How to choose your smartphone
8 Oct 2026
A long spec sheet confuses any buyer. These are the few things that make a real difference day to day, in order of importance.
1. Set your budget first
Compare phones within the same price range only. A phone slightly under budget with good accessories (a screen protector, a suitable charger) beats one that eats the whole budget.
2. Storage
128GB is the comfortable minimum for most people today: photos, video and apps take a lot of space and many phones have no memory-card slot. If you shoot a lot, consider 256GB.
3. RAM
- 4GB: enough for the basics (messaging, browsing, calls).
- 6–8GB: smoother with heavy apps, games and multitasking.
4. Screen
AMOLED screens give deeper colours and blacks than LCD, and a 90 or 120Hz refresh rate makes scrolling smoother. These are nice-to-haves, not necessities.
5. Battery and charging
A battery of around 5000mAh lasts a full day for most users. Also check the charging speed and whether a charger comes in the box. Read our fast charging and cables guide.
6. Camera
Megapixels are not the measure. Sensor quality and image processing matter more; look at real photos taken by the phone.
7. Warranty and instalments
Make sure there is a warranty; it is shown on each product page. If the full payment does not suit you, use the instalment calculator on the product page to see the monthly amount.
Got an old device?
You can trade in your old device and put its value towards your new one. We also carry refurbished devices at lower prices. Browse available phones.
