The end of the year is approaching, so what better time to look back on the coolest things that have happened in mobile over the last 12 months? Here are a few of the biggest highlights we saw in 2018. The notch made its markIt started with last year’s iPhone X, and it’s a display trend that really made its mark in 2018. It’s the notch - that little cut-out at the top of a huge amount of new handsets. There’s a good reason for the notch – it’s usually packed with exciting camera tech. But it still has its fair share of critics who prefer a notch-free display. Will this trend continue in 2019? The smart money’s on less obtrusive and different shaped notches coming into play. Watch this space. Artificial intelligence got snappierIf you’ve got a virtual assistant like Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant, you’ll have been enjoying the benefits of AI for a while. But this year, we’ve seen AI take centre stage in lots of smartphone cameras, and do all sorts of clever things to make ph

Give the gift of an amazing display this Christmas with these five stunning phones. Movie buffs and box-set bingers can settle in with their favourite characters anywhere they want with one of these five fantastic devices. iPhone XR Impress the Apple fan in your life this Christmas with an iPhone XR. The most advanced Liquid Retina display in the world delivers brilliant true-to-life colours, reaching corner-to-corner of the 6.1-inch screen, so you get all the action right in your hand. Available in a range of eye catching colours, (Black, White, Blue, Red, Coral or Yellow) there’s one to suit even the most colourful personalities. Interested? You can order the iPhone XR here. Huawei Mate 20 Lite For a mid-range phone packed with premium features, look no further than the Mate 20 Lite. It’s a stunning phone with plenty of screen space (6.3-inches, no less) for film aficionados to enjoy all the best entertainment. With a 19.5:9 ratio screen and no distracting bezels, t

Looking for an affordable Christmas gift? If you can’t stretch to the cost of a flagship phone, there are some great budget options out there. Any one of these would make a cracking stocking filler.Samsung Galaxy A70 If they love their Android devices, the Galaxy A70 is a winner. With its AMOLED screen, triple camera and better-than-Full HD resolution, it has features that give flagship handsets a run for their money.Despite the relatively low price, it’s got a powerful octa-core processor that makes multitasking and gaming a breeze - perfect whether they’re keeping productive or levelling up on the way to work or college. There’s also a whopping 32MP selfie camera housed in Samsung’s minimal Infinity U notch, so they can capture that pro-looking profile picture and still enjoy big screen entertainment.It’s worth mentioning the battery too, because it gives up to 24 hours of talk time on a single charge. And when it does run low on juice, just 30 minutes is all that’s needed to take th

Thinking about treating someone to a shiny new phone for Christmas? – or maybe you’re considering adding one to your own Christmas list. We’ve got a few ideas to get you inspired. Honor Play The Play is proof that you don’t need to break the bank to get a phone packed with great features. For a mid-range phone, the screen is huge – a whopping 6.3-inches! And it covers almost all of the front of the phone, making it a perfect choice for anyone who loves a box set binge. It’s great for snapping quality photos too, with a 16MP camera front and back, you’ll see all the detail – even in selfie mode. Panorama mode is perfect when you can’t fit everything in to a single picture and Night Shot gives you great looking low-light photos. Get the Honor Play Nokia 6.1 This might be a modestly priced phone, but holding it, you certainly wouldn’t think so. It’s crafted from a single piece of aluminium and has stunning diamond-cut edges that give the whole phone a really classy look.

Phones with great cameras make cracking Christmas pressies. Who doesn’t love snapping a selfie or sharing shots on Instagram? If you need some gifting inspiration, here are some of the very best. Samsung Galaxy A9 A lot of phones with good cameras come with more than one lens on the back. Dual lens and even triple lens cameras are becoming more and more popular. But the Galaxy A9 is even more special, with an incredible four rear lenses. It’s a world first - and that’s not including the selfie camera on the front. So, why four lenses we hear you ask? Well, first of all, the main camera captures incredible detail and contrast in all conditions. And then there’s a 120° Ultra-wide lens. That’s the same viewing angle as the human eye – which means you can capture the scene as you see it. There’s also a telephoto lens with a 2x optical zoom to help you get in closer without sacrificing picture quality. And last but by no means least, you’ve got a depth camera for professional looking bl

It's competition time. We've been overcome with seasonal goodwill, and have come up with 5 days of festive freebies for you! Here’s how it works. On each of the next 5 days we’ll post a different competition question on the iD Mobile Community, each with its very own tech prize! All you need to do for a chance to win is come back to the iD Mobile Community and comment on the relevant post for that day with your answer. It'll be easy to find as it'll be featured on the Community homepage, and it'll be at the top of this sub-forum. Here's the full list of daily competitions: • Day 1 Competition – 3rd December 2018 - Nintendo Switch • Day 2 Competition – 4th December 2018 – Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer • Day 3 Competition – 5th December 2018 – Beats Headphones • Day 4 Competition – 6th December 2018 – Google Home Hub • Day 5 Competition – 7th December 2018 – Apple iPad Make sure you come back to the iD Mobile Community and the 'Competition Time - 5 Days of Christmas Give

Want to make someone’s Christmas extra special this year with a new phone? For all interests and all ages, we’ve come up with a list of five phones to fit everyone’s Christmas stocking. Galaxy S9 Plus – for the movie buff in your life A bigger version than the S9, the S9 Plus has a 6.2-inch widescreen Infinity Display made for film fans. It covers almost the entire surface of the phone, so nothing will take their focus away from what’s happening on-screen. And with Quad HD+ resolution, they’ll see everything happen in spellbinding quality. The stereo speakers in the S9 Plus are incredible too, producing Dolby Atmos surround sound. They will feel like they’re in the cinema. They can even enjoy this next-level sound on the free AKG earphones included in the box. They’ll be fully immersed in their favourite Netflix binge on the train, without annoying the other passengers. Interested? You can order the Galaxy S9 Plus here. Google Pixel 3 – for a budding photographer It’s official

We’ve all heard of The Grinch that Stole Christmas, but what about the phone that saved Christmas? That’s right, your smartphone can save the big day in more ways than one. Let us explain. Christmas should be a time of fun and relaxation. But it can also be extremely stressful. From buying the wrong presents to undercooked turkey, it’s full of potential pitfalls. That’s where your smartphone can help. Because by downloading a few handy apps, you can avoid any of the usual festive missteps and mishaps. Sitting comfortably? Then let us show you five ways your phone can save Christmas… 1. Take the stress out of last minute Christmas shopping Let’s face it, shopping for a last minute pressie can be a major headache. The streets are cold and wet, it’s full of desperate shoppers, and every store has Cliff Richard’s ‘Mistletoe and Wine’ on repeat (or is that just our imagination?). So why not do it all online, from the comfort of your home, with a little help from the Funky Pige

Christmas is on its way and you’ve got prezzies to buy and stockings to fill. Let us solve your Secret Santa stresses with these great-value gadgets – all for under £20. Nails Inc iPhone 8 case + nail polish Turn on the style! If you know an iPhone fan with an eye for fashion, this’ll be right up their street. With the iPhone 8 Nails Inc case and matching nail polish, they’ll proudly strut their stuff. Get a colour that suits their style – there’s Leopard Print, Marble and Stars. KitVision Selfie Stick Stick one of these in their stocking. Get it? Stick? Oh, forget it. But if you’re buying for a selfie fan, this is a great choice. With the inbuilt extension pole, there’ll be able to take those difficult high-angle shots. There’s no selfie that’s beyond them with the KitVision Selfie Stick PopSockets Grip This PopSockets collapsible grip fixes to the back of phones and tablets, acting as a stand. It’ll also make holding their phone way more comfortable. Choose from three b

Samsung’s next flagship is rumoured to be unveiled in February 2019. What can we expect from it? Here’s what the tech press is predicting… When will the next Galaxy be released? “We’re expecting Samsung to follow tradition and announce the new Galaxy during the first quarter of 2019: most likely around the end of February or the start of March during the annual Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona” T3 How many versions of the next Galaxy will there be? “When it comes to the screen though it’s worth noting that there’s sure to be more than one size. In fact, this time around there might be three. One of these, apparently codenamed 'Beyond 0', is said to have a 5.8-inch screen which might be flat. That would be the most basic model, but there's also said to be 'Beyond 1', which apparently has a 5.8-inch curved screen, and 'Beyond 2', with a 6.2-inch curved screen. There’s also said to be differences in the three models’ fingerprint scanners and cameras, which we’ll get to in

Happy World Giving Day, everyone! If you’re feeling charitable and want to start giving, we’ve found five apps that’ll help you support those good causes you’re passionate about. Today is an international day of charitable giving, so it’s a great time to donate to good causes. But with so many worthy charities helping people around the world, it can be difficult giving to all those we want to support. That’s why we’ve come up with this list of charitable apps for you. They're all available to download from the App Store or Google Play, and another thing they’ve got in common is that they let you help charities in a number of imaginative ways – not just cash donations. Charity Miles Charity Miles is a real win-win app. The more you exercise, the more you reward your favourite charities. Everybody benefits. Go for a walk or run, and Charity Miles will donate some cash per mile to the charity of your choice (you can choose from a selection in the app). If you prefer gett

Keep it safe in style, start charging it wirelessly, or even explore stunning VR worlds. Check out these five handy accessories to bring your Google Pixel 3 smartphone to life. Got a new Pixel 3 smartphone? Then why not treat it to an accessory or two? The choice is yours… GEAR 4 Crystal Palace clear case If you want to keep your Google Pixel 3 safe from knocks and bumps but you don’t want to hide its smooth curves and unique colour, a clear case is just what you need. Why is this case so special? Well, GEAR4 has teamed up with D30, the world’s leading impact protection brand. And the material they’ve produced for these clear cases is the same stuff used by the military, pro athletes and industrial builders. It’s even used in bulletproof glass, so it’ll easily protect your Pixel 3 from everyday scrapes and scratches. All this super-strength protection doesn’t make the case too bulky, you’ll be pleased to hear. It’s slimline and completely clear, and you can easily access a

These days it’s easy to take amazing photographs with your phone – especially if it’s got a multi-lens camera. We’ve rounded up some of the best below, with our thoughts on what makes them so special. Huawei P20 Pro The Huawei P20 Pro was the world’s first to have three lenses. We’re talking about a 40MP, 20MP, and 8MP 3x telephoto zoom lens. Why three? Well, they each do separate things, but work together to create the perfect photo… The largest lens captures colour, while the second one captures black and white detail. Combined, they deliver incredible detail and colour reproduction. That means everything you shoot looks just as you remember seeing it with your own eyes. And then there’s the telephoto zoom lens, which lets you get closer to your subject using a 3x optical zoom, or a 5x Hybrid zoom. In fact, quite often you’ll be able to zoom in and see stuff that’s not visible with the naked eye, like a sticker on the window of an office block. You can order the Huawei P20 Pro

Apple to the core? Android die-hard? Still supporting Nokia? If you had to be loyal to one phone brand for the rest of your life, which would you choose? To enter the competition, simply scroll to the bottom of the page, tell us what brand you'd choose and hit reply! And why not tell us a bit more about what makes you so brand loyal? One winner will be selected at random, with the closing date for entries at 23.59pm on 18/11/2018; so be sure to enter by then. It really is that simple! Good luck! 🍀 --------------------------------------- iD Community £100 Technology Voucher Giveaway – Terms & Conditions. Promoter: iD Mobile, Dixons Carphone PLC, 1 Portal Way, Acton London, W3 6RS. By entering this promotion, you accept and agree to be bound by the following terms and conditions: This promotion is open to all UK residents aged over 18 years (except for employees and their families, of the Promoter and their group of companies). To enter this promotion, you wi

The latest smartphones have pretty amazing cameras, so if you’re the sort of person that likes to just point and shoot, you’ll probably end up with a great-quality shot. But could it be even better? We’ve taken a look at the different modes to make your photos sing. Auto Mode / Photo If in doubt, go auto. This is the camera’s default setting, and it makes all the decisions for you. It takes care of things like light and whether you need a flash – and when it comes to close ups, auto mode can really do the job. Let’s say you’re taking a picture of an important document or something you’re looking to sell – auto mode will ensure an accurate shot, more often than not. And better still, some newer smartphones offer intelligent auto mode (AI), which will work out what you’re trying to take a picture of and adjust the settings accordingly. Clever stuff. Portrait Mode Portrait mode is here to give your photos a professional look. It chooses things like colour settings and depth of field,

Right, so you’ve got your awesome new iPhone Xs, with its stunning 5.8-inch Super Retina HD display. But it’s time to start really exploring! Here are some of our favourite iPhone Xs tips and tricks. Make a Memoji Remember Animojis, those fun animated emojis on iPhone X that responded to your facial expressions? Well, the Xs has gone one further with Memojis. They’re animated emojis – and they look just like you. Creating yours is easy. Just go to the Message app, then select App drawer and the Animoji icon (it’s a monkey). Swipe right and tap ‘New Memoji’. Look at your camera, and your Memoji will appear. Then you can change things like your hair colour, and when you’ve settled on a look, press ‘done’. All that’s left to do after that is to share your Memoji with the world! 2. Get to grips with depth control A lot of phones give you pictures with professional-looking blurred backgrounds, but with the iPhone Xs, you can give your snap the treatment after it’s been taken.

Nokia has been busy this year, releasing a range of smartphones for everyone – one of the most recent being the top-of-the range Nokia 8 Sirocco. And now with the release of the Nokia 1, the Finnish phone giant has the budget price bracket covered, too. In fact, the Nokia 1 isn’t just budget. It’s super-budget. We don’t usually like to talk about phone prices straight away, but we think this one’s worth mentioning. Because it’s the low price that makes the Nokia 1 such a rare thing – a quality Android smartphone, at a feature phone price. Let’s take a closer look at it… Tough build, swappable back You know what we love about the Nokia 1’s design? It’s not pretending to be anything other than a budget phone. Yes, it’s made of plastic, it’s chunky and it’s got thick bezels. But it’s also nice and grippy, and fits comfortably into the palm of your hand. It certainly doesn’t feel flimsy, and you get the impression that this is a phone that could take being dropped with a mere sh

Ever found yourself wondering what some smartphone jargon actually means? Well, here’s a list of common (and not-so-common) smartphone-related terms and acronyms along with easy-to-understand explanations. 3G 3G was introduced back in 1998 and gave phone users internet access at higher speeds - making downloading music and video much more accessible. It’s so good in fact, that loads of people still use it. 4G It’s the current standard of internet speeds, capable of super-fast mobile speeds of up to 300Mbps. That’s pretty fast and is the reason you’re able to stream problem-free when you’re not connected to Wi-Fi. 5G 5G is the future, supposedly offering speeds hundreds of times faster than 4G. It could even make wired internet connections a thing of the past. No more crossed wires, just smooth wireless connectivity. GPRS If you’re on 2G, you might have noticed the letters ‘GPRS’ (General Packet Radio Service) appear in the top right of your screen. This is enhanc

The end of 2018 is fast approaching, so now seems like the right time to look at this year’s big developments in the world of mobile. We’ve picked out five trends. Artificial intelligence (AI) We’re aware of AI through the likes of Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant, but now there are lots of other clever things it can do on our phones. For example, built-in AI cameras know what we’re taking a picture of and where we’re taking it, then adjusts the settings to give you the best possible shot. Clever, right? One of the phones that does this to great effect is the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, which recognises over 1,000 scenarios. Augmented reality From AI to AR. Augmented reality turns our ordinary selves into dancing dogs, fabulous fairies and the like – and there’s a load of phones that now support this new technology. One example is the Samsung Galaxy S9, which lets you embrace your own unique style and express your personality. You can pick your hair and clothes – and then make

The iD Mobile Black Tag event has started, with some amazing mobile deals up for grabs. You don’t have to wait until Black Friday 2018, these money saving offers are available now! Ready for a bargain? That’s right, our Black Tag event is up and running with some incredible deals. You can save up to £330 on a pay monthly handset deal, or buy a SIM free phone and pair it with one of our great little SIM only deals. We’ve got something for everyone, so head to our Black Tag event page and check them out! You can save up to £330 on the incredible iPhone 7. Or if you're more of an Android fan you can save up to £96 on the Huawei P20 Lite, or save up to £100 on the Samsung Galaxy J6. If you’d like to learn a little more about Black Friday, and why our Black Tag event is a little different to it, read on… What is Black Friday? Black Friday is the day of the year where lots of retailers offer large savings and attractive deals for one day only. This makes it one of the busiest

Let’s play, iPhone X and iPhone Xs owners. Animating yourself with the Animoji and Memoji feature is a lot of fun, and is sure to impress your friends. It’s really easy too, as you’re about to see. Let’s get animated Thanks to the amazing front-facing TrueDepth camera on your iPhone X or Xs, you can animate Apple’s emoji characters with your own facial expressions and create fun video messages up to 30 seconds. If you’ve ever fancied being a cute pooch, cheeky monkey or oh-so-spooky ghost, this is the moment you’ve been waiting for. You can also add some audio to the mix while your chosen emoji follows your facial movements to a tee. Fancy creating something that’s a little more, well, you? Then go for a Memoji, the super fun feature that gives you the tools to create yourself as an emoji. Yep, you can finally see yourself as an awesome cartoon-style avatar! We’ve tried it out for ourselves and the result is hours of fun. Memojis and Animojis are really easy to create. Just

More and more smartphones are using wireless charging to get back up to speed after a hard day’s work. So you can forget about plugs, wires and cables – where we’re going, we won’t need them. Wireless charging has been around for a few years, but it’s only been quite recently that the major smartphone releases have started featuring it. And if you ask us, it’s about time. Technology that lets us power up our favourite devices without worrying about wires and searching for plug sockets? Yes please. Wireless charging is the future, and here’s everything you need to know about it… How does wireless charging work? Ready for some science? Good, because here it comes. Wireless charging – also known as inductive charging – uses magnetised coils to create an electromagnetic field. A moving magnet inside the coil generates electricity, which can be transferred to another coil nearby as a source of power. So just imagine the other coil nearby is inside the battery of your smartphone. Your sm

Remember, remember it’s the 5th November! To help you celebrate, here’s a list of bangin’ apps to download before you head outdoors for bonfire night. They’ll add some sparkle to Guy Fawkes Night. iLightningCam 2 Free on iOS Originally designed for capturing photos of lightning, iLightningCam 2 works for taking pictures of fireworks too. The most impressive thing about the app is its ability to take photos automatically. Just point your camera up to the sky, and it will detect the firework straight away and take a picture. And the full resolution feature means you’ll get razor-sharp images. Boomerang Free on iOS and Android If you want to try and make some fun firework videos, give Instagram’s Boomerang app a try. It loops one-second videos backwards and forwards, so with some good timing and a bit of luck, you should be able to create some cool firework effects. AccuWeather Free on iOS and Android No one wants to be stuck watching fireworks during a downpour, so

With an incredible 6.3-inch screen, clever AI camera and all-round speediness, the Honor Play is a heck of a phone. Let’s take a closer look. The screen’s a gamer’s delight The Honor Play is great for gaming. Well, the clue’s in the title, really. But a great gaming phone simply wouldn’t be complete without a great big screen. And the Honor Play certainly has one of those – there’s a whole 6.3-inches to play with, the largest on any Honor phone. Plus it’s Full HD+ so you can really immerse yourself in what’s happening on screen. It has a bigger body-to-screen ratio for a better view of the action, and if you’re worried that the notch will distract you, simply hide it. Plus, with up to 16 million colours, that’ll do all your games justice. You have the power The Honor Play is seriously fast (that’ll be the Kirin 970 octa-core processor doing its thing, processor fans). And graphics are impressive too, thanks to something called GPU Turbo, which will make sure everything

Are you missing out on the fun of Instagram Stories? You might have noticed them already, on top of some of your friends' feeds. So, let’s get you up to speed, and show you how to create your very own slices of Instagram history. What are Instagram Stories? Instagram Stories has got to be the most eye-catching feature on Instagram. It lets you create a single story by posting multiple photos and videos onto it. The story appears just like a slideshow, and the content disappears after 24 hours. You’re basically free to come up with any story you want. You could create one of a big night out with friends, mixing up photos and videos, or you could share an evening spent trying to create a culinary classic in the kitchen. Even if you don’t get it right, it could still be worth posting – we all love a failed attempt at a Bake Off classic. If you feel like you still need some inspiration (or should that insta-ration?), there’s only one thing for it. Let’s see what your friends are