Category: Hardware Reviews
Last week we had the initial impressions post about the Viewpad 10e, I was quite impressed with Viewpad it surprised me with what I could do with a device that didn’t have Google apps. The Viewpad is a budget tablet at £200 and is available from places like …
A few weeks ago we received these rather lovely speakers from OTONE. They’re “modular” speakers and actually disconnect from the main unit. Using retractable cabling, you can position the speakers some distance apart for the full stereo effect. It’s simple and easy to get going. The speakers sit …
Here is a quick question for you how do you make of the most successful Android Tabs in the sub ten-inch category even better? Well the answer is an obvious one. You put it on a diet send it for a lobotomy and then take it back to …
I have obviously been doing something right in the last few weeks as I have been given a very exciting opportunity. Thanks to Handtec I have got my hands on some of the latest Tech of the year. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, this is a great diminutive …
So I have been a very lucky geek this Christmas in that I have managed to get my hands on the present that I really wanted (even though I had to buy it myself). I am now the proud owner of a Samsung Galaxy Note. I thought it …
Android-powered handsets sporting hardware QWERTY keyboards are a bit of underrated niche. Whilst there’s many form factors out there, just a handful of those were actually worthwhile. Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Mini Pro, although quite popular, never attracted me enough due to its tiny size. This made it look …
It’s quickly turning into another big “review day” here at Coolsmartphone. Next up is this, the T-Mobile Vivacity. We’ve actually already reviewed this a few weeks ago but I’ve got one right here and figured that you’d like a video overview too. The T-Mobile Vivacity is actually built …
OK, big news people. YouTube has a new video editing option called “Stabilize”. That’s it, no more one-handed wobble-cam videos… well, maybe just a few eh? Today we’ve had some more stuff to review. This is the Monaco Extreme Car adapter from the guys at WirelessGround.com. It’s normally …
UK network O2 have a new product in testing and that is a Femtocell. If you do not know what one of these is then consider it a portable mast you plug into your home WiFi network to give you fill 3G signal all around your house even …
Motorola have been around for a long time now making phones, everyone will remember the iconic RAZR phone which went through a few different phases including the V3i, V3xx and the Maxx which the later ones were 3G versions back in the days of 3G first launching here …
So, after this post from Leigh, some of you might be considering purchasing this phone. We have one of these in the house, so I thought I’d share with you my first impressions. The phone seems to be a slightly remodelled version of the LG Optimus 7. A …
The guys over at Orange have kindly lent us an Orange Barcelona to review. The Orange Barcelona is a low priced Android handset in the candy bar format with a hardware keyboard and touch screen. Think Blackberry (or just look at the picture below). The spec highlights are …
ZTE have come a long way since they used to make the £10 phones on Three which had the SIM card glued into place to prevent box breaking, these were the phones sold on Three via Superdrug. So considering we are now looking at an Android device packing …
I am a huge fan of hardware QWERTY keyboards in mobile phones. My affection towards such devices started with the i-Mate K-Jam (better known as the HTC Wizard) back in 2005. It iterated through many different handsets ever since, up until the HTC Desire Z which I currently own. …
We’ve had a number of headphones sent our way to review recently. These are the Sony Ericsson LiveSound hi-fi headphones and they sell for around £49.99. They don’t work with all phones or MP3 players, these are designed to work with Sony Ericsson Xperia handsets like the Xperia …
The other week I bought the new T-Mobile branded Vivacity. It is a repacked ZTE Crescent and also a variant of the Orange San Francisco 2. I have been using it as my main device since then. My main problem with it is that my normal phone is …
We’ve seen a few phones with stands around the back. They’re on some of the larger devices and are usually designed to prop your phone up for prolonged video or film watching. What if you want to fit one on your existing phone though? Well, we got sent …
I’ll be honest with you now. I’ve reviewed phones for many years now and I’ve seen a lot of in-ear headphones. You know the sort, they’re provided with every phone and usually end up staying in the box. Why? Well, put simply, they’re bobbins. Why do I say …
This handset was kindly provided by Three. They’ve been big fans of the site in the past so, when they offered me a chance to review the Sensation XL, I was looking forward to getting my hands on it. You can also see some up-close shots of the …
Top Coolsmartphone veteran Bobby Wallace went on eBay one night and bought himself a cheap Android tablet. You know the sort, it looks good on the eBay item description, it seems like a good price but … is it? Here he’s given us his views on this “Rola …
So here it is, the Nokia Lumia 800 – the “first real Windows Phone” phone made by Nokia. I’ve had virtually no experience with Windows Phone 7 before and was looking very much forward to the Lumia 800. Is WP7 able to impress me as much as Nokia …
“Yeah, send it over, we’ll take a look”. ..that’s usually my response when we’re offered a phone to review. This time it was the guys at Lekki on the phone. They get “vintage” mobile phones and video games, get them working, in tip-top condition and then give them …
OK, this is a little big. Many moons ago we reviewed the Orange SPV M2000. We thought that was big. It’s not. Not when compared to this. The style and design is still there and it does look a lot like a larger version of the rather glorious …
Yesterday I got hold of the new T-Mobile Vivacity, which is a ZTE Crescent or Orange San Francisco in a different case. I thought I would give you a few first impressions and photos now and a slightly more in-depth review next week once I have really got …
Being registered on the Three PR list means that I often get emails about new devices. Recently one device which took my fancy was the new WiFi Hub. Three have a massive share of the Mobile Broadband market with an award winning HSPA+ network in the process of …
We have recently received an Acer Iconia A100 and boy what a great device it is. So enough of the introduction, lets get down to the nitty gritty. Hardware The Acer Iconia has a 7″ Capacative screen, Android 3.2, Tegra 2 chipset, 8GB built in memory and a …
A while back we talked about the impending trial from O2 around their femtocell technology – well the box finally arrived and I’m going to show a couple of pictures of the mythical beast. Firstly we’ll note that IT IS A TRIAL !… this is not for the …
So, this is a strange one. We got sent a Remote Control Nano UFO toy from the nice people at FindMeAGift.com. It’s £13.99 and, if I’m honest, I thought it would fall apart after a few minutes. Why do I say that ? Well, I’m supposedly a serious …
There has been quite a lot of activity from the Sony Ericsson design team this year and the latest device to be brought forth from their creative minds is the Xperia Ray. This phone is not your usual fair from SE in that it does not fall into …
The Nokia N9 is a weird beast. It runs the MeeGo Harmattan OS and has been released after a so-called elopocalypse when Nokia’s new CEO Stephen Elop controversially turned towards the Windows Phone platform, ditching both homegrown smartphone platforms – Symbian and Maemo/MeeGo – into gloom. The decision …
This cradle device synchronises and charges the HTC Sensation / Sensation XE. Plonk the phone in and it’ll angle your phone at the right angle for watching videos, checking the weather or using the phone as a bedside alarm-clock. Drop the phone in while the special video button …
It was Friday when I received a rather large package addressed to me. Inside, the Blackberry Torch 9860. First up, I’ve got to admit that I absolutely love this handset. I have had plenty of time to have a little play and a fiddle with this device, so …
I love gadgets. Any kind of gadget pretty much, and I’m interested. So imagine when I saw the blurb for this little box of tricks.. “Turn anything into a speaker!” It works too.. which is pretty crazy. The quality of the sound depends what you’ve “turned into” a …
Today we’ve got one of those XXSIM roaming cards that we mentioned the other week. It’s delivered from Switzerland and carries a number from Estonia but it’ll let you receive calls for free in more than 120 countries and there’s no monthly fees. There’s simple roaming rates which …
We’ve been sent a quite a few headphones over recent weeks. Some noise-cancelling ones, some fashionables ones, some really big over-ear ones. All of them try and solve a long-term problem with most smartphones, and that’s the sound quality coming out of the 3.5mm audio port. Ever since …
Cases, eh? It seems a shame to wrap your new shiny smartphone up, adding bulk, hiding it away. On the other hand, we’ve all seen the horror of a smashed screen, normally acquired during an “energetic” evening and a few shandies. So, if you’re going to have a …
With a new version of Windows Phone now available in Mango (7.5), we are starting to see a new range of devices coming onto the market with lots of new features and the HTC Radar is one of them. We were lucky enough to be at the launch …
Despite being declared gadget maniac, somehow I never really got into tablets. When the first iPad came out and whole hype began, I regarded it as overly-expensive gadget having virtually no practical use to me. Yet quite recently I’ve started changing my mind towards tablets. I thought they …
First Thoughts and Specifications HTC and Verizon Wireless have jointly announced the HTC Rezound, an LTE-enabled smartphone with Beats Audio integration for the US market.HTC said that the new device delivers a powerful entertainment experience with audio and multimedia capabilities highlighted by a 4.3-inch 720p display. The new HTC …
Last week we took a quick look at the HTC Rhyme it’s got a strong, unibody design and comes with a headset, docking station and a charm device that will flash when you have a text or incoming call. The battery cover doubles as the antenna and the …
