Buying the correct smartphone, the one that sits your requirement to the T, is definitely tougher than it seems at first. First off, while the smartphones offer their basic utility of calls and messages in a similar pattern, even how they do that and anything beyond is vastly different from the other.

There are multiple operating systems fighting out there. Android’s popularity cannot be doubted. iOS appeals to a certain demographic. Symbian refuses to give up. Neither does RIM’s Blackberry OS want to walk into the sunset. To complicate matters a bit more, Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS is an impressive package post the Mango update.

So, what if you are in the market to buy a smartphone for yourself? Most important, you need to figure out what phone fits you best. Which is why we have divided this buying guide in terms of user demographic, making it easier for you to identify which category you fall in.

This week, we will take a look at what the users at the two ends of the spectrum want - the basic user and the complete geek.


Type of user: Basic user
Best OS for you: Symbian and Blackberry

Reasons for recommending this-

1. Familiar UI makes getting used to new phone quicker
2. No steep learning curve
3. You wont get lost in the application ecosystem!

If you believe that the smartphone is primarily for making calls and believe familiarity is a critical criterion, you would be best suited off buying either a Symbian smartphone, or a Blackberry. With both OSes, the UI (user interface) is relatively similar to the previous versions we have seen along the years. For someone who doesn’t want a smartphone to be a learning curve, or isn't willing to spend time getting the hang of a newer OS, familiarity is the best option. The app ecosystem isn't very wide for Symbian and Blackberry, but then again, we don’t assume you would be interested in downloading too many apps anyway!

Here as well, you will get a choice of touchscreen only, touchscreen+ QWERTY and QWERTY only phones.


Type of user: The absolute geek
Best OS for you: Android, and maybe Apple iOS.

Reasons for recommending this-

1. Completely customizable UI
2. Phone can be shifted to “unofficial” OS versions, offering maybe better performance
3. Can add more functionality to unofficial OS with apps
4. Over-clocking the smartphone is possible

We believe that you are the typical user who wants to tinker with the phone’s software, quite a bit. That’ll include lots of apps, rooting/jail breaking (though we don’t approve of it), and custom software, over-clocking- the works. While we do not advice you to do this as it creates issues with the warranty, those of you who must do it will do it! Which is why Android is the best option for you. You can get hundreds of custom ROMs on the Internet that you can install on your phone. The process isn't simple, but the geeks are doing it.

It can also be done with the iOS, following a simpler process. But then again, with Android, you get a wider variety of phones at multiple price points.


Next week, we will help out those users who want the no-compromise experience from their smartphones.