What is important in a Phone?

Recently there was a big launch event for the new iPhone, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The price range for the new phones is from INR 60,000 to somewhere in the range of INR 90,000. Hmm, so does a phone really justify this sort of price? I am skeptical. Do we really need all the features? Do we use all the features?

So, for INR 90,000 you do not get FM Radio, you do not get 3.5 mm jack, you do not get NFC, you do not get a card slot. I also think that you cannot attach a pen drive to a iPhone.

So, what do you get?

• Two cameras on the back. Hmm, so till now weren't we clicking photos with one camera? Is this just for image stabilization. Or, does this click some augmented reality photos, or 3D videos. I have not yet seen anything mentioned along those lines. So, the two cameras are just for clearer pictures. Cannot this be accomplished with OIS or just plain quick autofocus?
• Apple Pay. Is Apple Pay available in India? I guess not. Another wasteful feature.
• Fingerprint scanner. I think even a INR 7,000 phone has a Fingerprint scanner.
• Water resistant up to 1 meter and 30 minutes. Remember, this is called water resistant and not water proof. This means that the phone cannot be operated under water, it can just withstand being submerged in water for up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. Do you really want to take your phone for a swim? What I would like is just a spill resistant phone that will protect it from accidental liquid spills.

For me the most important features and specifications are (apart from the usual ones :)

• RAM >= 2 GB
• Internal Memory >= 32 GB
• 3.5 mm jack
• Fingerprint
• NFC
• FM Radio
• Optional - OIS, since todays quick autofocus and shutter speeds are adequate
• Optional - Spill resistance

So, which phone released in 2016 can give me most of these without costing me a fortune. A quick search using the gsmarena website gave me 22 results without the optionals. 7 results with optional OIS. 1 result for IP5x (Spill resistance) without OIS. 1 result for IP6x (Water resistance) and OIS.

The 22 results are:

• LG V20
• Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
• Sony Xperia X
• Sony Xperia X Compact
• LG G5
• Samsung Galaxy C7
• Samsung Galaxy C5
• Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro (2016)
• Motorola Moto Z Play
• Lenevo P2
• HTC One A9s
• Lenevo Vibe P1 Turbo
• ZTE nubia Z11
• LG Stylus 2 Plus
• Samsung Galaxy S7 active
• vivo Xplay5 Elite
• LG G5 SE
• vivo Xplay5
• LG X mach
• LeEco Le Max
• Vodafone Smart Platinum 7
• BQ Aquaris X5 Plus

The 7 results with OIS are:

• LG V20
• LG G5
• Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro (2016)
• ZTE nubia Z11
• Samsung Galaxy S7 active
• LG G5 SE
• LeEco Le Max

The result for IP5x (Spill resistance) without OIS is Motorola Moto Z Play.

The result for IP6x (Water resistance) and OIS is Samsung Galaxy S7 active.

Now, I am more tilted towards the Motorola Moto Z Play. It ticks off most of what I think is required in a smart phone. The phone compensates for the lack of OIS by having Phase Detection and Laser Autofocus.

The price for this phone listed on various sources is within INR 30,000. So for half of iPhone price you get a very similar phone.

For the adventurous the Samsumg Galaxy S7 active is better. It is IP68 certified (dust proof and water resistant over 1.5 meter and 30 minutes), and it is MIL-STD-810G certified (salt, dust, humidity, rain, vibration, solar radiation, transport and thermal shock resistant) The price for this phone is still less than iPhone, it is around INR 55,000.

For the budget conscience, the Lenovo Vibe K4 Note is the best option at the price of around INR 11,000.