Huawei Unveil the Kirin 980 – IFA2018

Huawei has chosen their keynote event here at IFA 2018 to Launch their new Kirin 980 SOC which features the first 7nm chip construction. The key stand out features of the chipset are to enable better facilitation of the On Device AI that was introduced last year with …

Random strange shed project. Day 2

I didn’t have a great deal of time last night so here’s a very quick update on the weird solar-powered shed / phone project. If you read the first post then you’ll know that I basically want to create some sort of home server which isn’t powered by …

Smartwatches galore!

The pace of new mobile phone announcements and releases is quite bewildering at the moment, but lest we forget about other IFA and related announcements here is a round-up of the most recent smartwatch developments: Casio WSD-F30 There are smartwatches that look rugged, such as the Gear S3 …

Google Pixel 3 finally leaks

There has been leak after leak recently about the Pixel 3XL, in fact a whole unboxing has been recorded and camera samples out online. But what we were not as sure about is the smaller version just called the Pixel 3, until now. Specs are said to include …

Apple confirm iPhone event date

Excitement always comes this time of year with the expected announcement of new Apple products in September. Apple have just confirmed their September event for the 12th, where we expect to see three new iPhone devices as well as a new Apple watch. Press invites have just gone …

The Honor Magic 2. Please let this come to Europe

In February 2017, I stumbled across the original Honor Magic at Mobile World Congress. I was really taken with the thing. It felt like a glossy pebble – the design was just stunning. Like nothing else on the market. Trouble is, it wasn’t destined for Europe, so unless …

Blackberry KEY2 LE announced at IFA

TCL have today announced a new version of their KEY2 family – the KEY2 LE Available from September at a RRP of £349, the LE is a great alternative to anyone wanting a keyboard powered smartphone without needing the power from the older brother version. Along with the …

IFA2018 – Gamers rejoice, it’s the Honor Play

Let’s go with the price on this one first shall we? It’s £279.99. Boom. That’s probably enough to get you buying it already. A cheap phone for gamers? Can there be such a thing? Well, yes there can. Go buy one. Go get one right now on HiHonor.com. …

Sony Xperia XZ3 goes official at IFA2018

It only seems a few minutes since we reviewed the XZ2 but now, here it is, the Xperia XZ3. It might “just” look like a small upgrade, but there’s actually a lot more to appreciate about this one. Specs include a 6″ 2880 x 1440 screen – that’s …

IFA 2018 – Follow our updates on Twitter

If you’re trying to find out what’s coming next in the world of connected gadgets, tech and smart technology, IFA is a good place to start. IFA (Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin) is Europe’s biggest consumer electronics show and runs from August 31st until September 5th. It’s held in Berlin and you …

Mobile phones. We’re becoming addicts without morals.

Earlier in the year I posted this feature about how we’re effectively living our lives through and behind a mobile screen now. It’s something that I saw on holiday too and, if I still had the photos (and hadn’t smashed my phone to bits), I’d show you some …

The breadcrumbs are back!

I’m typing this on my old Chromebook. Man, it feels good. Like a pair of comfy slippers. Turn on, into a browser, type a bit, close the lid. No updates interrupting the experience. No 5 minute random unknown reboot times. No virus worries. Just productivity power. Love it. …

HTC launch the U12 life. Great specs, equally great price.

Whenever anybody puts “Life” in the name of their product, I somehow think of a Vauxhall Corsa Life. It’s a typically entry-level car with eco credentials. Here though, the new HTC U12 life (with a lower-case “L”) offers a high-end spec for a midrange price. Available in Moonlight …

Random strange shed project. Day 1

Publishing this in the middle of IFA is just insane really. If I was one of those click-bait websites, I’d add this to the site at some point in the next couple of weeks, but.. Nah, can’t be bothered. So, off the back of my rather epic ultra-cheap …

Jump on my USB-powered hot seat.

Right, short version. This is on Kickstarter right now and you can (if you’re really very quick), pledge just $69 to get one. It’s basically a comfortable, portable, self-supporting seat which has a heat pad to warm your bottom. The power for this is provided via any portable …

Now Xiaomi work with Yeelight to launch latest smart lighting

Remember how Xiaomi helped bring us the ROIDMI cordless vacuum? Well, they’re now branching out into light strips too. Light strips can be placed into or under cupboards, on walls, skirting boards or on ceilings. They’re flexible and can be cut and pasted onto objects around your home …

Wear OS to get new experience

Google have been in the smart watch business for a while now, however it is no secret they have had a tough time when compared to their Apple rival. Android Wear rebranded into Wear OS in a bid to bring a better experience, however there was still a …

Acer at IFA 2018

Acer has kicked things off at IFA 2018 with a heavily PC based event showcasing their new laptop line up alongside some of the new gaming systems and Virtual Reality/Mixed Reality. The things that were most interesting things for us at Coolsmartphone were really the laptops in the …

Look at my twanger!

Ever wanted to try archery? Now, with the help of £31.95 virtual archer, you can do it anywhere. OK, so it’s not carved out of walnut, but the plastic device adds a smartphone holder which, when paired with Bluetooth and used with the relevant app, gives you a …

IFA 2018 – It begins

So it is that time of year again when the tech blogging world makes their annual pilgrimage to Berlin. The show is massive in scale but fortunately I am here for a few days, I have lined up a lot of meetings with some very cool people to …