That’s exactly why we created the Interactive Cell Phone Buying Guide. It lets you select the criteria that are most important to you and get a custom-tailored list of the perfect phones for your needs.

How It Works

You can check out the Interactive Buying Guide here, or you can click the link in the Cell Phone& Smartphone Reviews category.

It’s made up of five main categories: Input Type, Platform, Camera, Multimedia, and Battery. Each has a few choices to select from, and the resulting list will automatically update with each choice. In case you need a hand, here’s a quick description of each of your options:

Input Type:

Touch Screen

Pros:

• Faster page scrolling and easier link selection.
• Typically allows for a larger screen.
• Can also be used for things like handwriting and drawing.

Cons:

• Lack of tactical feedback slows down typing.
• Precise selections and fine tuning can be difficult.

Bottom Line: Touch screens are the most common input type for a smartphone. They allow for faster navigation and a more user-friendly experience when interfacing with the device; however, the lack of tactical feedback does make typing slightly more difficult.

Buttons

Pros:

• A physical keyboard allows for quick and much more accurate typing.
• It’s possible to type without looking.
• Navigation keys allow for fine cursor movements.

Cons:

• A physical keyboard leaves less space for a screen.
• Navigating web pages is typically done by scrolling through links one at a time.

Bottom Line: Devices with only physical inputs, such as some BlackBerry phones, are best suited when messaging is your primary use. Web browsing is generally not very practical.

Combined

Pros:

• The touch screen allows quick navigation.
• The physical keyboard makes for faster typing.

Cons:

• A physical keyboard typically means either a smaller screen or a thicker device.

Bottom Line: This is a good option for those who dislike touch screens for typing but still want the navigational ease they provide, so long as a smaller screen or several millimeters of added thickness aren’t a deal breaker.

Platform

Android

Pros:

• Wide variety of devices to choose from, ranging in price, performance, and features.
• Large App Market with over 500,000 apps.
• Customizable home screen with widgets and wallpapers.
• Highly integrated with Google’s web services, including Google Maps for turn-by-turn navigation.
• Gives more freedom to the user in terms of system options.
• True Application multitasking.

Cons:

• Some devices have limited customer support.
• The additional options can be overwhelming for novice users.
• Upgrading from one Android phone to another may not give you the same experience.
• Popular models have many accessories, but less popular models do not.

Bottom Line: Android devices come in all shapes and sizes, allowing you to better tailor the features you want to the price range you’re looking for.

Apple iOS

Pros:

• Apple offers excellent customer support online, over the phone, and in person at Apple Stores.
• Large App Store with over 500,000 apps.
• Apps are tested by Apple to help maintain stability.
• The iOS experience is nearly identical across all iOS devices.
• It has a very simple interface.
• Many accessories available.

Cons:

• iOS devices are one size fits all. If you want a larger screen or physical keyboard, you’re out of luck.
• 3G only. Currently no 4G iPhones exist.
• Limited Multitasking. Only portions of applications can run in the background.
• The simple interface can be limiting, especially for more advanced users.
• No removable battery or options for expandable storage.

Bottom Line: Apple’s iOS can be a considerably more limiting platform than the competition; however, those limitations result in a polished and unified user experience.

Windows Phone

Pros:

• Social apps, Bing search, and other Microsoft services are integrated directly into the operating system.
• Widget-like “Tiles” allow for a somewhat customizable interface.
• Moderate range of devices available at several price points.
• Windows Phone experience is very similar across all Windows Phone devices.

Cons:

• Small App Market with only about 80,000 apps.
• Limited Multitasking. Only portions of apps can run in the background.
• No dual-core or “high performance” options currently available.

Bottom Line: Windows Phone offers many unique and useful features over the competition. It also overlooks many features that users have come to take for granted.

Other

Other platforms include BlackBerry, Symbian, and Maemo, to name a few. If you’re looking for devices featuring these platforms, it’s likely that you already have a specific model in mind.

Camera

Not important – “I rarely find myself taking photos with my smartphone.”

A little – “I sometimes take photos with my smartphone to share via text message or Facebook.”

Average – “I often take photos with my smartphone to share via text message or Facebook.”

Important – “I take and share photos with my smartphone often and sometimes like to print them out.”

Very important – “I rely on my smartphone to take quality photos of memorable moments.”

Multimedia

Not important – “I rarely use my smartphone to browse the web, listen to music, or watch videos.”

A little – “I sometimes use my smartphone to browse the web, listen to music, or watch video such as YouTube.”

Average – “I often use my smartphone to browse the web, listen to music, or watch video such as YouTube.”

Important – “I constantly use my smartphone to browse the web, listen to music, or watch video such as YouTube or Netflix.”

Very important – “I am always using my smartphone to listen to music or watch HD video.”

Battery

Not important – “My phone is almost always plugged in.”

A little – “I don’t mind plugging in my phone half way through the day if I’m using it a lot.”

Average – “I want my phone to last all day as long as I’m not using it too much.”

Important – “I use my phone a lot and still want it to last all day.”

Very important – “I use my phone almost non-stop and want it to last all day.”

Processor

The CPU is the heart of a computer, but it’s not easy to know which CPU models are best for which tasks. The following is your basic CPU hierarchy.

1: Intel Core i7 – The Core i7 makes up the top tier in CPU performance. It also makes up the top price bracket. You’ll typically only need this sort of power if you expect to do a lot of computationally intensive tasks, such as photo/video editing or high-end gaming.

2: Intel Core i5 and AMD A8 – The A8 series CPU represents AMD’s highest performance offering in the laptop sector, and it’s roughly on par with Intel’s Core i5 series. Both are just as capable as the Core i7 but are slightly slower. In every-day tasks, this speed difference won’t even be noticeable.

3: Intel Core i3 and AMD A4/A6 – This is the more budget friendly range of CPUs. They’re considerably slower than the other offerings, but if all you’re looking for is a laptop for web browsing, word processing, and multimedia, they’re more than capable.

Each series has range of models with slightly different performance. Searching CPU benchmarks can help give you a feel for performance hierarchy.

Graphics

Most laptops have integrated graphics ships, specifically Intel HD Graphics 3000. Integrated graphics limits you to basic tasks, such as web browsing and simple productivity. As a general rule, you should avoid integrated graphics of possible.

Dedicated graphics, such as AMD’s Radeon and Nvidia’s GeForce chips can provide much more performance than integrated solutions, but often cost more. The model numbers can be confusing as well, but the following chart can give you a rough idea of performance:

An exception to the integrated graphics rule is AMD’s A-series. While the A-series CPUs do have integrated graphics, AMD has fitted them with entry-level gaming-class GPUs. This actually makes the A-series a very good value.

RAM

When it comes to RAM (aka Memory), there’s no such thing as too much, but you still don’t want to pay for more than you need. 6GB is ideal, but for the time being 4GB is still sufficient. Memory speed also plays a small role in performance, but it’s really only important with high-end systems.

Hard Drives

Anywhere from 64GB to 2TB, how much space you need is entirely up to you, but hard drive speeds can also play a major role in overall performance. Most laptops come with 5400RPM hard drives. When compared to 7200RPM drives, these will have slower loading times, but only by a small percentage. 7200RPM drives are best for high-performance laptops.

There are also SSDs (Solid State Drives). These give significantly better performance compared to traditional hard drives, sometimes halving load and boot times, but cost quite a bit. Due to the price, SSDs typically come in small capacities, like 64GB to 128GB, making them mostly ideal for productivity tasks only.

Size

Display size and slimness are all a matter of personal preference. Any two laptops with the same internal components will perform similarly, regardless of size; however, size can have an indirect on battery life. Large screens tend to use more power and smaller chassis often have smaller batteries. Expert reviews can be useful for gauging realistic battery life.

Resolution

Screen resolution basically equates into how much workspace you get on your screen. Most laptops have 1366×798 resolutions. This is fairly low for those who prefer to display many things onscreen at once, but it is still enough for 720p video. Other resolutions, like 1600×900 and 1920×1080, can make for a much more productive system, but also cost considerably more.

A thunderous surround sound experience is absolutely essential if you want to get the most out of your home theater system. It doesn’t matter how big your TV is, or how you pop your popcorn, without the right sound, you can never be fully immersed into your movies/games.  AV Receivers (or AVRs as they’re often called) are integral to premium surround sound, and we’ve got a crash course to help you purchase the right AVR.

Supported Formats

First and foremost, you’re going to want to rule out any AVRs that don’t support today’s most popular audio formats. Just about any modern AVR will support audio formats like DTS and Dolby Digital, but that’s not enough. Blu-ray movies now feature lossless audio tracks which require DTS-HD Master Audio or Dolby Digital TruHD. You’ll absolutely want to make sure any AVR you’re considering supports both of those. LPCM support can also be especially useful if you play your content from a PC of some sort.

Apart from audio formats, you’ll also want to make sure your AVR supports the right video formats. You’ll more than likely want to ensure it plays nice with 1080p sources. Even more useful, some AVRs even support upscaling SD and 720p sources to 1080p before sending it to your TV. Most AVRs today support 1080p (though a handful only support 1080i, so be careful). Lastly, if you have a 3D TV and you enjoy 3D videos, make sure you AVR supports 3D video signals.

Inputs and Outputs

Most AVRs have a handful of video inputs of various types (generally a few HDMI ports, some composite connectors, and a few component connections) and a single HDMI output. That single HDMI output connects to your TV. The rest of your home theater equipment connects to the AVR, so make sure it has enough inputs for all of your gear. 

Audio inputs are important too. The HDMI connections are able to carry 7.1 channel audio and HD video in the single cable, but other input types need other options. Optical inputs are ideal if HDMI isn’t an option (this is often used by music devices, some gaming systems, and most component sources). Composite sources will typically need the usual RCA connections, though some allow optical or coaxial audio. The key is to make sure any AVR you consider has room enough to connect all of your devices at once.

Channels and Features

Just about every modern AVR on the market today will meet all of the requirements above and can range anywhere from $200 to several thousand. The main difference in price comes from the number of audio channels they support and the extra features they include.

Most media features 5.1 channel sound (5 speakers and a subwoofer), but a 7.1 channel AVR is a wise choice for future upgrades. A 7.1ch AVR works fine with a 5.1ch setup. They’re about the same price anyway. Other options are 7.2 channels (7 speakers and 2 subwoofers), 9.1, and 9.2. These are generally much more expensive.

Other features that have an effect on price are things like network connectivity for DLNA support, iPod and USB ports, integrated WiFi for multiroom audio, and FM or Satellite radio inputs. Of course component quality has a large impact on price as well, but our thousands of expert reviews can help you sort that out. Also, the more features an AVR has, the more complicated it can be, so they use GUI Setup Menus to help; however, some GUIs can be much worse than others. Our User Reviews can help you there.

Video Resolution

Any worthwhile digital camcorder these days is capable of recording in HD, most in 1080p resultion, but that’s only part of the story. A good camcorder features 1080/60p recording, meaning a 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second. 3D recording is even an option now; however, you shouldn’t consider it a deciding factor. Image sensor size is also something to consider. A 1/4-inch is a popular choice, and many camcorders, like the Sony HDR-TD10 and Panasonic HDC-HS900, use a group of ¼-inch sensors for a better image. It’s best not to go any smaller than 1/6-inch in sensor size.

LCD Screen and Viewfinder

As the primary method to view your subject through the camera, the LCD screen and viewfinder are important features to consider. LCD screens vary in size, and while large screens look much better, they also use much more power. When battery life is key, a viewfinder is useful option. Touchscreens can also be useful, especially on cameras with many features. When buying a camera without a viewfinder, make sure the screen performs well in sunlight and other bright conditions.

Zoom (Optical vs. Digital)

As a general rule of thumb, optical zoom is much more desirable over digital zoom, though it doesn’t mean you can’t have both. For casual filming, a 10x optical zoom is generally sufficient. Camcorders with 50x zoom and greater are available, but without a tripod or steady cam rigging, it just isn’t practical.

Image Stabilization

Some form of image stabilization is absolutely necessary for a digital camcorder. Typically optical image stabilization (OIS) is preferred over electronic (EIS). OIS counters vibrations and movement naturally within the lens, while EIS attempts to detect vibration by processing the image itself and then correcting for it. The EIS method doesn’t always detect motion correctly; however, it’s far better than having no stabilization at all and simply trying to hold your hand as still as possible.

Recording Media

Camcorders use a wide array of storage types, from Mini DVDs to SD cards. It’s best to stay away from any storage formats that involve moving parts, such as disks or digital tapes. Most modern camcorders use some form of flash memory, such as Compact Flash, SD cards, or internal storage. Ideally, you’ll want a camcorder that is compatible with SDXC cards. This will allow you to use standard SD cards, SDHC cards, and SDXC cards (currently up to 128GB). Full 1080/60p will typically require anywhere from 2GB to 6GB per hour of video.

With all of these features in mind, here are a few of alaTest’s top ranked digital camcorders:

Sony HDR-TD10 – Perfect for 3D enthusiasts (features dual ¼” image sensors and lenses and 3D LCD display).

Panasonic HDC-HS900 – Full-featured camcorder that excels in nearly all lighting conditions. 3D capable as well.

Canon Legria HF M41 – Feature rich and affordable, it too shoots very well in adverse lighting conditions.

Samsung HMX-Q10 – A very affordable entry-level camcorder. It features only 1080i recording and lacks many features, but still a good value.

Panasonic HDC-SD80 – A middle ground between entry-level and mid-end camcorders, it’s a little pricier, but offers features not found in other entry-level camcorders.