People always worry about what product brand to buy. Should I go with a more expensive popular brand? Or should I save some money and get the cheaper brand that seems to do the same thing. I wanted to discuss some of my own experience and what I have learned. Most of what I'll discuss will pertain to devices, but the same knowledge can be applied to other purchasing areas.
What's In a Name?
Companies, big and small, are after one thing only, consumer money. So, one way to do that is through branding. Some businesses launch brilliant marketing campaigns to boost their branding, or to create a name for themselves. Others depend on word-of-mouth. In either case, the hope is to build a strong enough brand to have potential customers buy their product or service solely on their name. And while that is how many people buy items, the goal should be so much more research-intensive.
Brand Tiers
While most will consider only two categories (brand and generic), I feel there are at least four that come into play. I will describe each tier and give them a name that I use to differentiate between them.
Top Brands
A "top brand" is what everyone refers to as just a brand name. However, a top brand is really a bit different from others. They are usually mid-to-large size companies that have spent tons of cash (or not if they are lucky) to build up their brand name and become common in popular culture. Brands like these have power, money, and the sway to take in large percentages of their consumer-base compared to competitors. Such top brands include Coca-Cola, Ikea, Samsung, Intel, etc. They are the top of the top and normally have little to fear from their competition. Conversely, there are top brands like Pepsi that ensure that Coca-Cola works hard to stay on top. Any brand can become a top brand, it doesn't only take a lot of work to get up to a top position, but to stay in a top position.
Base Brands
"Base brands" are still well-known brands, but would be considered to be at the lower-end of the totem pole. They have a name that is recognized, yet, they are not what people would normally consider a great or best brand. Some companies in this arena are Zotac, PowerColor, Garuda Indonesia, and Transcend. Zotac and PowerColor are both graphic card manufacturers that make decent cards but fall short in comparison to their competition. While there are many who will praise their products, sometimes they just fall short. PowerColor comes up short as they come out with graphic cards that have little-to-no frills. While Zotac tries to be a power player but can't quite dig it's way out of a base brand (which may be because of the lack of pushing their brand, or when they have horribly overpriced and low-performing products like the the GTX 980 Extreme). Garuda Indonesia is an airlines that has built itself up brick-by-brick to be a much better airlines than it was a decade ago. Unfortunately, there are still many other foreign airlines that are just better (for additional incurred costs). However, in terms of domestic airlines in Indonesia, it could be argued that it is a top brand... Transcend manufactures USB flash drives among other things, and has slowly built a good base of consumers while increasing their drives build quality and maintaining an inexpensive price.
Base brands can become top brands, and there have been many cases to support this. Acer was an okay base brand years ago. They were cheap, but they seemed to be of low quality, so there was some risk involved in buying one of their laptops. As of late, I would classify them as a top brand because they have become extremely popular due to their cost-to-performance ratio.
Generic Brands
Generic brands are common in any country you go to. Is there a tablet you want but it's too expensive? Try a generic brand! How about some expensive jewelry? Try a generic brand! How about that a new flat-screen TV? Try a generic brand!
The main issue with generic brands is build quality. Many of these items will be outsourced to cheap companies that cut corners or use inferior materials, increasing the chance of getting a faulty or flimsy product. Sometimes you can get a winner, sometimes you can't. These companies are trying to make a name for themselves, usually in an already saturated market. Their game plan is to flood the market with cheaper, similar items in order to boost their brand.
What is interesting about generic brands is sometimes they have superior internals. Case in point, I bought an external Fantom Drive many years ago. It was relatively cheap, and had power-saving features that I wanted to try. I have never had a problem with it and use it to this day. While running some experiments I realized I had a Samsung drive connected to my computer, but I have no Samsung branded hard drives... On further inspection, I discovered that the Fantom Drive was actually using a Samsung hard drive. What becomes really intriguing here is that I got a cheap Samsung drive, but (until recently) I really never considered a Samsung drive a good drive. Ever moreso, I was really just relying on its brand name to believe it is a good product. However, experience with it has proved it to be a good product.
Another quick example is the Indonesian brand, Polytron. They produce fridges, washing machines, and televisions. What many people do not know is that they use Phillips parts for their own TV's. Their televisions are normally cheaper than Phillips, likely due to the branding. However, as one might think that it is hiding quality, I don't believe so. I bought a Phillips flat-screen about a year ago and in comparison to LG or Samsung, it is vastly inferior. There are a lot of missing features, and even the comparable features are just weaker. So sometimes hiding a top brand within a generic isn't always a win for the consumer.
No-Name Generic Brands
When most of us think generic I believe we really are talking about "no-name generic brands". These are the items that have no branding on the actual item. Sure, they may have some packaging with some brand name on it, but nothing on the product itself to distinguish it from others. Think spoons, scissors, or other common household products that really have no name on them. This happens in other realms too, for example, USB flash drives. You can find thousands of cheap USB flash drives without branding. These may be companies trying to make money through cheap USB flash drives, or more likely selling these to companies with some brand that can profit off of their cheap costs. These are the items to be wary of as they can seem great, but will usually have very low quality build regulations.
When you think of no-name brands, we think China, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, etc. And there are many items made there that do fall suspect to poor performance or simply bad quality. As I see it, it is all about the manufacturing process and quality regulations. Take iPhones, they are made in China but come out great. This in large part due to serious regulations that need to be followed in order to deem an iPhone and iPhone.
Outsourcing
Many of the great and bad products are outsourced to countries with inexpensive labor to make their products more lucrative. Other brands avoid outsourcing their work and make better quality products for it.
Samsung creates almost every part of their Android phones in Korea, allowing them to better control input and output. Because of that, when I hear Samsung, I usually think great quality. But it should be remembered that it doesn't mean all their products are made in Korea. They assemble (and possibly create) their televisions for the USA in Mexico, because it is much cheaper than building them in Korea and importing them [NAFTA].
The Play
Now I'll go through the motions of what to do and consider when choosing between a top brand and a no-name generic brand. Recently I wanted to purchase a new USB flash drive, so I checked on Amazon for prices and deals. I immediately came across a 128GB USB 2.0 flash drive for about $10! It was a no-name brand and it shipped from China. After a bit more research the best top brand I could find was a PNY 128GB USB 3.0 flash drive for about $35. Both are a great deal and the only major (apparent) difference is that one uses a newer and better USB revision.
The Used
The next thing I wanted to look at was a used price for the PNY USB flash drive. There was no used drives, so I could not take this into account when purchasing. A used top brand will usually still be better than a no-name brand in most of my experiences. Even though it is used, you may still get better bang for your buck.
The Reviews
For top brands and base brands this may be easier to accomplish by finding articles and forums that delve into experiences with the product. For no-name brands I normally have to rely on the reviews given at the site I am purchasing from.
In Amazon, the PNY reviews were quite good. For the no-name generic drive the reviews were about 50/50. You also have to remember that some of these no-name generic brands are sold under companies that have generic brands. Pouring through some of those reviews brought the no-name drive down to around 40/60, 30/70 (in favor of not getting it).
The Support
The PNY drive comes with a limited 1-year warranty. The no-name drive comes without a warranty. You could get Amazon to refund your money if the product becomes defective within a month's time.
The Risks
So my first thought was the no-name generic brand USB flash drive is cheap because it was made in China, which in turn means it also runs a high risk of being built poorly. If the no-name drive dies, I am out $10. The PNY has the warranty, so I can always send it directly to them for a replacement. While not a true risk, I should consider whether or not I want to use USB 2.0 or 3.0 for my flash drive. If just for use at home, then the USB 3.0 would be the way to go. I would gain no benefits outside my home as many computers I would use are only USB 2.0 capable. The reviews lend a lot of weight as most people aren't trying to post fake reviews for these type of things, which are against the no-name in majority. The last and most important risk is price. Ultimately, $10 is not a lot for a USB flash drive of any size in this day and age, which helps minimize the other risks involved.
Decision
I decided to incur the risks and buy the $10 no-name generic brand USB flash drive. An extra $25 for a top brand product was not enticing enough as I travel a lot and would not likely be able to use the warranty if necessary. And a $25 discount for the risks involved seemed worthy of an investment.
Once in my possession, I immediately noticed some quirkiness in speed and stability when I finally started using the USB flash drive. I could ignore that for the most part since it was for a bargain. A month went by and things were going okay, but then the USB flash drive died. I was upset that it had perished so quickly, but satisfied in knowing that it only cost me $10 for the risk. Had it been $35, I would have been angry for not trying the alternative first.
Money Well Spent?
I had taken the risk and paid the price for it. $10 wasn't a lot to lose, but on the other hand, it could have gone towards a good deal. This should not deter people from taking a risk every now-and-then. I often buy used items and have great success with them while saving a lot of money. I generally stay towards generic brands if I do choose to spend my money on something I have no basis to trust, and they normally work out.
Who knows? You could find that cheap deal and end up buying a whole lot more of that item if it performs well.
Consider This
There are lots of things to consider, brand name, build quality, price, affordability, and even support. Each one should be in your mind when purchasing a product or service from someone. And while my experience did not end well, consider this: Bigger companies make more products that statistically reduce the risk percentage of creating faulty products. That is to say, that companies big and small can and do make inferior products from time-to-time, so don't consider a brand name to be the best way to seek out something.
Showing posts with label Brand Name. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brand Name. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Buy a Smartphone! But NOT Because of Megapixels and Resolution. Here's Why...
There are many reasons to buy a smartphone, but there are also many reasons not to. I normally don't like buying anything (save food) without doing a bit of research first. Some people buy for brand name, others because the color's "cute". And some buy because it's the newest, so it must be the best, right? Well, I am going to try to help you navigate through this; not just for megapixels and resolution but a few other things that will give you a level of confidence as to what you are truly buying.
Brand Name Shenanigans
Brand name means everything to some people, but to the savvy, it is just a name. What really counts is what comes with it. For smartphones there are at least two big names: Apple and Samsung. There are plenty of other Android phones (Samsung makes Android and Windows phones) like LG, HTC, Sony, or Motorola, but Samsung's fast adoption of Android has made it synonymous with the brand, and therefore good to pick on!
Apple does have a great smartphone, the iPhone, and it definitely deserve praise as they are the only ones to produce that phone. I have found the "geniuses" quite helpful, often doing things completely free of charge when possible. Great support is usually warrant of a great brand name. However, for example, they do lag on certain things hardware-wise. The only 1080p display on any iPhone is the iPhone 6 Plus just released, while Android phones are already passed that as of this year. WiFi has a new standard (passed N) named AC. The new perks of it are amazing, but iPhone only added this to their repertoire with the iPhone 6/Plus. Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the LG G2 (last year's flagship models) already implemented the technology. The iPhone has also never budged from more than 1GB RAM, to keep this in perspective, many Android phones are coming with 2-3GB RAM. There are always the pluses such as being the first with 64-bit applications (which may or may not really help as I would consider the RAM an issue), retina display, and the iPhone 6/Plus has 128GB models.
Samsung on the other hand is known for a great deal of things: TV's, SSD's, and many household appliances. Their smartphones help put Android on the map, not to mention give the Samsung name further prestige. But if you dig a little deeper, the name may be the only thing to consider at times. I took a look at a first generation ASUS Nexus 7 tablet and a Samsung Galaxy Tab of the same year, and while the Samsung was around $50 more expensive, it's specs were sub-par in comparison to the Nexus. Do you really want to pay more for something slower? The only reason I could think of is for support, but I don't know anything about ASUS vs. Samsung support in the smartphone arena. When I had a choice between a Samsung Galaxy S4 and a LG G2 that was yet-to-be released, I didn't want to wait so I opted for a used Verizon Galaxy S4, which was still pricey. I got the phone and no more than a week later it was completely dead. No warnings or indications, as everything had been up-and-running, just dead. So I ended up buying the G2 a couple weeks later. This just goes to show while they do make quality products, brand name isn't everything.
Megapixels Myth
I'll jump into megapixels now which takes some explanation. While most people think a higher megapixel means a better camera, not necessarily. The basic fact is that higher megapixels simply allow you to add more into a picture than lower megapixels. An example would be if you're trying to take a family photo. Let's say at 10MP (megapixels) you can fit four of five family members, but at 13MP (in the same spot) you can fit all five. That is to also say, that if you left the camera setting at 10MP, all you would have to do is take a few steps back in order to get all five. Conversely, a few step steps back with 13MP would allow you to get an extra person or two in the picture if needed. The only time a lower megapixel is a drawback is when you can't step back any further because of a wall or cliff edge!
With that being said, one 13MP is not the same as another 13MP (or any other size MP smartphone camera). There are plenty of cameras with the same amount of megapixels that are not considered equal. Case in point, the LG G2 has a 13MP, but so does the LG G3. I have owned both. While the G2 has a phenomenal camera, I feel the G3 does outdo it. The color feels a bit more natural, and upgrades to the hardware have helped do this somewhat. Another thing to note is that yesteryear cameras on smartphones usually have older camera sensors, meaning they should not be as good as the newer models. But what about different manufacturers with the same amount of megapixels? Well, there are plenty of articles comparing many different phone snapshots, and while many have the same megapixel count, there are obvious differences in quality. The difference doesn't lie so much in the camera sensors, as they are often the same. Where it does lie is in the post-processing by the actual software of the smartphone. The post-processing often tries to "beautify" photographs by attempting different tricks to make it look better than what it actually is. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. This can make all the difference in low-light situations.
While most smartphones focus on jumping megapixels every year, iPhone's have not. They have been at 8MP for quite some time. I can only assume that they feel that people know about megapixel marketing myths and that 8MP is a solid amount to stay at. While I think it could use a bump, their camera sensors are great, and they definitely don't skimp on their accompanying hardware/software either. This just goes to show that even a lower MP smartphone does not mean it is worse.
One last thought on this is a smartphone's camera will NEVER be a replacement for a real camera, whether a handheld or professional-grade, it will beat out most any smartphone. Cameras are built to be cameras, which is why they have better hardware to support it and grant excellent quality.
Hack-tastic!
Now for those into "hacking" your phone, Android is by-and-far king. Windows does have some developers making modifications, but not enough to be a potential contender. iPhones can be "jail-broken", which allows it to add additional apps and capabilities for free. But their biggest drawback is that jail-breaking is dependent upon what iOS version you have, as it usually takes a long time before it can be accomplished on newer versions. This is not to be confused with "unlocking", which is the process of unlocking an iPhone from a carrier to use with any carrier (with the corresponding networks) worldwide.
Androids on the other hand have A LOT of leeway in this arena. To start off, let's go over a few terms. Rooting is the ability to gain access to certain parts of the Android OS that users should not otherwise have. Bootloader is the system that helps boot up the Android OS on a smartphone (think of it like a BIOS or EFI in a computer). ROMs are custom-made Android OS files that can give you special abilities, UI tweaks, etc. Recoveries are special systems that will allow you to make complete system backups [Nandroids] and wipe cache and data among other things. There are currently only two main recoveries, CWM and TWRP. To put this altogether first you root a phone. Certain apps require root before you can use them. ROMs require root, and sometimes a recovery, before you can add them to your phone. Once you have been rooted, you can then add a recovery and/or a ROM. This may not seem like much, but you can flash files in recovery that can add apps, tweak and optimize settings, increase CPU/GPU power, etc. Yet, if this type of thing scare you, don't worry, you don't need to do any of this to enjoy an Android!
Not to forget, the bootloader needs to be hacked, bypassed, or whatever in order to allow a recovery to be put through. And that root often can allow for unlocking your SIM carrier, which is often done through the bootloader.
Screen Resolution Mayhem
Screen resolution does matter on TV's and monitors, and the higher they are the better they can look. On a phone, it may matter, but I argue that it does not always. If you think so, just ask a person with a smartphone that has 1080p, and a person who has an iPhone 6 or lower.
As mentioned above, I have the LG G3, the first phone to have QHD. In case there is any confusion there are a couple terms you might see being used incorrectly and interchangeably, like qHD, QHD, UHD, or 4K. QHD means 4 times 720p (which is considered High-Def along with the likes of 900p or 1080p). qHD means only a quarter of full HD (1080p). UHD means Ultra High-Def, which includes 4K, 6K, and 8K. There are some arguments in the definitions of using 4K and UHD, but I won't get into that here. Anyways, the LG G3 had the first QHD screen, and still has the highest PPI (Pixels-Per-Inch), but that shouldn't last too long...
The G3 does look phenomenal, but I can't say I'm overly impressed. My G2 looked great too, and honestly, if they hadn't improved the screen resolution and pixel count, there would be no love-loss. Beyond this, I also own a ZTE U950, which was purchased in China during the Galaxy S3 days. It actually contains the same CPU and GPU (made by NVIDIA) as the international Galaxy S3. What it lacks is a good camera, and a high screen resolution. I owned a Galaxy S3 and while the S3 screen was superior, the ZTE U950 is not unbearable by any means. While I would prefer a higher screen resolution, it in no way takes away from the smartphone experience.
Going back to PPI, you'll notice all screens seem to vary. There is no common standard. This changes from big-to-small depending on the screen resolution and physical dimensions of the screen. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a QHD screen, but it has less PPI than the LG G3.
While some prefer the G3 because of its "truer" colors, others state the Note 4 looks better. This likely has to do with what materials make the screen for the most part. LG uses AH-IPS LCD technology, while Samsung uses Super AMOLED.
Speed and Power!
People easily get fooled by speed and power. This includes CPU's, GPU's, RAM, and Batteries. LG now has a special "step" battery design that allows it to fit more into its batteries, which logically allows for a little more power. But Samsung now has a special ultra power saving mode that can set your smartphone's color to grayscale when there is only 10% left, which will supposedly let it last for another 24 hours! I have read that the Note 4 does better than the older LG G3, but that the Galaxy S5 does better than the newer Note 4. I have also read that the Note 3 still has better battery life than the Note 4, but that the Note 4 can charge in half the time of a Note 3. So, what this all means is that you have to take it with a grain of salt. Tests can be done in a variety of ways, your usage is what matters. And, if you really just want a phone but the battery is holding you back, don't forget there are always accessories to add bigger or more battery power.
On top of this, most newer Android devices support fast-charging, which allows you to charge your Android phone in half of the time it used to. So, this could be a benefit to a newer smartphone, but there seems to be some that have successfully got older Android devices to enable this feature (at their own risk).
RAM is essential to any smartphone. I have noticed that lower amounts (obviously) just can't function as well ones with higher amounts. Bigger is normally better, but take the iPhone as the devil's advocate. They use 1GB RAM and they are efficient. In Android, it seems that bigger is always better. When I had the G2, 2GB of RAM was plenty. Now I have the G3 with the same amount of RAM (3GB is also available), and sometimes I wonder if I should have opted for more - although it could be that I use up too much storage space, which ideally should not be the issue since it comes with that storage space to be used...
Do faster GPU's make for a better phone? I don't know. I don't do any hardcore gaming on my phone, I have an Xbox 360 for that. If you get into the latest and greatest 3D-rendered games, it might be a plus. And sure it could help watching movies. But a lot of older smartphones have little to no problems playing most games and movies. While it may be a good thing to get that upgrade, I wouldn't worry about it too much. A smartphone GPU that isn't more than five years old, should be fine for most of your needs. However, this may become more important when UHD starts being pushed more. And if you are worried about the GPU speed, many Android phones have tweaks to increase that, but you'll need to get into "hacking".
What about the CPU? A fast CPU is great, and I really can't see a point to getting anything lower than a dual-core, if possible. Many apps are still created with a dual-core in mind, however, quad-cores have gained acceptance since their introduction. And the numbers? Well, faster speed is always nice, but for what? Maybe for intense games, but for the most part, there aren't going to be too many advantages with a faster CPU other than possible loading times. As with Android GPU's, you can usually increase the speed of a CPU to help combat those times when you just need to go faster!
Note: Increasing (and decreasing) the speed of a CPU and/or GPU can be dangerous and "brick" your phone if done improperly. This also goes for messing around with the voltage your phone uses for what speeds are being utilized. Even if done properly, there can always be side effects like overheating to be careful of.
Storage Space Situations
Many of us are used to having a lot of space, and this can be a big issue. iPhones, as noted above, now have an option to get up to 128GB. This makes a lot of sense because they have no MicroSD card slot. It could be a real pain if you were to use up all the space, or if you could only afford a model with less space.
Androids are better about this as just about all of them now come with a MicroSD card slot, but not always. The LG G2 did not come with one (unless you were in Korea), so you were stuck with what you got. The LG G3 did like the Optimus G Pro (the flagship model prior to the G2) and put in a micro SD card slot. There are not an abundance of Android phones that offer 128GB models, but they do normally offer up to 64GB. There are a lot of models, like the G3, that also allow for up to a 128GB via micro SD.
Final Thoughts
As I said in the beginning of this post, this information should allow you to be confident in making a "smart" smartphone purchase. There are many things to consider, some based on preference, some based on hardware/software specifications. The most important message I have to reiterate is don't let numbers fool you into thinking that a product is better solely because of them.
Brand Name Shenanigans
Brand name means everything to some people, but to the savvy, it is just a name. What really counts is what comes with it. For smartphones there are at least two big names: Apple and Samsung. There are plenty of other Android phones (Samsung makes Android and Windows phones) like LG, HTC, Sony, or Motorola, but Samsung's fast adoption of Android has made it synonymous with the brand, and therefore good to pick on!
Apple does have a great smartphone, the iPhone, and it definitely deserve praise as they are the only ones to produce that phone. I have found the "geniuses" quite helpful, often doing things completely free of charge when possible. Great support is usually warrant of a great brand name. However, for example, they do lag on certain things hardware-wise. The only 1080p display on any iPhone is the iPhone 6 Plus just released, while Android phones are already passed that as of this year. WiFi has a new standard (passed N) named AC. The new perks of it are amazing, but iPhone only added this to their repertoire with the iPhone 6/Plus. Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the LG G2 (last year's flagship models) already implemented the technology. The iPhone has also never budged from more than 1GB RAM, to keep this in perspective, many Android phones are coming with 2-3GB RAM. There are always the pluses such as being the first with 64-bit applications (which may or may not really help as I would consider the RAM an issue), retina display, and the iPhone 6/Plus has 128GB models.
Samsung on the other hand is known for a great deal of things: TV's, SSD's, and many household appliances. Their smartphones help put Android on the map, not to mention give the Samsung name further prestige. But if you dig a little deeper, the name may be the only thing to consider at times. I took a look at a first generation ASUS Nexus 7 tablet and a Samsung Galaxy Tab of the same year, and while the Samsung was around $50 more expensive, it's specs were sub-par in comparison to the Nexus. Do you really want to pay more for something slower? The only reason I could think of is for support, but I don't know anything about ASUS vs. Samsung support in the smartphone arena. When I had a choice between a Samsung Galaxy S4 and a LG G2 that was yet-to-be released, I didn't want to wait so I opted for a used Verizon Galaxy S4, which was still pricey. I got the phone and no more than a week later it was completely dead. No warnings or indications, as everything had been up-and-running, just dead. So I ended up buying the G2 a couple weeks later. This just goes to show while they do make quality products, brand name isn't everything.
Megapixels Myth
I'll jump into megapixels now which takes some explanation. While most people think a higher megapixel means a better camera, not necessarily. The basic fact is that higher megapixels simply allow you to add more into a picture than lower megapixels. An example would be if you're trying to take a family photo. Let's say at 10MP (megapixels) you can fit four of five family members, but at 13MP (in the same spot) you can fit all five. That is to also say, that if you left the camera setting at 10MP, all you would have to do is take a few steps back in order to get all five. Conversely, a few step steps back with 13MP would allow you to get an extra person or two in the picture if needed. The only time a lower megapixel is a drawback is when you can't step back any further because of a wall or cliff edge!
With that being said, one 13MP is not the same as another 13MP (or any other size MP smartphone camera). There are plenty of cameras with the same amount of megapixels that are not considered equal. Case in point, the LG G2 has a 13MP, but so does the LG G3. I have owned both. While the G2 has a phenomenal camera, I feel the G3 does outdo it. The color feels a bit more natural, and upgrades to the hardware have helped do this somewhat. Another thing to note is that yesteryear cameras on smartphones usually have older camera sensors, meaning they should not be as good as the newer models. But what about different manufacturers with the same amount of megapixels? Well, there are plenty of articles comparing many different phone snapshots, and while many have the same megapixel count, there are obvious differences in quality. The difference doesn't lie so much in the camera sensors, as they are often the same. Where it does lie is in the post-processing by the actual software of the smartphone. The post-processing often tries to "beautify" photographs by attempting different tricks to make it look better than what it actually is. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. This can make all the difference in low-light situations.
While most smartphones focus on jumping megapixels every year, iPhone's have not. They have been at 8MP for quite some time. I can only assume that they feel that people know about megapixel marketing myths and that 8MP is a solid amount to stay at. While I think it could use a bump, their camera sensors are great, and they definitely don't skimp on their accompanying hardware/software either. This just goes to show that even a lower MP smartphone does not mean it is worse.
One last thought on this is a smartphone's camera will NEVER be a replacement for a real camera, whether a handheld or professional-grade, it will beat out most any smartphone. Cameras are built to be cameras, which is why they have better hardware to support it and grant excellent quality.
Hack-tastic!
Now for those into "hacking" your phone, Android is by-and-far king. Windows does have some developers making modifications, but not enough to be a potential contender. iPhones can be "jail-broken", which allows it to add additional apps and capabilities for free. But their biggest drawback is that jail-breaking is dependent upon what iOS version you have, as it usually takes a long time before it can be accomplished on newer versions. This is not to be confused with "unlocking", which is the process of unlocking an iPhone from a carrier to use with any carrier (with the corresponding networks) worldwide.
Androids on the other hand have A LOT of leeway in this arena. To start off, let's go over a few terms. Rooting is the ability to gain access to certain parts of the Android OS that users should not otherwise have. Bootloader is the system that helps boot up the Android OS on a smartphone (think of it like a BIOS or EFI in a computer). ROMs are custom-made Android OS files that can give you special abilities, UI tweaks, etc. Recoveries are special systems that will allow you to make complete system backups [Nandroids] and wipe cache and data among other things. There are currently only two main recoveries, CWM and TWRP. To put this altogether first you root a phone. Certain apps require root before you can use them. ROMs require root, and sometimes a recovery, before you can add them to your phone. Once you have been rooted, you can then add a recovery and/or a ROM. This may not seem like much, but you can flash files in recovery that can add apps, tweak and optimize settings, increase CPU/GPU power, etc. Yet, if this type of thing scare you, don't worry, you don't need to do any of this to enjoy an Android!
Not to forget, the bootloader needs to be hacked, bypassed, or whatever in order to allow a recovery to be put through. And that root often can allow for unlocking your SIM carrier, which is often done through the bootloader.
Screen Resolution Mayhem
Screen resolution does matter on TV's and monitors, and the higher they are the better they can look. On a phone, it may matter, but I argue that it does not always. If you think so, just ask a person with a smartphone that has 1080p, and a person who has an iPhone 6 or lower.
As mentioned above, I have the LG G3, the first phone to have QHD. In case there is any confusion there are a couple terms you might see being used incorrectly and interchangeably, like qHD, QHD, UHD, or 4K. QHD means 4 times 720p (which is considered High-Def along with the likes of 900p or 1080p). qHD means only a quarter of full HD (1080p). UHD means Ultra High-Def, which includes 4K, 6K, and 8K. There are some arguments in the definitions of using 4K and UHD, but I won't get into that here. Anyways, the LG G3 had the first QHD screen, and still has the highest PPI (Pixels-Per-Inch), but that shouldn't last too long...
The G3 does look phenomenal, but I can't say I'm overly impressed. My G2 looked great too, and honestly, if they hadn't improved the screen resolution and pixel count, there would be no love-loss. Beyond this, I also own a ZTE U950, which was purchased in China during the Galaxy S3 days. It actually contains the same CPU and GPU (made by NVIDIA) as the international Galaxy S3. What it lacks is a good camera, and a high screen resolution. I owned a Galaxy S3 and while the S3 screen was superior, the ZTE U950 is not unbearable by any means. While I would prefer a higher screen resolution, it in no way takes away from the smartphone experience.
Going back to PPI, you'll notice all screens seem to vary. There is no common standard. This changes from big-to-small depending on the screen resolution and physical dimensions of the screen. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a QHD screen, but it has less PPI than the LG G3.
While some prefer the G3 because of its "truer" colors, others state the Note 4 looks better. This likely has to do with what materials make the screen for the most part. LG uses AH-IPS LCD technology, while Samsung uses Super AMOLED.
Speed and Power!
People easily get fooled by speed and power. This includes CPU's, GPU's, RAM, and Batteries. LG now has a special "step" battery design that allows it to fit more into its batteries, which logically allows for a little more power. But Samsung now has a special ultra power saving mode that can set your smartphone's color to grayscale when there is only 10% left, which will supposedly let it last for another 24 hours! I have read that the Note 4 does better than the older LG G3, but that the Galaxy S5 does better than the newer Note 4. I have also read that the Note 3 still has better battery life than the Note 4, but that the Note 4 can charge in half the time of a Note 3. So, what this all means is that you have to take it with a grain of salt. Tests can be done in a variety of ways, your usage is what matters. And, if you really just want a phone but the battery is holding you back, don't forget there are always accessories to add bigger or more battery power.
On top of this, most newer Android devices support fast-charging, which allows you to charge your Android phone in half of the time it used to. So, this could be a benefit to a newer smartphone, but there seems to be some that have successfully got older Android devices to enable this feature (at their own risk).
RAM is essential to any smartphone. I have noticed that lower amounts (obviously) just can't function as well ones with higher amounts. Bigger is normally better, but take the iPhone as the devil's advocate. They use 1GB RAM and they are efficient. In Android, it seems that bigger is always better. When I had the G2, 2GB of RAM was plenty. Now I have the G3 with the same amount of RAM (3GB is also available), and sometimes I wonder if I should have opted for more - although it could be that I use up too much storage space, which ideally should not be the issue since it comes with that storage space to be used...
Do faster GPU's make for a better phone? I don't know. I don't do any hardcore gaming on my phone, I have an Xbox 360 for that. If you get into the latest and greatest 3D-rendered games, it might be a plus. And sure it could help watching movies. But a lot of older smartphones have little to no problems playing most games and movies. While it may be a good thing to get that upgrade, I wouldn't worry about it too much. A smartphone GPU that isn't more than five years old, should be fine for most of your needs. However, this may become more important when UHD starts being pushed more. And if you are worried about the GPU speed, many Android phones have tweaks to increase that, but you'll need to get into "hacking".
What about the CPU? A fast CPU is great, and I really can't see a point to getting anything lower than a dual-core, if possible. Many apps are still created with a dual-core in mind, however, quad-cores have gained acceptance since their introduction. And the numbers? Well, faster speed is always nice, but for what? Maybe for intense games, but for the most part, there aren't going to be too many advantages with a faster CPU other than possible loading times. As with Android GPU's, you can usually increase the speed of a CPU to help combat those times when you just need to go faster!
Note: Increasing (and decreasing) the speed of a CPU and/or GPU can be dangerous and "brick" your phone if done improperly. This also goes for messing around with the voltage your phone uses for what speeds are being utilized. Even if done properly, there can always be side effects like overheating to be careful of.
Storage Space Situations
Many of us are used to having a lot of space, and this can be a big issue. iPhones, as noted above, now have an option to get up to 128GB. This makes a lot of sense because they have no MicroSD card slot. It could be a real pain if you were to use up all the space, or if you could only afford a model with less space.
Androids are better about this as just about all of them now come with a MicroSD card slot, but not always. The LG G2 did not come with one (unless you were in Korea), so you were stuck with what you got. The LG G3 did like the Optimus G Pro (the flagship model prior to the G2) and put in a micro SD card slot. There are not an abundance of Android phones that offer 128GB models, but they do normally offer up to 64GB. There are a lot of models, like the G3, that also allow for up to a 128GB via micro SD.
Final Thoughts
As I said in the beginning of this post, this information should allow you to be confident in making a "smart" smartphone purchase. There are many things to consider, some based on preference, some based on hardware/software specifications. The most important message I have to reiterate is don't let numbers fool you into thinking that a product is better solely because of them.
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