How to Select a Smartphone

 Choosing the right smartphone for you is a matter of determining what you will be using your smartphone for and finding a phone that excels at that task. For example, photography enthusiasts should find a phone with a high resolution camera, while audiophiles may be more concerned with the device's audio storage capacity and playback quality. With the wide variety of smartphones available, you should be able to find one that is just right for you.

Step 1

Choose a network for your smartphone. Visit the Web pages for wireless service providers and compare their available plans and networks. Check their "Coverage Area" maps to make sure that you'll have coverage in the areas that you frequent. Look at the plans that the carriers offer. Select a plan that offers the right amount of data and voice usage. Also, consider what network your friends and family members use. Many networks offer free calling to other users in the same network.

Step 2

Open the "Phones" page on the network's website and select "Smartphones." Most carriers allow you to select phones based upon their features, using a search bar on the left side of the website. This will help you narrow down your options. You can click on a phone to bring up information about the phone and use your browser's "Back" button to return to the list of phones.

Step 3

Decide on the input method that is best for you. You may want to try out a few of your friends smartphones to get a feel for the different input methods. Smartphones with a touchscreen as their primary input method tend to have a larger display, but some people find them difficult to type on. You may also consider a phone with a slide-out physical QWERTY keyboard or a phone with a smaller screen and a QWERTY keyboard on the front.

Step 4

Think about the amount of data that you intend to store on the phone. If you plan on storing a large amount of music or videos, you should select a smartphone with a large internal memory or with an expandable memory card slot.

Step 5

Consider the devices that you want to connect to your smartphone. Most smartphones feature a micro-USB or mini-USB port for data transfer and charging and a headphone port for audio, but some smartphones use proprietary connections that require special cables. Specialized smartphones may also have video-output connectors so that you can connect your smartphone to a larger screen.

Step 6

Compare the screen size of the phones. Larger screens are better for browsing the Internet and watching videos. Typically, a larger screen requires a larger phone. Consider the amount of space that the phone will take up and how you typically carry and store your phone.

Step 7

Check the smartphone's data transfer rate. If your network offers 4G data speeds in your area, you may want to purchase a 4G-ready smartphone to take advantage of the higher data speeds when browsing the internet or downloading files.

Step 8

Think about how often you want to charge your phone's battery and how often you use the phone. Select a smartphone that has a battery that will last throughout the day.