Ever seen an advert with a strange-looking bar code telling you to scan? Or have you got your eye on a pair of wireless headphones that claim to link instantly to your phone with a quick tap? What you’re looking at are QR (Quick Response’) codes and NFC (Near-Field Communication). Here, we’ll explain what they are and just how they can help you get more out of your phone. What is a QR code?QR codes are pretty similar to the one-dimensional bar codes you see on the back of product packaging or books. However, where 1D bar codes are only able to store up to 30 numbers, two-dimensional QR codes can store over 7000 and be scanned both horizontally and vertically. That means not only are they more practical, but they can also store more information. You’ve probably seen QR codes and haven’t noticed. When you book a flight and download your boarding pass to your smartphone, the QR code on your ticket is the bit that you scan to get you into the departure lounge and through your gate. If you’

What's the difference between Google Maps and Sat Nav?Going on a road trip and planning to use your phone to navigate? We’ll show you the pros and cons of Google Maps compared to sat navs…Most smartphones come with a 'sat nav' (satellite navigation) built in. For Android there's 'Google Maps', while iPhone has Apple Maps. We're going to look at how these navigation systems compare to a sat nav, to see if there's any reason you might want to use one instead of the other.A few years ago, Google added 'full offline navigation' to Maps, meaning you can download routes and maps that you use quite often, so you don't have to use your data when you’re on the move. They expire after 15 days, which means you'll always have the latest version. Needing directions quicklyMost of the time, you won’t leave home without your phone. Your sat nav, however, could easily be forgotten and left behind. That means if you’re out on the road and need to find a quicker route to skip the traffic, you could be a

One of the biggest shopping days of the year! Our Black Friday event has started, it is a deal hunters dream, but you have to get in quick to grab the best deals. Are you ready?  What is iD doing for Black Friday?Phones are actually one of the highest selling products this time of year. During Black Friday 2018, phones and smartphone accessories were big sellers online. And here at iD, we’ll be offering some great deals you won’t want to miss out on. Unlike other retailers though, we’re not waiting around till the end of November to bring our best offers to you!Looking to treat yourself, know a friend or family member looking for a new phone? Or due an upgrade? In our Black Friday Event you can save up to £339 on selected Apple and Samsung devices.Check out all our Black Friday deals on www.iDmobile.co.uk.  Feel confident shopping online. We appreciate that shopping online can be daunting at times, that’s why we’ve created a guide on how to protect your identity and information when sh

It’s been a whole year since our first Community newsletter, and we’re celebrating!Since we started the Community newsletter a year ago, we’ve posted all kinds of articles for iD Mobile users to enjoy. From helpful guides on how to get the most out of your new phone, to the best camera phones, to the most addictive apps and games, we love engaging with you and making your smartphone experience even better. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading them, and that they’ve proved helpful along the way.Don’t worry though, this is only the beginning. We’ve got some great features, how-to guides and competitions lined up for the coming year. In the meantime, though, here are the top 10 most loved Community articles from the past year: 1.What is Wi-Fi Calling and why should you use it?Our guide to Wi-Fi calling has proved very popular. If you’re still not sure what it is, Wi-Fi calling is a handy way to call and text when you’re in an area with poor phone signal.Many handsets are compatible with Wi-Fi c

Got your new phone but found out it doesn’t come with a radio app? Here’s how to tune into your favourite station on the go. Like most things in today’s tech world, radio – and the way we listen to it – has changed dramatically. No longer do we gather around the ‘wireless’ to listen to The Archers!Radio has evolved, but so have the ways we can access our favourite artists, shows and music. Through the power of the internet and smart technology, we can tune in to the radio through our mobile devices, be it our phones or tablets.While FM radio was eventually a standard feature on most phones, it’s now fallen by the wayside on many current smartphones – particularly the more expensive ones. Now, if your phone does have a built-in radio app, then this is a pretty quick read. Just make sure you use a set of earphones, as they also double up as an antenna!However, if you’ve got a blank space staring at you where FM radio ought to be, or you simply want to broaden your horizons, then don’t wo

Win a Samsung 50" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TVWe’re offering one lucky winner the chance to win an amazing Samsung Smart 4K Ultra HDR TV!HDR technology gives you scene-by-scene image mastering, so you can see the finer details in the picture, even when the setting is dark. Witness the true beauty of a sun-filled landscape or discover what’s lurking in the shadows of a horror movie. Better be careful what you watch this Halloween. You could get more spooked than ever before!To be in with a chance to win, comment below and tell us, what’s your favourite horror movie?You’ve got until midnight on Sunday 8th October to enter and we’ll pick the winners at random.Ghoul Luck!(T&C’s apply)

It’s #TechiesDay! Whether you’re a gadget lover, work in technology or are the go-to troubleshooter in the family, today is a day to celebrate the impact that technology makes on our daily lives.To celebrate, we’re running a competition. All you have to do is tell us a feature you’d love to have on your phone (nothing boring like ‘a better camera’!) to be in with a chance of winning a £50 Currys voucher. So, get your techy brains on and take part!You’ve got until midnight on Thursday 10th October to come up with your winning feature, and we’ll pick two winners at random.Good luck!Ts & Cs apply

Great news for mobile gamers! Nintendo’s new Mario Kart game is now available on iOS and Android. It’s called Mario Kart Tour, and we’re glad to report that it looks amazing. 3-2-1-GO!Mario Kart has been a big deal in the gaming world for over 25 years now. As far as we’re concerned here in iD Community HQ, it’s the best racing game of all time. Sure, Need for Speed and Gran Turismo are great. But there’s only one game that lets you throw banana peels and turtle shells into the path of your competitors. And now, that game is available on your mobile phone, in the shape of Mario Kart Tour! What will Mario Kart Tour be like on mobileMario Kart Tour is massive, with a whopping 64 courses spread across 16 different cups. Nintendo says that the courses are inspired by real-life locations (there’s one called New York Minute) along with a few classics from the Mario Kart series.There are 30 different drivers to choose from, with all your favourite racers making an appearance, from cute Baby D

Just treated yourself to a stylish new VR headset? Here’s a list of the best apps and games you’ll want to download.These days, even budget smartphones are powerful enough to run virtual reality apps. More and more games and apps are being designed with the first-person experience in mind. With so many great VR headsets out there, there’s never been a better time to get started with mobile virtual reality.Here are some of the best VR apps available for download right now…1.Chrome Experiments for Virtual Reality (Free)If you want to check out Google’s experiments in VR, look no further than the Chrome Experiments website. Browse the site from your smartphone – then place it in your VR headset to enjoy the weird and wonderful browser-based apps available.As this is web-based, you'll find frequent updates and less storage space taken up on your handset, so bookmark the page and dive into the virtual. 2.YouTube VR (Free)YouTube VR is simply an add-on for your existing YouTube app that’ll l

With massive leaps forward in tech, there’s a huge choice of stunning camera phones available. We’ve picked out a few of the best on the market right now and put them through their paces to see what they can do.  Which mobile phones have the best camera?With so many amazing camera phones out, there’s no right answer to this question. But here are a few standouts:Samsung Galaxy S10With its TrueVision triple rear cameras with wide/ultrawide/telephoto lenses, the Samsung Galaxy S10 delivers amazing results. You can capture super-steady 4K UHD videos with the ultra-wide rear camera and intelligent software for smooth filming, even on bumpy terrain. And when you’re exploring the city at night, the S10 does a great job with low-light photos.Honor 20 ProAnother contender for best phone camera with 4 rear-facing lenses. The Honor 20 Pro’s main camera is a stunning 48 megapixels with a max sensitivity of ISO 204800 and aperture of f/1.4, which delivers incredible low-light performance. It also

Review your current phone against the iPhone 11 and win £50! To celebrate the launch of the iPhone 11, we’re asking you to turn reviewer and dazzle us. The iPhone 11 is packed with some pretty amazing features, but how does your current phone measure up? Write a short review of your phone, comparing it to the new iPhone, and post it below. To give you a hand, we’ve got all the latest news on the iPhone 11, and it looks pretty impressive. If you fancy getting your hands on one, sign up for updates about the iPhone 11 now. We’ll let you know as soon as it’s ready to pre-order. iPhone 11 specs and features Camera The iPhone 11 boasts a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina Display. The dual-camera setup on the iPhone 11 comes with two 12MP lenses: one wide-angle lens and one Ultra Wide. For black and white photographers, there’s beautiful High Key Mono. When the sun goes down, Night mode will keep your pictures looking great. The front-facing selfie camera now features a Slofie mode for slo-mo selfie

Due to the current climate, we're more and more reliant on the internet to keep us connected to the outside world. It's allowed us to communicate using video calling within a few clicks, helped us locate and purchase those essential goods (as well as a few other bits we don't really need but want anyway!), binge watch series and movies and a vast array of other things. As we use it more, ensuring your personal information is secure and doesn't get into the wrong hands, has never been so important. Here's our list on how to protect your identity online: Always keep your data security software up to date Those software update notifications may be annoying, but they’re there to give you a heads up. If your phone or computer is infected with malicious software, other safeguards won’t be much help as you’ve already given the criminals the key to all your online actions (and transactions). So, it’s worth making sure that your security software and operating system are both fully up to date.

Are you holding out on that shiny new phone purchase because you’re waiting for Google’s latest flagship? The Pixel 4 and XL are both due to be launched on October 15th in New York – but in the meantime, we’ve rounded up all the confirmed features and a few of our own predictions.  How good is the Google Pixel 4 camera?We love that mobile photography is constantly improving. When the Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL were released, they represented a new leap forward for phone cameras. The HDR+ feature meant that when you took one picture, the camera captured several more and offered greater clarity and colour. Night Sight was perfect for photos in low light, and Top Shot actually suggested which photo was best.We think the Google Pixel 4 will build on these great features. Images of the Pixel 4 XL shared online appear to show a dual-lens selfie camera and a triple-lens on the back. We’re not sure of the megapixels, but if the previous handset’s single lens capabilities are anything to go by, bo

Learn a new language with these appsToday is European Language Day, a day to celebrate the huge linguistic diversity across Europe, and raise awareness of the benefits of learning a new language at any age. But what are the benefits, and what’s the best way to learn?Why learn another language?You’ll completely transform your travelling experiences. Whether you’re going on holiday or backpacking across the continent, even speaking a little bit of the local lingo is a good way to immerse yourself in another culture. Locals will be more inclined to help you find beautiful places away from the well-trodden tourist path, and you might even hear about a great restaurant to try out! Unlock new doors in your career. Plenty of companies out there are looking to trade globally or break into new markets, and multi-lingual employees are essential in helping them achieve their goals. The ability to speak another language sets you apart from other candidates when applying for a job, and shows a will

Stay healthy with help from technologyNow that summer’s over, the nights are drawing in and it’s getting colder, it’s important to stay healthy and keep active. Thankfully, there’s all kinds of ways that technology can help us to do just that.We’ve put together a few ideas and some links for apps and gadgets that can keep you on your toes and fighting fit through the autumn and winter months.Sweet dreamsGetting a good night’s sleep is hugely important for our all-round health. If you have trouble sleeping, help is now at hand in the form of sleep tracking apps that can monitor your sleep patterns and help you get those precious all-important hours of shut-eye. Take a look at apps like Sleep Cycle, Tide, or SleepBot and be sure to get your full forty winks.Track your fitnessStrap a fitness tracker or smart watch to your wrist and you can monitor your workouts, heart rate and sleep patterns, count your steps and log your food intake. It also serves as a daily reminder to keep exercise an

12th September is Video Gaming Day, which means you have even more reason to pick up your pad and bash some buttons. Grab your mates, fire up your favourite console and play the day away! It’s time to celebrate how great video games are and how far they’ve come. And to celebrate the big day, we’re giving away a PRIZE. When was the first video game? Although early video games were little more than lab experiments, the first created purely for entertainment happened in October 1958. Tennis for Two (a predecessor to Pong) was put on display at the Brookhaven National Laboratory for visitors to enjoy. But its inventor, Physicist William Higginbottom, had no idea what he was unleashing on the world. Back then, players used a small analogue computer and twiddled some knobs to make a light (representing the tennis ball) bounce from side to side on the screen of an oscilloscope – a piece of equipment used to measure electronic signals. The biggest video games out now Since then, computer ga

Are you thinking about buying your child their first smartphone? There are loads of great handsets out there, but which ones are best suited for young owners? Here’s what to look out for… What’s the best mobile phone for kids? SIM free phones are the most popular option for parents. Buy the phone upfront without a SIM, then you can choose a SIM only deal that’s perfect for your child. If you don’t want to buy a phone outright before choosing a SIM, Pay Monthly combines the cost of the handset and airtime in monthly bills over a certain period, usually 24 months.You won’t need to break the bank, either. There are plenty of good value mid-range models that have flagship features that kids will love. 1. DisplayThese days, even cheaper smartphones have pretty great screens. Budget phones usually have an HD 720p resolution display, which is still great if they want to play games or stream their favourite YouTuber. 2. CameraKids love taking photos and selfies, and the MP (megapixel count) of

It’s finally here. After months of speculation, Apple has released three cracking new handsets; iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone Pro Max. So, what’s all the fuss about? iPhone 11 The 6.1-inch Liquid Retina iPhone 11 might be the lowest-priced of the three new Apple phones, but don’t let that fool you – it’s packed with premium features that are bound to cause a buzz. A camera that’ll turn heads First, it’s got a dual 12MP lens camera setup featuring a wide-angle and 120-degree ultra-wide lens. Whether you’re hiking through the valleys or taking a family snap, you’ll get bundles of detail, and you won’t need to switch to panorama to get that perfect shot. You can even take ultra-wide photos in portrait mode, helping you get that professional looking headshot first time. Footage ready to share What about video? Ultra-wide is great for your footage too, letting you shoot videos in beautiful Ultra HD at 60 fps. That means your recordings will look incredible on your TV. And when

Win a Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5" Tablet! We’re offering 2 lucky winners the chance to win a Samsung Galaxy Tab A. With a distraction-free 10.5” Full HD display, Dolby Atmos quad speakers and impressive battery life, you can be immersed in your favourite TV show, reading a best-seller or downloading a fitness app or meal recipe on your way to work. To be in with a chance to win, comment below and tell us what is your dream holiday destination? You’ve got until midnight on Sunday 8th to enter and we’ll pick the winners at random. Good Luck! (T&C’s Apply)

Let's celebrate! 🎉 Wow. We’ve reached the 10,000 mark. 🙌 We are giving away an Oppo RX17 PRO 📱 Yes, you read that number correctly. The iD Community now has a massive 10,000 members. So thanks for all your hard work, gang. We couldn’t have done it without you. It's kind of a big deal, but don’t just take our word for it. Here are a couple of our favourite quotes from Community members just like you… “I'm old(er). There, it's said. BUT... the price is right and ID customer service is so good that I actually understand my phone now. And the service gets right through sandstone walls that my previous provider's service sometimes stopped outside! Great for roaming in Europe and the blogs mean I can secretly read up and appear very knowledgeable in front of my young friends and relatives.” Snoopy49 “I will say why I am happy with iD Mobile and I am pretty sure that everyone here would agree with me as well as the million customers. I love iD for amazing value for money, Sim Only p

If you’re looking to upgrade to a new phone, you’re in the right place. Amazing new handsets are being launched all the time - so to help you choose the right one, here’s our roundup of the very best. Samsung Galaxy S10 Who’s it for? Fancy a flagship phone with an outstanding camera and amazing edge-to-edge display? Then go for a Galaxy S10. Quite simply, the S10 is everything a phone should be. The profile is super-slim, and the front is pretty much all-screen, with its edge-to-edge 6.1-inch Infinity-O display spilling over the curved sides. The on-screen detail is incredible, with rich colours and fantastically deep blacks. The S10’s True Vision triple camera captures every moment just as your eyes see it, even in low light. And in the daytime, shots are sharp and clear, even when you zoom in to the max. Hidden under the display there's a neat piece of tech - an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. So no more smudging your rear camera as you search for a rear fingerprint scanner. Then

With our lives becoming increasingly hectic, finding the time to make that call isn’t always easy. As always, technology is here to help, and with the 30th of July being International Friendship Day, what better time to take a look at all the great ways you can stay in touch with your pals? Competition time! CLOSED Don’t forget to enter our competition, you could win a Nokia 2.2 smartphone. All you have to do is comment below this article and answer the question: Which app do you use the most to stay in touch with your friends? We’ll pick 3 answers at random and a brand spanking new Nokia 2.2 will be winging its way to the winners. Good luck! T&C’s Apply Staying in touch with friends and family is easier, cheaper and more fun than ever. Whether you’re a tech newbie or a master of social media, here’s a handful of tips to help you stay connected. Try out some new messaging apps First off, let’s check out a few different ways you can send text, picture and video message

Celebrate World Photography Day with iD Mobile Today is World Photography Day – that’s why social media is full of incredible images. Check out #worldphotographyday and see for yourself. To celebrate, we want you to share your favourite photo that you’ve taken on your phone. Show off your skills! Simply upload the photo in the comments below and tell us what phone you used to take it. If you want, tell us a bit about what’s going on in the photo and why you took it. And feel free to share your tips on how to take a really striking shot. Photos are a great way to express yourself and the perfect way to capture all your amazing experiences. That’s why Instagram is so popular. We all love to take photos. What else are phones for? If you love taking photos and are thinking about getting a new mobile, these are the five best camera phones available at the moment: Huawei P30 Pro Google Pixel 3 Honor 20 Pro Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus iPhone XS

Calling all Civilian, Rookies and Sidekicks. The time has come for you to rise up the iD Community rankings. Become a Hero … then reach for the sky and become a Superhero. Want to win yourself a £50 Curry's voucher? Then you better get more active on the iD Community. Replying to posts, liking posts, answering questions, being voted best answer, all this and more can see you rise steadily through the rankings. Rise up 5 levels and you could win a £50 Currys voucher, comment 'Superhero' below to enter. To go up in ranking, we recommend you post at least 50 replies and 20 answers to rise through the levels. So, what are you waiting for? We’re on the hunt for Superheroes and we know you’ve got what it takes. Log in now and show us what you’re made of. You have until 26th August 📅

Keeping in touch with friends on the other side of the world can be tricky. But social media and other online tech make it so much easier. To celebrate National Friendship Day today, we’re sharing our top tips for staying connected with long distance pals: · Use SameSurf and browse the web together with your friends in real-time, wherever they are. · Create collaborative playlists on Spotify that you can both enjoy together. · Set the time on your phone to your friend’s time zone, so you always know when to get in touch. · Make video calls so you can see each other when you speak. · When the time comes to get together, choose a location in the middle and meet up there. · Use social media to keep in touch and share stuff as often as you like. · Play online games and share them with your mates. In celebration of National Friendship Day, we’re running a best mates competition. Share a story of how you both met, to be in with the chance of winning £100 Red Letter Vouchers for your frien