Christmas is one of the best times to treat yourself and your loved ones to some shiny new tech, but no one wants to unwrap a lemon.

So we’ve picked out the five best smartphones of 2017 that we've seen, those that take the best photos, offer a top gaming experience, brilliant value or just something we think you should spend a little more on.

Whatever your smartphone priorities, there’s a handset here for you - even if Santa’s left you footing the bill.

Christmas is all about the memories, and no smartphone will capture them better than the Google Pixel 2. Proving you don’t need a dual camera for beautiful results, its 12.2MP (f/1.8, main) and 8MP (f/2.4, front) shooters consistently turn out sharp, bright snaps you’ll want to show off.

Both cameras offer 2017’s popular portrait mode feature, which blurs the background behind your subjects to give a DSLR-like focus. Low-light performance is excellent, with our photos consistently surprising us with how well-lit they appeared compared with similar shots taken on Apple and Samsung flagships.

But the camera isn’t the only reason to spring for the Pixel 2 this Christmas. You’ll be first in line for Android updates, enjoy dual front-facing speakers, and a premium, if slightly dated (read: bezels) water-resistant body. As you’d expect from the home of Android, Google’s latest is an all-round joy.

Read the full review: Google Pixel 2

It’s not a phone you’ll see many of your friends sporting this Christmas, but if you’re serious about mobile gaming, the Razer Phone is the way to go. 

The 5.7-inch LCD IGZO QHD (1440 x 2560) display can reach 120fps, and that higher frame rate delivers silky smoothness in everything from high-octane racing games to your Twitter timeline.

There’s no headphone jack but you do get an audio adaptor with a 24-bit DAC and Dolby Atmos support in the box, plus a bombastic set of dual front-facing speakers that we think are the best on any smartphone right now.

Then there’s the gaming experience: the magic combo of the Snapdragon 835, 8GB of RAM and the Adreno 540 GPU come together with the gaming-focused software to provide an ideal environment for serious players. 

You can also adjust resolution, frame rate and CPU power per game, allowing you to get the most out of the hardware. Does everyone want such performance? No. But if you're a gamer, you'll know why it's important.

Read the full review: Razer Phone

No competition, really: the most expensive flagship around is also “the closest to smartphone perfection Apple has ever got” according to our review. It’s a big departure from the usual iPhone fare, but in the best possible way.

In return for all your money, you get the best screen ever on an iPhone, the incredibly impressive Face ID unlocking system, the TrueDepth selfie camera with its sophisticated portrait options, and of course the meme-spawning Animoji. The main camera isn’t the very best out there but it’s impressive, strong and reliable, with improved low-light performance over previous iPhones.

Battery performance has improved a bit, too - partly thanks to the OLED screen - and of course the X includes wireless charging to make juicing up easier. 

Combine that with a re-tooled iOS 11 and some of the most powerful performance on the market, and you’ve got the Apple all-rounder we’ve always wanted.

Read the full review: iPhone X

Note: While it’s a tough call between this handset and the Honor 9 for best value, the latter is not coming to the US and Australia, whereas the OnePlus 5T is available more widely. UK readers will want to take a look at both before choosing.

The 5T continues the OnePlus tradition of packing the majority of this year’s flagship features into a much less expensive phone. 

This time around you get face unlock, a 6.01-inch 18:9 OLED display, 16MP and 20MP dual cameras on the back and some very impressive specs, including the Snapdragon 835 SoC and 8GB of RAM on the top model.

Understandably given the price, most of the 5T’s selling points have a caveat, but none of them are likely to trouble you at night. The face unlocking feature isn’t as good as Apple’s (duh), the screen is HD rather than QHD (oh well), there’s no microSD expandable storage (but you get 64 or 128GB to begin with), there’s no waterproofing or wireless charging (meh), it doesn’t have Oreo (but will soon).

The camera doesn't compare to some of its top-end competitors - but then nor does the price, and for the cost it's not half bad.

The battery life and Dash (fast) charging are as strong as on previous OnePlus devices, and blessedly the 3.5mm headphone jack is still there. For the money, this is a really satisfying package.

Read the full review: OnePlus 5T

Motorola is widely regarded as the king of budget phones, and after a long reign with various versions of the Moto G5, it’s now outdone itself with the E4 Plus. With a gigantic 5,000mAh power pack and a less-demanding 720p screen, this phone goes on and on and on.

As you might expect for $179.99/£159 (around AU$240), it has its weak points: it’s a little chunky, a little heavy, and the cameras are mediocre.

However, you do get a higher-quality metal design with a fingerprint scanner, more-or-less stock Android (though currently Nougat rather than Oreo), some fun gestures like karate chopping to turn on the flashlight, and decent performance - though it’s not one for serious gamers.

It’s impressive to have a highlight at all in a phone at this price, and we can honestly say the battery life on the G4 Plus knocked our socks off.

Average use saw it last two days on a single charge, making it an ideal choice for people who just want something that works, runs all the usual Android apps and won’t die before they leave work.

Read the full review: Moto E4 Plus

• In the market for a tablet? These are the best

If we’d asked 100 people at Mobile World Congress ‘16 to predict what they thought the biggest story of this year’s convention would be, you know what no one would have said? The launch of the Nokia 3310. 

Yet here we are a year on, with the resurrection of Nokia’s all-time most 'memeable' phone dominating the headlines on tech and mainstream publications alike. It’s the most talked-about phone in years. 

Inevitably, every phone brand from Acer to ZTE will be asking their PR agency to “do a Nokia” as a result. But which ones actually should? 

Here are the five phones we want to see re-emerge onto the phone scene like specced-up tech zombies, simultaneously reminding us how far we’ve come, and how much simpler life was when you had to press 7 four times for an S.

1. Motorola Razr V3 (2004)

No surprises here: after the 3310, it’s surely the most beloved phone of all time. In fact, our own Ben Stinson argued in 2015 that it was the best phone of all time, but the jury’s very much out on that one. Especially as Stinson himself did an about-turn two weeks ago and awarded the same accolade to the 3310.

The Razr represents the real glory days of Motorola, a brand that’s been on the front lines of the mobile phone scene far longer than Apple, with varying degrees of success. 

The Razr sold more than 50 million units, and represented the must-have super-thin flip phone that was the trendiest tech imaginable in 2005. 

Motorola wasn't slow to capitalise on that success: it released the V3 in a rainbow of colours, added new features like 3G and a 2MP camera, and basically milked that money cow for all it was worth.

Now, in 2017, we’re expecting foldable touchscreen phones any day now – could Moto combine the two and bring back the Razr brand for an ultra-thin, fold-up phone for the modern age? If you could snap it angrily at the end of a call, we’d buy ten.

2. Nokia 8110 (1996)

Huh? 8110? How is that iconic on the same level as the indestructible 3110 or Paris Hilton’s pink Razr? Well, the 8110 may not be a household name by its official designation, but you almost certainly know it as… *drumroll*... the Matrix phone.

That’s right, this slidey Nokia was the one that featured prominently in The Matrix, representing a particularly unimaginative view of future smartphones, especially given that the phone had already been out for three years at the time of the film’s release. 

However, the film's creators sexed the phone up by making the slidey bit spring-loaded for an impressively badass flick-opening action. 

Nokia’s got its hands full right now, so maybe the IP could be passed to BlackBerry for a reboot – imagine that hand-flick revealing a Priv-like keyboard. 

Although it's hard to imagine Neo running down the street, flicking open his phone and typing an email to '[email protected]' to find an exit.

3. LG Chocolate BL40 (2009)

LG’s Chocolate product line is fondly remembered, and not just because you kind of wanted to eat it. The phones had a candy bar form factor (see what they did there?) and often included sliders, as was the style at the time. The BL40, though, known as the ‘New Chocolate,’ was a reinvention of the popular phone in a truly strange and quite compelling format.

The New Chocolate was a long, thin phone with a cinematic (21:9) screen – is this ringing any bells? That’s right, the BL40 paved the way for the just-released LG G6 with its ‘PureVision’ display, this time with an aspect ratio of 18:9, or 2:1 for people who can count.

Realistically, though, the G6 isn’t in any sense a reboot of the New Chocolate: the original phone was a symphony of metal and glass, topped and tailed with flashes of red to pay off the ‘Black Label’ designation (LG thought fashionistas might like it). It had a dedicated hardware music key, and genuinely did look very stylish for 2009. Then again, so did harem pants.

It’s good to see the cinematic display back in the G6, although this time a little wider so it doesn’t look quite so much like a vending machine with the app menu up. That music key could do with a comeback though: we’d kill for a Spotify button.

4. T-Mobile Sidekick (2002)

OK, so the Sidekick brand has had a few reboots already, but we can’t help thinking that if people are still making keyboard phones then the Sidekick should be among them. 

The original Sidekick, branded by T-Mobile, was actually made by the awesomely-named Danger Inc. They called the phone the Hiptop, explaining instantly why T-Mob renamed it, but they did have some good ideas, including one of the earliest app marketplaces.

Unlike LG, T-Mobile succeeded in making the Sidekick a hit with celebrities, and the phone was seen in the hands of such illustrious talents as Lindsay Lohan, Kim Kardashian and both Nicky and Paris Hilton (how is she such a phone guru?). 

Its clever design also made it popular with consumers: the hardware Back, Menu and Jump buttons could be accessed even when the phone was closed.

Of course, Danger Inc won’t be bringing the phone back themselves, since they were bought by Microsoft for a reported $500m in 2008. 

However, Danger co-founder Andy Rubin went on to start a little thing called Android, and is now working on a mysterious startup with a bunch of famous phone folks. You heard it here first: he’s totally bringing back the Sidekick.

5. Sony Ericsson W800i (2005)

Another phone that won’t instantly spring to mind until we add the vital word Walkman. Yep, the W800 was the first Walkman-branded phone, a valiant attempt by Sony Ericsson to keep the obsolete brand in the limelight.

Our review at the time – which rather embarrassingly began with the line “Have camera phones already had their day?” – praised the “large 1.8-inch LCD” and “generous 512MB card included,” but noted that the “tiny joystick is a bit fiddly.” 

Nonetheless, its radiant orange and white colour scheme is not easily forgotten, and at the time its 2MP camera was one of the best around.

In the intervening years, Sony (who broke up with Ericsson) has kept the focus on phone cameras, but less so on music phones. 

Could this be the year we see a new Sony Walkman phone, complete with prominent FU-Apple 3.5mm headphone jack, massive over-ear headphones and a general hipster vibe? 

If people can still make a living selling vinyl records in 2017, it could totally happen - although some out there probably think the 

Seriously, though...

The resurgence of the Nokia 3310 and its gleeful reception this weekend tells us something important about the consumer mindset right now. Despite clearly, demonstrably having moved on to something better, there’s a large subset of people hankering for the ‘good old days,’ who apparently believe they miss tiny monochrome screens and taking two hours to write a 160-character sext by T9. Apple has already noticed this affection for old tech, and responded with the iPhone SE.

Although, with the tenth anniversary of the iPhone coming up, it seems like Apple should have focused on re-releasing the first iteration of its handset, such seems to be the love of retro in the phone world.

It’s easy for us hyper-connected geeks in our tech-savvy filter bubbles to believe that everyone understands smartphone specs and cares about them as much as we do. 

After the Nokia news from MWC, other Android manufacturers must be kicking themselves: all this time, they assumed people craved bigger screens, better cameras, more power – but it turns out all we wanted is a bombproof exterior and a vague feeling of nostalgic joy.

• MWC (Mobile World Congress) is the world's largest exhibition for the mobile industry, stuffed full of the newest phones, tablets, wearables and more. TechRadar is reporting live from Barcelona all week to bring you the very latest from the show floor. Head to our dedicated MWC 2017 hub to see all the new releases, along with TechRadar's world-class analysis and buying advice about your next phone.

It’s a beautiful dream. You’re heading to a gig tonight, so you nip out and buy a camera with a powerful zoom, and hot-swap it onto your phone. The next day, you’re editing a video, so you plug in a bit of extra RAM. Two months later, it’s upgrade time, but instead of getting a whole new phone, you just switch your old battery for a superpowered one. Nice.

Everything about modular phones makes sense - to the consumer, at least. It’s cheaper, it’s easier, it’s better for the environment. It works better with the pace of hardware development, too: instead of a whole new phone that makes yours obsolescent every six months, we could have a cool new component every few weeks. 

So why aren’t we all using modular phones? 

The first piece of the modular puzzle

The granddad of today’s modular phones was a tiny handset launched in 2008 at Mobile World Congress; not by a Samsung or an HTC, but a little-known Israeli startup called Modu Mobile.

Modu’s record-breaking mobile had basic functionality which could be added to by slipping it into one of the company’s proprietary exoskeletons, known as a ‘jacket.’ The jackets were specialised depending on what kind of phone you wanted - a keyboard, perhaps, or a sporty chassis, a camera or an MP3 player (it was 2008, remember). 

The phone did reach the market in 2009, but despite a trailblazing concept and the expertise of founder Dov Moran - inventor of the USB memory stick - Modu shut down in 2011.

Moran’s efforts weren’t wasted, though: Google bought Modu’s patents for $4.9m, and its then-subsidiary Motorola Mobility turned them into a little thing called Project Ara.

Ara we doing this thing or not?

Project Ara is probably the best-known modular phone scheme, and had some very excited fans before it was abruptly cancelled in September. 

Like Modu, Ara phones centred around a fixed structure (an ‘endo,’ short for endoskeleton) made by Google, and third-party modules of standard sizes could then be slotted in to make a phone.

For the tech equivalent of an E-fit, Ara handsets looked surprisingly good. However, despite more than three years’ worth of development, the team couldn’t seem to make it work. 

Ara’s cancellation was met with widespread disappointment, and Google’s explanation of “streamlining its hardware efforts” didn’t do much to sweeten the pill.

Rest in pieces

Ara and Modu are not the only names in the modular graveyard. ZTE showed off a prototype called Eco-Mobius at CES in 2014, but it never made it to market and they wouldn’t comment for this article, rather suggesting it’s dead and buried.

Later the same year came Vsenn, considered a major Ara competitor - until it too was cancelled in June 2015 due to “financial pressure.” 

This was a month after budget modular handset Fonkraft was yanked from Indiegogo for “not meeting trust and safety standards.” Yikes.

But what about this year’s LG G5? That’s modular, right? Well, kind of. The bottom section can be swapped, but only for a very limited range of alternatives, and the rest of the phone is fixed.

LG explains to TechRadar, “By allowing the LG G5 to physically connect with other modules such as LG CAM Plus and LG Hi-Fi Plus, the Modular Type can transform the handset into a premium camera or audio device. 

"We know that not every user demands high-fidelity audio or precision camera controls; but for those who are passionate about their music or taking photographs, the option to enhance the phone to suit their needs is there."

That all sounds good, especially as a sort of market test for full modularity - but has it paid off? 

“While we're confident in the technology, there needs to be a robust audience for it," explains LG. "Some technologies are ahead of their time and it can take time to attract a significant user base. Whether modular smartphones are the next big thing is still up in the air, so we'll continue to listen to our customers and monitor usage trends for the time being.”

That monitoring doesn’t appear to be going well, sadly. 

It looks like LG has dropped the modular approach for its next phone, after firing one of its execs for poor sales - the G5 might be joining the graveyard after all.

The missing link

The consumer benefits of a Lego-style phone are obvious. Dave Hakkens, founder of Phonebloks - the modular smartphone movement that influenced Project Ara’s design - notes: “You can upgrade, repair and customise it. It will last longer and you can adapt it to your needs.” 

Pretty compelling, so why aren’t consumers biting?

“I’d say phones like the LG G5 aren’t really selling because it’s not really modular, more of a first step to break the phone apart and customise it. But it won’t last much longer, yet. It’ll take some time before the perfect modular phone is developed.”

Dov Moran, founder of Modu, agrees that current phones haven’t nailed it. “On the technical side the issue of easy connection and disconnection of the modules is not resolved yet.” (Google were originally using electropermanent magnets for this, but changed the design after jokingly saying they “failed the drop test.”) It’s a serious point, though: when you’ve put your phone together piece-by-piece, you need the whole to be strong enough to withstand drops and back pockets. Yes, it’s easier to repair a modular phone, but is it also easier to break one?

Moran continues, “Phone lifespans are relatively short, and inexpensive. When we talk about replacing modules, the price goes down so fast on ingredients like the screen, memory, camera, that what is the high end of today would become the low end of tomorrow. The hassle of buying modules - which one, shipment etc - is large compared to ‘give me a new phone’ where all the ingredients are upgraded.”

Modular phones are touted as being better for the environment, but Moran points out that they could actually lead to more waste: “When you upgrade your phone, you do not throw away the old one. You keep it as a backup or give it to someone else. While you upgrade a module, you have nothing to do with the low-end part.” 

It’s likely a secondary market would spring up, but given how fast entire phones depreciate, how much could you realistically expect to get for last year’s camera module on eBay?

Roadblocks

To fulfil the promise of modular phones, we’d need to carry a plethora of easily-lost bits around with us - as Moran puts it, “A minimal configuration when I am doing sports and a large one when I use it as a phablet in a meeting requires having all the parts handy, and it dilutes the theoretically nice (but not so practical) concept.”

Hakkens agrees. “For the current phone manufacturers, there’s not much of a benefit. However, there would be for other companies like camera, speaker or battery manufacturers that currently can’t contribute to the mobile phone market: they could with a modular phone.”

In other words, if a manufacturer can make a popular enough base phone, we could end up with an App Store-style selection of components to choose from. 

That sounds like a good thing, but consider all the junk apps on iOS and Android: do we really want the hardware equivalent of that? Is it worth it, when most of us just download the same 20 apps as everyone else anyway?

Building the future

There’s still hope for the modular dream. Despite having fatefully relinquished Project Ara to Google, Motorola haven’t given up on the piecemeal phone, launching the modular-ish Moto Z earlier this year. Not everything on the Moto Z (and its variants Force and Play) can be swapped, but there’s a good range of magnetised accessories including a wireless charging battery pack, speakers, a projector and even a 10x optical zoom.

Meanwhile, ethical, repairable smartphone Fairphone 2 has been well-received and is available for preorder now, while the similar Puzzlephone has been postponed to 2017 due to delayed EU funding, but is apparently still happening.
For now, though, it looks like modular accessories are as mainstream as we’re going to get: things like Mophie’s battery cases, and Olloclip’s clip-on lenses. 

The best example is probably Otterbox’s uniVERSE, a modular iPhone case that allows you to swap in modules including extra storage, power, and even a credit card reader, but it’s a long way from a whole phone.

iven all the projects that have fallen by the wayside, can we still look forward to a modular future? Dave Hakkens says yes: “I would imagine all tech to be modular [in the future], especially considering the Internet of Things where all our devices are connected to the internet and become little computers. What if a tiny processor component of your fridge or washing machine breaks? Do you throw everything away? I’d say swap in a new block!”

Dov Moran sees an even more radical pathway for modular tech: modular humans. “I do believe that at some time a [modular smartphone] solution will evolve, but it is competing with the other solution of having parts of the phone installed in our bodies while connecting with external peripherals. I know it sounds like sci-fi but this will happen. I am not sure this is so far away.”

You heard it here first, folks.

Every year big smartphone companies pump millions into research and development of their products, hoping to find that elusive ‘next big thing’ that’ll have everyone knocking on their door come upgrade time. 

That innovation has undoubtedly led to some of the best products of modern years, but in the ever-more-desperate race to stand out from the crowd it’s also led to some stinkers. 

No doubt with the best of intentions, some less-than-stellar ideas have been conceived, created and, often just as quickly, cancelled. 

We’re taking a tour of seven types of smartphone tech billed as the inevitable future of the handset industry, only to crash and burn faster than a Note 7 delivery drone. 

1. Projector phones

Notable examples: Samsung Galaxy Beam and Galaxy Beam 2, Lenovo Smart Cast

This is possibly the best example of something that was made because it could be, not because it should be. How many people really want a sub-par projector bolted on the side of their phone? 

OK, Powerpoint Pete would probably be happy not to have to take a laptop to his dull sales presentations, but the rest of us? 

Projector phones came about because pico (ie, tiny) projectors were suddenly possible, so of course someone had to put one in a phone, in case that was the magic bullet that killed the iPhone. 

Spoiler: it wasn’t. 

When the inexplicable sequel to the first Galaxy Beam came out, a pico projector expert told us: “It's a bit of fun - when people first see pico projector phones, they say ‘Wow! That's really cool!’."

But the novelty wears off quickly – in fact, as soon as they see that they're not actually any good".

Nonetheless, they do reappear occasionally, usually in China (they’re making projector smartwatches now too). 

The most promising reinvention of this tech was the Lenovo Smart Cast in 2015, which projected a touchscreen - in other words, you could actually interact with the projected image to play a virtual piano and other such gimmicks. 

But until the projector quality improves and someone actually thinks of a use for these things, it looks like the writing’s on the wall for the poor old projector phone.

2. Twisty cameras

Notable examples: Oppo N1 (October 2013), Oppo N1 Mini (August 2014), Oppo N3 (October 2014)

When the Oppo N1 was announced back in 2013, we were beside ourselves with excitement. It seemed like such an obvious solution: why split the phone’s camera budget into two sub-standard shooters when you could have one excellent camera that works for both front and back? 

The N1 had a 13MP snapper, which was groundbreaking in itself at the time, and you just gave it a twist depending on whether you were taking a groupie or a selfie. 

Handily, the camera mechanism could lock at any angle, meaning artistic types could get some trickier angle shots with ease.

In practice, though, it didn’t work. Say you spotted noted actor Benetton Crinklesnatch in the local eatery. You’d pull out your phone to take a sneaky shot for the likes, and realise with horror that not only has he seen you, all you’ve captured is your own humiliated face. 

Quick snaps are basically impossible when you have to manually turn the camera around first, and although Oppo said the 206-degree spin mechanism was tested for 100,000 rotations, adding moving parts to such an essential part of the phone inevitably results in more breakages. And then your phone has no camera at all.

Nonetheless, the twisty camera also appeared on Oppo’s 2014 follow-up phones the N1 Mini and N3, the latter of which mechanised the swivel to make it automatic. 

But by that time, component prices were dropping so rapidly that putting a 13MP shooter on the front in addition to the big guns on the back was soon possible, and Oppo’s innovation remained revolutionary only in the literal sense.

3. 3D interfaces

Notable examples: Amazon Fire Phone, LG Optimus 3D

Sometimes all the pieces of the success puzzle are there in the box, but somehow the picture doesn’t come together. 

That’s how it went for the sadly ill-fated Amazon Fire Phone, which had the money and muscle of a global behemoth behind it but nonetheless failed to catch light. 

The reasons for that were manifold, but most critics agreed that its impressive 3D interface wasn’t one of them. 

Using four cameras positioned on the front corners of the phone, the Fire Phone interface tracked the head movements of the person using it in order to display content from the correct angle. 

In short, it could make 2D images look 3D without the need for glasses or headsets, which Amazon called ‘Dynamic Perspective’. 

It was very cool when it worked well, but had next to no practical applications, making it little more than a gimmick, and that wasn’t enough to save the phone from its other flaws.

However we definitely haven’t seen the last of head-tracking visuals in mobile phones. If anything, the rise of phones as a portal to VR proves that Amazon was on the right track at the wrong time.

4. App-oriented phones

Notable examples: HTC Chacha, HTC Salsa, HTC First

Remember Facebook phones? HTC does. Their ill-fated series of social-focussed Androids began in 2011, with the Chacha and Salsa, both teenage-friendly budget phones with a physical Facebook button. Neither set the world on fire, but HTC had more up their sleeve. 

Two years later, it unveiled the HTC First, also intended to appeal to the discerning millennial crowd. 

Coming in a fashion-friendly four colors, this was a budget phone priced like a mid-range - the 5-inch Jelly Bean handset was going up against the formidable Nexus 4, yet cost $350 (about £281/AU$463) to the Nexus’s $299 (£240/AU$396). 

That’s right, an underwhelming phone whose only point of difference was being suffused with the inescapable tendrils of Zuckerberg actually cost more than the market leader.

This wasn’t its only fault, though. As our own John McCann put it at the time, the First was a “simple handset with an extension of the social network's application which puts it front and centre. All. The. Freaking. Time.” 

Even the most hardcore Facebook fan wants to do other things than read people’s banal status updates, and the team behind the phone just didn’t seem to get that. 

App-centric hardware isn’t a bad idea, and in fact it’s one that’s rapidly gaining traction with innovations like Snapchat’s Spectacles, but it has to offer something that can’t be found elsewhere. 

The HTC First didn’t offer a better Facebook experience, a better phone experience, or even a better price point - until it was slashed to 99 cents before being discontinued by AT&T just 5 weeks after launch.

5. Modular phones

Notable examples: Google Ara, LG G5, Modu, Phonebloks…

Tech fans and publications nearly wet themselves over the possibility of switching out their puny 15MP camera for a 20MP beast without having to set up a whole new phone. A phone that you can take apart and reassemble exactly the way you want it? Yes!

So why was Google Ara cancelled? Why didn’t the G5 sell well? And why aren’t more companies putting their eggs in the modular basket? In short, because the public’s not convinced. 

Modular phones appeal to people who want to build their own PC, and that’s fine, but that market is a heck of a lot smaller than the one for pre-made, well-advertised laptops. 

The fact is, most people have absolutely no idea what good smartphone specs look like, and only consider upgrading their onboard storage when Apple starts asking them to delete stuff. 

That’s not to say modular is over. There’s definitely still space for a good base phone with modular-lite additions - in other words, one that’s great out of the box but can be upgraded in small ways to your taste. 

That’s what the G5 tried to be, but its upgrades were hard to get hold of and some of them were crazy expensive (*cough* B&O speaker pack *cough*). 

Right now, modular’s best hope is the Moto Z - and in fairness, it's a pretty bright hope, as the clip on accessories are constantly being improved upon - but there’s no doubt the futuristic dream we were sold is lying in pieces on the factory floor until more manufacturers show willing to properly invest in this area.

6. Liquidmetal

Notable examples: A billion iPhone rumors, the Turing Phone

Originally developed at CalTech, Liquidmetal is a set of amorphous metal alloys used in everything from medicine to the military. It’s been around since the early 2000s, but Apple’s 2010 exclusivity deal set rumors swirling that we’d be seeing a Liquidmetal iPhone before long. 

Famously, all that actually came out of that deal was a Liquidmetal SIM card eject tool for the iPhone 3G. Trailblazin’.

Apple’s extended its dibs several times since then, but despite rumors that the iPhone 5, iPhone 6, iPhone 6S and even the iPhone 7 would be made from the durable material, nothing’s happened. 

The first smartphone made of this promising material turned out to be the security-conscious and somewhat-niche Turing Phone. 

But we still haven’t seen it on an iPhone. Maybe that’ll change one day, but Liquidmetal certainly didn’t change the smartphone world the way we were promised.

(The 2010 Acer Liquid Metal, if you’re wondering, was mostly plastic). 

7. Transparent phones

Notable examples: Every design student’s concept smartphone ever

If we had a penny for every time we’ve seen a transparent concept phone, we’d have enough to make one ourselves. 

It seems this is humanity’s dream: being able to walk about staring at our phones, but staring at the ground at the same time. Don’t ask why.

A few transparent handsets have actually made it into the real world, like 2009’s Xperia Pureness and LG GD900, but they didn’t offer the see-through touchscreen experience we’re all hoping for. 

Polytron Technologies showed off a non-working prototype in 2013, but despite their General Manager assuring us they’d be available by the end of the year (“Trust me,” he said), they never materialised. 

We’re now closer than ever to a see-through phone, with transparent OLED TVs already available (although they’re not selling well), LG patenting transparent and foldable screens, a transparent phone battery already in existence, and even clear glass that can charge like a solar cell. 

This solves a lot of the potential issues of building a transparent phone, but it hasn’t happened. Yet.

However, tech pundit Robert Scoble is betting the farm that 2017’s 10th anniversary iPhone will in fact be completely see-through. 

He’s said this repeatedly and publicly, claiming to have spoken to insiders and seen evidence. While critics and fans debate whether this is at all likely, we’re more interested in what it’ll be called. icePhone? iPhone Air? Or dare we suggest…. Windows Phone? All will become clear.

• But what about the good stuff? Check out our picks for the best phone of 2016

No one likes wires, and even with the advent of any-way-up USB C, it’s more of a pain than it should be to put your phone on charge. If humans can recharge in a bed, on a sofa or even a park bench (I was tired, okay?) then why can’t we put our smartphones down anywhere to charge?

Until we get the power equivalent of WiFi (and science is working on it), we have wireless charging - and it’s getting better all the time. No, it’s not on iPhones yet, but there are cases and add-ons to set almost any phone up for wireless charging. 

As ever, there are competing standards, the most famous of which is the Wireless Power Consortium’s Qi (pronounced like the ‘chi’ in tai-chi). The next most significant is AirFuel, promoted by the AirFuel Alliance: a combination of the older, distinctly less catchy-named PMA and AW4P. 

The only thing you really need to know is which standard is compatible with your phone (some support both), and what you’re looking for in a charger. Do you want something beautiful? Something upright? Something that’ll charge more than one device? We’ve covered all those options and more in our rundown of some of the best wireless chargers available here in 2016.

There’s something deliciously anachronistic about wooden tech products, and the WoodPuck is a great example - people are always surprised that it can charge a phone. Despite the name, it’s made of sustainable tortoiseshell bamboo rather than a more traditional wood, which makes it handily light. It’s also not one of the giant panda’s preferred varieties, so you’re not depriving a bear of its tea.

WoodPuck uses the Qi standard, and if your phone doesn’t have it natively, Fonesalesman also sell adapters for bazillions of handsets including the iPhone. The charger comes in a choice of two colors, Cappuccino and Espresso, to match your preferred aesthetic (or coffee order).

Far too many wireless charging mats assume you want your phone laid flat. This dock-style charger allows you to charge wirelessly while still looking at your notifications, watching a movie, or playing Pokémon Go (although you’re not going to hatch those eggs at your desk). You can orient your phone vertically or horizontally and it’ll still charge, and there’s a reassuring LED to let you know it’s working. Light sleepers might find the light a bit bright, though, and some reviewers found the inbuilt fan too noisy, so it might be better on your desk than your bedside table.

The point of difference for this stand is the fast charging capability: on newer Samsungs (Note 5, S6 Edge+ and similar), it charges ‘up to 1.4x faster’ than your standard wireless dealie. If you’ve hesitated on wireless because of the speed difference, this might be the answer. Bear in mind that you’ll need to add a fast charging cable and plug for that, though: it doesn’t come with its own. If speed doesn’t bother you, it also works with all Qi devices, not just those made by Samsung.

If we asked 100 people what they keep on their bedside table, the top two answers would probably be a phone charger and a lamp. This Ikea design combines the two in a stylish, practical piece of lighting tech using the Qi standard. If your phone doesn’t have it natively, they also sell cases for a limited range of Apple and Samsung phones.

It feels deeply futuristic plopping your phone on your bedside lamp and it charging. It’s the kind of “it just works” magic we’d expect from Apple (maybe next year eh, Tim?). It’s also really nicely designed: the lamp is mega-flexible, comes in neutral colors and has a handy non-slip cross to keep your phone on the right spot. What a bright idea.

OK, it’s more expensive than the lamp (and doesn’t have a lamp), but the Swedish supergiant’s other excellent offering in the wireless department can charge no less than three devices at once. That’s £20 a phone, which makes some of the one-trick ponies on the market look very expensive indeed. 

Oh, and did we mention it’s got a USB port too? So that’s four devices, potentially covering the whole family (or one really dedicated gadget fan). As before, it uses the Qi standard and has a range of matching cases, as well as two design options: white and wood. This simple, stylish design is pretty much exactly what we’d expect from an Ikea wireless charger, but without a hex key in sight.

Like the Samsung, this pad offers fast charging as long as you’ve got a compatible wall charger (not included - you just get the standard-speed one). It’s a good-looking piece of kit, with non-slip feet and a slim profile despite the 10W power capability. There’s a ring of blue lights around the edge that ‘breathe’ when you first put the phone on charge, but thankfully they go off within 10 seconds (or they’d keep you up all night).

As the name suggests, the PowerPort Qi 10 uses the Qi standard, so it can charge all compatible devices whether they offer fast charging or not. It has built-in current, voltage and heat protection, so makes a good choice for anxious folks. Worth noting that it doesn’t have a USB port for a second device, though, and reviews of how well it works with cases are very mixed.

This unusual-looking charger is part of Samsung’s new design-led range, and wouldn’t look out of place in a high-end tech boutique. Between its circular and rectangular charging sections, it’s capable of charging any two Qi devices wirelessly with a wired USB port for adding a third.

Two subtle blue LEDs indicate the charger status of each pad, which shouldn’t be bright enough to disturb your sleep. However, the round portion of the tray is clearly designed for the wireless charging Bluetooth bottle speaker from the same product line, and looks a fair bit clumsier with a smartphone across it. If you happen to have the speaker, its night light feature plus this charging tray makes for a super-stylish nightstand combo.

Wireless car chargers are surprisingly tricky to find, especially from brands you’ve heard of. This one, by Tylt, is the car version of the well-regarded desk charger. It’s stylishly designed and comes in blue, red, grey and lime green (for some reason), which gives a decent range of options for matching your car’s upholstery. 

The arms that hold the phone are well-padded and can accommodate up to a 6-inch phablet, with a nifty quick-release for getting your phone back at the end of the journey. Be warned, though: it’s not fast. The 1A output means you’re not going to see huge battery gains if you’ve got your screen on, but it’s better than nothing - especially if you run power-sapping sat nav or play tunes from your phone. 

The Qistone+ is technically the only wireless charger on the list, in the sense that it can be used completely without cables. You can use it as a normal desktop wireless charger, plugged into a power source, or take it out with you and use it as a wireless power bank. It holds 4,000mAh, which is a little low for the size and weight compared with other power banks, but not only can this techy pebble charge your phone without cables - it can also charge itself that way.

If you’ve got any of the other Qi wireless chargers on this list, you can use them to charge the Qistone+ wirelessly just like you would a phone. This is particularly handy in combination with the multi-charging pads: charge your phone and the Qistone+ at the same time, then take the latter out with you as a power reserve and never need a cable again. Probably.