Buying a Phone as a Gift? Here’s What to Know

Smartphones definitely make for an amazing gift, either to yourself or someone else; once you’ve decided this is the gift you want to go for, there are, however, a few things you should pay special attention to –  especially if you are wrapping the present for someone else.

Unlike other gadgets with pretty straightforward features(i.e. cameras, tablets, home appliances, etc), smartphones are fairly specific. As you already know, they vary in quality, storage space, camera quality and all other potentially deal-breaking features the person you are buying the gift for will appreciate.

To avoid spending a hefty buck on something that can turn out to be an absolute miss, here are some of the things to pay attention to before going in for the kill:

Carrier moments

Most of us are on carrier packages and have phones that are tied directly to them, with contracts ranging between one and three years. Most of the time we complain about the bills that are too high and phones that (after 2.5 years of use) aren’t up to speed and can’t keep up with all new features and apps. We are often dissatisfied with the service we get, etc. but interestingly enough – we are often reluctant to drop the carrier. It’s a total mystery, but that’s how it is. Unless we are terribly unhappy with the carrier service, we’d gladly stick with the one we have.

Your mission is to find out whether the person you intend to buy the phone to is willing to switch carriers and, more importantly, even if they stayed with it – whether there is the option of keeping the package but changing the device.

User needs

Different phones have different characteristics put to focus and it’s up to the user which of those features will ring the most important bell to them – is it taking selfies, a big memory, long battery life, movie watching on the phone, easy emailing, huge app storage, GPS qualities, large internet package, gaming possibility, easily accessed maps (for those who travel a lot), etc… they all play a role and it’s up to you to investigate what poses as the most important quality to the user you are buying a smartphone for.

Choosing the right smartphone

After you’ve done your detective work and found out what features excite your friends most, here are some additional features worth noting:

• Large HD displays for better viewing! No matter what your friend is into, it won’t harm if they have access to a screen with wonderful resolution; this feature is ideal for watching movies, playing games and working on the go. Samsung Galaxy Note5 prides on this feature.
• Data secured! For all the business people (or just people who are especially private with the info they keep on their phones), security features, such as a fingerprint sensor will help keep data safe and secure. Then Samsung Galaxy S7 is just the thing.
• Multitasking! Everyone who’s into multitasking will absolutely love using LG G Vista that allows the use of two apps at once.
• Countdowns! If your friend’s a fitness person, they’ll love relying on pedometers to count their steps and achieve their fitness goals. This feature is available on the LG G5.
• Retro vibes! If your friend is spending a lot of time walking around and are on a job site a lot, push-to-talk feature to use their phone like a walkie-talkie will definitely come in handy!
• The operating system preferences! Everyone has their favorite operating system: Android™, iOS, Windows Phone®, BlackBerry® – don’t let all other features be on spot and totally miss the operating system inclination. Do the research.

When in doubt, go for a gift card

Buying a smartphone for your friend that will be just after their liking can get kind of tricky; that’s why we’d suggest opting for a gadget/smartphone gift card that will give them a choice to make their decision personally. Still, you’ll be the cool person in the situation, really – after all, you were the one presenting them with the card, right?