Chromecast now available for international orders

  One device that is hotly anticipated here in the UK that has been available in the US for months is Google’s Chromecast. The media streaming device that connects directly to your television’s HDMI port and is controlled by your Android, iDevice or Chrome browser has been generally …

New Samsung Galaxy Gear ad seems to ape first iPhone advert

You may not remember the first ever iPhone commercial. After all, it was 6 years ago. It featured scenes of people using various telephones in movies and TV shows. At the end the first ever iPhone is displayed with a catchy strapline. Matthew Panzarino (@panzer), remembers this well …

YouTube for Windows Phone reverts to the old web version

The ongoing dispute between Microsoft and Google about a Windows Phone version of YouTube has continued during the night. Basically after years of having a rubbish web based app made by Microsoft we recently got a really really good native Windows Phone app, again made by Microsoft. Google …

The Smartphone Evolution (or LGs version of it anyway)

Device manufacturers certainly like to remind us that they have a place in history. With most companies claiming a few “firsts” here and there. As part of the ongoing promotion to the LG G2, LG have released a snazzy infographic showing their place in time. Just click the …

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 …

Another day another Nexus 5 leak

The imminent arrival of any device these days is accompanied by a flood of leaks. It serves to ramp up excitement about a device and it also does away with any element of surprise during the press launch. Over the weekend an internal service manual for the LG-D821 …

Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 arriving in stores this weekend

We knew it was coming, but this weekend you can get the Galaxy Ace 3. It’s an updated version of the Ace 2, but with the addition of 4G. It’ll be in shops from October 5th with EE stores stocking it first. Carphone Warehouse and Tesco adding it …

The new Coolsmartphone server – The Final Countdown!

I’d like to say a massive thank-you to everyone who’s donated so far. It’s warmed the ‘ole cockles and we’re already in the final few days of our donation drive by the looks of things. We’re trying to buy ourselves a powerful new server which will keep the …

New Nexus 7 now on Three.. WiFi-only version though

Three have just sent out a press release confirming the latest Nexus 7 tablet is now available in the UK via their network. This is the WiFi model costing £199.99 and can be paired with either a PAYG or Contract MiFi for browsing access. Wait, you want to …

Xbox Music for Android adds Intel chip support

For a small sub sector of Android users who not only have a device with an Intel chip in and who also have an Xbox Music account today is their day. Xbox Music has just been updated to support their devices. So mainly people using either the Motorola …

HTC continue to slide as Samsung posts record profits

It really shouldn’t be happening. HTC make great handsets. The HTC One is, quite simply, brilliant. The HTC One mini is great too, but the Samsung steam-roller has blasted the opposition away with sexy phones and an advertising budget that would make a lottery winner feel poor. This …

HTC and Microsoft discuss handsets

It is no secret that HTC are struggling, they recently revealed that have made a loss for the first time ever and the leaks and rumours only really point to one device that is rather underwhelming (One Max). So what do they do next? Android just isn’t working …

The Coolsmartphone Podcast – Episode 65

Episode 65 of our podcast is ready, it’s a bit of an LG G2 based episode this week. Joining me this week was just Mark Peters. This week’s topics were as follows. The LG G2 UK launch party in London The iPhone 5S The Nokia Lumia 1020 The …

O2 experiences a failure too

So, following the GiffGaff failure yesterday, now the parent network – O2 – has failed. It seems to have kicked off earlier today and, 11 hours later, there still appears to be people who are experiencing problems. The status page currently states that, as of 8PM… We are …

Google Music for iOS approaching

Using iTunes on your iPhone? Of course you are, but if you’ve thought about trying Google Music it’s really not been possible. Not fully anyway. However, there’s rumours suggesting that this will change pretty soon indeed. Engadget are stating that the iOS version is already being tested and …

Otterbox unveil the Commuter Wallet case

I’m a bit of an OtterBox fan. I like to have my latest device protected. By protected I mean really protected, I usually choose an OtterBox case happy in the knowledge it will be nice and solid. Well today OtterBox have announced something new and a bit different. …

Android Version Figures updated, but does it matter anymore?

  The numbers are in and it’s official, Jellybeans are taking over the world……nearly! Earlier this year Google announced that they had hit 1 billion Android activations which, looking at the table below, means that over 480 million devices are now on Android Jellybean. Version Codename API Distribution …