Category: Android

Get your HUKD on for Black Friday

While I’m not a firm favourite of the idea of yet another day dedicated to spending money, we’ve got to admit that HotUKDeals (HUKD) has continually saved us some dosh on the things we were already going to have to splash out cash on more than one occasion. …

Google slips YouTube Music app into stores

Remember Google Play All Access, Mountain Views Competitor to Spotify and Apple Music? Remember that since Google never ever releases just one version of a product, as it always seems to want to compete against itself, that it brought out YouTube Music key? It went one step further …

Big Android BBQ Europe – Editorial

This week I am attending The Big Android BBQ Europe in Amsterdam. Today I am blogging live from the Code Kitchen where some very clever people are engaging in code challenges. The Big Android BBQ has been a two day Android focused conference. Opened with a Keynote delivered …

More evidence of Android malware hijacking

We recently reported on various studies and stories about Android being vulnerable and various applications been hijacked by malware. It is important to stress at this point, with due care and attention to where you are downloading applications from – you will reduce the risk of an attack on your …

Oppo handset snaps up some underwear models

We’ve got some snaps of Kendall Jenner getting in on some selfie action at a Victoria’s Secret Show in New York recently. Kendall, for those who haven’t experienced the delights of the “Kardashians”, is the daughter of Kris Jenner and Bruce Jenner. Bruce, of course, is now called …

Apple Music, on your Android

Two unstoppable forces. Two immovable objects. Apple and Android. They never seem to really work well together, and if you want a small piece of one OS then you usually have to jump in and sign up for the whole ecosystem. But wait. What’s this? Apple Music on …

I’m the firestarter, smartphone firestarter

Just the other day we covered the rather “unique” testing process for the OUKTIEL K6000 phone. Last time we saw this handset, some mad fool took an angle grinder to it. This time, they’re trying to burn the thing. Honestly, I’ve got some pretty weird mental images of …

Nexus 6P camera glass cracking

First it was Bendgate, now it’s Crackgate. More supposed tales of woe to hound the new Nexus 6P flagship. Some users are reporting that the Corning Gorilla Glass 4 panel that sits in front of/protects the camera is spontaneously cracking. It appears that this piece of glass isn’t …

Xperia Z5 & Xperia Z5 Compact Comparison – Review

The time has come to put Sony’s finest under a microscope and to see what you are getting when you plonk down £610* on the counter. We know that the camera is meant to be the best thing since they made the camera obscura back in the early …

Can an LG G4 covert an iOS Fan Boy?

For those of you that listen to the Coolsmartphone Podcast, you have probably picked up on the less than subtle suggestion that I’m somewhat of an Apple fan boy. Guilty as Charged. I’ve been an iPhone user for a long time, and no device in the past has …

Meizu M2 Note – Review

Meizu is a brand not particularly well known here in the UK. Leigh recently reviewed the Meizu M1 Note, and I have been using a Meizu M2 Note for a few months now. This is my review of the Meizu M2 Note, a device purchased from Shenzhen Chigon …

OUKITEL A29 – Another smartwatch, but round this time

Remember the OUKITEL A28 smartwatch we mentioned the other day? It’s only £37 but yes, a few of you noticed that it could perhaps be a bit thinner and more stylish. Whilst we might not be able to do much about the thickness, there’s definitely a tad more …

Possible HTC One X9 leakage?

It’s safe to say that we were pretty impressed with the HTC One A9. Our review highlighted the great battery life and excellent build quality. Sure, it’s a shame that here in Europe we’re going to have to pay more for it and we’ll be getting the 16GB …

Huawei Watch now available on UK Google Store

Just the other day we got the news from Huawei that their smartwatch was now available to purchase in a few locations in the UK such as Selfridges and Google Play direct. Those of you like me who have wanted to get one of these since they were …

Nexus 6P – Unboxing

Have you ever wanted to have an exquisitely made Android phone that will make those “friends” that have been drinking from the iPhone lake for so many years a little bit envious? Good news then, as you can now get one. The phone I am talking about does …

OUKITEL Marketing madness continues – An angle grinder and a K6000

Oh no. We’ve had OUKITEL contact us again. They’re taking an interesting approach to selling their phones. Yesterday they were using a phone as a chopping board and now they’re hacking away at the OUKITEL K6000 with a blinkin’ angle grinder. Obviously this is something we’d advise against. …

OUKITEL shows us what a £37 smartwatch looks like

So, while I was slightly poking fun at the whole chopping-board madness of the OUKITEL U7 Pro this morning, I stumbled across their smartwatch. Now, stick with me for a bit because this OUKITEL A28 smartwatch actually doesn’t look that bad. Like a lot of these strangely cheap …

Huawei have new chip on its way… UPDATED

We are quite fond of Huawei here at Coolsmartphone. We also have a soft spot for Honor. Now what is these companies have in common? Well, there are several things. One is the daddy brand and the other the offspring, they use the same design language etc. The …

Random madness – Who needs a chopping board?

When you’re looking for a new smartphone, just what is it that appeals? What is it that draws you in and makes you want to buy it? Is it the quality of the screen? The construction? The camera quality? Just what is it that you’re looking for from …

HTC One A9 adverts start, and they’re quite good actually.

You’ve read the HTC One A9 review we posted last week and now HTC are cranking up the advertising machine for their shiny, skinny handset. Gone are those … ermm… “interesting” Robert Downey Jr adverts and now we’ve got something very different indeed. Here’s the ad, and see …

Lenovo K80M (P90) – Got just over £100 available?

I know Christmas is around the corner, but do you have £111.52 kicking around? Fancy yourself a Lenovo K80M? It looks like this and packs a quad-core 1.8GHz CPU with 32GB of storage, 2GB RAM and a microSD card slot.. The screen is a 5.5″ 1280×1920 pixel unit …

Huawei Watch launched, buy it now

Meet the Huawei Watch. It’s a watch that…actually looks like a watch. This measures 42mm across and has a circular 1.4″ touch-sensitive AMOLED (400×400 pixel, 286ppi) screen behind scratch-proof sapphire crystal and encased in a stainless steel frame. That screen also has a 10,000:1 high contrast ratio, making …

Big discount on iPhone and Android spy solution – XNSPY

Monitoring a phone might sound like a slightly strange idea, especially when people talk of “spy software”. However, there’s perfectly legitimate reasons for doing it, such as keeping an eye on your kids. XNSPY, which is available for both Android and iPhone, will let you know where your …

Scream for me Coolsmartphone!

Here is a game very close to my heart, as it combines smartphones and tablets with heavy metal! TeamRock are usually known for the Internet radio station and collection of music magazines from Metal Hammer, Classic Rock to Prog, covering every genre of rock music. Now they have …

ZTE Axon Mini, complete with clever screen, now on sale

The ZTE handsets are, I’ll confess, getting better and better now. Have a read of our Mobile World Congress coverage of the company and you’ll see some of the changes they’re making. Their new ZTE Axon Mini is now available for $349.99, which is £227.04. For that you’re …

Samsung rumoured to be reducing workforce

When you think of the most successful and the most popular Android manufacturer, you invariably think of Samsung. Their Galaxy handsets are usually lined up against the iPhones when newspapers and magazines do comparisons between Android and iOS as they’ve become so well known.  Many other Android smartphone …

WoWee MiPosaur unboxing

It’s coming up to Christmas – apparently there are only seven weeks left until the day. Because of this, here at Coolsmartphone Towers, we are getting lots of emails about Christmas gifts. This one stuck out for me as it looked pretty cool (I posted a story about …

Moto X Force released

Did anyone else notice that Motorola had released a new phone in the USA over the last few days? Well they did and it was called the Droid Turbo 2. Now Motorola have decided that we UK buyers are also worthy of such a powerful device too, albeit …

OnePlus have a new device… The OnePlus X

OnePlus have been busy as of late and have just launched the OnePlus 2. They have just closed off the reservation list and are busy sending invites out to the millions of people who had registered. Not only that, but there’s flash sales to appease the masses of …

Nexus 5X also available from Expansys

I had the familiar ping of my inbox this morning as I awoke. In amongst all the usual detritus I had an email from our friends at Expansys. It seems that they have managed to secure some stock of the Nexus 5X. The are carrying the 32GB version …

WileyFox Storm, available today!

Our review of the WileyFox Swift is coming soon (I promise!!) but in the mean time, you can now get your hands on their other device, the Storm! Going on sale today for £199, the Storm is their premium handset. Rocking the Snapdragon 615 Octa-core processor, 3GB of …

18,000 Android Apps spy on your SMS messages

Not something we usually consider as mobile phone owners, is that question of “Where did my application come from? What platforms does it use?” Both questions tie into: “What permissions does my applications require?” Sadly we rarely think of any of these questions, therefore we put our trust …

LG G Flex2 – Now less than £215!

Oh now, this is like shooting fish in a barrel. Yet another great deal on what is a very good smartphone. This one is from LG, and it’s the curved G2. This is a handset that was £459, but they’re now knocking it out for just £214.99 at Expansys. …

HTC One A9 – Review

A bit of history first, and perhaps a personal viewpoint from myself. Back in 2002 I handled my first HTC smartphone. It was branded up as an Orange SPV and it kick-started this entire website. HTC had a meteoric rise in the years following, releasing phones under their …

Leo Privacy Guard for Mobile Devices – A quick overview

The Leo privacy guard for mobile devices is built for individuals who want to keep their mobile use private. Some of us don’t mind sharing our phones, but there’s probably a number of you who’d rather keep those personal photos and messages away from prying eyes. Sure, a …

Gift idea? How about an unlocked smartphone for less than £65

I know what you’re after a random smartphone that you’ve never heard of for less than £65. Well, we already know that the network-locked Vodafone Smart speed 6 is just £50, but how about an unlocked smartphone for £64.42 ($98.92)? Meet the good ‘ole iNew U5. Nope, we’ve …

Burger. Gimme burger. Me want burger. TGI Fridays app now updated

So, the restaurant emailed me and asked me to promote their app. They didn’t give me the link to the UK version, so accidentally found the American version of the apps first (iPhone one here and Android one here). Trouble is, what bothered me was the fact that …

Musical drum loops – App review!

The developer of this game asked me to review it. However, you’ll notice that I don’t often review apps here on Coolsmartphone. Developer Divyesh Dungrani wants to tell you about his free Musical Drum Loops app. What he tells us is that it’ll let you “make your own …