Mobile Phone Glossary

Short explanations of the terms you meet on our phone pages, specification sheets and price lists.

Screen

OLED / AMOLED — each pixel lights itself, giving true blacks and strong contrast. Most mid-range and flagship phones use it.
LCD (IPS) — a panel lit from behind. Cheaper to make and common on entry-level phones.
Refresh rate — screen updates per second, in hertz. 120Hz feels smoother than 60Hz when scrolling and gaming.
Peak brightness (nits) — how bright the screen can get; higher values are easier to read in sunlight.
LTPO — a display that can lower its refresh rate when the image is still, to save battery.

Chipset (SoC) — the processor, graphics and modem on one chip, for example a Snapdragon, Dimensity, Exynos, Tensor or Apple A-series chip. It has the biggest effect on speed and battery life.
Process (nm) — the manufacturing size of the chip. A smaller number usually means better efficiency.
RAM — memory for running apps. More RAM lets more apps stay open in the background.
Storage — space for apps, photos and files. Check whether the phone has a memory card slot if you need more later.
Software updates — how many years of Android or iOS versions and security patches the brand promises.

Main, ultrawide, telephoto — the usual rear cameras: everyday shots, wide scenes and optical zoom.
Sensor size — a larger sensor gathers more light, which matters more for low-light photos than the megapixel count.
Optical zoom (3x, 5x) — zoom made by a telephoto lens without losing detail; digital zoom only crops the image.
OIS — optical image stabilization, which reduces blur from shaky hands.
4K / 8K video — video resolution; frame rate (30fps, 60fps) decides how smooth it looks.

Capacity (mAh) — the size of the battery. Real battery life also depends on the chipset and screen.
Wired charging (W) — charging power in watts; many phones ship without a charger, so check what is in the box.
Qi / Qi2 — the wireless charging standards; Qi2 adds magnetic alignment.
Silicon-carbon battery — a newer battery type that fits more capacity in the same space.

Network bands — the radio frequencies a phone supports for 2G, 3G, 4G (LTE) and 5G. A phone works best when its bands match your operator's.
5G (Sub-6 / mmWave) — Sub-6 is the common 5G type worldwide; mmWave is faster but short-range and mostly used in parts of the USA.
eSIM — a digital SIM built into the phone. Some models sold in the USA have no physical SIM tray at all.
Dual SIM — two numbers on one phone, using two physical SIMs, two eSIMs or one of each.
Wi-Fi 7 / Bluetooth 5.4 — current wireless standards for faster and more reliable connections.
IP68 / IP69 — dust and water resistance ratings; IP69 also covers high-pressure water jets.

MSRP / launch price — the price the brand announces at launch. Retail prices often drop after a few months.
Estimated price — on our country sites, a US dollar price converted to the local currency when no local price is known yet. Local taxes and duties can make the shop price different.
Unlocked — a phone that works with any compatible operator. Carrier-locked phones only work with the operator that sold them until they are unlocked.
Variant / model number — the same phone can come in regional versions with different chipsets or network bands; the model number tells them apart.
International warranty — some brands honor the warranty only in the country of purchase. Check before buying abroad.
Coming soon / Upcoming — announced or expected phones without a confirmed local price or release date yet.