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How to choose a new phone.

How to choose a new phone.
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Are you thinking of upgrading to a new phone on iD Mobile? It’s a big decision. So to help you out, we’ve rounded up a handful of the most important things to check out.

The Operating System


The first thing to consider when choosing a new phone is the type of operating system (OS) you want. This is a big decision because it affects how you can use your phone. Here are the differences between the two most popular:

iOS. This OS is found on iPhones and iPads. It’s known for being extremely user-friendly, and the look is clean, clear and easy to understand.


Android. Most phones use Android, the OS made by Google. It’s very customisable, letting you alter lots of settings and get the look and feel that’s right for you.

The Camera


A few years ago, you could judge how good a phone camera was by the megapixel count. That’s not really the case anymore – you’re much better off spending time checking out the lenses, aperture and optical image stabilisation.

Lenses. Dual lenses can be found on most premium and mid-range phones these days. They work together to give you professional looking bokeh effect shots with blurred backgrounds. Also, a lot of phone makers are teaming up with specialist lens makers - so the lens brand name is one more thing to look out for.


Aperture. When it comes to smartphone camera apertures, you’re looking for low numbers. That’s because the lower the number, the wider the aperture (it’s confusing, we know). And wider apertures let more light in for better images in low-light conditions. The very best camera phones out there have super-wide f/1.5 apertures. Anything between that and an f/2.0 aperture should give you great low-light shots.

Optical image stabilisation. This camera feature keeps things nice and steady, to give you blur-free photos even when your hands are shaking. It’s often missing from the most affordable phones, but it really does make a difference.

The Display


Make sure you get a phone with a large and clear display. We recommend a screen size over 5-inches for watching movies, while a Quad HD or even 4K resolution is a must if you want to see every detail.

The Processing Power


Do you play games on your phone? If there’s lots going on at once, look for processors with more cores – four or eight are ideal. You’ll also want a high GHz number, the measure of the processor’s speed. Between 1.5GHz and 2.0GHz will do the trick. RAM is important too as it ensures you can open games more quickly. Look for at least 2GB.

The Battery Life


Now look at the mAh of your phone’s battery. This is a measure of how large the battery is, and how much power it stores. To give you an idea of what to look out for, a 3,000mAh battery size is pretty impressive. If battery life is a priority for you, it might be worthwhile looking at a few lower-priced phones. These types of phones can have an impressive battery life, because they don’t have lots of power-hungry features to worry about.

If you think you’re ready to shop for your next phone, check if you’re due an upgrade here. If you’re eligible to upgrade, you can browse our phone deals and make your purchase.

Any questions on choosing a new phone that we haven’t covered above? Then go ahead and post it below.

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