Buying a smartphone? 3 QUICK FACTS

Arun an associate vice president, sales, at HSBC has used multiple mobile phones in the last ten years -- he currently owns a Blackberry and an iPhone and has used Nokia, LG, Samsung, HTC, Sony earlier.

Given the array of smart mobile devices available in the market today and the information and feedback on web sites as comprehensive as GSM ARENA is just enough to decide the device you long for.

Some are better with music and videos, some better with gaming experience and so on...

1. Camera capability

Mid-range to high-end mobiles give great picture quality compared to digital cameras and are more popular as you don't need to carry an extra gadget with you. Mobile cameras range from 3 to 8 megapixels in the popular segment. Decide what is your primary objective of using the phone apart from the calling and texting features?

Regular users are rather satisfied with a camera quality of 5MP to 8MP with a feature of social integration which is a part and parcel of life. On experience I would suggest a Samsung followed by Apple, Blackberry, LG.

Pick and choose as per your budget and usage.

2. Multimedia

Storage is one of the key factors for high-end multimedia usage with capacity to store movies, songs and games. You need to be sure with this, for if you are on the move always this is a great way to pass your time.

The interface and quality with Apple and Samsung are breathtaking with regards to this feature.

Apple of course stands out for gaming as well as sound quality. Most phones in the market give you a storage capacity of 4 to 32 GB, however more than the capacity it's the experience and quality of the output that should be considered. Poor loudspeaker performance could certainly be given a miss to brilliant headphone experience like Apple.

3. Internet service

With the advancement of technology -- and availability of Facebook, Twitter and email on mobiles – these social web sites have become equally important for corporate as well as students who in cases of emergency use these web sites to exchange / share data.

Here I would say Blackberry along with the BBM is the best bet that come at a reasonable price, however with the limitation of the number of options available with Blackberry most go for Apple or Samsung. Here the choice should be on the requirement clearly of just having the feature and not using it extensively would be a waste of bucks. Low-end phones with GPRS do have social integration.

Decide the usage of your e-mail if it exceeds more than 10 to fifteen in a day then its important to have a phone with decent e-mail integration, else stick to the low end and don't burn the pockets.