If the last decade taught us anything, it’s that technology is ubiquitous. Between smart phones and smart televisions, Wi-Fi and AI, virtual assistants and virtual reality, tech is engrained into our 21st century DNA. The world isn’t quite Blade Runner, even though we’re living in the era the film was set in, but evolution is heading toward the age of robots regardless.

Homes are becoming connected universes, in which televisions, refrigerators, even vacuum cleaners, work together for the greater good. Virtual assistants – Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant – play music, dish up recipes, and kick us into shape in the morning.

Following an arrangement between Google, Amazon and Apple, smart products will be able to interact (possibly conspire) with one another. Meanwhile, 5G opens up new connections, delivering fast speeds and data downloads on an unprecedented scale.

Here are the hottest phones for 2020:

Nokia 8.2 5G

Over 2020 we’ll see a barrage of phones launching with 5G abilities. If you believe the rumours, the Nokia 8.2 will be one such: an affordable, mid-range handset, sporting 5G and Snapdragon 7 Series hardware.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite

Headphone jacks aren’t dead quite yet. Samsung’s latest Note features one such socket, so you can dust off your Dr Dre’s. This lightweight powerhouse has a 6.7” screen, a stylus, and three cameras, including a telephoto and ultra-wide angle lens, for photo trickery.

Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite

Samsung’s second phone, announced at CES in Las Vegas, comes with the same 6.7” screen and camera set up as the Note 10 Lite. A stylus and headphone jack is absent, though.

OnePlus 8

Put China in your hand with the upcoming OnePlus 8, another product from the Far East. Huawei produce some of the best handhelds on the market. OnePlus isn’t far behind. The OnePlus 8 promises a triple rear camera and Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 hardware.

OnePlus Concept One

Another new OnePlus invention, tentatively titled Concept One, comes with a smoke and mirrors gimmick. When the camera is not in use, the lenses “disappear”. The magic behind this wizardry involves an electrical current that tints the lenses.

Huawei P40 & P40 Pro

Not even Trump will stand between us and the next generation of Huawei smartphones. 5G is likely to be standard on the P40. What tickles our fancy is the promise of a 64-megapixel camera: so high-def it will make compact camera photos look like vintage VHS footage.

Google Pixel 4a & 4a XL

Search engine goliaths Google continue chipping at the handset market, with an affordable phone due for release later this year. There’s a 3.5mm headphone socket – yippee – and a single camera on the back. Cheap as chips, but built for all seasons.

Apple iPhone 12 and iPhone 5G

Every year marks fresh iPhone rumours, but bet your bottom dollar that the 2020 iPhone will feature 5G. There are also whispers about the biggest redesign since the iPhone X.

Pick up your copy of the Hot Press Hot For 2020 issue now!