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Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One, Apple iPhone 5, Sony Xperia Z Ultra, LG Optimus G and more coming soon which keeps massing in the market and confusing consumers. Some of them are great, some are just right and some are simply lame. Here are top 10 essential things you should check before purchasing a new smartphone.

Display Screen

Some of the latest smartphones have at least 5-inches of display screen and consists of high pixel count for sharp images and text. If you are a movie savvy and desires to watch videos using a smartphone, make sure to get a device with a large screen and full HD display feature to enjoy entertainment to the max.

Dual-core or Quad-core?

Mid-range smartphones today are usually equipped with dual-core processors while high-range are quad-core equipped. Smartphones with quad-core CPUs are faster in terms of loading and processing data of several applications, games and data transfer. However, the downside is that quad-core phones are sold with a higher price compared to device with dual-core CPU.

Good Enough Amount of RAM

RAM or Random Access Memory is used by smartphones to load applications, games, music and movies. Generally, a high RAM means more multi-tasking power, low RAM devices will have difficulty on loading several applications at the same time. However, smartphones with high RAM such as 2GB are expensive and usually combined with at least quad-core processors. If you are practical, try using smartphones with 1GB of RAM and dual-core processors instead.

On-board Storage and External SD card Support

Performance and speed are great factors but if these two are matched with low storage, the smartphone is useless. Look for devices with at least 8GB of on-board storage and SD card support to allow you expanding space for more music, photos, apps and videos. Be reminded that smartphones with higher internal storage space are priced higher than normal.

Camera Power

At least look for 8MP camera shooter if you want to capture photos and videos regularly. Smartphones with 8MP shooters generate images and videos with higher resolution and usually include several features in shooting mode. Check also if your chosen phone has Back-Side Illumination or BSI, Optical Zooming, Low-light sensor or Zero shutter speed which improves capture results.

4G LTE Connection

Fourth-generation mobile connectivity is becoming common nowadays and wireless carriers are already installing more towers to support this feature. 4G LTE provides faster mobile data connection compared to 3G for speedy browsing loading or more stable free video call via apps.

Durability and Endurance

If you have enough money to spare, try checking out smartphones with resistance properties against dust, shock or water. Everyday hazards can damage your phone which will cost you more if the device is severed. Some phones feature protection type such as Corning Gorilla Glass or IP57 certification.

Service Centres and Customer Support

Since there is no such thing as a perfect smartphone, it is likely you will report issues on your device. Aside from speed, performance, resistance and features, ask the retailer where is the nearest service centre in your area so it will be convenient for you to visit whenever something goes wrong on your smartphone.

Warranty Duration

One-year warranty is good but if you can add a small amount to extend it for another year, do it. Repairing a smartphone without any warranty is more expensive than being covered with one. If your network carrier or local retailer offers more than one year of warranty, consider that important factor.

Price: Contract or No-Contract?

Choosing between contract and no-contract smartphone depends on your capability to pay more bills. Non-contract smartphone are expensive because of one-time big cash-out but free from hassle to a network carrier while contract units are offered in lower rates with economic promo deals but locks you down within two-years.