August 2011

Bravo to Android. It’s succeeded in making the whole ‘which gadget to buy’ decision a good deal tougher. Until recently, if you wanted a tablet, you’d get an iPad. Smartphone? iPhone. But now Android has technically superior hardware in both spaces, as you’ll discover in this month's superphones round-up and tablets supertest.

The future of Android shines brighter still, as detailed in our Rise of the Robot feature. Apple has issued a robust rebuttal in the form of iOS 5, which will be at the heart of the iPhone 5, but for now it’s Android that looks the more forward-thinking of the two operating systems. It thoroughly deserves an issue of this gadget bible dedicated to it.

While we’re giving Android a big hand, let’s light the candles and break out the bubbly. The web is about to turn 20 – not old enough 
to drink in some US states, but fine for driving and marriage – and it’s become the most powerful cultural and technological force of our age. It’s so complex that we decided to map it out for you, along with the rest of the internet. Whether you want to know what all the fuss is about the cloud, or just how to spend less on your next pair of shoes, 
it’s all in there. Here’s to the next 20 years (yep, they’re in there too).

What's inside