Tag: smartphone

Mobile Industry – Poised for a revolution in FPS Gaming

Wait, what? FPS Gaming might be a confusing phrase for some, but it basically means “First Person Shooter”. Not (as I initially thought) “Frames Per Second”. Think about the biggest games on mobile though and the likes of PUBG and Fortnite are right up there. Recent developments in …

How to create better videos on your smartphone

As you might have seen from our YouTube channel, I tend to film quite a few hands-on videos. Professional kit isn’t used, but with a bit of cleverness, you can get a professional-looking video. Some of the “tricks” I’ve used in recent years have been stored in my …

Review – Crash Bandicoot XL Smartphone and gadget holder

We recently had a look at the Cable Guys Spiderman smartphone holder. This one is similar, but far taller and look – it’s Crash Bandicoot! Available from Amazon for £24.99, there’s free delivery in the UK. This is 32cm hig and weighs in at 1.1 KG. It’s a …

Protect your smartphone from intruders

We live in a world where most of the services and applications we use on our phones are free. We rarely pay, but at the same time we rarely worry about why all this stuff is free! Usually it’s because your personal information is being shared. Facebook and …

Collectable Spiderman Smartphone Holder Review

Spiderman, Spiderman, does whatever a spider can. You know, hes spins a web any size, catches thieves just like flies. So look out, here comes the Spiderman. Any Spiderman lovers out there? Any of you guys into your (checks notes) .. err.. Marvel stuff? This is for you …

When is it the right time to bin your smartphone?

Back in the day, people used to replace their phone every single year. Once a shiny new model came around, they would toss their old model away. Now that phones are no longer the size and shape of bricks, you may be wondering how long you should wait …

Honor 20 – Unboxing and mini-review

About a month ago, on a day as similarly hot as it is today, I was down in London attending the launch and announcement of the Honor 20 series. Whilst I was there I was mostly focused on the biggest brother in the lineup – the Honor 20 …

Making use of an old smartphone. The Shed Project Returns!

Remember my strange Shed Project? I wanted to make use of an old smartphone and thanks to a solar panel and some software, I created a web server which didn’t need external power, then lumped in an API so I could remotely control the camera and check on …

Honor 8S launched, plus new price drops on other Honor phones!

The Honor 8S us now official. It’s only £99.99 and is available from Amazon, Carphone Warehouse and Very. It weighs 146 grams and runs Android 9 (Pie). There’s a microUSB charging port, 3020mAh battery and 4G, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. Around back a 13 megapixel shooter and, up …

Enormous unnecessary Brexit rant and remote mouse killer. Engage!

This was going to be a look at a slightly bizarre gadget. However, I’ve lost all concept of the word “bizarre” nowadays. To be honest here in Britain we’re so far down the rabbit hole right now, everything else kinda seems normal. Boris Johnson? Seriously? The guy flat …

Nokia 2.2 arrives. A smartphone for the less techy.

We can’t find a way to buy it just yet, but the Nokia website now has the Nokia 2.2 online and is set to cost just €99. The headline features of this one are the AI helpers and the sheer fact that it’s cheap. It’s not quite as …

Nokia 1 Plus – Overview and video

A smartphone that costs just £69.99? There’s got to be some shortcomings, right? Well yes. Of course. You’re not going to get a Ferrari when you’re paying Ford Fiesta money, but the Nokia 1 Plus is a great first step for those who are just starting out in …

Podcast 249 – Don’t text and drive people!

Another new intro, a lot of talk about MOT’s, fishing, caravans and actual smartphone-related chatter too. It’s all here folks, and it’s part of Podcast 249. Recorded in the car, in this episode I also do a manly “pap” on the horn due to the driver in front drifting in …

OnePlus 7 Pro launch. Be part of it at pop-up events.

So, on May 14th we’ll be in London to cover the OnePlus 7 Pro launch live and direct. We’ll have all the hands-on footage, opinion and pictures. However, you guys can get a look of the phone for real at a pop-up store in John Lewis & Partners. …

Pixel 3a available at EE with free Google Home Hub

OK, so Carphone Warehouse are giving you a free laptop if you buy the Pixel 3a. What about EE? Well, anyone buying either the Pixel 3a or Pixel 3a XL on an EE handset plan before May 23rd will get a free Google Home Hub. That’s worth £119. …

Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL arrive.. and there’s something new

The smartphone industry has a bit of a problem right now. First, there’s those expensive high-end phones like the Samsung Galaxy handsets, iPhones and Huawei’s. You usually buy them on a contract. However, there’s now cheaper phones that are getting scarily close to the specs of those flagships. …

Virgin Media cranks up the speeds and boosts bundles

Want even faster broadband at home? Well, for £62 per month you can get half a Gig down and 35Mbps up with their Business fibre service. Not only that, but Virgin Mobile – operating on the EE network – are now combining broadband and mobile deals, plus they’re …

Total phone content protection and monitoring. SpyMyPhone.

Just recently I’ve been looking for a way to keep tabs on my son. He’s just got his first ever proper smartphone and, although I don’t want to snoop on him too much, I do want to ensure he’s safe. One app that has pinged my radar is …

The Coolsmartphone Podcast – Now on Spotify too!

We published our first ever podcast, unbelievably, way back in 2012. On Tuesday we’ll be publishing Episode 244. The number 244, as you may be aware, is the dialling code for Angola. It’s also the year that Philip the Arab became the new Roman Emperor. So… ermm.. to …

New mobile phone detectors deployed by police

Using your phone whilst driving? Perhaps you have a cheeky look at it when you’re stuck in traffic or in a long tail-back? Well, beware, because the police are now starting to roll out automatic systems which will attempt to spot your phone usage and then flash a …

Smartphone safety and security. It’s still a big deal.

As we saw just yesterday, your phone can open you up to scams and other dangers. This is even true if you’ve got a “dumb” mobile without all the clever smartphone extras. Out there, on the other end of your phone, are endless people who want to extract …

Skoda testing deliveries direct to your boot

OK, this one sounds a little weird, but let’s have a look anyway. Getting deliveries can always be a bit of a hit-and-miss affair, especially if you’re at work or on the toilet. Despite you waiting around, you’ll probably find that the delivery driver turns up just when …

A fun way to get your kids brushing properly.

Kids love sweets, so ensuring that they’re brushing their teeth regularly is key. You can’t always monitor this, so PlayBrush is a great way to create a solid dental cleaning routine. Instead of making brushing teeth a chore, the 2 minutes task can now be made fun thanks …

How AI is revolutionizing mobile technology

There’s a bit of a problem with the smartphone market right now. The clever technology that used to set each manufacturer apart is now easier to get, easier to duplicate and cheaper to buy. Because of this, the average smartphone buyer sees many different phones with similar designs …

On-demand VR Theatre – LIVR

Watching a theatre performance is always best when you’re actually there, but – despite shows now being on TV – a lot of people find that they have to travel to the West End to get the proper theatre experience. Now a London-startup has launch LIVR, the world’s …

Three roll out their own Brexit bus

OOoohh… bit dangerous this. Driving a bus round with promises written on the side. How much do we believe that ? 🙂 So, whilst Parliament goes into a full-on meltdown about a Brexit which nobody can agree on, Three have driven up and down the road outside to …

Coolsmartphone Podcast 239 – 1.21 gigawatts!

In this episode we’re going to turn the clock back. We’re going to do a full Back to the Future show for you this week and, although we don’t have any plutonium and we don’t have a flux capacitor, we do have a car. So, a quick update …

You’re being lied to.

It’s true. With Tim Berners-Lee recently stating that the world-wide web is in a “downward plunge to a dysfunctional future”, there’s doubts about how much we can trust what we read. Data can be manipulated, misinformation can spread easily and it’s skewing the results of elections and referendums. …

Stricter rules for smartphone gambling introduced

It’s that time of year again when the Cheltenham Festival comes to town. This, like the Grand National, marks the time when people will be tempted to take a cheeky flutter on the horses. Indeed, if you’re using an Android phone, you’ll have no doubt seen an uptick …

Vodafone to launch 5G in 19 cities this year

With actual, real, 5G smartphones announced now, there’ll be customers soon wanting to take advantage of this new super-speedy capability. Vodafone have announced that trial sites in Liverpool, Cardiff and Bristol have just been enabled, and 12 further cities – on top of the 7 already announced – …

You’re spending longer on the toilet because of your phone

Are you reading this on the toilet? Right now? Chances are, you’re not alone. It’s something we don’t discuss, but in reality we all take a bit of “time out” and browse on our phones while we’re “making a delivery”. Now, here at Coolsmartphone we do get a …

Instagram is a child grooming hotspot

The NSPCC has today revealed that sex offenders are grooming more children on Instagram more than any other online platform. In 32% of the recorded police incidents, Instagram was used to send sexual communication. It was closely followed by Facebook, which was used in 23% of the tim. …

MWC – Meet the nubia Alpha wearable phone

We’ve seen foldable phones in Barcelona, and – in years past (actually, it was 2016!) – we’ve seen flexible displays. The latter was actually first brought to our attention as a possible wearable by FlexEnable but they didn’t have the necessary capacity to make it a full-on production …

Wait a minute. Yes, it really is a folding phone. Welcome, Samsung Fold

So yes, today we saw a whole stack of Galaxy phones but there was, as Yoda almost said in Star Wars, another… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r_UgNcJtzQ Yeah. That’s a bit amazing isn’t it? A 7.3″ AMOLED “Flex Display” and stacks of multitasking possibilities. This is a whole new category of smartphone …

The Samsung Galaxy S10 range. All you need to know.

So, it’s official. There’s three Samsung Galaxy S10 smartphones.. well, actually there’s four. You’ll probably see three in most stores over the next few months though, and they are the S10e, the S10 and the S10+. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tol9KBJBZt8 You’ll be getting a new dynamic AMOLED display and a “next-generation …

Hotel Hideaway. Another home for online grooming.

Yes, it’s me again. Recently I wrote about the dangers of kids using smartphones. The truth is, if you let them have a smartphone, you’re opening them up to a host of dangers. There’s absolutely nothing you can do to protect them unless you sit next to them …

PS4 financial figures impacted by smartphone gamers

It’s fair to say that my son loves his Playstation 4. Fortnite has been the main reason for this, and the fact that he can have a chat with his mates after school adds to the social element of it. However, he’s also a big fan of our …

Passing IT Certification exams in less time with Prepaway

I work in IT. You may have guessed 🙂 One thing you always have to do in IT is learn. You can never sit still. The industry is continually growing, with new technologies appearing on a regular basis which you have to understand. If you don’t look at …