Table of contents for 110 in Android Advisor

REVIEWS Previous Galaxy A models have been some of the best selling smartphones globally, which puts a lot of pressure on new generations. Last year's A53 was a bitter disappointment but Samsung is back on track with the A54 5G for 2023. Not much has actually changed year-on-year, but the A53's sluggish processor has been given a serious upgrade, and this is one of the keys to how the Galaxy A54 5G is recommendable as a top mid-ranger. This £449 candy bar handset has the sleek looks of the flagship Galaxy S23 range, an excellent screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, solid battery life, dependable cameras, and Samsung's industry-leading software support. There's little to dislike here, even if Samsung is behind a number of rivals on charging speeds, and the…

REVIEWS Nokia is back with another play for the budget 5G market, and the G60 5G is its finest effort in the category yet. It's running Android 12 out of the box and has a unusual rear panel that makes it a good-looking device as well as a huge display on the front. Its only real limitations come in the form of performance that won't blow you away and a duo of basic cameras that flank its much more impressive 50Mp option. Still, for £199, it's hard to imagine anyone being particularly disappointed with it. DESIGN The Nokia C21 Plus we reviewed last year, and the Nokia G21 before it, were hardly bad-looking budget phones, but the Nokia G60 5G is simply a cut above. It's sturdy, with no discernible…

AUDIO When Campfire Audio designed its Orbit earbuds, the headphone company didn't veer from the solitary path it has blazed in a crowded personal audio market. These in-ear monitors sound incredible, look weird, and aren't engineered to tick all the boxes the competition's marketing departments have deemed critical to success. What you get with the Orbit are earbuds that sound far more expensive than they are, but include none of the active noise cancellation, extensive customization, or high-quality phone call features you'd expect at their price. These are designed for listening to music, full stop. Campfire Audio makes some of the most highly regarded and expensive wired earphones on the market. They're known for their aggressively funky design sense as well as a playful sense of themselves as a lifestyle…

ANDROID SECURITY While you can keep your Android phone secure without security software, it's risky. And that's especially true if you download a lot of apps from the Play Store or open a lot of files from email or messaging platforms on your phone. To ensure that your Android device is safe from any malware or other threats, an antivirus app is the way to go. In fact, you don't even need to pay for the protection as there are plenty of free services on Google Play. But you want to make sure you're getting the best security from a legitimate and reputable company - it's bad enough if you get malware from an app let alone one from an unknown antivirus itself. Fortunately, most major antivirus services have an…

REVIEWS Xiaomi makes some of the best budget and flagship phones around, but you shouldn't ignore what the company is doing in the mid-range market. Its Redmi sub-brand has existed there for a while, although the Note 12 Pro+ takes things to the next level. For just £449, you get premium features such as a 200Mp camera, 120Hz OLED display and 120-watt charging. Fortunately, all three are genuinely impressive, while the rest of the phone is good enough to compete with many flagships. Compromises are inevitable at this price point, but they shouldn't be dealbreakers for most people. DESIGN The Note 12 Pro+ has a sleek, premium design which could easily pass for a device costing twice the price. It starts with Xiaomi's choice of materials: plastic on the sides,…

BUYING GUIDE Not everyone can afford a flagship phone like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or iPhone 14 Pro Max, but plenty of cheaper devices offer an excellent experience all the same. Mid-range phones usually offer the best balance of price and performance, packing in high-end features and powerful cameras while still sometimes costing half the price of top flagships, or even less - usually by using cheaper materials or omitting luxury features like wireless charging and waterproofing. WHAT'S A MID-RANGE PHONE? There's no technical definition, but as mentioned above, we define mid-range phones based on price: anything that costs more than £250 but less than £600 if you buy it SIM-free. Anything cheaper than that is really a budget phone, and anything more expensive is a flagship. Some mid-range…

ANDROID SECURITY You might not know it from all the panic-inducing headlines out there, but Android is packed with practical and powerful security options. Some are activated by default, while others are more out of the way but equally deserving of your attention. Over the following pages, we look through Android's settings, ranging from core system-level elements to some more advanced and overlooked options. 1. APP PERMISSIONS A rarely spoken reality of Android security is that your own negligence - either in failing to properly secure your device in some way or in leaving open too many windows that allow third-party apps access to your personal details - is far more likely to be problematic than any manner of malware. So let's address the first part of that right off…

ANDROID SECURITY Let's get one thing out of the way right off the way: if you're looking for recommendations about Android security suites or other malware-scanning software, you've come to the wrong place. Why? Because, like most people who closely study Android, I don't recommend using those types of apps at all. Android malware isn't the massive real-world threat it's frequently made out to be, and Google Play Protect and other native Android settings are more than enough to keep most devices safe. There are, however, some areas where third-party apps can add valuable layers onto your Android security picture. They're less about fighting off theoretical bogeymen and more about proactively protecting your accounts and data. These are the apps that'll actually bring a meaningful boost to your privacy and…

REVIEWS Motorola lost its rep for flagship phones a few years back, but in recent months the company - now owned by Chinese computer giant Lenovo - has come back swinging. The Motorola Edge 40 Pro continues that trend. In both specs and price it's closer to last year's Edge 30 Ultra than to its Pro predecessor, and the £799 phone is a true flagship that can go toe-to-toe with high-end handsets from Samsung, Apple, and others. Thanks to a super-fast 165Hz refresh rate display and the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, this could be an especially tempting option for gamers on the go who don't love the look of proper gaming phones, but don't want to skimp on specs. DESIGN Motorola has establish a firm, albeit simple, design language over…

AUDIO The Edifier WH950NB Bluetooth wireless headphone looks great, is comfortable to wear for long stretches, has easy-to-use physical buttons, and delivers solid active noise cancellation. Unfortunately, it's also a headphone that won't deliver its best performance unless you're using a Bluetooth playback device that supports the LDAC codec. For most people, this headphone won't perform at a level that's comparable to other quality headphones in its price range. That doesn't mean it doesn't deliver good sound at the lower-resolution SBC codec, but there's no good reason to spend £152 on a headphone that won't take full advantage of what your playback device can deliver. DESIGN The Edifier WH950NB headphone is available in black or white with gold accents. The earcups have a pebbled plastic surface that evokes leather, and…

ANDROID SECURITY It might be surprising, but free VPNs are no longer just for PCs. You can also use them to help boost your security and privacy on an Android device. Whether you want extra security while using a public Wi-Fi network, or to get around geo-restrictions for most of your favourite streaming services, a free VPN can help you do it without having to pay for anything. The problem when looking for a good free VPN though, is that there are a large number of them available on the Google Play Store. So how do you determine which ones are worth your time? Our experts have tested a slew of VPNs, both for PCs and Android devices, and have curated a list of the best free options you can…