Phones & tablets

Phone and tablet — two screens in one place

A smartphone travels with you all day; a tablet takes over films, study and notes. They sit together because they are often bought in one go — and the same charger and case follow.

How to choose a phone

Three things matter more than the processor's name: battery capacity (5000 mAh comfortably covers a day), how many years of updates the model gets, and real low-light camera quality. Take more storage than you think — 256 GB is a sensible minimum if photos and films live on the device.

How to choose a tablet

Screen size decides how it is used: 11 inches is the sofa-and-bag compromise, 12.4 inches and up suits drawing and two windows side by side. A 5G model only pays off if the tablet regularly leaves home Wi-Fi.

What to add

Straight into the basket: a case and screen protector, a charger, power bank or memory card. For sound see headphones, for data USB cables.

FAQ

Can a tablet replace a laptop? For reading, meetings and email, yes; for long writing and spreadsheets look at a laptop or add a keyboard case.

How long does a phone get updates? From mid-range upwards, 4–6 years of security updates is now normal — the single best indicator of how long the device will really last.