There are a lot of folks out there that like to read rumors, and keep tabs on how a particular phone, or tablet, is coming along based on a varied array of reports. Some things are legitimately things, maybe even more often than not, and then sometimes there are plenty of controlled leaks, where companies might want to see how a particular feature, whether hardware or software, resonates with potential buyers out there in the real world.

The Rumor Mill is a consistent machine, churning out sightings, theories, estimations, and everything else in between. It resonates with anyone who loves to be up-to-date on anything and everything, even if we’re all aware that, more than likely, the majority of those rumors aren’t going to pan out.

Of course, you can always generally tell how accurate a rumor might be based on the time it gets revealed to the internet, and how far away a device’s launch is. The further out, it’s probably not as stable as a rumor that picks up steam out of the Mill just before a device’s unveiling.

And some rumors feel like the only way they come true is the sheer will of numbers. For example, how often did we hear about Apple building a smartphone with a bigger display than 3.5 inches, or even four inches? And then on the Android side, how many times have we heard that HTC is building a Nexus, let alone two Nexus-branded devices in a particular year?

And some devices get more attention than others. Some handsets make the rounds without gaining much attention, or even seeing a lot of unofficial details revealed before a company’s big unveiling. And then on the other hand, it sometimes feels like some handsets get completely unveiled before the announcement, basically ruining any and all surprise.

But the internet eats it up anyway.

So I can’t help but be curious: How much do those rumors matter to you? All of those unofficial reports that start to paint a picture of an upcoming smartphone, do they weigh upon your decision to upgrade now or wait a bit longer? And if rumors matter at all, which ones typically spark your interest enough to wait to see the final build of a particular handset? Let me know!