Category: Accessories
A few weeks ago you may remember that I was able to get hold of the Microsoft Band briefly at its launch event. I have now had some time with the device and thought I would share my thoughts with you. I am not the fittest guy in …
For a moment yesterday we were concerned that Pebble Time, a device we were waiting patiently for, was going to be nothing but vapourware. This morning there was a collective sigh of relief as, in our inboxes, we were greeted with an email from Kickstarter with an update …
Want a tablet stand that’s cheap and portable? How does £3 grab you? This one is made from strong cardboard and ideal for slipping into your case or bag. It’ll prop up your device and you can get a dozen of them for £16 – about the same …
From the Google Play Store that is. If you either love Android Wear (me) or hate it (James) it appears that one of the first Android Wear devices, the Samsung Galaxy Gear Live has now disappeared from the Google Play Store, no fire sale, nada, nothing, just gone …
Any fans of the Avengers might have noticed a lot of promotion alongside of the Samsung Galaxy S6, with downloadable themes and now there are Avengers cases and wireless charging pad. These official Samsung cases feature some of Earth’s mightiest heroes (Iron Man, the Hulk, Captain America and …
We heard about this gadget a short while ago. It is, in effect, a really long smartphone holder. Imagine the holder in your car, but with an almost 65cm reach. First of all, don’t try sticking this in your car. It’s far too long at it’d stick out …
You young kids might call it “bantz” now, but I was having a “discussion” on Twitter with a few people about the in-building penetration provided by networks operating on 900MHz. The likes of O2 and Vodafone both seem to get through the walls of my home but, using …
Those of you who follow the site ay remember me reviewing the Enerplex Packr Solar Rucksack. It was the bag I took to MWC 2015 with my and it proved to be very useful as it was able to carry a ridiculous amount of gear and was still …
I have a small child and he can be a handful at times. Back when he was younger we were able to pop him into the car and I could guarantee the motion of driving would send him to sleep. Ahh those were magical days…. However now he …
Back in the old days, when I used to construct this site on a daily basis using Microsoft Frontpage (yes, feel my pain), I used to make the odd mistake. Now I’m all professional and dat. It’s rare for you to find me spilling anything inkorrectly. However, sometimes …
I reviewed the Google Cardboard some time ago. It was £2 and is (obviously) made from cardboard. It’s a virtual reality headset which uses your phone as the screen. This one, which isn’t made of cardboard but has a similar design, is £29.95. You buy this, slap your …
On modern smartphones battery life can take a massive hit. Consider all your favourite apps running in the background, emails, tweets and updates plus GPS and Bluetooth connectivity. There are portable chargers available which help boost the battery but these need to be carried around with your phone. …
Many of the higher-end phones now have IR blasters. It’s not a new thing though, as IR ports were actually found in phones many years ago. Back then there wasn’t such a thing as “Bluetooth” and you’d never find WiFi in your handset, so data was transferred over …
We’ve all been there I’m sure. That moment when you wish you had a hand to help you or perhaps an arm to do your bidding? Well, here it jolly well is. This is the “Lazy Arm” and is “more flexible than a Chinese gymnast”. I don’t really …
I’ve become a bit of a fan of the Rock Jaw headphones. They’re premium quality build, excellent sound and yet they don’t cost the earth. We’ve already reviewed their Hydra headphones, the Arcana ones and the Alfa Genius set. All of them received glowing reviews and they delivered …
A few years ago I was a big online gamer (ooooohh yes, I remember the days of online gaming with a 56k modem. Quake and Unreal Tournament come to mind..). Anyway, my gaming came to a halt about 6 years ago, which funnily coincides with the birth of …
Some time ago I carried out a review of the Inateck iPad sleeve. Inateck have contacted me this morning to let me know of a deal they currently have running on their Amazon Paperwhite Sleeve Case. The sleeve is made from a soft grey felt type material with …
The Phone Buddy is a simple idea that caught my eye recently at The Gadget Show Live 2015 event. One of the problems I frequently encounter is horrendously tangled headphone wires. Whenever I put (ok throw) my headphones into my bag they always come out in a knotted mess, …
Following last year’s Gadget Show (2014), I was sent a Qi wireless charging car kit and charging pad from Mobile Solar Chargers, which really impressed me. The review can be read here. A short while ago, Tim from the site contacted me again with a multitude of goodies …
This light and portable bluetooth speaker is ideal for travel. It’s stylish small size doesn’t mean it’s not powerful. With a 6W output level it’s loud enough to provide ample sound in a variety of places. Surprisingly the 2 little 3W speakers can provide good bass thanks to …
The people at Kinivo were going to send us a Bluetooth speaker to look at. It was meant to be the Kinivo BTX270 Wireless Bluetooth speaker. I’m sure it’s very good and that, but what we actually received was this, the BTH240. It is, as you can see, …
This entire site started way back in 2002 when Orange launched the SPV. It was an own-branded smartphone manufactured by a little known (and little-mentioned) company called “HTC”. Now EE, who have swallowed up Orange (and T-Mobile), are launching two new smartphones – the Harrier and Harrier Mini. …
Bluetooth speakers are ten a penny, if you need one you have an enormous selection to choose from. While this is quite a good position to be in (chances are you’ll be able to find exactly what you need) it can be a bit a bit of an …
I think I have a fetish for cases, either that or I have just never managed to find the right one. I’m always swapping and changing. Now this is my next victim, the Tech21 Patriot Case. This is a rugged case for my iPhone 6 Plus. Tech21 assure me …
There are times in life when you want to actually hear things the way they were intended. Be it a piece of music that brings back memories of a momentous event or you want to immerse yourself in a horror film or really loose yourself in a game. …
If you want to keep your Samsung Galaxy S5 in good condition, this Viva Window cover is worth a look. We’ve been using it on a Galaxy S5 and it sits over the battery cover – not replacing it as some do. This adds a small amount of …
A short time ago, we reported that network provider EE were giving away a power bar to customers, and would exchange a “empty” one with a “topped up” in store. Well, it appears that the promotional idea has been taken up by the bargain hunting British public, with the …
We had a bit of a dig into the Terms and Conditions of the free EE Power Bars and, well, it’s all a little strange. The PDF actually states that… A Power Bar is made available to you on a free to hire basis, under the terms of …
If you’ve followed us for a while then you’ll already know that EE are giving away free portable chargers to their customers. Yesterday was “go” day and queues formed in EE stores around the UK as customers. At this point I’m going to do a classic “local newspaper” …
A couple of weeks ago we revealed that EE were to dish out powerbanks for nothing. If you’re an EE customer today is the day to get texting if you want one. All you need to do is text “POWER” to 365 to receive a promotional code, then …
Last year I was sent through the TravelCard portable charger for review, which is a super slim battery pack designed to fit in your wallet and give your mobile device that all important boost when you need it. I loved the TravelCard charger and it sits happily in …
Yesterday I was at a Microsoft event in sunny Glasgow where I was lucky enough to get hands on with the Brand new Microsoft Band, which is launching on Wednesday. I am very impressed with it and in the short time I wore it, it felt quite comfortable. The Band …
Battery life on a phone is something we all wish we had more of, whether it be for more gaming time or for more camera shots whilst on holiday. For a while now many companies have made portable charger packs which charge your phone via USB and then …
The quality of camera phones is generally very good, especially on high end models. However, with a few exceptions, significant changes in magnification normally requires software-based image manipulation when on a smartphone. There are a few options available for altering lenses on phones, and one that impressed me …
Following my visit to this years Gadget Show Live show, I’m going to share my views on those products that impressed me the most. As listeners to our podcast will be aware my favourite product came in the unexpected form of a smartphone case. Traditionally I’ve always preferred …
Today marks the launch of both the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the S6 edge. Whether you like it or not, it’s wise to put a case on the posh new Galaxy handset if you get yourself one today. The S6 is pretty much £600 or more depending on …
Home automation is something that is only really limited by your imagination, possibly what accessories you can buy and possibly also by how much money you have. You get the idea though…. One of the more intriguing things I saw at MWC was the Piper NV, it is …
I do get some very odd emails here at Coolsmartphone, and daily you’ll find an email from some random Chinese manufacturer sitting in my inbox. Usually these are to sell Bluetooth speakers, keyboards or GPS trackers. For some reason they think I’m a buyer for a UK store, …
I am a father of a young boy and even though I do actively try and minimize his time using gadgets it is an inevitable part of live theses days that they will use them. The other day I came home from work and he saw that I …
EE has announced the launch of a new reward scheme for its customers – EE Power. The new scheme is available for all active EE customers, both mobile and broadband customers. According to a YouGov poll commissioned by EE: Almost 60% of smartphone users find their battery doesn’t …
