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QR Codes: What are they? QR codes are everywhere, to the point where you probably see one daily and not think twice about it. They’ve gone from being a novelty feature to an essential part of our digital world. They can help you bag bargains, get onto websites, and even get onto flights. So what exactly are QR codes? QR codes are very similar to the bar codes you see on the back of the products you buy in shops, the parcels you receive in the post and the books you read. Only QR codes can do much more. Where one-dimensional bar codes can store up to 30 numbers, two-dimensional QR codes can store over 7000, and can be scanned either vertically or horizontally. You’ll see them used in lots of places. If you buy a train or flight ticket online to download and use on your phone, the part that gets scanned is actually a QR code. It’s unique to your specific ticket, and prevents it from being duplicated. You may see them in restaurants, too. That’s not all, though. You can use a QR code to l

If you’re looking to upgrade to a new Android phone, you’re in great hands with iD Mobile. New smartphones are launched regularly, and they get better and better, so choosing the right one for you can be tricky. Here’s our pick of the best to make that all-important decision a little easier. Samsung Galaxy S21 5G The Galaxy S21 5G has three rear cameras (with a big 64MP Telephoto Camera leading the way) and a huge 30x Space Zoom – which makes for some amazing close ups. It can even record in incredibly high res 8K at 24 fps, and you can pick out high resolution stills as crystal-clear, in-the-moment photos. It’s a content creator’s dream. Everything you do on the S21, from general browsing to multiplayer online gaming, feels super-smooth. That fantastic 6.2-inch AMOLED display supports a 120 Hz refresh rate, so every tap, swipe and press, feels more responsive. And it adapts to your activity, so you can rely on the battery to keep going. Packed with an octa-core processor, 8GB RAM and

Mobile Phone Refresh Rate What you need to know: If you’ve had your trusty phone for a year or more, you’d be forgiven for thinking little has changed in the smartphone world. However, you couldn’t be more wrong! While it can be said that smartphones are doubling down on tried and tested design, they’re also doubling up on something else at the same time: screen refresh rate. But what does this mean? Imagine a pitch-dark room with strobe lighting – every time the light flickers (or ‘refreshes’), you see a ‘frame’. The faster the light flashes, the smoother motion appears to the eye. Phone screens work in a similar way. Every display must refresh a certain number of times to make it look like what you’re seeing is moving. Refresh rate means how quickly the content on your screen can update, or refresh, moving onto the next frame. Where most phones predating mid 2020 had a refresh rate of 60 Hz (or 60 refreshes per second), the best handsets of 2021 can go all the way to a silky smooth 1

Advice for our Customers: Customers affected – Android Users What we have identified – We’ve been made aware that a number of our customers may have been targeted with SMS messages that have been made to look like they were sent from delivery services such as DHL, Amazon and Argos (although there may be others). These messages instruct the recipient to download a file to enable tracking of a fictitious package. If this link is clicked on an Android device, an attempt to download malicious software (Malware) will occur. If this malware is permitted to download and install, it could gain permissions on your phone to intercept and send SMS messages, while also attempting to capture any online banking details stored on your device. Users of iOS devices (iPhone & iPad) are unaffected by any attempt to download the above-mentioned file from the SMS message. Advice for ALL customers: If you have received the message but have taken no further action, i.e., you have not clicked on the link in t

​It’s time to train your brain! Whether you work 9-5 or study, or both, it can be tricky to get your mind into razor-sharp focus without the stimuli of your regular working space. Giving your brain regular exercises is as great way to regain that focus and prepare yourself to handle anything that comes your way, whether it’s a problem that needs solving or several tasks that demand attention at the same time. When you train your mind, you’re actually giving yourself the tools to complete tasks that you might have struggled with before, or even considered impossible. That’s why setting a little time aside each day for mental exercises can help you work, study, focus, and retain information more effectively. Here are a few apps to help you on your brain training journey: Lumosity Free (Android, iOS) Lumosity is one of the most well-known brain training apps around, and it’s no surprise. This app has something for everyone. Whether you want to improve your mental maths skills, add more wo

Whether you want to watch a classic movie or keep up to date with top shows, we’ve picked some of the best streaming apps for your mobile. They’re great when you’re travelling home for some festive fun. What is it? One of the biggest streaming platforms around, Netflix has tons of great movies, shows and documentaries to get you in the festive mood. How much does it cost? You won't be charged until after your free month and then there are different plans tailored to you. Basic plan £5.99, standard £8.99 and premier £11.99. Recommended: How the Grinch stole Christmas, A Christmas Prince What is it? Another great app that lets you watch content on the go. Watch plenty of classic Christmas flicks which you’ll have access to with an Amazon Prime subscription. How much does it cost? You can get a 30-day free trial, available on Android and Apple. After the trial it would cost £7.99 per month if you go for a monthly subscription. When you sign up to Amazon Prime, you’ll get a whole bundle of

5G is going to transform our mobile lives, with incredible data transfer speeds making everything quicker. But when is it coming? How fast will it be? And why is it called 5G, anyway? Let us explain… What is 5G and when is it coming to the UK? 5G is the fifth generation of mobile networks. Ever since good old 1G was launched in 1981, a new generation of mobile networks has been introduced roughly every 10 years. 2G appeared in 1991, 3G in 2001 and 4G was standardised in 2012. 5G is next, and plans are well under way to bring it to the UK. It’s impossible to give an exact date, but the 5g.co.uk website says we should expect 5G to arrive in late 2019 or 2020 – that timescale is taken from the government’s 5G strategy, and advice from network operators. How fast will 5G be? 5G is going to be blazing fast. And a lot faster than 4G ever was. Want an exact number? Okay then, here you go – some estimates think that 5G might give us download speeds up to 1,000 times faster than 4G. But we’re n

Get set for our Mega Deals event After that new phone feeling? You’re in the right place. Easter is just around the corner, and we’ve already seen several ground-breaking new devices released this year. There’s the Samsung S21 range and OPPO Find X3 series to name just a couple, but there are loads more smartphones pushing the boundaries – and you’ll find them right here. To make this Easter even better, we’re running a cracking mega deals event with a fantastic line-up of top brand phones. You can get half price line rental for 3 months on a range of devices, and you could even get a free gift when you treat yourself to one of our brilliant deals. Here are just a few of the deals you’ll find with iD Mobile: Looking for a new Samsung or OPPO? Why not treat yourself to the Samsung S20 FE or any of the other devices in the S21 range? Maybe you’ve got your eye on one of the latest OPPO smartphones. Good choice. When you purchase the OPPO Find X3 Neo or Lite with iD Mobile in our Mega Deal

Calling all Community members…. This is your last chance to enter our April newsletter competition, where you could win the amazing OPPO Find X3 NEO. This competition must end at 12pm midnight tonight. For all the details on how to enter, click the article below. (Competition instructions can be found at the bottom of the article). Best of luck!

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Presenting the OPPO Find X3 Series Since OPPO first arrived to the UK just a little over two years ago, we’ve been treated to a head-turning range of smartphones with a few standout design innovations along the way (remember the retractable ‘shark fin’ camera of the Reno 10?). While OPPO may not currently be a household name like Apple and Samsung, we believe that’s all set to change. To kick off their 2021, OPPO have launched their new flagship Find X3 series. There are 3 phones on offer here: the Find X3 Lite, Find X3 Pro and Find X3 Neo. Each one offers its own distinct camera setup, chipset, and design. We think they all look ace and perform very impressively, but the Find X3 Neo makes for a remarkable all-rounder. This phone has all the power you could need. We’re talking a huge battery and a Snapdragon 865 processor paired with a whopping 12 GB RAM (that’s likely to be more than your laptop or PC). It also supports 65 W fast charging, so just 5 minutes plugged in can power 4 hour

Parental Controls and Content Filtering: A Quick Guide Smartphones are windows to the world, right there in the palm of your hand. They give you the ability to watch, browse, read, play, chat, and discover, wherever you are. And that barely scratches the surface. These days, kids are learning to use tech at a younger age. In fact, many infants can use a smart device like an iPhone long before they’re able to write their name. That shows just how quickly the digital world moves. However, the digital world isn’t always child friendly. While kids become savvier with technology, it’s down to parents, guardians and of course, tech companies, to prioritise their safety online, set limits and help them get the best out of the web. Whether your child uses your device, or you’ve treated them to their first phone, there are a number of ways to help make their experience a safe one. And there are plenty of apps they’ll love that have neat content controls built right in. Here’s what you need to k

How to Make Your iPhone More Secure Our phones carry more personal data the more we use them. It’s not just contacts, messages, and WhatsApp. They also store account passwords, financial data, location data, the websites we browse and the searches we make online. As you’ll have seen in our April Newsletter email, your phone privacy, safety, and security are important to us. We want you to have the best experience possible, whether it’s ultra-secure account sign-ins or being pickier with app permissions. Luckily, iPhones make security and privacy a front and centre feature, so keeping your personal info personal couldn’t be easier. Apple’s privacy policy: Of all the big phone brands out there, Apple probably leads the way for user privacy. Every Apple-made app has been built to make your user experience uniquely yours, and not store your data, or worse, sell it to third parties. For example, the Maps app doesn’t link your data to your Apple ID, and it doesn’t record your location histor

How to Make Your Android Phone More Secure Our smartphones carry an entire library of personal data to be as useful and versatile as they are. It’s not just contacts, messages, files, and photos. Think about all the account passwords, banking info, location data, websites you’ve visited and searches you’ve made. It’s a lot! As you’ll have seen in our April Newsletter email, your phone privacy, safety, and security are important to us. Your Android experience should always be as good as it can be, and a few quick security provisions can help make it so. Android offers plenty of customisation options, letting you tailor your own phone experience. When you delve into the settings, it’s easy to take control of your data, passwords, and activity. Here are a few things you can do to make your Android phone more secure: Routinely scan your apps: Did you know Google can scan an app to check if it’s safe before you’ve even downloaded it? With ‘Google Play Protect’, your phone can see if apps ar

Mind Over Matter: Top Apps to Help You Find Your Calm It’s been nearly a year since the first national lockdown was imposed and since then, none of us have been strangers to staying at home, away from our peers and in our own company. While some relish the chance to spend quality time developing skills, honing creativity, or simply basking in the relative peace and quiet, for others it’s not so easy. Of course, in the times we’re all currently going through, it’s only natural to occasionally feel overwhelmed, miss our friends and family, and struggle to complete tasks as efficiently as we might. The trick is to take a step back and work on our mental health, not to fully eliminate challenging emotions, but to effectively work past them when they do pop up. Just as you might exercise three times a week to get in better shape physically, practising mindfulness and meditation are great for building mental strength and resilience. Here are our favourite apps to help you achieve peace of mi

iPhone: What’s new? Every year brings a new iPhone and with it, new innovations that make the experience that much better. Whether it’s ground-breaking smartphone camera tech, ever-smarter AI or an all-new, intuitive iOS operating system, the latest iPhones can do things that simply weren’t possible even just a few years ago. So, how does iD Mobile’s current iPhone line up compare to previous generations? iPhone SE The 2020 iPhone SE is a more entry level offering from Apple among the current range, but nonetheless a great way to get the best of the iPhone experience. At 4.7-inches in size, it’s by no means a big-screen phone, but that does mean it’s super-comfy whether you’re using it single handed or storing it in your jacket pocket. The HD Retina display makes for sharp, detailed entertainment too. The difference between the SE and the iPhone 6, for example, is night and day. It’ll offer 5 hours longer battery life and has a higher 12MP camera that captures 4K 60 fps footage. But th

Do you miss the mobile quizzing excitement of HQ Trivia? Are you looking for a new quiz game that pits your wits against your family and friends? Then make Quiz Planet your next destination. Who remembers HQ Trivia? It was our favourite quizzing app for oh, almost a year or so. The chance of winning real cash prizes really had us hooked. Then, after a few months, we realised that the chance of winning real cash prizes was almost non-existent. So we lost interest. The fact that HQ Trivia’s quizzes were only held at set times each day was another drawback. It meant we couldn’t just pick up and play the game when we wanted to. Very annoying. And so it came to pass, that HQ Trivia died a death in the UK. On 5 Dec 2018, a message on its Twitter feed said goodbye. Luckily for us mobile quiz fans, we soon found something else to take its place. Quiz Planet is an awesome Facebook Messenger game, and if you haven’t played it yet, you’re in for a treat. Here’s everything you need to know about i

Does your phone feel like it’s getting slower performing basic tasks? Is it struggling to get through the day on a full charge? These could be signs that your once reliable and efficient handset is on its last legs. But these aren’t the only indicators. There are other, more subtle signs that, if ignored, could mean reduced functionality or worse performance further down the line. So, we’ve put together a list of a few of those warning signs. If any of these apply to you, it might be time to consider how long you’ve had your phone and if it’s still up to the task! Failing battery and random shutdowns A sure fire sign your phone’s on the way out is when the battery life starts to fail. Smartphone batteries are made with lithium-ion and can go through 300-500 full charge cycles before they start to deteriorate. After that, they tend to only hold between 70-80 % of their original capacity, eventually losing ability to recharge altogether. An indication your battery’s on the way out is whe

There’s a new flagship phone in town. Get set for next-gen photography, share-ready footage and bundles of power… We love seeing new innovations in the smartphone world, and Samsung have kicked things off early in 2021 with the launch of three new flagship handsets – The Galaxy S21 5G, S21+ 5G and S21 Ultra 5G. From budding photographers to box set bingers, the S21 range has something for everyone to love. Let’s take a closer look: Samsung Galaxy S21 5G The Galaxy S21 5G is compact but packs a serious punch. With a Dynamic AMOLED 2X 6.2-inch display, every movie, game and web page looks bright, bold and beautiful. The screen refreshes all the way up to 120 Hz too, making in-game motion feel buttery smooth. And if you ever run low on juice, you can reduce the refresh rate to save energy. That’s smart. Powered by the new Exynos 2100 processor, 8 GB RAM and superfast 5G, the S21 offers ‘never miss a moment’ connectivity. It has the power to download apps and movies in seconds, deliver buf

Happy new year! Think you’ve missed the chance to treat yourself to a great phone deal now that Christmas is over? Think again! At iD Mobile, we’re all about great offers all year round. And this month, we’ve got some pretty epic deals on Google’s Pixel range. With the best elements of the Android experience combined with 5G connectivity, a powerful chip, a crystal-clear OLED screen and incredible cameras, Google Pixel phones can handle it all. Both the Google Pixel 4a 5G and the Google Pixel 5 launched in October, and they’re up there with the best smartphones of 2020. The first Google phones packed with 5G compatibility, both the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5 offer incredible download speeds and a stripped-back, clean looking interface that’ll please even the most devoted Apple fans. We love the cameras on both phones. While they have the same dual 12MP and 16MP Ultra-Wide lens setup, it’s the brilliant AI that’s the star of the show. The Night Sight feature allows you to capture stunning pho

Thinking about treating yourself to a brand-new phone? We’re here to make it easier for you. New smartphones get released all the time and each one promises to top the last, making it tricky to find the phone that truly stands out and suits you. So, we’ve shortlisted what we think are among the best smartphones around right now. These 5 phones do it all and look great doing it – and they’re all available right now with iD Mobile. Let’s take a look: iPhone 12 Pro Make no mistake, the iPhone 12 Pro is a powerhouse. While its screen may be notably smaller than the iPhone 12 Pro Max, they both share the same incredible Super Retina XDR OLED display and A14 Bionic chip. Elsewhere, 5G compatibility and a pro-style camera system take the Apple experience to new heights. And with a choice of Pacific Blue, Gold, Silver and Graphite, this thing offers as much style as substance. It looks awesome. Check out our iPhone 12 Pro deals . Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G Love gaming on the go? This might just

We love Christmas, who doesn’t? It’s a time to take a step back from the daily stresses of life, share memories with those closest to us, exchange gifts and gorge on fantastic food. Can you tell we’re excited? It’s also the perfect time to bag yourself a winning deal on a new phone or SIM only plan with iD Mobile. We’ve got some unmissable offers lined up. Hunting for a top deal on a powerful handset? Look no further. We’ve got amazing offers on a range of phones to suit everyone. With our exclusive Christmas event, you’ll get a Currys PC World gift card worth up to £100. So, you can treat yourself to some top of the line tech, view all our great offers here. Among the great range of smartphones on offer, we have fantastic handsets from OPPO. Get superfast downloads and eye-popping night-time footage with the Reno4 Z 5G. Go pro with the incredible OPPO Reno4 Pro or give yourself the gift of all-day battery life and lightning-fast charging with the OPPO A53. Also, switch to any 12-month

Stay Safe Shopping Online this Christmas Planning to buy your Christmas presents online this year? You’re not the only one. Roughly £6 billion is projected to be spent over Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2020, with two thirds of shoppers opting to get it all done on the net. However, if you’re not too careful when you shop online, that bargain you find may not be quite what you bargained for. Scammers are always devising new ways to cheat deal-hunting customers out of their cash, and unfortunately, the festive period is their big season. But don’t worry - here are a few things you can do to keep safe online while bagging a gift to make them smile. Don’t use public Wi-Fi Rule Number 1: don’t buy stuff online when you’re on a public Wi-Fi network. Your connection is nowhere near as secure as it is when you use your iD data or home broadband. Determined fraudsters that happen to be sharing the public network can access the data you provide and potentially wreak havoc. So, either stick w

iD Mobile’s Black Friday Event is Here! To celebrate we’re giving away a £100 Currys PC World voucher – more about that below. Planning to treat yourself or a loved one to a brand-new phone this winter season? We’ve got you covered. Whether you’re after the all-new iPhone 12 or a powerful Android such as the Samsung S20E to call, play, stream, and of course, chat in the Community, you’ll find what you’re looking for with iD Mobile. Amongst all the great deals we have on offer over Black Friday, you can save up to £120 on the iPhone 12 or iPhone 11. If you’re more of an Android lover, get cashback when you go for a snappy new Samsung handset, or even save up to a massive £362 on a cracking Android phone. And if you’re looking for a winning SIM only deal with unlimited data, you’ll find it right here at iD Mobile. Here’s some of the great Pay Monthly Phone deals you can get in iD Mobile’s Black Friday Event: Phone Up Front Cost Monthly Cost Allowances Save Up To iPhone SE 64GB £9.99 £23.

iOS 14 & Android 11 at a glance (Includes a competition) Looking for a new smartphone? Whichever brand or device you choose, the chances are that it’ll all come down to a single question – iPhone or Android? Here, we’ll explain what both can do to help you make the choice. And if you fancy sprucing up that new handset with some fantastic games and apps, read on to find out how to get your hands on a £50 app store gift card! Let’s start with the basics. iOS and Android are the operating systems that most smartphones use. All iPhones use iOS and the majority of other brands run on Android. Both have been around for quite a while now and have been refined again and again over the past decade, making them better, smoother and more intuitive with age. However, there are a few things you should know when making your mind up. iOS (iPhone, iPad) If you’ve already got a Mac or iPad, you’re probably familiar with Apple’s operating system. While every Apple phone, tablet and computer works brilli