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Functional Features To Look For While Purchasing a Mobile Phone

The market is literally flooded with a variety of mobile phones. For those who have little idea about these devices and the emerging technologies, the range is often confusing. For such people, it is imperative to know their functional features to make a sensible purchase as they are different from the fancy features.

Listed here are functional features that you need to consider while purchasing a mobile phone.

Touch or type

Basically mobiles are of two types, based on the keypad- physical and touch screen. In the former, we need to type the keys using the physical keypad while in the latter, we have to tap/touch the virtual keypad to input a text. There are a few models which feature both touch and type keypads. Compared to touch screens, accuracy levels is more on a physical keypad as you can feel the buttons while typing.

Keypads

Keypads in these devices are of two types – tactile keypad, QWERTY keypad. The tactile keypad is numeric and each key is to be pressed a particular number of times to get the desired letter/numeric. This kind of keypad finds usage in both physical keypad and touchscreen models.

In the QWERTY keypad, separate keys are allotted for each letter and numeral. The keypad is named so, because the first six letters of the keypad respectively are Q, W, E, R, T and Y. The keypad is available in both physical keypad and touch screen types.

Finger friendly keys


People with large fingers may not feel comfortable with a QWERTY keyboard, as most of the times the adjacent keys also get pressed when trying to press a key. The numeric keypad has larger keys, therefore probability of accidental pressing of other keys is very less.

Display

Mobiles with small screens and basic features like calling, messaging etc. are easy to use. Those with larger screens are suitable for browsing the Internet and for multimedia purposes. Many with physical keyboard and non touch screen will come with a screen size around 2 inches or a little more. Most touch screen one come with a minimum screen size of 2.8 inches long and maximum screen size of approximately 5.5 inches.

Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) functions

The basic PDA functions include appointment calendar, to-do list, address book and notes. Almost all common mobiles have these features, it is important to see how well these features are functional.

Processor speed

If the mobile is used only for basic purpose like calling and messaging, one with nominal processor speed is more than enough. If it is aimed for playing multimedia, playing games, browsing the Internet using processor intensive apps, it should have high processor speed to accommodate all these processes in a smooth manner.

Voice clarity

This is the most basic parameter. After all, the primary use of a mobile is to make calls. Voice clarity is, therefore, very important to make conversations over phone more efficient and effortless. You can visit several review websites to clearly know about voice clarity. You could also ask people who you know, are already using them.

Portability


Mobiles with four inches or less screen size are portable as they easily accommodate in your pocket and can easily be operated using a single hand. The screens which are above four inches are not very portable as it is hard to carry them due to their large size. Also, weight is another factor which influences the portability factor- heavier mobiles are hard to carry. Those weighing 110 to 130 grams are easier to carry.

Memory capacity

If the mobile is for storing more data and apps, going for one with high memory capacity (at least 16GB), with an expandable memory is a good option. The memory can be increased (up to 64 GB will be good) by using micro SD cards. If very less data is to be stored with 2 to 4 GB memory capacity is sufficient, even expandable memory option is also not required.

GPRS and 3G compatibility

Mobiles with GPRS are useful for people who use them for browsing purpose and who transfer a lot of data through the network. GPRS offers high speed Internet facility on mobiles. For making calls and messages, a normal GSM device will suffice.

Since most network providers offer 3G services where data speeds are at par with broadband Internet, customer can switch to devices that are 3G compatible for browsing and fast data transfers and downloading. If normal data speed is sufficient, a non-3G compatible mobile will be fine.

Durability

We invest a lot of money on mobiles, so durability is very important so that they will last reasonably long time. Many of them are very sophisticated in terms of the software that they use, but may not have good hardware which will lead to faster damage. Those made completely with plastic are not durable and are prone to damage very easily as oppose those made from metals, which are more robust and durable.

Connectivity

Mobiles can be connected to other devices either through bluetooth or data cables. Using blue tooth we can transfer only a limited amount of data. Things like images, songs, which are small in size can be easily transferred via bluetooth.

Phones with external connectivity ports can be connected to an external device like a PC or a laptop to transfer any kind of data no matter how large the file size is. HDMI out facility will allow the user to watch videos and do activities on an external display.

Camera resolution

If the camera is used very rarely and if it is not used for taking important photos, a 2 megapixel or 3.2 megapixel camera is sufficient. An average user prefers a five megapixel mobile camera, as it takes decent photos. If the device is heavily used for taking photos or videos for which high quality videos or photos is required, a mobile with 8 megapixel camera will serve the purpose.

Camera flash functionality

Cameras with flash will click decent photos even in low light conditions. Most mobiles come with digital zoom which enables zooming without an optical zoom, which requires physical movement of the lens. Mobiles with optical zoom are rarely available and digital zoom itself generates the same image quality by using software.

Battery backup

This is the most important aspect that should be considered before making a purchase decision. Based on your usage you can choose a mobile whose battery lasts long. The battery in most smart phones lasts 8 to 10 hours on heavy usage. You need to do research if you want the mobile to work for more than 8 to 10 hours without charging. Basic phones with less features may even last two days based on their specifications.

GPS navigation

This feature helps you go to places, you do not know how to reach. It enables to navigate so that you can easily reach your destination easily. GPS also helps you know your current location.

User friendly navigation

It is very important to see whether or not a mobile can be easily used. In some cases, the user-interface is complex and takes more time even accessing the basic features. This aspect should be taken care of to avoid difficulties in operating the device.

Multimedia options

If you want the mobile for entertainment, the ones with music, video, playback and FM are the minimum features to look out for. Mobiles which support Internet are also helpful in streaming music and videos on Internet.

There are thus mobiles, with a variety of functional features. Depending on your usage pattern you can choose one that has the features you require. Also, consider factors like warranty, service before you decide to purchase.It is better to try a demo piece in a mobile outlet before buying, because you can directly try it and assess its suitability for your needs.