4 Tips to Remember Before Buying Short

The latest gadgets can be tempting, what with all the buzz and hype that often surrounds them.

The problem here is that gadgets tend to have a very limited lifespan before the next big thing comes around to make them lose their luster - five years if you're lucky, less than one if you're not.

So without further ado, here are four quick tips to help you make smarter decisions when it comes to snapping up that new phone or tablet:

Ask Yourself What You'll Use The Gadget For

One of the biggest sources of buyer's remorse is when you realize that you paid good money for features you don't really use all that often.

Simply asking yourself what the gadget will do for you will help you better understand why you want to buy it in the first place, and could interrupt the urge to buy long enough to give yourself time to think.

Compare And Contrast At Least Five Reviews

Once you know what you'll use the gadget for, the next step is to see if that gadget will deliver or not.

Comparing and contrasting at least five reviews online will not only give you an idea of the gadget's performance, but will also help you better understand how your chosen gadget fares against the existing competition.

Note The Manufacturer's Release Cycle

Major companies like Apple and Samsung release new gadgets on a regular basis, and is something that you should remember if you're aiming to work with the latest tech in the market - or get a pretty large discount on obsolete but still useful gadgets.

If you're aiming for the latest tech, then you need to make your purchase within the first half of the release cycle.

If a smartphone's release cycle for new version is every 18 months, then you need to buy the latest model before the 9th month to make the most of it before the next model makes your gadget pale in comparison.

If you're aiming for to spend less, then wait until the next major product launch in order to make the most of previous version being resold at a discount.

Do The 'Stranger Test' Before Buying

A stranger offers you a choice between $949 or a contract-free gold-plated iPhone 6 with 128 GB of memory.

Which would you choose?

This is the stranger test, where you weigh the desire to obtain a gadget against the gadget's value in cold, hard cash.

It helps put you in a frame of mind that offers you two equally attractive options and helping you better understand whether the money you'll spend will indeed be worth your purchase.

Keep these tips in mind and you'll not only help avoid buyer's regret but be able to make the most of the short lifespans of today's gadgets!

*Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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