It’s a reality, smartphones are struggling to survive a day of sustained use, limited by the size of their battery expressed in mAh (milliampere-hour). Manufacturers rarely communicate on the endurance of it. You will have to consult a test or a comparison, but know that it will take a minimum of 15 hours posted to be sure to pass the course of a full day. The autonomy is however very random, varying according to your use. Long calls, video games, high brightness, or streaming can melt your load. In parallel, inquire about the possibility of replacing the battery, because it lasts only about 3 years (1,000 cycles in general), and the speed of recharge, most taking up 80% of their capacity after a good hour and refueling in 2 hours

1-The camera

The number of megapixels

This is the number of millions of pixels that is put forward by manufacturers. It does not determine the quality, but it gives an idea of ​​the definition of the images and an order of magnitude to compare several models. The front camera must be at least 5 MP, against 8 MP at the back for proper pictures, some combining 4 pixels in 1 to improve the rendering. In video, you need at least a full HD resolution at 30 IPS (image / s) with HDR magnifying colors, but some go up to 4K in 60 IPS.

Number of photo sensors

At present, a pair of rear sensors is necessary to capture its environment with precision and in all situations (low and high brightness), the one located at the front for selfies and video conversations. A stabilizer and autofocus will be required to ensure shooting in motion. Do not forget to check if the HDR is present, and if several photo modes are available like burst mode, super slow motion, panning, portrait, etc.

The opening:

This is good information of photo and video quality because it is related to the amount of light absorbed. It is indicated by a ratio f / x where x must be as small as possible. In general, f / 2.0 is very good at low light, but some models use two low-light / wide-angle sensors, or even a high-end telephoto lens with variable aperture to expand the possibilities.

Technology:

The most basic is the LCD, dedicated to the most accessible models and suitable for those who make a little use of their device, although the technology IPS (wide angles of view) and its brightness can sometimes be surprising. For those who are addicted to their smartphone, love the shimmering colors of Instagram shots and deep blacks in video, OLED or even AMOLED screens are much more efficient. However, the technology is more or less controlled according to the brands. An in-store test or online test will guide you further to better compare models.

The definition

It is characterized by the number of pixels, width x height, crossing certain levels or standards. Thus the resolutions of the cheapest devices are around 1080 x 2160 or named Full HD + / FHD +, high-end models displaying the Quad HD + (or WXGA), or above 1440 x 2880 pixels. Depending on the size of the screen, the perception will vary with the density or dpi (pixels per inch).

The size of the screen

The diagonal of the screens has stabilized around 6 inches, smartphones following the trend “without edges” which avoids the large pavers in the hands. Absence or less edges also results in ever lower weight. By choosing a smartphone of less than 200 g it will be forgotten, the best tutelage the bar of 150 g.

The operating system or OS of a smartphone

iOS

This is Apple’s unique and exclusive system for its iPhone. Closed, that is to say, not very configurable, it targets the general public and an optimal intuitiveness. It is also the preferred choice of applications, generally coming out in priority or even only on this platform, but which are often paid or more expensive than on Android.

Android:

the Google solution is a more open OS, loved geeks, because more customizable (screen, performance, etc.) with even downloadable themes, although with a few more bugs and differences of updates depending on the model . Most are equipped with Android 8.0 / 8.1 / 8.2 “Oreo”, which will be gradually replaced by Android 9.0 “Pie”. Some manufacturers (Samsung, Huawei) bring a software “overlay” more or less thick with their home applications or improved features. Others are adopting “pure” versions like Android One, mainly for emerging markets. It is therefore a medium or even low-end smartphone.

The processor:

As for the OS, Apple uses its own tools, in this case the chips A11 (iPhone 8 / X) and A12 (Xs and Xr). The first have 6 cores and handle artificial intelligence features such as facial / voice recognition, as well as augmented reality or smart photo editing. The second ones use a finer engraving (7 vs 10 nm) for more transistors and a low consumption, while offering better performances, and in particular in IA with calculations 8 times faster.

On Android devices, Qualcomm is the most popular brand – kind of Intel, but on mobile – by offering its Snapdragon chips. The high-end is the 845 eight-core engraved in 10 nm that handles AI, the most accessible versions 600 (Octo Core, 14 nm) are limited to FHD + screens. Two other high-performance “SoCs” can be integrated, such as the HiSilicon Kirin 900 managing the AI ​​or the dual-SIM at Huawei and Honor, as well as the Samsung Exynos equipping some Galaxy models.

Storage:

With the increase in photo / video performance, the size of applications / games and mobile speeds, smartphones are easily saturated. The basic models have mostly 64 GB of storage, up to 256 or even 512 GB. Digits which must be subtracted from the operating system (about 10 GB), actually calculated with 1 GB = 1000 Mo (instead of 1024). Thus, 64 GB declared have a space of 59.6 GB in practice. To compensate for these losses, some mobiles can insert micro SD cards.

Smartphones are thus powerful calculation tools, multitasking, allowing the photo and the video games, in a compact format as possible and the screen definition always sharper. But these jewels of technology have a cost: between 250 and 400 € for entry-level, from 400 to 700 € for polyvalents, and more than 1 000 € for the best in the field.

High-end smartphones

Their screens have the best definition, their robustness is maximum, but their weight must be controlled. Their photo services must be irreproachable, because we want to bring his jewel in all our trips and outings, as well as in video with a quality of professional capture.

And of course, all this should not require a recharge every 3 hours. A state-of-the-art phone carries a battery of at least 3000 mAh, or 4000 mAh and more ideally, allowing sufficient autonomy for a full day of use. We can check emails in the morning, watch a series episode in transport, make several calls, have a regular web browsing, take a break Fortnite video game or Candy Crush, and take pictures in the evening in a bar. And since these phones are loyal friends of the most active, the “full” battery must be swift, the best in the field requiring only an hour and a half.