When it comes to flagship smartphones , Apple, Samsung and Google might be the first brands that come to mind. But ignore OnePlus at your peril. The Chinese company is great at making high-end phones and has just released its flagship OnePlus 13 globally, making it a strong contender in the race for the podium of the best Android phones in 2025. It brings a wave of excitement, especially with its upgraded Snapdragon 8 Elite processor (beating the Samsung Galaxy S25 to the punch), capacious battery and a waterproof rating better than key rivals....

The OnePlus 8 Pro is here , and it’s a doozy. With an IP68 rating and wireless charging – not to mention a 120Hz refresh rate – it pulls off a few firsts for the brand. But with a higher price to match the fancier features, how does it compare to last year’s 7 Pro and similar 7T Pro ? Whether you already own one of last year’s phones, or hope to buy one for cheap now that the 8 Pro is here, here’s how the 2020 flagship compares to 2019’s best....

At a glance Expert’s Rating Pros Excellent typing feel Premium design and build Works with Windows or Mac Customisable software Cons Very expensive You’ll need a wrist rest Keys not backlit Our Verdict If you have a wedge to spend on a premium mechanical keyboard, the OnePlus Keyboard 81 Pro is worth Considering, thanks to its excellent build and comfortable typing feel. But at this price, the keys should be backlit....

The secret to a whodunnit in the modern age is all in the editing. There are always clues and titbits – some real, some red herrings – that will keep viewers guessing week-on-week about what exactly is going on. No show has encapsulated this better than the comedy-mystery hit Only Murders in the Building, which debuts its second season today. The show stars the powerhouse trio of Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selina Gomez who all play residents of New York’s Arconia Building....

During Oppo’s Inno Day showcase, the tech company unveiled Oppo Air Glass – an “assisted reality” (aR) headset for the Chinese market; designed to help make everyday tasks easier, with teleprompters, translation software, navigation tools and more. An assisted reality (aR) headset provides information within the user’s direct field of view; on top of their surroundings, without obscuring them. They’re designed to offer a different experience to augmented reality (AR) headsets , which instead use interactive, computer-generated imagery within real-world environments....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Pros Blood oxygen monitoring Inexpensive Bright OLED screen Cons Limited customisation Can’t charge with band fitted Need app for some settings Our Verdict Oppo’s first activity tracker is very good, but it doesn’t beat the competition or offer anything new. Best Prices Today: Oppo Band Oppo is still a relatively unknown brand in the UK, though its good-value phones are helping to change that. The Band is the company’s first wearable, alongside the Oppo Watch ....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Pros Great performance Excellent cameras Vibrant OLED display Cons Iffy photo processing Our Verdict The Oppo Find X2 Lite is a solid mid-range phone, with excellent performance, quality cameras and a fairly nice design. Best Prices Today: Oppo Find X2 Lite In the spring of 2020, Oppo launched two new phones to complete its Find X2 range of smartphones: the Find X2 Neo and more affordable Find X2 Lite....

At a glance Expert’s Rating Pros Classy design Decent stereo speakers Strong battery life Cons No fingerprint sensor Middling performance ColorOS not the best UI Our Verdict Just as well built as the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 but with a better display, the Oppo Pad Air is a fine casual or secondary tablet. While it’s no performance whiz, and could do with a fingerprint sensor, Oppo’s western tablet debut is ideal for anyone shopping on a budget....

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is the company’s latest flagship smartphone processor, likely to power the majority of 2022’s flagship Android phones. It’ll have tough competition this year though, with Apple, Samsung, and Google all manufacturing their own chipsets, and third-party rival MediaTek now offering comparable flagship performance in its silicon for the first time too. Revealed in late November, the 8 Gen 1 has a whole new name to go along with new architecture, a smaller 4nm manufacturing process, and a host of new AI and camera features....

In a surprise twist, Reebok is getting into the smart ring market with the simply titled Reebok Smart Ring. The ring is now available to buy via Reebok’s own website in sizes 6-14, beating the likes of Nike and Adidas to market, but it’s only being shipped to customers in the US. This follows on from the Reebok Pulse Smartwatch available via Costco in Canada. Update: Reebok has told Tech Advisor that the smart ring “will roll out to other countries in the coming months and into the new year....

Roidmi, which was founded in 2015, has 103 technical patents for its vacuum cleaners. The brand is notable for its design-led approach, winning six international design awards to date. Features of the S1 series include a 270-degree handle design for comfortable use, rotating and ultra-flexible cleaning heads, an array of specialised accessories including a motorised mattress tool (which the company is calling an anti-mite brush in a daring bid to put us off food for life) and a both a soft roller for hard floors and a carbon fire and rubber blade for carpets....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict The Roidmi S1 is one of the best cordless vacuums we’ve seen to date; it’s impressively lightweight at only 1.5kg while still offering great suction and almost an hour of battery life on a single charge. If you’re nervous about the jump from corded to cordless, don’t be; we certainly won’t be looking back after using the S1. Best Prices Today: Roidmi S1 While cordless vacuums were once low-powered, badly designed and had terrible battery life, advances in technology mean that’s no longer the case....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict Roli’s Beatmaker Kit offers a wealth of creative options for professional music makers and hobbyists alike, though to the point where it may be overwhelming for beginners. It’s an entry-level product in Roli’s range but is still quite expensive – which is why the Lightpad Block, also available separately, may be a more sensible investment on its own if you’re just starting off. It works with programs like Garageband and industry leading digital audio workstation software like Ableton....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Pros Effective cooling Easy to use Doubles as a dehumidifier Cons Bulky & heavy Can get noisy Only designed for sliding windows Our Verdict The 9000BTU Russell Hobbs portable air conditioner is a decent option for Brits hoping to cool their homes throughout heatwaves to come. It’s powerful enough to cool most bedrooms and even living rooms, and the dehumidifier function will help keep moisture at bay....

At a glance Expert’s Rating Pros Compact design Produces a variety of tasty coffees Competitive price Cons Touch controls sometimes finicky Build not as striking as rivals Our Verdict The Salter Espirista Coffee Machine doesn’t take up space, nor will it eat up your budget – but it does produce an excellent range of espresso-based drinks. Best Prices Today: Salter Espirista Having your own espresso machine doesn’t have to be a huge investment, as Salter’s Espirista Coffee Machine goes to prove....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict The Galaxy A8 is still a good buy if you want an affordable phone with decent specs, and don’t mind it being a little old. It’s a sort of Galaxy S9 mini so will be attractive to those looking for a cheaper Samsung handset. There are some strong mid-range rivals though. Best Prices Today: Samsung Galaxy A8 There weren’t many interesting new smartphones at CES 2018 but Samsung has got a pocket rocket in the form of the Galaxy A8....

It seemed like Honor had announced the world’s first smartphone with an in-screen camera with the View 20 , but Samsung might have got in quicker. We didn’t spot it initially, but the Galaxy A8s was unveiled yesterday by Samsung in China. It’s not a race all smartphone makers are bothered about, but Samsung may have won it. The Galaxy A8s has a front facing camera that’s completely surrounded by the screen....

At a glance Expert’s Rating Pros Extremely thin and light Vibrant AMOLED screen Decent baseline performance Range of ports Cons Screen not particularly sharp or fluid Battery life isn’t great Limited spec options Our Verdict The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro is an impossibly thin and light 15.6in laptop, and thus one of the most genuinely portable full-sized machines we’ve used. It also benefits from a punchy AMOLED display and decent performance but is certainly not perfect....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict If you love Samsung Android phones then you’ll like the Galaxy Core Prime. It does lack a few features, but the missing ambient light sensor is one cut corner too far. For only £79, we prefer Vodafone’s Smart Prime 6. It has a 5in 1280×720 screen, better cameras and an ambient light sensor. Plus it runs an essentially plain version of Android. Best Prices Today: Samsung Galaxy Core Prime The Galaxy Core Prime is one of Samsung’s cheapest smartphones and is often the cheapest big brand phone you’ll find when you walk into Tesco, Carphone Warehouse or even Argos....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict Both the Samsung Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ are exceptional all-rounders, the problem is that, in a sense, they’re too similar. Beyond a larger display, there’s little reason to opt for the plus model over its more compact sibling, especially when doing so adds £100 to £200 onto the price tag. Best Prices Today: Samsung Galaxy S20+ The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra may be the spec-heavy monster that’s making headlines but it’s not the phone that the majority of people are likely to actually buy....