Why Buying a Smartphone Now May Not Be The Best Decision

We've all seen the ads. "4G LTE!" "Faster than ever before!" "An iPhone killer!" The list goes on and on. It's obvious that smartphones are a big part of almost everyones life now. Every day more and more people are hopping on the band-wagon to HD, smarthponey goodness. Granted, they aren't for everyone, but for those of you looking at the newest and the best, right now may not be the best time for you to buy a smartphone. Why? Well, let's take a look.

4G LTE or any other 4G service

You're probably thinking "Why is 4G a reason NOT to buy a smartphone? Isn't it way faster than 3G?" While this is true, 4G still has a ways to go (or at least the phones supporting it do) before it can be considered a worthwhile innovation. 4G smartphones have just begun to emerge, and the technology supporting them isn't quite there yet. And by that I mean battery life. Smartphones have always been battery hogs, even now most are only able to go a day or two with normal usage (ie. a few calls, texting, a 5 or 10 minute game, social networks). But now with 4G, phones are sucking away more power than ever. Take the new Galaxy Nexus for example, a beautiful phone running Android 4.0. It's a phenomenal device with all the bells and whistles, including Verizon's 4G LTE service. However, users report a battery life of anywhere between 4-10 hours based on usage. That, my friends, is pathetic. Of course if you're able to constantly stay connected to some sort of power source, then this is no problem. But weren't smartphones meant to free us from such binds? Motorola has seen this issue, and has taken to it quite well with the release of the Razr Maxx, the slightly thicker version of the Razr. But not all smartphones can receive a 3300 mAh battery. The power hungry 4G is probably what's kept Apple out of the 4G equation so far. Simply put, the technology isn't there, though with how quickly phones are evolving, it will be soon.

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

I understand the allure of a shiny new phone all too well. It was only 9 months ago that I leaped upon a new iPhone 4 without a care in the world. Needless to say, I desperately want a new phone now. But now is not the time, as a new breed of phone is now on the horizon. Quad Core phones are bound to arrive in the next year, it may even only be a few months before they're brought to fruition. What does quad core mean? For one, greater battery efficiency as well as faster, smoother, and more appealing performance. It also allows the new Android 4.0 software to mature as well as allowing for other companies to better incorporate their "skins" for the software. It'll also allows for companies to provide their phones with more efficient batteries, displays, antennas, etc. It'll also allow for the fledgling 4G networks to spread their tendrils into the 3G markets (I know that my city won't be getting 4G until early in 2013, so a 4G phone would be pointless right now). And who knows, maybe even more features will become available to smartphone users in the next few months.

There's also the matter of what platform you're running. As of right now, I haven't hear anything about BlackBerry being 4G. In fact, Android is the only platform that supports 4G services. The iPhone hasn't yet made the transition (and for good reason) to 4G yet, though rumors of the iPhone 5 suggest that it will have 4G capability, and possibly a new design. And if you're set on switching to iPhone from Android, or plan on continuing your Apple allegiance, the 3GS to iPhone 4, or even iPhone 4 to 4S jump is no quantum leap (then again, Apple doesn't necessarily move in leaps and bounds). This applies to Android and BlackBerry as well, as they'll have resources working to design new and attractive phones. So what your next move? Are you patient enough to wait for the next big thing, or do you need your tech now?