Ranking: 4 things I look for in a smartphone

It’s easy to get caught up in all the marketing of tech companies trying to convince us that the latest features are something we can’t live without.

When do I buy a new phoneI always step back and think about what I really want. What are my priorities – features and features I don’t want to compromise too much. I have a list of four main things I look for in a smartphone and I will share it with you in this post, starting with the most important.

Everyone is obsessed with the latest SoC and this massive privacy-focused screenI’m more concerned with how the phone looks and feels in the hand. I’m a very visual person and I can’t see myself using an ugly phone, even if it’s the most powerful and cheap phone.

Design should evoke feelings. It has to tell a story. It should show some character specific to a particular device. While this is difficult to achieve with a phone’s glass panel, there are some great options out there.

Personally, I love the look and feel of it Pixel 10 series. This signature camera bar is enough to differentiate the phones. Coupled with some great color shades – Obsidian is my favorite – and excellent build quality combining glass and metal and we have a winner.

I never use a case on my phone it doesn’t always end wellbut it’s the only way for me to properly experience the beauty of the device. Putting a cheap plastic case on a $1000 phone feels like a crime to me, especially when this phone is so carefully crafted and looks great.

Small, medium and large phones. I have used them all through the years and have clear preferences. Small phones with displays up to 6.3 inches are what I like. If the phone is bigger than that, I immediately remove it from my list. The 6.3-inch display is still quite substantial, but it’s the norm for “small” flagships these days.

I’ve used both the standard (basic) Pixel phones and the more affordable A series for the past few years, and I don’t see myself switching to something bigger. Pixel 10, Pixel 10a or 6.3-inch screen Galaxy S26for example, it’s big enough to comfortably surf the web and even watch videos, but compact enough to use with one hand. It is also very pocket friendly which is important for me.

Personally, I’d be willing to skip all the extras you get on giant flagships like the Pixel 10 Pro XL and Galaxy S26 Ultra for the compact footprint of their smaller siblings. I like those super thin phones as I am comfortable with the thickness for now Galaxy S25 Edge Don’t do it for me, mainly because of the next item on this list.

A great phone should have a great battery. Period. I don’t want to plug my phone in every night, so ideally I’m looking for something that can last at least two days.

The Pixel 10a is pretty good in this category, with a 5,100mAh battery paired with a 6.3-inch display. For reference, a massive 6.9 inches Galaxy S26 Ultra it only packs a 5,000mAh battery, which isn’t good enough — especially considering the device’s price tag.

However, even the Pixel 10a is far from the strongest contender in this race. Chinese companies have switched to silicon-carbon batteries that store more energy in the same package. For example, OnePlus 15 It has a 6.8-inch screen and a 7300 mAh battery OPPO Find X9 Pro it goes up to 7500 mAh while keeping the same screen size.

These phones beat both the Pixel and the Galaxy when it comes to charging speeds, so I hope these two companies take notice. However, both models are too big for me, so although they excel in the battery and charging departments, they’re not on my short list.

While I love small phones, as mentioned in the previous section, I avoid thin models like the Galaxy S25 Edge because a thinner body means a smaller battery.

Last on the list is the camera setup. This is important, but I’m not as demanding here as I am against some of the other things mentioned in this post. I don’t need three or more rear sensors, for example, a standard and ultra-wide camera is good enough for me.

I’m looking for simplicity. There is no friction. I like the processing to be in place, so I don’t need to edit the images after I take them. I especially care about night shots, because I hate it when I try to take a picture on a city street at night and everything comes out blurry.

For example, give me the Pixel 10a’s camera setup and I’m good. If it’s capable of more than that, even better, but I’m happy with what Google’s cheapest phone in its lineup brings to the table.

I don’t pay attention to the front camera since I use it very little. Most of my video calls are done on my computer and I’m not much of a selfie person.

These are my four pillars of a great smartphone – the four things I care about the most and what I look for when buying a new device. Of course, I also care about performance up to a point. However, this is less of an issue these days than it was years ago, as even a mid-range phone can easily handle all the tasks I need. I’m not a gamer so I don’t need the latest and greatest SoC.

I also don’t really care about wireless charging or IP rating. They usually come standard on devices in my price range, but even if they didn’t, I’d be fine. I rarely use wireless charging because wired is faster and I’ve never had a problem with my phone falling into a pool of water.

Now it’s your turn. What are the most important features you look for when buying a phone? Let me know in the comments.