What cell phone should I buy?

I get calls from friends asking me what cell phone they should buy.  If they just need a phone, get a basic phone.  If they want a smart phone (with internet connection), then it becomes more difficult.

Apple has been wonderful in their branding and marketing over the years.  I had an iPhone 3, many years ago.  It was a great phone, however, when I needed to replace it, I did a comparison of the specifications of what was available at the time.  The best cellular phone comparison is a website: www.gsmarena.com.  You can choose three phones and check the specs side by side.

www.gsmarena.com

Screen resolution is very important!

Camera MP's are important.  My two year old LG 5 has a 16 MP camera!

Battery size is also really important
USB charging - USB 3.1 type C is very fast 

The most important things to me are amount of memory, size of battery, camera megapixels and screen resolution.  Above are screen shots showing the difference between the phones that are now available.  It shows when the latest phone was released and isn't fair to Apple because their latest phone was released in September 2017, but check out the pricing difference as of today.
Prices online in Canadian dollars:
Apple 8 - 256 GB memory can't be upgraded:     Apple.ca website:                $1,139.00
Samsung S9 - 256 GB can be upgraded to 400 GB:  Samsung.ca website:      $959.00
LG G7 Thin Q - 128 GB can be upgraded to 400 GB:  LG.ca website:            $1,049.00

I have a two year old LG G5 (released Feb 2016) with a 16 MP camera, a USB Type C, and 1440 X 2560 resolution.  Apple came out with the Apple 8 in September 2017 and the specs are much less than my LG!   That's why I purchased the LG G5.  When I'm ready to upgrade if Apple releases a new phone with a jack, a 3000 mAh battery, a 16 MP camera and better resolution I will get one.  I will check all the specs of all the phones available and make my decision.  I use my phone constantly.  It's my computer and camera when I travel.  I use my calendar, address book, map directions, shopping list, to do list, boarding pass when I get on a plane, I scan my BC Lottery tickets to see if I win, ask Google girl anything I want to know and read my emails.  It's my lifeline.  How things have changed!

When we were on our last bus trip, one of the ladies couldn't do anything on her phone.  She had just enough memory for the few apps she had loaded on her phone.  She was tied into a contract and of course got the cheapest phone available.  If your phone is important to you, check GSM arena and see what you are getting.  If you have a contract you will be tied in for a long time.  If you are confused by the specs and not sure which phone is best for you, email me and I'll help you.  Remember if you are getting a discounted phone through a carrier, do the the math over the period of your contract.  Sometimes, it's cheaper to purchase it outright!