Much like school starts every year, another cycle begins around this time. That is the cycle of the modern smartphone, a device that college kids seem to be unable to live without. To combat this need, your friendly neighborhood carriers will be happy to introduce you to the latest of 2013’s phones. Here’s quick a run-down of new smartphones you may have missed – and ones you may want to keep your eye on in the future.

HTC One: The One is HTC’s newest flagship. They’ve put a lot of money into this smartphone, and it shows when you look at the Beats speakers next to the impressive 1080p screen. Couple that with the aluminum body and you’ve found 2013’s arguably best-looking smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy S4: The Galaxy brand is famous for a reason: it’s backed by the largest electronics manufacturer in the world. Samsung makes quality products, and that shines through in their latest 5-inch flagship. The S4 improves upon the S3 in many ways; from the 1080p screen to the extremely impressive 13 megapixel camera to the host of hardware tweaks that make this likely the fastest Android phone out at the time of this writing. The only thing holding it back is the dated Touchwiz interface, but that can be remedied in a variety of ways.

Nokia Lumia 1020: This phone was released in the middle of the year, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hold a well-earned spot on this list. For $299, you get a Windows Phone 8 device by the folks at Lumia, but this one’s unlike any other smartphone out there: it has a 41 megapixel camera. With quadruple the megapixels of most lenses today, it takes stunning photos and seems to be meant for those who want a new camera rather than a new phone. Nokia’s accessories embellish this view; they even have an attachable grip that makes the 1020 look like a point-and-shoot. If you like Windows Phone 8’s interface, this is the camera – I mean, phone – for you.

Those are the biggest contenders right now, but the fall is bringing some equally-threatening devices to the market. Behold a few phones that may be worth holding on to your wallet for:

Motorola Moto X: While, at the time of this writing, the phone has few official releases, the company recently acquired by Google is attempting to make a comeback in the cell phone market. Motorola reportedly has plans to let Moto X users order the phone to look how they want it to, whether that’s a different color or perhaps a different material backing. Beyond that, not much is known about the X, other than it’s stirring up excitement from many fans who wish to see the brand reborn.

Samsung Galaxy Note III: As stated by YouTubers like MKBHD, the Note III is probably going to be 2013’s end-all, be-all smartphone. With an anticipated 3GB of RAM, a 1080p screen and a more than 5” display to house all of those pixels, the Note III will improve upon what its last generation did so well: bridge the gap between smartphone and tablet. At the time of this writing, it is rumored that the Note III may be Samsung’s official move away from the cheap plastic look of the brand to a more modern metallic material like that of the HTC One. Build quality is often the largest knock against Samsung’s smart products, so a revolution might be right around the corner.

Apple iPhone 5S (or iPhone mini?): Apple is very tight-lipped, but we’re practically guaranteed a new iPhone this year, and some people are unsure if it will be a 5S or the heavily-rumored iPhone mini. The mini is supposed to be a budget iPhone, while the 5S will feature the usual subtle improvements to the wildly successful iPhone 5 that debuted last year. No matter what happens, we’ll get a new iPhone, and it will rock.

These are some of the largest-expected hitters for the year of 2013. Stay tuned to the Iowa State Daily all throughout the school year for the tech updates that matter to you.