How to buy a smartphone in 2020 Your best buying mobile phone guide in the UAE

Over the past few years, smartphones have become one of the fastest-selling electronic gadgets in the market. The popularity of the smartphones in the UAE has far surpassed the likes of other entertainment devices in such a way that almost every type of person owns one, regardless of the price and brand. Feature phones of the past have been replaced by smartphones. While there are easily more than 35 smartphone brands, it’s quite hard for any normal user to decide which is the right smartphone for them.

We don’t blame them because there are several technical aspects of a smartphone that many people still don’t know and any user would hesitate to buy the wrong smartphone with their hard-earned cash. To make things easier, our team has extensively researched the most frequently asked questions that are asked by users who reside in Dubai. In our smartphone buying guide, we will be answering these questions in the simplest way so that any novice user can understand and decide the right smartphone, so you can buy the right device.

What are the different screen size smartphones that I can buy?

Smartphones as a whole come in different screen sizes for each type of user, starting from around 4.6-inches to as big as 6-inch displays. Most of the popular mid-range and high-end smartphones that are sold in the UAE come in 5-inches, 5.5-inches and more. The size of the display comes into consideration depending on the user’s preferences. For instance, users with smaller hands, who wants to use the smartphone with one hand would likely go for a model that features a 5-inch display or less. Smartphones larger than 5.5-inches, generally termed as phablets, brings in the portability of a smartphone and the goodness of a large screen, that can replace the need to carry a tablet on the go. Users can go for large screen smartphone if they wish to watch videos or movies on the go.

What is the resolution of the screen in a smartphone?

It’s all about how good a picture or a video look in a smartphone display. The resolution of the display is one of the main selling factors of a smartphone. It deals with the number of pixels that can be displayed and how many pixels are packed, commonly known as the Pixels Per Inch (ppi). Smartphone makers often explain the resolution of the display in terms of width and height. For example, a screen which has a resolution of 1280 x 720, has a 1280 pixels (horizontal) and 720 pixels (vertical). Entry-level and mid-range smartphones often come with 720p resolutions (HD). Many high-end smartphones feature 1080p (Full HD) and 2K resolutions. Currently, 4K display resolutions are slowly becoming the new trend. However, there are hardly few smartphones with 4K displays.

Which screen resolution should I look for in a smartphone?

If you are going for a smartphone with a smaller screen size from 4.6-inch to 5.1-inches, then it is better to go for the one that features 720p resolution. The pixel density in a smaller display will be more for better image quality. However, if you are going for a smartphone with a bigger display, then it is better to go with Full HD or 2K resolution. Although, there are many entry-level smartphones that feature large displays, and with a modest 720p resolution. While lower resolutions on a larger display may not be as bad as you think, the level of sharpness may not be the same as a high-resolution screen.

Which are the different display panel technologies used in a smartphone?

Most of the smartphones that are sold in the UAE comes with IPS and AMOLED displays. For example, most of the Apple smartphones, including the latest Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, comes with IPS displays. Many Android smartphone makers such as Samsung and Motorola release models with AMOLED displays. Samsung in particular, who manufactures their own displays, releases Galaxy smartphones with Super AMOLED displays. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S8 comes with a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED display.

What is the difference between an IPS and AMOLED display in a smartphone?

Instead of explaining the technical aspects, we will outline the visual features if you buy a smartphone with an IPS or AMOLED display. While both the panels are good in their respective ways, they have their advantages and disadvantages. Smartphone with Super AMOLED, AMOLED or OLED displays produces bright colors and deep blacks with great viewing angles. However, the colors might appear over saturated at certain cases. IPS on the other hand produces colors that are less saturated than AMOLED displays. However, the level of blacks may not be as good as AMOLED displays. The viewing angles are also good in IPS displays.

How can I backup my data if the smartphone doesn’t have a MicroSD card slot?

For those who own a smartphone that lacks MicroSD card expansion, users will need to rely on online cloud storage services. For example, iPhone users depend on iCloud services for online storage. Android smartphones without MicroSD card expansion can opt to use the Google Drive, Google Photos or any other cloud services. Android users can alternatively transfer their data to a personal computer via USB connection.

What are the different storage options that I can get on a smartphone?

Entry level smartphones that are available in the UAE, comes in 8GB and 16GB storage options. Users can also purchase mid-range smartphones with 32GB storage and high-end models come in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB models. Most of the iPhones and high-end Galaxy smartphones come in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB models.

Which are the most popular smartphone brands in the UAE?

The most popular smartphone brands in the UAE are Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Honor, Sony, Motorola, Oppo, Xiaomi, LG, OnePlus, BlackBerry, TCL, Lava, ASUS, Nokia, Alcatel, Wiko, HTC, Google and more.

What are the best smartphone platforms?

While the Windows Phone and BlackBerry 10 platform is kind of on a dead end, the most popular smartphone platform in the UAE is Apple’s iOS and Google Android operating system.

Why should you buy a smartphone with a fingerprint scanner?

While smartphones do come with options to secure your device with PIN codes, it would be more convenient to have a fingerprint scanner. Users will be able to unlock their devices faster without the need to manually enter a PIN code. Currently, all smartphone makers offer models with fingerprint scanners. However, fingerprint scanners are only available on mid-range or high-end smartphones.

What are the best smartphone camera brands available?

You can get smartphones with great cameras from popular brands that include Apple, Samsung, LG, HTC, Sony, Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, Google, BlackBerry and more.

Why should I buy a smartphone with a dual-lens camera?

Dual-lens cameras are slowly becoming the next trend in smartphone camera technology. This new technology enables the user to shoot in different ways for achieving great results. For example, the iPhone 7 Plus has a dual-lens camera configuration in which, one sensor is used for normal shots and the other with a telephoto lens that produces portrait snaps with a depth of field effects. The LG G6 on the other hand, uses a dual-lens camera setup in which, one is used for the standard shots and the other for wide-angle mobile photography.

Which smartphone brands offer dual-lens smartphone cameras in the UAE?

You can buy dual-lens smartphones from Apple, Huawei, LG, Honor, Motorola and more. The latest dual-lens smartphone camera models include the Apple iPhone 7 Plus, the Huawei P10 and P10 Plus, the Huawei Mate 9, the Honor 9, the LG G6 and more. Samsung is also expected to release smartphones with dual-lens cameras in the near future.

Will I get cheap smartphone cameras in the UAE?

Yes, there are many smartphones that offer decent camera quality at affordable prices (Under AED 1200). However, the image quality of these smartphones may not be as good as the high-end flagship smartphone cameras.

What are the different RAM options that I should look while buying an Android smartphone?

Users who are looking for an Android smartphone will be able to choose between a wide range of RAM options. While entry-level smartphones in the past came with 1GB RAM, we would suggest going for a minimum 2GB RAM. Mid-range smartphones in today’s market come with 2GB or 3GB RAM. The high-end Android smartphones come with 4GB RAM, 6GB RAM and even 8GB RAM.

Should I buy a smartphone with 4GB RAM or 8GB RAM?

While more memory is always good, there are very few smartphones that currently offer up to 8GB RAM. 4GB RAM is now the standard for most of the fastest Android devices in the market so that would be sufficient enough for a snappy experience. 3GB RAM is the minimum that you should consider and 2GB RAM is not that bad.

What are the best smartphones that offer water resistance?

You can check out the Apple iPhone 7 or the iPhone 7 Plus, Sony Xperia XZ, Samsung Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge, or the latest Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8+.

What processor should I choose while buying a smartphone?

There are a lot of smartphone processors to begin with so we will be explaining it short and simple. Entry level smartphones often come with the slowest processors which consist of dual cores or more. These devices are quite good enough for normal tasks. The mid-range Android smartphones come in 6-core and 8-core processors and higher-end models with the fastest 8-core chips. Almost all the mid-range and high-end models are good enough for most of your smartphone tasks and gaming.

However, Apple iPhones come with powerful dual and quad-core processors which are good enough because the iOS operating system is well optimized for a fast and snappy experience.

Which e-commerce websites offer the best smartphone prices in the UAE?

You can get the best smartphone prices in the UAE from most of the online retail stores such as Souq.com, Crazydeals.ae, Jumbo Electronics, Sharaf DG Online, Carrefour Online, LuLu Webstore and more. We also advise users to check out the respective retailer stores for special smartphone discounts and best bundle offers and deals in Dubai. Keep an eye on the special promotions offered during GITEX, the Dubai Shopping Festival and other local festival occasions.

What factors should I cross check while buying a second-hand smartphone in the UAE?

Users should first see from where was the smartphone purchased and if the device still holds a warranty. Do not go for users who are selling old products at high prices. Check out if the device has been dropped and if the display has scratches. It’s also advisable to make a few phone calls with the smartphone and browse the internet with any nearby WiFi to know if the display is intact and the speakers are good. Also, take a look at the camera module for scratches. You can also buy second-hand smartphones from Crazydeals.ae and Dubizzle.ae

Is there any portal where I can find all the best online smartphone prices in the UAE in one place?

We at Feedbaac.com have integrated a price comparison tool for most of the gadgets that are sold in the UAE. We cover almost all the online retail stores in the UAE and also highlight the price cuts in our website. Users will be able to directly go to the online store by simply clicking the “Go to Shop” tab on each online store price listing. This will help you to get the easiest and most convenient online shopping experience in the UAE.