Author: Leigh Geary
Those of a “certain age” may recall using an Acorn computer at school. In the “computer lab” you may have had a Research Machines 380Z or a BBC Micro, with Acorn being the brains behind the latter. If you remember any of that, well, it was about 30-40 …
Becoming a well-paid YouTube video star seems to be really high on the list of “wants” for kids in 2018. Many think that they don’t need to concentrate at school, because they can merely chuck a few YouTube videos up, get loads of subscribers, then live like a …
Well, this is a bit weird. We’re getting told what’ll get launched before they’re actually… launched. Either way, LG have emailed in to tell us about a couple of lower-end phones which will be making an appearance at Mobile World Congress. They say that these have some “premium …
We’ve seen quite a few announcements from Energizer of late. They’ve got the H550S with a 5000mAh battery, a P600S with a 4500mAh and a whole load more on their site. But one with a 16,000mAh battery?! Are you mad? That’s gotta be as thick as a tub …
Sadly no, we’re not getting to test-drive a new Land Rover. However, Land Rover have started making phones. This is their first, and it comes via Bullitt Group, the same people who came up with the CAT phones. It’s another rugged handset for rugged lives. It’ll be on …
It looks like Virgin Media are keen to get noticed. The caveat to this particular offer, though, is that you’re already a Virgin Media broadband or TV customer. If you are, listen up. First, the facts. Virgin Media use the EE masts, so coverage is very good indeed. …
Alright, this is just plain scary now. We saw the oh-my-god dog robot things just a week ago, but Boston Dynamics have decided to go and attack one as it’s doing the clever door-opening trick. What freaks me out is the natural movements of this thing. The way …
Back in 2015 I managed to get a look at some cool new tech that could give your smartphone a sense of smell. Now, it’s here, inside the all-new CAT S61. This is a smartphone that can check the air quality around you. It’ll measure temperature, humidity and …
If you’re lucky enough to be going to the Samsung Unpacked event in Barcelona on Sunday, you’ll probably have this app. It forms part of the entry procedure but, in addition, there appears to be some augmented reality features in there too. You’ll be able to scan a …
A few days ago we had some mysterious postcards sent to us from Huawei. There was a definite emphasis on camera tech and, although we’re not expecting the handset in question to be announced at Mobile World Congress. This, we think, is all about the upcoming Huawei P20. …
Each year at Mobile World Congress I tend to remember the big Windows Phone 7 launch. It was held in 2010 at the Catalonia Barcelona Plaza Hotel and they placed a large placard above the entrance with big sticker over the name “7 Series”. Yes, back in 2010 …
This morning an email dropped into my mailbox from Banggood. Within the promotional mail was a link to the DOOGEE MIX 2. This is now down to just £153.70 – that’s 30% cheaper than previously. I’ve not reviewed this one personally but the specs do seem very decent …
Do you want a quick trip down memory lane? Well, I’ve taken a look at our first ever trip to Barcelona for Mobile World Congress. The year was 2010, before a Microsoft Operating system called “Windows Phone” even existed. Android was at Version 2 and was called “Eclair” …
EE must be celebrating this morning after being placed top in all six mobile performance categories by real-world network testers RootMetrics. Their initial head-start on 4G deployment, along with a sizeable set of frequency bands and a push to hit big coverage numbers, has seen the BT-owned company …
Remember how the esteemed leaker, Evan Blass, told everyone that he was going to retire? Yeah, well… that didn’t happen, and his leaks continue to be rock solid, year after year. We’ve already had lots of specs being leaked, but now there’s clearer shots of both the Galaxy …
Getting coverage into rural areas is a constant challenge for the networks. We’ve seen EE using an innovative home-broadband solution for rural homes and Vodafone have their Sure Signal kit plus new mini masts. However, the problem with planning permission and fierce opposition to unsightly large masts in …
This morning I had a bit of a rant about this phone, and I’ll tell you why. I’ve been in this business since 2002. For years I’ve reviewed the “top-end” phones and a smattering of “budget Android handsets”. The latter, and let’s not beat about the bush, are …
I’m properly intrigued by these two phones. The Honor 9 has been in my pocket for many months now and I think it’s a brilliant handset. It’s £349.99 from the official UK store. The newly-announced Honor 9 Lite, on the right here, has an arguably better screen and …
We’re lucky enough to have an Honor 9 and an Honor 9 Lite, so we figured a big batch of comparison photos was definitely worth showing. They’re both blue (here at least, you can get the 9 Lite in grey too) and they’re both shiny, but which is …
Way back in 2013, when I was still at school (ahem..), we covered Wrappz.com. They do personalised covers and skins for your phone. This weekend, and only this weekend, they’re reducing the prices of their cases by 50% if you put in the code 4EVER. It’s simple to …
Hello, what’s this? Some postcards? Sent via Royal Mail? From Huawei? What could it all mean? With Mobile World Congress just a week away, we figured Huawei might be sending us something about that, but it looks to point to a P20 launch in Paris on March 27th. …
If you’ve got one of those weird plastic £10 notes and want to get as much data as possible on a SIM-only plan, listen up, because we’ve got a bit of a run-down for you. First up, for exactly £10 and running on EE masts, is Plusnet. For …
Want one of these? Well, I’ve actually got one to give away shortly – more on that over the weekend. If you want to buy one, you’ll find it costing nearly £70 on Amazon. Booooo.. we want to pay less! Over to to Tesco then, and you’ll find …
Just a few years ago, I vividly remember some of the free gifts being given away with some of the less-popular phones. Usually these would be in the back of newspapers, and you’d find some Nokia B7 Lite (I made up that name) on offer with a “free” …
We’ve already taken a look at this massive 100GB plan from Virgin and, well, that’s great if you want to stream a stack load of stuff on your phone. However, what if you only want to spend a relatively small amount of cash per month? If you’re looking …
Every year we pack up the Coolsmartphone office, grab a flight to Barcelona, and cover the utter insanity that is Mobile World Congress. To many it might sound like some sort of business conference, but it’s the place where the latest mobile phones, services and apps all get …
Next month millions of EE customers will see their monthly contracts cost 4.1% more. Customers are being contacted about the increase, which will kick in on March 30th. The rise is based on the December RPI figure and affects all pay-monthly mobile customers apart from those joining or …
Here’s the latest robotic madness from those hugely talented people at Boston Dynamics. With each passing robot they create, things are becoming more natural-looking and intelligent.. Look at the way that “hand” stays poised in the air so statically. Amazing stuff. How long before these turn into robot …
OK, you’ve got until next Wednesday to take advantage of this one. It’s with Virgin Media – a virtual network operator using the EE 4G network, so you’re going to get a nice strong signal with excellent coverage. Right now, whether you’ve got the Virgin TV & Broadband …
Did you see the opening to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang? Did you? Did you? Well, if you did and if anyone ever asks, “What was the best Olympics Opening Ceremony ever?” You can say that it was, without doubt.. ……… the 2012 London Olympic Opening Ceremony. Oh …
Being careful not to reveal whether it’s the Galaxy S9 or just the Galaxy 9, Three have put their pre-registration site online already. Once the thing is actually announced, you’ll be one of the first to know exactly when you can get it and how much it’ll be. …
Want to get the Honor 9 Lite we revealed the other day? Well, now you can. Splash out £199 on the Honor Store and then get yourself a good SIM only deal. Boom. You’re done. Why they’ve called it “Lite”, I really don’t know. OK, it’s got a …
Long-time, handsome, intelligent readers will know that Vodafone have a solution for rural signal issues. It basically involves installing a ramped-up version of their Vodafone Sure Signal into rural communities to enhance the coverage. Now EE are on a similar mission, but with 4G home broadband antennas sitting …
See this? This is my mother in law playing a game on her Kindle Fire. After a bit of help, she’s aware of the whole “in-app purchase” madness which can easily see you heavily out of pocket. Perhaps what annoys me a bit is the fact that, as …
OK, so following hot on the heels of the P600S is this, the Energizer Hardcase H550S. This sucker is water resistant and shock proof. Drop it from 1.5 metres and it’ll survive. Stick it under water for up to 30 metres and again, it’ll be fine to use. …
Consuming lots of data on 4G? Have you got a large package to cope with the action? Well, according to this giffgaff research, you’re going to need a hefty tariff in a few years time. Customers on the network used an average of 1.72GB of data monthly in …
Right, straight from the get-go I’ve got to tell you that these are available from Amazon US for $33.99 but I got mine from Amazon UK for £22.99. Basically, I joined the gym again in January. I’d previously used a gym for free thanks to my old employers, …
We’ve surfed this wave for years. We’ve gone from the very early days, covering Windows-powered SPV phones, Smartphone 2002 handsets and Pocket PC’s. Now we’re plugged into the modern, fast and ultra-clever smartphones of today. But I’m worried.. We now live in a world where a colossal 9 …
Following my initial hands-on last week, I’ve now mounted the camera and recorded some footage for you. The tiny 1080p HD dashcam is easy to use and comes with a straightforward menu and navigation system too. It’s available from Amazon for a mere £39.99 right now and, for …
One thing that can annoy me is when things are presumed. As an example, some people assume that all channels delivered via a satellite dish have to be paid for. They don’t, and you can plug a satellite receiver in and get a whole stack of additional channels …
