Category: Android

Carphone Warehouse to stock HTC Desire 500

Bringing the best bits of HTC at an affordable price, it’s the Desire 500 and it’s now available at Carphone Warehouse. They have become the first UK retailer to start this device and you can hook it into all the major mobile networks. If you enjoy HTC BoomSound …

Motorola Moto G appears on Amazon UK

Motorola are due to return to the UK very soon, with the leaked and rumoured Moto G which seems to be a dumbed down version of the US only Moto X. Motorola have posted it up for pre order on Amazon of all places for a rather tempting …

Google Nexus 5 review

When reviewing the Nexus 5, I’m extremely conscious of getting caught up in the excitement phase that accompanies receiving a new phone. After looking back at last year’s review, I actually feel that my assessment was mostly fair. But still, the passing of time has allowed that device’s …

Samsung HS3000 Bluetooth Headset – Review

Headsets and headphones are pretty useful, you can use them whilst driving, listen to music, listen to podcasts (ours is here!) and if you have a bluetooth headset you can do all of this wirelessly. I’ve been trying to find a headset that I can listen to music …

OPPO N1 becomes the first official CyanogenMod phone

Everyone’s got a phone these days, and every third person is an expert telling you what to buy and why you’re on the wrong tariff. The vast majority of people will never have heard of CyanogenMod, and even those who have probably won’t have heard of OPPO. Why …

Otterbox Commuter case for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 – Review

It has become part of my phone buying ritual now. Buy a phone, buy a cheapo case, buy a slim case for nights out and then buy a case that’s big, protective, dustproof and will protect my phone during my daily adventures, then repeat in a variety of …

Nexus Media Importer gets an update to support the Nexus 5

Plugging USB accessories into Android devices has always been a bit hit and miss. Especially with some manufacturers using Slimport connectors instead of MHL connectors. The nice thing about Samsung devices is USB peripherals work, with no hassle, you plug it in and they just work. Nexus devices …

Sony announce update schedule for Jelly Bean 4.3 and KitKat

Sony have come under heavy fire in the past for not providing updates to its Android phones, but the release of its update schedule will come as pleasant reading to many Sony owners. Android Jelly Bean 4.3 will be rolled-out in December to the following devices: Xperia Z …

Firefox for Android pre-installed on more devices

Not content with launching Firefox OS phones via Ebay in the UK and USA and via mobile networks in Spain, Colombia, Venezuela, Poland, Germany and soon Hungary and Greece Mozilla have announced today that their Android web browser will come pre-installed on the latest batch of Kobo tablets …

Update to Android 4.3 with the HTC One on Three

Three have announced that their HTC One handsets will be getting Android 4.3 today, so go check for updates if you’re still waiting. If you have problems, check this Three support page for help and guidance through the update process. It’s also probably best to use WiFi to …

Could Tweakker make your next smartphone cheaper?

If you’ve bought an unlocked phone and popped in a SIM from an MVNO then you may have experienced that moment when it struggles to find the internet and messaging settings. Some manufacturers have started adding some intelligence into their phones to help with this, and they’ll use …

Xmas Gift Guide 2013: Sony Xperia Tablet Z from Vodafone

Christmas 2013 is coming up fast and time to bag those top presents is running out. We here at Coolsmartphone have asked several top retailers and suppliers for their recommendation for a Christmas gift, one that is either of exceptional value or the best quality. Here then for …

Analyst – Microsoft rake in $2 billion a year from Android

We’re never overly keen on “analysts” who “estimate” figures, but we’ve known for quite some time that Microsoft have been making a good return from patent royalties. Put simply, Google have to pay Microsoft a fee for every Android handset because of Microsoft patents used in the OS. …

Samsung Flagships to have 16MP camera

With the launch of the Note 3 and Galaxy S4 only just fading from the memory, Samsung have revealed during an Analyst Day that their new range of flagship handsets will ship with a 16MP Isocell camera. The Isocell allows for better low light photography, something that all manufacturers …

Official HPI Check available for iPhone and Android

Buying a second-hand car is always a bit of a minefield. Finding the right one is tricky enough, but even after going to have a look there’s still the chance that the car could have outstanding finance or mileage issues on it. How are you supposed to know …

SwiftKey update brings new layouts and options

Swiftkey is the most popular third party keyboard replacement app for Android, and it’s easy to see why due to the uncanny predictions, swipe and standard input options, cloud sync and various themes. Now though, it’s got even more features! Fully paid up Swiftkey users will find an …

Get yourself a HUD, bud

I live in the UK and, right now, it’s pretty dark. I leave for work, it’s dark. I drive home… dark. Those daylight hours are pretty short at this time of year and, as I learned today to my cost, it’s probably not wise to remind those solar-panel …

The Advent Vega Tegra Note is announced by PC World

The Advent Vega was possibly one of the most popular Android tablets ever, mainly due to how hackable it was. PC World have teamed up with Nvidia to release a successor and it may be the device for you if you really want a Tegra 4 tablet. – …

LG G Flex coming to the rest of the world too

If you’re looking forward to getting something hard and curvy jabbing you in the thigh, then the LG G Flex is your thing. A launch in South Korea appears to have already happened and now there’s rumours that a gobal launch will occur “soon”. Vice chairman, Koo Bon-joon, …

Ice Rage from Herocraft is now available for free on Android

Ice Hockey as a game has sort of passed me buy, I guess that’s thanks to growing up in the UK. We went for Cricket instead at school. But that never stopped me enjoying a good game of Ice Hockey on my Mega Drive. Herocraft have released their …

Kazam bring the Thunder (and Trooper)

Back in June we first heard about Kazam, a new company headed up by a couple of ex-HTC staffers. They’ve today announced their new handsets – the Trooper and Thunder range. Let’s dive in and see what you can expect. Trooper Range There’s a number of models, including …

ZTE seem to want a piece of the modular phone pie as well

Modular phones sound incredible, pick and choose the components that go into your device, upgrade it as you please. If a modular phone ever made into the consumer world things might be a little more interesting. Motorola have recently hinted they are interested, teaming up with the PhoneBloks …

Oppo R819 goes dark

The Oppo R819. Let’s talk about it shall we? It’s got a quad-core 1.2GHz CPU and a 4.7″ 720p HD display (1280×720) at 312 PPI. There’s 1GB of RAM and a 2000 mAh battery, plus f/2.0 aperture 8 megapixel camera, FM radio, dual-SIM support, WiFi, DLNA and Android …

Android 4.2.2 and Sense 5 rolling out to the HTC One SV now.

The budget baby of HTC’s One range, the One SV is receiving an over the air update to Android 4.2.2 and Sense 5 as we speak. Whilst this is still a good few iterations behind its senior counterparts, the fact that HTC are showing willing to keep supporting its …

Alcatel One Touch Tab 7 now on Three UK

Three have announced today a new tablet made by Alcatel, it’s the One Touch Tab 7. The tablet is not 3G enabled by itself but Three have a promotion which pairs it with a MiFi unit. If you purchase one of the MiFi Starter Packs (which start from …

Oppo release the ColorOS ROM for the Find 5

With the announcement of the Oppo N1 also came the unveiling of the new Oppo ROM, called ColorOS. Which is basically a skinned version of Android 4.2. Well now all of you Oppo Find 5 owners out there can flash the Color ROM now. Earlier on Oppo tweeted …

Moto G – Motorola are still kicking

As we head into the festive period Motorola look to have a little surprise for us. They’re not telling us a great deal at the moment, other than the fact that we should stand by for further details on Wednesday 13th November. However, a leak has possibly already …

Otterbox Clearly Protected for the LG G2 – Review

Believe it or not there are people out there who don’t like to encase their phone in a huge great double layer case or even a tiny thin “barely there” style case. They must thrive on the potential damage that there phone may suffer during the day. For …

LG G2 – Review

Just how bad is the LG skin? Is it worse than TouchWiz? How is that button on the back? That’s what people say to me when the see I’ve got the LG G2. The LG G2 is one of the most unique devices of recent times and as …

KitKat ROMs now available for the Galaxy Nexus

Hot on the heals of the news from Google that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus will not be getting Android 4.4 KitKat, and less than 48 hours after the release of this latest version of Android on the Nexus 5, the clever bods over at XDA Developers have a …

LG G2 – Second Impressions

On Thursday pretty much everyone in Coolsmartphone Towers bought themselves a Nexus 5. Listeners of Podcast Episode 69 will already know that I didn’t, and that’s because I had bought an LG G2 that got delivered just as the Nexus 5 was launched! One of the reasons I …

Google Nexus 5 – Unboxing

The Nexus 5 must have been one of the most leaked phones of all time, thankfully the wait is over and on 31st October Google announced the Nexus 5 to the world at 6pm…… and the next day it was available in Carphone Warehouse to purchase! Not wanting …

Ascend W2 Gets colourful

Meet the Huawei Ascend W2, a new Windows Phone 8 device available in China right now in a new UMTS version. The W2 will also be available in Russia and the Netherlands this month and in “other markets” after. It’s got a 4.3″ IPS WVGA LCD screen, 7GB …

Want KitKat on your Samsung Galaxy Nexus? Oh look, a rainbow

Google Support seem to have revealed something that may upset many. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus won’t be getting an update to Android 4.4 (aka KitKat). Why? Well, Google tell us that because the device was launched two years ago (how time flies eh?) it falls outside the 18 …

Hands on with the Nexus 5

Available to buy right now, this is the Nexus 5 running the all-new version of Android, KitKat 4.4. It has a 5 inch screen, Snapdragon 800 quad-core 2.3GHz processor and a camera that adds a bit of DSLR fun. The camera also has a new lens to capture …

Three confirm Nexus 5 availability

UK network Three known for their AYCE data plans have just confirmed to us they are to stock the just announced Nexus 5 from TOMORROW! The Nexus 5 features the latest version of Android, 4.4 Kitkat as well as some impressive specifications: 4.95 inch screen (1080p resolution) 8 …

Google finally release the Nexus 5

In what has possibly been the most drawn out build up to a phone being announced the LG made Google Nexus 5 has finally been announced. Spec wise it’s pretty much as we expected. The full spec is as follows. The Nexus 5 seems like it’s going to …

O2 bag 32GB exclusive Nexus 5

O2 have announced they bagged the exclusive 32GB model of the new Nexus 5 on their network and have sent out a press release confirming it will go on sale tomorrow, 1st November. The 32GB version will set you back £32 a month for 600 Minutes, Unlimited Texts …