Today we can't imagine our lives without computers of various forms and sizes. Sometimes we have to choose what to buy, a smartphone, or a laptop.
Modern premium smartphones become bigger and faster. Its like you have a computer in your pocket. You can even use your phone as a desktop. No wonder, some of them already cost like laptops.
Comparing smartphones with laptops, keep in mind that they cant quite replace each other. However, you can buy a cheap laptop at a phone's costfor office needs.
Being designed for different purposes, they are both mobile computers. Smartphones are more portable, though. Some phones have even better performance than some notebooks. So, if you have money for only one device, which one would you buy?
Even though smartphones become more and more powerful, I dont think they can replace laptops completely in the near future. As both types of devices are used in different conditions, which one is better for you depends on what you will do with your device.
Last year I had a choice: to buy a laptop or a smartphone for my job and personal needs. And I bought a phone, considering that my old handset was dying and that for my job, I needed it just in case I couldnt use a desktop because of the problems with electricity, which happened rarely. Another tempting factor in favor of buying a new smartphone was the price.
A notebook with a good performance cost about $500, while the smartphone I was going to buyhad an almost twice lower price. And that phone had flagship specs at that time. Since I only had the money for one device, I bought the smartphone.
But thats just one example. There are a lot of different situations. Sometimes, a smartphone is just not enough.
So, lets compare laptops to phones by features and find their advantages and disadvantages.
- The difference in operating systems
- Performance. Phone CPU vs. laptop CPU
- Battery lifespan
- Display and keyboard
- Internal memory
- Connectivity difference
- Price comparison
- What is better, a smartphone or a laptop?
The Difference in Operating Systems
The most popular operating systems now are Windows for laptops and Android for smartphones. And there is also iOS and macOS for Apple devices.
The major difference is that operating systems on notebooks are not as limited by features and the number of software as operating systems of smartphones because Windows is used on desktops as well. Hence, it is more capable and gives you more freedom.
Performance. Phone CPU vs. Laptop CPU
Analyzing smartphone vs laptop performance, we see that in most cases the performance of laptops is better than that of phones. But if we compare cheap notebooks with expensive smartphones, of course, smartphone performance is better in this case.
Phone processors get more powerful every year. Many flagship phones even have liquid cooling now. And almost all smartphones now come with 8-core CPUs, while most laptops still have 4-core processors. However, it doesnt mean that 4-core Intel processors have worse performance than phone CPUs.
Laptop processors, designed for Windows, are still more powerful. On the other hand, handsets dont need so much power and their processors are better optimized for longer battery life. Most notebooks work for about 10-12 hours, while smartphones can be used for 20 hours.
For this reason, many mobile phones can afford higher screen resolution than mobile computers, because if you have a laptop with 4K resolution, considering that its hard to put a huge battery inside it, its run time will be only 5-6 hours on average. One would appreciate 4K resolution on a bigger screen, though.
Laptops are more powerful than smartphones because they are designed for multitasking work. You can open several windows and do several tasks simultaneously. A small smartphones screen is very inconvenient for this usage.
Battery Lifespan
Today most devices are equipped with lithium-ion batteries that live for about 4 years, depending on how they are charged and stored. After about 500 circles of charging they start to lose capacity.
To prolong the battery lifespan, it is recommended to keep the device away from heat [over 30ºC] or extreme cold [below 0ºC] and not to charge it up to 100% and discharge up to 0%. Ideally, keeping the charge between 75% and 65% at 20ºC conduces to the least capacity loss. In real life, however, it is more practical to charge the device to 75% and discharge to 25%.
Avoid ultra-fast charging with high voltage because it heats the device and shortens the battery lifespan.
It is recommended to calibrate that is fully discharge and charge smart batteries every 3 months for more accurate battery readings. Note that calibration doesn't prolong battery life. As for me, I don't calibrate my phone's battery unless it is really necessary.
The difference between a laptop and a smartphone is that you can use most laptops without batteries plugged-in with AC adapters. Store a Li-ion battery at approximately 50% in a cool place.
Display and Keyboard
The main difference between notebook displays and phone displays is the touchscreen. In the past, all notebooks had only touchpads. Now there are a lot of laptops that come with touchscreens, either 2-in-1 laptopsor classic clamshell models.
As for smartphones, they all have touchscreens and virtual keyboards, except Blackberry phones, which are also equipped with physical keyboards. But if you need to type a lot and often, no smartphone can replace a laptop with its big display and physical keyboard unless you connect your smartphone to a separate display and keyboard or a laptop shell that turns your phone into a laptop.
However, if you need a laptop experience, buy a laptop instead of a laptop shell. A laptop's price is not much higher, the weight is approximately the same, and the quality is better.
Internal Memory
Laptops usually have more internal memory, 512 GB on average. However, todays flagship cell phones dont lag with a minimum of 128 GB, expandable with a micro SD card up to 2 T on some Android phones, while many portable computers dont support micro SD cards. Though you can upgrade the internal storage drive, if you need more place for your data on the laptop.
As for the RAM, most notebooks come with 8 or 16 GB. Whatever you choose, don't buy a laptop with less than 8 GB of RAM, it's too little for a modern computer.
For a smartphone, 8 GB of RAM is more than enough today. But there are monsters with 12 GB of RAM like the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra already on the market.
Connectivity Difference
Laptops have more ports as they can be connected to different devices, hard drives, DVD drives and so on compared to only USB or USB-C and headphone jack ports on smartphones.
As for wireless connectivity, both smartphones and laptops have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection.
The main difference is that most notebooks lack built-in LTE connectivity. That means you cant connect to the Internet without Wi-Fi wirelessly unless you use smartphone tethering, a mobile hotspot or a 4G laptop stick.
However, there are some LTE laptops or 2-in-1 tablets like the Microsoft Surface Pro X.
Price Comparison
Modern smartphones and laptops prices are not so different. But the most powerful portable PCs on average are more expensive than most of the best phones.
There are, of course, phones that cost around $2000. Though it is an exception rather than a rule, while a $2000 price tag for a premium laptop is quite common.
You can find a mobile with a decent performance at about $300 like the. But laptops with good performance start from about $600 like the Acer Aspire 5, for example.
What is better, a Smartphone or a Laptop?
Only you can decide whether a phone or a laptop is better for your needs. Weve looked through the main features of laptops and smartphones, and see that these devices have much in common, but one will never replace the other since they have different designs and sizes.
Your choice depends on your needs and your budget. In my case, it was easy to decide. But you may still use a pretty well-functioning smartphone and need a more capable of multitasking device for work, comfortable for typing.
Even playing games, including browser RTS games like Fastchooser's Smartdroids, is more comfortable and less harmful to your eyes on a device with a bigger screen.
To sum up, let's weigh the pros and cons of phones compared with laptops:
- Operating systems on laptops are less limited.
- Laptops have better performance than phones.
- You can use most notebooks without batteries.
- Phones are less comfortable for typing.
- The internal memory of a phone is usually smaller.
- Notebooks are equipped with more ports, but they lack built-in LTE connectivity, unlike smartphones.
- Phones are usually cheaper.
Laptops are more productive and convenient for working but less portable than smartphones.
So decide for yourself. What do you need: a big, powerful, and convenient for work portable computer or a compact mobile PC with LTE connectivity and also very impressive performance, provided that it's a premium phone? Think twice before you buy a new laptop or smartphone. I hope this article and our device comparison toolwill help youmake the right choice.
You can also read about the difference between laptops and tabletsif you can't decide which one is better for you among these devices.