Last updated on 7 April 2023
Hello dear readers! In this article, I will try to explain, to the best of my ability, what things to consider for when buying an Android device.
When buying an Android device, by far the most important thing for us is accessibility. Oh? Isn’t Android accessible then? I can hear your complaints! The Android operating system itself is accessible; however each product is limited by the choices of its maker.
In general, the accessibility of Pixel, Samsung and Xiaomi products are satisfactory. Products from OnePlus and Oppo also appear to have tried very hard to offer good accessibility. In the meantime, Huawei continues to make process with its own operating system and screen reader. Blimey! Chinese names are difficult. One must have a degree in philology to say them properly.
First of all, how can we tell whether a given product offers good accessibility? Always look at the recommendations made by communities needing good accessibility, as well as our own website and this article. It is also a good idea to visit the high-tech stores that have sprouted like mushrooms and test their products.
Which is more important to you? Price? Performance? Durability? If the price is important, there are many products to choose from. However, one only gets what one pays for.
Table of Contents
CPU
The CPU is one of the most important components that needs our attention. This market is dominated by Snapdragon, Mediatek, Exynos and Kirin processors. Each processor has its own strengths.
Snapdragon
The Snapdragon 400 series is an entry level CPU family. Mobiles equipped with this CPU are only good for phone calls. People who try to use them as all round mobile devices are going to be frustrated so much that they are likely to develop TB symptoms. The Snapdragon 600 series is intended for medium range performance. Their performance is average, neither frustrating, nor satisfying. The Snapdragon 700 series is intended for the upper medium segment and is offered in products that are sold as alternatives to premium products. Their performance is smooth. If a product is equipped well in other ways as well, then the buyer is likely to be very happy with his choice. Finally, the Snapdragon 800 is offered on premium products. These processors were recently rebranded as the 8 Gen family. They have offered fantastic performance all the way up to the 865+ until the engineers of the well-known company started to work on the 888 model.
Mediatek
Now, let’s look at MediaTek. As a matter of fact, MediaTek’s Helio was not lacking in performance but it was let down by problematic software support and ended up behind the competition. With the Dimensity model, it came into its own. Dimensity 1000, 1100 and 1200 were very good processors and allowed MediaTek to grab a share of the market dominated by Snapdragon.
Exynos
Samsung mobiles use Exynos processors and some Exynos processors are simply awful. Exynos 2100 is a relative improvement on the previous models. Actually there is much that can be said here but I shall be brief.
Recommendations
My processor recommendations are as follows: For low-cost and medium range mobiles, the best buys are Snapdragon 690, MediaTek Dimensity 1000 and Helio g95. For upper mid-range and high-performance mobiles, Snapdragon 778, Snapdragon 865 and MediaTek Dimensity 1200 are recommended.
RAM
The amount of RAM impacts performance almost as much as the CPU. Mobiles are typically equipped with 4GB, 6GB, 8GB or 12GB of RAM. More RAM is not always faster. Those looking for a relatively low-cost mobile can pick up something good with 6GB RAM. Less RAM is likely to be a drag on performance, and as a result, it can drive the user mad. RAM chips run at various speeds. The most popular speed rating is designated as LPDDR4X. Nowadays, it is possible to get LPDDR5 and LPDDR5X, too. In my experience, LPDDR5 is very fast and LPDDR4X is not far behind.
Display
Next, the display. Which comes first? Durability? Aesthetics? Or battery life? If durability is the top concern then the best buy is an IPS display but IPS displays tend to use to o much power. Is it even possible to experience durability? I think not. If your priorities are aesthetics or battery life then you should be looking at OLED, AMOLED, Super AMOLED and Dynamic AMOLED displays. While OLED displays are more rugged and use less power, AMOLED displays are aesthetically more appealing. I wouldn’t mind having an IPS display for its good price/performance ratio, but since battery life is also important, AMOLED displays are also desirable. Other types of display are posh.
Battery
Next up is the battery. Since Android uses relatively more power, a mobile should have a battery capacity of 4,200mAh or more.
Protection
An optional screen protector and IP certification for water resistance can help a mobile last longer.
At the moment, Samsung and Pixel Pro models will offer IP68certificates for water resistance. Some other models offer dust / scratch resistant displays or protection against water splash. Samsung’s M Series products are intended as low-cost and mid-range mobiles. The A Series products are in the medium and upper medium segments and the S Series products are premium. Xiaomi is going to drop using the Mi brand. Xiaomi’s premium models use the Xiaomi brand and a model number. Its other products are sold under the Redmi and Poco brands.
Software updates
I need to point out that when choosing a phone, it is important to consider whether a product is getting software updates and is stable and whether the company selling this product offers good software support. In the beginning, Xiaomi distinguished itself with long-term software updates and a solution-oriented marketing strategy. Nowadays, higher prices and some serious software issues are holding them back. The likely cause is that the company is now concentrating on high volume manufacturing to increase its market share and neglecting software development. Samsung and Pixel as always, are now offering better software updates for ttheir phones.
By the way, in the Android world, devices sold in the low-cost to medium segments often receive only one or two major Android updates before they are consigned to the rubbish bin. This appears to be an intentional marketing strategy and a case of cruel capitalism to make the consumers to replace their devices frequently. Therefore consumers who want to keep their devices for a while should buy relatively upper segment products.
There is much more to be said on this topic and there are many other articles covering it in this website. I am going to end my own article by the following recommendations:
Redmi note 10 S, Xiaomi 12 Lite, Samsung A53 and 54, Samsung S21 FE, Poco X5 Pro, Google Pixel 6A. All of these mobiles are upper medium segment products. All of them work very well with screen readers, something that is very important to us.
For those who can spend more on their mobiles, Samsung A73 or S23 series, Pixel 7 / pro, Xiaomi 12T and OnePlus 11 will probably prove very satisfactory. There are many phones to choose from and I didn’t include some of them so you can write your comments, or ask your questions to learn more. Have a nice day and keep up your hopes for the future.
Sony is worth a mention here. The hardware in their flagship phones is top notch and the fact their phones run close to stock Android means that accessibility isn’t an issue. On the downside, they are expensive and software support isn’t the greatest though it’s improving.