5 Things To Do Before you Buy a New Phone or Computer

In the past 3 months, I have had to buy a new phone and computer. It took a while to get used to the new and feature of each one. I have also found some things that I don't particularly like about each one and I think with a little more research I could've been a little happier. So here are 5 tips I have to help you be happier with your new device(s)!

1. Decide what hardware/general software you need.

​You can buy all different kinds of phones these days ranging from $50- $700, and computers can cost anywhere from $100- $6,000+. On lots of websites you can compare different devices. I would recommend writing down 5 requirements you have before buying a new device. Is it a nice camera you want most? High speed processing? A certain type of software? Be sure you know exactly what you want so you can settle for a device later with those requirements in your price range.

2. Make sure your new device is compatible with the apps or programs you need to have.

One of the biggest things I was disappointed with when I bought a new phone, and a new computer was the fact that some of the apps and programs I wanted to use weren't compatible. I tried to sync my Fitbit to my phone through the app, but I couldn't seem to get it to work. After looking on the official Fitbit website, I found out it wasn't compatible with my phone. I had a similar thing happen when I bought a Chromebook. Because of the hardware and how it's built. I can't use every program that I would like to on my computer. So go through your apps and/or computer programs and write down a list of the ones you need to have. Then you can do some research and see if all the apps/ programs will work.

3. Be sure to add in accessory cost with your purchase.

You probably have a budget set with how much you are willing to spend on your new device. Make sure if you are going to buy accessories that you factor that into your price too. Whether you are buying a screen protector, phone case, computer bag or case, a new mouse or keyboard, or maybe even just better headphones, that adds up as well. 

4. Using apps/programs that sync together for easy convenience. 

I love how easy it is to share documents, pictures, notes, calendar items, ect. between devices and people these days. When you get a new phone it usually comes with a lot of apps that are there by default. Those can be nice, but sometimes an alternative app will actually work better. My Android came with a memo app, but I found I could get a note app through Google and sync it between my phone and computer. This has saved me a lot of time and hassle and I highly recommend it. Google has made it very simple to share many things through their programs. Apple also has a lot of features for sharing between Apple devices and iCloud.

5. Back your device up to Google Drive or iCloud.

Before I bought my Android, I had an Apple iPhone. It worked really well for my needs, but died from the normal day-to-day usage. I was disappointed to find so many important things on my phone weren't backed up on iCloud.  Make sure when you use the notes app that you write the important ones under the iCloud section so that you can still get to them if your device crashes too. I know that Google Photos is there to back up your photos on Google Drive, but it has never impressed me a lot. I like to use it just in case, but I am careful about uploading photos on a monthly basis so that if my phone crashes, I won't have a lot lost. Make sure that you back up your computer hard drive often so that you don't loose all of those files too.

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I hope you found some helpful tips here. I'm sure as I think of more tips I'll add to this post, but until then, hopefully this helps you get started.