Author: Leigh Geary
There’s still a sizeable majority of people out there that, by default, tend to choose one of the “big four” UK operators. Sure, there’s reasons for looking just at EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three. You’ll get added benefits like WiFi calling and, because they’re big companies and you’re …
Last year we reviewed the teeny-tiny Unihertz Jelly Pro. It’s a regular Android phone, but shrunken down to 7.8 x 12.5 x 5 cm with a 2.45″ screen. There’s everything in there that you’d expect. WiFi, GPS, 4G and all the usual apps, but it’s tiny enough to …
Not too long ago, if you wanted the phone number of the caller to be displayed on your home phone, you’d have to pay some mad fee. It was, when you think about it, a little unfair. Mobile networks have been providing the caller’s number since, ever, but …
Have a look at our Sharp categories. You’ll see that there isn’t a great deal about Sharp Android handsets. That’s because, well, you won’t find them in many places. However, they’re now taking a step back into the European smartphone market, with three new smartphones heading here very …
Sitting on EE (just like BT Mobile, who we mentioned earlier), is Plusnet. They’re just given me a nudge about a new offering for SIM-only customers. The details, if I’m honest, are in the title of this story, but I just need to write something here in order …
I was already having a bad enough few months. Remember my busted Galaxy S7 ? I smashed the back on that. Then there was the Honor 9 which, although it still works fine to this day, has a small crack across the camera lens and means that all …
Morning all. Good news ! That rash has cleared up! Ah no, wait. BT have got some news for us. They’ve just announced 4G mobile broadband plans for the first time. Not only that, but they’ve also got their first range of 12 month 4G SIM-only plans. BT, …
OK, a quick update on this geeky shed insanity then. Basically, I grabbed an old solar charger and wanted to know if there was enough daylight coming through my shed window to keep an Android phone alive constantly. I’ve detailed the various stages in Day 1, Day 2 …
Remember how this bike-rental was experiencing a crime-wave in Manchester? Well, it’s now hitting their margins enough for them to totally quit to city. Anti-social behaviour, dumped, smashed and lost bikes have now meant that the cycle-sharing firm has pulled out of Manchester. Some 10% of bikes were …
The Mate 20 lite is available right now. You can buy it Carphone Warehouse on a Vodafone contract for just £23 per month with £29.99 up-front. This gets you unlimited calls and texts plus 4GB of data. You can also get in on O2 for £31 per month …
I’ve got to mention this one really as the price is just fantastic. Adding another 128GB of storage to your phone is a pretty big deal, and should get rid of any storage worries for quite some time. Right now, at mymemory.co.uk, you can get this Kingston 128GB …
So Vodafone called. They said, “Hey man, we’ll give you a holiday in the Caribbean and brand new Audi R8 if you mention the fact that we’re doing to Huawei Mate 20 lite.” “What?” I said, “You mean the one we mentioned last week? The one that’s well …
A normal portable phone charger, right? Wrong! This is the Novoo power bank and it’s got a whopping 20,100mAh capacity. That means it’ll fully recharge a smartphone (assuming 3000mAh battery), from flat, nearly 7 times. Great for a week away. It has a USB output and a USB-C …
A man’s shed should never be questioned. My “man den” was originally supposed to be the garage, but that’s filled with all manner of stuff and I struggle to even walk through it at times. Apparently we “need” everything in there, even though I don’t know what half …
Meet the newly-announced Huawei Mate 20 lite. You can go and get one right now on the Huawei website. It’s going to set you back just £379 and it’ll be available from Carphone Warehouse, Vodafone and EE from October. It’s billed as the “first look at the Huawei …
I didn’t have a great deal of time last night so here’s a very quick update on the weird solar-powered shed / phone project. If you read the first post then you’ll know that I basically want to create some sort of home server which isn’t powered by …
In February 2017, I stumbled across the original Honor Magic at Mobile World Congress. I was really taken with the thing. It felt like a glossy pebble – the design was just stunning. Like nothing else on the market. Trouble is, it wasn’t destined for Europe, so unless …
Let’s go with the price on this one first shall we? It’s £279.99. Boom. That’s probably enough to get you buying it already. A cheap phone for gamers? Can there be such a thing? Well, yes there can. Go buy one. Go get one right now on HiHonor.com. …
It only seems a few minutes since we reviewed the XZ2 but now, here it is, the Xperia XZ3. It might “just” look like a small upgrade, but there’s actually a lot more to appreciate about this one. Specs include a 6″ 2880 x 1440 screen – that’s …
If you’re trying to find out what’s coming next in the world of connected gadgets, tech and smart technology, IFA is a good place to start. IFA (Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin) is Europe’s biggest consumer electronics show and runs from August 31st until September 5th. It’s held in Berlin and you …
Earlier in the year I posted this feature about how we’re effectively living our lives through and behind a mobile screen now. It’s something that I saw on holiday too and, if I still had the photos (and hadn’t smashed my phone to bits), I’d show you some …
I’m typing this on my old Chromebook. Man, it feels good. Like a pair of comfy slippers. Turn on, into a browser, type a bit, close the lid. No updates interrupting the experience. No 5 minute random unknown reboot times. No virus worries. Just productivity power. Love it. …
Whenever anybody puts “Life” in the name of their product, I somehow think of a Vauxhall Corsa Life. It’s a typically entry-level car with eco credentials. Here though, the new HTC U12 life (with a lower-case “L”) offers a high-end spec for a midrange price. Available in Moonlight …
Publishing this in the middle of IFA is just insane really. If I was one of those click-bait websites, I’d add this to the site at some point in the next couple of weeks, but.. Nah, can’t be bothered. So, off the back of my rather epic ultra-cheap …
Right, short version. This is on Kickstarter right now and you can (if you’re really very quick), pledge just $69 to get one. It’s basically a comfortable, portable, self-supporting seat which has a heat pad to warm your bottom. The power for this is provided via any portable …
Remember how Xiaomi helped bring us the ROIDMI cordless vacuum? Well, they’re now branching out into light strips too. Light strips can be placed into or under cupboards, on walls, skirting boards or on ceilings. They’re flexible and can be cut and pasted onto objects around your home …
Ever wanted to try archery? Now, with the help of £31.95 virtual archer, you can do it anywhere. OK, so it’s not carved out of walnut, but the plastic device adds a smartphone holder which, when paired with Bluetooth and used with the relevant app, gives you a …
I mentioned in a post yesterday about my kitchen radio setup. Many years ago, before DAB was ever really a “thing”, I got an internet radio because the choice of FM stations was a bit bland. Now, we’ve got smartphones that can get on-demand content, live radio and …
I used to have an internet radio in our kitchen. In fact, 10 years ago I wrote about it as Orange (the network that us “old people” used before EE) was selling them. It was a good solution, but the system which provided internet stations and their stream …
I know what it’s like. Right now (if you’re in the UK) you’re running around trying to buy uniforms and shoes. It’s all hectic and you’ve not even been paid yet. Nightmare. However, if you want the little guys and girls to be safe, head to the V …
There seems to be quite a buzz about this thing. It’s a fully crowdfunded smart speaker. They guys behind it want to make the whole process more simple, and everything is open source. This clever gadget will let you access your audio, video, entertainment and information available with …
I’ve been on holiday recently. I had a lovely Huawei Mate 10 Pro with me. It was the very one that I was using when I showed you the Huawei Desktop Mode and you can see our full Mate 10 Pro review if you’re looking to buy one. …
I’ll give you the short version of this blog post so that you can basically do a “tweet read”. I’ve just been on holiday. I ate too much. I sat around too much. I got all chubby and fat. On Sunday I’m going to squeeze all that blubber …
Last week we gave you all the details of the new Samsung Galaxy Note9. We also told you that it is available on Sky Mobile, Three and from EE (along with the Galaxy Watch). However, there’s other places you can get it too, and we’ve had a few …
A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to be in the USA. As it was a quick visit, I’d not really organised any local SIM and took my normal Vodafone handset. When the plane touched down I received the usual text message from Vodafone advising on …
As we mentioned earlier, SMARTY, the simple SIM only network, are backed by Three. Travelling within the EU, as you would expect, is included in your normal usage. You can head to Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, where-ever. Just use your phone as you would back in the UK. Further …
Over the weekend I got chatting with an old friend. The subject of my “strange hobby” came up they asked if I was still doing “that website thing”. Well, yes. Yes I am. The conversation went on for a while and it made me realise just how long …
Afternoon all. Hope you’re Monday is treating you well. So, over the weekend this YouTube video appeared. Many YouTubers have lifted the content and worked it into their own videos for the clicks, but this appears to be the original – from /leaks via this Telegram link. It …
Hello you lovely Coolsmartphone reader. If you’re looking to spend less than a tenner on your mobile bill but need a decent amount of data, this Plusnet deal might be just the thing. It delivers 4GB of monthly data plus 2000 minutes and 2000 texts for £9. Not …
I know. I didn’t believe it either. Head straight to the video if you want the quick hit. So, this evening, as I was busy typing up details of the Galaxy Note9 launch, my son happened to say… Hey, Dad, you do know that Fortnite is available on …
