When the time comes to buy a smartphone, the specialized blogs make a list of technical specifications of the various cellphones that can mean everything and nothing depending on our knowledge in the IT and technology field: for many they can present themselves as simple progressive numbers and not always choosing the highest possible number is synonymous with quality. Depending on the user, a certain specification can be more or less important while, in the case of similar specifications, even minimal variations can make the difference. In this guide we show you the meaning of the various specifications with which smartphones are described in stores, and how to read official cards and reviews; in this way, the next time we go to the store or open a description page on an e-commerce site, we will know exactly what to see and what to compare.
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How to read the technical specifications of a smartphone
In the following chapters we will show you how to look carefully at the label of the data sheet both in the physical store and on an e-commerce site. Finally we will show you in detail which technical specifications to compare, using as a reference a very famous high-end smartphone.What to watch on the technical sheet in the shop
If we find a smartphone on offer in a shopping center or in an electronics store, first of all we check whether the combined data sheet contains all the necessary information.
It should include model name, screen size, processor, RAM, internal memory space, battery size, camera capacity, unlock functionality and operating system version.
If we do not find the data sheet as described but only the name and the price, we can search for the product data sheet on Google (by precisely typing the name) or using the Spectify app, available free for Android.
With this app we can make a comparison with the smartphone seen in the store and our current phone, as well as access all the technical characteristics.
What to watch on the data sheet on an e-commerce site
E-commerce sites such as Amazon tend to be very precise in presenting the technical data sheet of a smartphone, but it is still necessary to always keep an eye on the rest of the page, avoiding stopping only at the title.
In fact, most of the information is present under the Product details section and on some smartphones the sites also allow you to download the manuals and the specification sheet (on Amazon it is the Technical specifications section).
If we do not find any reference or some fundamental information is missing, it is better to search for the data sheet on Google before purchasing.
Smartphone technical specifications detail
The important technical specifications to read every time you are looking for information on a smartphone are shown below; as an example mobile phone, we see the hardware specifications of a Samsung Galaxy S10 smartphone.Screen
Judging the display of a smartphone can be easy for those who are already a little expert on televisions and monitors; in this case the Samsung Galaxy S10 has a 6.1-inch screen measured diagonally and a display with a resolution of 1440 x 3040 pixels, in fact an adapted version of 4K UHD that we can see on a latest generation Smart TV.
Power and speed (Processor and RAM)
The CPU, Central Processing Unit, is the processor and the brain of the smartphone: the faster it is, the better the performance will be when we open multiple apps together.
The Samsung Galaxy S10 boasts a proprietary Exynos 9820 Octa-core processor, but on the market we can compare processors with a number of similar cores produced by Snapdragon (Qualcomm, the fastest) and produced by Mediatek (cheaper).
RAM is obviously also very important for determining the speed of a mobile phone, since a large amount of volatile memory means multiple apps open at the same time. The Samsung Galaxy S10 has 8 GB of latest generation RAM, a value that so far we could only see on PCs! As an average we advise you to focus only on smartphones with at least 4 GB of RAM, avoiding those with smaller quantities.
Memory space
Memory space is a fundamental specification that can influence the price of one model over another.
The standard today is 64 GB of internal memory, but on the Samsung Galaxy S10 we find versions with 512 GB of memory, more than adequate to save movies in 4K without running out of space in a short time. On this model we also find the memory expansion slot, useful to further increase the internal space (we can add up to 512 GB of memory via microSD).
Battery life
The Samsung Galaxy S10 has a 3400 mAh battery, enough to cover the whole day even with medium-intense use. This smartphone also features fast charging and wireless charging, which dramatically increase battery life.
As a general rule we always try to focus on models with at least 3000 mAh of battery .
Camera
Among all the information on the cameras, we try to ignore the number of integrated sensors and focus on the MP of each sensor and on the additional features offered such as optical stabilization and infinite focus capture (all present on the Samsung Galaxy S10).
A good modern smartphone has at least 2 rear camera sensors, one of which is at least 16 MP (preferably in combination as on the Samsung Galaxy S10, where we find 12 MP + 12 MP + 16 MP).
The front camera is useful for selfies, for direct Instagram and for video calls, so let's make sure it is at least 8 MP .
Network
Smartphones today are all 4G LTE and allow to reach very high connection speeds (especially on high-end models such as the Samsung Galaxy S10, which boasts up to 2Gbps speed in 4.5G).
On the high-end models we also find support for 5G, the new cellular connection network to reach even higher speeds.
Other essential specifications
Below we have collected the other essential specifications to be checked on a smartphone data sheet:
- Bluetooth : wireless connection widely used for smartwatches, speakers, headphones and earphones. The latest technology available is Bluetooth 5.0, so we are only looking for models with this version.
- Location : the location sensor is useful for satellite navigation or applications such as Google Maps, it is always present but let's make sure that it supports all the satellite systems in use today ( GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo ).
- Wi-Fi: make sure your smartphone supports Dual-Band Wi-Fi networks (on 2.4 and 5 GHz) and support for IEEE 802.11 n / ac protocols. On high-end models we will also find support for IEEE 802.11 ax, better known as Wi-Fi 6 .
- Sensors : in the range of sensors that we can find we mention accelerometer, proximity, brightness, gyroscope, barometer and digital compass capable of detecting in which cardinal direction it is facing, just like a physical compass would do.
- Unlocking systems : unlocking with the face is used by everyone and has taken the place of the dedicated fingerprint reader, but on many smartphones we will also find the new ultrasound fingerprint reader (below the screen).
Conclusions
These are the most important and common features of smartphones, even if each new model can have its own exclusive or innovative specifications not present on less expensive models. Another discussion must then be dedicated to operating systems. If the mobile phone is not an iPhone, we will necessarily have to buy an Android smartphone: to compare the two operating systems we recommend you read our guide to the Differences between Android and iPhone (iOS); which smartphone is better to buy?In another guide we have instead shown you what to know before buying the new mobile smartphone .
If we want to buy a smartphone and compare the data sheets, we recommend you read our guide to the Sites to compare mobile phones and smartphones and find the best one .
