MacBook Cyber Monday deals are providing one last hurrah for saving money on a new Apple MacBook computer, which is supremely important in 2019 as they can be very expensive on a normal day.
Where is are the best MacBook deals on Cyber Monday? The biggest price drops are in our curated list below and according to our deals experts, you can save hundreds on Apple's top laptops. There's no better time to buy a new MacBook.
Of course, if you want to broaden your search beyond Apple's MacBook deals, we hav e a best Cyber Monday laptop roundup, which includes Apple's computer and ones from other brands.
TechRadar is scouring every retailer and rounding up all the top deals, and we’ve put all the best Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals in easy-to-navigate articles to help you find the bargains you’re looking for.
Starting from 15 December, FASTag is going to be mandatory across a total of 525 toll plazas. This means all four-wheelers have to attach FASTag RFID stickers on their vehicle’s windscreens. Failing to do so will result in vehicle owners without the FASTag to pay double the toll fare as a form of penalty. A separate lane will be present at the plazas for non-FASTag vehicles. Earlier, the deadline was on 1 December that has been given an extension to 15 December, according to PTI, to provide citizens some more time to acquire the FASTags.
FASTag sanctioned by the National Highway Authority of India.
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) sanctioned the Electronic Toll Collection program using FASTag as a pilot project back in 2014. It was implemented for the first time in the Delhi-Mumbai stretch of the Golden Quadrilateral towards the end of 2014. Aimed at making toll plaza payments on highways automatic with the ‘One Nation One Tag’ mission, it will also reduce congestion and sometimes long waiting times at tolls. As already mentioned, this was meant for all the toll plazas at the national highways that would gradually include all state highways as well.
It works by using an RFID chip that’s stuck on a four-wheeled vehicle’s windscreen. Sensors on the FASTag lanes at toll plazas will detect the sensor and automatically deduct the toll fare from the vehicle owner. This means no more waiting at the toll and you could simply slow down and continue driving without having to stop to pay the fare.
The service started with ICICI bank and now it is available with up to 22 certified banks including Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, IDFC Bank, State Bank of India and Syndicate Bank. A FASTag lane is valid for five years and you have to continue recharging the NHAI payment wallet that will be linked to your bank account. When the fare has been deducted, the user will receive a confirmation over a text message. In the future, you will be able to pay fuel bills and for parking at places enabled with FASTag.
FASTag stickers can be purchased from PayTM as well. Image: PayTM.
Car dealers are already selling FASTag stickers to people buying new cars since around 2016. Otherwise, you can buy new stickers from NHAI toll plazas where you will need to submit your vehicle’s registration certificate (RC), a recent passport-size photograph of the vehicle owner, and KYC documents depending on whether the tag is meant for commercial or private use. It can also be bought online from Amazon and PayTM.
After you’ve bought a FASTag, you need to download the My FASTag app to link your bank account. You can use the same app to recharge your FASTag wallet or visit your bank’s websites to recharge your account.
Blue whales have a flair for paradox. They live in water but breathe air. They’re enormous — the biggest creatures that have ever lived, as far as anyone knows — but subsist almost entirely on tiny krill.
And as new research reveals, even the animal’s dunk tank-size heart jumps between extremes. In a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of researchers for the first time attached an electrocardiogram tag to a free-diving blue whale to trace its heart rate.
They found that the rate ranged as low as two beats per minute and as high as 37. Such numbers paint a picture of an animal frequently pushing its own limits and suggest that the whale is not only the largest animal ever but perhaps as large as an animal with a circulatory system can possibly be.
To learn the secrets of the blue whale’s heart, Jeremy Goldbogen, a marine biologist at Stanford University, led a team that attached a noninvasive suction-cup tag to a blue whale in Monterey Bay, California. The tag contains electrodes, a depth measurement sensor and a GPS tracker. It stayed on for 8 and a half hours and recorded data from a number of dives before it detached and floated to the surface. The researchers then tracked it down and reviewed its readings.
Such tags are part of a suite of technologies that make it easier for researchers to study the lives of whales without disturbing them too much. When the tags are attached, a whale likely just feels something akin to a tap on the shoulder, Goldbogen has said.
The data showed that when this whale descended, its heart rate plummeted, too. At the bottom of the dives, the whale’s heart rate hovered around four to eight beats per minute. At times, it fell all the way down to two.
In general, sticking to a slow rhythm while diving lets marine mammals conserve oxygen, so they can stay underwater for longer. But this is “just amazingly low” — far lower than the 11 beats per minute scientists had predicted, said Goldbogen. And it stays down around 8.5 beats per minute even when the whales are feeding, an energy-intensive process that involves lunging into clouds of krill.
Goldbogen credits the blue whale’s flexible aortic arch, which is able to hold about 90% of the animals’ blood and slowly release it even when the heart isn’t actively beating.
As a whale climbs back to the surface, its heart rate rises again. By the time it reaches the surface, its blood is moving much more quickly, reoxygenising in preparation for the next dive. This whale’s heart rate reached a peak of 37 beats per minute.
“That’s about as fast as that heart can physically beat,” Goldbogen said.
These rapid shifts happen quite quickly — sometimes within the span of a minute or two — and repeat often. It’s sort of like if you tried moving from a comfortable recliner straight into a set of wind sprints over and over again. “They’re doing this all day long,” said Goldbogen.
The blue whale’s heart still keeps some secrets.
“It would be interesting to know how the whale nervous system controls such rapid changes in heart rate,” said Travis Horton, an associate professor at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, who was not involved in the study but has undertaken his own investigations of humpback whale heart rates using drones and infrared light.
And Goldbogen and his team hope to plumb other unfathomed depths. “Sperm whales, beaked whales — some of those species can dive for an hour or more,” he said. “We would like to understand what their hearts are doing.”
Cara Giaimo © 2019 The New York Times Company
Our best smartphone list brings you 15 of the top phones available right now, but if you already have your mobile OS alliance set you'll want to check out either our ranking of the best Android phone or best iPhone.
If what's on offer in our best smartphone list is a little too pricey for your taste, then don't fear, as we've also got a list of the best cheap phones available right now.
Our best phone ranking recently witnessed one of the biggest shake-ups of the year too, with no fewer than five new entries recently, with the Google Pixel 4 XL, OnePlus 7T Pro, Oppo Reno 10x Zoom, OnePlus 7T and Asus Zenfone 6 all making the cut.
And all these follow on from previous big entries such as the new iPhone 11 series and Samsung Galaxy Note 10 series. It's been a huge year for mobile, and our best phones list has never looked better.
We know that it's not all about the high-cost, super spec phones all the time so we've made you a handy list of all the top smartphones that you can get on the market right now, assessing what really matters to you.
We test these phones rigorously, making sure that we check every angle and feature - but most importantly, considering whether they've got a decent battery, great screen, strong design and a cracking camera.
On top of that, they can't be too exorbitant in price either - not everyone wants or can afford a supercar of a handset, so we've made sure there are plenty of options for you there.
So let's get started on our list of the top 15 handsets - you can see them quickly below, and then we're set to talk you through the very best phone in the world right now.
The Samsung Galaxy S10 is the best smartphone available right now, still. That covers both the S10 and the larger Galaxy S10 Plus, as there's very little difference between the two handsets aside from size.
They take the very best of what's on the smartphone market and put it together in a compelling package that we loved testing.
Screen: The Super AMOLED display has been measured as the very best around, with super colours, great dynamic range and, essentially, the very best viewing experience you can have on a mobile phone.
Plus, there's a fingerprint scanner embedded in the display.
Battery life: The battery life on the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus is an improvement over the S9 series, thanks to the larger batteries inside. They easily reach bedtime with double digits still left in the tank.
They also offer Samsung's Wireless PowerShare, allowing you to wirelessly charge other devices on the rear of the handsets.
Camera: The trio of cameras on the S10 and S10 Plus are among the best on the market, building on the excellent setup on the S9 series by offering more features, shooting modes and overall clarity.
Mini verdict: The S10 and S10 Plus are packed full of the best Samsung has to offer, and it comes together to give you the best smartphone experience around right now. If we had to pick one, we'd go for the bigger screen, larger battery and dual selfie snappers of the Galaxy S10 Plus, but both phones deserve their best phone crown.
Read more: Galaxy S10 review | Galaxy S10 Plus review
Price comparison:
The best Samsung Galaxy S10 deals
The best Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus deals
Image Credit: TechRadar
The Huawei P30 Pro is so close to being the best smartphone right now, and for some it will take top spot in their minds.
It's close to the best phone we've used when it comes to photography with 5x and 10x zoom capabilities and fantastic low-light performance.
However, we're sad to say, it now comes with a huge caveat. After Google suspended Huawei's future access to Android Play Store and security updates, there are serious question marks over the future of Huawei phones.
While Google and Huawei have promised to support phones currently on the market, it's not clear how long they'll receive Android updates or access to the Google Play Store, which would severely curtail their usefulness compared to the competition.
Screen: The large 6.47-inch screen on the P30 Pro may 'only' have a Full HD+ resolution, but it's bright, clear and colourful providing an excellent canvas for your apps and games.
Battery life: There's no worry when it comes to the P30 Pro potentially running out of juice, the battery life here is excellent. We regularly got to the end of the day with 30% or more left in the tank.
Camera: The cameras are the P30 Pro's real party piece, providing staggeringly good 5x and 10x zoom, and a digital 50x zoom with gets you insanely close to objects far off in the distance. Its low-light capabilities are also top-notch.
Mini Verdict: The P30 Pro not only sets a new standard for Huawei, it sets a new standard for the mobile industry. Its cameras are quite simply astonishing, the design is eye-catching and the power plentiful. It's a true flagship smartphone.
Read more: Huawei P30 Pro review
Price comparison: The best Huawei P30 Pro deals
Image Credit: TechRadar
Want something a bit more from your iPhone? You're in luck with the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, as they feature improved spec including a more high-end rear camera that can compete with the very best.
It'll cost more than the iPhone 11 (which is probably the best phone for the average iPhone user), but if you're after the very best iPhone, the Pro range is what you want.
Other than the obvious size, there's very little difference between the 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, which is why we grouped them together in our best phone roundup.
Screen: It's the biggest decision you'll have to make. Will you go for the 5.8-inch 11 Pro (which is easier to use one-handed) or the larger 6.5-inch 11 Pro Max (which is great for movies and gaming)? Either way, you get a great display which packs a colourful punch.
Battery life: The battery life on the 11 Pro series is slightly longer than the last few generations of the iPhone, but don't expect anything game changing here when it comes to the length your phone will last for.
Camera: Apple has put most of its focus into the rear cameras on this device, and while the design of the rear of the phone has been controversial these cameras can create some truly stunning photography that competes with the very best camera phones.
Mini verdict: You'll have to spend a bit extra to get the iPhone 11 Pro, but it's well worth it if you want a phone that sports iOS 13 but comes with top-end features.
Read our in-depth iPhone 11 Pro review | iPhone 11 Pro Max review
Price comparison: The best iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max deals
Image Credit: TechRadar
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus is one of the largest phones there is, but this stylus-toting handset is our fourth favourite phone you can buy right now.
It's expensive, but it features some of the best specs you'll get on a smartphone in 2019.
Screen: The screen on this phone is huge and the Infinity-O cutout means there's little interruption to the display here, allowing for an immersive experience.
Battery life: We found the battery life on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus to easily last the whole day, plus the fast charging tech means you're able to pump it up quickly when you're nearing 0%.
Camera: The camera setup on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus isn't the best on the market, but it's impressive and offers a lot of fun features that you may want to play around with.
Mini Verdict: Samsung's Galaxy Note 10 Plus is a remarkable device, but it's only for those who want a large phone and don't mind spending that bit extra on a device. The S10 Plus will be more suitable for most, but the Note 10 Plus is a great phone too.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus review
Price comparison: The best Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus deals
Image Credit: TechRadar
There's a new hero for iPhone fans, with the iPhone 11 offering the best mix of features and price from Apple.
The specs here aren't as impressive as they are on the iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max, but the trade-off in a lower price for this device still makes it a top-buy for many Apple fans.
Screen: This isn't the best screen you'll find on an iPhone, but it's still a vibrant display that's large enough to watch video on.
Battery life: The easiest way to describe battery life on the iPhone 11 is good, but not great. You'll get around a day of usage from the iPhone 11, but it's not as good as the Pro Max.
Camera: Expect a similar experience from the camera on the iPhone 11 as on the iPhone XR. If you want the best camera on an iPhone, you'll want the Pro, but it's still an impressive shooter on the rear of the standard 11.
Mini verdict: The iPhone 11 offers some of the best features from Apple in a more affordable package. Many will be happy with what the iPhone 11 can do, but others will want to look toward the high-spec iPhone 11 Pro or Pro Max to get the very best.
Read our in-depth iPhone 11 review
Price comparison: The best iPhone 11 deals
Image Credit: TechRadar
What's this? Another Huawei phone in the top 15? Your eyes do not deceive you, the Huawei P30 really is seventh in our best phone rundown.
It has a smaller screen than the P30 Pro, and makes do with just the three rear cameras (rather than four) and a maximum zoom of 30x, but it's still a great Android phone.
However, we're sad to say, it now comes with a huge caveat. After Google suspended Huawei's future access to Android Play Store and security updates, there are serious question marks over the future of Huawei phones.
While Google and Huawei have promised to support phones currently on the market, it's not clear how long they'll receive Android updates or access to the Google Play Store, which would severely curtail their usefulness compared to the competition.
Screen: With a 6.1-inch display the P30 is a little easier to manage in the hand than its larger sibling, and with a Full HD+ and plenty of colour it's a top smartphone screen.
Battery life: You can expect to get excellent battery life from the Huawei P30, with the phone often lasting a day and a half on a single charge without issue.
Camera: While the three cameras on the rear aren't quite as good as the four on the P30 Pro, they still offer up an impressive shooting experience with 5x, 10x and 30x zoom and great low-light abilities.
Mini verdict: There's heaps of power, a handy headphone jack (something the Pro can't boast) and a more manageable form factor for one-handed use. And of course, it's a little cheaper too.
Read our full Huawei P30 review
Price comparison: The best Huawei P30 deals
The OnePlus 7T Pro is the best smartphone from the Chinese phone manufacturer, but not by much.
It's a minor upgrade on the 7 Pro (if you already have the 7 Pro there's no need to upgrade), but if you're looking for the best from OnePlus, you can stop searching.
Screen: One of the highlights of the 7T Pro is its gorgeous, large display. It can compete with any other top-end handset you may be considering, and beats some of them when it comes to price.
Battery life: The battery performs admirably, matching the 7 Pro and perhaps even exceeding it in some regards. We found it would comfortably last a whole day on a single charge, even with extensive usage..
Camera: The OnePlus 7T Pro can take very good shots, but it doesn't have the best camera we’ve seen on a smartphone - one of the small compromises to keep costs down. Still, you're getting three powerful rear snappers and a selfie camera on the front.
Mini verdict: The OnePlus 7T Pro is an impressive handset that costs less than a lot of the competition, while offering an almost full suite of flagship features.
Read our full OnePlus 7T Pro review
Price comparison: The best OnePlus 7T Pro deals
The Oppo Reno 10x Zoom boasts an attractive pop-up selfie camera, cutting-edge chipset and competitive camera lineup, making it one of the best phones available right now.
Odd name aside, there's a lot to like with the Reno 10x Zoom, and if you're looking for something a little different for you next phone this could be just the ticket.
Screen: Thanks to the pop-up selfie camera, there's no notch intruding on the display and with almost zero bezel you're treated to an eye-popping 93.1% screen-to-body ratio. It just looks great.
Battery life: The battery on the Reno 10x Zoom lasts for about a day of medium-to-heavy use, and a day and a half if you use it a little less. That's what we expect from a modern smartphone, so no issues here.
Camera: Despite what its name may suggest, this phone actually offers up a whopping 60x zoom, which gets you alarmingly close to objects far in the distance. It's a digital zoom, so quality degrades a little, but even the 5x optical zoom is impressive.
Mini verdict: The Oppo Reno 10x Zoom is a stylish phone – between its sleek look, asymmetrical pop-up and delicate back colours, it looks great – and, surprisingly for a Chinese smartphone with its own UI, the software is good to look at too.
Read our full Oppo Reno 10x Zoom review
Price comparison: The best Oppo Reno 10x Zoom deals
Yeah, that's right - Samsung now offers two versions of its S Pen-toting Note range, and this one comes with a lower spec than the one you've read about earlier in this list.
The Galaxy Note 10 is better for those with smaller hands, thanks to its much smaller display and smaller dimensions, but the battery life suffers a little for that.
Screen: This may be a Samsung Galaxy Note handset, but the display isn't anywhere near as big as you'd expect. It's a 6.3-inch display with an Infinity-O cutout for the selfie camera.
Battery life: The battery is where the Galaxy Note 10 begins to suffer a little as we found it regularly ran out before the end of a full day, but it's enough for average usage.
Camera: The rear camera of the Galaxy Note 10 is similar to all other flagship Samsung phones released in 2019, and it's good but not the best we've seen on a smartphone.
Mini verdict: The Galaxy Note 10 isn't as high-spec as the Galaxy Note 10 Plus, but if you want a stylus on a smaller phone than the gargantuan Plus then you may want to opt for this.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Note 10 review
Price comparison: The best Samsung Galaxy Note 10 deals
If you're looking for an affordable flagship phone which doesn't have any major compromises on features or functionality, stop looking and check out the OnePlus 7T.
Screen: One of the highlights of the 7T is its large 90Hz display. It can compete with most top-end handsets and offers great colour accuracy and response.
Battery life: The OnePlus 7T battery provides all-day use from a single charge. It's unlikely to go much further than a day, but it's what we've come to expect these days.
Camera: The OnePlus 7T camera feels like a significant improvement over the OnePlus 7, with some impressive software wizardry on tap to optimize your images.
Mini verdict: The OnePlus 7T is the best 'T' upgrade to any OnePlus phone to date and an attractive proposition for those who find the OnePlus 7T Pro too bulky.
Read our full: OnePlus 7T review
Price comparison: The best OnePlus 7T deals
Image Credit: TechRadar
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.
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.
Screen: You don't get a QHD resolution here, instead you'll have to accept a Full HD+ 5.8-inch screen - but the Super AMOLED display provides plenty of colour and pop.
Battery life: We found battery life lasted a day on a single charge - which is what we've come to expect from phones - plus its wireless charging and Wireless PowerShare making topping it up, and you other devices, even easier.
Camera: The dual camera setup on the S10e isn't quite as good as the triple cameras on the S10 and S10 Plus, but they're still highly capable snappers producing quality photos with ease.
Mini verdict: It’s hard not to recommend the S10e to anyone who prefers a smaller phone. Size queens, look elsewhere - 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
Price comparison: The best Samsung Galaxy S10e deals
The Google Pixel 4 XL is a handsome phone in its simplicity, perfect for those looking for a handset with fewer features to be confused by.
It's the photography prowess that really excites us about the Pixel 4 XL however, with this phone capable of producing stunning shots, even in the middle of the night.
Screen: The 6.3-inch display is colourful, detailed and noticeably smooth thanks to its 90Hz refresh rate, which doesn't only make scrolling web pages and social fluid, but also helps when it comes to gaming. Win, win.
Battery life: This is admittedly the weak point of the Pixel 4 XL, with the phone just about last a day on a single charge, but the likelihood is you'll need to top it up when you hit early evening.
Camera: There are just two cameras on the rear of the handset, but boy do they perform. Google's improved its Night Sight mode and added in astro-photography chops to really wow you when the sun goes down.
Mini verdict: The Pixel 4 XL is the pragmatist's flagship, eschewing the shimmering gradients and waterfall-edged displays of the Galaxy Note 10 or Mate 30 Pro in favour of bold-hued simplicity. If you like shooting photos without much fuss, this is for you.
Read our in-depth: Google Pixel 4 XL review
Price comparison: The best Google Pixel 4 XL deals
The Honor View 20 is the best phone to come out of the Chinese brand, with a striking rear design (which may divide opinion), plenty of power under the hood, an impressive 48MP camera and a 'punch-hole' display which ushers in the post-notch revolution.
However, we're sad to say, it now comes with a huge caveat. After Google suspended parent-company Huawei's future access to Android Play Store and security updates, there are serious question marks over the future of Honor phones.
While Google and Huawei have promised to support phones currently on the market, it's not clear how long they'll receive Android updates or access to the Google Play Store, which would severely curtail their usefulness compared to the competition.
Screen: There's a huge 6.4-inch display on the View 20, giving you plenty of space to play with. It's the location of the front-facing, 25MP camera within the screen which is the real talking point though, as rather than appearing in a bezel or a notch which juts into the screen, it's surround by screen. It's different, but will it catch on?
Battery life: The Honor View 20 has a big 4,000mAh and the result is a battery which will comfortably last through an entire day and into the next on a single charge.
Camera: The View 20 is the world's first smartphone to boast a 48MP rear camera, as the firm has used Sony's new sensor to provide a camera which really packs a punch.
Mini verdict: An ultra-high-resolution camera and punch hole screen are the highlights on the Honor View 20, and they set a standard this year’s more expensive phones will need to match.
Read more: Honor View 20 review
Price comparison: The best Honor View 20 deals
A surprise addition to our best smartphone rundown, the Asus Zenfone 6 is a great handset with plenty of features and a fun little party piece.
That party piece is the ZenFone 6's flip-up camera, which rotates around from the back, so the same two powerful lenses are used for both selfies and regular shots. It's certainly something you can show off to your friends.
Screen: The large 6.4-inch LCD display packs in plenty of colours and a decent brightness level providing you with great visuals. And with the rear cameras also acting as the front cameras, bezels around the screen are kept to a minimum for an almost all-display design.
Battery life: Asus says the Zenfone 6 lasts for a full two days between charges, and that's pretty much what we found. To be more realistic, it lasts until bedtime on day two, which is still a fantastic result.
Camera: The camera is clearly the most unusual part of the Asus ZenFone 6. However, it feels quite normal until you start flipping its housing around. It lets you shoot virtually any scene carelessly and you'll almost always get a decent photo out of it.
Mini verdict: This is the best phone choice for those looking for something a little geeky and unusual. The flip camera is not as slick and safely designed as its pop-up rivals, but it can follow subjects, act as a stand, and lets you shoot better selfie video.
Read more: Asus Zenfone 6 review
The OnePlus 7 Pro may have been replaced by the 7T Pro, but the difference between the two handsets is minimal, which means this is still one of the best smartphones around.
It's now cheaper too, thanks to the arrival of its successor, so you can bag yourself a bit of a bargain if you shop around.
Screen: This is the main draw. Thanks to a mechanical pop-up selfie camera, the OnePlus 7 Pro has the best screen we've tested. No notch and punch-hole camera in sight, and it stretches from edge to edge. Even better, its 90Hz screen refresh rate gives it more fluid movement.
Battery life: The OnePlus 7 Pro has fairly good, but not great battery life thanks to its 4,000mAh battery. It'll get you through a whole day, but not much more than that. The real news is its Warp Charge 30 adapter that allows this phone to go from 0% to 100% in a little over an hour. It's very fast.
Camera: The camera has always been the weakest part of the OnePlus lineup, but we've experienced better phones from the OnePlus 7 Pro. It's not going to top our best camera phones list, but the triple lens (regular, ultra-wide and telephoto) did a fine job in proper light.
Mini verdict: The OnePlus 7 Pro has the wow factor missing from some smartphones in 2019 thanks to what's on the screen (90Hz fluidity) and what's not (a camera notch). It looks the part of a flagship phone and acts more expensive than it really in part because of its top-shelf specs.
Read more: OnePlus 7 Pro review
Price comparison: The best OnePlus 7 Pro deals
You're at the end of our best smartphone guide, but that doesn't mean we can't help you still - if you're stuck on which model is for you, we've got a tool that can compare all the phones together and you can decide which one suits you best based on the cost.
If you want to get all the info, then use the tool below or check out our full mobile phone deals page.
The best gaming phones just keep getting better over time. There's more powerful hardware that can run games with ease, and dedicated gaming phones are designed with specific features that can handle some of the best titles Android and iOS have to offer.
Some of the best gaming phones are just the best phones all around, since their balance of performance and features make them a winner for just about anything.
There are a few must-haves for any great gaming phone: a powerful chipset capable of running the best Android games or best iPhone games smoothly and launching them quickly; a great looking display with enough room to show the game with room for your fingers; and enough battery to keep you gaming for as long a session as you can muster. When you’re playing demanding games like Fortnite, Call of Duty: Mobile and PUBG Mobile, you don’t want any of these aspects to be lacking.
We’ve taken all these aspects into account, as well as others like RAM size and storage space for games. The available app ecosystem also matters, which is one reason why Apple’s devices continue to have such a strong foothold here. We also take into account unique features that can have a special impact on gaming.
So, whether you want high specs AND 'gamer'-appealing perks like RGB lights or just a good phone that can double as a mobile gaming device, you no longer have to choose.
We've examined all the options and chosen the best phones for gaming based on the factors above. You'll find our full list below.
The iPhone XS Max is the best gaming phone (Image Credit: TechRadar)
The iPhone XS Max is the bigger, better brother of Apple's new flagship smartphone in a few key ways, but if you're picking either model for gaming, you might as well go with the best.
The 6.5-inch screen on the iPhone XS Max is bigger than the one on its 5.8-inch sibling and its larger battery manages to stay working nearly a full hour longer than the standard iPhone XS.
Those perks will give you more of an edge than with the iPhone XS, but both benefit from this Apple phone generation's true advantage: the A12 Bionic processor.
In our tests, it loaded up Clash Royale and PUBG even faster (vs the iPhone X), and speed is crucial in online gaming. All this in a Apple's sleek, modern look – though it's the most expensive mainstream phone on the market, even before including all the bells and whistles.
Read our reviews: iPhone XS Max | iPhone XS
A more-affordable flagship gaming phone (Image Credit: TechRadar)
The OnePlus 7 Pro is cheaper than the iPhones and Samsungs in this list, but still delivers the latest power under the hood with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 chipset and the choice of up to 12GB of RAM.
It means games load quickly and run smoothly, and the OnePlus 7 Pro is the firm's first phone with a QHD display, giving you an excellent pixel density for crisp graphics. On top of that sharp resolution is the huge size of the display, which offers 6.67 inches without any cameras or notches taking up space. Further improving the gaming experience is the 90Hz refresh rate of the display, which makes gaming and everyday use that much smoother.
There's a sizable 4,000mAh battery too, which should keep you going during lengthy play sessions, and it all makes for a top-notch gaming phone.
Read our review: OnePlus 7 Pro
The Galaxy S10 Plus is an all-rounder, but is still a top gaming phone (Image Credit: TechRadar)
Don't be too surprised to see Samsung so high on the list. Its latest family of Galaxy S10 smartphones are the first to feature Qualcomm's powerful new Snapdragon 855 chipset, which quickly boosted them to the top of the pack in terms of sheer performance.
But, it's not just the chipset that makes these excellent gaming phones. They have sharp Super AMOLED displays with support for high dynamic range, so you'll get excellent visuals in movies and games alike.
The screen real estate is also expanded, so you have that much more game to look at. With these phones, you're getting both a killer phone and a powerful mobile gaming device in one.
Better still, VR fans can still make use of the new phones with existing Gear VR headsets, according to The Verge. Letting you enjoy the immersive game medium on the phones' crisp displays.
Read our review: Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
The Asus ROG Phone 2 is built for gamers
The Asus ROG Phone 2 has almost all the features mobile gamers need, including a staggeringly large 6,000mAh battery (for extended gaming sessions), and a slick 120Hz AMOLED screen, in a large 6.59-inch size.
Add to that truly top tier specs, with the combination of a Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset, 12GB of RAM and masses of storage, and you can see why the Asus ROG Phone 2 makes our list.
Being designed specifically for gamers, it also has features you won't find on most other phones, such as a clip-on fan, which is generously included in the box, and a range of other accessories (such as a gamepad), which you'll have to buy separately.
There's also built-in software to help you tailor your gaming experience, through, for example, overclocking the already meaty CPU, and adjusting the fan speed.
There are some issues with the Asus ROG Phone 2, but most of them don't affect gaming. It doesn't have wireless charging or water resistance for example, and the design is sure to be divisive. If all you want your phone for is gaming though, and you either like this design or don't much care, then the Asus ROG Phone 2 is hard to beat.
Read our review: Asus ROG Phone 2
The Razer Phone 2 gaming phone (Image Credit: TechRadar)
The first Razer Phone was a solid first effort to bring the gamer-specific brand to a mobile device, but it had a few shortcomings that dropped it further down our list. The second version has addressed some and come out with a stronger device for it, though it's still aimed primarily at gamers.
What does that mean? The camera and display aren't nearly as impressive as other phones that cost this much, so casual gamers might want to look elsewhere. But if you're more serious about mobile gaming and can afford it, this is a solid choice.
Outwardly, the Razer Phone 2 hasn't changed much from its predecessor, though it's upgraded to the Snapdragon 845 chip and switched to a glass back for Qi wireless charging. It's also added a slick vapor chamber to cool the device as you game.
At the end of the day, the phone's beefy chipset, 8GB RAM, great speakers, 120hz refresh rate screen and 4,000mAh battery, as well as extensive settings to tweak battery life and performance, make this a great choice for gaming.
Read our review: Razer Phone 2
Image Credit: TechRadar
Huawei's P30 Pro may not be a phone on many people's radars, but it's an amazing Android phone from the Chinese manufacturers. Much of the attention the P30 Pro is getting comes from its impressive camera system, which has three rear cameras including one with a 5X zoom and a stunning dark mode.
But, the Huawei P30 Pro has plenty to offer gamers as well. The Kirin 980 chipset inside is plenty powerful for the latest Android games, and 8GB of RAM can keep everything running smooth even when you're switching back and forth from gaming and other activities.
The hefty 4,200mAh battery can ensure your gaming sessions aren't cut short. An improved heat pipe ad vapor cooling chamber inside the P30 Pro help it keep cool while gaming, so it can continue to play Fortnite, Real Racing 3, and PUBG without a hitch.
Read our review: Huawei P30 Pro
Image Credit: TechRadar
The Black Shark 2 is the second generation gaming phone from Chinese firm Xiaomi's gaming arm, and it builds well on its predecessor adding more power and a better screen into the mix.
Combining a great camera, excellent internals and improved gaming credentials over the original, the Black Shark 2 is a triple threat that betters most of its gaming phone rivals.
It's lumbered with a handful of instabilities and quirks, but even with those accounted for, the bang for buck it delivers is off the chart. The only thing to watch out for is its availability. It's not easy to find in some countries, such as US.
Read our review: Black Shark 2
Image Credit: TechRadar
Apple's iPhone XR may lack some of the features from the iPhone XS and XS Max that make them true stunners, but it makes up for that with a lower price. And, while it may have a smaller screen, it's still offering 6.1 inches.
Even though that lower price comes with caveats, like a simpler camera setup, the iPhone XR doesn't skimp on internals. It packs the same A12 Bionic chipset that's found in the more expensive models, and it will run iOS 12 and iOS 13 just the same as the other models. That means it can play all the same games, and it can run them just as smoothly (if not even smoother, since it has fewer pixels to push).
The iPhone XR also has one of the best batteries in an iPhone that we've seen in some time. So, if you want to do plenty of gaming on iOS, the iPhone XR is a strong option.
Read more: iPhone XR review
Image Credit: TechRadar
The LG G8 may be a little underwhelming in terms of design, and if you don't find a deal, it can be too expensive to wisely choose over one of the other devices on this list. But, if you find a good price, it has enough to offer as a gaming phone.
Inside, it's packing the latest Snapdragon 855 chipset, which can deliver plenty of gaming performance. And, with a high-resolution, bright OLED display, your games are sure to look great.
With a base storage of 128GB of RAM, you should have plenty of room on the LG G8 to store games alongside all your other apps and files.
Read more: LG G8 ThinQ review
Image credit: TechRadar
Yes, we know the iPhone 8 Plus is verging on two years old right now. It doesn't have the same elegant design found in the iPhone X, XS, or XR. But, if you look past the design and 5.5-inch display, you're still getting some strong gaming credentials.
For one thing, the age of the iPhone 8 Plus helps bring the price down. And, though the screen is the smallest on this list, it's still a 1080p resolution. Better still, the iPhone 8 Plus packs the A11 Bionic chipset that's also found in the iPhone X, and it runs on the latest version of iOS. That gives it access to plenty of games and the power to play them.
The battery is also decent, and the 256GB storage option offers all the room you could need for a substantial mobile game collection.
Read more: iPhone 8 Plus review
Black Friday is a great time to pick up accessories for your PC. Keyboards, mice and controllers often take a nice price cut, meaning you can replace some of the older items you've been holding onto for a little too long.
Now, one of Black Friday's best gaming headset deals has arrived: the HyperX Cloud Flight wireless headset, reduced to its lowest ever price of $79.99 as part of Amazon's Lightning Deals. That means you only have so long to get it: before the deal expires, or before the headset sells out, the latter of which is more likely.
If you want an endorsement, the HyperX Cloud Flight made our list of the best gaming headsets, for the quality of its sound, durability and extensive battery life.
"You can likely get two full days of gaming in between full charges," we said. "There is a catch, however – unlike the Cloud Flight’s competition, namely the Astro A20, this gaming headset only offers stereo sound, ditching any surround sound capability.
"You can thankfully get circumvent that by messing around with the Dolby Access app, though, and the sound profile is balanced enough to make this a non-issue, making this one of the best PC gaming headsets in 2019." If it sounds like a good match for you, grab it before it's gone.
Not in the US? Check out prices for the Cloud Flight where you are below:
TechRadar is scouring every retailer and rounding up all the top deals over the Black Friday period, and we’ve put all the best Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals in easy-to-navigate articles to help you find the bargains you’re looking for.
Want to buy the best iPad for you in 2019? Well you've got a lot of work on your plate: Apple's tablet line is a little confusing, with a wide range of new and older slates with a variety of similar (or identical) names.
Whether you're looking at the iPad Pro line, premium tablets with all the power of a computer; smaller slates like the iPad Air and iPad Mini with various sizes and specifications, or the base iPad line, there are many different options open to you, which complicates the process of finding the best iPad.
There are always new iPads coming out too, with the iPad 10.2 being a recent addition to our list - read on to find out where it places. These slates all run on iPadOS, Apple's operating system designed for tablets, an update that makes the best iPad even better for both work and play.
So if you're an expert tablet fan looking for a new high-powered slate, or a new prospective tech owner looking for your first iPad, our list of the best iPads will help you find the best gadget for your budget and needs.
We'd expect to see a few of the best iPads discounted for Black Friday 2019, the late-November deals bonanza that sees prices on tech and other products slashed. There's also Cyber Monday 2019, Black Friday's tech-focused finish line.
It's highly likely iPads, and possibly iPad peripherals too, will be discounted, so bookmark our Black Friday 2019 homepage and check back nearer the time for all the best deals.
The iPad Pro 11 is the best iPad you can buy right now. It may be expensive, but it's Apple's most powerful tablet and furthers the 2-in-1 design ethos if you spring for the pricey new keyboard cover folio.
It has a laptop-like experience in design and performance, and the new Apple Pencil magnetically clips onto the frame of the new iPad Pro. With superb speakers and a great new screen-to-body ratio, it's hard not to fall in love with the finely crafted hardware design.
And with the arrival of iPadOS its software has been transformed, making it even better than it was at launch.
However, it doesn't have a headphone jack. If you want the standard 3.5mm jack in a computer-like device, you'll spring for an actual computer.
Everything about the iPad Pro 11 makes it the best experience if you're looking for the best Apple tablet - you'll just need to swallow the high price - but it's no MacBook replacement.
Read the full review: iPad Pro 11
The iPad Pro 12.9 (2018) is a big monster – monster in the good kind of way, as it effortlessly crushes half the things you need in your life – goodbye mobile phone, laptop, coloring pad, music mixing table, games console. It's the ultimate creativity and workflow tool, with its huge screen, useful peripherals and snappy iOS.
It has the fastest processing power we've ever seen in a mobile device, four powerful speakers and a vibrant screen and, depending on which model you get, more storage power than you'd ever need.
It doesn't have the best battery life though, so it's not going to last you too long. You might not be able to use it for long periods of time watching films on a journey or mixing your music, and it charges rather slowly too.
All in all, the iPad Pro 12.9 (2018) is one of the best iPads you can buy right now, but if you don't need its huge display, the slighter cheaper iPad Pro 11 will save you a few bucks and be more portable.
Read the full review: iPad Pro 12.9
The iPad 10.2 brings Apple’s basic tablet range a step closer to the iPad Pro line – or at least the latest iPad Air - with the addition of Smart Keyboard support and a slightly larger screen, growing from 9.7 inches to 10.2 inches.
The iPad 10.2 also got a power boost, with an extra gigabyte of RAM compared to the iPad 9.7 (2018), though it’s stuck with the same A10 chipset.
It also has broadly the same design, meaning big bezels and a home button. So if you want one of Apple’s sleekest slates, this isn’t it.
But with strong battery life, decent performance, and a fairly low price – at least by Apple standards – there’s a lot to like here, especially if you want some of Apple’s best iPad features on a more limited budget.
Read the full review: iPad 10.2
The iPad Air, with a 10.5-inch screen, is the ultimate compromise between the entry-level iPads and the more powerful, but more expensive iPad Pro 11. It sits at the original iPad price in most countries, so it's cheaper than the iPad Pro 10.5 (2017) that it replaces, and although it isn't a 'Pro' tablet in name, it has several high-end features that make it a convincing laptop supplement.
It's one of the cheaper iPad models that's compatible with Apple's Smart Keyboard Cover, meaning you don't need to deal with tricky Bluetooth keyboard connections to get real work done on this thing.
It also has Apple's A12 chipset, borrowed from the iPhone XS. It's incredibly fast. Students will be able to take notes and respond to email on this tablet, but artists will hate the first-generation Apple Pencil.
Read the full review: iPad Air
Sometimes with a tablet you just want a slightly plus-sized phone, and the iPad Mini (2019) fits that bill. It's a dinky device with some impressive specs, boasting Apple's most recent processor and a decent battery life.
What makes the iPad Mini (2019) great is the fact you can use the Apple Pencil alongside it, turning the iPad Mini into a tiny notebook in your pocket.
The iPad Mini is one of the best small tablets you can get at its price point, so if you're looking for an easily totable pocket powerhouse, you can't get much better than this little monster.
Read the full review: iPad Mini (2019)
The iPad Pro 10.5-inch version is an all-star tablet which has since been superseded by the iPad Pro 11. There's good news for the Pro 10.5 though, as this means it's now cheaper - though it's also no longer sold direct from Apple.
Its bright ProMotion Retina HD screen is its best selling point. It adds an impressive layer of fluidity to daily use - if not strictly necessary - and the smaller bezels means you're getting far more display in a footprint not much bigger than 2016's 9.7.
It's an iPad for the professionals - but also one that media munchers will adore using.
It takes advantage of the Apple Pencil and several tablet-focused features like the dock, Control Center and Instant Markup with the stylus. If you invest in the recommended Smart Keyboard, you can attach it to a Pro-level iPad without jumping through all of the hoops of Bluetooth.
Read the full review: iPad Pro 10.5
Image Credit: TechRadar
This is a good Apple iPad for the average consumer and for education, even if it isn't the most powerful one available. It's still great value. That said, the newer iPad 10.2 has it beat for most users, and has the advantage of still being sold direct from Apple, which this model isn't.
The iPad (2018) replaces the very similar 2017 model, slotting in below the Pro and Air ranges with a dependable tablet that hasn't changed much in years - but Apple clearly feels it doesn't need to mess with success.
The basic iPad works with the Apple Pencil, offering you the cheapest way to doodle on the 9.7-inch glass - though you can't get the Smart Keyboard with this non-Pro model, for that you'll need the newer 10.2-inch one.
It also has the same luxurious metal unibody as the rest of Apple's iPad range, though notably it's ever-so-slightly thicker than the iPad Air 2 or iPad Pro at 7.5mm.
With the Touch ID fingerprint sensor included, iPadOS 13 under the hood and up to 10 hours of battery life when web browsing or watching videos, it's a great media player and a strong tablet choice if you're not planning to use it heavily for productivity.
Read the full review: iPad 9.7 (2018)
The iPad (2017) marked a name shift for Apple's tablets, as the Cupertino, California firm dropped 'Air' in favor for the cleaner moniker.
The iPad from 2017 has since been replaced by the iPad (2018) and iPad 10.2, but it's still a solid buy if you're looking for a more affordable Apple slate.
The only real problem is the newer iPads aren't that much more, so unless you're on a really tight budget, the newer versions are a better buy, especially as this model isn't still sold by Apple.
Read the full review: iPad (2017)
We really like the iPad Pro 12.9 (2017) for its large size and - other than the newer iPad Pro 12.9 model - it's the closest thing we have to a 2-in-1 touchscreen MacBook. It just happens to run iPadOS 13 instead of macOS.
It's one of the best productivity and entertainment tablets around thanks to its 12.9-inch screen, four speakers and the dock and multitasking interface. Apple has redesigned its Control Center interface to make app switching even easier, and this tablet is compatible with the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard.
It's biggest weakness? The iPad Pro 12.9-inch price, and the size isn't a good fit for everyone. But If you can afford it and want the largest-sized iPad available, you're going to love this – it's a laptop-replacement for a lot of people out there.
Read the full review: iPad Pro 12.9 (2017)
Big screens aren't for everyone, and that's where the 7.9-inch iPad Mini 4 comes in. The screen size means it's far more portable than Apple's larger tablets, especially as it's light at 299g. It's not quite small enough that you can use it one handed, but you can comfortably hold it for a lot longer than most of Apple's slates, or throw it in a bag and forget about it.
It's also big enough to enjoyably browse the net or watch videos on when you're away from home and bigger screens, but it's obviously not quite as strong an experience for most visual media as Apple's larger 9.7, 10.2, 10.5, 11 and 12.9-inch slates.
The small size and lack of Smart Connector also makes it worse for productivity than the iPad Pro range, but this isn't designed as a laptop replacement.
It's still fairly powerful thanks to 2GB of RAM and the aging but still impressive Apple A8 chip, while the screen is sharp, rich and easy to see even in bright sunlight.
The iPad Mini 4 is also a fraction of the price of Apple's Pro range, and with 128GB of storage you needn't be terribly limited in that area – though it's no match for the 256GB you can get in the iPad Pro.
Notably it has now been replaced by the iPad Mini (2019), which will be a much better buy for most people, but this remains a solid slate.
Read the full review: iPad Mini 4
