10 steps to finding the best smartphone for you(BPT) - Quality smartphones come in all configurations and price points these days. Here are some of the key things you’ll want to look for to make sure you find one that works best for your needs. Happy shopping! 1) Operating system (OS): There are two different operating systems to choose from. iOS works with iPhones, while Android operates with a wider variety of smartphones, like those from Samsung or Motorola. In general, iOS is considered easier to use, but you need to have an Apple device. Android gives you more options, plus the ability to customize it with third-party software and widgets. 2) Camera: Most people now use their phones as their primary camera, so the right selection here will be an especially important one. More and more smartphones boast cameras with at least 12 megapixels, so don't go by only that stat. Instead, focus on individual camera specs and special features like dual lenses or the ability to edit and enhance photos. 3) Screen size: Get the right size screen for the things you’ll want to do. Buy a phone with a screen smaller than 5.5 inches if one-hand use is important to you or if you have smaller hands. Get a bigger-screen phone if you like to watch a lot of videos or play games, or simply want to have an easier time navigating on your touchscreen. 4) Display: You’re going to spend many hours gazing at the screen, so make sure it offers the viewing experience you’re after. If you plan to watch a lot of videos, look for a minimum of full HD (high definition), which is 1920 x 1080 pixels. You’ll also want to familiarize yourself with some of the underlying technologies: LCD, OLED, and AMOLED are all terms you’ll see used, and each offers a different range of advantages. 5) Design: Determining good smartphone design is purely subjective. Many people prefer a metal or glass design; others, plastic. If you’re concerned about durability, look for a phone that is water-resistant. A handful of phones also now feature a shatterproof glass display, and many include a Gorilla Glass display to protect it against short drops (a protective case will help with that, too). 6) Processor: Even midrange phones now offer satisfactory performance for nearly any user level or basic task. A good processor inside a phone will translate to faster open times for apps, smoother navigation and quicker photo editing. 7) Battery: Many factors, including the screen size, processor and operating system, determine how long a smartphone lasts on a charge. A decent benchmark is to look for a smartphone with a battery capacity of at least 3,000 mAh. Any phone that lasts longer than 9 hours of straight 4G LTE use is considered very good. 8) Storage: Go for as much internal storage as possible. Some apps and games can easily take up more than 1GB of storage, and most smartphone owners capture and store large numbers of high-res photos and videos. While some models offer just 8GB or 16GB, the minimum on premium handsets these days is usually anywhere from 32GB to 64GB. Adding a microSD card will also help expand your storage. It's available on many Android phones, some of which can accommodate 1TB or more. 9) Price: Don’t pay for more than you need. The latest iPhone and premium Android phones start around $800, and can easily run $1,000 or more. But there are great options below $500, and even some solid choices for well under $200. 10) Carrier: A smartphone requires a wireless plan. Choose a service provider that offers what you’ll really use, and at a price that suits your budget. Consumer Cellular, for example, offers a wide variety of smartphone choices from entry level to top of the line, along with talk, text and data plans, with no contract. Let today’s top technology work for you. It’s a very competitive marketplace, so by shopping wisely, you’re sure to find a smartphone that keeps you connected at a great price. (BPT) - The technology in our TV sets has changed a lot in the past decade. When it comes time to buy one, it's easy to lose track of which features matter for a good TV-watching experience. You might find a TV at a tempting price, but you don't want to end up wasting money on a picture that blurs at the height of the action, looks distorted from side angles or doesn't support the latest technology. At the same time, does the expensive model and its alphabet soup of features really give you a better picture for the price? "With all the new TVs hitting the market in the next few months, it can be tough to know what to buy and what the numbers mean," says Katie Linendoll, tech expert, TODAY Show contributor and Emmy Award winner. Since your TV set is a major source of entertainment for you and your family, it's important to know what to look for before you start shopping. With Linendoll's guidance on the latest TV features and technology, you'll be sure to choose a TV set with the brightness, sharp images and vibrant colors you're looking for. Because the last thing you want is to get stuck with a TV you'll regret. Screen type: OLED or LCD? For starters, there are only two kinds of TV panel technologies available right now: OLED (pronounced "oh-led") and LCD. "OLED technology creates its own light, which means each pixel can be individually controlled and turned on or completely off," says Linendoll. Plus, OLED delivers over one billion different shades of color - about 64 times the amount of a conventional TV. Many experts who have performed detailed technical reviews have deemed OLED the best TV tech ever made. Combined with rave reviews and its super-slim design, this tech is worth paying a bit more in price. Currently, OLED is available in various screen sizes from LG, who led the introduction of the category a few years ago, and Sony announced they will also release several OLED sets later this year. Unlike OLED, LCD (liquid crystal display) requires a backlight to make the picture. Most of today's LCD sets use LED lighting. LCD can create a bright, colorful picture but black levels will not be as dark as OLED, and some details can be lost in the shadows. "This category of TV can still deliver very impressive picture quality, and it's often very attractively priced," says Linendoll. While shopping for an LCD set, it's important to know major manufacturers have different names for their premium LCD models. You might hear of Q-LED (an LCD TV that uses quantum dot technology) - not to be confused with OLED - as well as Super UHD or XBR. Brighter, more colorful picture One big improvement in recent years has been the expansion of color capabilities in TVs. Nano cell and quantum dot technology, for example, are designed primarily to deliver a bigger spectrum of color than conventional LCD sets, creating more realistic-looking pictures. How does it work? Nano cell, which is only found in LG's Super UHD TVs, uses extremely small particles (one nanometer in size), which provide more refined and accurate shades of color. Viewing angles are important Research shows that only about 10 percent of TV viewers sit directly in front of the TV, so viewing angle is extremely important. Moving even by as little as 10-15 degrees can make colors look washed out and black levels will start to degrade. OLED TVs have the best performance at wide viewing angles; however, some LCDs, such as LG's Super UHD sets, use a special LCD type for a wider viewing angle. Sharper resolution The more pixels you have, the better the image quality. If you picked up on the buzz about 4K "Ultra HD," you know these TVs have more than 8 million pixels and display sharper, more lifelike images. "Most new bigger-screen TVs you'd be considering, including OLED and LCD TVs, are 4K," says Linendoll. A newer enhancement to 4K is called HDR or high dynamic range, giving you more shadow detail and natural bright highlights. Be sure the set you're looking at has 4K resolution and supports HDR; otherwise you will be missing out on what's quickly becoming the gold standard in TV features. |
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