My first thoughts about buying recommendations for a new phone is, does anyone bother to ask?

Of course they do! The problem right now is that few people know which features are desirable or can make a difference. Buying a phone is more than just choosing a plan and finding a low price.

Software-wise, I’m an Android fan. The interface is smooth and consistent and Android keeps getting better. iOS is your only other option, but all the good apps for it are also available on Android, and Android features a wider variety of phones to choose from.

Forget about getting a Windows phone.

The hardware aspects of the phone involve the following items:

Size. Do you want a smaller phone, pocket-sized, or perhaps a phablet, or one of the larger-format phones? The best way to tell is to pick up a phone in the store and see what fits best.

Screen. Look at the display, not at a photo or web image, but the real phone’s display. Is it vivid, even in low-light? Do the photos look good? The best way to compare screens, again, is to go to a store and compare two phones side-by-side. That way your eyeballs are the judge, not some fancy technical term that may or may not mean anything.

Processor. Use the processor information for comparison. A faster processor is a plus, but not a deal-breaker.

Storage. Most phones store either 32GB or 64GB of information. If you keep a lot of stuff on your phone — photos, videos, music — get more storage. Yes, you will pay (way too much) for it.

Camera. The final item I’d look at is the camera. As more people use phones as cameras, having a high resolution and a decent lens is important. I would happily pay more for those features. Ensure that the lens can focus as the lower-end cameras have a fixed focus lens. An optical zoom is also a good thing to have, but it does add to the phone’s cost.

Another item I would look into is a physical Home button. Yes, I’m referring to you, Samsung. I do not like such buttons! The problem is that my pocket will turn on the phone by accidentally pressing that raised Home button. The phone is too stupid to know that it’s in a pocket, so my phone is on and bleeping at me. That’s annoying, but it’s a personal gripe.

Find a new phone. Get something you enjoy. Use it. Then get ready to replace it in two years, because that’s about how long it’s going to last.