Congratulations! You’ve spent hours and hours researching, getting advice, contemplating and waiting, but you now FINALLY have a new smartphone! It’s the best device on the market: highest resolution screen, fastest processor, lots of storage and an amazing camera. When you use it strangers stop you and ask, “what phone is that?” You’ve got the highest-rated and most-envied smartphone on the market and life is good.

Fast forward one month and the unthinkable has happened: There’s a new phone that has just been released. It’s faster, has a higher resolution screen, double the storage and more megapixels in the camera. To add insult to injury, it’s thinner, lighter and has a longer lasting battery. Suddenly your new phone doesn’t feel quite so new anymore. However, before you throw your phone out the window in frustration, ask yourself whether you really need to have the newest device on the market.

Here are some important questions to ask yourself to determine whether you are truly in need of an upgrade:

Do you text/email frequently?

As much as we may love touchscreens, they can be notoriously difficult to type on. Smartphone manufacturers have been gravitating towards larger screens that make typing significantly easier. If you spend more time correcting your typing than actually writing, then it is probably time for you to upgrade to a newer device.

Do you play games?

This depends very much on what types of games you play. Games that have simpler visuals – such as Sudoku or chess – should continue to run well on your older device. More graphically-demanding games like Infinity Blade or Ski Safari, however, might lag because of an inadequate processor. If you lose a game before you even get a chance to know what is happening, then it is definitely time for an upgrade.

Are you always on the go?

One thing that smartphones are not known for is good battery life. Some newer devices boast significantly better performance, however this varies from device to device. Regardless of what device you have, its battery life will degrade over time. This is not too concerning for phones that have replaceable batteries; however, for devices that have non-removable batteries like the iPhone, you will have to pay to have your battery replaced (Apple currently charges $79 for a replacement). Some solutions to this problem are to increase the frequency at which you charge your phone or purchase a case that is also an external battery. If these don’t sound appealing to you then you may have no choice but to upgrade your phone.

Do you take a lot of photos?

While there are many apps that will enhance your photos, there is only so much that can be done with a low quality camera. Now rivaling the quality of point-and-shoot cameras, smartphone cameras can be a good resource for the photographer in all of us. If your current phone is not adequately capturing your moments, then you should consider it a good time to upgrade your device.

Of course, investing in a new smartphone is a very personal decision and so only you can truly know if you are in need of an upgrade. By asking yourself the above questions, you can determine whether you will actually benefit from the new features or if you have simply been caught up in the hype. If you decide to upgrade, consider trading in your old device or sell it in order to subsidize the cost of your shiny new phone!

Are there any other questions that are important to ask yourself when considering an upgrade? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter @Uberflip.