We all use our mobiles a lot, so choosing the right one is important
There's no point trying to fight it, your smartphone is probably the single item that you use the most. So, you really should think carefully when it's time to upgrade. Some of us just want to text, call and maybe send the odd cat photo. Others want to play the latest games, listen to hours of music and catch up on that tv show we missed. The majority will be somewhere in between, but for everybody, the important thing is thinking carefully about your mobile use and buying a phone that will fit best with your own personal requirements.
What Operating System?
Right off the bat, a simple way to whittle down your options quite dramatically is to decide on the operating system that you want to use. For some people it involves no thought at all, you're either team Android or team iOS. If you're a little unsure of what really suits your needs best though, then here is a quick guide. Those who enjoy being able to customise their phone, do a little tinkering and perhaps fix faults themselves should probably opt for Android. There's a wider range of phones that you can choose from, including some with pretty incredible processors (which we'll get onto next). On the other hand, if you'd rather have a simple, intuitive smartphone that will benefit from regular updates, but doesn't allow for such levels of customisation, then you'll prefer the iOS operating system (that's Apple, to you and I).
The Right Processor
The processor is the brain of the smartphone, so get yourself a clever one!
This section deserves a whole article to itself, so we've linked you to one! However, in brief, your smartphone's processor is responsible for more or less every part of how your phone works. You can think about it like the motherboard of a computer, or basically, your own brain. Some places will refer to this as the SoC or possibly the chipset, so look out for differing terminology.
Your device needs a capable processor to make sure that everything functions as it should. Most phones have a processor that is suitable for everyday needs. However, if you enjoy gaming then you might need to consider a step up in specification. Some titles available online like blackjack, won't need a seriously hi-tech phone to work perfectly, but games that are graphics-heavy will. Call of Duty and Battleground are good examples of games that will need a phone that's got a processor with a bit of 'oomph' to work adequately.
What is RAM?
RAM is another aspect that will affect how well your phone runs things like games and other applications. It is the system's memory, that is devoted to keeping things running smoothly. The processor that we've just talked about, that's going to use a bit of your RAM all of the time, but the rest is to ensure you can call, text, game, stream and browse to your heart's content. If you are a light phone user and just want to call and text, maybe Google something from time to time then you only really need 3-4 GB of RAM to easily cope with your needs. On the other end of the scale, if you use your phone a lot, switch between lots of different apps (and often forget to close them), stream high definition videos, play lots of games then you'll need closer to 8 GB of RAM.
It's Not The Same As Storage
A place where people often get confused is between RAM and storage, as both are measured in GBs. The easy way to tell the difference is that your RAM number is always going to be smaller than your storage number. Whilst RAM ranges from 2-10 GB typically, storage or memory ranges from 64 GB up to the mid 500 GBs. This is how much space you're going to have to store everything. It will include your apps, downloads, photos, music, everything contained within your phone needs memory to store it. If you're really into taking photographs or playing data-heavy games then look for a phone with at least 128 GB of RAM. Those who are light users should get away with 64 GB, but if you're concerned look for a phone with the option to increase storage at a later date.
