You want to spend less money on purchasing a smartphone but at the same time, you want the best of the lot. For that, check out the following to know how to purchase a good smartphone without having to burn a hole in your pocket.

Buy a smartphone directly from the manufacturer
The best way to purchase a smartphone for less cost is to buy directly buy from the manufacturer.

When purchased from their official websites, an iPhone or an HTC One X is normally sold SIM-free. Although buying a smartphone directly from the manufacturer may seem pricey at first, there are additional benefits such as having twice the storage, getting easy support, a guarantee of returns, and the brand’s reliability.

Purchase from online websites
Some of the most popular online websites for buying a smartphone are Amazon, Flipkart, Play, John Lewis, Clove, Expansys, etc.

A great approach to saving money is to purchase a smartphone online, especially if you have access to online coupons, vouchers, or discount codes. Comparing pricing is possible, and online vendors typically provide mobile phones at lower costs than other suppliers.

Buy from a mobile operator
If you want a SIM-free handset, you may only purchase it straight from the manufacturer or via an internet store. However, you can just buy a smartphone from a mobile provider if you wish to buy the device and pay for a plan. The majority of carriers include free phones with their plans, but the drawback is that you might have to sign a binding two-year contract. The ‘Big Four’ carriers in the United States include AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile.

Pick the right OS for your smartphone
When purchasing a smartphone, your primary concern should be your needs as a mobile phone user, not simply cost-effectiveness. The proper operating system is among the most crucial factors to take into account in this. Your top three choices for operating systems are Android, iOS, or Windows Phone.

Have an eye for the best smartphone deals
In September, new smartphones are typically unveiled by Apple, Samsung, Motorola, and Sony. Keep in mind that carriers typically push you to sign two-year contracts in order to receive the most recent smartphone model from a certain manufacturer. You may probably find the most recent Samsung mobile phone at a reduced price if you wait three or six months after it is released on the market.

Go for an installment
When purchasing a smartphone, inquire with your carrier about any installment plans to save money. The majority of them provide options where you sign a two-year contract and pay for the cost of your new equipment in monthly installments. Ensure there are no activation or upgrade fees.

Don’t opt for features that you don’t use
Skip on that amazing phone with the 20-megapixel camera if you don’t even have an Instagram account or take a lot of selfies. Skip the things that you might not utilise but will cost more in the long run to save money.

Never buy a phone with low battery life
There’s no logic behind having a phone that has tons of GB of data in your mobile browsing plan if your smartphone’s battery won’t even last long. Check the power that your smartphone will deliver after just one charge to get the most for your money. A smartphone with a 3,000 mAh battery life is a fantastic standard to aim for as it will provide you with more than 13 hours of power.

Having old smartphones: Recycle them
Think about recycling your old smartphone. Use websites like Glyde, Gazelle, NextWorth, or even Amazon.com to trade in your old phone if you simply want to update it and it’s in decent condition. Gift cards are another option for manufacturers like Apple and stores like Best Buy, Walmart, and Target when trading in outdated gadgets like smartphones.

Check for what you need: Don’t overpay on smartphone plans
If you want to text instead of call, get a mobile plan that offers unlimited SMS. Look for a plan with ample phone minutes for your monthly consumption if you frequently call your contacts. You don’t have to pay more for unlimited data if you don’t use mobile browsing that much. Remember that you only need to pay for the things you regularly use and actually need to have a cheap smartphone plan; otherwise, you won’t save any money.

The post Top 10 ways to buy a smartphone with less money appeared first on International Finance.

“Despite market weakness in China, sales of smartphones rose in the third quarter of 2017 (see Table 1),” said Anshul Gupta, research director at Gartner. “Emerging Asia/Pacific (15 percent increase) and North America (11.2 percent increase) drove the smartphone growth in the quarter.”

“In emerging Asia Pacific, both Samsung and Huawei saw healthy demand as along with Xiaomi and Vivo, which were able to grow their footprint outside their home markets,” added Mr. Gupta. “In North America, Samsung was the driving force in the quarter due to its new flagship products.”

Samsung’s smartphone sales recorded a double-digit increase (19.3 percent) in the third quarter of 2017. “Renewed pushes of the newly designed Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note 8 smartphones have brought back growing demand for Samsung smartphones, which helped it compete against Chinese manufacturers and deliver a solid performance in the quarter,” said Mr. Gupta. “”The last time Samsung achieved a double-digit growth was in the fourth quarter of 2015.”

Apple’s sales grew 5.7 percent year over year. Apple returned to growth in China and also saw strong sales in many of the emerging markets, including India. This is due to the continued sales of legacy iPhones, including the iPhone 5S which retails at around $240 street price in most markets. 

Table 1

Worldwide Smartphone Sales to End Users by Vendor in 3Q17 (Thousands of Units)

Source: Gartner (November 2017)

Xiaomi achieved the strongest growth, exhibiting an 80 percent increase in the third quarter of 2017. Xiaomi’s growth came more from international markets than from China, where it faces strong competition from Huawei, Oppo and Vivo. India continues to be the biggest and highest-growth market for Xiaomi outside China, but growing sales from Latin America and Russia are also boosting its sales.

Greater China exhibited a decline of 11 percent in the third quarter due to consolidation around local and lesser-known brands (see Table 2). Buyers are preferring known and high-priced smartphones, which is cannibalizing demand of budget smartphones from local brands. In Western Europe and North America, demand for premium smartphones from top brands led to smartphone sales growth in the third quarter.

Table 2

Top-Five Regions for Smartphone Sales to End Users in 3Q17 (Thousands of Units)

Source: Gartner (November 2017)

Leading Chinese manufacturers Oppo, Huawei, Vivo and Xiaomi continued to drive sales across emerging markets, led by their midprice and budget smartphones with a focus on 4G connectivity and better cameras.

“The arrival of Apple’s new flagship iPhones at the end of the third quarter of 2017 has delayed smartphone purchases into the fourth quarter of 2017,” said Mr. Gupta. “Following compelling offers on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the holiday season will likely boost sales of smartphones before the end of the year. We estimate the fourth quarter’s smartphone sales will boost total sales for the full year. We expect smartphone sales will reach 1.57 billion units in 2017,” concluded Mr. Gupta.

The post Gartner says top five smartphone vendors achieved growth in the third quarter of 2017 appeared first on International Finance.