Category: Reviews

Garmin Head Up Display – Accessory Review

Traditional Satellite navigation systems were once upon a time a must have for anyone that regularly undertook long journeys to far away places. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epSURT21hxs With the launch of Google maps, Apple maps and the vast array of other mapping solutions available for mobile phones the demand for Sat-Navs …

The Brick – Review

I’m old enough to come from a different world. A world before mobile phones. When they did appear, phones like this one were expensive and bulky. Children never had mobile phones. A mobile phone was used by successful professionals in the city. Bankers and traders used to lug …

BWC 7″ Kidi-Value Tablet Review

So these days it seems that every man and their dog is making an Android slate. Now although this is a very good place to be as it give the consumer a multitude of options, it is also a potential minefield for the 1st time buyer. This buyer …

HTC One and Android – From an iPhone fan’s perspective

Introduction I have been a fan of the iPhone ever since the iPhone 3G, but find that after around 12 to 18 months of using a phone I get very bored. The issue with iOS is that it looks and feels the same no matter which device you’re …

Google Nexus 5 review

When reviewing the Nexus 5, I’m extremely conscious of getting caught up in the excitement phase that accompanies receiving a new phone. After looking back at last year’s review, I actually feel that my assessment was mostly fair. But still, the passing of time has allowed that device’s …

Samsung HS3000 Bluetooth Headset – Review

Headsets and headphones are pretty useful, you can use them whilst driving, listen to music, listen to podcasts (ours is here!) and if you have a bluetooth headset you can do all of this wirelessly. I’ve been trying to find a headset that I can listen to music …

Otterbox Commuter case for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 – Review

It has become part of my phone buying ritual now. Buy a phone, buy a cheapo case, buy a slim case for nights out and then buy a case that’s big, protective, dustproof and will protect my phone during my daily adventures, then repeat in a variety of …

Kransen Urbanears Review

There are product designs that have stayed the same since time immemorial and there are products whose design changes from day to day. The in ear headphone is a product whose design has been pretty much nailed on and despite slight differences in varying manufacturers designs, the all …

Otterbox Clearly Protected for the LG G2 – Review

Believe it or not there are people out there who don’t like to encase their phone in a huge great double layer case or even a tiny thin “barely there” style case. They must thrive on the potential damage that there phone may suffer during the day. For …

LG G2 – Review

Just how bad is the LG skin? Is it worse than TouchWiz? How is that button on the back? That’s what people say to me when the see I’ve got the LG G2. The LG G2 is one of the most unique devices of recent times and as …

Opis 60s Classic Mobile Review

It’s kinda hard to start with this one. This is a classic 1960’s-style phone. If you’re old enough you may remember seeing one of these on a special table at home. A few decades ago people would rent these from the telephone company. I know, it seems strange …

Ravpower Qi Wireless Charging pad – Review

I’m becoming a wireless charging convert, the ease of just slamming gently placing your phone or tablet onto a pad on your desk to charge it so quick and easy. The more devices I buy that support Qi charging the more I want to use it, have already …

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 – Review

Let’s face it, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is the new flagship for Samsung. No longer does the Galaxy S range sit at the top of the pile. With the original Note it was very similar to the S2, with only the screen size and the design being …

Official Samsung S View cover for Galaxy S4 mini – review

I was never a stickler for official cases. I never understood why I would pay over the odds for something I could buy somewhere else that would probably be just as good and a lot cheaper. When I got the chance to try out the official S4 mini …

ThL W8s – Review

This is a review of the ThL W8S.  You can read my initial impressions post here. I purchased the phone from Pandawill, a China based exporter and it cost $295 (which converted to £185.67 on the day). It is now listed at $279 with only one battery and …

Wrappz.com custom skins

I have recently been looking around for a new look for my, now 12 month old, iPhone 5 and stumbled across wrappz.com. Wrappz.com make custom cases and skins for LOADS of different devices such as phones, tablets, laptops and even hockey sticks! The process of creating your masterpiece …

Huawei Ascend P2 Review

The Huawei Ascend P2 was a device we first spotted back in Barcelona some months ago and, finally, it’s here. Inside there’s some pretty decent specs. Decent? No, that’s not the right word. Very good. Firstly you have that 4.7″ 720×1280 pixel screen. Resolution is great – the …

Review: RHA MA-600i Earphones

  Music is a thing of beauty.  It can make you feel elated, sad or any of the emotions in between.  The one thing that music requires however is a decent way of transmitting the sound to your ears.  From large floor standing speakers to headphone to earphones, …

Coolsmartphone Gift Guide – Touchscreen Gloves

Over the next few weeks you’ll be seeing more from our “Gift Guide” series. We’ll be covering the best accessories, gadgets and smartphones to stuff into the stocking this festive season. First, gloves. Gloves are great. They’re obviously practical at this time of year. Winter is on the …

GOCLEVER FONE 570Q – Review

The last few weeks have been interesting, I’ve been using the GOCLEVER FONE 570Q phablet as one of my main devices and it’s about time  for the main review. My initial impressions are here if you’re interested. The GOCLEVER is one of those devices that look identical to …

HTC One Max – Review

HTC have been making pretty good hardware for a while now and their latest range of ‘One’ handsets have been some of the most impressive phones of the year so far. However, large phones are becoming more popular now. We’ve already seen the Samsung Galaxy Note range and …

My time with the Nokia Lumia 1020

The Nokia Lumia 1020 is an amazing camera, that in the right hands can take some truly stunning photos and it can easily replace your point and shoot. But at what cost? Does Windows Phone support the Lumia 1020 enough? From the day I first saw the leak …

LG G2 – Initial Impressions

The LG G2 has a tough market to compete in, the high end Android arena has a lot of big players in it currently. We have HTC, Samsung and Google all with devices around about 5″ so the G2 will draw lots of comparisons. I’ve only had the …

Tesco Hudl Review

It would seem that they are all jumping on the bandwagon.  It started with Amazon and the Kindle Fire who had the place to themselves until Tesco came along with their Hudl and it was announced yesterday that Argos are to start selling their own version of an …

Otterbox cases and the iPhone 5/5S – Review

I’ve grown fond of Otterbox over the years, having found them years ago whilst looking for a rugged case for my Dell Streak 5. Fast forward a few years and Otterbox are one of THE names for mobile phone and tablet cases, with many different designs and colours …

Google Nexus 7 (2013 edition) – Review

What can be said about the Nexus devices that hasn’t already been said? What once stood for a developer orientated device is now a high street brand that you can pick up in your local branch of PC World. Which isn’t a bad thing, it means more people …

LG L7 II Review

As mentioned in this weeks podcast, 2013 has very much been LG’s year.  With the relative success of the Nexus 4, the rumoured Nexus 5 and the release of the much vaunted LG G2 what was a bit part player in the Android ecosystem has become a big …

Nokia Lumia 1020 – Review

With a lot of people now taking more and more photos on their mobile phones, a decent camera has become something we all look to have. Until now, the megapixel race hit a wall around the 13 megapixel mark. To be honest this resolution is really good for …

Acer Liquid Z3 Duo – Review

Small things have a place in life, small phones definitely do too. Not everyone wants a huge device and not everyone wants a super complicated device covered in widgets and shortcuts. Good Points DTS Audio Small and compact Several different launchers designed for kids and the elderly Dual …

Muvit Stick N Stand Case for Xperia Z Ultra

The Xperia Z Ultra is a great bit of kit but with the giant screen I am worried that I will break all that lovely glass in my bag or pocket (yes you can put this beast in a pocket). So the first thing I did after getting …

Tesco Hudl Initial Impressions

Tesco have worked quite hard in the recent past to increase their digital offering.  They have bought Blinkbox for video streaming, We7 for music streaming and Mobcast for digital books.  They have created Clubcard TV and merged their acquisitions in order to create an all in one streaming …

Olo Creatures Snap Dog iPhone 5/5S case review

So, you want a decent quality gel-type case for your iPhone 5, but you’d like to to have a stand function too. No problem, there are loads to choose from. You also want it to look like a dog?! I have just the thing sir… The Olo Creatures …

Hands on with the LG G2 at the UK launch party

    The LG G2 was announced on the 7th of August in New York and in true LG style the UK sort of got left behind, the G2 is only just starting to appear at retailers and networks. Last night we attended the UK launch party in …

Acer Liquid S1 – Review

I’ll come out and say it, I love enormous phones, call them phablets, small tablets, massive phones or just plain old stupid. I’m a convert, I’ve come to terms with the fact I’m never going to be able to wear super skinny jeans and own a large phone. …

Apple iPhone 5C – Review

The iPhone has become somewhat synonymous with quality, it’s seen by some as the ultimate status symbol. I’ve never bought into that idea, almost resisting it, just because rather than by choice. But now and again I do like to see how the latest iPhone shapes up. Whether or …

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 – Initial Impressions

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 arrived on my desk a few days ago. The Note 3 marks the third generation of the Galaxy Note range, it also marks the third Galaxy Note that I’ve owned. So as is often the case with a new device here at Coolsmartphone …

Sony Smartwatch 2 – Review

Do you remember back to when you were a kid and you used to watch Knight Rider? Remember looking wistfully at the Hoff’s watch communicator that he used to talk with Kitt? I did anyway. Now we’re getting a step closer to this becoming a reality. I present …

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Review

So, Samsung then. We should skip a few chapters straight off. It’s a Samsung handset, so you know it’s going to be a well-built thing and the UI is going to be a polished and elegant place to be. The Galaxy S4 got a huge amount of attention …