With Windows 10 Mobile now out manufacturers are slowly getting back on board with Microsoft's smartphone software and Acer is the latest firm to launch a flagship handset in the Acer Liquid Jade Primo.

It sports a full HD 5.5-inch display, Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 21MP rear camera and 8MP front snapper.

It's a solid line up of specs, although the 808 chip is a little on the old side now, but Acer's design means the Liquid Jade Primo has a more style than the Lumia 950 and 950 XL.

There's no metal body however, with Acer sticking to plastic, so it's likely that once picked up the premium looks are lost.

Acer also claims it's included an advanced cooling system in the Liquid Jade Primo to keep processor heat down, although exact details on this are thin on the ground.

The Liquid Jade Primo will be available in Europe, the Middle East and Africa in February, and will a roll out to other regions later, for €569 (around £420, US$620, AU$850).

Child's play

There's also a new Android tablet on the Acer stand at CES 2016, with the low-cost Iconia One 8 offering up a viable rival to Amazon's affordable Fire tablet range.

At $99.99 (around £100, AU$) you're not going to get sparkling specs, so you'll have to make do with a 720p resolution, quad-core MediaTek processer and just 1GB of RAM. There's also 16GB of internal storage, 5MP rear camera. 2MP front snapper, and Android 5.1 Lollipop.

Why it doesn't sport Android Marshmallow we don't know, but it hammers home the slate's budget credentials.

Not that any of that will really matter, as the Iconia One 8 is aimed at kids with a child-friendly interface option and parental controls. It'll be able from February 2016.

• CES 2016: our most anticipated products of the show

Remember Stagefright, the Android vulnerability that affected nearly 1 billion phones running Android versions from 2.2 to 5.1? Well, you may have heard that it's back - and it's even nastier than before.

Where the first version of the vulnerability could be accessed via an MMS message, Stagefright 2.0 can travel via specially adapted and apparently innocuous MP3/MP4 files - and those files can be stored inside apps, so just avoiding freebie music or movie files won't protect you.

The most important thing about Stagefright isn't what it does or how it travels, though. It's what it shows. And what it shows is that there is a massive security problem that affects almost every Android device, and Google needs to solve it - because there's every chance that the next vulnerability will be much more devastating.

All the world's a Stagefright

Here's how security vulnerabilities are supposed to be handled. One, a researcher discovers an issue. Two, the people who make the software find a solution. And three, the solution is then made available, ideally by automatic update. That's what Windows does, and what Apple does. It isn't always as fast as it should be, but at least once the fix exists it's available almost instantly.

Here's how it works with Android.

1. A researcher discovers a vulnerability.
2. Google says "la la la can't hear you" for a year or so.
3. After lots of media coverage Google says it'll fix the hole.
4. Google creates a fix and promises to bring it to the Nexus range in two or three months.
5. Google gives the fix to manufacturers who say they'll roll it out at some point, maybe, when they get round to it.
6. The manufacturers get round to it and submit their version to the phone networks, who say they'll totally bring it out at some point, oh yes siree!
7. The vulnerability that the fix will eventually fix evolves so that the fix doesn't fix it any more.
8. Google says "la la la can't hear you".

Let's talk about Steve Jobs because Android fans really like that

Eight years after unveiling the iPhone, Steve Jobs told the D5 conference what he thought of the phone networks, especially US ones. "The carriers now have gained the upper hand in terms of the power of the relationship with the handset manufacturers," he said. "And they're starting to tell the handset manufacturers what to build."

He was right, and that's the reason for HTC's recent comments that it couldn't commit to the monthly software updates Google wants. It's not that HTC doesn't want to update its devices. It's that it can't guarantee that the carriers will update HTC's devices.

• How to keep your Android device safe from Stagefright 2.0

"We will push for it," HTC America president Jason Mackenzie said on Twitter, adding later that "Nexus and unlocked is a completely different story. If product requires third-party certification it is not in your full control."

That isn't just an HTC problem. It's an Android problem. And it's a problem that Apple simply doesn't have.

'If you like Apple so much, why don't you marry it?'

In security terms, Apple has a massive advantage over Android: it doesn't have to persuade anybody but its users to install a security patch. And most of them do: five days after iOS 9 launched, 50% of compatible devices had it (and immediately encountered a host of irritating bugs, although that's another story). Apple then put out the iOS 9.0.1 update two days later, and we can be pretty confident that most iOS 9 users have it.

That simply doesn't happen on Android, because no matter how good Google is at issuing patches, it then has to persuade manufacturers, carriers, or both, to issue those patches. And that causes fragmentation, where some people get updates and lots don't.

In August, Open Signal's OS analysis found that where 85% of iOS users were on iOS 8, 13% on iOS 7 and just 2% on earlier versions (iOS 9 hadn't then shipped), just 12.4% of Android users were on Lollipop. 39.2% were on KitKat, 37.4% on Jelly Bean, 5.1% on Ice Cream Sandwich and 5.6% on Gingerbread.

That fragmentation also disproportionately affects budget buyers: when you read the list of devices that'll be patched in any Android update, the flagships are usually first. Midrange? Maybe, if you're lucky. But manufacturers and carriers rarely bother with the lower budget models.

Android's best feature is also its biggest problem

In many respects Google's lack of control over Android is laudable. It means you can choose from a massive array of devices to suit every kind of person, usually at a range of prices too, and there's nobody telling you what features you can and can't have or what apps you can and can't download.

And that's great. But the lack of control Google has over Android security is a massive weakness.

It's clear that some carriers and some manufacturers simply aren't doing enough to keep Android up to date. Google's Project Zero team is great at pointing out security issues in rivals' products, but it's throwing its stones from inside a glass house. Android users deserve better.

• Nexus 5X vs Nexus 6P: which new Google phone is better?

If you're an iPhone or iPad owner you may be aware that iOS 9 is launching for your Apple device today, but you may be disappointed to find it hasn't turned up yet.

That's because Apple will roll it out at 10:00 PDT (San Francisco), 13:00 EDT (New York), 18:00 BST (London) or 03.00 AEST (Sydney, Sept 17).

A wide range of devices are eligible for iOS 9 too, with all iPhones from the iPhone 4S upwards, all iPad Minis and every iPad from the iPad 2. And for those of you rocking a 5th generation iPod Touch, then you'll also get some iOS 9 action.

Can't wait until then? Well here's how to get iOS 9 on your iPhone and iPad right now.

Learn all about iOS 9

• Hands on: iOS 9 review
• iOS 9: 50 tips and tricks
• iOS 9 release date, news and features

If you're an iPhone or iPad owner, iOS 9 just launched for your device. The update hit as expected right around 10:00 PDT (San Francisco), 13:00 EDT (New York), 18:00 BST (London) and 03.00 AEST (Sydney, Sept 17).

A wide range of devices are eligible for iOS 9 too, with all iPhones from the iPhone 4S upwards, all iPad Minis and every iPad from the iPad 2. And for those of you rocking a 5th generation iPod Touch, then you'll also get some iOS 9 action.

To get the download, head to Settings > General > Software Update. Some are experiencing issues with the download, being told the update failed when they tried to download. This could be because of the volume of users trying to download the update at once. It may be wise to wait a few hours until the initial rush dies down before trying to update to iOS 9.

Learn all about iOS 9

• Hands on: iOS 9 review
• iOS 9: 50 tips and tricks
• iOS 9 release date, news and features

When Apple speaks, everyone listens, and this week the world stopped for Apple's annual iPhone event. This year's one had something for everyone: new iPhones, new Apple TV, the iPad Pro, and a regrettable bit of sexism during a demo. But Apple wasn't the only firm making the news. Samsung and Amazon are up to interesting things as well. But first: what's cooking in Cupertino?

New iPhones and no surprises

The days when Apple could keep secrets are long gone: we knew almost everything about the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus before Tim Cook took the stage. There's a new Rose Gold colour option, 3D Touch for extra tappy-ness, a much better camera and 4K video recording to render 16GB models useless. The processors are faster, the graphics better, the wireless speedier and the aluminium stiffer. Prices are unchanged and pre-orders commence 12 September for delivery a fortnight later.

iPad Pro: yes or no?

The iPad Pro was another not-so-secret secret that Apple unveiled this week, and it's essentially an iPad Air 2 with a 12.9-inch screen and four speakers. It also supports a Surface-style keyboard and a tilt and pressure sensitive stylus, the Apple Pencil. Is it any cop? Gareth Beavis says yes, it is. "This thing has got a massive screen with impressive resolution and a bunch of fancy new tricks that, combined with Apple's iOS abilities, offer a really compelling experience." We really want one.

Is the "future of TV" too little too late?

The future of TV, says Apple, is apps. If you've used a smart TV, console, tablet or computer in the last few years you probably knew that already, but here comes Apple with innovations including Full HD (Full HD!) and animated screensavers (animated screensavers!) and apps (apps!) and controlling the TV set's volume (OMG CONTROLLING THE TV SET VOLUME!), apparently unaware that it's 2015.

There's no doubt that the new Apple TV is a lovely bit of hardware with a nice version of iOS, but in the TV stakes it doesn't feel particularly innovative and Amazon already showed us a smart, voice-controlled remote. Wii-style gaming and multiplayer could be fun, but we suspect that US Apple TV owners will love the device a lot more than UK ones will. The new Apple TV ships in October.

Hashtag AppleEvent, hashtag EverydaySexism

Woeful musical guests aside, the Apple Event was a great success – but it also featured a rare wrong note in an event run by one of the tech world's more enlightened organisations. It wasn't Apple but its partner Adobe, whose iPad Pro demo showed how you could digitally cheer up a female model. You didn't need to check Twitter to know how that went down, and while the sexism was unintended that's the point: somebody should have noticed.

Has the Fire Phone burned out?

Remember the Amazon Fire Phone, which would do to smartphones what the Kindle did to other e-readers? That plan didn't quite pan out, and the Fire hardly set the smartphone world on, er, fire. Now it looks like the Fire has gone out permanently: Amazon has run out of stock and it doesn't look like it plans to make any more. The Fire Phone isn't officially dead, though, or at least it isn't according to Amazon. It's just pining for the fjords.

The mystery of the mysterious Samsung S7 leaks

Funny how Samsung leaks turn up just as Apple announces new iPhones, isn't it? We're sure it's just a coincidence EVERY SINGLE YEAR. Ahem. But now the iPhone 6S is in the wild, the next big smartphone release will come from Samsung, so it's hardly a surprise that everybody's attention is turning towards Korea and the Samsung Galaxy S7. Rumours so far suggest 5.2 and 5.8-inch versions, at least one 4K display, 4GB of RAM and a microSD slot.

Pokémon just got real

Fancy playing Pokémon in the real world? Now you can: Pokémon is coming to augmented reality apps in iOS and Android. James Peckham explains: "You use the app to explore the real world and discover Pokémon as you go – it'll track where you are and then you'll get opportunities to catch, fight and even trade your monsters with others. There's even a watch-like wearable called the Pokémon Go Plus that sits on your wrist and looks like a friendship bracelet with a Pokéball attached."

The evolution of the Nexus: introduction

The Google Nexus phone has, in many ways, helped revolutionise the mobile market in much the same way that the Apple iPhone has. The Nexus devices may not have set the world alight in terms of sales, but they have served as important reference points for Android manufacturers. And some of them have been rather good.

Apple's iPhone has undoubtedly been the catalyst that has changed the mobile market in ways that would have seemed so radical a few years back. If it wasn't for the iPhone, we might well have seen Android looking a lot more like the OS that graced BlackBerry devices.

The Google Nexus One was not the first Android phone to market, that was the T-Mobile G1. With manufacturers still seemingly unconvinced about creating devices for its new mobile OS, Google introduced the Nexus One to show developers just what the software could do.

Google had never planned on making the Nexus series into a staple of the annual smartphone diet. The original Nexus One handset was designed to give Android a push in the right direction, and nothing more. It obviously worked, as Android now holds over 75% of the mobile market in Europe.

Perhaps buckling under industry pressure to follow the Nexus One up with more, and more impressive hardware, the guys at Mountain View made a second. And a third. And then a fourth, a fifth, a sixth. And what's that? You get the idea - they just keep on coming.

Google also decided to take this "one off" into the tablet market, showing the world how it feels tablets should be made and helping to popularize the smaller form factor.

What's up next for the Nexus line? We're hearing there'll be a Huawei Nexus phone and maybe another LG Nexus device as well.

So how has the volatile nature of the mobile market changed the Nexus hardware and software over the years? Well, let us take you through the journey of Google's Nexus range.

Google Nexus One

Partnering with HTC, the Nexus One was based on the Desire - the very first phone to win our coveted 5 star review. It had some competition at the time, having to win over fans from the likes of Symbian, BlackBerry, and those that had fallen in love with the iPhone 3GS.

$529 (around £330) bought you a single-core 1GHz processor, backed with 512MB RAM and 4GB of storage (and a microSD slot believe it or not). It also packed, what is considered small by today's standards, a 3.7-inch 480x800 screen to show off Android 2.1 Eclair.

A 5MP camera sat on the back, giving the Nexus One a lot to shout about given that the 3GS came with 3.2MP. To keep things running was a 1400mAh battery, which gave the Nexus One up to 7 hours 3G talk time.

• Read our Google Nexus One review

Google Nexus S

Things had changed by the time the second iteration of Google's smartphone, the Nexus S, launched less than a year later at just over £400.

Google moved to partner with Samsung to launch Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Google needed its impressive weaponry to fight it out with the iPhone 4, the biggest competitor to the Nexus S at the time.

The Nexus S based itself heavily on the Samsung Galaxy S, although coming similarly specced to the Nexus One. A single-core 1GHz processor, 512MB RAM, 5MP camera all seems familiar, but storage was given a boost to 16GB, but no microSD slot.

The screen was also improved (although the 480 x 800 resolution was stretched to 4 inches), with Samsung's Super AMOLED technology in use. The battery was also boosted, to 1500mAh for a similar talk time. NFC also made its first Nexus appearance here.

• Read our Google Nexus S review

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

By the time the Galaxy Nexus had launched, another phone had garnered our 5 star review, the Samsung Galaxy S2. At £429, it aimed to challenge the iPhone 4S, a phone that was making waves as it improved greatly on the iPhone 4.

Paired with Samsung again, Google looked to get some of the S2 magic into the Galaxy Nexus. This meant a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM and 16GB storage. The camera took a boost, but was still measured at 5MP, and the battery was now 1750mAh.

As with all Nexus launches, the Galaxy Nexus heralded Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, displayed proudly on a 4.65-inch 720x1280 Super AMOLED display.

• Read our Samsung Galaxy Nexus review

Google Nexus 4

Google decided to move across South Korea for its next Nexus iteration, with LG taking up the reins for the Google Nexus 4 handset. Things were looking a little more difficult for LG, with the market now populated with the iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S3 and HTC One X.

LG was desperate to get back into the smartphone making market, so its partnership with Google seemed ideal, giving birth to a device sporting a 768x1280 4.7-inch screen, 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 8 or 16GB storage and an 8MP camera.

It launched with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and a 2100mAh battery, giving it 15 hours of 3G talk time. Perhaps the biggest game changer was the £269 price tag, that unfortunately has yet to revolutionise the mobile market pricing in the way we might have hoped.

• Read our Google Nexus 4 review

Google Nexus 5

The Google Nexus 5 was comfortably the best Nexus smartphone to date, when it landed in October 2013. Billed as "the best that Google has to offer", it certainly made waves.

LG was the partner of choice once more, and the Nexus 5 welcomed the arrival of Android 4.4 KitKat.

With a beefed up 2.26GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and a 4.95-inch screen full HD display the Nexus 5 was taking on the likes of the HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4, iPhone 5S and LG's own G2 - but at a price point which made it supremely attractive.

• Read our Google Nexus 5 review

Google Nexus 6

Smartphones have been growing larger and larger, but the Nexus 6 marked Google's first foray into genuine phablet territory. The Motorola-manufactured phone boasted a 6-inch, AMOLED display with a dreamy 1440 x 2560 pixel resolution.

Inside there was a 2.7GHz quad-core processor, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB or 64GB of onboard storage. A 13MP camera and a whopping 3,220mAh Qi wirelessly chargeable battery confirmed that there was nothing small about this phone.

Unfortunately, that extended to the price tag, which proved a bit hefty for some Nexus fans at £499 for the 32GB model.

Android 5.0 Lollipop also debuted on the Nexus 6 and it's the first smartphone to work with Google's Project Fi, a wireless network that switches seamlessly between Wi-Fi and LTE.

• Read our Google Nexus 6 review

The tablets: Google Nexus 7 (2012)

With the iPad carving out a market, that could well have been argued to be its own, the lack of Google's official presence seemed to be a little noticeable.

This was exacerbated by the rise of cheap Android alternatives often running phone software, and Android Honeycomb only appearing on third party devices like the Motorola Xoom 2.

That all changed when Google and Asus took on the likes of the iPad and the Amazon Kindle Fire with its very own Nexus tablet, the original Nexus 7. Launching at the cheap price of £159 for the 8GB version, Google looked to undercut the iPad.

For your money, you got a 1280 x 800 7-inch screen, a 1.2GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor, 1GB RAM, 4,325mAh battery and a 1.2MP front facing camera. There was no rear sensor. It also brought Android 4.1 Jelly Bean to market.

• Read our Nexus 7 (2012) review

Google Nexus 10 (2012)

By this point, Google's only foray into the tablet market was at the smaller sized, budget end of the market. This left the gap for the iPad 4 (briefly the iPad 3 as well) to continue to grow the full sized tablet market. Third party devices were still struggling to compete.

Despite the New York launch being cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy, the Nexus 10 managed to launch online. The Samsung made device packed an eye-popping 10-inch 2560 x 1600 screen, 1.7GHz dual-core processor, 2GB RAM and two cameras (5MP on the rear and 1.2MP on the front).

It also came with 16 or 32GB of storage (no microSD) and a 9000mAh battery, costing only £319. That made it £80 cheaper than the equivalent iPad 4.

• Read our Google Nexus 10 review

Google Nexus 7 (2013)

2013 came around meaning that the annual product refreshes that we are all so used were starting to roll in. The tablet market had changed drastically since the launch of the original Nexus 7, with Apple deciding that it too wanted to get a slice of the smaller cheaper tablet pie in the form of the iPad Mini.

This meant that Google had to go back to the drawing board, and came up with the Nexus 7 (2013). RAM was doubled to 2GB to sit alongside the 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, with the same 1.2MP camera on the front, and a 5MP snapper now sat on the back.

The screen also became full HD, with the 7 inches now containing 1920 x 1200 pixels. The new Nexus 7 also launched Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. The battery is a little smaller, at 3,950mAh, but still provides up to 9 hours use.

• Read our new Nexus 7 review

Google Nexus 9

No one really expected the Nexus 9 and it slipped comfortably into place between the 7 and 10. Google had collaborated with HTC on phones before, but never a tablet.

The Nexus 9 sported an underwhelming 8.9-inch display with a resolution of 1536 x 2048 pixels. There was also a 2.3GHz dual-core processor, an 8MP camera, 16GB of storage, and some front-facing BoomSound speakers. It didn't have a single feature to really get people excited, but as a whole package, the Nexus 9 was fairly well-received.

• Read our Google Nexus 9 review

It was a decent Android 5.0 Lollipop tablet for the £319 launch price, but quick discounts and low sales suggested that Google may have pitched this one a bit wrong. It seems unlikely to go down in history as a classic Nexus, but if you want a 9-inch Android tablet, you really don't have any other options worth looking at.

• This article is part of Phone Week, celebrating the best bits about brilliant smartphones and tablets as part of the lead up to the TechRadar Phone Awards. To find out what the iPhone 7 could look like, how a phone could survive in space or how to buy the perfect smartphone for you, bookmark TechRadar's Phone Week hub and check out all the great new features coming throughout the week!

Android M Developer Preview 2 has been released to app makers, and this early version has hinted at a new feature that could address a problem that has been annoying users of Android 5.0 Lollipop: memory management.

An improved memory management tool has appeared in Settings which lists apps that are running and how much memory they are using, along with how much RAM on average an app is using - even if it's not running.

The more memory being used, the slower you phone will run, so identifying memory hogging apps and closing them can help put a spring back into your handset's step.

Google's current version of Android, known as Lollipop, has had issues with memory leaks, as well as suffering from some apps taking up a lot of memory, both of which can drain the batteries of devices even when they're not being used, and the current memory management tools are hidden away, and rather limited.

By giving quick and easy access to memory management tools it will mean we can revive a lagging smartphone ourselves, so let's hope this feature makes it to the final release.

Other extras

Developer Preview 2 also adds in a few other changes which aren't quite as useful as streamlined memory management.

The Android M app launcher, which scrolls vertically rather than the more standard horizontal direction of previous versions of Android, has lost the letters that allowed you to jump alphabetically to apps – which was included in the first developer preview.

The Themes option to change the look of Android M has also been hidden away in Developer Preview 2, so for the moment it looks like one step forward, two steps back for Android M.

• It's official: Android M is coming this year

An old rumour that Google will be bringing the upcoming Android M to its older Nexus devices will likely remain as just a rumour.

It came about when Charlie Callow of Little Green Dude found bits of code in the AOSP (Android Open Source Project) repositories for the Nexus 10, Nexus 4 and the Wi-Fi version of the Nexus 7 which were tagged "android-m-preview".

Although this suggests Android M could be coming to those devices, a number of people have now pointed out that this doesn't mean anything, as changes to the master branch of AOSP in preparation of Android M's release will get pushed out to the code branches for almost all Android devices regardless of whether or not they will finally get Android M.

So if you have an older Nexus device, it's still not that likely that you'll get Android M. While this doesn't completely rule out it coming to those devices, as they reach the end of their support lifecycle it's likely that Google will ignore them in favour of focusing on its newer devices.

• Android M release date, news and features

Every phone has those apps that want your attention a little too often. Most of us just end up swiping away the notifications without really taking notice but there is a way to stop them without deleting apps all together.

The good news is you can do it for individual apps so you don't have to lose all your little updates when new things happen on your phone. It's more useful for when you have an app you barely use and you want to stop it notifying you every moment of the waking day.

First up you want to find the Settings app within your app drawer. If you're using the stock Android platform or even one with an overlay on top it's more than likely going to look like a grey cog. There are a few interfaces where the icon is different, but it'll still say Settings underneath.

Settings then Apps

Inside Settings you need to find the Apps section. This can differ between manufacturers, for example, in stock Android it's about midway down the list whilst in LG's UI it's under a tab called General.

Use your common sense here and have a look around until you find it.

App by app

From here you can then press on the individual apps that you want to turn off – they will be listed in alphabetical order. For example I pressed on the app 1010! purely as it's right at the top of the list.

Under the next screen you'll find a tick box that says "Show notifications". Once you've hit that you'll be given a warning that you may miss important information from the app, select OK and you won't be bothered by notifications ever again.

If you ever decide you want to turn them back on, just reverse the process and tap the little tick back into the box. Simple.

• How to install a third party keyboard on Android

SIM only deals

On this page you'll find links to the best SIM only deals currently available in the UK. SIM Only deals are usually the best option for those people who are out of contract but want to wait a while before they upgrade, or for others who have bought a phone outright and want a cheap SIM deal to use with it. If your plan is up and you don't want or need a new phone, SIM only is your best bet.

Luckily for you, SIM only deals are very competitive at the moment so there are a lot of great options as the networks compete on price. We'll start with our price comparison chart where you can find the best deals and underneath that you'll see some of the best SIM only deals that we recommend from multiple networks.

This month's best SIM only deal:

Vodafone | 12 month contract | 8GB data | Unlimited calls and texts | £5.50 per month
This is the UK's best selling SIM only deal at the moment and it's not surprising because it's an absolute bargain. You'll pay £17 per month for 12 months, but there's £138 in cashback to claim too, leaving you paying the equivalent of just £5.50 per month which is extremely cheap. You simply won't be able to find a better SIM only deal than this - be fast though as it won't last forever. The same deal is available from both Mobiles.co.uk and e2save.com (more cashback from e2save.com makes it a slightly better deal).

View this deal: at e2save.com

View this deal: at Mobiles.co.uk

The best SIM only deals of the month are:

These are the deals we recommend most highly. We try to pick out a deal for everyone, whether you're after the cheapest possible option or the best balance between allowance and cost over one month and 12 month SIM only deals.

1. The absolute cheapest SIM only deal out there

iD | 1 month contract | 250MB data | 300 minutes | Unlimited texts | £3.95 per month
This is the cheapest SIM only deal currently available in the UK. If you just need to keep a phone up and running for occasional use, this is a good option. Clearly 250MB is not much data at all so you'd be advised to either keep mobile data switched off or else be careful what apps are updating in the background. BUT WAIT, CHECK OUT THE NEXT DEAL FIRST!

View this deal: at TalkTalk

2: The best 1GB SIM only deal

iD | 1 month contract | 1GB data | 250 minutes | 5000 texts | £5 per month
For just £1 extra a month over the above deal, you can get 1GB of data instead of 300MB, which is much better value if we're honest. This SIM only deal allows for much more freedom to enjoy a bit of data away from Wi-Fi such as checking emails, browsing the net or even a bit of Google Maps when needed. Be careful what apps are updating in the background though (just tell your phone to do this while on Wi-Fi only).

View this deal: at iD/Carphone Warehouse

3: The best 4GB SIM only deal

iD | 1 month contract | 4GB data | 500 minutes | 5000 texts | £10 per month
Hey, where's the best 3GB deal? Looks like iD was discounting so hard they made this 4GB SIM only deal even cheaper than their best 3GB deal. Why does that remind me of a dog trying to eat its own tail? To be fair, you get 1000 minutes instead of 500 with the 3GB deal, but we think the higher data represents better value.

View this deal: at iD/Carphone Warehouse

4: The best 16GB SIM only deal

EE | 12 month contract | 16GB data | Unlimited calls and texts | £60 Amazon voucher | six months of FREE BT Sport and Apple Music | £34.99 £19.99 per month
New EE customers, this is a superb deal to tempt you over to team Bacon. This SIM only deal has a generous 16GB of data and unlimited calls and texts. It's the added bonuses that really sell it though as you're also getting a £60 Amazon voucher and six months of free access to BT Sport and Apple Music. Offer expires October 18th. Note: You may have to scroll up to find the options to add BT/Apple options when you click through.

View this deal at the EE website

Already an EE customer? Fear not, you can get a similar deal with the same data and BT Sport and Apple Music bonuses. The smaller £50 Amazon voucher is made up for by a cheaper monthly fee of just £16.49 (formerly £31.49). Offer expires October 18th. Note: You may have to scroll up to find the options to add BT/Apple options when you click through.

5: The best unlimited data SIM only deal

Three | 12 month contract | Unlimited data | Unlimited texts | 200 minutes | £23 per month
Sometimes, you've just gotta have all the data. Netflix marathons, epic Pokemon Go quests, constant Spotify tunes, this all you can eat data bundle is ideal for the serious mobile user who never needs to worry about poxy thing like data allowances or Wi-Fi. Shame about the comparatively low minutes offered, but how often do you use your phone as a phone nowadays? At least there's a £20 cashback incentive to claim.

View this deal at: buymobiles.net

The best SIM only deals by network are:

This is where we go through all the big networks, along with a few up-and-comers, to provide you a wide range of the best SIM only deals.

The best SIM only deals on EE

EE's SIM-only deals come with double-speed 4G
If you want a cheap SIM-only deal, EE is most certainly not the network to go for. But don't discount it entirely, because if you already own a good smartphone and you want to pair it with the fastest network in the UK with a SIM-only deal, you can do that. EE's SIM-only deals all come with EE Extra 4G, which means they work with EE's super-fast double-speed 4G network, rather than with its single-speed 4G network.

View: all EE SIM only deals

EE | 12 month contract | 16GB data | Unlimited calls and texts | £60 Amazon voucher | six months of FREE BT Sport and Apple Music | £34.99 £19.99 per month
New EE customers, this is a superb deal to tempt you over to team Bacon. This SIM only deal has a generous 16GB of data and unlimited calls and texts. It's the added bonuses that really sell it though as you're also getting a £60 Amazon voucher and six months of free access to BT Sport and Apple Music. Offer expires October 18th. Note: You may have to scroll up to find the options to add BT/Apple options when you click through.

View this deal at the EE website

Already an EE customer? Fear not, you can get a similar deal with the same data and BT Sport and Apple Music bonuses. The smaller £50 Amazon voucher is made up for by a cheaper monthly fee of just £16.49 (formerly £31.49). Offer expires October 18th. Note: You may have to scroll up to find the options to add BT/Apple options when you click through.

EE | 12 month contract | 2GB data | Unlimited calls and texts | six months of FREE BT Sport and Apple Music | £17.99 per month (£6.99 after cashback)
If the above offer is way more data than you need and you want to make a saving overall then this deal's for you. Don't worry, you can still have free access to BT Sport and Apple Music for six months. There's £132 in cashback monies to claim back, essentially drilling that £17.99 monthly charge to £6.99.

View this EE SIM only deal at MPD

EE | 30 day contracts | £10-£25 per month

If you want the flexibility of a 30 day rolling pay as you go contract, you may want to take a look at EE's latest promotional deals. Generally, you can get cheaper elsewhere, but EE's superfast 4G data can be a very tempting draw over the competition if you use the net away from a Wi-Fi hotspot. There are some handy tabs for people who want data focused deals, talk and text deals or everything included.

View these deals at: EE's site.

The best SIM only deals on Three

Three's SIM only deals with unlimited data
Three is still the only network that offers all-you-can-eat / unlimited data as an option. That's not as impressive as you might think because other networks offer large allowances too. But if you want the absolute security of knowing you can never be charged if you go over your data allowance, these deals are brilliant and they offer good value too - particularly if you're a heavy data user. The all-you-can-eat data plans come with in a few different guises - with the price changing according to how many minutes you require. There are some Three deals without unlimited data that you may want to consider too.

View: all Three SIM only deals

Three | Unlimited data | Unlimited texts | 200 minutes
12 month contract - £23 per month +£25 cashback | 1 month contract for £26 per month

Three | Unlimited data | Unlimited texts | 600 minutes
12 month contract - £28 per month | 1 month contract for £31 per month

Three | Unlimited data | Unlimited texts | Unlimited minutes
12 month contract - £33 per month | 1 month contract for £36 per month

Three | 12 month contract | 4GB data | Unlimited calls and texts | £9 per month
This a tempting 3 mobile SIM only deal as this promotion gives 4GB of data for the same price as 1GB. That's quite the upgrade. iD also has a tempting 4GB deal (see above) for a tenner a month, but this offer from Three comes with unlimited calls and texts.

View this deal at: Three

Three | 12 month contract | 30GB data | Unlimited calls and texts | £24 per month
Three has given another of its SIM only deals a whopping upgrade this month. For the same price as the old 8GB data deal, you can now get 30GB for the same price! Thanks to the inclusion of unlimited texts and minutes, this is arguably a better deal than the selection of unlimited data deals from Three highlighted above.

View this deal at: Three

The best SIM only deals on iD

Cheap SIM-only deals all on one-month contracts
iD is a good option if bargain basement prices are what you covet. This is a network run and owned by Carphone Warehouse - it piggybacks on the Three network and offers many of the benefits that entains, including European roaming etc. It's an excellent option if you want great value with perks.

View: iD SIM only deals

iD | 1 month contract | 250MB data | 250 minutes | 5000 texts | £4 per month
This is the cheapest SIM only deal currently available in the UK. If you just need to keep a phone up and running for occasional use, this is a good option. Clearly 250MB is not much data at all so you'd be advised to either keep mobile data switched off or else be careful what apps are updating in the background.

View this deal: at iD/Carphone Warehouse

Alternative option: You could also pay £1 more to get the same deal with 1GB data which seems like much better value to us!

iD | 1 month contract | 2GB data | 250 minutes | 5000 texts | £7.50 per month
The iD/Carphone Warehouse team is really cleaning up with these cheap SIM only deals and has been the go-to store for the cheapest low data deals for a while. If you're prone to viewing a few YouTube videos away from Wi-Fi, this 2GB option may suit you better than the aforementioned 1GB deal. Not bad at all for an extra £2.50 a month.

View this deal: at iD/Carphone Warehouse

iD | 1 month contract | 4GB data | 500 minutes | 5000 texts | £10 per month
Hey, where's the best 3GB deal? Looks like iD was discounting so hard they made this 4GB SIM only deal even cheaper than their best 3GB deal. Why does that remind me of a dog trying to eat its own tail? To be fair, you get 1000 minutes instead of 500 with the 3GB deal, but we think the higher data represents better value. And because it's a one month contract, you can cancel at any time.

View this deal: at iD/Carphone Warehouse

iD | 1 month contract | 6GB data | 2000 minutes | 5000 texts | £15 per month
iD is the network owned by Dixons Carphone - the company behind Carphone Warehouse, Mobiles.co.uk and e2save.com - not to mention Currys and PC World. It piggybacks on the Three 3G/4G network and is usually a pretty cheap way of getting up and running. And because it's a one month contract, you can cancel at any time.

View this deal: at iD/Carphone Warehouse

BT SIM only deals

Discounts for BT Broadband members

With these early deals, you'll find cheaper prices elsewhere. That said, if you're already a BT broadband customer, you can save £5 a month on their contracts. So far, they're only doing 12 month contracts too.

View: all BT Mobile SIM only deals (BT Broadband customer prices)
View: all BT Mobile SIM only deals (non-BT Broadband customers)

The best SIM only deals on O2

A reliable network with great coverage
We've browsed all of the SIM-only deals available on the O2 network, and they're not great compared to the competition for bundles including the usual 1-5 GB of data. There's a decent 10GB offer from CW though.

View: all O2 SIM only deals

O2 | 12 month contract | 25GB data | Unlimited calls and texts | £25 per month
This O2 deal is the largest data bundle O2 do and is pretty pricey compared to the large data deals offered elsewhere. You can now get a mighty 25GB of 4G data for £25 a month. You've got to be a pretty hardcore O2 fan to go for this if we're honest. You can see their smaller data bundles though the link below too.

View this deal: at O2

The best SIM only deals on Talk Mobile

Has been known to double the data on some of their deals in Sales
The lack of a high street presence has allowed them to invest in some super cheap deals for SIM only customers on monthly or 12 month contracts.

View: Talk Mobile SIM only deals

Talk Mobile | 30 day contract | 2GB data | 500 minutes | 5000 texts | £7.50
Talk Mobile has doubled its data at no extra charge to 2GB this month for its 30 day rolling contract. ID's 1GB deal above is cheaper but you get double the minutes and data with this Talk Mobile SIM only deal.

View this deal: at Talk Mobile

Talk Mobile | 30 day contract | 15GB data | 2500 minutes | 5000 texts | £15 per month
15GB of data for just £15 a month on a rolling 30 day contract is an essential purchase for fans of big data who find themselves between handset contracts. Yes we're looking at you, Black Friday mobile phone deal fans.

View this deal: at Talk Mobile

The best SIM only deals on TalkTalk

Often has half-price deals once you click through!
TalkTalk is a telecoms company that also offers home phone, broadband and TV packages, so the best deals can be had if you sign up for more than one service. However, at the time of writing the cheapest deal is actually £3.95 per month, which is currently half the normal price.

View: all TalkTalk SIM only deals

TalkTalk | 12 month contract | 250MB data | 300 minutes | Unlimited texts | £7.90 £3.95 per month
This is ideal for very casual mobile users who don't need their mobiles for too many minutes and are able to do most of their browsing via Wi-Fi. Unlimited texts is a cool addition too. £3.95 for 12 months? Bargain.

View this deal and other offers: at TalkTalk

TalkTalk | 12 month contract | 2.1GB data | 1000 minutes | Unlimited texts | £15.50 £7.75 per month
An odd amount of data, but still a decent offering for just £7.75 a month over a 12 month contract. 1000 minutes should be plenty for most users and unlimited texts is a nice bonus.

View this deal and other offers: at TalkTalk

The best SIM only deals on Vodafone

A solid network with some decent deals

As with O2 above, Vodafone doesn't offer the very best SIM only deals. It would rather sell you a phone and charge you £30 per month, but if you're after a cheapo deal and you don't need heaps of data or loads of minutes, Vodafone could be a good option for you. Do be aware that some of these deals are on one-month rolling contracts, while with others you have to sign up for 12 months. You can tell which ones are which under the logo which states the contract length.

View: all Vodafone SIM only deals

Vodafone | 12 month contract | 8GB data | Unlimited calls and texts | £5.50 per month
This is the UK's best selling SIM only deal at the moment and it's not surprising because it's an absolute bargain. You'll pay £17 per month for 12 months, but there's £138 in cashback to claim too, leaving you paying the equivalent of just £5.50 per month which is extremely cheap. You simply won't be able to find a better SIM only deal than this - be fast though as it won't last forever. The same deal is available from both Mobiles.co.uk and e2save.com (more cashback from e2save.com makes it a slightly better deal).

View this deal: at e2save.com

View this deal: at Mobiles.co.uk

Vodafone | 12 month contract | 8GB data | Unlimited calls and texts | £17 per month
8GB of data is a great start to this deal, but it gets even better if you're going abroad as it also comes with unlimited roaming minutes and texts, along with 500MB of roaming data (handy for finding places via Google Maps).Total cost over 24 months is £204.

View this deal: at Vodafone

Vodafone | 12 month contract | 20GB data | Unlimited calls and texts | £37 £20 per month
For not much extra, you can get another 12GB of data per month with this deal compared to the offer above. 20GB should allow some serious Netflix binges on your commute. Plus you're getting 12 months free access to Spotify, Now TV or Sky Sports. It gets better, you're also getting some generous roaming bonuses of 2GB of data and unlimited calls and texts! Total cost over 24 months is £240.

View this deal: at Vodafone

The best SIM only deals on Life Mobile

Life Mobile is a new addition to our SIM only deals page and they have some very tempting offers for fans of 30 day rolling contracts. With plans starting at 500MB and going up to 4GB, there's something for everyone. Well, except for you Netflix bingers without access to Wi-FI maybe.

Life Mobile | 30 day contract | 500MB data | 600 minutes | 5000 texts | £4.95pm @ Life Mobile

Life Mobile | 30 day contract | 1GB data | 1000 minutes | 5000 texts | £7.45pm @ Life Mobile

Life Mobile | 30 day contract | 2GB data | 2000 minutes | 5000 texts | £9.95pm @ Life Mobile

Life Mobile | 30 day contract | 4GB data | 4000 minutes | 5000 texts | £13.95pm @ Life Mobile

SIM only deals: the other candidates

Mobiles.co.uk SIM only deals

Often the place with the best bargains

It's always worth checking out Mobiles.co.uk - its aggressive price cuts are often unmatched by anyone else.

View: SIM only deals at Mobiles.co.uk

giffgaff SIM only deals

One of the cheapest SIM-only deals in the UK

GiffGaff is very hard to beat on price – if you want to grab a cheap SIM card deal, this could be your best option. You can't argue with £5 a month. The cheap deals don't give you much of an allowance to play with, but if you just want to keep your phone going and available to use for calls and texts with the occasional bit of internet use outside of your home WiFi, GiffGaff is a strong offering.

View: all giffgaff SIM only deals

Freedom Pop SIM only deals

Putting the 'Free' in Freedom

Freedom Pop is trying something new - offering contracts for FREE. The catch being that you only pay if you do over the allowances of your bundle or opt for a larger deal. The prices for doing so vary, so be sure to take a look at the small print. It seems that they feature a different offer each week, but seeing as you can cancel at any time, they may be worth a look.

View: all Freedom Pop deals

Virgin mobile SIM only deals

An oldie but a goodie, offering one-month deals galore

Virgin Mobile has been going for a long time, and some of its SIM-only deals are particularly attractive. They're all one-month rolling contracts, so you can stop paying at any time if you so wish, giving you flexibility if you want to change your plan or go for a phone-inclusive deal down the line. Prices start from as little as £5.

View: all Virgin Mobile SIM only deals

All the SIM only deals on this page are checked every day to make sure they're still available and up to date!

Best Android keyboard apps to download

When it comes to movies, the first in a series is almost always the best. The same also applies to Android, which had customizable, third-party keyboards long before Apple ever dreamed of adding this feature to iOS 8.

Over the years, developers have knocked out some impressive wares for text entry on smartphones and tablets, meaning there are more choices than ever before - literally hundreds of them are on Google Play alone!

Thankfully, TechRadar is here to whittle this enormous list down to only 10 of the best options, and there's something here for every kind of typist. We've even tossed in a few eccentric and off-the-beaten path options you may not be aware of.

Google Keyboard

Call us crazy, but we've always been partial to Google's own flavor of keyboard, and thankfully it's no longer only limited to devices running stock Android. Best of all, it's absolutely free, so there's no reason not to at least try it out.

Aside from good looks, Google Keyboard (free) also offers a responsive, silky smooth typing experience with predictive voice dictation that gets smarter over time. Naturally, this keyboard will also autocorrect and predict words as they're typed, and there's even a handy Gesture Typing option that allows you to just glide right through.

Download this if… You hate the custom keyboard on your device!

Avoid this if… Wait, scratch that. Download immediately!

Verdict: 5/5

Swype

The granddaddy of gesture-based keyboards, Swype ($0.99, free trial available) is so good Samsung pre-installed it on some of its early flagship handsets before the app was finally unleased on Google Play. It may cost you a buck, but this is one of the most fluid and accurate "swyping" experiences you're likely to find on Android.

Featuring a customizable personal dictionary, multiple keyboard layouts and themes, lots and lots of possible languages and now support for emoji in the most popular dialects, one of the best keeps only getting better.

Download this if… You've forgotten how to type.

Avoid this if… You still can't get used to this whole swiping business.

Verdict: 5/5

Adaptxt

A holdover from our previous list of nine best Android keyboards, Adaptxt (free) still gets our nod as one of the most beautiful available. We've previously described it as having a "spacious and airy layout" with translucent graphics that give off a premium laptop vibe, and those words still apply nearly three years later.

With support for more than 90 languages - the most of any keyboard we could find - Adaptxt includes location-based suggestions, corrections and predictions with a unique 12-key layout, plenty of great themes and loads of personality.

Download this if… You appreciate good looks and functionality.

Avoid this if… It's just too damned sexy for your device.

Verdict: 5/5

SwiftKey

Imagine Google's awesome keyboard, but infused with the power of all the typing you've ever done in Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, or text messages to help predict the next thing you've going to write. That's the power of SwiftKey (free), the award-winning keyboard that nearly rivals the stock Android board.

If you love most everything about Google Keyboard, SwiftKey offers one thing that one doesn't: Lots and lots of themes, and even more available via in-app purchase. Shiny veneer aside, it's equally fast and accurate as well.

Download this if… You like shiny-looking themes.

Avoid this if… You're paranoid about data privacy.

Verdict: 4.5/5

Smart Keyboard

Some might consider it bold to name your app Smart Keyboard ($2.50, free trial available), but the Google Play ratings don't lie. There's support for multiple languages, voice input, a Smart dictionary (of course), custom auto-text and yes, the kind of predictive typing we've all become accustomed to.

So what makes Smart so smart? For starters, this is one of the few keyboards we've run across that actually lets users adjust the height of the keys, making them smaller or larger depending on the size of your digits. And hey, if you miss the T9 input from your old feature phone, this is the keyboard for you.

Download this if… You want to control the size of your keyboard.

Avoid this if… You have an aversion to paying for keyboard apps.

Verdict: 4/5

Even more great Android keyboards

Fleksy

Any app billing itself as "the fastest keyboard in the world" certainly warrants a closer look, especially when it holds a Guinness World Record for that accomplishment. Fleksy ($1.99, free trial available) goes beyond the predictive typing hoopla, jumping the shark with support for GIFs, licensed themes from the likes of Frozen, Peanuts and The Hunger Game, and a Rainbow Pop effect you'll have to see to believe.

Okay, so it's great fun to use and efficient enough that you can practically take your eyes off the screen while typing, but is it any good (and more importantly, worth paying for)? If you can adapt to the flat, square keys, it's certainly worth a look.

Download this if… You're a speed demon at typing.

Avoid this if… GIFs, themes and Rainbow Pop make you break out in hives.

Verdict: 4/5

Thumb Keyboard

Forget about emoji and all the other gimmicks - we just want a clean keyboard that doesn't require thumb gymnastics to use. Look no further than Thumb Keyboard ($2.49), which is the perfect companion for your phablet or tablet thanks to the insane number of available layouts.

Users can switch between standard or patent-pending split portrait or landscape view, each with custom themes and background combinations for a seemingly endless variety. There are even special layouts designed strictly for larger displays, and a slick one-handed mode for banging out text on your phablet screen. Best selling point? It's all emoji-free.

Download this if… You own larger devices or hate emoji.

Avoid this if… You're still rocking a device with smaller screens.

Verdict: 4/5

GO Keyboard

Literally packed to the gills with themes, emoji, emoticons and more, GO Keyboard (free) has some of the highest Google Play user ratings of any keyboard app. Supporting more than 60 languages, over 1,000 themes with weekly new arrivals and QWERTY, QWERTZ and AZERTY keyboards, this is one of the few apps capable of adding special characters and sounds to messages without missing a beat.

Clearly geared toward teens and younger Android users, our only real grievance is how much valuable screen space GO takes up above the keyboard to make sure you'll shop for custom themes and more in its online market. Otherwise, this is a solid choice with a lot to offer.

Download this if… You can't get enough choices.

Avoid this if… You're not a teenager or young at heart.

Verdict: 3.5/5

Minuum

Designed for users with larger fingers, Minuum ($3.20, free trial available) is great if you have a device conducive to typing with one hand or just want to be able to mash those virtual keys and have the software figure out what the heck you're trying to get across.

The developer promises you'll be up to speed with Minuum after a mere 15-second tutorial, and we were pleasantly surprised to find that was a pretty accurate claim. If you have an Android Wear smartwatch, this will also be money well spent - just sign up for the mailing list and you'll be ready to tap those tiny keys on more than 10 different wearables.

Download this if… You're a sloppy typist with obese fingers.

Avoid this if… You don't trust those tiny keys to do all the work for you.

Verdict: 3.5/5

TouchPal

We may be more than a little disappointed that TouchPal (free) has rebranded as an "emoji keyboard," but that doesn't mean it's still not a perfectly great keyboard for the rest of us as well. This one is all about creating the perfect customized board for each user, so it features a dizzying array of ways to do just that.

For example, users can turn personal photos into emoticons (which is pretty neat!), and there are more than 800 emoji, emoticons, smileys and text faces available across 100-plus themes, all of which can be constructed to your liking. Despite the big push toward emoji, this is still a darned fine keyboard with contextual prediction and all the usual tricks (swipe typing, et al) to improve your mobile typing experience.

Download this if… You love to customize everything you own.

Avoid this if… You're not a fan of emoji. (But please try it first!)

Verdict: 3.5/5

We've got good news and bad news from the Nexus camp. The good news is that not one but two new phones might be on the way, catering to fans of both big and small screens.

According to a 'reliable' source speaking to Android Police we'll see both LG and Huawei Nexus handsets this year. One is currently known as the LG Angler and will reportedly have a 5.2-inch screen and a battery in the region of 2700 mAh. At the moment it's pegged to run a hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor, just like the LG G4, but this is apparently not yet finalised.

Then there's the Huawei Bullhead, which is said to have a 5.7-inch screen, a 3500 mAh battery and a Snapdragon 810 processor. This isn't the first we've heard of these phones and a previous rumour suggested the Bullhead would have a QHD screen, which would make sense seeing as the Nexus 6 is QHD.

Names needed

While both of these phones are just rumours for now they're convincing ones, as the Nexus 6 is due a refresh and the Nexus 5 is badly in need of one.

Both phones will apparently be launching around October, so we've still got a while to wait for them if they do exist, but that should give Google time to come up with names for them, as it's out of numbers.

Sadly one thing Android Police is even more convinced of than the existence of these two phones is that there's no new Nexus tablet in the works, so it looks like fans of stock Android will have to make do with the Nexus 9 for quite a while longer.

• These new Nexus phones could get a two year update guarantee.

One challenge faced by all smartphone and tablet makers is how to keep their high-spec creations running for any length of time between charges, and it's a problem that Apple has particularly struggled with, especially on its phones.

However the next generation of iOS devices could see improvements, as the company is going on a hiring spree for new battery experts.

The job listings, spotted by AppleInsider, are for the likes of an 'iOS Battery Life Software Engineer', an 'iOS Power Analytics Manager' and an 'iOS Software Power Systems Engineer', alongside other roles which don't specifically mention iOS, such as a 'Battery Firmware Development Manager'.

A much-needed boost

That last one and others like it could feasibly be for improvements to MacBook batteries, but that still leaves at least three positions specifically focused on iOS and the job summaries all talk about improving battery life.

Of course hiring people to come up with battery life solutions isn't quite the same as already having a solution, but it's a step in the right direction and one which could be much-needed. While the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus improved on the life of the iPhone 5S, a large part of that was likely down to their increased size that allowed for larger batteries.

We're not expecting the iPhone 6S/7 to get any bigger, but it's bound to get more powerful and that could give battery life a hit. With it not likely launching until September, hopefully these hires have come in time to prevent that.

• Looking at an Apple Watch? Then you're looking at a day of battery life.

Best Android apps - introduction

The Google Play store has exploded in recent years, with a proliferation of apps that can cater to your every need. The problem is: there are just too many of them.

Even with Editor's Picks, Featured and Best Selling, Top Paid and Top Free categories there to help you out with your downloading decision it's still a difficult task finding the best apps around.

• What's the best smartphone of 2015?

And that's why we made this list. Like you we want the best apps for our Android phones. The apps that are going to revolutionise functionality or, at the very least, offer something so great that it becomes one of the must-have apps that has to be downloaded whenever you get a new handset.

The following apps will be constantly updated and are a mixture of paid and free ones and have been chosen by our Android experts. So, even if you do dip into actual cash for one of these apps, you are safe in the knowledge that it is a worthwhile purchase.

Spotify

Free (premium version needs a subscription)

No, wait. It is free. Sort of. Spotify now comes with a stripped-down playlist/radio combo for users who don't pay for the service but still want to use it on mobile, accompanied by a swish new tablet interface that has much more in common with the free desktop browser player. So yes, it's free. Hobbled a bit, but free.

The premium version drops the annoying adverts, ups the audio quality and provides additional features such as offline play, so it's worth splashing out for the subscription if you use the service often.

Listed for app of the year at the TechRadar Phone Awards.

Strava

Free

If you're serious about running or cycling then you should be serious about Strava. As smartphone fitness tools go it's one of the best, allowing you to track your performance, set goals and see daily progress updates.

There are leaderboards and challenges to give it a competitive edge and if you're ever not sure where to run or cycle you can find user created routes on the app, or share your own. All of that comes free of charge, while a premium version adds even more tools.

Listed for app of the year at the TechRadar Phone Awards.

Evernote

Free

Evernote is the original and the best note-taking app. It allows you save ideas for that book you are always nearly about to write, syncs across devices and you can also create to-do lists, record voice reminders and capture photos straight from the app. It's a seamless way to organise your probably very messy life.

Listed for app of the year at the TechRadar Phone Awards.

Pocket

Free

Even in 2015 there are still times and places where we can't get an internet connection, but this doesn't have to mean you can't read websites, however, thanks to the excellent Pocket app. It allows you to save articles, news stories, blog posts, videos and much more, letting you read and watch them offline.

You can also synchronise your saved articles across every device you've installed Pocket on, allowing you to pick up where you left off and continue reading.

Listed for app of the year at the TechRadar Phone Awards.

Pushbullet

Free

If you spend a lot of time at a computer and don't want to dig your phone out every time it vibrates thenPushbullet could be the app for you. Download it to your phone and get the extension for your browser and any notifications that appear on your handset will also appear on your computer screen.

So not only will your calendar reminders pop up but you'll also be able to see who's texting or calling and decide whether it's worth replying before you ever look at your phone. You can even reply to texts from your computer and you can easily mute notifications from apps which you're not interested in seeing.

But Pushbullet is a two way street, because you can also use it to easily send files and links from your computer to your phone. Just tap the icon in your browser, attach the relevant file or information and push it.

Listed for app of the year at the TechRadar Phone Awards.

Periscope

Free

Periscope, Twitter's live video streaming app, has made its way to Android and it's an essential download for anyone who likes the immediacy of Twitter but craves something more visual.

You can easily create your own live streams or watch other people's, send comments and hearts in real time and if you miss the action there's a 24 hour window with which to replay streams. In short it's simple enough to dive straight into but has enough to it that you'll keep coming back, whether you're more creator or viewer.

Listed for app of the year at the TechRadar Phone Awards.

WhatsApp

Free (for the first year)

The instant messaging behemoth WhatsApp is an essential Android install, especially if you can convince the people you message most frequently to use it too.

The concept is simple - it takes over text messaging on your mobile, routing messages through any Wi-Fi connection instead. Which means no more SMS allowances, no size restrictions, plus images are sent at a decent resolution.

Winner of app of the year at the TechRadar Phone Awards.

Timehop

Free

For the most part, social media is fleeting, but Timehop is all about digging up precious memories from the past. You link it to whatever social media services you frequent (and your on-device photos) and it shows you what was happening years ago on today's date.

Listed for app of the year at the TechRadar Phone Awards.

Instagram

Free

Instagram is the go-to app for quickly taking photos, adding quirky filters to them and sharing them with the world. Over 300 million people use Instagram and thanks to the social aspects and effortless interface it's easy to see why it's such a hit.

You're not limited to sharing your snaps on Instagram either, as you can easily add your photos to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and more with just a few taps.

Listed for app of the year at the TechRadar Phone Awards.

Snapseed

Free

Google's free photo editing app Snapseed is one of the best tools you can get for your Android device to edit your photos and make them look better than ever before.

You can manually tweak your images or let Snapseed do all of the hard work with settings such as Auto Correct as well as a number of ready to use filters and effects.

Listed for app of the year at the TechRadar Phone Awards.

Google Photos

Free

There are probably hundreds of photo apps around, but Google Photos stands out as it gives you unlimited storage for photos and videos, all for free.

That's reason enough to jump on board, especially as it works not just on Android but on iOS and computers too.

But with basic editing tools and the ability to make collages and albums this is more than just photo and video storage, it aims to be your first and last stop after taking a picture. To achieve that it will need a few more features, but it's well on its way.

Listed for app of the year at the TechRadar Phone Awards.

Uber

Free

Uber is transforming the way we travel. You can quickly and easily request a taxi using the app and get picked up within minutes and you can compare rates and get quotes, as well as paying with Google Wallet, PayPal or by adding your credit card to a secure Uber account.

The Uber service is available in over 50 countries, and it's rapidly growing. Give it a try and you'll never want to hail a taxi the old fashioned way again.

Listed for app of the year at the TechRadar Phone Awards.

Google Maps

Free

Google Maps is probably already on your phone, but as the best free mapping option around it's well worth highlighting.

Transit directions, live traffic updates, voice-guided GPS navigation, Street View and more are all included, making this more feature-packed than even most paid options. Importantly it's detailed and accurate too, so you'll never get lost again.

Listed for app of the year at the TechRadar Phone Awards.

Citymapper - Bus, Tube, Rail

Free

Arriving in a brand new city is always exciting but it can also be a little daunting, especially if you need to get around using public transport. Citymapper - Bus, Tube, Rail is a brilliant app that brings you real-time information on public transport for cities around the world.

You can easily plan your route using all kinds of transport and you can be kept up to date with any disruptions or cancellations. An essential app for any city-bound traveller.

Listed for app of the year at the TechRadar Phone Awards.

Launchify

Free

Keeping things simple is often key to success and that's exactly what Launchify does. The app does one thing and one thing only- gives you shortcuts to other apps from your lock screen and notifications bar.

It means you're never far from your favourite apps, with the ability to add six shortcuts with the free version and twelve if you pay to upgrade.

It's even a little bit smart, as it can learn which apps you access when and where, to present you with the most appropriate selection at any given time. But if you'd rather just choose which ones it displays you can do that too.

Pocket Casts

£2.49/$3.99/AU$4.99

There are any number of podcast apps for Android but Pocket Casts is easily one of the best. Its slick, colourful interface helps it stand out from the drab designs of many competitors and it's feature packed, with Chromecast support, auto downloads, sleep timers and more.

There are even tools to improve the listening experience of podcasts, such as the ability to remove silent sections to speed them up or toggle video podcasts to audio only. There are cheaper and even free alternatives to Pocket Casts, but you more than get your money's worth with it.

VLC for Android

Free

VLC for Android is an incredibly versatile media player that can handle pretty much any file that you can chuck at it, so if you've ever struggled to open and play a media file, then make sure this is installed.

It's recently got a major update which brings bug fixes and new features, such as support for DVD menus from ISO files.

Palabre

Free

There's no shortage of news readers around but Palabre stands out, as with multiple display modes and themes, plus the ability to switch categories with a swipe and hide read articles, it's easy to navigate and possible to set it up exactly how you want.

It's not quite the most stylish news reader, but it's not far off and it's well laid out. More importantly it also has a vast range of sources that you can add to your feed, with more being added all the time.

Plex

£3.30/$4.99/AU$5.50

The idea behind Plex is that it assimilates your existing media collection and serves it up, through one standard interface, via the cloud. It's a bit of a struggle to get going as you need a free account on Plex's servers to access your stuff, but once it's all up and running it offers streaming and transcoding of files, meaning everything ought to play everywhere.

It also supports Chromecast too, so if you've bought into Google's own media-managing dream, then you're going to get a lot of use out of this app.

Zombies, Run!

£2.99/$4.61/AU$5.90

Running is a great way to get fit but it can also be a bit boring, which makes building up the enthusiasm to run a struggle in itself. The unique Zombies, Run! app manages to make running fun by creating an audio adventure game where you run away from zombies in a bid to rescue survivors.

As you run the story unfolds with missions asking you to reach certain distances to bring supplies for your base. Not only is the story entertaining but it makes running fun again, and you'll be getting fit without even noticing it.

Runtastic PRO

£4.99/$4.99/$AU9.25

A hefty price, but can you put a price on not dying of obesity at age 52? That fitness promise is what you pay for with the RunTastic Pro. It is able to map you, track you, automatically cheer you on, generate live feedback and more, also covering interval training and letting users create their own regular routes to attack again and again. Serious stuff for competitive people.

S Health

Free

S Health has been around for a while, but until recently this Samsung-built app was only available for Galaxy devices.

There are any number of other health and fitness apps around, but few as jam-packed full of features as S Health. You can track everything from running, walking and cycling, to food, water and caffeine intake and even things like blood pressure and sleep.

There's also the ability to set goals and undertake training programmes to run 5K or 10K. So whether you're gearing up for a marathon or just want to watch what you eat, S Health could help you out.

Boomerang from Instagram

Free

Think Instagram and you probably think photos, but the company is branching out into videos, or at least a series of photos combined into a short GIF-like clip which loops backwards and forwards endlessly.

Rather than pollute the main Instagram app with this feature the company has launched a new app called Boomerang. You can share your creations on Instagram or other social networks with a tap though, so it's not totally separate.

If you're addicted to Instagram Boomerang is a nice way to keep it fresh, but even if you're not an Instagram fan it's worth a look. You don't need an Instagram account and it's a bit more interesting than just snapping static images.

SwiftKey Neural Alpha

Free

There's a good chance you've already given SwiftKey a try, seeing as it's one of the most popular Android keyboards available. SwiftKey Neural Alpha is similar, but with an intriguing addition.

It uses artificial intelligence to predict and correct your typing, theoretically offering smarter suggestions than other keyboard apps as it uses neural networks which are inspired by the structure of the human brain. This allows it to think more like a human and understand complex word relationships and word similarity, as well as being able to analyse context in longer sentences.

In practice so far it feels a lot like the normal SwiftKey, but anecdotally its suggestions seem a little better. As the name suggests it's in Alpha, which does mean it might not be entirely stable, but it also means it will hopefully get better over time, so it's worth trying out.

Arrow Launcher

Free

If there's one company that should know how to do a user interface right it's Microsoft and its Arrow Launcher is proof of that.

Arrow is all about keeping things simple, so you can forget about reams of home screens and folders, instead there are just three screens. The main one shows your most frequently used apps, another shows the people you most frequently contact and the third one shows your most recent downloads, app installs and photos, so you can easily get back to them.

Arrow learns as you use it, so it will get better at putting the right apps front and centre and the main app drawer is only a tap away if what you want isn't listed.

A swipe up from the bottom of the screen will also give you shortcuts to toggles and your favourite apps. It's a slick, simple and minimalist interface that does something different from the Android norm.

Dropbox

Free

Pretty much essential for anyone juggling a work PC, home PC, laptop, tablet, phone and internet fridge, Dropbox's key power lies in letting you access any files anywhere.

It can also automatically upload photos taken on your phone to your account, meaning that, after a bit of uploading and downloading, all your shots are *right there* on your desktop without any tedious cable connecting.

Yahoo Livetext

Free

Yahoo Livetext is somewhat impressive in that it manages to put a new spin on instant messaging. Because rather than just sending messages out to a blank screen the person you're talking to can see a live video feed of you and you of them.

So it feels more like you're face to face and you can instantly see their reactions to your messages, yet you're still typing, there's no sound here, which means you can easily use it when out and about where it might either be noisy or you don't have enough privacy for an audible conversation.

In most other ways it's a fairly standard messaging app. If there's a downside it's that you'll need to convince people to get the app, which could be hard given the huge number of communication apps most people are already using, but it's a novel experience.

IF

Free

IF was formerly known as IFTTT, which stands for "if this then that", concisely summing up what this app does. It's a simple ethos that gives you a huge amount of options for making your Android device do some pretty cool things.

You can create simple statements such as "if any photo is taken then add them to Dropbox", or "if my location is home, send a text message to my partner saying "I'm home!"" which can also be shared with other IF users. You'll be amazed how much you can do with such a simple premise.

Skype

Free

Skype is an excellent app for keeping in contact with friends and family throughout the world via instant messages, voice and video calls. If you're connected to a Wi-Fi network you can make calls to other Skype members absolutely free.

You can also buy Skype credit to make calls to landlines and mobile phones, and it's far cheaper to use Skype than make long distance calls on your mobile network.

Hopper

Free

Booking flights can be a minefield, with so many different airlines offering them and prices changing all the time. Flight comparison sites can help a bit but they usually only tell you what the prices are at any given time.

Hopper goes a step further and tells you whether prices are likely to get more or less expensive if you wait to book, as well as giving you a snapshot of which days have the cheapest flights, so you can predict the best time to buy. You can 'watch' specific trips too, getting alerts for price drops and warnings before a price is likely to rise.

So if you're planning a trip it never hurts to stick it into Hopper and see if you can't save yourself some money.

Vine

Free

Vine is the movie-making sensation took a little while to appear on Android, then took a while for the numerous bugs to disappear – but now it's all good. It's a simple recording/stop-motion/animation tool, letting you shoot live video on your phone and share it via social networks.

The app is also the best way of browsing Vines from others, as the categories and pages mean you can leaf through it like telly, favouriting users.

YouTube Gaming

Free

If you enjoy watching games as much as playing them you might want to check out YouTube Gaming. The app includes videos and livestreams, covering reviews, speed runs, let's plays, trailers and more, from both gamers and publishers.

You can chat and comment while watching videos and the app is easy to navigate, with dedicated pages for every game, plus various video categories and the ability to save your favourite games and channels.

Javvy

Free + £7.18/$9.99 IAP

Java is the most popular programming language in the world, so it's a useful skill to have and if you've been put off in the past by the thick books and dry websites which typically teach it Javvy could be for you.

It features over 150 interactive bite-sized tutorials, to take you from the basics to more advanced things like HashMaps and classes. Not only does Javvy make it easy to learn at your own pace, but it's written in a light, engaging way.

You get the first two chapters for free, covering basics and variables, but if you want a more comprehensive Java education you can shell out for the other chapters, either a bit at a time or with a single £7.18/$9.99 in-app purchase.

Polarr Pro Photo Editor

Free

Considering the basic app costs absolutely nothing Polarr puts a lot of photo editing power in your hands. From cleaning images up with sharpening and noise removal tools to tweaking the exposure, temperature and contrast and adding one of a number of filters.

There are other apps with similar tools, but few which have quite the wealth of options this does and with an in-app purchase of $4.99 / £3.84 you can unlock even more features, giving you the ability to make fine-tuned edits to just certain sections of a photo.

Adblock Browser

Free

No-one likes adverts and they can be especially annoying on a smartphone, where they consume both data and battery. Adblock Browser is built expressly to combat them, automatically blocking all intrusive adverts.

As well as saving data and battery life this can also lead pages to load faster and reduce the risk of malware infection, not to mention removing the annoyance of pop-ups. If you want you can set it to block all adverts, but it defaults to allowing non-intrusive ones, so websites can still make their money.

Alto Mail

Free

AOL has been doing email for decades, so the company knows what it's doing and now it's brought its email smarts to a new app, called Alto Mail.

The app supports Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, iCloud, AOL and other email addresses and it can be used like any other email app. But it also provides various organisational tools, allowing you to view just the photos or just the files from your emails.

It's all wrapped up in an attractive Material Design inspired interface and even takes inspiration from Google Now, with cards popping up to show the likes of travel and shopping information from your emails.

Google Drive

Free

You're likely to already have the Google Drive app installed on your Android device, but if you don't make sure you download it as it's an incredibly useful tool.

It allows you to view all the files you've saved to the Google Drive cloud storage service, and you can share them all with friends and co-workers as well.

CloudCal

Free

It's not easy standing out as a calendar, but if you just want to know when you're busy and when you're not at a glance CloudCal does a better job of it than most.

Each day is shown as a clock face, with white space at times when you don't have any plans, so you can see immediately exactly how busy you are every day of the month and even what times you're free, all from a single screen.

You can of course dig deeper by tapping a specific day and when adding events to the calendar there are a bunch of options to choose from, letting you put in a time, reminders, notes, locations and more, plus it syncs with other calendars, so it gets the basics right too.

Hooks - Alerts for Everything

Free

Want to be alerted when your favourite band has a new album out or a new gig in your area? Or how about when a certain Twitter account tweets, or when a new episode of Game of Thrones airs? Perhaps you want to be alerted every time a critically acclaimed game launches for the PS4? Or when there's a weather warning in your area?

Hooks – Alerts for Everything can do all that and more. Despite the name it doesn't quite cover everything, but it has options for things as niche as being alerted of when a particular website goes down or when a well-regarded restaurant opens nearby and new alert types are being added all the time.

So just set up alerts for everything you care about and never again worry about missing something or having to hunt for it.

Airbnb

Free

A posh B&B listings service designed specifically around mobile app use, the selling point of Airbnb is that it personalises the hosts, so if you really want to stay in Glasgow with a cheery looking alternative lifestyle man called Dave snoring in the next room, it's ideal.

It's also a fantastic way to travel the world and save money with over 450,000 listings in 34,000 cities.

Duolingo: Learn Languages Free

Free

Although for many English speakers it's easy enough for us to communicate with the locals when we're travelling by pointing at things and speaking LOUDLY AND SLOWLY, it's also quite nice to learn a bit of the local lingo before you leave as well, which is where Duolingo: Learn Languages Free comes in.

This excellent app makes learning a second language easy, fun and convenient, with a number of daily challenges and tests to help you learn.

Microsoft Translator

Free

Microsoft Translator ensures you'll always be understood, no matter where you go. You can get a written and spoken translation for any word or short sentence in dozens of languages and it supports both text and speech input.

There are other similar apps, but Microsoft Translator has a slick interface, Android Wear support and most importantly it works well, almost always understanding what you're saying to it.

TRACKR: Next Bus & Train Times

£2.99

There are any number of transport apps, but few as comprehensive as TRACKR. If provides live train information, bus routes and timings for all 370,000 bus stops in the UK, plus departure boards for the London Underground, Glasgow SPT Subway and every other underground, tram and light rail service.

It also offers route maps, journey planning and even proximity alarms to let you know when you're approaching your stop. In other words TRACKR has all the tools you need to make efficient use of public transport in the UK.

My Alarm Clock

£0.59/$0.99/Around AU$1.37

Alarm clocks aren't always exciting, but they're something almost all of us use daily, so having a good one is important.

My Alarm Clock is one of the best, as beyond the alarm clock basics it also has a sleep timer, a nightstand mode, a built in flashlight, easily adjustable brightness, widgets and a selection of beautiful clock faces. So whether you're waking up or drifting off you can do so in style.

Google Now

Free

Exclusive to Nexus devices since launch, Google Now has been opened up to owners of any Android phone running version 4.1 of the OS or higher.

Install it and you get the experience that is having Google Now fill an entire Home screen, providing a permanent collection of the cards to the left of the existing Home screen setup. These useful cards include weather information, the time it will take to get home, news stories you're interested in and even where you parked your car. The more you use Google Now, the better it gets to know you and the more useful it becomes.

LastPass Password Mgr Premium

£7.77/$12/AU$15.43 a year

If you've got different passwords for different online accounts (and you should) it can sometimes be a difficult and frustrating experience to remember them all when you want to log in. One way of beating this is to have the same password for every account, but that is far from secure.

A much better way is to use LastPass Password Mgr Premium to manage all of your passwords. It makes signing in a piece of cake, while also remaining completely secure. You can also quickly populate forms automatically and check just how secure your passwords are with the LastPass Security Challenge.

MoneyWiz 2

£2.29/$2.99 (around AU$4.20)

Managing finances isn't exciting, but it is important and tools like MoneyWiz 2 make it easier than ever.

You can add all your accounts, balances and scheduled bills to it so you can see the ins and outs of your finances all in one place, as well as getting bill reminders so you're never late on a payment and forecasts to show you a prediction of how much you're likely to have to spend before your next pay cheque.

Set up a subscription and you can even connect your bank accounts directly to the app, so you can see all your transactions and balance changes without having to add them manually.

ClickMe - Reminder in a click

Free

The idea behind ClickMe is simple- set up any reminder in just one or two taps, or clicks. You simply tap a contact or select a general reminder, optionally add a picture or text and tap a time that you want to be reminded.

To make things as fast as possible you can even set it to automatically launch after calls end or screenshots are taken, instantly letting you set a related reminder. Once you've set a reminder the app automatically closes, saving you another tap and you won't hear from it again until the appointed time.

When a reminder appears it will also display shortcuts to call or message the relevant contact, keeping the number of taps down yet again. If you find yourself needing a lot of reminders this is faster than most calendar apps or to-do lists.

Shuttle+ Music Player

£1.10/$1.75/Around AU$2.50

There's an enormous number of music players to choose from on Android, but Shuttle+ is one of the best.

With an attractive and intuitive Material design-inspired interface and most of the options you'd hope for from a premium player, including gapless playback, a sleep timer, lots of themes, automatic album artwork downloads, a 6-band equalizer, widgets, Chromecast support and a lot more besides it's a joy to use.

There's a free version, but the premium one is only £1.10/$1.75 and has far more features, so it's worth the investment.

Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus

£9.70/$14.95/AU$19.22 a year

Unfortunately viruses and other malware often target Android owners, and considering we use our devices for important task such as online banking, it's a good idea to make sure your device is free from any nasty programs, which is where the Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus comes in.

It's one of the best tools for keeping your Android handset or tablet free from viruses. However a much bigger threat to your device is it getting lost or stolen, and this is where the app really proves to be worth the money thanks to a suite of anti-theft tools that can help you lock and track your device.

It could help you get it back, but if that fails you can remotely wipe your data to make sure your information doesn't fall into the wrong hands.