Category: Android

Is HTC finally about to release a smartwatch?

This has got to be one of the longest-running rumours of the tech world. The first suggestions that HTC were working on some sort of smart wearable surfaced back in 2014, when a picture of this appeared online: Even by 2014 standards it wasn’t the most glamorous of …

Minecraft on Gear VR

  Minecraft. Everyone in the world seems to be on it. It’s getting more interesting now, especially for the ones looking at a more immersive ways of playing the game. How does it sound to be in the middle of the world you’ve just built, or exploring a …

Google’s making Android Wear Mode straps

    Google has recently announced that it is making straps for nearly all the Android Wear variants out there. It’s called ‘Mode’. Not sure why. Not happy with providing only software for the Wear devices, Google has now ventured out into the hardware side of things for …

Player FM update brings cool new functionality

Podcasts have exploded in popularity since they first came onto the scene in the early 2000’s. The move to smartphones and busy lifestyles with commuting, has only increased this popularity to the extent that phones seem to have become the main medium for consuming them. In such an environment, a good …

Blocking nuisance calls – CPR Call Blocker now in an app

Remember the CPR Call Blocker that we reviewed some months back? That gadget plugs into your home phone and, with the help of an in-build database and a one-button blocking system, you could get rid of nuisance callers. However, it’s not just your home phone that gets those …

Chromecast Audio, back again for £15

Hey you Coolsmartphoners! If you guys and gals have been out in the wilderness over the Bank Holiday weekend partying, here’s a great deal that might not have caught your bleary eyes. The ever-fantastic Chromecast Audio is out there for a mere 15 quid again, if you missed …

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge – Case reviews

Choosing your next smartphone is a big decision. With different storage options, colours and sizes now available it can be no easy choice to make. However, protecting your phone can be just as important, and this gets even more complicated with the hundreds of options available to keep …

LG Stylus 2 first DAB radio equipped smartphone coming to O2

UK carrier O2 has announced they are going to exclusively carry the new LG Stylus 2, which is the first smartphone with DAB radio support*, meaning you’ll be able to enjoy your favorite radio stations without using your data allowance. The device is available right now on O2 …

Will.i.am adds totally free music to his new dial watch

Want music but don’t want to pay for it? If you get a dial watch from Three then that’s exactly what you can get. Now, before we start, be prepared for some names and references that musical mad-man will.i.am has made up. The “dial” watch, from “i.am+” runs …

ChatSim Review

I saw these guys at Mobile World Congress and their offering is certainly an interesting one, and remarkably simple too.. Start with the ChatSim chat plan. It’s €10 a year and this will let you send unlimited and free text messages and emoji anywhere in the world. Wait …

It’s the random next Nexus maker guessing game

Wow. That’s a headline isn’t it. As I sit back and re-read it, it almost hurts my head. Anyhow, rumour has it (#Adele) that HTC will be making a couple of Nexus handsets which are currently known as the M1 and S1. They’ll run Google N. The rumour …

Get the S7 for the right price

If you’re thinking about getting the Samsung Galaxy S7 and want to see some of the best deals available, head across to MobilePhones Direct. You can get the handset on networks like Vodafone for £34 with 2GB data (unlimited for the first couple of months) and unlimited texts …

Nexus 6P now £70 off

OK, weird one this. If you want to get yourself a brand new Google Nexus 6P, just head to the Google Play Store. It’s easy. It’s marked up at £449 for the 32GB version, £499 for the 64GB one and £579 for the 128GB version. Trouble is, all …

Huawei P9 now up for pre-order on EE

Did you like the look of the new Huawei P9? Did you see our video review? Are you ready to order it? Good news people, because it you’re aiming for EE, you can get the 32GB P9 for absolutely nothing on £30.99 plans. That’ll get you 1GB of …

EE announce white S7 and edge exclusive

UK network EE has just sent out a press release confirming they will be exclusively offering the Samsung S7 and S7 Edge in white starting in May. These two devices are some of the most powerful and popular on the market today. Now, with the introduction of a …

DEWALT announce a tough phone too

Creating a tough smartphone is something a number of companies have already tried. Over the years we’ve seen Energizer, JCB and CAT have all released smartphones which can survive the bumps and knocks of working life. Now DEWALT are having a go at it too, and the dual-SIM …

Bitcasa shuts their cloud storage offering

See? This is what gets me about cloud storage. You can spend hours, days, months and years uploading your treasured memories to an online drive, only for the provider in question to shut up shop. You’re then left scrambling around trying to find a new provider, or buying …

WiFi Calling on unlocked Galaxy S7 handsets

We love your mails. We love them. Lee Taylor has just got in touch because he’s got himself a Samsung Galaxy S7 edge from Amazon. Lucky him. He’s got £580 washing about and he’s bought himself a very swish smartphone indeed. Anyhoo.. once you’ve got one of these …

A “More Playful” interface for your LG G5

I don’t know about you, but the one thing I want more than anything is a playful interface. I mean, an interface alone is great, but let’s make it a playful one eh? Let’s make it fun. Let’s make it lively, cheerful, impish and a little bit frisky …

Choetech 3 port charger with Type C – Review

  The thing with new types of power standards and connectors is that you soon realise you need more than one charger, because all your old ones don’t fit your new phone or tablet. This is exactly the case with the switchover to USB type C socket for me, …

Android apps finally heading to Chrome OS?

When we cover live events you’ll usually find that a Chromebook is involved. We do pretty much everything on the web now, and the little Samsung we tend to take has a battery life which will see us through even really long launches. Getting Android apps to work …

ZUK Z2 Pro announced, some really great specs too

I like the look of this one and, despite the fact that we don’t have all the pricing just yet, Lenovo’s ZUK have justv created a quite a tasty looking flagship. They revealed the 5.2″ 1080p Super AMOLED handset at an event in China and it’s powered by …

OnePlus having a spring sale

Here at Coolsmartphone Towers we love a good bargain or two, and we have just had this land across our desk. If you an owner of a OnePlus device be it a OnePlus One, Two or X, head over to the OnePlus store. There’s discounts to be had …

New data reveals contrast between Google Play and iOS app stores

Statistics can often be skewed to serve a particular purpose, but new data just released about the relative numbers of downloads and amount of money generated by the Google Play and Apple iOS app stores make for interesting reading.  The most obvious points from the above graphs, which …

Over 2.1 million Android devices downloaded malware in 2015

Quite a shocking headline in many ways, though it ought to be borne in mind that there are somewhere in the region of 1.5 billion Android devices registered for use around the globe.  The information comes from Google’s second annual security report.  Despite this figure, Google are quick …

Google in trouble over apps monopoly in the EU

Want the Google Play store installed on your phone? Google makes the installation of Google Android apps a prerequisite. They simply have to be preinstalled, which in turn gives itself a monopoly in the market. This is upsetting the anti-competition heads in the EU. If proved guilty, Google …

Honor due to release their version of the P9 soon?

Huawei have released their P9 and P9 Plus and we will be seeing them in store very very soon. The phone looks to be a fantastic bit of kit and we are very excited about as you may have been able to see from Leigh’s extensive coverage. However, …

LeEco ditch headphone jack on new superphones

Pssst – have you heard the latest rumour that Apple is going to get rid of the 3.5mm headphone jack in the next version of the iPhone? Well, it appears that Chinese phone manufacturer LeEco has beat the US giant to the punch in ditching the conventional headphone …

Argos app receives an honest update

Well, if nothing else, they’re up front about their mistakes. We like that. The developers behind the Argos Android app were refreshingly frank about their latest update…  Remember that Easter Egg we put in where it looks like you can tap on the search term but you can’t? …

Wrike: Project Management Software for Mobile

Whether it’s a small task at home or a big assignment at work, Wrike’s project management solution has mobile apps to help you plan, organize, and collaborate so work gets done efficiently no matter where you are. Wrike’s online project management software has more than one million users …

Grow your own weed, sell it and become rich

This awesome headline combined with creative gameplay makes growing weed something everyone can do, even if it is “just” a game! Now you can practice the cultivation and earning potential of your “empire” with Ganja Farmer, which is available for both iOS (over 17’s only) and Android (PEGI …

HTC 10 coming to Tesco Mobile

As you’ll have probably already heard today, Tesco Mobile have received some pretty high customer satisfaction figures. Not only that, but the network (which uses O2), is to offer up the HTC 10 with absolutely no upfront cost. All the plans below allow “Anytime Upgrade” as standard and …

Milk VR From SAMSUNG

Milk VR, which has been knocking about for some time for the Gear VR headsets has now been published onto the Play Store for those who are able to download it. I say that because it only is available for a select few handsets. The likes of The …

Android N Developer Preview 2 Is Out

Today those with compatible Nexus devices are being treated to the option to upgrade to the Android N Developer Preview 2. I’ve already upgraded my Nexus 6P and will do the same with my Nexus 9 this evening. This is an incremental update to the Android N Developer …

HTC 10 Camera shots

Back in the day we’d be able to at least bring you some details about what a new HTC handset feels, looks and operates like. Sadly, as the HTC 10 didn’t have a launch event and loan handsets are very thin on the ground, we really can’t say …

Huawei P9 – Pre-order goodness with £50 of vouchers

Come close dear friends, because I have a confession. My normal, “go-to” handset has (for quite some time now) been the LG G4. I’m a big fan of the thing, but since the Huawei P9 launch event I’ve had that phone in my pocket instead. I can qualify …

Acer Iconia Tab 10 coming in June

How’s about an Android tablet for £179.99 with 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, a 64-bit quad-core MediaTek CPU, a microSD card slot and Android 6.0 Marshmallow? Sound good? Acer are promising an 8 hour battery life with this, and it comes with “Quadio” front-facing speakers, a “Precision Plus” touchscreen …

iFit Classic has hit the UK market!

Last week we got to see the iFit Duo and Exec which are out Summer 2016 and Summer 2017 respectively, however we did see a glimpse of the iFit Classic. This is the first iFit smartwatch in the UK with the fashion and fitness blend as well as …

OPPO Launches F1 Plus, Slim-Bezel Stunner with 16-MP Front Camera

Oppo has launched a second device in the photography-focused F series, the Oppo F1 Plus. The device was released at a launch function in New Delhi, India. This was presumably to increase their market share in the ever growing market in India. In addition to India, the F1 Plus …