Buying a smartphone gets tougher all the time. And guess what? That’s a good thing, because there’s never been a richer selection of devices on the market. With multiple operating systems, a wide range of screen sizes and designs and different carriers vying for your attention with high-speed 4G networks, there’s never been a better time to upgrade your smartphone—or get your first one.

1. 8 Questions Designed to Match you up with the Perfect Smartphone for your Needs and Budget.
Presented by the minds @Laptop Magazine

2. Introduction
There’s never been a richer selection
of Smartphone devices on the
market. Complete with multiple
operating systems, a wide range of
screen sizes and designs and
different carriers vying for your
attention with high-speed 4G
networks, there’s never been a
better time to upgrade your
smartphone— or become a first time
user.
Get the latest Smartphone insight
@Laptop Magazine.

4. Your Options
Android iOS
Google’s open-source OS is the world’s most popular, thanks Apple’s unparalleled ease of use, unique integration of
to its presence on a great variety of devices on multiple hardware and software and vast number of apps and
carriers and a selection of hundreds of thousands of apps accessories make this platform tough to beat.
(many of them free). Because Google doesn’t issue strict
Pros:
standards for who can use its OS, handset-makers are free to
build cutting-edge devices with the latest features. •Easy-to-use interface
Pros: •Most apps and highest-quality apps
• First to get new features like 4G LTE, HD screens, high- •Siri voice companion
speed cameras
• iTunes makes it easy to buy apps, movies, music, books and
• Customizable home screens, cool widgets more under one umbrella
• True multitasking, easy task-switching Cons:
• Integrates with social networks for contacts, sharing •No 4G yet
content
•Social networking services not as tightly integrated as on
• Ability to get apps from many different app stores, sideload Android, Windows Phone
apps
•Limited multitasking ability
• Multiple Google apps tie into OS
•No support for haptic feedback, physical keyboards
Cons:
•Android most vulnerable to malware
Get the latest Smartphone insight @Laptop Magazine.
•Occasional crashes or slowness on some phones
•Google Play store not as robust as iTunes for buying media
•OS updates aren’t timely or guaranteed

5. Round 2
Windows Phone BlackBerry OS
A slick interface with an emphasis on glanceable information at a Given how far behind the curve RIM is—pun intended—it’s hard to
glance and deep integration with Office, Xbox and other Microsoft recommend a BlackBerry device right now. That said, if you want
services make this OS a tempting choice, especially for first-time really long battery life and very-secure email or, if you can’t live
smartphone owners. without a physical keyboard, BlackBerry may be worth a look.
Pros: Pros:
• Live Tiles on the home screen let you access info fast •Great security management
• Can pin almost anything to Start screen •Good physical keyboards
• Groups feature saves time •Long battery life
• Microsoft Office, Xbox Live, and Zune marketplace integration Cons:
• Can launch camera even when phone is asleep •Weak, outdated hardware with low-res screens, slow CPUs and no
LTE support
Cons:
•Few major apps
•Limited app selection
•All Internet service and email goes through RIM’s servers, which
•Phones way behind in the specs race
have experienced major outages in the recent past. If they go
•OS not optimized for landscape mode down, you go down.
•Can’t use your phone as a hotspot
Get the latest Smartphone insight @Laptop Magazine.

7. AT&T
In the past year, AT&T has made great
strides, releasing its own 4G LTE network in
more than 31 cities with additional markets
on the way.
Unfortunately, the faster speeds haven’t yet
affected public perception, as Consumer
Reports readers rated AT&T the worst of all
four networks in a recent survey
AT&T’s voice plans start at $39.99 for 450
minutes while data plans start at $30 for 3GB.
Unlimited texting costs $20 per month.
Pros:
•Fast 4G LTE phones
•Best support
Cons:
•Limited LTE coverage compared to Verizon
Confused on which carrier to go with? Try
visiting @Laptop Magazine for the latest
advice.

8. Sprint
Sprint is the only carrier that offers an unlimited
data plan, providing all-you-can mobile broadband
for all its phones, even the iPhone 4S.
Consumer Reports readers were very happy with the
carrier, as it tied with Verizon for the highest
customer satisfaction rating in January 2012.
Sprint’s biggest problem is that it lags behind AT&T
and Verizon in LTE, though the carrier will launch its
first six markets this summer.
Sprint plans start at $79.99 a month ($69.99 + $10
premium data fee) for 450 minutes with unlimited
data and texting.
Pros:
•Unlimited data plan
Cons:
• LTE not launching until summer 2012
Confused on which carrier to go with? Try visiting
@Laptop Magazine for the latest advice.

9. T-Mobile
T-Mobile usually has some of the lowest prices around,
with a $79.99 plan that offers unlimited minutes,
unlimited text and 2GB of data.
The company also earned a solid B on our carrier
support showdown and got high marks in Consumer
Reports’ customer satisfaction survey. T-Mobile won’t
get its 4G LTE network off the ground until 2013, but
many of its 4G HSPA+ phones achieve good download
speeds.
T-Mobile is also the only carrier that does not sell the
iPhone.
Pros:
Relatively inexpensive plans
Good customer service
Cons:
Only major carrier without iPhone
No LTE yet
Data throttled to low speeds after you exceed your limit
Get the latest Smartphone insight @Laptop Magazine.

10. Verizon
Verizon sets the gold standard for U.S. carriers with
the largest 4G LTE network. The carrier also has
some of the industry’s leading handsets with the
Samsung Galaxy Nexus, iPhone 4S and Motorola
Droid Line in tow. The company tied with Sprint as
the leading carrier in Consumer Reports’ 2012
customer satisfaction survey.
Verizon’s voice plans start at $39.99 for 450 minutes
while data plans start at $30 for 2GB. Unlimited
texting costs $20 per month.
Pros:
Largest 4G LTE network
Great phone selection
Cons:
More expensive than Sprint and T-Mobile
Has experienced multiple 4G outages

12.  The big trend in smartphones right now is larger and larger screens, and there certainly are
benefits to thinking big. Surfing the Web, watching movies and playing games feels more
immersive, especially if the display is high definition, and typing can be easier.
 Devices like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and HTC One X cram big 4.7-inch LCDs into an
impressively thin chassis, but they are a bit difficult to operate with one hand. The Galaxy Note
really pushes the envelope with a tablet-like 5.3-inch screen, which is gorgeous but looks a bit silly
held up to your head.
See which Smartphone is leading the pack today by visiting the experts @Laptop Magazine.

14. What to look at
Screen Processor
 Don’t even consider a phone with a resolution less than 800  Just like PCs, smartphones have processors under the hood
x 480, and give strong preference to phones with HD (1280 that determine how quickly they can do things like open
x 720) screens. The iPhone has what Apple calls a “Retina” applications, render Web pages and multitask. These
display because it packs 960 x 640 pixels into just 3.5 inches days, any respectable Android smartphone has a dual-core
for a very high pixel density of 329 PPI. processor, with quad-core devices starting to arrive as well.
Don’t settle for an Android phone with a single-core
 As for screen types, Super AMOLED panels, such as those processor, particularly if it’s under 1-GHz in clock speed.
found on Samsung’s phones, offer great contrast and deep Chips like Nvidia’s Tegra 3 and dual-core Qualcomm
blacks along with wide viewing angles but can be difficult to Snapdragon S4 represent the current state of the art.
read outdoors. The latest LCDs, such as the Super LCD 2
screen on the HTC One X, offer great color saturation and a  The new iPhone has a fast, A4 dual-core chip and souped-
brighter picture. up graphics for playing console-quality games. Windows
Phones are still stuck on single core. The operating system
still functions pretty smoothly with these chips, but we do
notice a slight lag when processing data from the Web.
Memory
 If you want the most performance possible, a minimum of
512MB of system RAM is good with 1GB being the standard
for high-end Android devices. When it comes to
storage, many Android phones come with a microSD card
that can be upgraded up to 32GB, but others include only
sealed-in memory.
 The iPhone is available in 16, 32 and 64GB sizes while
Windows Phones tend to have built-in storage of various
sizes.
See the latest Smartphone findings @Laptop Magazine

16. Picture This…
8-megapixel cameras are standard on higher-end
smartphones, but you’ll also find some models with 5-MP
sensors in the value range and as high as 16-MP on the high
end. But while the number of megapixels matter, so do other
features, such as the quality of the lens, how quickly your
camera starts and captures photos and how well it handles
low light. If you can, play with the smartphone in the store to
see if it’s good enough to stand in for your dedicated digicam.
Or check out our smartphone reviews.
If you care about video quality, opt for a smartphone that can
shoot 720p HD footage. You’ll find 1080p shooters on the
most premium handsets.
Right now, the best camera phones out there are the
iPhone4S, Samsung Galaxy S II and HTC One series.
Learn more about the latest picture & video capabilities
@Laptop Magazine.

18.  How fast you connect to the Web can make a huge difference in how much you get out of your Smartphone. Unless
you have your heart set on a particular phone like the iPhone or BlackBerry Bold that only supports only 3G, go for
a 4G handset and remember that not all 4G networks are created equal. Only networks based on the LTE protocol
provide speeds that are fast enough to outrun your home Internet connection.
 We’re talking about download speeds between 5 and 12 Mbps, and upload speeds between 2 and 5 Mbps. At
present, both Verizon and AT&T have LTE networks, but Verizon’s coverage is much broader. Verizon offers LTE in
more than 230 markets, covering two thirds of the U.S. population. AT&T is in 32 markets, with plans to double that
by the end of 2012. Sprint is moving to 4G LTE in mid-2012, starting with six markets. T-Mobile will join the LTE
party in 2013.
 T-Mobile’s 42 Mbps HSPA+ network delivers fairly good download speeds but mediocre upload speeds, and
Sprint’s aging WiMax network has the same weakness, along with difficulty reaching far inside buildings.

20. Do you have the power?
Having a fast processor, ultra-powerful camera and
blazing 4G LTE speeds doesn’t mean a whole lot if
your battery runs dry by lunchtime. That’s why it’s
critical that you choose a smartphone that can go Processor
the distance. Having a large-capacity battery
helps, such as the one inside the Motorola Droid
Razr Maxx. It’s rated for 3,300 mAh, compared with
1,700 to 2,000 for most other phones.
But the operating system and software inside your
phone also plays a big role. Windows Phones, for
instance, tend to last all day on a charge because
they’re pretty efficient when it comes to pinging the Software
Battery Battery
network for data, whereas some Android phones Size
last 5 hours or less on a charge. Power
We test Smartphone endurance using the LAPTOP
Battery Test, which involves continuous web surfing
over a 3G or 4G connection. In general, 4G LTE
phones run out of juice faster than 3G phones
because the radio uses more power, but there are
settings you can tweak to squeeze out extra
runtime. Operating
System

22. Expectations
$50 to $100 $100 to $200
 What used to be a wasteland of low-rent  Expect a step up in processing speed, camera
Android phones is now populated by handsets quality and display resolution as you move to
with 4G LTE speeds and sharper designs. You this price range. The iPhone 4S is the
won’t find high-def screens in this price range quintessential $199 phone, with an advanced
and design quality isn’t top notch (expect 8-MP camera, 1080p video capture and the
plastic, not metal), but overall you can get a voice-powered Siri personal assistant. Design
very good deal if you spend just 50 bucks. also improves as you get above $100, with
We’re talking dual-core phones with 5-MP sturdier unibody designs.
cameras.
More than $200
• There are very few phones available in this price range, but the ones that do certainly make a statement.
You’ll get the most cutting-edge specs—think big HD screens, 4G LTE speed, superslim designs—along with
cutting-edge features. The Galaxy Note, for example, lets you write on its monster-size 5.3-inch display.
And the Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx has a super-large battery along with a Kevlar-infused design for extra
durability.
• Tip: Keep in mind that today’s pricey superphone could be next month’s $49 or $99 special, so it could
pay off to wait a couple of months for that handset to drop in price. Considering that you’ll be tied to the
same phone for at least 20 months, you shouldn’t compromise on quality.

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