Buying a smartphone can be exhilarating. After all, there are so many things to look forward to, least of all owning a brilliant pocket-sized device that packs more computing power than several laptops. However, it is easier to make a few mistakes while buying a smartphone caught in the excitement of the event. By avoiding such errors, one can buy a smartphone at the best price. So, here are some mistakes to avoid:

Common mistakes when buying a phone
Choosing design over functionality
Phones are critical for communication and finding information for professional and personal life. So, the functionality should always trump the phone design or features that are not important for vital work. Certain phones come with great looks and cool features, such as fancy wallpapers, music streaming apps, or gaming performance, but such devices may be lacking in functionality. However, the fancy elements of the phone may influence people to buy them. This can be a major mistake as visual appeal usually takes a backseat when determining the durability and utility of the phone. A good gadget here needs to get the basics right, like offering great call quality, network coverage, processing speed, and the ability to send and receive large files, among other features.

Focusing on price
Understandably, price is a key consideration for all purchases. After all, the budget dictates the kind of smartphone they want to purchase. However, buying phones only because they are expensive or getting devices that are extremely cheap can both be huge mistakes. Here’s how: budget-friendly phones may lack specific key features such as a 120 Hz refresh rate for the display (slower refresh rates can make a phone sluggish and unfit for multitasking) or cameras without adequate zoom-in or flash. On the other hand, buying expensive phones just because they are expensive is also a mistake. Manufacturers roll out new models of smartphones every few months. So, what is cool today may become dated six months later. If such phones compromise with utility, they might need to be replaced in a few months. Ultimately, one needs to strike a balance between price and requirements. If a phone has all the features and solid, reliable functionality one needs, then stretching the budget slightly to buy it may not be the worst idea.

Ignoring battery life
Arguably, battery life is the most critical aspect to consider when buying a smartphone. If a given device does not last an entire day on a single charge, then it is simply not worth buying. Today, phones with batteries of 5000 or 6000 mAh (milliampere-hour) are great options. Such devices can easily go a day or even two on a single charge alone. Here’s a perfect scenario: a phone that starts its day at a 100 percent battery level and ends it while still having more than 50 percent juice left, even after heavy usage. Additionally, phones that come with “fast chargers” tend to charge up quicker than other phones. Such devices should be considered before making a purchase decision.

Not checking personal requirements
Buyers should not buy a phone based on popularity or brand name alone. Sometimes, even the best brands come up with subpar smartphones. The focus should be on personal requirements. For example, if one is buying a smartphone for gaming, the device must have a large and vibrant screen, a good screen refresh rate, a fast processor, stereo sound quality, and solid visuals.

Habits one must avoid
The relationship one has with their smartphone can be good or bad, depending on their usage habits. Here are some bad smartphone usage habits one must steer clear of at all costs:

Draining the battery too often
Phone batteries are not indestructible or ever-lasting. They tend to degrade with time. This is why, when a phone is brand new, its battery performs at its best. After a few years, the maximum battery life is not nearly as high. While this is a natural phenomenon, one can prolong or shorten the life of their phone battery depending on their usage frequency. So, if one regularly uses their phone endlessly for hours until their battery reaches 0 percent, they may be inadvertently speeding up the demise of their smartphone.

Ideally, one must always keep their phone battery level over 30 percent and let it run out of juice completely once in a while. This will calibrate its sensors and prolong the battery life as much as possible. The battery is the most important aspect of the phone, so running it down ever so often is an avoidable mistake.

Not ensuring security
Due to their complex, hyper-connected nature, smartphones are vulnerable to cyber threats such as malware, viruses, and phishing attacks. So, overlooking phone security can be a mistake. To avoid security problems, one must always install regular software and security updates on their smartphone. These updates tend to strengthen the security system of a phone and make it less susceptible to cyberattacks. Apart from installing security updates, one can choose apps from reputed data security companies to add an extra layer of protection for the data on their phones.

Using the phone in the restroom
People are constantly hooked on their smartphones today. Phones are a constant source of radiofrequency (RF) radiation. Too much exposure to such radiation can cause health problems for smartphone users. So, at certain places, such as the restroom, bathroom, or the bed during naptime, one can do without a smartphone.

In addition to avoiding these habits, one should buy good talk time and internet plans to make the most of their smartphones. US Cellular’s wireless unlimited phone plans are some of the best options one can find. US Cellular’s plans start at a $39.99–$44.99 monthly subscription fee offering features like unlimited talk time, text, and data, HD streaming, and up to 50 GB priority data.