Pxhere Image Source Credit: Photo of two different phones, one on the left being android, and the other on the right being an iPhone

If you’ve decided that it’s time to get yourself a new phone, this is a very exciting moment. As sad as it may sound, finding a new phone is so much fun because it’s like starting a fresh and having all these new buttons and features to mess around with. It’ll be your be all and end all for the first few weeks, so much so that you’ll struggle to put it down or engage in conversation because you’re so engaged in the screensavers and ringtones. Having said that, it can be a little difficult at times because there is so much available, and so many different kinds of information being given to you, that you won’t know what direction to go in.

This is why it’s always good to have a plan beforehand, so that you know exactly what you want the phone to do, and what you’re not that bothered about or need as a feature. This way, when you’re in a shop and the salesperson is trying to get you to spend that little bit more so they get their bonus – you’ll know already whether it’s worth it or not. It’s very easy to be swayed into making a decision that you didn’t entirely want, just because you feel pressured into saying yes quickly. But as long as you give yourself all the necessary knowledge, you won’t find yourself in this position, and if you do, you’ll know how to say no.

Here’s what you need to think about.

Your budget

The last thing you want to do is pay way more than you can comfortably afford. You may get over excited and overlook the fact that this amount of money will be coming out of your bank account every month, until you’re in the situation where you’re barely able to scape by. So do the math first and work out just how much you can afford to be paying, that way you aren’t tempted to look at things out of your ballpark and then resent the fact that you can’t have it. There are certain companies like Smarty.co.uk, that offer you deals which means that any unused data gets credited back to you the next month, ensuring that you get every last bit out of the money you’re paying. So be sure to shop around for something that suits your circumstances.

Your social media

Our phones are the gateway to social media, such as Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook, so you want to make sure that the phone you’re getting is suited for that – that’s if that’s what you’re looking for. You may not want these kinds of features on your phone as it’s purely going to be for business calls and emails, which in that case changes the game completely. Bear in mind depending on the phone you get, determines what it’s able to do on social media. For example, an android can’t do certain things that an iPhone can do via Instagram, such as sending a video over 10 seconds from your phone gallery. Whereas the iPhone can send up to a 1 minute video.

Your camera

Phones are what we use to capture those unexpected and magical moments in our lives, so if this is an important aspect for you when looking, make sure that you find out the camera quality and compare between different phones. Essentially the higher the number of megapixels, the better the camera will be, as it means that there is more detail and definition captured because there are more sensors built in to pick those things up. If you aren’t a budding snapper though, you may not want to pay more for a better camera as it would be wasted on you anyway. Or you may still want to opt for something decent, but aren’t in need of anything overly amazing. Most phone shops will allow you to try out various phones, meaning you can take a picture of something with multiple different ones, and then see from the image itself what looks better.

Your storage

One of the most frustrating things with having a phone, is getting that dreaded notification about lack of storage, and needing to delete some things. Once you get to a certain point, every app and every image and every song saved on your phone is a must-have, and so you’re left having to sacrifice something in order to save something else. So don’t put yourself in this kind of situation again, make sure that when you search for a phone, you are getting one with enough storage space on it to begin with. You can increase the space by buying a memory card, but even then, if you don’t have a lot to begin with, it will only allow you so much freedom.

Now that you know what areas to look at, have a proper think about what exactly you want to use your phone for. Is it to accumulate your social media following? Or is to manage things better with your business? Every single detail will change the final decision, so be sure to take out the time, and don’t buy on impulse or because you feel as if you’re being put under pressure. Salespeople are very helpful and can point you in a direction that you’re asking them for help with, but they’re also there to make as many sales as possible, which is why you should go into a store with your own information and knowledge about what you want.

Certain deals mean that you can pay for the phone monthly, but then also allow you to upgrade for less if and when a new model or make drops in stores, so if you like the newest things in technology, this may be a better route rather than buying the phone in full on the spot.