Buying a mobile handset is not rocket science. But there are too many options to choose from. A little adjustment of your budget and your preferences will help you get the best deal, not just this Diwali, but at every shopping opportunity

So, you have finally decided to gift yourself or your loved one a brand new mobile this Diwali. However, with so many offers and thousands of handsets to choose from, you may find it difficult to zero in on something within your budget that still gives you all the latest features possible. Well, you are at the right place to make your decision for buying the best mobile this Diwali.

Buying mobile, especially a smart phone, requires you to focus on two important things: your budget and the features you consider a 'must-have' in your new mobile. I have used and tested numerous mobiles from all major handset makers, as well as the Chinese manufacturers and I can say with some confidence that if you are willing to make small compromise on the price or features, you can often get great deals. For example, if you do not use the camera feature of your mobile very often, then what is the point in wanting a buying a phone with a 20-megapixel camera with full HD recording features? Moreover, pictures taken with a 5MP or 8MP camera are also pretty good, especially for causal photography and keepsakes. 

Over the past few months, several mobile makers have come out with an equated monthly instalment (EMI) scheme so that you can buy their costly handsets. While this would help you to buy your desired mobile by paying less amount upfront, please bear in mind that you will have to buy the handset on MRP. This means, without any discount or any offer, other than the EMI.

The same goes for exchange offers as well. And most of the exchange offers are limited to smart phones only. So, unless you are sure that nobody in your family wants to use your ‘old’ smart phone, it would be better if you can buy new handset by paying upfront money on other scheme.

Also, don't get lured by the flip cover offer. Two things to remember: the price shown in advertisements is always on the higher side and the same flip cover can be bought 60%-70% cheaper from a small shop or even from roadside stalls. One of my friends was delighted to have bought flip cover for his brand new Mi3 at Rs450 against the standard quoted price of Rs800-Rs1,200. The same cover is available for as low as Rs200-Rs300 in smaller shops on the roadside. So, instead of being lured with the ‘free cover’ offer, ask the shopkeeper to give you discount of the same amount (most will refuse, though, but someone might be ready).

Here are some guidelines that would help you to make a decision on the right phones as per price ranges.

Price range: Rs1,000 to Rs5,000

Features available (depending on brand): Single/double SIM, FM, Camera, Torch

Tip: Buy a budget phone not for its 'touch screen' feature but for its simplicity and ease of use. Don’t fall prey for 'budget' smart phone in this price range, as these handsets are mostly very slow and often comes with old operating system without any hope for future updates.

Basic phone

Feature phone

Smartphone

Price Range: Rs5,001 to Rs10,000

Features available: Touch screen, Single/Dual SIM (dual standby), email, better camera, wide screens

Tip: There are some very good and feature-rich phones available in this range. However, buy only if you are a first time user. Don't be under the illusion that bigger screen is better. Check the colours, resolution and readability in daylight of all these big screen handsets. Also, keep an eye on RAM for Android mobiles. Here bigger is better. Some of the best price-to-value phones are offered in this range by Motorola and Asus. You would also get phones based on Google’s Android One platform in this range.

Smartphone

 *Moto, Asus, Redmi 1S & Spice Android One phones are available only on Flipkart

Price Range: Rs10,001 to Rs15,000

Features available: Touch screen, Single/Dual SIM (dual standby), email, better camera, good quality screens, 1GB or more RAM

Tip: This range is also suitable for first time users and those who want to go in for a second device. Some of the biggies like Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, Asus, Sony and Micromax offer good choice of handsets in this range. Again, look for processor power and RAM. A Quad-core processor is better than dual or single core. Also, do check internal memory. Although many handsets in this range offer 4GB of internal memory, less than or equal to 2GB out of it is available for user. Three of the best handsets, in terms of value for money and full of features in this range, are Moto G (2^nd Gen) Asus Zenfone 5 (with 16GB memory) and Mi3. Unfortunately, Xiaomi has stopped selling Mi3.

Price Range: Rs15,001 to Rs20,000

Features available: Touch screen, Single/Dual SIM (dual standby), email, better camera, good quality screens, Decent RAM, Dual and Quad core processor

Tip: Mobile in this range are advised for experienced users, as there are many features that first time users would not be comfortable with. Some of the biggies like Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, HTC and Micromax offer good choice of handsets in this range. Again, look for processor power and RAM. A Quad-core processor is better than dual or single core. Also do check internal memory. Although many handset in this range offer 4GB of internal memory, the user gets only less than or equal to 2GB memory for use. Do check out some of the offering from Motorola and LG in this range.

Price Range: Rs20,001 to Rs30,000

Features available: Touch screen, Super AMOLED or HD display, Single/Dual SIM (dual standby), email, very good camera, both main and front, 1GB plus RAM, Quad core processor

Tip: This range offers plenty of choices for buyers. There are some of the best, display as well as main cameras available in this range. Also the overall quality of build (aluminium case body for some) is good. All the big names have a few bestselling devices in this range. However, before buying, look for display quality. Anything below HD and without gorilla glass display, is not worth the price. Also, do check the RAM and processor power and internal memory available for user. While many handsets in this price range offer 8GB or more internal memory, some like Blackberry offers only 4GB. Also you can lay hands on Google Nexus and Apple iPhone4 S (8GB) in this price range. Give it a try. Many youngsters have shown interest in Google Nexus5 but are awaiting release of its next version. There is a new entrant in this range. A mobile handset from Russia is called Yota Phone, which offers dual screen, one a regular one and other paper display type, which never goes to sleep. While Samsung S5 mini is available at around Rs26,500, do check if you can get your hands on S4 of Apple at about the same price. Apple’s 5C fits in this budget range, but depending upon the colour choices, its price may exceed by few hundred rupees. Same is true, at least for colour choice for Sony.

Price Range: Above Rs30,001

Features available: Touch screen, Super AMOLED or Full HD display, Single/Dual SIM (dual standby), email, very good camera, both main and front, 1GB plus RAM, Quad core processor

Tip: This range offers the best mobile handsets money can buy. Actually, you would feel pampered in this range. All the big handset makers offer their best devices above Rs30,000. There are the best displays as well as main cameras available in this range. Overall build quality (aluminium case body for some) is best in this class. But before buying, look for display quality. Anything below Full HD (all Apple handsets come with Retina display, so no worries) and without gorilla glass display is not worth the price. Some devices offer Full HD recording as well. Also, do check the RAM and processor power. As far as camera is concerned, 8MP is more than enough for mobile handsets, but then it’s your choice.

Note: Most smart phones come with touch screens, hence not specifically mentioned it in features, only screen size is written.

DC- Dual Core/ QC-Quad core processor

“2.2Ghz QC, 2GB, 16GB, microSD”= 2.2Ghz quad core processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, expandable memory through micro SD slot

MP- megapixel or one million pixels. The resolution of camera phones is often measured in megapixels or MP

Full HD R= Full HD Recording

Gorilla glass- high scratch resistance glass made by Corning Inc.

Disclaimer:

*All amounts mentioned above are estimated street prices and subject to change as per market conditions and location.

So happy shopping!