Author: Simon Allum

Samsung Galaxy Round Officially announced in Korea

Only a few short hours ago images of an “absurd” looking Samsung smartphone leaked with a curved display. Well, the leaks have proved accurate as Samsung have now officially unveiled the Samsung Galaxy Round. The handset has a 5.7″ Full HD Super AMOLED curved display, is 7.9mm thick and …

Microsoft gift cards incoming?

Microsoft have long sold access to their Xbox Live service in the form of cards available at many retail outlets but until now Windows Phone users have been unable to make purchases in the same number of ways that iTunes and Google Play users currently can. This however …

iTunes Radio to hit the UK in 2014

Music streaming services are fast becoming all the rage and in particular services that are tailored to the individuals listening preferences. With Google having already entered the fray internationally and services such as Spotify already offering a radio streaming service, Apple are slightly behind the curve. However, this …

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 …

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 …

Android 4.4 Screenshots Leak

The recently announced Android KitKat (version 4.4) is edging ever nearer to release….we think! The amount of supposed leaks are growing by the day and now, thanks to Gadgethelpline we actually have a leak of what appear to be some early screenshots. So early in fact that they still …

Chrome for Android updated with Gesture Support

Google has announced an update to the stable channel of Chrome for Android which brings gesture support to the browser. According to the latest Google blog post, in Chrome for Android, you’ll be able to: Swipe horizontally across the top toolbar to quickly switch tabs. Drag vertically down …

Cbeebies App launches on Windows Phone

Back in August the BBC launched the CBeebies app on iOS, Android and for the Kindle and now the same app has been released for the Windows Phone platform. The app which is completely free of in app purchases has since kept my little one occupied with its …

LG G2 Now available on Three

With it’s 5.2″ screen and rear volume rocker, the new flagship powerhouse from LG, the LG G2 is now available from 3 stores or online. The handset features a full HD 1920 x 1080 screen, a 13MP rear camera with Optical Image Stabilisation, is 4G ready and combines …

Google Play Music All Access reach extended

  It is a continual frustration for those outside of the United States that Google tend to release all of their services for the US first, sometimes leaving the rest of the world to fend for themselves or wait a ridiculously long time for said service to become …

Hangouts and Talk Messages being routed incorrectly

Techcrunch are currently reporting that messages sent to the new Google Hangouts are being routed incorrectly. Twitter users, Google forum members and Google Talk users have all been complaining that messages sent to one recipient have actually been arriving in other people’s inboxes. The site states that… One of …

Sony reveal new Android powered Walkman devices

Sales of the humble MP3 player have nosedived as most people use their smartphones for the majority of their personal listening needs. Whilst Apple have had major success with their iPod range, other manufacturers have struggled to make a dent in the personal music player sector once music …

EE Add 12 more towns to the 4G party

EE are doing rather well for themselves lately. They were Britain’s first 4G operator, they have passed a million 4G customers, and still have the fastest average speed of the 4G networks launched so far. More good news has also come from the EE headquarters in the fact …

GMail for Android update in progress

As recently confirmed by Google a new version of Android is due to be released rather soon. Around the time that Google releases a new version we often see updates to the major apps that make a fundamental part of the OS. The first of these updates appears …

Samsung to release curved display on a smartphone

OLED (Organic LED) televisions with curved screens were first demonstated at CES in 2012 and the technology has hit the market this year for anyone with curved walls to buy. Samsung have confirmed that they will be releasing a smartphone based on the same technology with a plastic …

HTC One update to 4.3 begins

The HTC One has now been on the market for nearly seven months and is still HTC’s leading device. July saw the handset receive the 4.2.2 update and now the latest incantation of Google’s Android OS is beginning to roll out bringing the HTC One bang up to …

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear available from today

The Galaxy Note 3 and the Galaxy Gear, Samsung’s recently announced latest flagship devices are today available across parts of Europe. The devices are available from London’s Westfield Stratford shopping centre, where the Note 3 will cost £649, and the Galaxy Gear will set you back £299.  Buy both …

Archos Gamepad 2 revealed in retailer leak

The Archos Gamepad. There is really not a lot to be said about the original, particularly after the less than favourable opinions of our own James Pearce. Dependant on your point of view, there is good or bad news for it has been revealed in a leak by …

FIFA 14 comes to iOS, Android and is free to play

Most years there are two annual game releases that can be guaranteed to bring people queuing at the doors upon release day. Call of Duty is one and the other it the yearly release of FIFA – the console version of which is scheduled for release on Friday. …

Android Device Manager gets Remote Lock Feature

Google were late in the game in bringing remote find and wipe options to Android but now that they are finally with us it would seem that Google are not resting upon their laurels. Added today is the new Remote Lock feature which enables you to remotely lock …

Oliver cooking with Bacon in new EE digital campaign

In a new campaign highlighting the benefits of EE’s superfast 4G network Kevin Bacon has been pitted against Jamie Oliver in a bacon sandwich making competition to be shown exclusively on the celebrity chef’s Youtube channel. The video sees Hollywood A-lister Kevin Bacon challenge top UK chef and …

Blackberry sold in $4.7bn deal

The troubled smartphone maker Blackberry was once top of the pile has today agreed a sale to a private consortium. According to Reuters the beleaguered manufacturer is to be sold to a group of companies led by Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd for $4.7 billion. A “Letter of Intent” has …

Microsoft announce the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2

The mobile world has been a busy place today with announcements all over the globe. It started in Korea with LG, moved to London with Tesco, onto China with Oppo and finally on to New York for Microsoft. Microsoft have announced today the latest in its Surface range …

Oppo N1 unleashed with rotating camera.

In an event that took place just minutes ago in Beijing Oppo have announced the release of the Oppo N1. The handset features rear touch panel called “O-Touch” and a multi-touch OS which adds a splash of colour and time-saving tricks. The makers of the much lauded Find …

Tesco to launch own brand Tablet, known as the Hudl

Supermarket behemoth Tesco has today announced that it is to start selling its own tablet, known as the Hudl. The device, a 7″ HD screened tablet is to ship with Android 4.2.2 (Jellybean), will sport a 1.5Ghz Quad-core CPU and will have 16GB onboard storage which will be …

O2 and Vodafone show it’s all about the speed.

If you are lucky enough to live in certain areas you currently have the luxury of three different 4G networks to choose from. All have their own positives and negatives but they all have one thing in common….speed. In a report released today by RootMetrics, both O2 and …

LG Announce the LG Vu III

Today in Korea, LG unveiled the latest in their “Phablet” range, the LG Vu III. Slated for an October release, the 5.2″ monster will actually go on sale on September 27″ for a currently unspecified price. The handset sports the latest in the Snapdragon range of processors, the …

BARGAIN ALERT: Bag a Nokia Lumia 920 for cheap as chips……

We are always on the lookout for a bargain here at Coolsmartphone and here for your delectation is an absolute steal. A Nokia Lumia 920 for only £220 with free shipping (and two quids worth of Clubcard points too) from Tesco Direct. Yes, £220.  SIM free, unlocked and …

Facebook for iOS updated following release of iOS 7

  The release of iOS 7 saw a whole new visual style for Apples devices.  This of course means that apps that previously fit in with the design styling now will need an update to fit in with the new styles. One of the first third party apps …

Android / iOS BBM release date set for this weekend…

Blackberry were once a major player in the smartphone world. Their devices allegedly played a major part in the orchestration of the London riots via the use of the secure Blackberry messenger platform and now users of iOS and Android can rejoice for finally BBM is coming to …

Car Audio FM Transmitter for Smartphones Review

Earlier this year we were lucky enough to buy a brand new car.  All bright and shiny it chugs along nicely doing 45 miles to the gallon taking us wherever we wish to go. When making our decision which car to buy we took many factors into account. …

Nexus 5 appears again at FCC

The Nexus 5.  So far there has been no official confirmation of its existence however the pictures and rumours just keep on coming. Today new pictures have emerged from the FCC showing what is reputed to be the new Nexus 5, made once again by LG.  The pictures …

Nokia 1020 now available SIM free from Clove

The Nokia 1020 is now available to purchase SIM free from Clove.co.uk Nokia’s flagship device with its class leading camera is available on a deal which includes a free accessory bundle consisting of a wireless charging pad, wireless charging cover, camera grip and tripod. The Lumia 1020 has a …

Touch ID will not store your fingerprint image.

Security on a smartphone is rapidly becoming a necessary evil.  The personal data stored on these mobile pocket computers is vast, from photos, videos, documents to simple contact details, the amount of vital information is growing daily. Just in the way that you wouldn’t welcome someone entering your …

Belkin 20 watt Dual USB Car Charger review

The single biggest complaint with any smartphone from an iPhone to an HTC Wildfire is around battery life.  The different apps  that people are now using their devices for vary banking on the move to satellite navigation to streaming music on the move but the one thing that …

iPhone – The launch in numbers….

All of us here at Coolsmartphone Towers have our favourite device however it can be taken for granted is that for each one of us that device is different. James P loves his Galaxy Note 2, Ravi loves his Nexus 4 while Dan likes anything new.  Mark Peters …

EE, Superfast 4G hitting targets superfast!

It’s hard to believe that a year ago almost to the day I was travelling to the Science Museum in London for the announcement of Britain’s first 4G Network from EE. September 11 2012 was the date that Everything Everywhere became EE and announced that they would begin …

Panasonic abandon ship, no more Eluga!

Growing up I remember Panasonic as one of the leading consumer electronics brands.  TV’s, stereos, video recorders, cordless landline telephones and so on.  Then as the cellphone was invented they made their way into that market too.  They were so successful that in 2001 they along with NEC …

A Limited Edition HTC One Mini – Oooh yes please….

Change.  Some people hate it, some people love it. HTC are a major proponent of change and together with British fashion designer David Koma they have produced a collection of limited edition HTC Mini handsets. The designs are inspired by the idea of change – something that both David …