I have a lot of family members who aren't tech-savvy and will often ask me which phone should they buy when it's time for an upgrade. With the crazy amount of smartphones on the market, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the choices, especially if you are older. It doesn't have to be this way, I have written a small process which will help you select your new phone. Even though I am giving you this process, please take the time to find the phone you can be comfortable using. You are going to be paying for the phone.
Process of Elimination
There are hundreds of smartphones on the market, so you will need to disqualify some of them to make the selection process easier. First, set a budget of the highest price you are willing to pay. Any phones that are more expensive than the highest price are out of the picture. Next, decide on which features you want and which ones you can forego. Remember your budget because the phone which has the features you want may be too expensive. For example, if you travel frequently, you will want a phone that has an efficient battery life, large storage, and a quality camera.
Make sure you prioritize the features you need. The biggest mistake people make when buying a new phone is getting one with a lot of bells and whistles only to use less than half the features offered. I would recommend you have five to ten phones you want to buy.
Seek An Expert's Opinion
You should have about ten phones you want to consider buying. Now it's time to narrow your list even more.
I found the best way to achieve this is by seeing what tech experts say about the phones on your list. There are multiple sites on the internet, such as Tech Crunch, that offer reviews on the majority of phones on the market. The reviews will tell you about the good and bad qualities of the phones on your list. Then, you can start to eliminate the phones that you find unsuitable from there.
When you are reading reviews, make sure that the experts aren't just marketing or trying to sell a specific phone. Some phones get good reviews because the reviewer got sponsored. Look for honest reviews that will help guide your decision.
Get A Hands-on
Here comes the fun part of this process, the hands-on. You can visit an electronics store or mobile carrier near you to test the phones remaining on your list. You want to check the material and the build of the phone yourself. Often manufacturers edit photos of their products to make them look a lot more presentable and fancy than they are. The one thing you want to feel is how sturdy the phone feels.
Some say it's not the size of the boat, but that can't be any further from the truth. Videos and other media look much better on bigger screen sizes. The only drawback is that your phone isn't easy to use with one hand on a larger screen, and it won't fit in your pocket comfortably. There is a compromise.
Overall, getting your hands on a phone will help you weed out the good ones from the poor ones. If you have a couple of devices that you feel are very similar, go with the less expensive of the two.
Take Some Time To Get A Good Price
Do not be that guy who walks into the first store he sees and buys a phone because they are in stock. Check the pricing at different stores such as Amazon and NewEgg. You will be shocked at some of the prices you see.
Another way you can get a great price is by waiting for a specific time or opportunity. If you are going to purchase a phone which hasn't gone on sale, then you can pre-order it. By pre-ordering it, you can usually get the phone at a lower price. You never want to buy a phone as soon as it goes on sale, the price is always the highest since it's new. Instead, wait for holiday sales, Black Friday, and or Cyber Monday to get the lowest prices on the phone you want.
Additional Advice
Some of you may have heard of companies that manufacture phones but never tried them because they aren't from a name brand company. That is a mistake. Just because a company is a name brand does not mean their products are the best. I am pretty sure we are all old enough to remember when LG phones had booting problems and when Galaxy phones caught fire. That is why it's crucial to read reviews because they will tell you which phones are good. That said, happy phone hunting.
Oh my goodness gracious! I'm absolutely THRILLED to read your post! 
You are absolutely right! Buying a new phone is like embarking on an epic quest for the perfect magical artifact—only with technology as your dazzling sidekick! 
Making sure you don't break the bank for some flashy gadget is like keeping your treasure chest safe from pesky pirates trying to steal your gold! 
I can practically see you wearing a Sherlock Holmes hat and holding a magnifying glass as you investigate specs and prices! 
So go on and conquer that smartphone kingdom with confidence! You've got this! 
