Best Mobile Phone: Ultimate Guide to Mobile Phones for Every Lifestyle

Mobile phones have come a long way since its first integration. The first type of ‘mobile’ phone was the car phone in 1947. It was big, clunky, and took way too long to connect. Still, it was a turning point in its time.

Since the cellular revolution, mobile phones have only grown in functionality and features. It’s more accessible to the public as well. The mobile smartphone, as we know it today, can do much more than call or text.

Today’s market is full of big brands famous for amazing features. But how will you know which of the top mobile phone brands to get? We’ve compiled a list of the best mobile phone brands you should be looking into now.

Samsung

Apple needs no introduction. Its vast ecosystem is popular, with the iPhone being arguably the most popular. In a state-by-state study, PCMag found that 54% of Americans still prefer to use Apple products. Apple’s long-standing reputation precedes it. They’re known to produce high-quality phones with excellent specs.

China’s homegrown brand Huawei is slowly becoming one of the biggest names in the industry. Though, Huawei is right behind Samsung with a market share of 19%. Its new releases receive glowing praise for good reason. Mainly because of their outstanding performing Huawei mobile phones in terms of design, camera specifications, and more.

Oppo has been producing innovative phones since 2012. You might recognize the company for its “selfie phones.” Oppo created the first “Beautification” feature and rotating camera. Their mobile phone cameras have only increased in quality as time went on. Giving the brand well-deserved recognition as one of the best camera phones in the market.

Xiaomi is slowly making its way around globally. As the prices for mobile phone spikes due to the demand, Xiaomi came in with only one goal — offering the best bang for your buck mobile phone. This brand features outstanding mobile specifications generally at a much lower price than many other mobile phone brands out there. Its flagship models include some of the best state-of-the-art cameras and fast processors. As a result, it gained a fair amount of popularity both locally and internationally. Xiaomi is now worldwide including Europe and the US. Find the best Xiaomi phones here.

Yet another China-based phone brand that’s worth the shoutout. Vivo is known for its affordable yet innovative and high-quality phones. The company has been actively launching mobile devices that are targeting the mid-range market segment. Beyond its creative mobile phone designs, Vivo took-off mainly through its launches of selfie camera on a mobile phone. Most of their phones target beauty camera feature, triple cameras, in-display fingerprint sensor, and more. The upshot? Vivo phones come in vibrant colors and at much affordable prices. Though it gained its popularity worldwide, Vivo’s market focuses primarily on China and India.

Although once under Oppo, Realme has recently made a name for itself in the industry. Realme rose to be the 3rd largest smartphone brand in India within 6 months of its release. Marketed towards “younger people of the world,” Realme produces affordable mobile phones. This doesn’t sacrifice its quality though. It’s modern phone designs and features fit right in the 21st century. Find the best Realme phones here.

Users nowadays want something versatile and naturally, a mobile phone is bound to comply with the demand. That said, for a smartphone or mobile phone to function properly, it requires a backbone to support its function. While there is plenty of mobile operating system that can make it happen, the iOS, Android, and Windows OS is essential for a mobile phone function the way it should be. A worthy note is that not every OS is compatible with one another. That means, iOS is only made compatible with Apple’s phone and Android runs commonly on Samsung, Oppo, and more.  But, which one is the best for you? Let’s examine it by category.

Operating Systems are the heart and soul of a mobile phone. The OS runs both software and hardware. Without it, phones would be futile. As of 2019, Android and iOS have dominated the OS market. Android takes up 74% market share and iOS takes up 25%, leaving about 1% for other mobile OS’.

For many loyal fans, the battle between Android vs. iOS vs. Windows is an age-old one. Moving from one OS to another is a big step, especially if you’re already in one ecosystem. If you’re interested to dive deeper into the analysis, here’s the ultimate breakdown of Android vs. iOS.

Apps are what make your smartphone your mobile phone. Your calls, texts, games all come from different apps downloaded on your phone. Each OS has its store you can get these apps from.

Here is the number of free apps in each store as of now, according to Statista:

Android is taking lead with over 2 million apps in the market. Famous for diversity, Android has a wide range of apps to choose from. You can check out our lists of productivity apps and video-editing apps to get you started. You can probably find anything you can think of, no matter how random it may seem. Its stock apps aren’t too shabby either. Some Android apps come built-in with Google’s default apps including Google Maps and Drive, to name a few.

Apple iOS running mobile phones have a decent competitive selection as well. Though Android has more apps, iOS apps tend to have better quality. Some developers create apps for iOS first, knowing that a majority of Americans use Apple. Apple’s iPhones and devices are also pretty much synced across the board. The OS updates the same for a majority of iPhone generations compared to Android phones. This means that there are apps available only for specific types of Android phones.

Windows comes in last with over 600,000 apps. You can find all of the standard apps like Spotify, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. That means Windows phone user might encounter some problems searching for not so popular applications.

As aforementioned, iOS apps have better quality compared to Android or Windows. This is largely due to its intensive application process. Submitting an app for review on Apple’s App Store isn’t as easy as you think. The App Store’s filtering system is very selective.

Google’s Play Store is a bit more versatile. This may mean that not all apps are completely secure. Though Google has Play Protect to scan your phone for harmful apps and malware. The Play Store also has a refund policy, allowing you to rescind any purchases within two hours.

It’s also easier to use Play Store alternatives, should you not find the app you want there. Android phones support APK, though Android isn’t responsible for any viruses.

Like we said earlier, the Windows store is pretty basic compared to Android and iOS. It doesn’t have as inclusive of a catalog, making it hard to find niche apps.

A mobile phone interface is highly dependent on the OS. By default, these OS are distinguishable and distinctive from one another. With iOS’ signature fonts and app design; Android’s customizable home page; and Windows’ iconic tile design.

Many mobile phones are running on Android, so the GUI varies from phone to phone. It also has a ton of customization options, such as widgets and skins. A downside to this would be the complicated toggles. If you want heavy customization and don’t mind messing around with settings, this is perfect.

Windows’ sleek design has a seamless integration to the Windows PC interface. If you use the Windows ecosystem, navigating through the mobile shouldn’t be a problem. Its simplistic GUI makes it perfect for any beginner. However, there’s a limit to customization.

While iOS has its moments, the Apple iPhone interface has stayed consistent throughout. There’s less of a learning curve when it comes to upgrading your iPhone. It also doesn’t have as many customization options as Android mainly for security purposes.

With Android cutting it close, iOS has a superior interface. Compared to Windows, iOS has better customization options. And it’s not as complicated to navigate through like Android.

Contrary to popular belief, voice assistants have been around since the ‘60s. It wasn’t until Apple’s launch of Siri in 2011 that made it accessible to the public. Since then, many OS has come up with their voice assistant feature.

While Apple has Siri, Microsoft has Cortana that was introduced in 2013, named after an AI from Halo. As for Google, it launches Google Now in 2012 but eventually developed Google Assistant. Usually awakened by a voice prompt, these AI can act as a personal assistant. They can check the weather, look things up, and schedule appointments. Google is even developing an AI that can even converse with people. It’s a big step for technology, which is great but scary at the same time.

Each Voice Assistant performed well with their tasks. However, Google Assistant and Siri surpassed Cortana by a mile. While all could answer queries, Cortana couldn’t detect voice in noisy environments.

Both Siri and Google Assistant could understand context and answer follow-up questions effectively. Apple’s Siri earns extra points for its automatic task prompt when asked a question. And all assistants have good ecosystem integration. Siri proved to be a more in-depth assistant than the other two. Its seamless transition from query to a task is great. Overall, a well-rounded assistant that works in any Apple gadget.

Many of us would have though a mobile phone or a smartphone is a wonder in a pocket that does everything we command. While it true that most smartphone does the basic job but some are designed specifically to outshine the rest. There are plenty of different mobile phone types but here are some of the ones that we narrowed down.

Gaming Phones

As its name suggests, a gaming phone is made to cater to your gaming needs. These gamers-oriented phones emphasize on mobile phone specifications, displays, processors, and its design. Generally,  gaming is the most processor-intensive activity you can possibly do on a mobile phone. So by default, it makes sense that gamers alike would like to spend a little more on an ideal mobile phone with enhanced performance. Find out which are the best gaming phones to invest in now.

With the rise of social media, it’s hard to find anyone with a mobile phone not to be uploading any photos or videos nowadays. That said, it’s also unavoidable that some of your jobs might require you to utilize your camera features. While it is true that almost every smartphone, cell phones, and mobile phones come with a camera. But, not every one of them is the best. If you’re considering a camera phone, the camera specifications on a mobile phone is highly dependent on the mobile phone brands, quality of the lenses, it’s software too.

However, due to the increasing demand for a camera phone, there are plenty of options available in the market now. Beyond the leading brands like — Huawei, Apple, Samsung, newcomers like Vivo as such is a great option too. Depending on your budget and the purpose of a camera phone, whether it’s for professional mobile photography or selfies, there’s always something for you. Ultimately, you get what you paid for. So, remember to do your homework before making your decision.

Just to clarify, we’re not referring to the ancient heavy-brick phone here when we’re discussing a heavy-duty phone. In fact, in our opinion, a heavy-duty phone should be able to sustain your intense mobile activities and the way of handling a mobile phone. A long battery life mobile phone is a great example in this case. What it does it to provide a larger battery capacity to support your entertainment activities like gaming, video streaming, video calling, and more.

While most mobile phones claim that it has a long battery lifespan but there are some which are made specifically with extra battery capacity to accommodate your needs. A great example includes the Huawei P30 Pro and iPhone Pro Max. Not only it has an impressive battery lifespan, but it’s also waterproof to give you the security even during the harsh weather. Find out which are the best waterproof phones here.

Every mobile phone plays some sort of music or ringtones. But let’s admit that not all of them are the best nor impressive. We find most of the mobile phone manufacturers cut corners in audio specs to save some costs. Indeed, a good sound system is not cheap and that applies to a mobile phone too.

So, to look for a good music mobile phone, a good measure is to get familiar with some of the specs and to test out the stereo in a store. Apart from that, here are a few specifications you should be looking out for in a music mobile phone.

• Audio enhancement
• Audiophile sound customization
• Internal speakers
• Speakers design
• Wired audio quality

The last thing you want is a mobile phone that doesn’t last. Of course, you want your money worth by getting what you paid for. But the question you should be asking is if your mobile phone delivers what it claims?

Here are some of the best mobile phone tests to help you make the best choice. While some we did it on behalf and some of them you can perform it yourself on your mobile phone. 

Software Tests

It’s essential to test the performance of the mobile phone and the best way to do it is by running a software test. All of these tests are pretty straight forward and it should tell you exactly where went wrong. Regardless if it’s about the uncertainties of the mobile reception, processor performance or skepticism of the mobile displays. Run these tests and it shall give you the answers you need to make sure you get what you paid for. 

Choosing the right mobile phone isn’t as simple as you may think. There is a lot to think about, both in hardware and software. We’ve listed our top picks based on many factors. But at the end of the day, it’s your phone. We hope these tips and tricks help you find a phone that best fits your lifestyle and preferences.