Eight Budget-Friendly Standalone Gadgets that Are Still Better than Your Smartphone: Smartphones can do many things. We’re almost grown attached to them – we use them at work and at home, for entertainment and for serious business. Sometimes it feels like your smartphone has replaced a number of other gadgets you had around the house.
Eight Budget-Friendly Standalone Gadgets that Are Still Better than Your Smartphone
But should it have? Are there still standalone gadgets that are better than your smartphone? The answer is that there are – quite a few of them. If you shop smart, you can even enjoy these standalone gadgets without breaking the budget as long as you familiarize yourself with the 50 30 20 rule and stick to it.
Digital cameras
Although smartphone cameras have improved and it is possible to get decent photos with your phone, a standalone digital camera will trump any smartphone. You don’t even have to spend a fortune, as you can find a good quality digital camera for a few hundred pounds.
With a good SLR camera, you are able to take photos in more demanding environments. The cameras are able to zoom better, prevent slurring, and pick up light in low-light environments. None of the best camera phones are able to achieve just that kind of professional standard.
Fitness watches
Smartphones these days have all sorts of health and fitness apps that claim to track your walking and activity. Many of these can even monitor your heart rate and calorie consumption. However, you shouldn’t be fooled into thinking these phone apps are better than actual wearables.
Fitness watches, such as Fitbit and Garmin watches are much better at providing you accurate information about your daily activity. Many of these wearables can track your body functions better and even give you detailed information about your sleep. You can find Argos promotions here and find a number of good fitness wearables that are cheap and better than your smartphone.
Laptops or desktop computers
Now, your smartphone can essentially be your mini computer. But it’s not going to replace a laptop or a desktop computer. Why? Because your smartphone won’t be as comfortable when it comes to working – writing a 5,000 document on a smartphone would be a pain. Phones also need more upgrading than a good laptop or a PC. You can invest in a computer and not have to worry about it for the next few years.
Portable gaming consoles
Phones are now becoming bigger players in the gaming market. Mobile gaming is growing fast and most of us play at least one game on our phones more or less regularly. However, if you take gaming seriously, you’re still better off investing in a standalone portable gaming console than using your smartphone to play.
The new Nintendo Switch is a prime example. However, the model can be rather expensive – unless you find a good deal online. But other consoles are worth considering and won’t cost a lot. The Nintendo 3DS XL only costs a little under $200 and you could find plenty of fun games to play on the Nintendo 2DS, which is just under $100.
eBook reader
With an app, you are able to use your smartphone to read books. However, the experience is not as pleasant as it is when you’re reading on a special eBook reader. First, the standalone gadget gives a similar reading experience to holding a book. The screen is much bigger, making it easier to read. While the size is bigger than your smartphone, eBook readers are actually thin and lightweight – you don’t need to compromise in portability.
Amazon is always offering its Kindle models with special discount. The Paperwhite model is adequate for most and it won’t destroy your shopping budget.
Music players
This might seem like an odd claim, but Apple’s music players are actually better than smartphones. Sure, it’s possible to play music and listen to podcasts on your smartphone, but using a music player just adds something different to the experience. The iPod Nano, for example, has much better sound quality than most phones and it’s more convenient to carry with you during exercise. If you’re active and you love music, a standalone music player will work better than a smartphone.
TVs
We’re not watching TV quite like we used to, as most of us are using streaming services to watch things when we want to. However, it doesn’t make your standalone TV obsolete. The video and sound quality are still better on a TV than your smartphone. Not to mention how cheap great TVs tend to be these days. If you love movies and TV shows, get yourself a good TV.
GPS devices
Perhaps one area that’s more closely contested is GPS tracking. Smartphones are rather handy and it might seem like a waste of money to buy a standalone GPS device. However, these devices are rather cheap and can offer more accurate mapping than a smartphone. Not to mention the fact that you can use the smartphone to other things while the GPS does its job.
So, if you’re thinking of saving money by just having your smartphone do all kinds of functions, you might not be getting the best deal.The above shows that sometimes it’s worth spending some of your budgets on standalone gadgets.
