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Looking for a new phone but on a budget? Here’s everything you need to look out for. So, you’re after a new smartphone but money’s a bit tight right now. If you’re thinking a budget phone won’t give you everything you need, think again. We reckon you’ll be surprised by the choice available to you, and you’ll be pleased to hear that lower end devices now share a lot of the technology you’ll have found on premium devices a couple of years ago. When it comes to finding a great budget phone, here are the five key areas to look at. Display It feels like display technology has improved massively in no time at all. For example, it wasn’t long ago that only the leading smartphones could boast a HD (high definition) screen with a 720p resolution (1280 x 720 pixels). But now you’ll be able to get an HD display on a decent budget phone. Camera Look out for how many megapixels (MP) a phone’s camera comes with. Generally speaking, the higher the number, the better, sharper and more detailed the picture will be. However, there is a bit more to it than that – things like the lens, the image processor and camera sensors also make a difference to the overall shot. So, the megapixel count isn’t everything, but a 5MP lens with an LED flash should be more than up to the job. And while we’re talking cameras, don’t forget the front-facing camera, which will take care of your selfies and video-calls. Design The first thing you’ll notice about a phone is how it actually looks. Budget phones tend to be less slick and refined compared to more expensive handsets. But who’s to say that’s a bad thing? A bulkier phone can make them easier to hold and more robust. That extra weight can be reassuring and could end up giving you added protection against those everyday bumps and knocks. Processing Power If you have the need for speed, you’ll find that budget phones are better in this area than they used to be. Gone are the days when a budget phone might struggle to run larger apps – or more than one application at a time. While your budget phone won’t have the state-of-the-art processors you’ll find on a premium phone, it will have a powerful enough processor to keep things ticking along nicely. Today, games and apps are all designed to run on all kinds of processors. Let’s think of it from the app maker’s point of view. It makes good business sense for as many people as possible to be able to use their app. Battery life The final very important thing to bear in mind is battery life. And here, budget phones perform pretty well on the whole. In fact, because a budget phone will tend to have a lower resolution display and will be a little less powerful, this will help lengthen the life of the battery. A battery size of 2,000mAh should get you through the day. Looking for a new phone or upgrade? Head on over to idmobile.co.uk for the latest deals and offers across a great range of smartphones.

Today we’re asking - which smartphone would your favourite Star Wars character go for? Poe Dameron Poe is an all-action kind of guy. He wants to experience everything up close and personal, so the Xperia XZ2’s Dynamic Vibration System is right up his alley. He’ll be able to feel the action through his fingertips. Tense moments will feel even more epic, and with S-Force Front Surround sound, he’ll be able to hear everything above the noise of the carnage he always seems to unwittingly create. Poe can buy the Xperia XZ2 from iD Mobile. Finn Finn is a man on a mission. He’s happiest when he’s hopping between planets and running into trouble. To do that, he needs to have his wits about him, and a phone with a decent battery life. He needs a Motorola G5 Plus. The G5 Plus has a 3,000mAh battery capable of lasting all day, and like Finn, it’s tough enough to handle itself. Super-strong Corning Gorilla Glass protects it from everyday scrapes, scratches and direct hits from First Order F-11D blaster rifles*. Finn can buy the Motorola G5 Plus from iD Mobile. C-3PO How would you describe C-3PO? Solid and dependable with a deceptively tough steel core? A pure Android capable of offering a fuss-free user experience? Then let’s give him a Nokia 6. Something that sets the Nokia 6 apart is its two-tone metallic colour, and the gold-bodied, red-armed C-3PO will appreciate that. When the going gets tough, both C-3PO and the Nokia 6 have strength you can depend on. It’s a perfect match. C-3PO can buy the new Nokia 6 from iD Mobile. Chewbacca Chewie’s a big guy. While the thought of teaming him up with a tiny phone might be worth it just to see the look on his face, we’re giving him the big and beautiful Galaxy Note8. The Note8 has a massive 6.3-inch Quad HD display, ideal for those of us with big furry paws. And Chewie has the chance to go even bigger, by using the Samsung Dex Station to turn his Note8 into a desktop computer. Wookies are notoriously bad at remembering passwords, so Chewie will appreciate the Note 8’s iris scanner. He, and only he, will be able to unlock his phone by just glancing at it. So he’ll always have peace of mind that his personal information is completely secure. Chewie can buy the Samsung Galaxy Note8 from iD Mobile. What do you think of our choices? Do you have any suggestions of your own? Or perhaps you’re a Star Wars character looking to upgrade with iD Mobile? If so, get in touch with us by commenting below. We’ll help you out. * This hasn’t been fully tested yet.

Google Lens can translate foreign menus and recognise landmarks, just by looking at your photos. So, what are you waiting for? Ditch your tour guides, and read on for details. How do you get Google Lens on your phone? Until recently, the AI-powered visual recognition technology tool known as Google Lens belonged exclusively on Google Pixel phones. But now, there’s great news for all you non-Pixel phone owners out there. Yes, you can now use Google Lens to reveal more about your photos. It’s no longer a Pixel phone exclusive, and can be found on the Google Photos app (iOS and Android) What does Google Lens do? Google Lens uses Google's massive wealth of data to identify information in your photos. It works on loads of different types of photos including landmarks, menus, books, plants, works of art and animals. Apparently, it can even recognise different breeds of cats and dogs. Depending on what Google Lens recognises in your photo, you'll be given useful information along with prompts to take action if applicable. For example, if you use Google Lens to look at a business card, it’ll recognise the email address, phone number and job title of your contact. You’ll then be given the option of saving all the information with a single tap – very handy indeed. How do I use Google Lens? Go into your Google Photos app, and choose a photo. Then simply tap the Google Lens button at the bottom of the screen (it’s a big dot with a broken square around it. Kind of like the Instagram icon), and it’ll automatically work its AI magic. If Google Lens recognises what it sees, you’ll get more info underneath the photo. How well does it work? At the time of writing, the version of Google Lens on Google Photos is still an early preview, with “more functionality coming soon”. It doesn’t recognise everything - it didn’t give us any additional information on a simple photo of a pen, for example. And our favourite photo of Brad Pitt was met with a response of “Lens doesn’t recognise people”, along with a few suggestions for things to try it on: text, places, artwork and media. Brad Pitt fans may be out of luck just for the moment then, but when you point Google Lens at the things it’s trained to recognise, it works well. Whenever we used it on a landmark it was spot on with the answer, Try Google Lens for yourself, and let us know how you get on with it. Did it identify something unexpected? Did it get the breed of your pet correct? Post your comment below. Or, as always, feel free to ask a question.

Are you thinking of upgrading to a new phone on iD Mobile? It’s a big decision. So to help you out, we’ve rounded up a handful of the most important things to check out. The Operating System The first thing to consider when choosing a new phone is the type of operating system (OS) you want. This is a big decision because it affects how you can use your phone. Here are the differences between the two most popular: iOS. This OS is found on iPhones and iPads. It’s known for being extremely user-friendly, and the look is clean, clear and easy to understand. Android. Most phones use Android, the OS made by Google. It’s very customisable, letting you alter lots of settings and get the look and feel that’s right for you. The Camera A few years ago, you could judge how good a phone camera was by the megapixel count. That’s not really the case anymore – you’re much better off spending time checking out the lenses, aperture and optical image stabilisation. Lenses. Dual lenses can be found on most premium and mid-range phones these days. They work together to give you professional looking bokeh effect shots with blurred backgrounds. Also, a lot of phone makers are teaming up with specialist lens makers - so the lens brand name is one more thing to look out for. Aperture. When it comes to smartphone camera apertures, you’re looking for low numbers. That’s because the lower the number, the wider the aperture (it’s confusing, we know). And wider apertures let more light in for better images in low-light conditions. The very best camera phones out there have super-wide f/1.5 apertures. Anything between that and an f/2.0 aperture should give you great low-light shots. Optical image stabilisation. This camera feature keeps things nice and steady, to give you blur-free photos even when your hands are shaking. It’s often missing from the most affordable phones, but it really does make a difference. The Display Make sure you get a phone with a large and clear display. We recommend a screen size over 5-inches for watching movies, while a Quad HD or even 4K resolution is a must if you want to see every detail. The Processing Power Do you play games on your phone? If there’s lots going on at once, look for processors with more cores – four or eight are ideal. You’ll also want a high GHz number, the measure of the processor’s speed. Between 1.5GHz and 2.0GHz will do the trick. RAM is important too as it ensures you can open games more quickly. Look for at least 2GB. The Battery Life Now look at the mAh of your phone’s battery. This is a measure of how large the battery is, and how much power it stores. To give you an idea of what to look out for, a 3,000mAh battery size is pretty impressive. If battery life is a priority for you, it might be worthwhile looking at a few lower-priced phones. These types of phones can have an impressive battery life, because they don’t have lots of power-hungry features to worry about. If you think you’re ready to shop for your next phone, check if you’re due an upgrade here. If you’re eligible to upgrade, you can browse our phone deals and make your purchase. Any questions on choosing a new phone that we haven’t covered above? Then go ahead and post it below.

The truth is, your smartphone is probably the most important gadget in your life.So to help you choose the niftiest one out there AND get more bang for your buck - we’ve picked our favourites – all under £15 a month. Kerching! Samsung Galaxy J3 First up is the Samsung Galaxy J3. If you’re looking for great performance as well as price – this is the one for you. A powerful camera, water resistant and wireless charging – just some of the reasons it stands out from the pack: Weight: 138g | Dimensions: 142.3 x 71 x 7.9mm | OS: Android 5.1.1 | Screen size: 5-inch | Resolution: 720 x 1280 | CPU: 1.5GHz quad-core | RAM: 1.5GB | Storage: 8/16GB | Battery: 2,600mAh | Rear camera: 8MP | Front camera: 5MP From £10.99 per month, now with Double Data! Nokia 6 A small price to pay for a whole lot of appeal. Gone are the days of the indestructible 3310, say hello to it’s better-looking sibling. The Nokia 6 boasts a sleek, aluminium body for a more premium feel. And with additional specs like these, you’d be silly not to consider it. Weight: 169g | Dimensions: 154 x 75.8 x 7.9mm | OS: Android 7.1.1 | Screen size: 5.5-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 1920 | CPU: Snapdragon 430 | RAM: 3/4GB | Storage: 32GB/64GB | Battery: 3000mAh | Rear camera: 16MP | Front camera: 8MP From £13.99 per month. Samsung Galaxy J5 A bigger screen at a lower price, what’s not to love? The J5 has one of the most impressive phones under £15 a month. What’s the catch you ask? Well, with a 13MP front and rear camera, we can’t promise you won’t become selfie-obsessed. Duck face filter not included. Weight: 149g | Dimensions 146.2 x 71.3 x 8.0mm | OS: Android 6.0.1 | Screen size: 5.2 inch | Resolution: 720x1280 | CPU: Octa Core | RAM: 1.5GB | Storage: 8GB w/ microSD | Battery: 3,000mAh | Rear camera: 13MP | Front camera: 5MP From £14.99 per month. Sony Xperia XA1 Find us someone who doesn’t love an all you can eat buffet - big, budget, and oh so good. So how about gobbling this up; a large 5-inch display, 22 Mega Pixel Camera, Quick Charge and expandable storage up to 256GB. It’s safe to say there’s plenty of room for all your favourites apps. Including Candy Crush. Dimensions: 145 x 67 x 8 mm | OS: Android 7 | Screen size: 5 inch | Resolution: 720 x 1280 | CPU: Octa-core | RAM: 3GB | Storage: 32GB | Battery: 2,300mAh | Rear camera: 23MP | Front camera: 8MP From £14.99 per month. Refurbished phones – great phones, for less. If you're looking for something higher-end but don't want to break the bank, you can save some serious cash with refurbished phones. As with our new handsets, all refurbished phones are covered by a 12-month warranty. and better still - you can pick up a refurbished phone from as little as £19.99 per month. Get in!

Do you strive to take the perfect selfie? Here are 5 easy tips to get the most out of your smartphone camera and ensure everyone stays swiping right. See the light. Darker? Lighter? Natural? Fluorescent? With so many options it’s easy to understand how in certain light you can look a 10 and in others a 2. But our top tip is to always use natural light which will brighten your face and minimize shadows. In front of a window is perfect. Know your angles. We all know our good side, but not knowing what angle to hold the camera can turn even a beauty into a beast. So in the words of Kim Kardashian ‘keep your chin down, and the camera up’. Filters are your friends. We’re sure you have real friends too, but they won’t always tell you when you’re overdoing it. So when you do reach for a filter, always; stay natural, remember less is always more. Unless you’re going for an Oompa Loompa look, then pile them on. Get Snap happy. Kylie Jenner’s best selfie tip is to just take a lot of selfies. She’s said she takes “like, 500 selfies” before she finds the one she likes enough to post. So when it comes to snapping that perfect shot, quantity definitely comes before quality. Now, we’re sure you’ll be looking like an Instagram celeb before you know it! But if you do think we’ve missed anything. Let us know your tips in the comments below.