Category: Android

Huawei Ascend P2 – Release details

Three, already famed for their rather speedy and unlimited data access, are to take the Ascend P2 from Huawei. Now, if you’re a regular visitor (and we hope you are), then you’ll remember that we got a hands-on demo from a rather lovely rep at Mobile World Congress …

Three confirm Motorola RAZR i

Three are busy releasing phones it seems as today they announce availability of the Motorola RAZR I on the network Available from just £17 a month or £249.99 on PAYG The RAZR I is great value for money considering you get an 8 megapixel camera, 4.3 inch screen …

Huawei to hold event in London on 18th June

We haven’t heard much in the way of exciting new devices from Huawei since MWC in February, so it came as a bit of a surprise when I shuffled down to the Coolsmartphone Towers front door this morning and found an invitation from Huawei on the mat. It …

Half the storage on the Galaxy S4? Read the full story

If you read the newspapers or watch BBC’s Watchdog programme then you’ll soon see news of the Samsung Galaxy S4 storage “issue”. Headlines scream that the S4 comes with around half the storage you expect due to pre-installed apps. First I wanted to check this and compare it …

Three to stock Huawei P2

Well well well, this is a litle surprise tonight but it now looks like UK network Three are going to stock the new Huawei P2 we saw announced back at Mobile World Congress this year There was no news on this over on the coming soon section of the website …

Android ITV Player app exclusive to Samsung

TV catchup app ITV Player has been released for Android. Yay! But you can only use it on Samsung devices until 31st August. Booo! It’s been a while coming, but the new ITV Player app has finally hit the Google Play store. It seems pretty good too. All …

Sony Xperia A images leak

FCC applications are possibly the single biggest source of leaked information about new devices and this latest one is no exception. Sony are really just plugging away with their confusing naming convention and if this FCC application ever appears Sony will have just started again at the beginning …

Google Earth, now with Street View

The best way to see the third planet from the Sun or the best way to zoom in on your ex-girlfriends back garden? You decide. Whatever your reasons, the Google Earth app got updated late last night and now includes Street View too. The newly-updated street-level images reveal …

CyanogenMod 10.1.0 RC1 ready to flash

CyanogenMod is arguably the most popular custom ROM for Android phones and tablets, and the latest incarnation is almost ready for final release. Based on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, CM 10.1.0 is so stable that they’ve decided to issue a release candidate for it. If you’ve ever flashed …

My choice of apps – Android Edition #1

So you might have noticed that a few of us here at CoolSmartphone want to give you a bit of help selecting apps from the billions available on the Play Store. Most of us have been using our respective ecosystems for quite a while and built up a …

Cat B15 Review

It’s a sad fact that, if you choose to go for a traditional “tough” or “rugged” phone, people have often pointed and laughed at you. Oh, come on, don’t pretend. It’s true. Deep down you also know that you’ve cut some corners too. The screen is rubbish, the …

Sony Xperia i1 Honami to be Pureview competitor?

Smartphone cameras are a hot topic this year, and a straw poll would probably see Nokia as the camera phone kings. However, there’s an ever growing queue of manufacturers waiting to out snap them. The latest leak from Sony’s direction is the C680X Honami phone (expected to be …

Genuine HTC One Double Dip Flip Case – Review

I’m one of those people that always has to have a case on my phone. I usually go through several for each phone I have, as I like the change it brings, and most cases have a flaw of some kind or other. To go with my new …

What on earth are these “My choice of apps” articles about

We all use apps on our phones, some more than others, some install huge games that take several GB of space, some install dozens of Social Network apps, some install bafflingly pointless apps like fart apps or soundboards. It really is a personal thing it’s your phone and …

Leaked LG handset. Perhaps the next Nexus?

The guys from EVLeaks have just posted this over on their Facebook page. There’s not a great deal of information on what it is, and the presence of a large blue rectangle on the screen is raising more questions than answers. The handset could be a new Optimus …

The S4 – Biggest marketing campaign ever

Now, I’ll be honest with you, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is everywhere this weekend. The money cannons from the Samsung marketing machine are now cranked up to full power, squirting a juicy splodge of Galaxy S4 all over every screen you care to look at. The Samsung PR …

Cat B15 Tough Smartphone now available

The Cat B15 Tough Smartphone is a bit of a rugged looking device. With an IP67 rating meaning it can withstand dust and water, in depths of up to 1M for 30 minutes. Impressive stuff really, although it is a bit of a chunky device. At 14.95mm thick …

Acer announce two new Android tablets

Acer this afternoon have announce six new devices. Some are Android tablets and some are Windows 8 devices. Lets have a look at the Android tablets first, Acer have announced two devices with two variants, so four in total. They have announced the Iconia A1 and the Iconia …

Go on, Play with your Nook

Today it’s been announced that the Google Play store will be available for both the Nook HD and Nook HD+. You don’t have to wait either, just ensure that your little Nook is firmly attached to WiFi and an over-the-air patch will roll out to give you all …

Leaked images show what could be the next generation Motorola device

Motorola since being took over by Google haven’t exactly been the most vocal of companies. The last generation of phones from them barely even reached our shores never mind selling in any quantity. But still people are excited by what’s to come next. Rumours about Motorola making the …

Wil Wheaton takes ClockworkMod where no recovery has been before

So, you’re a child genius, trusted with the engineering systems of the universe’s most powerful starship. You can realign dilithium crystals and program holodeck worlds, but when it comes to rooting an HTC One you’re stumped. What do you do? Take to Google+ and moan about it, just …

Jelly Bean is now on 28.4% of devices

Each month Google publishes information about the various distributions and each month it makes for worrying/interesting reading. Jelly Bean is now on 28.4%of devices, Ice Cream Sandwich on 27.5% and Gingerbread on 38.5%of devices. Google last month changed how they get the data as well. Note: Beginning in …

Acer to offer cashback on all Iconia B1 tablets sold in May

The already super cheap Acer Iconia B1 is now about to get even cheaper. You can get £20 Cashback on the Acer Iconia B1 throughout May. We haven’t managed to get one for review yet, I can’t comment on how good/bad it is. You’re really into the “should …

Sony Xperia SP now available on T-Mobile for £250

Do you like the Xperia Z but not the price tag? Want to sample the high speed data of 4G LTE technology? Well you could do a lot worse that pick up the new Sony Xperia SP that’s now available on contract with EE, Orange and T-Mobile. However, …

Microsoft release their Switch To Windows Phone app for Android

Microsoft have released an app that on the surface seems harmless and almost helpful, but it makes me wonder about Microsoft. The app is meant to make the move to Windows Phone easier. Here is how they sell the app. Are you thinking about switching to Windows Phone …

Gemini Joytab Duo 9.7 – Review

Some would have you believe that if you want a tablet that you have to have an iPad, some would also say you have to have a Nexus 7 but my take on things is that sometimes in life you need to take the Red Pill and try …

Editorial – HTC are back.

In recent months there’s been a keen media interest in two mobile launches,the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One. Handsets like the Xperia Z, the Ascend P2 or the Nexus 4 are also in the running but all eyes seem to be focused on the HTC One …

Bendy screens coming to a phone near you?

LG are to begin producing curved OLED televisions in a matter of days. Soon your local electronics store will be brimming with”IMAX Style” screens which will mimic the screens found in your local cinema. The tech is based on organic LEDs which make the screens so thin that …

Don’t fight, just switch

Apple fans and Samsung fans don’t half love a good argument about whose phone is better. That’s exactly the point that Microsoft have gone with for their latest Windows Phone advert. It made me chuckle, which is always a good thing. See what you think. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19vR1GldRI

Samsung unveil the Galaxy Tab 3

Samsung have a rather confusing array of devices this year, the latest of which is the Galaxy Tab 3. The Galaxy Tab 3 is a 7″ budget Jelly Bean device that has budget specs and no doubt a budget price. This is more than likely because of the …

So…you have a new Galaxy tablet, Samsung?

I’ll be quite honest, I’ve lost a large deal of the time that I used to have to spend on searching the net for all of the detailed specs and reviews on tablets, so my knowledge is somewhat lacking compared to what it used to be. That being …

LG F5 arrives in France

The LG Optimus F5 has a 1.2 GHz Dual-Core CPU and 4.3″ IPS (256ppi) screen. When we saw it at Mobile World Congress it was running Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2 and packs 8GB of storage, 1GB RAM and microSD expansion card. There’s dual cameras – a 5 megapixel …

Kenny and his robot microwave an S4

Art. It’s a subjective topic. One man’s idea of a masterpiece is another man’s Samsung Galaxy S4 cooked to death. Yes, if you like your smartphones burnt to a crisp then you probably need to meet this man. (Tip, don’t go alone!) His name is Kenny Irwin, and …

HTC One Camera Test – Part Three

Yesterday we updated our HTC One with the very latest patches and tried some low-light shots. We compared it against the 13-megapixel shooter on the Sony Xperia T. Both phones had HDR mode turned on during the test. HDR images capture a greater dynamic range between the lightest …

Acer announce the Liquid E2 Smartphone

Last week we covered the availability of the Acer Liquid E1 Duo from Expansys. I liked the idea of it as I have a bit of a thing about Dual Sim devices. Well Acer have now actually announced it’s successor already. The Liquid E2 comes in either single …

HTC One Updated – Our second camera test

Today the HTC One received an update. Software version 1.29.4.12, which is a 229MB download, is said to update the camera, improve HTC Zoe sound quality, improve Beats Audio and adds system stability tweaks. Let’s wind back the clock because, in February, we posted this article which compared …

Smartphones in spaaaaace – The NASA Nexus Orbiters

You’ve heard of the Galaxy Nexus, right? Well, how about the two Nexus One ‘budget’ satellites that are watching us from an altitude of 150 miles as I type? The idea is to get off the shelf components and make a fully functioning satellite for less than $10,000. …