Category: Reviews

Adding a Joystick to your Tablet – a look at the Satzuma Joystick

A lot of mobile games have a problem to resolve, most of us are used to playing games with a physical control pad, and most Tables and Smartphones can’t provide that option. Games designers obviously provide different control mechanics to get around the lack of buttons on mobile …

Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact review. Greatness delivered

Here we are folks, the long awaited Xperia Z3 Tablet Review. First things first, why has it taken so long to get this review done? It’s simple really. The first tablet developed a dead pixel line from top to bottom and needed to be replaced. I also decided …

Onaji Pawa charger review

Remember me mentioning the Onaji Pawa recently? It’s a slender battery, complete with USB cable (for charging the in-built battery) and an interesting three-port connector for plugging your iPad, iPhone or other smartphone into. Straight out of the gate, I have to tell you that this isn’t going …

Nokia Lumia 830 – Review

The range of Lumia phones is rather expansive, there are a whole range of phones spanning from the lowly Lumia 520 through to the enourmous and powerful Lumia 1520. The 8xx series Lumia have always felt odd to me, the 820 was overshadowed by the cameras in the 920 …

Spigen iPhone 6 Plus case review

With any big new handset launch comes a wide range of cases to help protect you from daily bumps and scratches. The accessory market has become huge over the past few years with different case designs and prices. From your cheap £2 eBay purchase right up to £70+ …

Huawei Ascend Mate 7 Review

It’s all the fault of Samsung.  We had a tablet market and a phone market with a rather clear distinction between the two.  Phones were small, tablets were large and in between we had the Dell Streak with its immense 5” screen that everyone looked at and said …

Inateck BR1001 Bluetooth receiver review.

Like most people nowadays I love listening to media from my phone. Be it either music, podcasts or audio books, I love it. I would say 90% of the time my listening is done through headphones. Now, I mainly use two sets of headphones. The first are my …

LG G Watch R – Review

The original Android Wear devices were about showing the world what Android Wear was about, the initial lineup included the LG G Watch which I reviewed here, it was just a black square on my wrist that basically showed some pictures of watch faces on my wrist to trick …

Encase Wallet review for Xperia Z3

A new phone means that it’s time for a new case. This time around I have moved away from the Roxfit cases that are abundant for Xperia phones and I’m instead trying a different maker – Encase. I have already tested one of their keyboard covers for small tablets and, …

Huawei Ascend Y550 Review

Cast your mind back to January 2013 and you may remember the Huawei Ascend G330. It looked like this.. The moment I unboxed the Y550 it instantly reminded me of the G330 above. Sure, the Y550 is a bit bigger and has a larger screen (4.5″ on the …

Tactus Buckuva iPad Mini case review

I recently managed to pry my iPad Mini from my little boy’s hands, meaning I could finally use it for myself. I’ve been sent the Tactus Buckuva for review, so now was the perfect time to test it out. Good Points The case has a quality premium feel …

Nexus 9 First impressions

Every once in a while a tablet comes along that you think is going to really up the ante and raise the bar. This is what I was hoping the Nexus 9 was going to be. Now is the time where we start to find out. Those of …

Motorola Moto X 2014 – Review

Motorola last year showed the world that you didn’t need to have the highest possible specs to create a really decent phone. Last year’s Moto X was behind the rest of the pack spec wise and it offered a really good package, this year’s model they’ve increased the …

Swapping your phone? Got a SIM problem? Get an adaptor

Some clever sausage somewhere decided at some point that the standard SIM cards were just too big. Despite some phones still being massive (phablets etc), we’re seeing the teeny-tiny nano SIM slot on some phones, with the slightly-larger micro SIM now being an almost-standard. However, there’s still those …

Lenovo Tab S8 review

Today we have a wealth of tablets in all shapes and sizes. You can choose between Windows 8, Android or iOS 8. There’s pretty much a flavour for anyone. I’m a fan of the smaller form factor and as a result I have swung toward the iPad Mini …

Tesco Hudl 2 – Review

Budget Android tablet, those three words can sometimes strike fear into the heart of any reviewer handed one. Sometimes though those fears are just confounded. Sometimes a budget Android tablet can actually be really good. Before I spoil the rest of this review lets have a look at …

Nexus 9 Unboxing

It’s here my very own brand new Nexus 9 32gb Wifi. I have been looking forward to this day for a wee while as I loved my Nexus 7 (2013) edition and it was in desperate need of a successor. I have been reviewing a lot of tablets …

Gmail gets to update to Material design

This morning Android owners will have awoken to the news of Nexus 9’s being unboxed around the world (ours is here). Even if you don’t have a Nexus device you will be pleased to hear that you too can enjoy the new Gmail app from Lollipop as it’s …

Encase Bluetooth keyboard folio review

What is the main sticking point when trying to use an Android device for productivity? Simple. The keyboard. Sure, an onscreen keyboard is great for short notes and maybe the odd email or two, but for me it’s not a replacement for a physical keyboard. Although we have …

Selfy case review

A few weeks ago we covered the announcement of Selfy cases, a case with a slide out remote control shutter button for taking selfies, group shots or any other uses you may think of. The guys at Selfy were nice enough to send over a review sample for …

Nexus 9 – Hands on

I was recently invited to London to get hands on with some new devices made by HTC. The main device that everyone wanted to get their hands on was of course the Nexus 9 tablet. A tablet from HTC. This is something we’ve waiting a long time for as …

STK Cuboid 2 4000 mAh battery pack – Review

Mobile battery packs are a way of life these days, a kind of safety blanket that you keep in your rucksack, laptop bag, briefcase or handbag. It just sits there waiting to be pulled out and expected to charge your phone or tablet as fast as possible. Choosing …

Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact unboxing and initial impressions

It is here. The day I’ve been waiting for. My newly acquired Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact has arrived. Although I had to wait a little longer than I would’ve liked (due to issues with the shipping companies), it’s here now. So, let’s find out if it was worth …

Google Cardboard review

After almost a month, my Google Cardboard has turned up. This self-assembled version was ordered some time ago from dx.com and cost just over £2 in the end. Oh yes. I’m reviewing some cardboard construction that costs less than a pint of beer. I think I’ve made it …

Nokia Lumia 735 review

Nokia would like as many people as possible to get a Windows Phone in their hands and enjoy the experience. In fact Microsoft would also like that as it helps build out their platform even further, which is why the two companies working together under the Microsoft brand going …

Reviewed – Rock Jaw Arcana Headphones

Not too long ago we reviewed the Rock Jaw Hydra headphones. Call them in-ear headphones, call them earphones, call them what you like. They were a bit bloomin’ good and cheaper than a lot of the posh pricey competitors. Now we’ve got these Arcana headphones. They cost the …

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 10.1 – Review

Lenovo are capable of big things, they are involved in many different areas of modern day mobile technology. Be it phones, Android tablets, Windows tablets, hybrid laptops, Chromebooks and even just plain old laptops and desktop PCs. Each and every year they push out new and updated devices …

Lenovo Tab S8 unboxing

  Well here we have my first Intel powered Android device, in the form of the brand New Lenovo Tab S8. I picked this little beauty up in PC World for £149.99. It pretty much went on sale a few days ago. The device is so new they …

MiPow Mirror Power 3000 Review

How can a mirror power your phone? How can you make a portable charger cool? How can you make your tech product appeal to those beautiful, beautiful ladies? All these answers and more coming up my friends, for this is the Mirror Power 3000. It solves the problem …

EE Osprey – Review

EE recently announced a range of new mobile connected devices including a new tablet called Eagle, an in-car WiFi option called Buzzard and this new MiFi – the Osprey. Whilst in London for a few days I was given the opportunity to try out one of these and see just …

Halloween Smartphone Spookiness. Morph Costumes reviewed.

When I was young we didn’t really do a great deal at Halloween. It was all “Penny for the guy” a few days later for Bonfire Night / Guy Fawkes Night. However, Halloween now seems to be as popular here in the UK as it is in the …

Hauppauge mySelfie review

Are you a selfie fan? Want more control? Well, this weird little gadget should suit you. Or should it? The mySelfie is a Bluetooth remote for your smartphone or tablet. Not only that but it’ll work as an anti-theft key ring to locate your phone or your keys. …

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact – Review

Iterative products are just a way of life these days. We get a new slightly updated device every few months, sometimes every six months, sometimes even every year, Sony have mastered the iterative product cycle, releasing new products every six months ensuring they stay current. A manufacturer finds …

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 – Initial Impressions

Lenovo are gradually becoming a household name in the UK. Thanks somewhat to their rather nice looking and great value for money laptops and also thanks to their range of tablets. Last week they announced a new range of tablets, the Yoga Tablet 2 and the Yoga Pro …

Reviewed – Rock Jaw Hydra headphones

If I’m brutally honest with you, I’d never heard of Rock Jaw before I started writing this review. However, what I did know (after a few minutes of Googling) is that .. a) They have a very cool name b) They’re based up the road in Belper, Derbyshire, …

SwannCloud HD Pan & Tilt WiFi Security Camera Review

Having the latest smartphone or tablet is one thing, but doing something really useful with it is another. Now, in the past we’ve seen security systems here at Coolsmartphone that’ll talk to your iPhone, Android or Windows handset. Remotely monitoring your home or getting informed when there’s movement …

LINDY BTS-360 Bluetooth speaker review

It’s fair to say that there’s quite a few Bluetooth speakers available. I usually put them into three categories. First there’s the many, many Bluetooth speakers you’ll see kicking around for the £15-£30 mark. They usually “do the job” in the sense that they’ll make things louder than …

Tesco Hudl 2 – Initial Impressions

The tablet market is as competitive as the phone market, with many manufacturers releasing devices in all different shapes, sizes and colours. Tesco are on their second device now, the original Hudl was a small seven inch tablet that seemed to be designed for kids or people who …

Sony Xperia Z3 Review

Oooh it is thinner and ….. um … lighter. That is what most people who pick up the new Z3 will say. Beyond that there are few visible cues to the fact that they are holding a newer phone. For the phone aficionados (like us) we will pick …