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Apple already offers an installment payment plan for the iPhone, but it could extend similar plans to all kinds of other Apple hardware in the near future – as long as you make your purchases through the Apple Card.

According to sources speaking to Bloomberg, the plans would be interest-free, giving you more time to pay off your latest Apple gadget purchases without penalizing you with interest repayments along the way.

Apparently the plan is to give customers 12 months to pay on more expensive items like Macs and iPads, while cheaper gadgets such as AirPods and the HomePod would be paid off over six months.

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None of this is official until it's confirmed by Apple of course, but it seems a smart move – not only would it give people more flexibility when it comes to buying Apple hardware, it would also be likely to generate more interest in the Apple Card.

Coming soon

The details obtained by Bloomberg suggest the scheme could be unveiled within the next few weeks, with payments made through the Wallet app. We might get an announcement at the virtual WWDC 2020 event happening on June 22.

It shouldn't take Apple too long to implement the new plans either – customers can already buy an iPhone over 24 months, interest-free, using an Apple Card. For now though, that deal is only available in the US.

Apple hasn't commented officially on the rumors, as you would expect, though CEO Tim Cook has previously hinted that more installment plans could be introduced in the future.

As well as being a way to drive up sales of Apple goods and Apple finance plans, the various payment options might help gadget buyers through the current global pandemic – which continues to affect most areas of life, including the tech industry.

• Paid software and services available for free during the pandemic

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The iPhone 12's camera specs might still be up in the air, but there is one thing we are pretty sure about – the phone's two 'Pro' versions are likely to come with a LiDAR scanner. That's right, the same mysterious dot that first appeared on the iPad Pro 2020.

But what is a LiDAR scanner? A built-in lie detector? A more relaxed version of radar perhaps? As we'll discover, LiDAR (or 'Light Detection and Ranging') does work in a similar way to radar, only it uses lasers to judge distances and depth. This is big news for augmented reality (AR) and, to a lesser extent, photography too. 

The more interesting question, though, is what LiDAR will let us do on the iPhone 12. Using our experience of seeing the tech on the iPad Pro 2020, we'll be exploring the kind of experiences LiDAR could open up on the new iPhones – and, ultimately, the Apple Glasses.

But first, a quick rewind to the tech's origins, so you can sound smart during your next family Zoom meeting...

What is LiDAR?

The concept behind LiDAR has been around since the 1960s. In short, the tech lets you scan and map your environment by firing out laser beams, then timing how quickly they return. A bit like how bats 'see' with sound waves, only with lasers –which makes it even cooler than Batman's Batarang.

Like most futuristic tech, it started life as a military tool on planes, before becoming better known as the system that allowed the Apollo 15 mission to map the surface of the moon.

More recently, LiDAR (also known as lidar) has been seen on self-driving cars, where it helps detect objects like cyclists and pedestrians. You might have also unwittingly come across the tech in your robot vacuum.

But it's in the past couple of years that LiDAR's possibilities have really opened up. With the systems getting smaller, cheaper and more accurate, they've started become viable additions to mobile devices that already have things like powerful processors and GPS – tablets and phones.

Of course, not all LiDAR systems are created equal. Until fairly recently, the most common types built 3D maps of their environments by physically sweeping around in a similar way to a radar dish.

This obviously won't cut it on mobile devices, so newer LiDAR systems – including the 3D time-of-flight (ToF) sensors seen on many smartphones – are solid-state affairs with no moving parts. But what's the difference between a time-of-flight sensor and the LiDAR 'scanner' that we'll mostly likely see on the iPhone 12?

What's different about Apple's LiDAR scanner?

You might already be familiar with the time-of-flight (ToF) sensors seen on many Android phones – these help them sense scene depth and mimic the bokeh effects of larger cameras.

But the LiDAR system used in the iPad Pro 2020 – and, most likely, the two 'Pro' versions of the iPhone 12 – promises to go beyond this. That's because it's a LiDAR scanner, rather than the 'scannerless' systems seen on smartphones so far.

The latter use a single pulse of infra-red light to create their 3D maps, but a scanning LiDAR system fires a train of laser pulses at different parts of a scene over a short period of time. This brings two main benefits – an improved range of up to five meters and better object 'occlusion', which is the appearance of virtual objects disappearing behind real ones like trees.

Impressively, it's a speedy process too, but that speed is only really possible with the latest mobile processors. As Apple stated at the iPad Pro 2020 launch, the LiDAR scanner's data is crunched together with data from cameras and a motion sensor, then "enhanced by computer vision algorithms on the A12Z Bionic for a more detailed understanding of the scene". In other words, there's a lot going on to make it appear seamless.

• 5 big things we've still got left to learn about the iPhone 12

But while the iPhone 12's rumored A14 Bionic processor would offer good support for Apple's LiDAR scanner, there's plenty of room for improvement in the scanner itself too. 

As a blog post from the developer of Halide camera app points out, right now the iPad Pro's depth data just doesn't offer the resolution needed for some applications, like detailed 3D scanning or even Portrait mode.

This means the iPad Pro's LiDAR scanner is designed more for room-scale applications like games or shifting around AR furniture in IKEA's Place app. It doesn't currently let you 3D scan objects with greater accuracy than other techniques like photogrammetry, which instead combines high-resolution RGB photos taken from different vantage points.

Wouldn't it be great if these LiDAR scanner meshes could be combined with the kind of resolution and textures seen by RGB cameras or Face ID? That's the ideal, but we're not quite there yet – and it's unlikely that the iPhone 12 will immediately make that leap either.

So what exactly might you be able to do with a LiDAR scanner on the iPhone 12?  

What might a LiDAR scanner let you do on the iPhone 12?

So now we know the iPad Pro's LiDAR scanner works best at room-sized scales, what kind of things could it do on the iPhone 12? For the average person, the main two are AR gaming and AR shopping.

Apple has previewed a few LiDAR-specific applications that are conveniently coming "later this year" (most likely to tie in with the iPhone 12's announcement) and one of the more interesting is the game Hot Lava.

A first-person adventure game for iOS and PC, Hot Lava will have a new 'AR mode' in late 2020 that draws on Apple's LiDAR sensor to bring its molten rivers into your living room. 

So far, the demo isn't quite as impressive as we'd hoped – most of the objects that your character leaps around are in-game renders rather than your actual furniture, but there's still time for it to develop.

Naturally, any mention of AR gaming brings to mind Pokemon Go, the only real smash hit for augmented reality so far. Interestingly, the game's maker Niantic seems to be forging its own AR path, rather than relying on Apple's tech. It recently announced a new 'reality blending' feature for Pokemon Go – which lets characters realistically hide behind real-world objects like trees – and revealed the acquisition of a 3D spatial mapping company called 6D.ai. 

This shows that next-gen AR gaming won't necessarily be tied to Apple's LiDAR-based tech or ARKit platform, but the iPhone 12 should at least give you a ringside seat for watching the AR battle play out.

But what about non-gaming experiences for the LiDAR sensor? So far, the most polished seem to be based around interior design. For example, the IKEA Place app lets you move around virtual furniture in your living room, like you're in a real-life version of The Sims.

But while the iPad Pro 2020's improved AR placement and occlusion (or ability to hide virtual objects behind real ones) are helpful, it's still not a scintillating new use for the LiDAR scanner.

Still, while the tech is currently more useful for CAD designers and healthcare professionals (if you have an iPad Pro, check out the impressive Complete Anatomy app), there is still plenty of room for creativity and surprises to appear in the next year.

As Halide's proof-of-concept app Esper shows, the LiDAR sensor could help app developers invent new creative forms that go way beyond traditional photography and video.

In the meantime, it's fair to say that the LiDAR scanner on the iPad Pro and possibly iPhone 12 will initially be there to wow developers rather than tech fans.

You'll get the chance to test-drive the future on LiDAR-equipped devices – but the real leap should come when these sensors and apps arrive on the Apple Glasses.

• New iPhone 12 release date, leaks, price, news and everything you need to know

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Are electric scooters legal in the UK? The short answer is no – for now. Although you can legally sell, buy and own e-scooters, it's currently against the law to ride them on public roads or footpaths. You could ride one on private land with the landowner's permission, or in an area conducting a trial (more on that later), but the law is otherwise quite clear: no e-scooting allowed.

If you're stopped by police, you could receive a £300 fixed penalty notice, plus six points on your driving license – and although it might seem surprising considering how many e-scooters you see in a typical city, that does happen. Last summer, police in London stopped over 100 e-scooter riders over a single weekend.

But why – and why are electric bikes different?

Types of electric vehicles

At the moment, electric scooters are classed as personal light electric vehicles (PLEVs) – a category that also includes cars and motorbikes, and requires licensing, tax, MOT, signalling ability, number plates and visible rear red lights. PLEVs must also meet minimum construction requirements to be considered road legal.

By contrast, pedal-assisted electric bikes are treated the same as ordinary bicycles, and don’t have to be registered, taxed or insured. You have to be at least 14 years old to ride one though, and the motor must have a maximum power output of 250 watts. The motor shouldn’t be able to propel the bike when it’s travelling at more than 15.5mph. Any e-bike that doesn’t fall into those rules is treated as an electric motorbike or moped.

Mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs are divided into two types: class two, which cannot be used on the road and have a maximum speed of 4mph, and class three, which can be used on the road and have a top speed of 8mph. Class three vehicles have to be registered, and can only be driven by someone 14 or older.

Electric bikes are treated much the same as push-bikes provided they meet certain criteria and are pedal-assisted

Electric scooter hire schemes

There have already been some small electric scooter trials in the UK, including a long-running scheme operating in London’s Olympic Park, but now the government is planning to extend trials to any town or city that’s interested.

These trials were initially due to begin in 2021, but have been shifted forward in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic to take the weight off public transport, and encourage people to get around in a way that’s more environmentally friendly than driving.

Several electric scooter companies have confirmed that they’re talking to local authorities in the UK about starting pilot schemes. US-based Bird and Lime are making their case, according to CNBC, as well as European startups Tier and Voi.

Although it’s yet to pick a provider, Milton Keynes is one of the first towns to confirm its participation in an electric scooter trial. The Buckinghamshire new town (which has also carried out extensive trials with autonomous ‘pods’ for short journeys) is particularly well suited to the project thanks to its system of redways – a network of wide dual-purpose footpaths and cycleways that provide ample room and a smooth surface for riding.

It remains to be seen how older cities, with narrow or cobbled streets, would fare, but hopefully planned improvements to cycling infrastructure will also mean more scootable routes.

Bird and Lime are among the e-scooter hire companies in talks with UK local authorities

Privately owned scooters

There’s no word yet on whether trials will be limited to rental scooters (so that local authorities know the speed and type of vehicles on their streets), or will also allow people to ride privately owned scooters as well.

There are certainly advantages to having your own scooter. Not only will it work out cheaper in the long term with regular use, it also means you won’t have to worry about sanitising the handlebars before setting off – something that would be tricky to manage with rented vehicles. Bird and Lime have suspended dozens of hire schemes around the world for exactly that reason (though interestingly, Spin says it’s been asked to ‘step up’ its hire services to fill the gap left by missing public transport).

What's next?

It seems it will only be a matter of time before electric scooters are legalised in the UK, but there will doubtless be rules on not only when and where you can ride, but also helmets, engine size, and maximum speed. While most electric scooters max out at 15mph, some can hit up to 29mph.

When e-scooters do receive the green light, it’ll almost certainly be wisest to source yours from a UK retailer (many of which already exist) so you can be certain it’ll comply with the relevant laws and you don’t accidentally end up with something that’s classed as a moped, and you’ll be covered by an appropriate warranty in case anything goes wrong.

We’ll keep you updated when new trials are announced and more information is provided, so stay tuned.

• Check out our guide to the best electric bikes

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The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is one of the most highly anticipated phones left to come this year – arguably second only to the iPhone 12.

That high status has inevitably meant it's been extensively leaked, but while we have a good idea about many aspects of the upcoming handset, there are still a number of things that we don't know.

With that in mind we've created this article, highlighting five of the biggest things that remain unknown or unclear at the time of writing, including the price, chipset, and more.

They're things that either haven't been leaked at all, or are subject to conflicting leaks, leaving us unsure of what to expect.

1. The Galaxy Note 20 price

While we can take a rough guess at the price of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 based on its predecessor, this is one thing that hasn't actually leaked yet.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 started at $949 / £869 / AU$1,499, so the starting price here might be similar, but with manufacturers regularly pushing prices up at the top end it might well cost more.

As such it's something we're eager to know, since the cost could have a big impact on how desirable the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is.

2. Will there be a Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra?

The Galaxy S20 got an Ultra model, so will the Note 20?

For the Samsung Galaxy S20 range Samsung added a completely new model – the super-premium Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, so there's been speculation over whether it would follow suit with the Galaxy Note 20 range.

The consensus seemed to be that it wouldn't, as no details of a Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra had been leaked, and at least one source had specifically said there wouldn't be one.

However, a Bluetooth certification listing has now mentioned a Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra by name, suggesting that it might well be in the works after all.

3. The chipset

We're fairly confident – based on past form - that US buyers of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 will get a phone with the top-end Snapdragon chipset, while most other regions will get the top-end Exynos one.

But what those top-end chipsets will be is less clear. In the US there's debate over whether it will be the same Snapdragon 865 chipset as the Samsung Galaxy S20 range, or whether it will launch with a newer (and so far unconfirmed) Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset.

Similarly, in other regions it could get the Exynos 990 (used by the Galaxy S20 range in most places outside the US) or the Exynos 992 – a rumored chipset that would offer a small performance boost.

For now we're not at all sure which combination the Note 20 range will end up with, but it's sure to have top-end power in any case.

4. The camera specs

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus

While the camera specs for the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Plus have been leaked, we haven't heard much about the cameras on the standard Samsung Galaxy Note 20, which is surprising given what a major part of the phone that is.

And even in the case of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Plus, there's a big question over its optical zoom. We're expecting it will have a periscope lens, possibly with 50x digital zoom, but that's sure to be a gimmick like the 100x on the Galaxy S20 Ultra.

The optical zoom is far more important. Our best guess for that would be 5x (as the digital zoom is often ten times the optical) but that hasn't specifically been leaked.

5. The screen resolution

Okay, so we do have some idea of what the resolution might be. Ross Young (a display supply chain consultant) tweeted that the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 would have a 6.42-inch 2345 x 1084 screen with 404 pixels per inch, and that the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Plus would have a 6.87-inch 3096 x 1444 screen with 497 pixels per inch.

However, he has since deleted those tweets, and this is the only mention of those resolutions that we've seen.

The sizes are also at odds with other - more recent - size leaks we've seen, so we're not at all confident that Young's information is right here.

• Here's 5 big things we've still got left to learn about the iPhone 12

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Because Android is such a popular smartphone operating system, this list has a lot in common with our list of the best smartphones. This is a rundown of the best Android phones or ones that aren't an iPhone.

If you want to work out what the best Android phone to buy is based on your budget and needs then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve fully tested and reviewed all ten phones on this list and judged their displays, cameras, battery life and more to decide which we think is best.

• Best smartphone: the top phones we've tested
• Best affordable phones: head here if don't want to spend thousands

Compared to buying an iPhone, buying an Android phone can be a dizzying choice thanks to the huge array of different devices from different manufacturers. While there are mid-range and budget Android options, this list is our collection of the best Android phones overall, so they’re higher in price as they have the best current features like top cameras, displays and build quality. 

This list collects all the big names, from Samsung and Huawei to the increasingly-prevalent Chinese manufacturers like OnePlus. There are loads of variations in screen size, processing power, camera capabilities and more, which does make finding the best Android phone for you pretty tough.

So here they are - the best Android phones money can buy today.

The Samsung Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20 Plus are – along with the Galaxy S20 Ultra – Samsung’s latest and greatest flagship phones, so it’s no wonder they top this list.

While the S20 Plus has a slight specs edge, thanks to a larger 6.7-inch screen, a bigger 4,500mAh battery, a fourth camera lens (for depth-sensing) and optionally more storage, they’re largely very similar phones, so they’re fit to share the top spot.

Both have a highly capable camera array, with 12MP standard, 12MP ultra-wide, and 64MP telephoto sensors, and both also have top-end power, thanks to a Snapdragon 865 or Exynos 990 chipset (depending on where in the world you are) and up to 12GB of RAM.

They also both have a stunning 1440 x 3200 display with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. At the time of writing this is arguably the best screen you’ll find on any smartphone.

The design is premium too, and they’re both packed full of features, like reverse wireless charging, 5G, an in-screen fingerprint scanner, and water resistance. They might not quite be the very best at everything, but they’re certainly the best Android phones overall.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy S20 review

Read more: Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus review

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The Huawei P30 Pro could be the best Android phone we've used when it comes to photography. Its 5x and 10x zoom capabilities are staggeringly good. It also performs fantastically well in low light.

For those who really want to get up close to their subject, the P30 Pro also offers a 50x digital zoom, and although quality is reduced it's still impressive.

You also get plenty of power under the hood, an in-display fingerprint scanner, premium design and wireless charging with the ability to wireless charge other devices from the back of the P30 Pro.

It's a top, top Android phone and only narrowly misses out on top spot due to the Galaxy S10 Plus' overall slicker and more rounded smartphone experience.

Read more: Huawei P30 Pro review

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus is the best that Samsung currently has to offer and is on top our list of the best Android phones, even with its huge price tag.

There's a lot to love in Samsung's Note phablet, from its beautiful 6.8-inch screen to the powerful selfie camera and the S Pen stylus which transforms your smartphone experience.

Sure, the cameras aren't as good as the Huawei P30 Pro, and the body leaves a bit to be desired with its huge frame and slippery design, but this is still a great smartphone if you can stomach the price.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus review

The OnePlus 8 Pro is the latest and greatest OnePlus handset, and it comes very close to challenging the best Samsung phones.

Its screen can rival them in fact – with its 120Hz refresh rate and crisp resolution, the OnePlus 8 Pro has one of the best displays you’ll find on a smartphone.

It also has a top-end Snapdragon 865 chipset, more RAM than you’ll know what to do with, and most of the other flagship bells and whistles, such as water resistance and wireless charging.

Its cameras arguably can’t quite match those of the very best phones – but they come close, and the price is the highest yet for a OnePlus phone – but still lower than some top-end handsets. All in all though, this is a stunning effort.

Read more: OnePlus 8 Pro review

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The Huawei P40 Pro is the best camera phone you can buy. it’s that simple. Recommending it does comes with its own set of caveats given the Huawei/Google situation though. That’s why despite its extensive list of stellar features, you definitely need to read our P40 Pro review before picking one up. 

The P40 Pro’s Leica-branded imaging system is spearheaded by a brand new 50MP sensor, which uses RYYB (red yellow yellow blue) sub-pixel formation, like the 40MP P30 Pro before it. Huawei claims this makes its cameras better able to handle dark scenes like a champion, and we can attest to the fact the P40 Pro absolutely can. 

The rest of the phone’s hardware is top-tier, it looks a treat and has plenty of power, so if (and only if) you’re comfortable with the Google-free software experience, the P40 Pro packs plenty to love.

Read more: Huawei P40 Pro review

If the Galaxy Note 10 is too expensive for you, the Samsung Galaxy S10 and the S10 Plus are the next best Samsung Android phones you can buy right now, packing the best of what Samsung has to offer.

The Plus, in particular, is a big phone that's designed for big hands - and it takes the very best of what's on the smartphone market and puts it together in a compelling package that we've loved testing.

The Super AMOLED display has been measured as the very best around, with super colours, plus there's a fingerprint scanner embedded in the display.

Battery life is an improvement over the S9 Plus, thanks to the larger battery inside, and you also get Samsung's new Wireless PowerShare, allowing you to wirelessly charge other devices on the rear of the handset.

The trio of cameras on the rear of the Galaxy S10 Plus are among the best on the market, offering more features, shooting modes and overall clarity. 

Read more: Samsung Galaxy S10 review
Read more: Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review

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Like the look of the new S10 and S10 Plus, but not a fan of their lofty price tags? Well fear not, as Samsung has catered for you with the Galaxy S10e, which is our favorite one-handed Android phone.

The Galaxy S10e has many of the flagship features of its pricier siblings, while offering a more palm-friendly size and a few compromises to help keep the cost down.

It’s hard not to recommend the S10e to anyone who prefers a smaller phone. This smartphone is for folks who want to text and browse apps one-handed without compromising performance. 

Read our in-depth Samsung Galaxy S10e review

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One of the core features you'll likely want from a new smartphone is a powerful camera, and that's why we've put together a list of the very best camera phones that money can buy.

At TechRadar we put smartphone cameras through rigorous testing in different lighting conditions, scenarios, and snap people, pets, plants and more to work out how each camera fares in the real world.

Beyond the specs and capabilities of the cameras, there are a number of aspects you'll also want to consider. For example, getting a high-storage option or one that supports a microSD card will be helpful if you capture lots of 4K video, and flagging fundamental shortcomings like battery life so you don’t find yourself out of juice before the day is done.

So to help you, we've compiled this list of the best camera phones, that we've tested extensively, to help you when it comes to choosing your next camera phone.

Best camera phones 2020 at a glance:

1. Huawei P40 Pro
2. iPhone 11 Pro
3. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
4. OnePlus 8 Pro
5. Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus
6. iPhone 11
7. Huawei P30 Pro

The Huawei P40 Pro is the best camera phone you can buy for under $1,000 / £900 it’s that simple. In fact, for a certain type of photographer - one who values a telephoto camera - it’s just the best camera phone around, period. 

Recommending it comes with its own set of caveats given the Huawei/Google situation though. That’s why despite its extensive list of stellar features, you definitely need to read our P40 Pro review before picking one up. Irrespective of its software limitations though, its camera will knock your socks off.

The P40 Pro’s Leica-branded imaging system is spearheaded by a brand new 50MP sensor, which uses RYYB (red yellow yellow blue) sub-pixel formation, like the 40MP P30 Pro before it. Huawei claims this makes its cameras better able to handle dark scenes like a champion, and we can attest to the fact the P40 Pro absolutely can. 

The main camera’s lens is a pretty standard f/1.9 aperture on paper, but with a huge sensor size (for a smartphone) and OIS, combined with Huawei’s mighty electronic image stabilisation, it’s still a low light star. This phone can pretty much see in the dark, even in automatic mode - something no other non-Huawei phones can do.

There’s also a 40MP f/1.8 ultra-wide camera, a 12MP telephoto camera that’s capable of 5x optical zoom or 50x digital zoom, and a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor for creating bokeh effects.

Photos taken on the P40 Pro are high on detail and low on noise. Unlike Samsung, Huawei’s photos don’t look overly sharpened, and while they aren’t as natural and neutral as those taken on the Oppo Find X2 Pro, many will prefer Huawei’s comparatively punchy style.

As far as zoom goes, while the P40 Pro may not get quite as close as the Galaxy S20 Ultra, the phone costs a lot less, and more importantly, delivers more consistent image quality across its cameras. 

The rest of the phone’s hardware is top-tier, it looks a treat and has plenty of power, so if (and only if) you’re comfortable with the Google-free software experience, the P40 Pro packs plenty to love.

Read more: Huawei P40 Pro review

The iPhone 11 Pro doesn’t just feature the best smartphone camera Apple’s ever made, it’s also the best camera phone money can buy for a certain type of user. It’s reliable - you take a shot and it’s likely going to be a good one, even in middling light. Dynamic range is strong, and with three cameras, it’s versatile too.

The primary camera features a 26mm focal length, perfect for grabbing everyday snaps. The ultra-wide camera takes a step back so you don’t have to, getting more in the frame with its 13mm focal length. As for the telephoto camera, as with the iPhone XS, it zooms into your subject with a 52mm focal length - perfect for portraits. 

While there’s no manual mode and the 12MP resolution is meagre on paper compared to some of the competition, results still impress, and Apple has introduced a new night mode which can hold the shutter open for incredible low light photography.

This can’t beat the Astrophotography feature on the Pixels when steadied on a surface or a tripod, but handheld, it’s up there with the best of them. 

Add to the mix a beautifully consistent color and tonal profile across all three cameras, and if you’re an Apple fan looking for a camera champ, this is as good as it gets.

Read our full iPhone 11 Pro review

There’s a huge amount going on with the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra’s camera setup. For starters, you’ve got over 200 megapixels across the front and rear cameras, then there are those smart new shooting modes to talk about; and finally - there’s that huge zoom - 100x ‘Space Zoom’. Marketing jargon? Absolutely, but irrespective, the S20 Ultra’s camera is a telephoto champion. 

It all starts with a 108MP primary camera sensor - the same as the one on the Xiaomi Mi Note 10. This time around, it’s combined with a 48MP optical zoom camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera and a time-of-flight sensor around the back, which gathers depth information for the blurry background, sharp foreground Live Focus stills and video.

The Ultra’s zoom really is best-in-class when compared to other camera phones on the market. It uses a roughly 5x optical zoom with a high-resolution sensor to create virtually lossless 10x zoom images. Packing a fun Single take mode, the whole S20-range is social media-ready, capturing a range of photos and videos simultaneously so you can snap once, then decide later. They’re also all 8K-ready, shooting the highest resolution footage on the block.

Why isn’t the S20 Ultra higher in our list? It’s night mode can’t topple the best out there, and Samsung’s processing is aggressive; so photos can look a touch too punchy. That said, this is still a stellar camera phone with an excellent zoom.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra review

 OnePlus has stepped up its game when it comes to smartphone cameras, bringing the new OnePlus 8 Pro closer than ever to the best of the rest thanks to the fact it’s powered by Sony’s new 12-bit IMX689 sensor. With a large 1/1.4” size and 1.12-micron pixels, the OnePlus 8 Pro’s main camera can capture stunning bokeh and clear as day photos, even in middling light. 

It isn’t just the sensor that’s specced out on the new OnePlus’s main snapper - thanks to phase detection autofocus and laser autofocus, not to mention OIS, it locks on quickly and keeps things steady across photography and video. 

Unlike periscope zoom cameras, the OnePlus 8 Pro can’t compete when it comes to getting up close and personal to subjects from a distance. That said, its 8MP, f/2.4, telephoto camera packs a 3x optical zoom and OIS, so betters the iPhone 11 Pro’s max focal length. 

The real boon when it comes to improvements on the OnePlus 8 Pro has got to be that 48 MP, GoPro-esque ultra-wide camera though. With a huge pixel count for an ultra-wide, an open f/2.2 aperture to let in plenty of light and a, 14mm (116°) angle of view, it gets plenty in frame and grabs more resolution than virtually any other ultra-wide camera around.

Finally, OnePlus’s 12MP color filter camera. This bizarre addition captures a twisted take on reality, giving standard colors a neon, almost metalic screen-printed finish. 

Just like the OnePlus 7 Pro before it, video can be captured with a Super Stable video mode at up to Full HD, or in standard mode at up to 4K resolution. Is it the best camera phone you can buy? It’s definitely up there - but it can’t stack up to some other flagships. That said, as a package, it could be the best value across-the-board flagship around. 

Read our full OnePlus 8 Pro review

Unlike the iPhone 11 Pro, the vanilla iPhone 11 misses out on a telephoto camera, instead packing an Asus ROG Phone 2-style wide + ultra-wide dual snapper around the back. 

Still, we’re delighted to see the new long exposure night mode fires up when shooting in low light on this lower-cost model.

This means the iPhone 11 can see in the dark, even when you’re hand-holding the phone, and the photo quality across its primary and ultra-wide cameras is fantastic. Another area all the iPhones in our list excel is video capture; they all shoot 4K resolution video at up to 60fps, and do so across all their lenses. 

With smooth transitions between lenses and iMovie on board for basic edits, if we were going to pick up a smartphone for some easy-to-use, high-quality filmmaking, it would be any of the iPhones on our list.

Read our full iPhone 11 review

On many levels, we’re bigger fans of the S20 Plus than the Ultra. It costs cost less, and pack a much more manageable footprint. Even though they don’t have a “100x Space Zoom” or a 108MP main camera, they still take better snaps than last year’s S10 family.

The main camera across both the S20 and S20 Plus sports a traditional 12MP resolution, combined with a wide open f/1.8 and a 26mm focal length - pretty standard for a flagship. With 1.8µm sized pixels, the S20s won’t be winning any big-pixel awards, but thanks to Dual Pixel PDAF and OIS, they still nail it nine times out of 10, even in dimly lit scenes. 

The 64MP telephoto camera may sound tantalizing - all that resolution combined with all that zoom. But, the ‘3x zoom’ these phones pack isn’t the whole picture. The S20’s 64MP sensor combines with a 29mm focal length - just 3mm greater than that of the 26mm main camera. The way it achieve a 3x zoom, however, is by cropping into the sensor, to achieve a 3x Hybrid Zoom. In turn, the phones can’t stack up to the periscope cameras on-test.

As for the ultra-wide cameras on both phones, they clock in at 12 MP, with an f/2.2 aperture and a 13mm focal length. If you’ve opted for the S20 Plus, you’ll also get a time of flight sensor around the back to grab depth information. This helps blur out the background in Live Focus mode, though both phones offer respectable portrait-style shots.

As with the S20 Ultra, the S20 and S20 Plus shoot 8K video at 24fps, and 4K video at up to 60fps. They also capture HDR video too, a relatively unique feature among smartphones today. 

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus review

The Huawei P30 Pro has got to be pretty special, given the fact it still clings onto a top three spot despite launching at the beginning of 2019.

Its excellence comes down to its 'periscope' telephoto lens which takes astounding optically zoomed-in shots at a distance, and its fantastic low light performance, that actually bests the iPhone 11 Pro and Google Pixel 4s in automatic mode, though not always in night mode.

There were a lot of cameras to test on this phone, including four on the back: a 40MP main lens, an 8MP telephoto lens, a 20MP ultra-wide lens, and then a ToF (time-of-flight) camera to sense depth for portrait photos.

The Huawei P30 Pro camera also uses an RYYB (red yellow yellow blue) sensor instead of the industry-standard RGB (red green blue) sensor to capture more light, and it shows. The snaps we took for our review had more detail and less shadow than most of the competition, yet they didn't look completely overexposed. 

It's all amazing for a smartphone, but not entirely perfect. We did notice some purple fringing in areas, and the camera software controls aren't always responsive when switching between ultra-wide, 5x zoom, 10x zoom and digital 50x zoom. But the fact that you can get insanely close to objects with a 50x zoom and also shoot at night as if all of the lights were on really sets a new bar for camera phones.

Read our full review: Huawei P30 Pro

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Today's best smartwatch models can perform a ton of tricks, such as enabling you to search the internet with your voice, track your location with GPS or even monitor your heart rate to protect your overall health – with our without pairing to one of the best smartphones on the market.

We've tested the vast majority of the top-end wearables you can buy right now from the Apple Watch to Fitbits to Garmin watches to Tizen-sporting Samsung watches. There's also Wear OS (you may have known that in its previous incarnation called Android Wear) which is Google's own wearable operating system in the vein of Apple's watchOS - you’ll see it show up in a lot of these devices.

During our review process, we take into account the design, features, battery life, spec, price and more for each smartwatch, rank it against the competition and enter it into the list you'll find below.

Some of the high-end smartwatches might be reduced, especially older versions of recently-update devices - like the Apple Watch 3 or Apple Watch 4 – these may not be the latest models, but they're still great smartwatches in their own right. Below you'll find our full ranking of the very best smartwatches money can buy.

• Feeling active? Check out our Best Fitness Trackers
• We've also put together our guide to best Android Wear watches

Best smartwatch at a glance:

1. Apple Watch 5
2. Samsung Galaxy Watch
3. Apple Watch 3
4. Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
5. Fitbit Versa 2

The Apple Watch continues to define the smartphone category and is the best smartwatch you can buy right now. It works seamlessly with Apple's phones, and it's well worth considering if you plan to stick with the iPhone range for at least a few years.

There aren't many huge upgrades over the Apple Watch 4, but the main change is it comes with an always-on display for the first time. That means you won't have to raise the watch to see your key stats, and instead it'll display most of the information you need on a dimmed screen.

The design is similar to the Apple Watch 4 - a look that we loved - so you'll get a larger display than earlier iterations of the device, and it comes in either 40mm or 44mm sizes.

All of the fitness features you'd expect come on this watch, and that includes a variety of top-end features such as the ECG monitor, GPS tracking, impressive heart rate monitoring and more. 

If you're looking for the very best Apple Watch, this is it... it's just not our favorite smartwatch money can buy.

Read the full Apple Watch 5 review

One of the best smartwatches you can buy right now is the Samsung Galaxy Watch. Following on from the Gear S3 series and the Gear Sport in 2017, the Galaxy Watch is much improved.

We've tested out the larger 46mm version of the watch and it comes with a phenomenal four day battery life even when you're using it extensively. That's impressive considering a lot of other watches on this list last a day or so from a single charge.

The rotating bezel remains a highlight of navigating around the Tizen OS on the watch, and the interface is one of the easiest to pick up that we've seen on a smartwatch.

Apps available on the watch are more limited than Wear OS or watchOS 4 - two rival smartwatch operating systems - but it still offers the core basics and Samsung had provided a watch that's good at fitness as well as sporting a great design and lots more functionality too.

Read the full Samsung Galaxy Watch review

The Apple Watch 3 (or Apple Watch Series 3, if you're picky) was the best smartwatch but has recently been bumped off the top spot by the launch of Samsung Galaxy Watch and Apple Watch 5. 

With its new much cheaper price point, the Apple Watch 3 offers all the smarts of the Watch 2 but with a longer battery life and faster speeds when flicking through apps. This is the right kind of upgrade on the best smartwatch in the world.

It's still water-resistant so you can swim with it and you won't have to worry about getting it wet in the rain when you're out for a jog. There's GPS onboard to make running that little bit easier plus it comes running the latest watchOS 4 software and will be updated to watchOS 5 later in the year.

Read the full Apple Watch 3 review

Samsung shrank the best parts of the the Galaxy Watch into this sportier smartwatch that's slimmer, lighter and, arguably, more comfortable - then released a second version months after the first that included a few coveted features, including a rotating digital bezel and LTE version.

Overall, not much has changed - which isn't a bad thing, as it's still a quality smartwatch at a decent price. Galaxy Watch Active 2 features a 1.2-inch 360 x 360 display that is bright and beautiful yet small enough to be strapped around your wrist than a lot of the other devices in this list.

It still comes sporting all of the top-end fitness features you'd expect from Samsung's Tizen watch range, with 39 workout modes, a heart rate and ECG sensor, and health app with stress and sleep monitoring.

While it's still more affordable than the leading Apple Watch, the price was bumped up from the original Watch Active, shrinking its value compared to the competition. It's certainly not a cheap smartwatch, but when compared to the original RRP of the Galaxy Watch you may prefer to opt for this version that's remarkably similar.

Read the full Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 review

The Fitbit Versa 2 is the latest part-smartwatch-part-fitness tracker from Fitbit, one of the most famous wearable companies about.

The Versa 2 brings a host of upgrades to the original Fitbit Versa, including an always-on display, Alexa integration, and a slightly smaller body.

However if the original Versa wasn't quite right for you, the Versa 2 may not be the best either, as it's still fundamentally the same device, and it lacks some of the trappings of different smartwatches, like GPS functions or offline Spotify.

But for general wearable fans, the Fitbit Versa 2 is a good option, and it's more affordable than some of the other options on this list too.

Read our full Fitbit Versa 2 review

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