Advice on how to choose a new Smartphone

As much as we like to be helpful, we struggle to recommend a particular make and model of smartphone – since everybody's needs are different and there are so many devices on the market. So we’ve put together this guide to share with you some things to consider when buying a new smartphone.

There are several makes and models – but they’re all very similar in what they do.

Apple iPhones

The top of the range smartphones are made by Apple and they’re called iPhones. There’s a huge range of iPhones – the cheapest being around £379 (for the Apple iPhone SE with 64GB of storage) and the most expensive being £1499 (for the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max with 1TB of storage). Prices correct at time of writing - April 2024.

Android Smartphones

We’ve found that the majority of our customers opt for an Android smartphone, as they’re often much cheaper than the iPhone with very little difference in their features.
The reason they’re much cheaper is because there’s more competition. Different manufacturers make Android Smartphones so prices aren’t charged at a premium. Examples of brands that make Android Smartphones are: Samsung, SONY, Motorola, LG, Alcatel - to name just a few.

Refurbished phones

There are also refurbished phones which you might like to consider. These are often much cheaper than buying a brand new phone, but be careful to check the Terms and Conditions on refurbished phones as you might find they don’t always come with a warranty and they might have some minor cosmetic imperfections. I’d personally look for refurbished phones which are “Grade A Refurbished” as they are often as good as new, with new batteries, and chargers. It’s also worth checking to see if they come with a “technical guarantee”.

A few questions to help you decide:

You could start by asking yourself the following questions to help you choose the best make/model of smartphone for you.

Do you already own a Tablet?

If so it’s usually wise to buy a Smartphone based on the same operating system as your tablet. So if you own an iPad, I’d recommend getting an iPhone – as it’ll save you the hassle of learning a new thing. And same goes with Android tablets – I’d recommend sticking with an Android Smartphone as a lot of what you do on a tablet is done the same way on the smartphone.

Set yourself a budget – how much are you willing to spend?

Do you want a Pay As You Go sim – where you buy the phone outright and then buy credit for your phone as and when you need it?

Or a contract - whereby you pay for the cost of the phone plus the “Airtime” (calls and texts you use) - in a monthly fee? This can be the most expensive option but for some people it makes owning a smartphone affordable as they can spread the cost over several months/years.

Think about what you plan to use a smartphone for - besides calls and texts?

Last but not least, think about the size/weight of the phone.

Some phones have smaller screens than others. Those with a large screen tend to be heavier and bulkier – meaning they’re harder to hold.

You’d probably be best going to a store to try holding one. Depending on what you’re using it for, the size and the weight of the phone could be an issue.

If you can’t get to a store, a good website to look at is Carphone Warehouse as they stock a huge range of smartphones and they often list the size of the screen and the weight of the device on there – somewhere in the product specification.

I hope this guide has helped you to think about what you’re looking for in a smartphone - which should help you narrow it down to a certain make and model to go on and buy.

Once you know which phone you're going to buy - (or better yet, already have your phone) take a look at our most common beginner sets for the iPhone, Android Smartphone and Doro phones.