smartphones

We've barely got into 2021 and the first flagship phones of the year are already here. Samsung just revealed its Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 Plus and Galaxy S21 Ultra handsets for 2021, following on from last year's Galaxy S20 series.

Motorola has unveiled four new affordable Moto G phones at CES 2021, and there's something for everyone shopping for a value-for-money Android phone: we've got 5G, a stylus-enabled model, strong battery life and more in this new selection.

There are many sports where both of your hands are occupied, making it difficult to remotely control your smartphone – even if you're using a smartwatch. The ArcX Sports Ring, which will make its debut at CES 2021 later this month, was designed to remedy that problem.

The new year is a time to look forwards into the future as well as backwards into the past, and thanks to a series of leaks, rumors and early announcements, we already know (or think we know) what's coming down the line for smartphones in 2021.

In what we'd expect to be the last flagship phone launch of the year, Xiaomi has unveiled the Mi 11 with the brand new Snapdragon 888 chipset from Qualcomm on board – though you won't actually be able to buy the phone until 2021.

OnePlus has taken a break from releasing phones you can actually buy to show off its latest prototype creation, the OnePlus 8T Concept. It showcases a number of cutting-edge technologies, including a back casing that changes color in response to various triggers.

The year 2020 has been a strange and disruptive one for all of us, but the smartphone industry has barely slowed down and we've seen some fantastic handsets appear. These are our picks for the very best phones that launched in 2020.

Colorless polyimide (CPI) is a flexible alternative to glass, increasingly being used in bendable smartphone screens. It still can crack, however, which is why scientists have developed a self-healing version that incorporates linseed oil.

Last month, Oppo offered a glimpse into a possible smartphone future with the Oppo X 2021, a concept with a rollable display. Now the company has demonstrated another concept at the China International Industrial Design Expo – the slide-phone.

A rapid COVID-19 test promises accurate results in under 30 minutes using a simple hand-held device, a nasal swab and a smartphone camera. The technology can also be modified to detect other viral diseases.

California's EyeQue has launched a Kickstarter for a vision test system called the VisionCheck 2 that makes use of a smartphone attachment and an app to provide personalized eye tests in the comfort of a user's home.

While the iPhone 12 Pro Max isn't particular ground-breaking in terms of what it offers, it's the newest, and the biggest, and the best iPhone that money can buy right now – and you will need a lot of money for it.