Are you also afraid of this whisper behind your back? Always unexpected, ingratiating, which does not promise anything good? At first it wins you over, makes you feel safe, and then, when the gloom subsides, leaves you alone with sadness and melancholy. Yes, you understood correctly, we are talking about the terrible spell “Can I tell you something?” from people in branded clothes.
Especially for this, we watched top YouTube bloggers and learned how to become a personal nightmare for any sales consultant. You will know how to choose the right smartphone and what brand, what characteristics to focus on, and how not to waste your money.
Content
- What you can save on
- Display: What to look for
- Matrix type and display bit depth
- HDR and Brightness
- Processor and memory
- CPU
- RAM and Storage
- Battery
- Camera
- Top 5 Gaming Smartphones of 2024
- Xiaomi 14
- OnePlus 12
- Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
What you can save on
Let’s say right away – there is no clear answer. In recent years, Chinese manufacturers have managed to convince everyone that you can buy an “iPhone killer” for $200-300, and then troll your friends with Apple equipment. Unfortunately, for that kind of money, it is impossible to choose a smartphone that will be perfect in every way.
Therefore, when choosing a mobile phone, you need to focus on your individual needs and look at what you want from it first and foremost – a powerful processor, a good camera, a reliable and capacious battery, high-quality sound or a clear image.
However, there are still two universal parameters on which almost everyone can save money – the brand and the case materials. Sometimes you can find a much more advanced and reliable phone from a little-known manufacturer for less money than for a similar model from a more famous brand. Also, it does not always make sense to overpay for metal or glass if you are interested in choosing a smartphone with a certain processor or a specific amount of RAM.
Display: What to look for
The display seems to be the first thing you should pay attention to if you are wondering how to choose a smartphone. After all, it is the screen that you will be looking at for several hours a day.
Matrix type and display bit depth
According to bloggers, in 2024 it is best to buy a smartphone with an AMOLED display. Firstly, such devices have beautiful color rendering. Secondly, they can show notifications on the locked screen. Thirdly, and most importantly, they can save battery power. However, to distinguish a good Amoled from a bad one, it is worth paying attention to the display bit depth.
Because this parameter affects how many colors and shades the display can display, which directly affects the image quality. After all, if the bit depth is low, the colors will seem dull and unreal. Now it is considered that the golden mean is 10 bits. Such panels are relatively inexpensive and are found in affordable smartphones.
HDR and Brightness
Those who like to watch movies and TV series from their phone on the way to work or while lying on the couch at home should pay attention to the smartphone’s support for HRD10+ and Dolby Vision technologies. With them, watching movies will become much more enjoyable, the picture will become colorful and rich.
Last but not least, there’s brightness. You don’t want to be like Count Dracula, constantly avoiding the sun and hiding in the shadows to see anything on your screen.
Brightness in a phone is measured in Nits or Nt, internationally – nt. In budget devices, brightness varies from 400 to 700 units, which can be called a normal indicator with a stretch. However, it is better to focus on 1000 Nits, because then the display will be easy to read even in bright sunlight. And this value is often found in budget smartphones.
Processor and memory
In terms of performance, bloggers believe that the rule “the best option is the most powerful processor” does not work. Although the chip is the head of everything, the overall picture is influenced by three factors at once – the processor, the type and amount of RAM, the type and volume of the main storage device.
CPU
To summarize, there are currently two brands of processors on the market – Qualcomm Snapdragon and MediaTek Dimensity. The first line is called ideal for gamers, the second – more durable and economical for the battery in everyday tasks.
All series of chips can be divided into three groups – for powerful flagships, for mid-range and for budget ones. The first group includes the “stones” of the eighth series, the second – the seventh and partly the sixth, the third – everything that is younger.
Generations are also divided by numbers. For example, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is more powerful than Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and the second-generation Snapdragon 7 is more powerful than the first-generation Snapdragon 7.
Dimensity is the same, only without breaking down into series and generations, there is just a number. The most powerful are the “nine thousand” chips, the average ones are Dimensity 7 and 8 thousand, the budget ones are 6000 and below.
RAM and Storage
First of all, it is desirable that the smartphone has RAM of 8 gb or more. Then the device will definitely be able to support several running applications and not slow down.
It is also important to consider the type of RAM, which is designated LPDDR. For budget phones, LPDDR4X is considered a kind of “gold” standard, since it is enough for comfortable operation of the phone. However, it is better to look for LPDDR5, because it has a higher bandwidth, thanks to which the smartphone will be much faster.
It’s about the same with storage devices. Focus on storage device type EFS 3.0 and higher, and total capacity from 128 gigabytes. After all, photos, applications and videos weigh quite a lot now.
Battery
The battery is another important point to pay attention to when you are looking for how to choose a smartphone by parameters and characteristics. Because it is the battery that determines how long the smartphone will work, and you, accordingly, will rest.
The most optimal battery capacity for 2024 will be 4500-5000 mAh. Such a smartphone will easily work for a full day, and with some frugality even a couple of days.
You should also choose devices that support charging from 30 watts. With its help, such a large battery can be charged to 100% in about 1.5 hours.
Camera
Now the most difficult question is the camera. First you need to decide what tasks you will use it for – for a photo shoot of counters in the bathroom or for serious work with photography. If the latter, then you will have to sweat when choosing.
The first thing that comes to mind is the hackneyed “the more megapixels, the better.” But no.
It is important to pay attention to the aperture ratio of the camera, which is designated by the letter F and a number. In this case, the lower the value, the better. For example, aperture ratio F1.75 is better than F2.25, because the higher the value, the less light will reach the matrix and the worse the photo will be.
Source: appleinsider / Camera Elements
Secondly, optical stabilization, which the camera should have, plays a big role. It will compensate for hand shaking and the photos will be clearer.
And, of course, the most important factor, without which the previous ones simply do not matter, is the processing algorithm. According to bloggers, the leading mobile giants – Samsung and Apple – have the most advanced algorithms, which is why their devices are considered the best in terms of shooting. Smartphones from Realme and OPPO deserve a special mention, as they have also shown good results recently.
Due to the huge number of variables, it turns out that it is simply impossible to evaluate the quality of a phone’s camera based on its characteristics alone. Therefore, experts advise watching video reviews for each model separately, or going to a store and checking the smartphone manually.
Top 5 Gaming Smartphones of 2024
Xiaomi 14
A smartphone for avid gamers with a flagship processor and a bunch of latest-generation RAM. Despite the seemingly small battery capacity, it outperforms most competitors in its price range by 10–15% in terms of battery life.
The main advantage of Xiaomi 14 is its cameras, created in collaboration with the German company Leica. Three 50-megapixel sensors allow you to take photos of at least semi-professional quality.
Characteristics:
- Screen: 6.36″, 460 ppi, 120 Hz, 240 Hz (discrete), up to 3000 nits
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
- Processor: 8 cores up to 3.3 GHz
- Video core: Adreno 750, 770 MHz
- RAM: 12 GB LPDDR5, 4200 MHz
- Battery: 4610 mAh
- Price: 85,000–95,000 rubles
OnePlus 12
Another smartphone with top-end specifications that easily handles games on high graphics settings at 60–90 fps. Its most powerful version with 24 GB of RAM will easily overcome any popular games – Genshin Impact, WoT, CoD, PUBG, Fortnite, LoL and others.
The main camera with 50+64+48+32 MP modules corresponds to the level of flagship mobile phones. Photos are clear, with natural colors, high level of detail, without noise and blur in all shooting modes.
Characteristics:
- Screen: 6.82″, 510 ppi, 120 Hz, 240 Hz (discrete), up to 4500 nits
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
- Processor: 8 cores up to 3.3 GHz
- Video core: Adreno 750, 770 MHz
- RAM: 12/16/24 GB LPDDR5, 4266 MHz
- Battery: 5400 mAh
- Price: about 85,000 rubles
Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro
One of the best gaming smartphones, regardless of price. It has a super-fast display, no ghosting, a powerful processor, and 24 GB of latest-generation RAM.
Additionally, it offers increased battery capacity, an active cooling system with a cooler, and physical trigger buttons.
The quality of the cameras is not inferior to the flagships from Apple and Samsung. The triple module with a resolution of 50+32+13 MP allows you to create bright, rich and detailed pictures.
Characteristics:
- Screen: 6.78″, 388 ppi, 165 Hz, 720 Hz (discrete), up to 2500 nits
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
- Processor: 8 cores up to 3.3 GHz
- Video core: Adreno 750, 770 MHz
- RAM: 16/24 GB LPDDR5, 4200 MHz
- Battery: 5500 mAh
- Price: about 100,000 rubles
iPhone 15 Pro Max
The 2023 iPhone, judging by its specifications, is inferior to its Android competitors: fewer cores, less fast and large RAM, and a smaller battery capacity. However, its whole trick is the Apple A17 Pro chipset, which shows exceptional performance and stable frame rates in all iOS games. An important factor is the excellent system optimization, which also improves the overall speed of the device.
For example, in Genshin Impact it confidently maintains 60 fps, despite its high requirements.
Another advantage is the cameras. They are represented by modules with a resolution of 48+12+12 MP. And although at first glance the parameters are inferior to many Android devices, the quality of shooting thanks to the physical characteristics of the sensors allows you to achieve a professional level of photo and video shooting.
Characteristics:
- Screen: 6.7″, 460 ppi, 120 Hz, n/a (discrete), up to 2400 nits
- Chipset: Apple A17 Pro
- Processor: 6 cores up to 3.78 GHz
- Video core: Apple A17 GPU, 1398 MHz
- RAM: 8 GB LPDDR5, 3200 MHz
- Battery: 4441 mAh
- Price: about 140,000 rubles
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
The leader of the flagship Galaxy series was presented in early 2024. It has a full combat kit – a bright screen with high pixel density, fast RAM, and a chipset – a special version of Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, with an improved central and video core.
The device maintains top fps rates in any modern game – from Genshin to PUBG.
However, the main feature of this monster is its main camera. It includes four sensors with a resolution of 200+50+12+12 MP, which means professional quality of any shooting, be it portraits, urban and natural landscapes.
Characteristics:
- Screen: 6.8″, 501 ppi, 120 Hz, 240 Hz (discrete), up to 2600 nits
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (for Galaxy)
- Processor: 8 cores up to 3.39 GHz
- Video core: Adreno 750, 1000 MHz
- RAM: 12 GB LPDDR5X, 4200 MHz
- Battery: 5000 mAh
- Price: about 130,000 rubles
That’s probably all. Now you know how not to lose face when buying a smartphone, what parameters to look at first, and how to choose one that suits your needs.