High-end smartphones today should have a 120Hz refresh rate. I absolutely cannot compromise in that regard because my eyes have adapted to high refresh rate computer monitors and TVs. Everything feels choppy when I switch back to a 60Hz display.

Some people who haven't used a high refresh rate screen before would struggle to notice the difference between 60Hz and 120Hz. However, once you downgrade to a 60Hz screen, you'll immediately notice the choppiness as you scroll and navigate through menus.

Considering you'll be looking at your phone's screen every time you pick it up, you shouldn't settle for anything less than 120Hz, especially if you're paying over $800. But if you're in the market for a mid-range phone, make sure it has a 90Hz refresh rate at the very least.

2 Triple-Lens Camera Setup

We all take a ton of photos and videos with our smartphones today. Therefore, it needs to pack a class-leading camera setup with multiple lenses that allow you to shoot in different scenarios.

Most high-end phones take great pictures with their main lenses, but you need to make sure they have equally good ultrawide and telephoto lenses for the price you pay. Personally, I would want the most versatile lens setup if I'm paying a grand or more.

However, if you're in the market for a mid-range phone, settling for a smartphone with a dual-camera setup is okay. The second lens may be either telephoto or ultrawide, so choose depending on what kind of shots you plan to take with your phone.

3 OLED Screen

Whether you're looking for a mid-range or high-end smartphone, it should have an OLED display to meet today's standards. OLED and AMOLED screens are superior to LCD panels, as they pack self-emitting pixels that can control their brightness individually instead of using an LED backlight.

You get perfect blacks as the pixels shut off individually to display black content, resulting in an infinite contrast ratio. They also offer the widest viewing angles and can display a broader range of colors with great accuracy, making them perfect for content consumption.

4 Flagship Processor

For 2024, I would want the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip if I'm going for an Android device or Apple's A17 Pro chip if I'm interested in the newest iPhones. You shouldn't settle for anything less if you're paying $1000 or more for a smartphone.

Mid-range buyers should carefully check the specifications and see if the phone has yesteryear's flagship chip, like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or the A16 Bionic.

These high-end processors will ensure smooth performance no matter what task you throw at it. They will continue to do so for several years, so you don't have to upgrade your smartphone often.

5 At Least 8GB of RAM

Gone are the days when you could get away with 4GB of RAM in a smartphone. In 2024, I'd want at least 8GB of RAM, especially if it's an Android device. 6GB is fine if it's an iPhone, as iOS does a much better job at memory management.

You'll be able to multitask effortlessly and have several apps running in the background with no issues on a phone with 8GB of RAM or higher.

Almost all Android flagships in 2024 come with 12GB of RAM—the Galaxy S24 Ultra we reviewed is a good example. However, phones in the $500 to $800 price bracket often pack 8GB of RAM, like the Google Pixel 8 we reviewed in late 2023.

6 All-Day Battery Life

No matter what phone you buy, its battery should be good enough to last you for a whole day under normal use. Nobody wants to carry around power banks or chargers every day they head to work. As a power user, I want my phone to get me through a whole workday despite heavy use.

From my experience, Android phones with a battery capacity of 5000mAh or higher tend to meet my expectations. As for iPhones, the bigger Pro Max and Plus variants last noticeably longer than their smaller siblings. I highly recommend opting for bigger phones, as they generally have bigger batteries.

7 256GB of Storage

Today's smartphones can shoot high-resolution photos and videos that quickly eat up your precious internal storage space. The iPhone 15 Pro, for example, takes 24MP photos by default and records at 4K/60FPS. And if you shoot in Apple's ProRes and ProRAW formats, even 256GB of storage won't be sufficient.

Apps are also getting bigger and better with each passing day, so you need to make sure you can use your phone for years without worrying about storage space. Otherwise, you'll have to pay a monthly fee for a cloud storage service like iCloud or Google One and move some of your data to the cloud.

Therefore, I highly recommend getting a phone with 256GB of internal storage. You can get away with 128GB of storage if you're a casual user who rarely takes photos and doesn't install a ton of apps. It's also a nice bonus if the phone has an SD card slot.

8 Long-Term Software Support

If I'm spending a grand on a smartphone, I expect the manufacturer to support it with software updates for several years. Apple does an excellent job in this department, as iPhones released in 2018 officially support its most recent iOS version, iOS 17.

Android phones are a bit behind in this aspect, typically offering OS updates for two to four years. However, as of 2024, both Google and Samsung promise seven years of OS updates for the flagship Pixel 8 and Galaxy S24 series of phones. So, if you plan to buy an Android phone from any other manufacturer in 2024, be sure to check these details beforehand.

If a smartphone I'm interested in misses the mark in any of these aspects, it's a major dealbreaker. There are other features that I consider, like wireless charging and a higher water resistance rating, but I could definitely live without them.