How to check a phone before buying it in person or in a store. How to choose a good phone: revealing the secrets of the right choice

Smartphones from Chinese companies are gradually winning the market from famous brands; just remember Xiaomi.

Manufacturers from the Middle Kingdom gain such popularity due to their low cost and configuration; a flagship can be purchased for literally half the price of a similar model from well-known brands. However, it should be remembered that these gadgets are often not certified for international markets, and therefore it is worthwhile to study them carefully when purchasing. Here are 14 nuances that you need to pay attention to when choosing brands from the Middle Kingdom.

1. Supported networks

In China, when introducing 3G networks, they went their own way, and there this mark is understood not as UMTS (WCDMA) technology, as in Ukraine, but TD-SCDMA. This is a completely different standard, and therefore, when choosing a phone from the Middle Kingdom, you need to pay attention to support for WCDMA in the 2100 MHz frequencies, which are the ones used in our country for third-generation communications.

2. Chargers

In China, a common type of socket, like in Australia and New Zealand, consists of three flat contacts. It is not compatible with the typical outlets in our area, so you will need to buy a charger adapter. You can also simply buy the required charger with a European type connector or use an existing one.

3. Poor localization

It will be much worse if the Chinese phone manufacturer did a poor job of translating the interface. Switching to the English version of the display can help out. However, problems will still arise: words will not fit in the menu, the spaces between letters will be strange, and the like.

4. Memory capacity

To reduce the cost of the phone, manufacturers of especially affordable models install minimum storage capacities in them. You should immediately think about buying a microSD card, because 4 GB today is not enough for almost all tasks.

5. Camera protection

In expensive phones, the camera lens is often protected from dirt by durable glass that is difficult to scratch. But in cheap models, the manufacturer makes do with plastic, which should be covered with film yourself - scratches on photographs are unlikely to add to their attractiveness. A piece of film can, for example, be taken from what is left after gluing the protective plate onto the screen.

6. Fragile glass

Flagships often use expensive modified glass, but cheap Chinese phones usually use regular silicate glass. It breaks easily, and repairing such mobile phones is often not economically profitable or impossible at all due to the lack of service centers and spare parts. To protect your cell phone, you can purchase a glass screen protector rather than a plastic one. The latter is not needed at all, since it quickly becomes covered with scratches and does not protect against impacts.

7. Touch screen quality

Another part that Chinese manufacturers of cheap mobile phones are trying to save on is the touchscreen. Before purchasing, be sure to test its operating speed, the adequacy of feedback on pressing and swiping. Repeat these steps also while charging your phone.

8. Backlight quality

An attempt to save money also often results in poor-quality backlighting of the display and buttons. It can blink, disappear and the like. Pay special attention to the uniformity of light distribution.

9. Loud specs on paper

It's quite common for a Chinese phone to have an 8-core processor, which on paper looks quite powerful. But in reality, it turns out that the phone slowly performs certain actions, “thinks” when scrolling through screens, and the like. The reason is that consumers forget about an important component - the video accelerator. Manufacturers take advantage of this by pairing powerful processor cores with a weak video card. The problem is further aggravated by poor software optimization. You shouldn't expect a smooth interface and speed in games from such a chip.

Don't chase paper megapixels either: while a 13-megapixel camera on a cheap phone may sound good, the photo quality can be quite poor. After all, it is influenced by optics, sensor, and image compression algorithms.

10. Poor support

Chinese manufacturers do not have the time or money to support the software of their mobile phones. Therefore, if you buy a mobile phone with Android 4.4, it will work on it forever. The situation is somewhat corrected by fans whose communities discuss their developments on sites like w3bsit3-dns.com. If you want to update your phone and modify its programs, choose one that has a large community of users.

11. Sudden reboots and glitches

Competition in the smartphone market, due to which Apple earns a monopoly on it, forces other manufacturers to save significantly. So not only do they not think about upgrading, they often don't fully test the performance of their products. The result may be sudden crashes, reboots and other glitches.

12. Unwanted software

Even manufacturers of well-known brands bother users with unnecessary programs in the memory of their mobile phones. And often they cannot be removed without root access.

13. Lack of Google Play Store

In China, the Google Play Store is not as popular as in other countries. Therefore, phones from local manufacturers often do not have a client for it. However, this is not a big problem because it can be downloaded and installed separately, like a regular APK.

14. Without headphones

This point applies not only to smartphones from China, but also to well-known brands. Today it has become fashionable not to include headphones with your phone.

A new device is expensive, but you can find one secondhand in perfect condition for a third less. And with some minor shortcomings - even cheaper. Buying used is an opportunity to afford more if you are on a limited budget. For example, a flagship model instead of a dull “average” model.

Cons - you don’t know how you used the device, whether it has problems. And you won’t be able to check whether the seller is telling the truth.

Why do people sell used devices?

There are many options:

• they want something new
• urgently need money
• they were given something unnecessary,
• We bought it, but didn’t like the device (and you can’t return used equipment to a store).

It also happens that there are serious problems with the smartphone, and they want to get rid of it as quickly as possible, getting as much money as possible.

How to choose a reliable ad

Appearance

Your goal is to make sure that the device is not damaged. Inspect it from all sides, pay attention to dents, ask the seller about their origin. Smartphones often have broken screens replaced and low-quality Chinese analogues installed. Not everyone is able to tell the differences by eye, but it is possible. It is best to take a closer look at the original before purchasing so that you can compare.

Rotate the device in your hand and squeeze the body. Pay attention to whether there are creaks or backlashes. Press all the keys. Take a closer look at the bolts - you can see from them whether they were touched with a screwdriver.

Carefully inspect your smartphone for damage

It is difficult to determine moisture ingress, but some models, such as the iPhone, have special indicators. Although keep in mind: the latest generation models are protected against water ingress.

Screen

If there is a protective glass on the display or - peel them off, they may hide defects. Check if the sensor works clearly in all parts of the screen. To do this, try dragging the icons and typing text on the keyboard.

You can check the matrix for “dead” pixels. Up to five pieces is the norm, more is a defect. There are programs for identifying burnt spots on Android phones. On an iPhone, you can open a completely black image (for example, in a browser) and take a closer look to see if there are any burnt-out pixels or highlights.

Connectors

Connect the charger and headphones, check that everything is working properly and that the connectors are not loose. If a power outlet is not available at the meeting place, this will help. Install SIM cards and memory card. Make sure they are defined.

Cameras

Check the main and front cameras. It is best to take a picture of a white wall or a sheet of paper - there should be no spots in the frame (their appearance indicates damage to the module).

Battery

In a short meeting it is impossible to make sure that you are in good condition. In any case, you need to understand that its resource is significantly reduced by the first year of using the tube. At the beginning of the test, turn on the display of the charge as a percentage in the settings. If after five to ten minutes the device drains by more than 5%, it means the battery is very bad.

Removable batteries in smartphones are rare these days, but if you buy this option, take out the battery and inspect it. It should be flat. A swollen battery is dangerous. You can also identify a swollen battery by the suspiciously convex back cover of a thin phone or by white stripes on the screen.

This is what a swollen battery looks like

Sound

Go to the ringtone settings, listen at full volume through the speaker and headphones. Call someone and make sure the voice quality is up to par. If there is no one to call, dial 112 - there is an answering machine. And the quality of the microphone can be checked using a voice recorder.

GPS, wireless networks

Turn on Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, check the visibility of devices and networks. Launch the Maps app and find your location. To do this indoors, you need to go to the window.

Sensors

Most smartphones are equipped with proximity and light sensors. The first one helps you turn off the screen when you put the handset to your ear during a call. The second automatically adjusts the screen brightness: you can simply close it with your finger to see the result (the auto-brightness option must be active in the settings).

Also make sure that the smartphone changes screen orientation when rotated. For example, in the browser or when viewing photos. But this option must also be enabled in the settings.

If your phone is equipped with a fingerprint scanner, add yours and test recognition.

Software

During the test, a normally working smartphone should not overheat, slow down, or reboot. Standard applications should work quickly.

Is everything good and are you ready to buy? Make it full. Even if the owner claims that he has already done this. The system may ask for a password. If the seller “forgot” it, refuse to buy - they are trying to sell you stolen goods. If everything is ok, then register the phone to your own account.

An important point for those who buy an iPhone: Apple has a strong security system. If a phone is marked as stolen, no one will be able to reactivate it. So buy a device only after you log in to your own account and successfully activate the “Find iPhone” option.

When buying an iPhone from someone else, be sure to reset the settings and log in.

Conclusion

Don't be afraid to appear meticulous. And let the seller roll his eyes and hint that he is tired of your checks. You will not have a second chance to make sure that the phone works without problems.

Today, prices for first-tier smartphones are breaking new records, sometimes reaching previously unimaginable figures. And it is not surprising that in such a situation, many of us often wonder whether to buy a used device. But buying a used smartphone is always a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, significant savings (usually from 30 to 50 percent of the market value), and on the other hand, a real chance to become the hero of the saying “The miser pays twice.”
Today we’re talking about how to check an Android smartphone before purchasing and how to protect yourself as much as possible from possible problems with your phone in the future.

Basic Rules

Having purchased a device that meets the criteria described below, you can sleep peacefully and not worry about the money spent.

It seems that this could have been the end of it, if not for one “but” - custom firmware and Root. If the previous owner turned out to be a fan of experiments, then you may come across a device with open root rights and unofficial firmware. This will often void the warranty, although there are exceptions. The only way to protect yourself in this case is to do a good Google search before purchasing. Find information on the Internet about what number the official firmware and system kernel version have. Or, if the same device is now on sale in stores, look at this information live. The firmware version is located in the settings in the “About the device” section, “Software information” item.

With checking for Root, everything is a little more complicated. The most reliable way to find out whether it is rooted or not is to boot the device into Download mode, but this cannot be done without a computer. Therefore, all you can do is look at the presence of applications such as SuperSU, BusyBox or Superuser on your smartphone. Of course, their absence is not a guarantee of the “virginity” of the phone, but it is suitable as an indirect sign.

Check for technical failure

Of course, having the remainder of the warranty and a clean system is good, but you shouldn’t forget about the basic functionality of the smartphone.

• First of all, make a call, then ask them to call you. Check the call quality by calling your friends and find out how they hear you.
• Find your nearest hotspot and check WiFi
• Connect and check 3G/EDGE/GPRS
• Check the operation of the proximity sensor - make a test call and then monitor the screen reaction by bringing the phone closer and further away from your ear. It should go out when approaching and light up when moving away.
• Check the screen backlight by moving the brightness slider from minimum to maximum. The backlight should be uniform across the entire screen and not flicker.
• Check the voice and external speakers for wear. Turn on the music at maximum volume - the speaker should not play clearly, without wheezing. The same goes for the earpiece.
• Don't forget to check your camera for taking photos and videos.

Most smartphone models can be tested quite deeply if you go to the engineering menu. From here you can check the matrix, touch panel, vibration motor and much more.

In order to enter the test (engineering) menu, you need to enter a special code in the dialer.

• So, for the latest Samsung Galaxy models you need to dial *#0*#.
• For LG models you need to dial 3845#*[phone model number]#.
• For the latest HTC models it is *#*#3424#*#*.

And lastly, no one has yet canceled “moneyback”. Agree with the seller to return the phone within 1-3 days if a defect is discovered. If there is really nothing wrong with the device, then most buyers agree to such a check without any problems.

How to choose a mobile phone? Everyone asked this question when buying a phone. At the moment, there are quite a large number of different models of mobile phones in stores.
The choice of platforms, so-called shells, through which interaction is carried out is also large.
It is quite difficult for an untrained user to navigate modern devices and understand which phone is better. It’s important to understand what you want and what your goals are in buying a phone.
To choose a phone you need to understand a number of things:

Phone device

A modern telephone as a device consists of the following components

• Frame
• Keyboard(or TouchScreen)
• Camera
• Speaker
• CPU
• Inner memory
• Memory card
• Transceiver
• Microphone
• Battery
• Various sensors: light, fingerprint, gyroscope

The cost of the phone is determined by the total cost of these components + the brand of the phone. The brand of the phone also characterizes the quality of the phone. Manufacturers such as Samsung and LG themselves produce almost all components of the phone. Thanks to the availability of advanced developments in the field of displays and mobile processors, the buyer can count on a certain quality of the telephone. Apple orders its components locally. China, Korea, Japan. But the quality of the apple company's components is also very high

iOS or Android. What to choose?

Nowadays a telephone is not just a dialer. The phone has a special shell - an operating system. For iPhone - iOS, for other phones - Android. You can download applications to the operating system

mobile applications

Your phone is a whole world - a world of applications. You can play on your phone and find the place you need using Yandex Maps. Games, Yandex maps - these are all applications. These applications can be downloaded from two application stores - App Store and Google Play Market.
In the first case, most applications are paid and of good quality. The second contains many free applications, among which you will have to look for good ones.

Openness of the platform

Openness refers to access to your phone's file system. In short, Android is an open platform, iOS is a closed platform. You can download a bunch of music to your Android phone by simply connecting your phone to your computer and downloading the necessary files. This will not work on an iPhone; you need to do a number of manipulations
Read also:
It is impossible to insert a flash memory card into an iPhone. This is a completely enclosed device. Therefore, if you want, for example, to transfer your photos from an old phone to a new one on Android, you simply move the memory card. And in the case of an iPhone, you will have to tinker with third-party programs. In the case of an iPhone, it will not be possible to expand the device’s memory using a memory card.

Platform security

The openness of the platform is good and bad at the same time. By downloading applications from third-party sources onto your Android phone, you can pick up viruses. As a result, your money from your Sberbank account may be stolen using SMS from the bank. You may lose your Odnoklassniki and VKontakte accounts. You won't be able to install anything infected with an Apple device. Applications cannot send SMS themselves.

If you choose Android, you must be able to handle Android. Behind the openness and freeness of programs there are risks of being infected with viruses. If you want to control your device and don't want to pay, your choice is a phone on the Android platform.

If you choose an iPhone, be prepared to pay for all programs, file storage, and expensive repairs if necessary. In return you will receive security and good and convenient programs.

What is important in a mobile phone?

The most important thing in your phone -this is a battery. Judge for yourself, if your battery lasts only a couple of hours, then no matter how cool the phone you have, it will only be able to work for a couple of hours and you will not be able to use all the functions of the phone without the battery. Low battery life is typical for Android devices in the lower price range. With Wifi turned on and the screen running on Android, a phone can run out of charge in just a few hours. Therefore, when choosing a mobile phone, you should first ask how long the mobile phone battery lasts
Look for a phone with a battery of 2,000 milliamp-hours or higher. This will allow you to enjoy all the features of your phone
Among modern smartphones, the Apple iPhone has the longest battery life. Among regular phones, Philips has a longer operating time

The second thing you need to pay attention to is this is the speed of the user interface. The slow user interface with constant errors makes the phone almost unsuitable for normal use. The user interface is controlled by the shell on which the phone, processor and memory run. Naturally, the higher the processor frequency, the faster the user interface will work. Good processors are now in Nokia, Apple, Samsung phones

The third thing you can pay attention to when choosing is mobile phone screen. If you take phones with Super Amoled screens produced by Samsung, they are characterized by fairly good color brightness. If we take the Retina displays found in modern Apple devices - iPad New, iPhone 4, iPod Touch, iPhone - then they are distinguished by high clarity, necessary for reading texts and browsing websites. There are also Nova displays, which are characterized by fairly good quality images in direct sunlight. Choosing a display is a purely subjective concept; you need to take several devices and look at the pictures. I personally like the quality of Super Amoled displays because of the bright colors.

Signal reception quality. This is also one of the important parameters. If your phone has poor signal reception or often loses the network, this will lead to increased battery consumption and, consequently, a decrease in phone operating time. It is quite difficult to check this when purchasing. For example, phones such as the Apple iPhone could lose the network when captured in a certain way. After you have chosen a possible candidate for purchase, read reviews about him in Yandex Market.

Design, phone size, delivery package. Before you go to the store to buy a specific device, you need to check what is included in the package of the phone. Typically, modern phones come with a charger, headphones, and a memory card (although it may not be present). Phone design is a purely personal concept, as is size. Some people like large smartphones, others like miniature devices.

Tip 2: Look for a phone with good battery and signal reception

The main tasks that a phone solves are making calls, browsing the Internet. Without reliable signal reception and with a dead battery, the phone turns into a brick. It will be of no use to you. Therefore, look at the battery capacity and signal reception quality. It depends on them whether the phone will work at all.

Speed ​​and updateability

You don't buy a phone for one year. However, most manufacturers on the Android platform simply forget about it after releasing a model. Android phones are getting old quickly. Manufacturers do not update Android. For example, Android 7 was released in 2016, but on my Galaxy S Alpha you can only install 5.0.2. For reference: I wanted to order a new battery for my phone. It turned out that it is not available for retail sale, only at the service center in Moscow... That is. Samsung does not support older models at all and does not release components for them.
There are no new updated functions and there will not be any. For comparison, you can install iOS 10, released in 2016, on the iPhone 5s.
Android also has problems with speed. After several years of use, the devices begin to slow down. This manifests itself in a slow response to calls and a long application launch time. You have to install other applications that speed up Android.

After installing a bunch of optimization software, the memory becomes even more clogged and the phone becomes even more clogged. This is very annoying, sometimes you want to throw away your phone. This is also inherent in iPhones, but less so. There, a new update sometimes slows down the device significantly.
The only devices that are updated on time on Android are Google Nexus/pixel line phones.

As mentioned earlier, things are better with upgradability. Many applications require the latest firmware. Having Android 4 on board now, you are unlikely to be able to play good games and download many useful applications. If you take it, your choice is an iPhone or Google Nexus/pixel

Tip 4. Do not take a phone on an unknown platform or from an unknown manufacturer

Windows Phone, Bada, Blackberry phones will bring you a lot of problems when watching videos and surfing the Internet. You'll just be throwing money away. These platforms are outdated and not supported. Their development has ceased and there are practically no applications for them. Therefore, it is not worth buying them. Similarly, phones from Chinese manufacturers. Yes - there are many of them and they are cheap. But, for example, the Mi 5 phone does not have a normal micro USB input for charging. It has its own connector and cable. If you lose or forget the charger, you are unlikely to be able to charge your phone using the charger of a colleague or neighbor. It would seem like a small thing - but there are a lot of problems

Currently, three platforms are leading the market: Android, iOS (iPhone) and Windows Phone; they are preferred by the majority of buyers. BlackBerry is trying its best to compete with the other three operating systems, but so far in vain. Let's briefly look at the strengths and weaknesses of each OS.

Android

Google's OS is one of the most popular platforms for smartphones. Compared to iOS and Windows Phone, there is a much wider range of devices on this platform from a number of manufacturers (Samsung, HTC, LG, Motorola, ZTE, etc.). Android is more open system, meaning it's easier for smartphone makers to innovate on Google's software. That's why the Samsung Galaxy S4 or Note 3, for example, can have two apps open on the screen at once, and the Moto X can be controlled by voice without having to touch the phone. You can buy the smartphone from the article on RBT.ru.

The Google Play store has more than 1 million applications, which means you can find almost everything you want, but Apple's App Store tends to be the first to receive hot apps and games. We love Android's flexibility and customizability, but some interfaces can be cluttered and easy to get lost in.

IOS/iPhone

IOS 7 has included significant improvements from Apple. The appearance has become even neater, multitasking has improved, and a new Control Center has appeared for quick settings. Some aspects of the update are confusing, such as the Notification Center being split into three separate tabs, but overall, iOS remains the most intuitive smartphone platform. Apple also leads the way in having a diverse selection of high-quality apps and games (though Android is closing the gap). The Siri voice assistant has improved and the emergence of the new iTunes Radio music service is a definite plus.

Windows Phone

More and more people are paying attention to Microsoft's OS, mainly thanks to Nokia Lumia phones. The platform features a dynamic interface with “live tiles” that display updates. These tiles are easily customizable, you can choose from three sizes, move them, add and remove them. Other benefits of Xbox include games, videos and music, and integrated Microsoft Office Outlook. The number of applications in the Windows Phone store recently exceeded 200,000, including applications for Instagram. But Microsoft's platform still has about one-fifth of the software available for Android and iOS.

2. Choosing the size of the smartphone: phablet or non-phablet?

The demand for phones with large screens is growing. The share of smartphones with displays of 5 inches and larger, the so-called phablets (English phablet from PHone + tABLET - a marketing term denoting a class of mobile devices with a touch screen diagonal from 5 to 7 inches), currently accounts for about a quarter of all smart devices sold telephones." Although the iPhone 5S with a 4-inch screen became the best-selling smartphone in the United States. The smaller display contributes to a more compact design. If you want something big, choose from Android or Windows Phone models.

The 5.7-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 3 provides a large surface area for viewing photos, movies and games. The trade-off is that it's not that easy to hold with one hand. Phones with even larger displays, such as the HTC One Max (5.9 inches) and Nokia Lumia 1520 (6 inches), tend to be heavier and won't fit into every pocket. But there are people who are willing to put up with a larger size, especially those who do not want to carry a tablet with them as well.

3. Pay attention to these characteristics

CPU

The phone's processor is the brain of the device and its speed will allow you to open applications without delay, play games smoothly and even edit videos. The modern chip for Android and Windows Phones smartphones is Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (soon 805). This processor powers fast multitasking and powerful graphics in devices like the Galaxy Note 3 and Lumia 1520.

The Snapdragon 600 (in the HTC One) and S4 Pro (in the Moto X) are also very capable. Less expensive phones use the Snapdragon 400 processor, which is powerful enough for everyday tasks but not designed for more active activities. For example, the Galaxy S4 Mini with this processor took 7 minutes and 19 seconds to transcode a 1080p video, compared to 5 minutes and 15 seconds for the Snapdragon 800 that powers the Galaxy Note 3.

Apple's 64-bit A7 chip powering the iPhone 5s offers nearly twice the performance and graphics performance of the previous A6 chip (in the iPhone 5c). This is just one reason why it's worth investing in more expensive Apple devices.

RAM / Random Access Memory

The amount of RAM significantly affects the performance of a smartphone. Modern flagship devices offer between 2 and 3 GB of RAM, while the lower limit for mid-range phones hovers around 1-1.5 GB. If you want to quickly load applications and quickly switch between them, then the more RAM, the better.

Screen

Screen brightness.

Screen size definitely matters, but so do brightness, sharpness, color, and viewing angles. Currently, the sharpest screens for smartphones are 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels). However, there are 720p (1280 x 720 pixels) displays, such as those on the Moto X, which offer excellent image quality. To evaluate viewing angles, we recommend holding the smartphone in your hand and seeing how much the image fades and blurs when the device is tilted.

You may also want to consider this: AMOLED screens (common to many Samsung phones) tend to produce very rich and saturated colors, while LCD displays generally offer more realistic hues. It all comes down to personal preference here.

Built-in memory capacity and its expansion

Considering that you will store everything on your smartphone - from photos and music to videos and applications - you should choose as much memory as possible. Although 16GB is a fairly standard capacity, 32GB of memory is the most preferable choice. For example, an iPhone 5S with 32GB memory costs about $300. There are also more affordable options, including HTC One with 32 GB, its price starts from about 200 USD.

Also, to increase the amount of memory, you can choose a device that has a slot for MicroSD cards, for example, Samsung Galaxy S4, Note 3 and Mega.

4. Smartphone camera (don’t pay too much attention to the number of megapixels)

The fight for megapixels is over, but there are still a handful of smartphones whose cameras have a resolution of 20MP or higher. However, it should be understood that the quality of the image sensor itself is more important. For example, the iPhone 5S was equipped with an 8MP camera, but a new sensor with larger pixels allows you to create clearer images.

Camera functions