a super-large battery along with a Kevlar-infused design for extra durability.• Tip: Keep in mind that today’s pricey superphone could be next month’s $49 or $99 special, so it could pay off to wait a couple of months for that handset to drop in price. Considering that you’ll be tied to the same phone for at least 20 months, you shouldn’t compromise on quality.

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SMART PHONE BUYERS GUIDE

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