Will I be easily hacked?

[Cricktor]

A hardware wallet connected to an online device shouldn't have firmware code to talk directly to the network and internet. This is more or less obvious. A hardware wallet also shouldn't leak main secrets of a wallet to the connected controlling device, no matter what the controlling device tries to do. (Hey Ledger, you loose so badly at this point!)

You shouldn't blindly believe that hardware wallets are immune as there's one obvious attack vector open: malware on the connected controlling device can manipulate transaction details before the transaction gets sent and signed by the hardware wallet, if the user doesn't thoroughly check every detail of the transaction on the hardware wallet's own display (an own indipendent display on the hardware wallet is a must).

Never skip this thorough check of all transaction's details, you need to check if every output of your transaction is exactly what it should be. Only then you're pretty much safe with a hardware wallet.

[Findingnemo]

Still, using a dedicated smartphone as a Bitcoin wallet does not make it as secure as a hardware wallet (which is designed to be entirely offline and immune to online threats).

Using a smartphone but never connected to the internet is 100x times better than a hardware wallet cause that is what cold storage once its connected to the internet then whatever data is in the device become vulnerable to attacks so if possible have one specific device which you should never connect to internet can be considered as 100% immune to any vulnerabilities like malicious links, clipboard hijacker and anything else.

[Smartprofit]

I have read about Bitcoin storage and it is said that cold storage is the safest because it cannot be hacked since it is not connected to the internet. As a beginner who is yet to buy bitcoin, I would like to own some portions of bitcoin before I will consider to buy a hardware wallet.

I have a brand new phone, if I unbox it and use it to install only my bitcoin wallet without using it to frequent online or click links and neither will I download other apps. Will I still be easily hacked?

In my opinion, a new smartphone on which you install an Electrum Bitcoin wallet and access the Internet exclusively for Bitcoin transactions is a fairly secure option for managing your Bitcoins (but not 100 percent secure).
  Of course, cypherpunks and experienced users will point out to you the risks of an attack during a short-term connection to the Internet, the imperfections of the smartphone itself, which has numerous communication modules with the outside world, etc. And this is all absolutely true.  .  However, even hardware wallets will not provide you with 100% security.
  Thus, representatives of the French company Ledger not long ago caused a huge scandal with their statement that they always had access to the private keys of their users.  I’m not even talking about other vectors of attacks on users of hardware wallets (for example, modification of a wallet by a seller in order to steal funds or confiscation of a hardware wallet by law enforcement officers for a far-fetched reason)... Therefore, in my opinion, no option for storing and using bitcoins  is 100 percent safe.  The risks just need to be carefully minimized.  IMHO.

[KingsDen]

I have read about Bitcoin storage and it is said that cold storage is the safest because it cannot be hacked since it is not connected to the internet. As a beginner who is yet to buy bitcoin, I would like to own some portions of bitcoin before I will consider to buy a hardware wallet.

It can still be hacked. Everything is hackable if not well or properly set or handled. There's actually a no safe haven in the cryptocurrency industry.

I have a brand new phone, if I unbox it and use it to install only my bitcoin wallet without using it to frequent online or click links and neither will I download other apps. Will I still be easily hacked?

You get hacked only if you expose yourself to scammers. If you don't click random links and join giveaways by connecting your wallets to receive airdrops, you likely might not be hacked.

I can recommend a more secure way to save your coins without getting a hardware wallet. You can use two devices to create a multiSig wallet. Such that for you to be hacked, the two or 3 different devices must be compromised.