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We’re thrilled to announce that iD Mobile is now a Which? Recommended Provider for Mobile Networks in 2020! Which? Is an independent consumer champion that advises customers nationwide on the best brands and services to trust across a huge range of industries. We’re delighted to be a Which? Recommended Mobile Network Provider, having outperformed bigger networks on signal reliability, download speeds, customer service and value for money. That means when you buy from us, whether it’s a new handset, new SIM or simply an upgrade, you know you’re going to get a smooth, reliable service from the moment you order and beyond. We strive to give every single person that chooses iD Mobile the best network service possible, because you should be able to count on your phone whenever you need it. So, we love to hear that our customers are enjoying using our service. We love helping you, our iD Community Members and customers, find your perfect phone and make the most of it with a service you can always rely on. Thanks for choosing us!

Looking for ways to keep fit without heading to the gym? Our pick of the best fitness apps will help you hit your goals anywhere… If there’s one thing that lockdown (and Joe Wicks) has proved, it’s that you don’t need your usual workout-spot to keep hitting your targets. Sometimes, all you need is a bit of space motivation, and a handy app to keep you on track. Here are a few that we love: Fitplan Free 7-day trial. Available on iOS and Android Missing your gym partner or personal trainer but not ready to go back just yet? Fitplan may have the answer. Combining one-to-one personal training with goal-focused workouts, you can hit your targets with the help of professional trainers and athletes. There’s a huge choice of workouts available, from sessions designed to build strength, to weight-loss focused exercise. Just pick the exercise plan that best suits your motivation and get tracking! Fitplan works on a subscription basis, so you pay for your ideal fitness program at a fraction of the cost of a personal trainer. Nice! Couch to 5K Available on iOS and Android This one is the ultimate ‘no-excuses’ app that works no matter your fitness level. Even if you’ve spent the past few months just focusing on the couch part, you can train to run 5 km in as little as 9 weeks with a fun, rewarding program. The app features five trainers for different goals, including former Olympic sprinter Michael Johnson and radio host Jo Whiley. You can even connect with like-minded people on the Couch to 5K forum to keep that energy going. The easy-to-read countdown timer shows you how long is left of each workout, while the app works with your favourite music apps to deliver motivation and workout tunes at the same time. Aaptiv Free with in-app purchases on iOS & Android Having great music and a personal trainer to guide you are both great motivators in the gym, but why be restricted? Aaptive offers access to audio fitness classes whenever you like, combined with brilliant music playlists to keep you in the zone. There are classes suited to beginners, experts, and everyone in-between, whether you’re training for a marathon or just love to start your day with a HIIT session. You can tailor your own fitness journey, too. With 30 new workout classes every week in categories including running, strength training and yoga, it’s the perfect app to help you change up your routine and keep it exciting. Nike Training Club Free with in-app purchases on iOS & Android We’ve mentioned this app before, but we still love it here at iD. The Nike Training Club app features over 185 expertly designed workouts to keep you smashing your targets and taking on new challenges with or without the gym. The more you train, the more personalised your workout recommendations become. You’ll even find workouts designed to make the most of limited space, making it the perfect go-to on those rainy days. If you’ve got an Apple Watch, the app is fully compatible too. So, you don’t need to pause your workout session to check your phone. One final tip: fitness apps that feature video streaming, movement and location tracking can use quite a bit of data. If you’re not sure how much of your allowance you’re using, take a look at the iD Mobile app. No matter where you are, you can keep track of your usage without burning through any more data. Have you tried any of these apps? What fitness app has helped you keep active this summer? Let us know below!

Having the latest version of the operating system and apps you use is pretty important. Here’s why, and how to make sure you’re always one step ahead. Whether you’re watching a YouTube clip on your smartphone or browsing the web, update notifications can be an annoying distraction. All too often, it’s easy to swipe them away and forget about them. However, keeping your software and apps up to date is essential. It’s also quick, simple, and can avoid issues later on. For starters, the latest app updates come with security updates too. Many of the apps you use store your personal info, and hackers can take advantage of outdated app design to steal your data. The best way to prevent that is with a quick update. Updates also solve bug fixes. If you’ve ever tried to load an app and found it repeatedly crashing when you tap a certain button, the chances are it’s already been fixed in a newer version. So, it’s always worth checking. As for your operating system, updates are there to improve your overall security, user experience, and remove any flaws and glitches. To check that your Android phone’s system is updated, go to your settings, tap About phone and check for updates. From there, it’s easy to download and install. If you have an iPhone, the process is just as easy. Plug your phone into a power source and connect to Wi-Fi. Go to Settings, then General, and tap Software Update. If there is an update available, tap Download and Install to keep your iPhone as fast and secure as possible. For apps, the process is a little different. Here’s how to do it: iPhone Checking for app updates on iOS is incredibly easy. Head to the App Store and tap on the Updates tab. From there, you can see a list of all the apps you’ve already downloaded that have an update for you to install. Simply tap on the updates you want to install, sit back and relax. The best way to keep your iPhone apps current is to enable auto-update. This scans for app updates when you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network, so you don’t burn through data when you’re downloading. To enable this, launch Settings, go to App Store and turn on automatic downloads. That way, you don’t have to worry. Android Keeping your apps up to date is pretty straightforward on most Android smartphones. No matter the manufacturer or model, the process is largely the same. Simply head to the Google Play Store, tap on the menu icon, then My apps & games. From there you’ll see the updates tab and it’ll automatically start checking to see if there are any. If you want to make it even easier, you can set your Android device to auto-update whenever there’s an update available. Go to the Google Play Store, tap on the menu icon and head to Settings. You’ll see the Auto-update apps option on the menu, and you can choose between automatically updating apps over your network (that’s your data), or just over Wi-Fi. We’d recommend choosing the Wi-Fi option, as app updates can be a drain on data. Speaking of data, you can always stay fully up to date with how much of your allowance you’ve used. Just open the iD Mobile app and keep track of your minutes and data. Using the app doesn’t consume any data either, so you can check wherever you are. Need any more help with your smartphone? Check out our helpful guides in the iD Mobile Community!

From exclusive podcasts to limitless downloads, there’s an audio streaming app out there for everyone. With the summer months beginning, the weather getting better and barbeque season in full swing, there’s never been a better time to turn to streaming apps for convenient listening, hassle-free downloads and the huge range of choice they provide. But which one should you go for? To help you choose, here’s a run-down of the top 5 music streaming apps for Android and iOS this year, and what makes them so great. Get your sunglasses on, the speakers turned up and that playlist ready! Spotify ( Android , iOS ) There are over 217 million Spotify users around the world right now, and over 100 million of them pay for Spotify Premium. So, what are the benefits? When you subscribe to Spotify Premium, you can download an unlimited number of albums and songs to listen to offline in higher quality. Once you start building your library, Spotify learns what kind of music you like and makes great recommendations with Daily Mixes just for you. Unwind to the albums you love without any annoying ad breaks, and there’s a mind-blowing choice of podcasts to tune into. Some podcasts are made exclusively for Spotify, so you won’t find them anywhere else. You’re also able to play any song seamlessly on any of your devices – so if you’re listening to a track on your phone when you arrive home, you can easily switch to listening on your laptop. If you want to give Spotify a go, you can try Premium free for 3 months. After that, it’s only £9.99 a month for a single subscription or £14.99 for a family plan with 6 accounts! And if you’re a student, you can subscribe to Premium for only £4.99 monthly! Apple Music ( Android , iOS ) If you’re a fan of Apple and love the flawless iPhone, Apple Watch and Mac ecosystem, Apple Music might just be the perfect streaming app for you. There are over 60 million songs to listen to, and using the app is very similar to iTunes (RIP). Just like Spotify, there’s no limit to how many songs you download or how many devices you listen on. And if you’re moving over from an iPhone to Android smartphone, you can still download Apple Music and keep your whole library of tunes. But that’s not all. You can also listen live to radio stations broadcasting from all over the world, including Apple’s own station, Beats 1. Like Spotify, you can give Apple Music a 3-month trial run for free. After your trial, it’s £9.99 a month for individuals or £14.99 a month for a family subscription (up to 6 people). And again, if you’re a student, just verify your college or university and it’s £4.99 a month. Google Play Music ( Android , iOS ) Google’s music streaming app has loads to offer, no matter what device you use. There’s over 40 million songs available, along with radio stations based on artists, songs, albums or genre. So, if you find a new band and love how they sound, it’s easy to find similar music and expand your tastes. If you’ve already got a huge library of existing tracks, you can upload them to your Google Play Music account and listen to them alongside your new discoveries. Easy. You’ll also get to enjoy your music and podcasts completely ad-free, get smart recommendations based on what you listen to, and you’ll even get access to YouTube Music Premium too. Try Google Play Music free for 30 days. After the trial period, Google Play Music is competitively priced at £9.99 a month for single users, and £14.99 a month for families of up to 6 people. YouTube Music ( Android , iOS ) YouTube Music is a little different to other music streaming apps. Of course, you’ll be able to watch music videos while listening to your favourite artists, but that’s not the only difference. Unlike regular YouTube, you can listen to your music in the background while using other apps or casually browsing. That means you can lock your screen to save power and keep the tunes flowing. Remember the lyrics but forgotten the song title? Thanks to Google’s searching smarts, you can find the track you’re looking for simply by entering a lyric from the song. And it’s not just about official studio recordings. You’ll also get access to live versions of songs, covers, remixes, mashups and more. Try YouTube Music Premium for one month absolutely free. After that, just like Spotify and Apple Music, it’s £9.99 a month for a standard premium subscription and £4.99 for subscribers. Or you can subscribe to a family account for £14.99 a month for up to 5 people. Amazon Prime Music ( Android , iOS ) Amazon Prime Music is by far the most affordable option for music lovers. You need to have an Amazon Prime membership to access the 2 million songs in the Prime library, but you also get unlimited one-day delivery and Amazon Prime Video. If you have an Amazon Alexa-enabled device, you can ask Alexa to play a song and you’ll hear it instantly. You’ll also get unlimited downloads, so it’s great for taking your music on the commute or to places with reduced signal. At just £7.99 a month for a regular Prime membership and £3.99 a month for students, Prime is considerably cheaper than the competition. And for a limited time for students, you can try Prime for a whole 6 months for free! Those are our five top music streaming apps! What streaming service do you use to find new tunes? Let us know below!

Who would have thought that once upon a time when you took a photo you would have to wait until you had 36 other photos on your film before you could see any of them! Then you would have to take them to get developed, wait a few hours (or even days!) only to realise there was a finger over the lens or someone walking past your perfect shot. Now, our smartphones offer us pretty much unlimited opportunities to get ‘the perfect shot’. But even if we can’t take the ‘perfect shot’ there is an abundance of apps that will help make it even better then when you took it. This month we are looking at the best apps available to help make those moments look even better, read to the end to see how you can enter this month’s competition to win a brand new Google Pixel 3a XL and be a part of next month’s newsletter. Adobe Lightroom CC Available on: iOS & Android One of the best photo editing apps available, Lightroom CC not only has a comprehensive free option with more options to edit then you’ll ever need it can also be upgraded to a paid version with even more options! With the free version you’ll be able to take photos through the app and remove any pesky blemishes as they appear alongside being able to adjust contrast, brightness, definition and depth! Carbon Available on: iOS & Android Who doesn’t think a black & white photo can make the most mundane subject look effortlessly cooler! Your phones camera will always take a picture in full colour but with the Carbon app you have a plethora of monochrome filters to tinker with to bring out your inner auteur! Afterlight 2 Available on: iOS & Android Another great app that lets you tinker with a whole manner of settings like saturations, tone, texture adjusting. It also unlike other free photography apps, offers brand new content every month to make sure you always have new ways to make that great photo even better! VSCO Available on: iOS & Android We’ve all had a play with the filters on Instagram and they are feeling a little overused now, VSCO offers very similar functionality to Instagram editing with a little more detail and better filter options. Some of the more fun filter options are ones where you can emulate the good old days of grainy Kodak film! Now that we’ve shared some great apps for editing those masterpieces you’ve taken, now its time to show us what you can do and be in with a chance to win the amazing Google Pixel 3a XL and have your picture featured in next month’s iD Mobile Community Newsletter! All you have to do is Share your best picture of a sunset or sunrise (please don’t include people in your pics!) by 23.59 on 12th July Post it in the comments below (just press the ‘insert image’ button) Admire everyone else’s pictures Full T’s & C’s can be found here Happy snapping!

What’s usually an extremely busy time for festivals, parades and other events is upon us but owing to the current climate most if not all of the events we would have been looking forward to have been cancelled. While it may feel like life has given us lemons, the entertainment industry is making them into lemonade by hosting a whole manner of ‘virtual’ events to make us still get those festival vibes. We may not be able to go to Glastonbury, take part in a Pride march or visit Comic Con but through the wonder of the internet we can still go visit a local park, meet up with our social bubbles and stream the events through our devices! Just a reminder; you can always stay on top of your data allowances through the iD Mobile App so you don’t run out of data, you can also change your price plan to give you more allowances should you need to and even add data bundles! If you haven’t done already download the iD Mobile app to your device and head here to find out more. Glastonbury 2020 Where to find it: BBC iPlayer on iOS & Android What was supposed to be the 50th anniversary of the biggest festival in the UK has this year turned into a 5 day celebration of the best of Glastonbury’s past! Even though the online event has already happened it is still all loaded into the iPlayer ready for you to dip in and out of Wireless Festival 2020 (3rd – 5th July) Where to find it: Wireless YouTube channel & Facebook Live Renamed this year to Wireless Connect, the virtual festival will feature brand new pre recorded (at Alexandra Palace Studios) performances alongside highlights from previous years. While you are out in the garden or field watching the event and have a VR headset you can fully immerse yourself in that live music festival feeling! Happy Place Virtual Festival (12th June – 12th July) Where to find it: happyplacefestival.com Themed around wellbeing and inspired by creator Ferne Cottons podcast of the same name, this festival of ‘happy’ will cover everything from TV, sport, radio, music and wellness. All of the content is free and will be presented by a host of amazing personalities and performers. Whether you are alone outside or surrounded by your social bubble there’s something here for everyone to enjoy. San Diego Comic Con 2020 (23rd – 26th July) Where to find it: comic-con.org The annual ‘nerd mecca’ might not be happening in a crowded convention hall but it is moving to an online event where all of the major panels for new movies, your favourite TV shows and video games will still be taking place. Can you feel your spider sense tingling with excitement! Pride Inside 28th June – 10th July Where to find it: prideinside.uk A virtual festival in lieu of the many Pride events held around the country will last for two weeks featuring a whole host of musical performances, panel discussions and readings from celebrities and peaceful activists for change. We hope there’s something here for everyone to enjoy, if there are any other virtual events you’ve already attended or are planning to attend that we’ve missed feel free to leave a comment and let the community know!

With the weather getting consistently hotter, the days already longer (read about that here) and our restrictions easing even more the options for leaving the house are widening. A lot of us have been so used to being on Wi-Fi during lockdown we’ve not been taking full advantage of our mobile data plans, we thought we’d remind you about some of the great apps and services available to stream content! Whether you are on a long car journey, in a field or enjoying the sun from the garden there’s something for everyone! Just a reminder; you can always stay on top of your data allowances through the iD Mobile App so you don’t run out of data, you can also change your price plan to give you more allowances should you need to and even add data bundles! If you haven’t done already download the iD Mobile app to your device and head here to find out more. Sports! With most sporting leagues being postponed earlier in the year there is a lot of catching up to do now most leagues are back on the pitch. You can find new and old games live on BBC iPlayer, iTV Hub and even Amazon Prime are providing free access to some sporting games! Movies! Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ are absolutely loaded with hundreds and hundreds of movies covering every genre! We won’t tell you why you need these as the chances are you already have them, what we will share though is some guidance on typically how much data these apps consume if you use them out of the house. If one hour of content streamed on Netflix uses roughly 1GB for every hour, your average 90 minute movie will use around 1.5GB! Remember to always check your allowances through the iD Mobile App Virtual Events We may not be able to go to Glastonbury, take part in a Pride march or visit Comic Con but through the wonder of the internet we can still go visit a local park, meet up with our social bubbles and stream the events through our devices! Read more about virtual events here Have we missed any other ways to stream content to your phone while you are out and about? Let us know in the comments below what you use to stream and what you are looking forward to streaming first!

Welcome to the June competition! What’s the prize? Last month’s giveaway was so popular, we decided to do it again for June! You could be in with a chance of winning a £50 Currys PC World voucher to use online so you can treat yourself to some of the latest tech! How to enter For a chance to win, all you need to do is tell us ‘What is your most cherished summer time memory is’ Make sure you post your answer in the comments below. Don’t miss out! The competition ends at midnight on Sunday 7th June, and we’ll reveal the lucky winner shortly after. Best of luck and we hope you have a great month! The legal stuff Terms and Conditions apply

Does your phone die an early death each day? There’s nothing more annoying than when you’re about to air guitar your favourite riff, only for your phone to pack up and die on you. So, to ensure you keep rockin’ from door to door, check out our battery boosting tips below. Dim the screen brightness or use auto brightness It’s fight night: “In the red corner! the big, beautiful, colourful display. In the blue corner! the infamous, battery.” Red corner’s going to win every time – the display eliminates battery life at a rapid pace. More so than anything else on your phone. Either turn the brightness down or select auto-brightness that will adjust the screen's brightness to appropriate levels to save battery. Don’t leave apps running in the background It’s like leaving someone hanging on the line while you take another call, it’s not cool. Let the apps have a little rest, close them down. They won’t take it personally, they know you’re just saving battery. Go easy on location services and GPS Google Maps is great while you’re getting across town. But does your ‘angry pig flying whatcha-ma-call-it’ app really need to know where you are at all times? I don’t think so! Turn off Wifi Wifi, when you-don’t-need-fi? By simply turning off your Wifi you can save battery, as your phone won’t be working hard looking for connections. Turn off Bluetooth Unless you just can’t stop listening to ‘I’m sexy and I know it’ on your wireless speakers, we suggest turning off your Bluetooth to help save battery. Because just like WiFi your phone is constantly looking for a connection when it’s on. Don’t use vibrate When your phone is on vibrate it uses a lot of battery to move it. A ringtone doesn’t use as much, so turn vibrate off. Turn off non-essential notifications It’s probably not the best idea to turn off notifications for text messages or missed calls. We don’t want you missing Grandma’s weekly check-in. But being sure to switch off redundant notifications will not only help your battery last longer it’ll also help you avoid unnecessary distractions. Ooh look a dog!

The traditional methods of storing data such as hard drives and USB sticks or memory cards have been around for many years. While they have their advantages there are also a number of pain points, what happens if the hard drive breaks or the little USB stick gets lost? The rise of the smartphone over the last decade has also brought with it a more innovative method to store your precious photos, videos and documents – The Cloud. So, what is ‘The Cloud’? In the simplest of terms, cloud computing means storing and accessing data like your photos and videos, over the Internet instead of your computer's hard drive. The cloud is just a metaphor for the Internet. There are a number of free cloud storage options available these days, here we highlight some of our favourites. Google Drive Android – Built In or Google Play Store (free) iOS - Apple app store (free) Google Drive, for Android users is the best known cloud storage service as it is built directly into your device. This is Google’s own service and offers an impressive 15GG of free storage from the get go! Other storage plans are available should you need more space. Google Drive is super easy to use for uploading all of your pictures, it also links in great with Google Docs. Apple iCloud Android – Not available iOS – Built In If you're an iPhone or iPad user, you most likely use iCloud to back-up at least some of your data. It's well integrated into iOS and also runs on Mac and Windows computers, and automatically updates and stores your files across all connected devices. The free version comes with 5GB of storage which you can use to backup photos, videos, mail, notes, calendars, app data, contacts and documents. One Drive Android –Google Play Store (free) iOS - Apple app store (free) Microsoft One Drive is as you have guessed, Microsoft’s cloud storage service, it was formally known as SkyDrive before a rebrand. Similar to the other services mentioned its super easy to use with a clean looking interface. The free service comes with 5GB of free storage, with higher plans available. The great thing with One Drive is its seamless integration with your Windows computer. Dropbox Android –Google Play Store (free) iOS - Apple app store (free) Dropbox is one of the most popular cloud storage options for users of both Android and iOS owing to the time it has been available. Again, the app is very intuitive and functional for all your storage needs. Dropbox offers 2GB of free storage, which is a little lower than the others mentioned above however there is a lot more functionality opened up with a trial of the premium service which gives a huge 2TB (Terabytes) of storage. So, these are just some of the best cloud storage options available to you across all your devices. Let us know if we have missed any in the comments below.

That big HD or 4K screen in your living room is the perfect way to view the photos and videos you have saved on your smartphone or tablet. Now that most TVs have built-in Wi-Fi, it's simpler than ever to connect your mobile devices. In this guide we'll explain how to quickly and easily get your mobile device and TV talking to one another so you can start making more use of that big screen in your home Google Chromecast – Android and iOS Google has created a very affordable way of getting things from your device to your big screen with something they call a ‘Chromecast Dongle’. It’s a little device that plugs into a HDMI port on your TV and connects to your WiFi so your phone can ‘cast’ to it. 'Casting' is a general term that means sending content from one device to another, in this case from your mobile device to your TV. It's easy to spot when you can cast something because you'll see a specific icon. You'll usually see the icon on video apps such as YouTube and Netflix. If you select the icon, it will then bring up a list of devices that content can be cast to. Simply select your TV and the image will be displayed. If you can't see your chosen video on the TV, then try returning to your TV's home menu and cast again. Here's how to do it. Make sure your Chromecast and mobile device are on the same network. Open the Chromecast app on your phone or tablet. Select Cast Screen and then hit Cast Screen again on the next screen. You'll then select the Chromecast you want to connect with, and your device's screen will now be mirrored on your TV. How to get things from your iPhone/iPad to your TV Similar to Google, Apple have created a device that enables you to send pictures and video from your Apple device to your TV, it’s called Apple TV Rather than being a dongle to just send information to, the Apple TV is a mini set top box loaded with loads of apps and services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, iPlayer and more! You can of course also share all of those holiday pictures and videos with a modern slide show right from the sofa! Amazon Firestick Amazons answer to the Chromecast, the Firestick is another dongle type device that sits neatly in a HDMI port on your TV and lets your phone connect to it wirelessly Follow these simple steps to get connected Go to the Settings menu on your Fire TV Stick. Select Display & Sounds followed by Enable Display Mirroring. On your phone, select the screen mirroring option (not every phone and tablet will have this) from the quick-access menu. Select the Fire TV device you want to connect with. Hopefully you found this useful, let us know in the comments below if there are any other ways you get content from your phone to your TV.

Mental health awareness week may have already passed, but that doesn’t mean the spotlight on your wellbeing should be ignored. Now more than ever, in these difficult times, our state of mind needs more attention. We’ve pulled together some helpful tips and advice which you may find of use. Some of these have appeared in some previous articles we’ve published and include the link to read more should you find them helpful. Avoid social comparison (taken from https://community.idmobile.co.uk/blog-posts-and-competitions-45/7-tips-for-your-digital-wellbeing-30842) We all love scrolling through our social media feeds, but the downside is that it’s easy to feel like you’re in competition with others. Remember, what you see online isn’t an accurate portrayal of reality – so if anyone’s images make you feel insecure, try and ignore them. Better still, unfollow or block that person. How to keep connected with friends and loved ones The best way to stay in touch with family and friends right now is through a video call. There are lots of video calling apps to choose from: WhatsApp, FaceTime, Google Duo, Zoom and Skype to name a few! Have a read here for more detail on how to make the most of group calls from your Android device and here if you’re an iPhone user. Being social on walks Even though we are all adopting social distancing guidelines, we’ve never been more social, or have the opportunity to be, especially while on daily walks. A quick smile and a nod when passing someone could go a long way when we are all doing the same walks day in and day out. Who knows, once this passes, we could make new lifelong friends. Recommended app: Fitbit App Mobile tracker – No Fitbit needed Listen to the radio Radio listening figures have shown a 20% increase during these difficult times, as we work from home, help teach our children or just need a moment to relax, the radio can provide a wealth of benefits: humour, entertainment, music and the latest news in digestible bites. Recommended app: Kiss Kube Radio App Professional help available online 24/7 (taken from https://community.idmobile.co.uk/blog-posts-and-competitions-45/stay-healthy-with-help-from-technology-31442) You can also search online to find a vast array of therapists and counsellors, and book sessions on video platforms like Facetime or Skype, or arrange a session in person. You can find therapists and personal trainers listed on sites like Bark or specialised sites such as: https://welldoing.org , https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk and https://www.e-therapy.uk/ . If you’ve got any questions or thoughts on any of the points above, feel free to post a reply below. It’ll be shared with the rest of the Community.

Welcome to the May competition! The High St might be shut, but that doesn’t mean you can’t treat yourself to some of the latest tech online! What’s the prize? This month we are giving away two £50 Currys PC World vouchers to use on the website for two lucky winners! Fancy starting or adding to a smart home setup? Been looking for that new TV or sound system to bring the cinema to your living room? Or maybe you are looking to treat your kitchen to some shiny new appliances. How to enter For a chance to win, all you need to do is tell us ‘What is your most used home appliance is and why you’d want to upgrade it’ Make sure you post your answer in the comments below. Don’t miss out! The competition ends at midnight on Sunday 10th May, and we’ll reveal the lucky winner shortly after. Best of luck and we hope you have a great month! The legal stuff Terms and Conditions apply

With spring now in full swing, one of our favourite pastimes as a nation is to get our DIY and home renovation fix on. Unfortunately, things have been a little difficult to source recently with the current climate preventing a trip to the local DIY or furniture store and online sites restricting the purchase of paints and sofas. However, being in the modern age, we can still scratch that redecorating itch! The advancements in smart phone tech coupled with features like augmented reality (AR) mean you can use your phone camera and a simple app to style your home in ways you only daydreamt in your head without lifting a finger or spending a single pound! Let us talk you through some of the best home renovation services all available through your phone’s app store. Dulux Visualizer FREE - iOS App Store & Google Play Store on Android We’ve all been guilty of staring at the same 4 walls in our living rooms, kitchens, hallways and bathrooms, wondering how they’d look a different shade of that colour you’ve always wished they were. Well wonder no more, this incredibly simple and easy to use app lets you simply point the camera at a wall in your house and choose from hundreds of shades of the rainbow – who knew there were so many variants of grey! IKEA Place FREE - iOS App Store & Google Play Store on Android Have you got a plethora of cushions lining your sofa hiding years’ worth of food and pet stains? Is your dining room table looking a little tired? Or maybe you are looking to convert that spare room into a new home office. The IKEA Place app lets you browse their massive selection of furniture, choose the area of the room you’d like to place it (you can even place it over existing furniture) and then look at it, in your actual house, in real time using your phones camera! HomeByMe AR Experience FREE - iOS App Store & Google Play Store on Android Similar to the IKEA Place app, the HomeByMe app lets you choose from thousands of new furnishings, toys and even games consoles, from a wide selection of retailers and virtually place them in your house. And you can save all your desired products for later when you need a little help convincing yourself or a loved one that a wall mounted tv unit is absolutely essential to your living room. Currys Point & Place FREE - iOS App Store & Google Play Store on Android It’s not just the living room you can virtually furnish, the Currys Point & Place app lets you refurnish your kitchen (as well as your home office or living room) with new appliances and tech goodness! As with the other apps above, its super simple to get started just choose the department you’d like to shop and then move your camera to the place you’d like it to live! Each product even comes with a link to the site to pop it into your basket for now or later. These are some of the best apps for home improvements we could find, let us know in the comments below of any others you use to virtually redecorate your house

Living in this new world brings with it a ‘new normal’ and how we interact with what used to be mundane irrelevant tasks has changed significantly with our new hygiene conscious focus. Reducing the amount of physical contact, we have with others and objects is more important than ever, luckily our smart phones already have a wealth of apps and services that enable us to live as contact free a life as possible. As we need to leave the house for essentials or start acclimatising ourselves to being back out in public places here’s a reminder of or an introduction to how your device can help you live a more contactless, smart and tech savvy way. Contactless Payments All iPhones and Android phones (from 2014 onwards) have a contactless payment service already built in, Apple Pay and Google Pay, which lets you pay for goods using your debit or credit card but through your phone! As long as the payment is no more than £45, the limit was increased from £30 on the 1st April 2020, all you need to do is hover your device over the card reader and wait for the ‘ping’. There’s no need to touch the number pad or place your device on the card reader to pay. Supermarket Apps Visiting the supermarket can already be a stressful environment at the best of times, without all the added worries the current climate brings. Thankfully, most supermarkets have tried to make this a little easier for us with a range of apps to give you total control of your shopping experience. ‘Smart Shopping’ with a scanning gun has become more commonplace over the last few years, but did you know you can ‘Smart Shop’ with your mobile phone now. All with a simple app and your phones camera. Complete your shop by scanning all of your goods as you make your way round, bag them up through the aisle, finishing off by visiting a self-serve checkout, scanning the QR barcode and paying using the aforementioned Apple & Google Pay. Shopping just got easier and safer! Restaurant Apps Dining out should and always will be a great activity to do with friends and family. I’m sure everyone is already thinking about the first one they will visit, or maybe you already have been taking advantage of your favourite’s takeaway services. While all restaurants are closed, a lot are still offering a takeaway service which can be ordered and paid for using things like Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat. These super convenient apps mean there’s no need to leave the house or worry about passing money between you and the delivery driver. Looking forward to when restaurants are back open, we can still enjoy a date night dinner out or catch up with friends. With the added piece of mind that we can view the entire menu, order and even pay the bill all directly from the app on your phone! Bon appetite! These are just a few of the ways our smart phones can make the ‘new normal’ feel a little easier and more importantly, safer and more relaxed about the control we have. Let us know in the comments below if there’s any other apps you use to be contact free.

Have you been waiting for the latest instalment in Google’s line of smartphones? Well, you don’t need to wait any longer, as we’ve got them available for pre-order right now! What’s new about the Google Pixel 4’s design? The first thing you’ll notice about the latest Pixel phone is that Google have ditched their traditional two-tone colours in favour of a single, bold colour. There are three colours to choose from: Just Black, Clearly White, and the limited edition Oh So Orange. Whichever colour you choose, each handset features a black band around the handset that adds a striking contrast to the white and orange rear colours. The power button also contrasts the band and stands out even in poor lighting, so fumbling around to turn on your phone is a thing of the past. Once you’ve turned your phone on, trust us, you’ll be blown away by the display. The Pixel 4 features a 5.7-inch FHD+ OLED screen, while the Pixel 4 XL’s display is a 6.3-inch QHD+ OLED. Don’t worry about comparing resolutions though – both screens have been rated A+ by DisplayMate, meaning they’re just about the best smartphone screens around. And if you’re a gamer, the 90 Hz refresh rate will give you a crucial advantage in games like PUBG and Call of Duty, where precision is key. What about the camera? They might not have a triple lens setup, but you’ll still get stunning photos in just about any environment. Both phones have a 12MP wide lens paired with a 16MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom. But as this is Google, the clarity of the camera is brought to life with cutting-edge AI. They’ve further developed the Pixel 3’s Night Sight mode and raised the bar to make night-time photos even more detailed. With the new astrophotography mode, you can even take a photo of the Milky Way. There is a flash on the back, but Google reckon you’ll only need it as a torch. If you love capturing the moment in video form, the Pixel 4 and 4 XL both record at a maximum resolution of 4K Ultra HD at 30 fps. That means your footage will look great when you share it online or watch back on your TV. What’s it like to use? Everything you do on your smartphone just got a whole lot faster. Google Pixel 4 and 4 XL are the first smartphones to ship with the new Android 10 operating system. With Smart Reply, you’ll receive recommended actions when you receive messages from friends and family. So, if you’ve been invited out for dinner, you can open Maps directly from your messaging app and find where you need to be in seconds. Gestures are now even more intuitive, so you can flick between open apps almost instantly. Google Assistant is even more helpful, too. It’s been integrated further into the apps you regularly use, and can pull out helpful data in a flash. If you’re flying abroad and you’ve got your boarding pass on your phone, you can say, “Hey Google, what time does my plane land?” and get an answer straight away. Face Unlocking is also much more secure and faster to use. Thanks to a built-in radar sensor, the phone knows when you’re picking it up to unlock, and you won’t need to pull any funny faces to access your home screen. It’ll even work if you’re holding the phone upside-down or landscape. Both the Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL have 64 GB and 128 GB storage options and come with an impressive 6 GB RAM. So, you’ll easily be able to multitask, and you won’t have to delete any apps to make more room. Pre-order the Google Pixel 4, or go large with the Google Pixel 4 XL on iD Mobile!

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It’s Easter! That means it’s time to gorge on chocolate eggs, feast with family and get stuck into some great Easter movies. If you’ve got a great TV to keep yourself and the family entertained, that’s perfect! Only one more thing will take your shows, movies and games up a gear: a brilliant sound bar. We’re offering one iD Community member the chance to win a Samsung Harman/Kardon HW-Q60R 5.1 Wireless Sound Bar to help make your Easter the best one yet. With eight speakers and Acoustic Beam technology, that big action sequence will feel like it’s taking place around you. Plus, as soon as you start up your games console, the sound bar will instantly switch to Game Mode Pro. So, you’ll hear pinpoint sound accuracy that’ll give you the upper hand. How to enter? Entering this egg-cellent competition couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is answer the following question: “If you won, what would the first movie you’d watch with surround sound be and why?” Make sure you post your answer in the comments below. Don’t miss out! The competition ends on Sunday 12th April, and we’ll reveal the lucky winner shortly after. Best of luck, and have a cracking Easter! T&Cs apply.

The best way to stay in touch with family and friends right now is through a video call. There are lots of video calling apps to choose from, so we’ve put together a list of some great apps for you to try out if you haven’t done so already! As always, when using apps for things like video calls, always ensure you are staying on top of your data usage through the iD Mobile App or through My Account on the iD Mobile website. Or by connecting your device to WiFi, ensuring the Wi-Fi symbol is displayed in your notification bar. Google Duo What is it? Duo is Google's answer to Apple's FaceTime, and it makes one-to-one calling between Android phones, and from Android to iPhone, very simple with its intuitive app. If you are an android user, you probably already have this great app already pre-installed on your device! Key features Highest quality video-calling app Easy to use Might already be installed Knock Knock feature lets you see your friends before you answer Where can I find it? Pre-installed on most android devices, if not it’s in the Google Play Store and also available for download through the App Store on iOS. How do I get started? Agree to the Terms of Service, link your phone number. Once you’ve given permission for the app to have access to your contacts, you’ll be able to see if anyone else is already using Duo. It also comes with a handy feature called ‘Knock Knock’ which lets people you call see you before they answer, so make sure you’re not picking your nose just because they haven’t answered yet! (don’t worry though you can disable this feature!) WhatsApp What is it? WhatsApp has become the go to app when it comes to messaging services, with over 86 million users on Android alone. And, for good reason – it’s really easy to use and you can share all sorts with friends and family, pictures, videos and even files. Key features · Uses your Wi-Fi or phone’s internet connection, so no call or message charges · Set up group chats so you can easily stay in contact with people · More secure than other apps, with full end-to-end encryption Where can I find it? Available for download through the App Store on iOS How do I get started? Agree to WhatsApp’s Terms of Service Select your country and type in your phone number Add your name and pick a profile picture (smart, silly, or whatever shouts ‘You’) and you’re done. Starting a video call is simple too, just open the contact you want to call and tap on the ‘video camera’ icon at the top of the screen. As long as you’ve got a good internet connection, video quality is generally very good, with sound also coming through loud and clear. Skype What is it? Skype is another household name, but this time more for video calling. It’s been around for years now, and it’s a firm favourite for many. It’s a great app for when you need to communicate with people using different platforms too. Key features · Make video calls with anyone, whether they’re on PC, Mac, iPhone or Android · Group video calls with up to 25 people · Syncs with your phone’s SMS messages so you can view everything in one place. Where can I find it? Available for download through the App Store How do I get started? Create an account with your email address Add your name and again, pick a pic Agree to terms of service and you’re done When your account is set up, actually making the video calls is easy. Just go to the “chat” section, pick a contact, then tap the video camera icon at the top of the screen. There’s plenty more apps out there that you can use, have you got one that you’d like to recommend to our users? If so, let us know in the replies below.

The best way to stay in touch with family and friends right now is through a video call. There are lots of video calling apps to choose from, so we’ve put together a list of some great apps for you to try-out if you haven’t done so already! As always, when using apps for things like video calls, always ensure you are staying on top of your data usage through the iD Mobile App or through My Account on the iD Mobile website. Or by connecting your device to WiFi, ensuring the Wi-Fi symbol is displayed in your notification bar. FaceTime What is it? FaceTime is Apple’s own video calling service for users of its iPhones, iPads and Mac computers and is really simple, fun and intuitive to use. It comes pre-installed on all Apple devices so there’s no need to wait for it to download. Key Features High quality video calling Easy to use Can support group calls with upto 32 people Add a effects with Apple’s Animoji feature and put text or filters on the screen Where can I find it? The FaceTime app should come pre-installed on every iPhone, but in the event that you’ve deleted it, re-installing it is super easy. Here’s how: 1. Click on the App Store 2. Search for FaceTime (it’s the green icon with a white video camera icon) 3. Click GET 4. Confirm the free download And then you should have the FaceTime app back on your iPhone’s home screen. How do I get started? Open the FaceTime App Search for a contact Press ‘Video’ Want to FaceTime more than just one person? When typing in contacts, just add a couple more. Then follow the exact same instructions as before. You’ll only be able to FaceTime other iPhone users, but don’t worry we’ve got some great other great apps that you can video call friends and family with no matter what smartphone they have, below. You can find out more about FaceTime and how to us it here. WhatsApp What is it? WhatsApp has become the go to app when it comes to messaging services, with over 86 million users on Android alone. And, for good reason – it’s really easy to use and you can share all sorts with friends and family, pictures, videos and even files. Key features · Uses your Wi-Fi or phone’s internet connection, so no call or message charges · Set up group chats so you can easily stay in contact with people · More secure than other apps, with full end-to-end encryption Where can I find it? Available for download through the App Store on iOS How do I get started? Agree to WhatsApp’s Terms of Service Select your country and type in your phone number Add your name and pick a profile picture (smart, silly, or whatever shouts ‘You’) and you’re done. Starting a video call is simple too, just open the contact you want to call and tap on the ‘video camera’ icon at the top of the screen. As long as you’ve got a good internet connection, video quality is generally very good, with sound also coming through loud and clear. Skype What is it? Skype is another household name, but this time more for video calling. It’s been around for years now, and it’s a firm favourite for many. It’s a great app for when you need to communicate with people using different platforms too. Key features · Make video calls with anyone, whether they’re on PC, Mac, iPhone or Android · Group video calls with up to 25 people · Syncs with your phone’s SMS messages so you can view everything in one place. Where can I find it? Available for download through the App Store How do I get started? Create an account with your email address Add your name and again, pick a pic Agree to terms of service and you’re done When your account is set up, actually making the video calls is easy. Just go to the “chat” section, pick a contact, then tap the video camera icon at the top of the screen. There’s plenty more apps out there that you can use, have you got one that you’d like to recommend to our users? If so, let us know in the replies below.

For many of us, this is the first time we’ve ever worked from home. It’s not always an easy transition to make. After all, your office is literally designed for productivity while your home is geared towards comfort. That means it’s more important than ever to figure out how to keep on top of your workload, maintain a healthy work-life balance and nurture your business relationships So, here are some tips that will make it easier to stay productive at home and keep up to date with your work: Set some ground rules The first and most important thing to do is set a schedule for each day. Make sure you stick to it and have clear guidelines for when to work and when to be doing other things. If you have kids and they’re studying at home, get them involved and make a schedule that works for everyone in your house. That way, you can all keep on achieving. Make sure your household all know about each other’s meetings, lessons, assignments and workloads. That way, you won’t be disturbed when you’re in daily video call meetings, and you won’t disrupt your kids’ concentration during their study time. Schedule breaks Sometimes, it’s easy to get so engrossed in your projects that you lose track of time. Taking regular, timed breaks when you work from home is essential to keep completing quality work. When planning your day, remember to plan a lunch and tea break. That way you can take a well-earned step back and return later refreshed and motivated. Set your alarm for regular breaks for meals, coffee, minor chores or simply to get up from your seat and move. Make sure to exercise We may not be free to roam wherever we like right now, but it’s still vital to get some fresh air and exercise at least once a day. As well as the obvious benefits of clearing your head and helping you feel more fresh, the open air helps you digest food more effectively, improve your blood pressure and heart rate, and strengthen your immune system. You can still go for a walk, jog or cycle, so make the most of it! You’ll feel healthier, happier and ready to deal with the workday ahead. Check in with your team There’s no denying it, working from home can often feel like a very solitary experience. However, you’re not alone. Many people feel isolated, so it’s worth catching up with your team at work to see how everyone’s handling it. Set up a weekly call or set time aside for informal meetings to check in with everyone. You’ll leave with the feeling that you’re all in this together, and that kind of morale-boost goes a long way both in work and personal. When you’re not working, make sure you’re still keeping in touch with friends. Video calls can make it easier to maintain a balance between working and socialising at home. Here are some of the best video calling apps to help you get started. Keep calm and carry on Staying positive and upbeat when you are home can be difficult, but mental health is as vital as physical health. Set aside some time each day to clear your head from stress and anxiety, so you can relax at the end of the working day. Here are 5 apps to give yourself a mindfulness refresh. Bonus tip Tune into the radio! Since the vast majority of us have been working at home, radio listening figures have gone up by 20%, and for a good reason. Hearing somebody else’s voice is a calming influence, and listening to your favourite station is a great way to bring a touch of your office into your home. Plus, hearing a song you love getting played on the airwaves is much more rewarding than just streaming your regular playlist. Those are our tips to make the most out of working from home? Do you think we’ve missed a key pointer? What’s working for you? Let us know in the comments below.

Looking for fun things to do at home with your family this Easter? Why not get creative with some Easter apps? You won’t need to go on an Easter app hunt – we’ve picked out the best ones for you. Just sit back, crack open a chocolate bunny and check out our guide. Greeting cards Easter greetings cards are a great way to keep in touch with family and friends, and they’re fun to make too. With the Happy Easter Greeting Cards app for iOS (£1.70 on App Store) you can create your own cards and send them via Facebook, WhatsApp, email and more. Personalise your messages and choose from a range of stickers, photos and emojis. If you have an Android phone, try the Happy Easter app instead. It’s a simple tool that lets you design and send your own greetings. Get it for free on Google Play. Easter egg painting Painting and decorating eggs is good fun, especially for kids, but it can get messy. Why not use virtual eggs instead? With the Easter Egg Painter app for iOS (free, with in-app purchases) you can create all sorts of wacky and wonderful designs. Just choose a background, select an egg colour and pattern. Children will love it and, best of all, there’s no washing-up and no dried egg to chisel off the table afterwards! If you’re looking to unwind over Easter, you should try the Easter Eggs Glitter Color by Number app. It’s a virtual colouring book with pictures of bunnies and decorated eggs. The colour-by-numbers system means you don’t have think too much, so it’s great for de-stressing. Check it out on Android (free, with in-app purchases). Easter feasts Are you planning an Easter family meal? If so, head straight for BigOven. It’s a meal planner app with more than 500,000 recipes. There’s a host of handy features too, including a ‘Use Up Leftovers’ search that’s perfect for Easter Monday meals. You can get BigOven on iOS or Android (free, with in-app purchases). Another great cooking app is Tasty. It gives you step-by-step instructions for every recipe, and even has videos to show you (or the kids) how to cook them. There are more than 4000 dishes to choose from, and you can filter by vegetarian, vegan, low-carb and more. Check out Tasty for free on iOS or Android. Movies and games When the cooking’s done, you might need a sit-down. And spending time with some family movies or games. But where’s the best place to start? If it’s games apps you’re after, you’re spoilt for choice. Have a look at our iD guide to addictive apps and games for inspiration. Or, if you want something more challenging, try a board game app. Games like Monopoly , Ticket to Ride and Catan are all bestsellers that will keep you and the kids entertained for hours. For another Easter treat, you can’t go wrong with a big-screen movie night. Our iD guide to movie streaming apps will help you find the right site. Movies, games, eggs and cards – what more could you want from your Easter weekend? But if even those delights aren’t enough to keep the kids happy, check out the App Store best of 2019 and our Top tips for the perfect family staycation. There are enough ideas in those to fill even the biggest Easter basket. Whatever you get up to over the long weekend, have a very Happy Easter! And don’t forget to tell us which apps you enjoyed using the most. Just post a reply below.

If you went to school in the UK or Ireland, you’ll probably remember celebrating World Book Day every year. This charity event is all about the joy of reading and gives millions of schoolchildren free vouchers to spend on books and audiobooks. To mark this year’s World Book Day, on Thursday 5 March, we’ve put together a list of our favourite audiobook websites. Why not celebrate World Book Day by diving in and finding something you haven’t read before? And to celebrate World Book Day the iD way, we’re running a competition for all you bookworms out there. Comment below and tell us about a book you love, and you could win an Amazon Kindle e-reader! Find out more below. Top audiobook websites Audible Audible, owned by Amazon, is the world’s biggest audiobook provider, with hundreds of thousands of titles available to download. The subscription fee gives you one credit a month, which you can use to buy any audiobook, regardless of the price. If you don’t like a book, you can exchange it for free, and you can also cancel your subscription at any time. Download the Audible app here. Rakuten Kobo KoboeReaders are one of the main rivals to Amazon Kindle, but did you know that Kobo (owned by Rakuten) also specialise in audiobooks? They offer a free 30-day trial, followed by a subscription package. As with Audible, the fee gives you one credit a month, which you can use to buy any audiobook. Listen to Rakuten Kobo audiobooks on Android and iOS. Downpour Like Audible and Rakuten Kobo, Downpour is a subscription site where you use credits to buy an audiobook every month. All of its titles are DRM-free (which means they have no digital lock), so you can listen to them on as many of your devices as you like. Downpour also offers a rental service, which is cheaper than a monthly subscription. You can borrow audiobooks for up to two months, and pay to extend the loan if you need to. Check out Downpour on Android and iOS. Google Play Books Google Play Books sellsaudiobooks individually, so it’s ideal if you don’t want to commit to a monthly subscription. You can buy several titles in one go, and listen to a free sample before you buy. If you’re listening on a Google Home device, you can use voice commands to control the playback – great when you don’t have a hand free to press buttons. Another nice feature is the Google Play Family Library, which lets you share audiobooks with up to 5 other people. Listen to Google Play Books on Android or iOS. LibriVox If you don’t want to pay for audiobooks, then why not try LibriVox? It has a huge selection of titles – more than 13,000 at the last count – and they’re all available for free. The books recorded have to be in the public domain, so you won’t find the latest bestsellers here. And the readers are all volunteers, so the audio quality can be uneven. But if you love classic literature and don’t mind the odd bit of background noise, then LibriVox could be the best site for you. Check out LibriVox here. Win an Amazon Kindle! To celebrate World Book Day, we’re giving away two Amazon Kindle e-readers. To enter the competition, all you need to do is comment below this post and answer this question: What is your favourite childhood book, and why? The two lucky winners will each receive an Amazon Kindle 6" e-reader (2019) - 4 GB, White. Don’t miss out! The competition ends on 8th March 2020 so get commenting. T&Cs apply Good luck!

Competition time! Enter for your chance to win one of five £50 restaurant vouchers! Do you consider yourself a foodie, or just love going out to eat? Then take a night off from the washing up with our brilliant competition! Discover a new local culinary hotspot or revisit an old favourite on us. We’re giving away five £50 restaurant vouchers, and entering the competition couldn’t be easier. How to enter All you need to do is comment below this post and tell us “What would you do on Valentine’s Day?” It doesn’t have to be with someone special, you could just treat yourself! Make sure you’re logged in and let us know for your chance to win. Don’t miss out! Competition ends on 9th February 2020. Good luck! T&C’s apply

If you’re ready to take the plunge on a brand-new iPhone but just need a little guidance in the right direction, you’ve come to the right place. For the different needs, budgets and lifestyles, there’s an iPhone ready to take on them all. Which iPhone suits what you need? Apple are certainly known for quality, seamless designs and top of the range tech, but how do their entry-level phones stack up against the more premium models? iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max If you’re all about getting that perfect family photo the first time around, the iPhone 11 Pro makes it impossible to take a bad shot. Both the 5.8” iPhone 11 Pro and the larger 6.5” Pro Max feature three 12MP cameras on the back, making them the first iPhones to have a triple camera setup. Thanks to a combination of Wide, Ultra-Wide and Telephoto lenses along with 10x digital zoom, you can capture just about any scene. If nighttime photography is your passion, the new Night mode uses clever AI to bring detail to low-light shots automatically. That means getting that sweeping panoramic photo of the city skyline is as easy as pointing and shooting. And if you prefer shooting videos to taking photos, you can save all those holiday memories in 4K 60 fps quality. So, your footage stays future-proof. Elsewhere on the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max, you get a gorgeous OLED display that makes gaming and movie-watching so immersive, you’ll forget you’re on the commute or in a busy café. Plus, the A13 Bionic Chip makes everything you do a piece of cake, no matter how many apps you flick between. Take a closer look at the Apple iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max iPhone 11 Launched in September 2019 alongside the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max, the iPhone 11 may be slightly cheaper, but you still get some incredible features. Just like the Pro options, the iPhone 11 has 12MP Wide and Ultra-Wide lenses, so you only miss out on Telephoto. Don’t worry about video, though – you can still capture flawless 4K footage that’s guaranteed to impress! Plus, you’ll definitely up your profile picture game with the TrueDepth camera’s ‘slofie’ function. You can also expect the same lightning-fast responses and effortless multitasking, as the iPhone 11 also features the state-of-the-art A13 Bionic Chip. The Liquid Retina HD display makes everything from action-packed movies to social media jump out of the screen with vivid, true-to-life colour. And if you love losing yourself in a box set on the way home from the office, Dolby Atmos audio places you at the centre of the action with 3D sound. Discover the amazing Apple iPhone 11 iPhone XR They say it’s what’s inside that counts, so if you want a phone that you can rely on for a smooth and fast browsing experience, then the XR could be the one for you. It’s run by Apple’s A12 Bionic chip – one of the smartest, most powerful chips in a smartphone – and it’s complemented by a super-advanced Neural Engine, which makes use of machine learning to get better at fixing any bugs and speed issues it encounters over time. Freezing apps and loading screens will be a thing of the past. All this power doesn’t put a drain on the battery, though. Apple has made sure that the A12’s 4 efficiency cores (the ones which deal with everyday tasks) use up to 50% less power than the previous A11 chip. This means you’ll still get a huge 25 hours of talk-time from a single charge. Go ultra-efficient with the Apple iPhone XR iPhone Xs and Xs Max When it comes to camera tech, you’re onto a winner with the iPhone Xs. It’s definitely one for tech lovers, and with a plus-size Max sporting a mammoth 6.5” edge-to-edge OLED display, it’s a head-turning device that’s packed with sharp, rich, beautiful colours. But the big thing to boast about on this phone is the camera. If you thought the iPhone X had the best camera on an Apple device, the upgraded Xs can do it all AND more. It’s even better at low-light photography, thanks to its sensor’s ability to fit in larger pixels that can take in more light. You’ll also get to pick the ‘TrueDepth’ focus level after you’ve taken any pictures in portrait mode, so you can tweak the blurred background to perfection. You get a massive 512GB of internal storage on the device to store all those portraits and selfies, too. That’s over half a Terabyte! And, coupled with the same A12 Bionic processor as the behemoth XR, you can be confident knowing it won’t slow you down any time soon. Buy the incredible Apple iPhone Xs and Apple iPhone Xs Max iPhone X Released in September 2017 for iPhone’s 10th anniversary, the X really was a game-changer for the mobiles, and despite it being around for over 2 years, we’re still amazed at all the tech powering it. The biggest upgrade to previous iPhones is generally the screen. The advanced ‘Super Retina’ picture quality and 82% screen-to-body ratio, held together by the iconic notch (which is now recognisable in a lot of the latest smartphones), makes the display one of the most vivid we’ve ever seen on a phone. It’s 5.8 inches of stunning OLED, and you’ll be completely mesmerised by any game or Netflix series or you decide to binge on it. That screen helps to show off the amazing photos you can take, too. Thanks to a 12MP telephoto dual lens on the back, and a 7MP camera facing you, your pictures will be full of colour and detail every time. iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus The more entry-level option here (by Apple’s premium standards anyway), this iPhone offers nearly all of the fantastic features from its bigger counterparts, but in a more manageable, sleek glass frame. If you’re one to avoid the chunkier handsets because they can be clumsy to use – especially one handed – then the iPhone 8 has a comfortable 4.7-inch screen that’s much easier to handle. You won’t find yourself missing out on Apple’s famous quality either. It still boasts an incredible Retina HD screen display, and is even capable of fast wireless charging. You can get 50% battery in just 30 minutes – perfect if you’re constantly on the move. If you prefer more screen to play with, you could go larger with the iPhone 8 Plus. You get a more satisfying 5.5-inches to watch your favourite films on, but Apple have also added a second camera, letting you take amazing photos with that cool bokeh effect everyone’s loving at the moment. Check out the Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus iPhone 7 Make no mistake, the iPhone 7 is still a fantastic phone. It features a 12MP camera lens that’s much brighter than its predecessor, making it the perfect pick for those Instagramable moments. There’s even the option to shoot footage in 4K at a steady 30 fps, which is pretty impressive. Just like the iPhone 8, the iPhone 7 is ideal if you prefer a phone that fits snug in your hand. It’s got the same screen size and colour-rich Retina display. So, vlogs on YouTube and holiday photo albums both appear clear and vibrant. It’s also got bundles of power to take on bigger tasks, thanks to the quad-core Apple A10 Fusion chip. You can edit your panoramic snaps or even make a pro-looking trailer from your footage. If storage space is what you’re after, the iPhone 7 has plenty. Up to 256 GB of room to save your music, movies, apps, games and photos. You’ll never need to delete a file again. Discover the iPhone 7