ARTICLE 1 OF 5 Apple or Android? Cheap or premium? Find out how to choose right phone, get the best deal, and which brands are most reliable. A great mobile phone will take the place of your camera, keep you informed and entertained on the move and still leave you with enough battery when you get home. But it's not easy to find a model that can succeed on all counts. With prices rising and more than ever to choose from, it's important to spend your money wisely on a phone that will last. Read our in-depth guide for advice on choosing the right operating system, brand and additional features that you'll really use. Or head straight to the best mobile phones we've found in our tough tests. In this article How much do I need to spend on a good phone? iOS or Android? What size of phone should I buy? Should I buy a phone on contract or Sim-free? Which mobile phone brand is most reliable? Samsung vs Apple mobile phones Video: How to buy the best mobile phone Play Video How much do I need to spend on a mobile phone? You can spend anything from around £15 to over £1,000 on a smartphone. Working our what features are most important is one of the key decisions that will determine how much you should look to spend. Premium phones If you want a premium top-of-the-range model from the likes of Apple, Samsung or Huawei, expect a dent of at least £700 in your bank account. Phones in this range typically come with a large screens, premium builds, and all the latest features – such as face recognition, fast charging, wireless charging and waterproofing. A key benefit of premium phones often lies with the camera. With many models now featuring multiple lenses - including telephoto and ultra-wide, you can take some seriously impressive photos with these high-end models. Read more about top-rated mobile phones. Mid-range phones If smartphone photography isn't a priority and you can live without the very latest designs, a step down to the mid range market could save you a packet. You can still find extremely capable phones here with good screens, battery life, and a nice range of useful features - in fact some outscore far more expensive models in our tests. Expect to spend between £200 and £400 on a good mid-range mobile phone. Budget phones Shopping at the cheaper end of the mobile phone market is more difficult - there are a range of duds at the sub £200 price point that are best to avoid, but fortunately some good models too. You can expect cheaper construction and more basic designs in this price range, but battery life can still be very good and we've seen some decent cameras too. Read our guide to the best cheap mobile phones for more. Ultimately there are no guarantees at any price point - we’ve found a Best Buys that cost around £300 and expensive handsets that flatter to deceive, so read plenty of reviews before you buy to avoid disappointment. Check out our mobile phone reviews to get the best value for your money. iOS or Android: which OS is best? The operating system (OS) is the software that powers your phone. It shapes what the phone interface looks like and what apps it can run, and plays a large part in how easy it is to use. There are two main players to choose from: iOS (Apple iPhones) and Android. Android Android is designed by Google and is used by a range of manufacturers, from bigger brands such as Samsung, Huawei and Motorola to growing brands like OnePlus and Honor. Android looks and behaves slightly differently depending on who manufactures the smartphone handset, but the basics are essentially the same. Pros It’s generally easy to use, extremely customisable and provides access to the wide variety of apps, games and entertainment available from the Google Play store. There are also plenty of Android phones to choose from whatever your budget. Cons In the past, Android has been slightly more vulnerable to attack than Apple handsets. That's beginning to change now, though - Google is putting more emphasis on vetting apps in the app store and patching security holes before they're released. Sometimes manufacturers and network providers can be slow to release Android updates to users. Apple iOS All iPhones use iOS and, unlike Android, the experience of using the operating system is broadly similar whichever iPhone you buy. New updates to iOS are released each year, but some older iPhones may be able to run only older versions – for instance, only iPhones from and including the iPhone 5s can run iOS 11. If your iPhone isn’t compatible, you’ll miss out on some of the latest apps, features and security patches introduced by Apple. Pros It’s easy to use and quick to learn, even if you haven’t used a smartphone before. It provides access to the well-stocked Apple app store – where apps are vetted before being released, so you can rest assured they’re safe to use. Cons Apple iPhones are expensive. If you're not obsessed with having the latest tech, you can find cheaper deals on older handsets, though. Apple iPhones also do not come with a micro-SD card slot, so you’ll need to choose the memory capacity carefully to avoid running out of space for your app, music and photo collection. What size of phone should I buy? Smartphones are getting bigger, with the latest high-end models measuring between 5.5 and 6 inches or more. While bigger phones are great for watching films and browsing the web, they won’t suit everyone. Some people find them too large and awkward to hold, and would prefer a model they can comfortably use with one hand. The best way to find out which handset size is right for you is to try holding a few in a shop. If you do want something that will slip more easily into your pocket or bag, pick a 4-5-inch phone. Also pay attention to the physical dimensions of the phone. Screen sizes are available at different aspect ratios, and different phones have different sized bezels. A phone with a 6-inch screen may ultimately be smaller than one with a 5.5-inch screen. Should I buy a phone on contract or Sim-free? This is a key buying decision. It can be tempting to opt for a lower monthly fee rather than pay a lot outright for a new phone, but this could cost more in the long term. Use our phone contract calculator to find the best way to buy.
Read more: https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/mobile-phones/article/choosing-the-best-mobile-phone/how-to-choose-the-best-mobile-phone - Which?
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