Get Smart With Your Next Smartphone Purchase: The Top 5 Characteristics Of The Perfect Smartphone

Speed.  Connectivity.  Ease of use.  Mobility.  Features.  Storage.  Look and feel.  All of these characteristics are important to look for when purchasing a new smartphone.  But when it comes down to it, which characteristics are the most important when weighing your smartphone options?  How can you get smart about buying a smartphone?  Take a look at our top 5 characteristics to help you make the ultimate decision:

1. Durability: First and foremost, it is important to find a smartphone that does what it’s supposed to—stays on, doesn’t malfunction and is durable to every day accidents.  People drop their smartphones every single day; this is one of the main reasons why phone case companies are rolling in the dough.  Smartphones are fragile, so they either need to be protected or need to be extremely durable.  Make your smartphone durable by purchasing a hard outer-shell case.  Protect your smartphone even further by purchasing a protection plan from a company like ProtectMe Plans.  The next time your phone is damaged from a spill or a drop, you’ll be happy that you did!
2. Storage: The amount of storage space that a user needs varies among many people.  Some like to take pictures, record videos and download hundreds of apps.  Other users, on the other hand, may only use a smartphone for text messaging and calling.  Be sure to check out how much storage your potential smartphone has before you purchase it.  Many phones, like the iPhone 4, come in different storage capacities, while others allow you to easily add storage through the use of expandable storage slots.
3. Battery Life: The life of a smartphone’s battery is measured in two different ways.  First is by standby time, or the amount of time the phone will stay on when not in use.  Second is talk time, or the amount of time the phone will stay on when being used.  Most smartphones have a standby time of 140 to 400 hours, but it’s best to find a phone that lasts for at least 300 hours.  When used in talk time, most smartphones last anywhere from 3 to 13 hours.
4. Features: Be sure to buy the smartphone that has features to fit your needs.  If you want Bluetooth, be sure that your Smartphone is Bluetooth-enabled.  If you like to take a lot of pictures and video, make sure that your Smartphone choice has a good camera.  Check out other features like call waiting, call holding, conference calling, day planner, alarms, personal reminders, GPS, email capabilities, Web browsers and more.  Also, make sure that new apps are easy to purchase!
5. Look and Feel: Although many people may judge a smartphone by its cover, the device’s look and feel should really be the least of a consumer’s concerns.  As a rule of thumb, however, ProtectMe Plans likes to lay out the three most important physical features of a smartphone.  The first is a good display screen.  Look for a display screen that is big enough to actually read without squinting.  Also, try to determine if you prefer having a keyboard on your smartphone in comparison to a touch screen.  Second, find a phone that feels solid and durable.  Hard phones are less susceptible to cracking due to a drop.  Finally, ProtectMe Plans recommends that you find a smartphone that is thin.  No one likes to carry around a heavy, bulky phone—the thinner and lighter, the better!