When something new is launching, especially when it comes to a phone, piece of software, or tablet (or all of the above), you usually hear a laundry list of new things that should compel you to buy the new thing. For our phones and tablets, it’s all about the packaged deal. How does it all work together, and how do the new features, whether they be software or hardware, make our lives easier? Or, if nothing else, inject a bit of fun into it? But, for some people, maybe even most, the laundry list of features usually gets whittled down to one feature or another, and that’s where we put the focus of our future purchase.

This isn’t new, though. Actually, if we look at, say, video games, and consoles specifically, we can see it happen quite frequently. For a console, the hardware is one thing, but it can come down to a video game to really drive sales. This can be compared to a phone or tablet’s “killer feature,” which we all know they have. It’s the one thing that stands out amongst the other list of features, and the one thing that we really want to get our hands on and try out.

I used the camera on my phone pretty regularly, but unless it was an absurdly bad shooter, I didn’t really pay much attention to what I was using. As long as I was able to take the photo, and it didn’t look horrible, I was usually content with it. That used to be the case, anyway. Over the last year or so, as my daughters have grown, I’ve started to care more about the camera that I use to take their photos. I should probably be using a dedicated device for this, but I’m still all about the consolidation of my devices, so the camera in my smartphone is super important.

That’s why the Nokia Lumia 920 called out to me. The camera on the Lumia 920 was said to be one of the greatest out there, so it seemed like an obvious choice for someone who already wanted to switch to Windows Phone 8 anyway. And since then, the camera hasn’t let me down yet. It really is amazing in low-light situations, and I’m not seeing any real drawbacks while taking photos outside, in the daylight, either. It really works quite well, and I’m consistently happy with the photos that I look over every day.

I know that some people would say that the Galaxy Note II’s killer feature is the huge display, but for me, that’s not the case. In my opinion, the killer feature with the Galaxy Note II is the S Pen and the coupled technology within. There are devices out there with big displays, and while the Galaxy Note II is the biggest (so far) for a phablet (because it is a phablet, even if I hate typing that word), I don’t consider that the handset’s “killer feature.” The S Pen, though, and the embedded, stylus-specific features the device boasts are pretty awesome to use.

If we’re talking about a display being the killer feature, I think we have to give that to HTC's DROID DNA at this point. It isn’t as big as the Galaxy Note II’s, as it measures in at “only” five inches, but the 1080p S-LCD 3 really is amazing. That is the killer feature for the DROID DNA, even if the device is just a big smartphone.

The LG Nexus 4? That device’s killer feature has to be the fact it’s running Android 4.2. Considering it’s the only device on the market to officially be using that specific version of Google’s mobile operating system, that’s definitely something to consider when you’re buying the newest Nexus device to hit the market.

But I want to hear about your device, Dear Reader. Tell me which smartphone you are using right now, and I want to hear which killer feature made you pull the trigger on your purchase. What is the one aspect to your phone that matters most to you, and is it still the one thing you use, or stare at, every day? Let me know!