Are you planning on running your blog from a smartphone?
Although this isn’t commonly done, it is possible. That being said, some smartphones are easier to blog on than others.
In this article, I’ll be breaking down what you should be looking for when choosing a smartphone to use for blogging. I’ll also be sharing some specific models I recommend, and the smartphone you may consider purchasing to help you out while blogging!
I Wouldn’t Start With A Smartphone But…
First things first, I’d like to point something out.
If your goal is to actually be productive, I strongly recommend against using a smartphone for blogging. Put simply, typing on a tiny phone is simply too inconvenient, and too slow. Most people won’t be able to get work done even half as quickly vs using a cheap laptop.
That being said, I know budgets are tight, and this isn’t always realistic.
Therefore, if you have the option, here’s what I’d recommend above anything else:
- Buy the cheapest, modern Android phone that you can find.
- Use the extra money to purchase a cheap Google Chromebook. Even a cheap Chromebook around $100 will be orders of magnitude more valuable than the best smartphones that money can currently buy, when it comes to productivity.
…Seriously, the impact of having a full keyboard to type on, a mouse to use, AND a larger screen to work with will allow you to work so much faster.
Unlike video production, blogging is not very demanding for computers. This means as long as you have something that can connect to the internet, it will be more than enough to blog with successfully – which is why even cheap Chromebooks can be so valuable.
So, it’s worth considering!
Still, if you must work on a smartphone, let’s look over some of the best options that are currently available.
How To Choose The Best Smartphone For Blogging
Ultimately, the options available to you will come down to your budget. While buying a cheap laptop and a cheap cell phone is the ideal option, there are a lot of very cheap smartphones available that can do the job as well.
When it comes to blogging, you should be looking for the following three things while shopping:
1. Bluetooth Keyboard Support
First and foremost, it’s important to ensure that your smartphone has good support for Bluetooth keyboards.
This is because the most productive blogging setup if you’re going to use a smartphone, is for you to connect a Bluetooth keyboard to it, and type on the Bluetooth keyboard instead.
This way, instead of being limited to just your two thumbs, you can use all of your fingers and type much more quickly.
Typically, all modern smartphones manufactured in the last few years should be perfectly reliable. Though, in my personal experience, I’ve had better Bluetooth connectivity with iPhone models over comparable Android phones.
2. A Large Screen
Next, you’ll want to opt for as large of a screen as possible.
If you’re going to be typing out lengthy blog posts on your phone, it’s important that you’re able to see as much of the content you’re writing as possible.
This way, it will be easier to reference what you’ve written previously, make edits, and view more of the content at once.
If you’re going to be using any other blogging tools, or utilize heavy formatting in your articles, this is also important to ensure that all required toolbars and menus are visible on the screen, without excessive scrolling.
Trust me – as someone who has spent hours writing blog posts myself, eye strain is no fun!
3. A Decent Camera
Depending on your niche, having a phone with a decent camera may or may not be important to you.
Some topics require more photos than others, and the photos may be what ‘sell’ your posts to your audience.
Thankfully, you no longer need to go out and purchase an actual DSLR to take professional-quality photographs. Modern smartphones have come a long way, as long as you’re able to splurge for one of the better ones!
Therefore, if you’re in an image-heavy niche, purchasing a phone with a nice camera – such as the newest iPhone or Google Pixel lines, would make an excellent choice.
That being said, if you won’t be taking photos or video yourself, this isn’t always necessary.
4. Modern OS
Finally, it’s also important to ensure that you’re buying a smartphone with a modern OS, such as iOS or a variation of Android.
This is because most blogging platforms (such as WordPress) have dedicated apps available, that are already designed to fit nicely on a phone’s screen. While it still cannot compare to using WordPress on a computer, the apps are the ideal way to manage your blog if you must use a smartphone.
Additionally, there may be other apps for bloggers that you’ll want to download as well, such as Feedly, Evernote, or Google Analytics.
Most modern smartphones run on iOS or Android anyway, so this shouldn’t be a problem.
Still, if you are buying an older phone, make sure that it supports the latest version of Android or iOS – some apps will no longer work if you are an older version of their firmware!
Conclusion
As mentioned earlier, blogging on a smartphone is not recommended – it is simply too slow.
Therefore, I would personally recommend buying a cheap smartphone if you need one, and using the extra money to purchase a cheap laptop or Chromebook instead.
However, by taking the most important factors into account – screen size, the OS, the camera and the compatibility with Bluetooth keyboards, you’ll be able to choose the smartphone that is right for you.
Of course, if you have any other questions, just ask them below and I’ll be happy to help.
Wishing you the best,
– James McAllister
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