Today’s best phones, such as the iPhone 16 Pro, the Google Pixel 9 Pro and Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra, all offer a stunning range of flagship features, from lightning shows to a vibrant Pin-Sharp display. They also pack a great camera setup and even make money for professional cameras. These elite phones represent the pinnacle of today’s mobile technology, so it’s no surprise that these users’ favorite phones come with high prices to match their flagship status.
This means that for many of us, it’s untouchable – and for those who just want a full range of equipment, it’s unnecessary. Thankfully, there are a variety of options out there to meet all needs and budgets. Whether you’re looking for a high-performance flagship store or a more affordable option like the Google Pixel 8a, you’ll think that a large number of options will make shopping easy. But the reality is that sometimes all the options make it more confusing.
To help you cut some jargon and spend money wisely, I have compiled tips for buying a phone.
How to buy a new phone: Top mobile phone tips
- Know what you care about the most: Is it the screen size? Camera quality? Battery life? This will help narrow down your choices. For example, phones like the iPhone 16 Pro, Galaxy S25 Ultra, or Xiaomi 14 Ultra pack an incredible camera that is nearly comparable to the quality you get from a mirrorless camera. If you are passionate about photography and always want to carry a great camera when inspiration strikes, it is a good idea to spend money here. If not, you may be able to save yourself a bundle.
- Don’t discount the medium distance: The features of the flagship last year were always dripping on this year’s mid-range phones.You get a great phone that does almost everything a premium phone can do for a fraction of the price. Google’s Pixel 9 Pro packs a great zoom camera, but the base pixel 9 has most of the same key specifications and is more affordable.
- Shopping Sales: Look for deep discount and promotional deals during major holidays, especially Amazon’s Golden Day and Black Friday. And find out your grace period in case you need to return quickly or exchange.
- Last year’s phone number: They can usually be many, too. Wait for this year’s launch to reduce last year’s calls, when stores and operators may attempt to uninstall their existing stock.
- First hold the phone in the store: You may love or hate your appearance and feel.
- Check if you have invested: Have you purchased a lot of iPhone apps and iTunes movies? If you still want to access them, stick with your iPhone. Again, if you have invested in a lot of Android apps, you need to stay on that side of the fence. Otherwise, it’s simple enough Switch platform.
- Buy boxes and screen protectors: You will protect your phone from expensive damage and will increase the resale or exchange value of your phone so you can keep moving forward. If you use your phone with caution, it should last for years.
Smartphone performance and budget
Typically, performance is consistent with cost. The latest and greatest technology is usually advanced. Flagship phones pack the best cameras, the most powerful processors, and even sporty cutting-edge technologies such as foldable displays. The high price means that only those who want to have the absolute latest technology in their pockets deserve to consider these phones.
However, not everyone needs top-notch technology like this, or maybe just unwilling to spend $1,000 or more to get it. Fortunately, the mid-distance division of the telephone world has been one of the most fierce battlegrounds for the company, leading to some amazing cell phones that won’t ruin banks. Features like wireless charging and cameras with multiple lenses that used to be the flagship arena are now common in mid-range phones.
Even a budget phone can still offer decent camera quality and enough features to enjoy all your daily web browsing, WhatsApp-ing and Instagramming.
Screen size
All phones have been steadily getting bigger and bigger over the past few years, with the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra measuring up to 6.9 inches. Small phones are no longer so common, with fewer than six inches below size.
Apple killed its iPhone mini lineup, and while its 2022 iPhone SE is still the smallest iPhone you can buy, the company replaced it with the 6.1-inch iPhone 16e, which barely qualifies for small eligibility. On the Android side, the Google Pixel 8A’s 6.1-inch display makes it one of the smaller phones, but like the iPhone 16e, that’s hardly what you’re talking about Tiny. Google recently replaced it with the Pixel 9a, so the screen size is increased to 6.3 inches. Sorry, small phone fans, it looks like you are unlucky.
Software support period
It is still safe to use as long as the phone receives security updates from the manufacturer to protect it from hackers. In the past, this was a bigger concern because most phones were supported in just two to three years, so they have a short shelf life. But today, extended support has become a competitive feature, and Google now offers an impressive seven-year software and security update to its latest phones.
This means the latest Pixel 9 Pro will still be safely used in 2031, and Samsung has promised a similar support period for its Galaxy S24 and S25 series. Samsung’s Galaxy S20 was released in 2020 and received the final security update in 2024, so it’s important to confirm how long your phone you choose will last, especially if you buy an old phone in the second-hand market. A longer support period not only gives better value to the device’s lifetime, but also better for the life of the planet as it will remain larger, but still uses landfills and reduces the number of new equipment being manufactured and shipped.
Camera Performance
Camera functionality has been a major point in phone bragging rights lately, and manufacturers always want a bigger, more exciting number, whether it’s the number of megapixels or the number of actual camera lenses. Nowadays, three rear cameras are common – regular lenses, a super lens and a telephoto lens – even a budget-centric phone packs multiple cameras.
Read more: The best camera phone to buy in 2025
This is great because more and more shots mean more shooting options when going out. But that doesn’t mean any Multilens camera is as good as another one. As with processor performance, the more times you spend, the better the results you will usually get, and the absolute best camera you usually find in the most expensive flagship stores.
Look for features like optical (rather than digital) scaling, night mode, for better low-light images as well as optical image stabilization. Sometimes these features may be unclear and it is impossible to judge the performance of the camera by looking at the specifications alone. If you really care about your phone’s photography skills, take some time to check reviews and check out the performance of its camera before spending your money.
Battery life
Most phones from the end of the budget to the elite flagship store can last most of the day for a single fee. Larger phones may have a bigger battery, but they also have a larger screen and a more powerful processor, so they will quickly absorb extra juice. Few phones can provide you with more than a day of use. Here are some things to remember:
- Always plan to fully charge your phone overnight.
- Look for features like fast charging that will allow your phone to carry a lot of power in a short time. Some phones (such as the OnePlus 13) support 80W fast charging, which can be used to drive it from empty to full in 30 minutes. Check if the phone comes with a compatible fast charger, though, as an old USB plug may not provide the power output you need.
- If you avoid more demanding tasks, such as gaming or video streaming, the battery will last longer. Keeping the screen brighter will also help, and turning off WiFi and Bluetooth can also help if you really want to eliminate the last few percent to help you get home.
Processor performance
High-end phones will have a powerful processor and 12GB of RAM and more. This is enough to make these phones perform any tasks without sweating, but you don’t need to spend the flagship level to get great performance.
Most decent mid-range phones offer enough features to suit all your daily needs. You can still play almost all games from the Google Play Store, Edit your high-resolution photos In applications like Snapseed or Adobe Lightroom. You can barely throw away what they can’t handle on the mid-range phone.
As you get to the end of the budget of the spectrum, you start to notice something slowing down like games. More demanding 3D games may look more stuttering and may even exit unexpectedly. However, basic tasks like sending emails, listening to Spotify and browsing Instagram are not a problem.
4G or 5G?
5G is the latest standard, and it promises lightning-fast mobile data speeds when going out. Although 5G coverage isn’t everywhere yet, it’s wide enough that you should definitely look at 5G phones. From high-end flagships to entry-level budget phones, it’s easy, almost all of them are easy.
The only reason you should consider buying a 4G phone right now is that if you are looking at the used market and you’ve found a lot on older generation models, this will put you in a stumbling block for a few years.
How much phone storage do you need?
Most phones, even on budget phones, have at least 64GB of storage, and 10 of them can handle 10 storage space through pre-installed apps and the phone’s operating system. If you are not planning to record videos and gaming is not your business, then 64GB may be enough, but otherwise, you should consider the 128GB minimum.
High-end phones – especially those that can record high-quality 4K videos – offer 256GB or more. With so many spaces, you hardly need to think twice before clearing old files.
If your phone supports microSD cards, that’s a different thing, because you can get a 32GB microSD card for a very small amount of money these days, and popping it up the phone will greatly increase the amount of storage you can access. Unfortunately, scalable storage is a very rare feature on your phone these days. However, most phones will support external storage on USB-C, so if you’re on vacation and want to shoot a lot of high-resolution videos, it might be a good idea to uninstall the lens on it with a small SSD drive.
Rewards function
Many of these features are now common at various prices, so it is worth a look when shopping.
- Fingerprint scanner or face unlock: The scanner may be located at the back, or even built into the display. The so-called biometric security is safer than having to remember the pins.
- water proof: Do you often call in the rain? Look for phones with at least IP67 ratings to prevent them from water and overflowing drinks.
- Wireless charging: This can be used on many phones, as long as you use a compatible charging pad, and some people now offer faster wireless charging speeds.
