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The Android Smartphone Buyers Guide: A guide to purchasing a new Android device
If you haven’t already, check out The Smartphone Buyers Guide, which will give you a more general idea at what to look for in a new Smartphone, the purpose of this article The Android Smartphone Buyers Guide, is to give you some extra information about what to look for specifically in an Android device.
Android Versions
If you are thinking about purchasing an Android device, look for devices that run Android version 7 or higher, this is the latest version of Android and has all the latest benefits including a battery saving mode. Android version 6 is a little outdated but still a great option if you find a phone you like.
There are a ton of different versions of Android out there and often you will find that cheaper phones run an older version of Android which may not be supported anymore so it’s good to make sure you get a device running newer versions of the Android operating system.
Connector types
Phone connectors aren’t a major factor in considering a new Android phone but with newer standards becoming the norm there are some advantages to these new standards. Namely USB-C connectors are now being rolled out across most modern smartphones and below I’ve included a list of some of the advantages USB-C connectors offer.
If you aren’t sure what USB-C is, check out my article which is part of the A Beginners Guide to Android course, Understanding smartphone cables and connectors
- USB-C enables fast charging meaning less time waiting for your phone to charge.
- USB-C enables faster transfer rates, so if your copying photos from your phone to your computer, the files will copy much quicker.
- USB-C is reversible so it doesn’t matter which way it’s plugged in.
Stock Android and Near-Stock Android
You may also want to consider getting a device that runs stock android, or near stock android. Because of the open nature of the Android operating system, many brands such as Samsung like to change the look and user interface of the device, and if you are trying to follow one of my guides it will make things harder to find because your phone will look different.
The phrase “stock Android” basically means an unmodified version of Android, it’s a version as the developers intended it to be, likewise the phrase “near stock Android” means that there are only minor changes or additions such as a couple pre-installed apps.
The following is a list of brands that are known to offer Stock and Near stock Android phones:
- Pixel
- Nexus
- Motorola
- HTC
- OnePlus
The reason stock Android phones are great is because they provide a consistent experience, they also tend to get updates a lot quicker as well. If you try to follow along with one of my courses or guides you should be able to easily follow along with a stock android device, whereas someone with a non-stock Android device might have a couple extra or different steps to achieve the same goal.
Free Android course: A Beginners Guide to Android
Once you’ve purchased your new Android device, check out my free course A Beginners Guide to Android to get you started on the basics of using your new device.
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