How much of your day do you spend on the phone? How about checking and answering e-mail? As important as your laptop or desktop may be, your Smartphone has arguably become the most important tool in your personal tech arsenal.

The right one can make you more efficient, better connected, and more attractive to the opposite sex. (Well, two out of three, anyway.) And when it’s past time to upgrade, an old phone on a bad network starts to feel like a weight around your neck.

This fall’s crops of smartphones are the lightest, slimmest, and most capable ever. But with so many choices, it’s important to know your options. Whether you’re looking for a Blackberry, an iPhone, or something more exotic, keep these in mind when you’re picking out your next phone.

• Check Service with Friends Phones
• Go GSM if at all Possible
• Learn Your Contract Rights
• Know the E-Mail-Support Story
• Try out the Keyboard
• Get a Great Browser
• Unlock it or Jailbreak it?
• Meet Your Memory Needs
• Don’t Get Hooked on the Hybrids
• Realize That Palm is dead, seriously