Speaker 1: Do you want a new iPhone, the latest Samsung Galaxy, perhaps a futuristic folding phone, or just something much more affordable? Well, the dizzying number of options from a huge number of different phone brands means that it is never been more complicated to figure out exactly what you need. So to help you spend your money in the best possible way, I have put together my top tips when it comes to shopping for a new phone. Let’s dive in. Understanding exactly what you need [00:00:30] from your phone will help narrow down your choices and make sure that you spend your money exactly where it should be spent. One of the main reasons to buy any of today’s top flagship phones is usually because of the much better camera performance. But if you’re really not that into photography, you can save yourself a bundle and look further down the range. Speaker 1: If you watch a lot of video or play a lot of games on the go, then you will benefit from a larger display. Perhaps you’ve been enticed by those futuristic new foldables with their bending displays. Now [00:01:00] they can be great if you want a phone that can also fold out into a much larger screen like a tablet. And sure, it’s quite fun having something that is cutting edge technology, but they’re typically a lot more expensive than their non folding counterparts, so they are not a good option to look towards if you’re shopping on a budget. So before you accidentally waste your money, make sure you figure out exactly what features you have used most on your old phone to determine exactly what you’ll need on your new one. Previously buying a budget phone meant [00:01:30] suffering with frustratingly slow performance and sacrificing all of those cool features that you would expect to find on more expensive phones these days. Speaker 1: That is much less the case with even some of the most budget phones on the market offering innovative features like multi lens cameras and five G connectivity. The mid-range sector is hotter than ever right now with companies like Google and Samsung, among others, offering superb phones that tick all of the boxes that you would expect, [00:02:00] but coming with much more affordable price tag than their flagship siblings. So that means that you can pick up a phone that will let you comfortably tackle all of your everyday essentials, enjoy some gaming, some video streaming, and let you take some great looking photos all at a price that shouldn’t break the bank. So don’t think that you have to spend flagship levels of money to get a phone that’ll tackle what you need it to do. Think of it like buying a new car. Sure, Ferrari might seem exciting [00:02:30] and fast, but a decent Nissan will still get you where you need to go and it will leave you plenty of money in the bank to put fuel in it. Speaker 1: Android phones typically receive about three to four years of updates, but that is steadily increasing. So why is that important? Well, if a phone no longer receives security updates, then it is vulnerable to hacking and all kinds of other malicious attacks and therefore is not safe to use. So a phone that’s guaranteed to get at [00:03:00] least five years of security updates will still be safe to use in five years time. So that means you’ll need to spend less money needlessly upgrading your phone in that time period. It’s better on your wallet and it keeps more phones out of landfill, so it’s better for the planet win-win. Google has made particular efforts with its Pixel eight range to increase its software support period to seven years while companies like Fairphone take that even further. Other major brands are still somewhat playing catch up, but we’re certainly [00:03:30] seeing improvements. Speaker 1: Sadly, some manufacturers do still only offer a couple of years of support, so those phones do have a very limited life ahead of them before you buy a phone check. How many years of Android and security updates that phone will receive? If it’s less than four, don’t bother. It’s easy to find big deals and great discounts on phones during some of the big holidays, including Black Friday and Amazon’s Prime day, and it’s not just Amazon that does the great deals. You will find discounts from [00:04:00] most of the major retailers, including some of the phone carriers as well. They’ll often get in on the action with cut price handsets or bundles, including new headphones. If you’re shopping near to these dates, then it could be worth holding off just to see if you can snag yourself a good deal. Of course, these same companies will often have great deals all year round, while many stores and manufacturers will offer further discounts if you trade in an old handset. Speaker 1: So it’s always worth doing a little bit of research into where you are buying [00:04:30] your product from just to see if you can save a little bit of extra cash. Last year’s phones can often be a great deal as well, particularly because many retailers will have a warehouse full of stock that they want to shift in order to make room for the new ones. And what better way to shift that old stock by offering it at a healthy discount? Alternatively, you can look towards used or refurbished models. Phones tend not to age that quickly, so last year’s models will still be absolutely capable of handling anything that you would [00:05:00] want to throw at them today. And by buying refurbished, you can get essentially a brand new phone, but at a much lower price. Do be more careful though if you are buying several generations old, particularly if you are buying used while the hardware will often be perfectly fine. Speaker 1: If it’s out of its software support period, then it’s simply not safe to use. It may be that you found a used phone that’s still got a couple of years of security updates ahead of it, and if you can pick that up for a decent price, then it could do the job of just keeping you going for a couple of years. [00:05:30] Just make sure you keep an eye on when that security support ends. iOS or Android, the age old question. Now, I am not going to say which one is better because let’s be honest, they both have their advantages. iOS tends to be a bit easier to use, particularly if you are new to the world of smartphones, whereas Android does offer a lot more customizability, customizability, customization. But if you’ve been using an iPhone for time already, perhaps you’ve also got an iPad [00:06:00] or a MacBook or an Apple tv, then odds are you’ve already probably invested quite a lot of money and effort into Apple’s ecosystem. Maybe you’ve bought apps or services or other iCloud syncing things that just mean that it’s going to be easier if you stick with iOS. Similarly, if you’ve bought a load of Android apps and you’ve got all your Google accounts synced on a device, then you will find it easier to remain on that side of the fence. Otherwise, it is pretty simple to swap, and you can find [00:06:30] some great guides on how to do exactly that. On cnet Speaker 1: C Nets team has spent years pouring over everything the technology industry has to offer. So it’s safe to say that we know a thing or two about what makes a good phone. Our reviews are exhaustive, testing every part of a phone, including its battery, its cameras, it’s display processor, waterproofing, and of course just how it feels to hold. So before you splash your cash, make sure you [00:07:00] read our verdict. Finally, whatever handset you decide to go for, make sure you buy from a trusted source and to keep it working properly for longer. Should probably also consider getting a case and a screen protector as well. Good luck with your shopping. You can of course find endless information about all of the best phones and the best deals by heading to cnet. Now.
