Here’s the news. Don’t believe the news.

Today, here in the UK, it’s time to vote. Have you decided which party you’re going to vote for? If so, how exactly did you come to your conclusion? Perhaps now, more than ever, your decision won’t have been made after reading the manifesto of each party. If …

Coolsmartphone Podcast 207 Live

Majid. Matteo. M&M! This episode of the Coolsmartphone Podcast may start out as a flat pack, but Matteo and Majid will build it and hopefully not have too many pieces left over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1aXVA-wOi0 Would you like to interact with them on the show? Twitter is the place to …

Moto Z2 Play and new Mods announced

We recently brought you the review of the Moto Z Play, a mid-range device that stood out from the competition thanks to its fantastic battery life.  Moto have since announced the 2017 iteration of the device, the Moto Z2 Play.  The new phone is an updated version of …

Virgin Media customers experiencing DNS and routing issues

Virgin Media are having problems with their data / broadband network for some home internet customers today. No, it’s not the long-running on-demand and catch-up issues this time. Oh no. It appears that their DNS servers have gone a bit Pete Tong and sites like eBay, Netflix and …

Support for Skype to end for Windows Phone users on July 1st

This will probably only be affecting three or four people, but it’s yet another step in the road for the removal of Windows on a phone and Microsoft support for the Windows Phone operating system or MS-provided apps. Thurrott is reporting on this Skype support page which details …

Peli Case for your​ S8/S8+

The new Galaxy S8 and the S8+ handsets are gorgeous. There is no denying that. There are countless blogs and reviews attesting to this. However, this beauty does come at a cost. In testing by the fine people over at SquareTrade it was discovered that the S8 and …

Vodafone to stop advertising on hate speech and fake news outlets

We’re currently trying to get a list of the outlets involved in this press announcement. Whether it’ll involve tabloid websites is unclear at the moment, however the network has stated that new global rules are now in operation to stop Vodafone adverts appearing “within outlets focused on creating …

DOOGEE Mix shrinks the bezel. Cheap too.

OK. I’ve caved. The PR people for DOOGEE have mailed me each and every single day for months now. The daily updates range from orchestrated “leaks” and “rumours”, so it’s difficult to know when an actual handset has been announced because I’m buried in their mails. Today though, …

EE offer dedicated Welsh customer services

EE have become the first network to offer customers dedicated Welsh customer service support in their language. Customers will be able to request a call from a Welsh speaking adviser to help with any issues they may have and help resolve with ease. Marc Allera, EE CEO, states… …

HTC U11 now available on giffgaff

Want the squeezy HTC U11 network unlocked, on the giffgaff where you can adjust your monthly cost as you require? Head to giffgaff where they’re stocking the “Amazing Silver” or “Sapphire Blue” version right now. We’ve got full details on the HTC U11 so, when you’ve checked the …

eSports on the iPhone

Back when I was a lad we had computer games, and if you wanted to play against a second player you needed a Kempston Interface with 2 ports or you ended up sharing a rubber keyed keyboard, but it was fun. A little later on and LAN networks …

Smartphones made of glass, lol

Wikipedia lists glass as ‘a non-crystalline amorphous solid that is often transparent and has widespread practical, technological, and decorative usage in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optoelectronics’. Here’s a further list of some things that are made of glass: Light bulbs Drinking vessels Spectacles Greenhouses Ashtrays Smartphones …

Blackberry KEYone – Pretty Pictures

The BlackBerry KEYone is a device we saw being launched in Barcelona at MWC. I’ve had one for a while and a review is coming soon to Coolsmartphone.com. In the meantime, here are some hands on shots of the device, with plenty of greenery in the background.

2021 – EE and BT to get beefy

We spoke to EE CEO Marc Allegra back in March and we were intrigued to know whether the recent BT acquisition would mean any EE branding changes. At the time, it was a definite no, and BT seemed content to run EE as a separate brand. After all, …

Roaming – It’s all about to change

Unbelievably, it’s nearly June. That means that big sporting events like Wimbledon are now only a month away. Before that though, there’s the Epsom Derby, the Champions League final, a couple of World Cup qualifiers, Argentina v England in the Rugby Union, the US Open, Royal Ascot and …

VR – Will it succeed or suffer the same fate as 3D TV’s?

Somebody mentioned eSports to me recently and, whilst I write about smartphones daily, I’ll confess to not knowing a great deal about it. Last week, in Copenhagen, the Unibet Copenhagen Open gave visitors the chance to play against these eSports stars. VR played a big role, with the evolution …

Coolsmartphone Podcast 206 Helping Old People With Technology

What a week! Our editing elves were dealing with an IT failure caused by a power outage, so we are releasing episode 206 of the Coolsmartphone Podcast today. Want a refund because your European podcast listening rights were infringed upon? You had better swallow that bitter Brexit pill …

The evolution of bunny rabbit ears

During my twelve years of using smartphones, I’ve never felt the need to use a case. I’ve instead kept my phone in good condition by ensuring that it gets a pocket to itself alongside nothing else such as keys to scratch it. I also ensure that I handle …

Sony Xperia XZ Premium now on pre-order with Three

Want to get a shiny new Qualcomm 835-powered Sony Xperia XZ Premium? If you’re looking to get one with Three, you can pre-order it right now. It’s available to buy from June 2nd. Three are offering the handset on their  “Advanced Plans”, which means that you can get the …