Category: Networks / Carriers

Fancy getting yourself some free data? Who wouldn’t eh? Three are now offering up a whizzy new mobile broadband deal which will give you 200MB of free data every month. The Data Reward plan give you that “always on” vibe without the need to be tied into a …

The O2 and Three merger has been going through a bit of a rough patch recently, with both Ofcom the European Commission raising concerns over the potential deal. They’re basically worried that a new amalgamated network would mean a worse deal for the customer, with less choice, higher …

Three have caused a right old ruckus by tweaking their plans recently and now EE are at it too. However, it looks like this change will actually be quite beneficial for some and perhaps not so much for others. We’ve got a naughty picture from an EE shop …

You’ve probably read about this one already, but it’s a sign that even Three – that once great data leader – has had to trim back on a few data-hogs. It’s a problem all networks have had – a few customers just tearing through data and causing a …

   Finding a good, cheap Android tablet can be a hit-and-miss affair at times, but we’re lucky in the sense that we already have one of these newly-announced Vodafone Tab speed 6 tablets right here, and you can read our thoughts on it tomorrow when the review goes …

Yes, unsurprising, and without any backhanders whatsoever, the, Competition and Markets Authority has rubber-stamped the £12.5bn takeover of EE by BT. The group will now grab EE and create a huge quad-play provider offering home phone, home broadband, TV and mobile solutions. Expect to see more adverts, more packaged …

Get an iPhone from giffgaff and you get a contract-free and network-free handset. Not only that, but until Wednesday you’ll be getting the iPhone for less than normal too. They’ve reduced prices but, as with any January sale, you’ve got to be quick to get them at this …

O2 has announced the opening of a new concept store on Manchester’s Market Street, with customer experience taking centre-stage with and digital exploration. At three times the size of O2’s typical stores, the location comprises over 2,300 square feet of floor space and has been designed to revolutionise …

With Nest and Hive currently dominating the UK Smart Home market, the Smart home climate control company, tado° announced yesterday its new partnerships with AT&T and UK-based O2 in an attempt improve life at home through connectivity. tado° always ensures that your home is pre-warmed before you even step through …

I had to paint our hallway recently. Trying to choose paint is always a difficult process. There’s usually a thousand different versions of “beige” with crazy names like “harvest dawn”, “straw mocha” or “Oxford stone”. Now, in 2016, I’m getting information about a phone which is “Deep Garnet”. …

I’ve got to admit, on a personal level, I’m dreading BT getting hold of EE. Any and every involvement I’ve had with British Telecom has been a disaster, but when they get hold of EE they will have the largest UK’s biggest, fastest and most reliable network (at …

I’ll be honest, we’ve been having a few problems with the new Lumia 950 XL. We’ve seen stability issues, random reboots and a generally buggy experience. Then, via Gavins Gadgets, we’re hearing that – although it’s still on the website – Carphone Warehouse have removed the handset from …

Welcome to the Coolsmartphone Award Ceremony and Podcast, coming to you, prerecorded from Coolsmartphone Towers. Our team of experts got together yesterday and decided on the best and worst bits of 2015 in order to entertain you and reward/shame those responsible. As with all good awards ceremonies we’re …

Yes, we’re getting emails from PR agencies telling us about January sales already. This one is from Three, who are launching their “biggest SIM sale ever”. They’re offering half price SIM-only deals for as little as £4 for the first three months of a 12 month plan. Not …

I need you to tick some boxes for me. – Have you got a Samsung Galaxy S6 or an Samsung Galaxy S6 edge? – Are you on Vodafone? Good news my friend, you can now start using WiFi Calling. Opt into the service by texting CALLING to 97888 …

Christmas time is upon us once again and Three have come out with a cracker of an advertisement campaign (excuse the pun). The new video shows someone who is born on Christmas day and who feels let down that you only get one set of presents instead of …

We’ve had a bit of a journey with these portable chargers. They were given away free to EE customers but then the stock ran out extremely quickly. Another batch were made available and, for a while, everything seemed fine. However, a few complaints started appearing online and some …

I should note at the start that this article is not sponsored by Three! I neither work for them nor receive any benefits.  Nonetheless, I am a big fan.  I first used Three about 13 or 14 years ago when it was first released to great fanfare about the …

In November, Chinese phone manufacturer Huawei announced their highest specced phone to date, the upcoming Mate 8. On-paper specifications do look mighty impressive. The Huawei Mate 8 is now available for sale, with the promise of better performance and battery life. The device features the new Kirin 950 …

iPhone 6 handsets are currently receiving the new iOS 9.2 update, but it’s not just a new font or a patch. There’s also a little surprise inside in the shape of a carrier settings update. This will let Three users access VoLTE via a new setting in the …

Fancy one of these? The Microsoft Lumia 950, which is powered by a hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragom 808 CPU and capable of achieving a 50% charge in just 30 minutes, is available for just £35 with a £9 upfront cost. That will provide 1GB of data, unlimited texts and 1000 minutes …

During my time with Vodafone I got to speak to Dr Rob. This guy is a man after my own heart. He hates acronyms and over-complifications, prefering instead to break down the technology into easily understandable and enjoyable information. Dr Robert Matthews, to give him his full name, …

After looking at the working environment in Vodafone and how they test new handsets. Next I take a look at Vodafone xone (pronounced “Vodafone zone”, although I did slip into calling it “Vodaxone” at one point). This will really light your candle if you’ve followed this site for a while, …

We’ve taken a look at just what it’s like to work at Vodafone HQ in Newbury. However, I need to start asking some questions on behalf of you lot. Firstly I’d like to find out just why mobile handsets take so long to become available through the network …

If you’re looking to get a phone for someone this Christmas then you may have already had a read of our how-to. It details the best way to switch contracts. However, if you want to get yourself a SIM-only deal and carry on using your existing phone, you …

What do you know about your network? They probably sold you a phone, and they’re definitely the people you curse when the signal drops out. Today I’m in Newbury to lift the lid on Vodafone. I had preconceptions if I’m honest. Many moons ago I was one of …

It’s been a while since the Apple Watch arrive in stores but, until now, no UK network has actually made it available. Today Three UK are the first network to actually be selling it in their stores. Sylvia Chind, head of devices and products at the network, tells …

Yesterday Vodafone started off the weekend price cuts with Red Thursday. Today a lot of those deals are extended, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 which is down to £37 per month with no upfront cost (10GB of data on a 2 year contract). Also, and in-store only, …

Those canny folk over at Big Red have stolen a march on Black Friday by coming up with Vodafone Red Thursday… to cut a longish story short, Vodafone Red Thursday – today – is offering some pretty neat deals. They’re starting today, but there are more to come …

It’s time for the Black Friday madness, so this weekend giffgaff have let us know about their offers and it’s a massive £100 off a selection of their best-selling phones. These deals go live at 8AM today. Here’s the run-down… – Samsung S6 – was £399 but during …

Another network taking part in the Black Friday bonanza is EE. They’re going to be offering up some special details all over this weekend and into Monday. There’s full details of all the offers in the press release below, but the highlights include… – Get the Sony Xperia …

You’ve seen those TV shows following the police or bailiffs doing their jobs. You might’ve also seen the little body cameras they wear too. They protect both the person wearing it and the public, but now you can get one yourself from EE. This is even more advanced …

So, this is weird. It’s Tuesday and my headache, I think, has finally gone. Truth is, I got a bit drunk on Saturday and the hangover has only just left me. Why did I get that way? Well, it was all research for this article. No, honest. Mobile …

Think, for a minute, about how we used to make phone calls. Back before mobile phones you’d have to hunt out a phone box and hope that your pocket contains lots of change. If you didn’t have enough cash, your phone conversation would usually end up being fairly …

Remember our hands-on with the new Xperia Z5 range? If you want the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium, it’s now available to buy from Vodafone here. It’s powered by Android 5.1 with Marshmallow on the horizon. It has a Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 CPU – that’s quad-core 1.5 GHz …

After raising a serious truck-load of cash on Indiegogo, TrackR was born. It’s a small, coin-shaped device which you can attach to your keys, stick in your wallet or put on your handbag. Working with an app, it shows you where your things are and also works in …

Following a rather mad advertising campaign, Deezer have a little gift for Three customers. Their paid-for service normally costs £9.99 for the ad-free, high-quality, off-line-listening version. That monthly subscription also lets you import your dodgy MP3’s that “fell off the internet” and delivers unlimited mobile listening. However, if …

You’ll no doubt be aware of the situation out in Egypt at the moment. As we write, the amount of repatriation flights were a lot less than hoped, and many British holidaymakers are still out there. O2 are trying to do their bit to help … (We are) …

EE slipped an interesting little nugget into their recent press release. We almost missed it, but if you check this page on their website you can sign up for a new product called EE Pet Pal. The company tell us that it’s … A new connected device that …

What? Another article about EE? Twice in one day. I think they’re going to have to send me more chocolate. Today they’ve launched some new international call packs and add-ons. Both pay-monthly and SIM-only customers can get these and they’ll let you make calls abroad from the UK …