101 best gadgets to get yourself in 2023
Smartphones
There’s a whole load of exciting new rectangular talent coming our way… and one ace phone having its last hurrah
Xiaomi 13 Pro
The latest Xiaomi flagship will already be on sale in China by the time you read this, and Europe won’t be spending much longer on the waiting list. There are plenty of reasons to think this will be a wow-me Xiaomi, not least a trio of 50MP rear cameras with Leica optics. The main snapper even has a 1in sensor, which is physically larger than almost everything else in the phone world and should cope brilliantly when shooting in low light.
One of the two secondary cameras promises 3.2x optical zoom shooting, while the other has a 115˚ ultrawide lens that can also manage macro snaps.
Other headline specs include a sizeable 4820mAh battery, capable of blisteringly fast 120W wired charging and similarly impressive 50W wireless top-ups. The 6.73in OLED screen is suitably top-tier, with 3200×1440 resolution and 1900-nit peak brightness. A fingerprint sensor hides beneath.
The whole thing is powered by the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 – both more powerful and less power-hungry than the silicon powering most of 2022’s handsets.
Apple iPhone 15
Apple’s annual update is expected to split the iPhone line, with a new iPhone 15 Ultra boasting a much speedier processor, better cameras and faster data transfer, along with an even higher price. The standard iPhone 15 may get the same always-on display, Dynamic Island and cameras as the iPhone 14 Pro above.
Google Pixel Fold
If 2023 is going to be the year of the folding phone, Google’s first attempt had better be good. The (not yet actually named) Pixel Fold is expected to follow Samsung with a book-style design, while sharing its look with the Pixel 7 pictured. Photos should be on a par with those two.
Samsung Galaxy S23
The next gen of Samsung’s greatest hit is here. It takes the already great S22 and make it better with an optimised Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 hardware, improved cameras and more storage. The Ultra version has a 200MP camera.
Oppo Find N2 Flip
Some of this year’s most interesting new ideas will come from Chinese brands like Oppo, whose Find N2 Flip folding phone is being released in Europe. It’s very similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 but lighter. Oppo says it’s the lightest horizontal foldable yet
Motorola X40
It’ll probably get a name change before going global, but the X40 won’t be short on power when it leaves China (very soon). A Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 125W rapid charging and a trio of cameras should help take on the big guns, while gamers will like the 165Hz refresh rate.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
While rivals are still catching up with the Z Fold4 (above), Samsung is hard at work preparing its successor. We’re expecting it to launch in late summer with the latest Snapdragon chipset, a similar camera setup and possibly S Pen stylus support.
Nothing Phone 2
The first Nothing Phone (pictured) generated hype but didn’t quite transform the industry as the initial bluster suggested. But it’s still a nice phone; and while Nothing claims it isn’t planning a Phone 2, it has been teasing a US release – and it said it wouldn’t sell the Phone 1 over there.
OnePlus 11
With that tasty Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, a Hasselblad camera module and a 6.7in 120Hz AMOLED display, the OnePlus 11 is going to be a powerful flagship. The company is still known as a mid-range phone maker, and the 11 is a very competitive successor to the super OnePlus 10 Pro.
Oppo Find X6
Here’s another interesting one from Oppo: the follow-up to the Find X5 Pro (above) is expected to rival phones like the Xiaomi 13 Pro in key areas such as camera resolution, and it’ll be battling with some of the best flagships of 2023. The rear camera bump includes a periscope lens for optical zoom.
Carrie Marshall