The smartphone market is filled with devices that attempt to outsmart
each other through the features they provide. Most device makers launch a
new version of their flagship product every year, which makes it
difficult to choose the best out of the numerous options. However, since
these smartphones are quite expensive, it is prudent to carry out a
complete research before settling down on a particular device. As all
these devices provide the complete set of hardware and software
specifications, it is relatively easy to compare them and identify your
perfect smartphone. Here are some of the parameters which should be
considered as the deciding factors while buying a smartphone
a. Display: The size of the smartphone screen is not the only criteria
to be considered here. Most smartphones have a screen-size in the range
of 3 to 5 inches. While a screen size of 5 inch would give you a large
display, the downside of it is that it would be difficult to hold and
operate the device in one hand. A 4.3 inch screen is considered to the
most ergonomic size for a cellular phone. However, the other factor to
be considered here is the display resolution and the technology used.
The best devices use the latest Super LED or IPS display technologies,
while providing a full high-definition (HD) display.
b. Processor and RAM: The speed of the processor determines how capable
the mobile device is in handling multiple tasks at a time. The latest
phones have dual or quad core processors, which help device the running
tasks in different processing units called cores. However, the system
must be optimized to be able to utilize all the processor cores
simultaneously. Similarly, the RAM determines the volatile memory that
the processor can work with. Therefore, a high-speed processor would
need an equally capable RAM in order to support multitasking.
c. Camera: It is almost a mandatory thing for modern smartphones to have
a front and a back camera. Modern phones such as Galaxy S4 and LG G2
provide advanced digital cameras with 8 mega pixels (MP) capability.
Since front cameras are generally used for video-conferencing, one can
settle for a lower specification. This is because the higher resolution
cameras would take longer to render video images across the Internet,
thereby slowing the whole process.
d. Battery: Although most smartphones cannot be expected to last more
than a day, it is still very important to consider the battery capacity
before investing on a phone. While most phones provide a battery
capacity in the range of 1800 to 2000 mAH, the best devices can provide
capability up to 2600 mAH.
The current generation mobile devices are capable of emulating every
single feature available in a personal computer or a laptop. Moreover,
it has certain extra features that make it an inevitable device in the
modern world. It has been made possible with the help of advanced
internal circuitry and the integration of several sensors that provides
the phone with inputs based on the system's or the user's behaviour.
Here we take a look at the popular sensors that are available on most
mobile devices:
a. GPS sensor: GPS stands for Global Positioning System, which helps in
tracking the geographical location of the device and interpolates it in
the global map. With GPS sensors, mobile users can allow applications
and other devices to know its current position and provide it with
contextual information. For example, apps like Foursquare use the user's
current location with the help of the GPS sensor to provide them with
nearby restaurants and places of interest.
b. Proximity sensor: The main use of this sensor is to detect the
closeness of human body parts to the phone. It can detect the presence
of human body, which can be utilized to manipulate the functions of the
mobile. For example, smartphones can detect if the mobile is not near
the user's ear and turn off the screen light in order to save battery.
The proximity sensor can further be used to prevent pocket dialing, or
unwanted keypad inputs when the user is on a call.
c. Ambient light sensor: This is another sensor which is installed on
mobile devices to prevent excessive usage of the mobile battery. When
the device is exposed to the daylight settings, the brightness and
contrast properties of the phone are automatically adjusted to provide
an optimal display. The sensor can detect the presence of light based on
the photo diodes that are present in its system, and act accordingly on
the device.
d. Accelerometer: Most phones automatically tilt the display of the
phone from portrait format to landscape, depending on how the phone is
held by the user. This feature is provided by the accelerometer.
Accelerometers can detect the orientation of the device with reference
to a static frame. Apart from the display screen, this feature is also
available on the device cameras as well.
