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SMARTPHONE SPECS SIMPLIFIED

Processor
 Smartphones are built with a system-on-a-chip architecture that combines all functions into a single  piece of silicon.
 Processor speed is measured in terms of MegaHertz or GigaHertz. Processors can be overclocked, to improve performance or underclock to reduce performance and benefit of battery life.  Dual-Core processors are powerful processors with two cores‌ in a chip. 
The famousm1GHz processors complete system tasks and hardware multimedia acceleration at high clock speeds ,with low power consumption. They  also work with the phone’s software to decode high definition video and ensure faster, smoother Web browsing.A processor's speed in GHz, refers to the speed of the processor's internal clock. Every time that the clock ticks, the processor can execute an instruction or read and write data. A 3.0 GHz processor has 3 billion opportunities per second to do a task.Enternal clock speeds  tell how fast the processor can communicate with the outside world. If there isn't enough data into the processor to keep it busy until it can communicate with the outside world again, it'll be idle. Clock speeds also don't tell how long it takes a processor to actually do something. If a 3.0 GHz processor can do an instruction in five clock ticks while a 3.6 GHz processor takes nine, the slower processor is actually faster Many CPUs have multiple cores, meaning that a single chip actually has more than one CPU chip inside of it.

Memory And Storage
 RAM: Random Access Memory (RAM) is the storage area where applications such as apps, games, and videos run. The larger the RAM, the smoother the multi-tasking experience on a smartphone. 1GB of RAM is ideal.A phone's ability to run multiple applications simultaneously depends on the amount of RAM it contains. If you’re just browsing the web or making calls, 256MB will be enough. If you like to run multiple applications (called multitasking) at the same time or play a lot of processor-intensive games, aim for a minimum of 512MB.A lack of memory can lead to very poor performance in applications .Users can’t upgrade available RAM in a smartphone. 
Internal Storage:
A larger internal memory,  is preferred.For example , 16GB storage which can approximately 3,500 songs or 16 hrs video or 60 apps is ,mostly enough for a mobile device.
Expandable storage:
Most phones, except for iPhones,  have a microSD slot which can support up to 32GB of additional storage.If a smartphone  has a small internal storage, it can it be expanded by a microSD card.

Battery:
Battery capacity is measured in terms of milliamp/hour (mAh) ie. how much power a battery will hold. The higher the mAh, the longer it will last. There are many variables to consider in measuring battery consumption such as screen size, processor, and OS. Many of today’s cell phones use lithium-ion batteries.Lithium is the chemical inside the battery cell that migrates to the cathode of the battery, releasing an electrical charge. Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable and last two to three times longer than alkaline batteries.Larger phones tend to have 1500mAH lithium-ion batteries, while  smaller phones have around 1400mAH.  Most of the battery's power goes to powering screen, that’s why phones with larger screens use 1500mAH batteries.

Display 
 In display ,what matters  is how many pixels are packed into each inch(PPI).  More pixels per inch means a sharper picture.
IPS-LCD  involves a backlight LCD screen that features In-Plane Switching, a technology that can increase color gamut eliminate problematic viewing angles. Phones using this technology can be harder to read outdoors than others because glossy glass is usually used to maximum contrast.
Organic LED, or OLED, uses light-emitting organic compounds to produce an image without a backlight. This technology is thin, efficient and can produce great contrast.Most OLEDs use a “pentile” arrangement in which each pixel can only display two colors rather than the three primaries of red, blue and green. which creates an unpleasing dotted or tiled look.Also called AMOLED,these  displays are prone to rendering oversaturated colors and  require less power,hence conserve battery life. 
Super LCD,similar to IPS-LCD, but the gap between the outer glass and the screen is narrowed  to reduce glare and create a more seamless look. The best Super LCDs  are generally a good choice for outdoors use. 


Cellular
There are two main branches of cellular service in the world; GSM and CDMA. For international travellers,CDMA phone is not the best choice.GSM phones enables to switch between different celluler networks by just changing the SIM,without changing the device.
 3G and 4G refer to the speed of the cellular data or  phone’s internet connection.3G networks typically range from 144Kbps to 2.4Mbps. 4G speeds range between 1Mbps to 25Mbps.  
WiFi
Of two standards,802.11n is now old, 802.11ac is new. 802.11ac networking chip, can manage speeds of over 430 Mbps,which is six times faster than 802.11n.

Camera
The first important specification is megapixels. More megapixels lead to high resolution photos and a better ability to zoom in and hence view more detail. 
Second is video resolution, higher is better. Most modern smartphones can go upto 1080p, helping  anyone who intend to record with their phone.Higherend models can go upto 4k. Slow motion and image stabilization features are added advantages.  Slow motion will result in a clearer video when recording any fast-moving object. Image stabilization,  makes recordings appear smoother and more professional.

OS
Apple OS
The Apple OS is the operating system found on Apple iPhone.iOS has the best apps,but not as many free apps as Android.It is available only on apple products,making it robust and sophisticated.It provides only limited customization options for the home screens; only rows of app icons are allowed. No third-party apps are pre-installed by the wireless carrier. Users can only install apps from the App Store
 Apple offers software upgrades to all devices that have the hardware capable of handling the new software, meaning devices stay current with software features for at least two to three years.iOS offers better control over the access apps have to users' private information such as contacts and location.
Android
The Android operating system is an open source operating system released by Google. Android OS is found on many smartphones like Samsung, HTC, LG, Motorola, Sony, Huawei and many more. Android phones come in a wide range of products and have a wide selection to choose from which range in quality as well as price. Google Play Store,Android's app store allows 3rd party programs  without the more strict approval process that iPhone developers have to go through for quality control.Hence it has an extremely wide range of apps available, many of which are free.Since most apps are free,quality is not entirely ensured ,and over time,they start creating issues.
Unlike iOS,Android operating system is highly customizable,allowing users to  unlock  full potential of apps.
 Android smartphones are the number one selling smartphone in the world ,being both easy to use and available through many different manufactures. Hence the manufacturer also matters,with regards to performance and quality in entireity.

Windows
Windows, run by Microsoft ,with  the Windows 7 and Windows 8 operating system offers many of the powerful features found on the above  two operating systems , such as automatic backups to Windows Live ID , much like the Android backup to Google. Windows phones also offer the cloud service which allows you to save your smartphones information online. 
As a whole the user interface of a Windows phones is very different.Windows phones use a “tile interface” which is  very  user friendly.


Other features
Bluetooth: This is a wireless standard commonly used for connecting peripherals like headset and keyboards. This is a common feature on smartphones. The newest version of Bluetooth is 4.1,.

GPS: Essentially a standard feature on all modern smartphones, GPS is needed to use location-based features and apps, like Google Maps

Sensors: All new smartphones have a microphone,  and most come with a gyroscope and accelerometer too. These are the most common sensors and are used by many apps.An ambient light sensor (which can be used to automatically adjust screen brightness) and a proximity or gesture recognition sensor (which can be used to disable functions when your phone is held up to your face or even for touch-less navigation) are other handy sensors.

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