Mobile

The AppJuice’s Smartphone buyers guide – August 2013

Written by Fatima Rizwan ·  8 min read >
The AppJuice's Smartphone Buyer's Guide

Buying a smartphone is one hell of a difficult task. Gone are the days when buying a Phone used to be a 5 minute decision, even that in the shop. With the overwhelming specifications, beautiful designs, and mobile OS competition and new devices springing out, deciding what to buy and what not is not that easy task. Every month a new device is released making the previous versions somewhat obsolete and less demanding. So the buyer has to make sure the device they choose is not-so-old, so that their hard earned money doesn’t go to waste, and most importantly fulfills all of their needs.

When we talk about needs, some buyers prefer huge screen phones called as Phablets in order not to buy a separate Tablet. Some buyers are looking for the traditional sized phones with powerful processor; some prefer beauty over processing power. Some shoppers prefer mini phones that are handier other prefer dual-sim phones to be more productive and avoid use of two phones at a time. Some buyers have budget constraints and some buyers are really not into smartphones they just need a device for making calls and text messaging.

So if you are in the market for buying a new phone, don’t stray here and there. Just follow our smartphone buyers guide below and settle for the phone that you think suits you the best.

If you want  Android Device..

SEE ALSO: Best Android Phones So Far

If budget is not the constraint..

HTC One

HTC-OneHTC One can easily be called as one of the best smartphone ever made. Looks wise it can compete and give a very tough competition to the beautiful iPhone Series. Apple has always set the bar for beauty and design but this device has snatched the crown from Apple this time.
It has a beautiful unibody aluminum case that makes it a very strong, sleek and gorgeous device. This head turner has a sweet 4.7 inch 1080p screen. This is the traditional screen size that is not so big and not so small. You should opt for 4.7 to 5 inch of screen size until and unless you don’t have any special requirements. One has a 4 ultra-pixel camera, yes a 4 Ultra Pixel! All those who measure the awesome-ness of the camera by the number of pixels are on the wrong track, Pixels are important but the sensor size is even more important and this device has a really big sensor. The camera works amazingly well in low light conditions. There are so other cool software features such as Flipboard like Blinkfeed, it consolidates all of the feed from different apps and presents to you in a beautiful way.

All the Android purists can grab the Google Edition of this phone to get Stock Android experience on their phone.

Specifications | Price: 64,990 PKR

Samsung Galaxy S4

Samsung-Galaxy-S4Samsung Galaxy S4 is the successor of the famous Galaxy S3, with a bigger screen size of 5 inch, a great screen resolution and 1.9 Ghz quad-core processor. Looks wise we are a bit disappointed with the S4, because it looks more like S3 with no remarkable design changes. Samsung preferred to go with the same plastic cover but overloaded the device with great specifications. If a good solid design is not your preference then, you should buy this device.

The phone comes with Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 and most probably will get the latest Jelly Bean version in a few months. HTC One doesn’t have expandable memory but Galaxy S4 has a memory card slot.

This phone also comes with the Google Play edition that you can grab if you love the stock android experience.

Specifications | Price: 59,990 PKR

If you are looking for a Phablet..

A device that can operate like a phone and also has a big size like a tablet is normally called as a Phablet. We heard the term first time when Samsung came up with their famous Galaxy Note. The Galaxy Note device had a 5.5 inch screen that became a hit despite of a large amount of bashing and criticisms from Techies, Design Experts all around the world.

Seems like, Samsung was not satisfied with the grand 5.5 inch screen. Because they have launched Samsung Galaxy Mega with a huge 6.3 inch screen.

Samsung Galaxy Mega

Samsung-Galaxy-MegaSamsung Galaxy Mega has a huge 6.3 inch screen, if you are looking for a huge sized phone that can replace your tablet. This is the right device for you. Keep in mind, the device is not handy and you wouldn’t be able to use it with a single hand. We have used the Galaxy Note series phones and we have never felt the need to buy a tablet because we can do almost everything on our Phablet.

This device is totally an ice breaker even strangers will stop to ask if this is a Phone. Oh and when you will hold the device to your ear expect some fun poking comments from people around. If these things doesn’t turn you off then go ahead this is a good device. It comes with the Samsung TouchWiz and Android 4.1 Jelly bean version. Physically it looks like the big brother of Galaxy S4 but misses some of the key features of Galaxy S4. It has 8 mega pixel rear and almost 2 mega pixel front camera. It has a 1.7 Ghz Dual Core processor with 1.5 Gb Ram. The Specifications are not somewhat overwhelming but the device has fair power and is a good replacement for a Tablet.

Specifications | Price: 43,990 PKR

Sony Xperia Z Ultra

Sony-Xperia-Z-UltraSony Xperia Z ultra is the 6.4 inch big brother of the famous Sony Xperia Z. This device has a great full HD display with 339 PPI. Xperia Z Ultra is a thin device with sharp edges, in fact it’s the world’s thinnest 6.4 inch phablet. The device has iconic design and looks very solid and sturdy. It comes with Android 4.2 and has 16Gb of internal memory.

If you are confused between the Galaxy Mega and this Xperia Z Ultra we would recommend you to go for this device, because of its good specs and beautiful design.

Specifications | Price: 78,990 PKR

If you are looking for  the first generation sized Phablet..

Samsung Galaxy Note II

Samsung-Galaxy-Note-2Let’s get this thing straight first: The Galaxy Note 2 is a huge phone, that you will have problems using with a single hand and you may even look ridiculous holding it up to your ear for phone calls. Do get an ear piece. Having said that, Samsung has really done a great job with Note 2, there are huge improvements as compared to the Note I, the design is very user friendly and you will have no problem holding it in your hands.

Note II comes with a mighty 1.6 Ghz Quad-core processor and 8 Megapixels rear and 1.9 megapixels front camera. This giant was released with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and it’s expected that will it support the newer versions of android that are yet to be released.

If you like taking Notes on your smartphone and are comfortable using S-Pen then this is the best available device in market.

Specifications | Price: 49,990 PKR

Bang for the buck device..

LG Nexus 4

LG-Nexus-4LG Nexus 4 is great phone that has come out with the Google and LG partnership. This phone has all the amazing features that you could ask for in a smartphone. The Nexus 4 has a bright, high-resolution 4.7-inch display, Android Jelly Bean version, a fast quad-core processor, wireless charging, a good camera, and NFC for mobile payments and other close-up data-transfer functions.

The device looks absolutely gorgeous in hand, the pictures, you see of it, on the internet doesn’t do justice to the beauty of this device. On the other hand, Nexus 4 has limited storage capability and its battery life isn’t on par with some of the most recent android phones yet.

We have heard good things about this phone from tech-blogs of the world, According to Wired ‘It’s a truly exemplary piece of hardware that showcases the best of what Google can offer in a smartphone.’ ComputerWorld says ‘Google’s Nexus 4 offers the best overall user experience you’ll find on Android, and arguably any mobile platform, today.’ But on the downside lack of LTE support has made the users prefer other smartphones over this one.

If you are planning to buy a smartphone that is a bit low price but don’t want to compromise on resolution, Android version, processor and other features mentioned above. Do consider buying this phone.

Specifications | Price: 34,990 PKR

SEE ALSO: Best Budget Smartphones

If you are looking for a dual sim smartphone..

Managing two phones is really a mess there are more chances of you misplacing and as a result losing the device altogether. We don’t have many options when it comes to buying a dual-sim phone but there are a few mobile phones out there that caught our eye.

HTC One Dual-Sim

HTC-OneHTC One Dual-Sim is the variant of the internationally acknowledged HTC One; this device has the same specifications, software and hardware as of HTC One.  If you have money in your pocket then this device is a great option.

Specifications | Price: 74,990 PKR

 

 

 

Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos

Samsung-Galaxy-GrandSamsung Galaxy Grand Duos is another giant phone with mediocre specifications from Samsung. The Korean Company has been producing a lot of huge screen phones lately and Grand Duos is also one of them. The standout feature of Grand is the dual-sim support other than that we failed to point out anything ‘GRAND’ about this device. It has an 8 MP auto-focus camera with 2 MP front one. It comes with 8 GB of inbuilt storage. Screen resolution is 480 x 800 pixels.

Specifications | Price: 31,990 PKR

 

 

 

Samsung Galaxy S Duos

Samsung-Galaxy-S-DuosSamsung Galaxy S Duos is another member of the Galaxy family with dual-sim support. It’s loaded with the 1 GHz processor and runs ICS. It offers less than 1 GB Ram and has a 5MB primary camera. This is a good phone for people with low budget.
Specifications | Price: 20,990 PKR

 

 

 

 

 

 

If looking for a handy phone..

HTC One Mini

HTC-One-MiniHTC One Mini looks like the big brother HTC One, but with a bit of smaller screen size and less memory. This device is very handy and you will have no trouble managing it with a simple hand. This is one of the best mid-range smartphone that money can buy. With Android 4.2 and 1.2 Ghz Dual Core processor this device will run a single work day easily.

Specifications | Price: Note – Available

 

 

 

Samsung Galaxy S 4 Mini

Samsung-Galaxy-S4-MiniSamsung Galaxy S4 mini looks familiar to the Galaxy S4 with considerable compromise in the display. S4 mini has a very good camera that we have seen with the S3 and S4. With Jelly Bean 1.7 Ghz processor and 1.5 Gb of Ram, this is a pretty good fit for those who like sweet small phones and were disappointed with the huge screen size phones Samsung has been producing lately.

Specifications | Price: 44,990 PKR

 

 

 

If you are a fan of Blackberry..

Blackberry Z10

Blackberry-Z10Blackberry Z10 is a good option for all those who are loyal and die-hard fans of Blackberry. Although the device is no way near android, iOS or even the Windows Phone OS in terms of platform features and application eco-system but still Blackberry has managed to gain a minute share in smartphone market due to the BB fans.

If you are coming from Android, iOS or Windows Phone OS to this phone, we would say you will be disappointed. Nevertheless, the phone is very light weight and BB has done a great job in modernizing the BB experience. It has BB10 operating system, a 4.2 inch screen with 16 Gb of Internal Memory and 8 Megapixel of Camera.

Specifications | Price: 46,990 PKR

If you want to buy iOS Device..

iPhone 5

iPhone5iPhone 5 is one of the most loved phone on earth with a very beautiful design, aluminum matte back case making it a bit less breakable than the iPhone 4 and 4S. This is the thinnest, lightest and tallest iPhone we have ever seen.

If you are frustrated with the fragmentation of Android OS and don’t like to wait for the OS updates. You will be very satisfied to own this gadget. Now that Apple has also overhauled the iOS interface making it a bit flat. The iPhone 5 package becomes the best in the current times. Apple as always has given attention to every single detail and produced a phone that not only is the best iPhone but also the best smartphone ever.

Specifications | Price: 69,990 PKR

If you are a first time smartphone user..

Nokia Lumia 920

Nokia-Lumia-920Nokia Lumia 920 is a great phone that was released with some features that were non-existent in the other smartphones for example, wireless charging, an incredibly sharp display that even works the best in direct sunlight, a touchscreen that is sensitive to the gloved hands also, a camera with true image stabilization and amazing low light performer.

The Lumia 920 comes with Windows Phone 8 OS and is a good choice for those who prefer the above mentioned features and fast fluid performance over a lot of Apps. Windows phone has a limited market place with comparatively less application options then Android or iOS. So, if you want to switch from Android or iOS to Windows Platform we will suggest you to take time and think about your decision.

Specifications| Price: 44,990 PKR

BONUS: Bought a New Smartphone? Download these applications first.

Well folks, that’s enough for now but still if you have any more specific questions, me and my team is available and we will more than happy to assist you. Please leave your questions in the comments section or drop a post at our facebook wall. We will reply in no time. 🙂

Written by Fatima Rizwan
I cover startups and entrepreneurs for TechJuice. Email: fatima@techjuice.pk. Profile