Compare and Buy Smartphones

Smartphones are cell phones that can do a little more than just make calls. Apps make it possible to perform a wide range of functions. To make this possible, a smartphone runs an operating system. Examples include Android and Apple’s iOS, but there are also alternatives.

Types of Smartphones

Smartphones come in all shapes and sizes and at every conceivable price. But which smartphone should you choose? The models shown here can be roughly divided into the following categories:

• Budget smartphone: The most affordable smartphones, when price is the most important factor
• Low-end smartphone: Basic features with sometimes a few extras
• Mid-range smartphone: Smartphones with all the features at a competitive price
• High-end smartphones: Feature-rich smartphones with the best cameras and displays

• New smartphone: The latest SIM-unlocked smartphone
• Android phone: Latest Android smartphones
• European smartphones: Smartphones from European phone brands
• 5G smartphones: The latest 5G phones

Popular smartphone brands

In addition to price, the brand can also be an important factor when choosing a new smartphone. For example, you’re familiar with the interface, you might already own other devices from that brand, and you’ve purchased certain apps. In other words, you’re already part of the ecosystem. Below are some well-known phone brands that make smartphones:

• Samsung phones
• OnePlus smartphones
• Apple smartphones
• Xiaomi smartphones
• Motorola smartphones
• Sony smartphones

Android smartphones

Three-quarters of all smartphones sold are Android phones. Google releases a new version of this mobile operating system every year. Manufacturers can use it for free, provided they meet certain conditions, which is why many companies have developed phones using it.

The range of Android phones is therefore large and varied. The same goes for the price. If you’re looking for a budget smartphone, you’ll almost always end up with an Android phone. When considering an Android phone, pay attention to what the manufacturer says about future updates. Unless they use Android One, manufacturers are not required to update their phones regularly.

Apple iPhones

The remaining quarter of all smartphones sold are mostly iPhones. These are often a bit more expensive to purchase but, unlike Android phones, receive updates for much longer. Software that is updated regularly is more secure, contains fewer bugs, and usually offers more features.

A major advantage of Apple’s iOS operating system is that the selection of apps is incredibly vast and generally of high quality. Apps must be approved before they’re allowed in the App Store. An additional drawback is that iOS is somewhat more closed-off. Unlike with Android, there are fewer things you can customize or replace yourself.

Other smartphones

There are also smaller alternatives such as e/OS, an operating system based on Android but stripped of all Google services, and HarmonyOS. The latter was developed by Huawei as an alternative to Android after they were denied access to Google services.

History of the smartphone

Many people think that Apple invented the smartphone with the iPhone, announced in 2007. Nothing could be further from the truth. The first smartphone dates back to 1992 and was made by IBM, but it wasn’t widely available. The Nokia 9000 Communicator from 1996 was, however; a flip phone that was a cross between a PDA and a phone.

In early 2000, the rise of the Symbian operating system led to a wide variety of smartphones. That was also the period when brands like BlackBerry and T-Mobile, with its Sidekick, dominated the market. That changed when Microsoft introduced Windows Mobile in mid-2000.

When Apple announced the first iPhone in 2007, it sparked a shift from smartphones with small screens and keyboards to large touchscreens. It would herald the end of BlackBerry, Nokia, and Windows Mobile—but also the rise of Android.

Functions Taken Over by Smartphones

Smartphones have taken over the functions of many devices. Think of PDAs, compact cameras, camcorders, MP3 players, GPS navigation, calculators, alarm clocks, watches, and so on. This became possible as electronics became smaller and more powerful. Moreover, prices dropped, making smartphones more accessible to many more people.

By now, the list of products that have become obsolete has grown very long, and we hardly ever see timers, voice recorders, photo albums, address books, road maps, answering machines, landline phones, pay phones, and scanners anymore.