Category: News

Christmas Tree Lights Slow Down Your WiFi

Double checking the date to ensure its not April the 1st, today Ofcom warns Christmas Tree Lights can slow down your home WiFi and have released a smartphone App that allows you to check your connection. The app tests WiFi signals to ensure data flows uninterrupted between your …

O2 Pricecrash has … well, crashed

The mobile site isn’t responding and the desktop site has no mention of it (actually as I was writing this article it is now showing up but not actually working). Is it another curse of the “Black Friday” with too many people trying to access it, or did …

Does the “butter side down theory” apply to phones?

You all know it the legend that states if you drop a piece of toast, it will land butter side down the vast majority of the time. It has even been scientifically proven by this guy. In a number of tests he ascertained that the majority of falls will …

NVIDIA release an updated gaming tablet

Last year there were two big tablets released with NVIDIA on board. One was the Google Nexus 9 which we reviewed here on site. The other slipped under our radar as it was being pitched more at gamers. This one was called the “NVIDIA Shield Tablet”. It was …

Super Bluetooth in 2016

Bluetooth is about to change from what we all know and love (or not, in some cases). The organisation that looks after the Bluetooth standard is updating it next year to increase coverage distance by 4 times the current distances, so we should see Bluetooth speakers work up …

Motorola wants to make you think

We just received this rather bizzare email from the Motorola PR team. Here is the first line from the email… Motorola has created a video with comedian Alfie Brown and a member of the public for the #PhonyJob challenge to see how tough a day in the life …

Lollipop, now pounding on a quarter of Androids

The release of a new version of Android always means a good look into how the versions are distributed. The ‘good’ news first: Android Lollipop is now up to 22.9% – almost a quarter of current handsets. Next up is KitKat (which is specifically Android 4.4) at a …

Z3 or Z3c owner? Want to test Marshmallow?

I like the Sony Z range. They look like well-designed and distinctive pieces of kit, but I was a little hesitant. I never knew what their upgrade strategy would be from handset to handset, so when I heard about this Concept for Android initiative, where Sony allows you …

Apple – Special Event 9th Sept 2015 – Liveblog

That time of year is upon us again when we are going to all be talking about the latest products from Apple. Rumour has it that this will be the biggest event yet, with the venue having space for up to 7000 occupants. That’s right, seven thousand. We …

Farewell Ouya, we never really knew ya.

It was meant to be the next cheaper and easy to get into era in gaming. I was the Ouya, based on Android and using the ecosystem that Android provided. It was a lovely dream, but that dream is now fading to black – almost. No, Ouya isn’t quite …

Meizu unveil MX4 Pro Ubuntu Edition

Today Meizu are unveiling the brand new Meizu MX4 Pro Ubuntu edition. No those eagle eyed readers will no doubt be thinking this isn’t new and you would be in part correct. The reason that you are is that this is the European launch. The phone has been …

Google I/O 2015 – Now on Tap

There for me was one feature of Android M that stood out above and beyond the rest – Now on Tap. Why is it so amazing? Well, let’s have a look. We all know that Android can support Google Now which is all well and good, but is …

Yotaphone 2 price cut and update

If you remember back a few months we were very fond of the Yotaphone 2 when we tested it, however there were a few things that really stuck in our throat’s. The news today is that these issues may have been negated. Yota have announced that they will …

Cyanogen and OnePlus part company

It may or may not surprise you to hear that Cyanogen and OnePlus are parting ways, and the Cyanogen team are looking for new hardware vendors to bring its custom Android OS to market. This possibly surprising news has been revealed by Cyanogen’s Kirt McMaster and Steve Kondik speaking earlier …

Jide Remix Tablet will be made

The Jide Remix tablet that I mentioned the other day will indeed now be made and shipped to the US, EU and for this here writer, most importantly the UK. To celebrate this I want to share a great video done by Brad Linder of Liliputing that shows …

Sony start Lollipop rollout on Xperia Z2 and Z3 ranges

Do you own a Xperia Z2, Z3 or indeed any of their variants (tablets or compacts)? If so then I have gooood news everybody. Lollipop is starting to make it’s way to your device. Wait though, before you run off to check, we should mention that it’s only …

Apple iTunes and App Store takes a plunge

Can’t download an App? You’re not on your own. It’s all Jeremy Clarksons’ fault. Earlier today the Apple iTunes and App Stores for both Mac and iOS went down for many users across the world. Only after a good few hours did Apple acknowledge there was a fault. …

Apple may be waterproofing the next iPhone

We’ve heard these rumours before about waterproofing but this time they come with a little weight. Apple have applied for a new patent that allows the coating of components with a silicone based substance something called “hydrophobic coating.” From what I understand, it’s basically a way to coat everything …

MWC – Ubuntu Hands on With BQ Aquarius and Meizu MX4

It is really inspiring to see a new OS enter into the crowded Mobile market space. With this in mind I went out to the far reaches of the Fira to track down Canonical. They’re the guys behind Ubuntu. Now, for those of you who have been long …

MWC- Lenovo release two new smartphone’s and projector.

We were keen to see what Lenovo would be bringing to MWC 2015 since their recent acquisition of Motorola Mobility in the past year. Well they certainly haven’t disappointed they have brought no one but 2 phones to show off we will start with the lower tier model …

MWC – Alcatel Onetouch announce the Idol 3

Alcatel are one of those funny manufacturers that just do not get the recognition they should have over the years, so when they popped up again at MWC, the guys were interested. This year they’re introducing the next in line of their Idol series, the Idol 3. The …

MWC – Xperia M4 Aqua leaks

It seems that Sony has loosened the grip it had on its information about upcoming products at MWC 2015. Just a day after the Xperia Z4 Tablet Ultra leaked on their own app, we now have another one from internal documents. The Xperia M4 Aqua is due to …

Drivers now browsing social media at the wheel too

People will do things they’re not supposed to sometimes. It’s a fact. We get told not to do something but there’s always going to be a certain majority that’ll go ahead and do it anyway. Don’t drive in the centre lane of a motorway when the lane to …

MWC – Sony reveal their new Xperia Z4 Tablet Ultra UPDATE

It seems that, despite their best efforts to stop things leaking, Sony have slipped and overnight an image popped up on their Xperia Lounge app about the soon-to-be-released Xperia Z4 Tablet Ultra. Silly name conventions aside, what do we know about this tablet? Well, it is going to …

Pebble Time launches on Kickstarter

Today was a big day for Pebble. Just in case you have been living under a rock and dont know who Pebble are, they made the first truly usable Smartwatch that could work on both iOS and Android. That one was also funded through a Kickstarter project and …

Two step verification for iMessage and FaceTime

For a while now Apple has had the option of two step security as an additional level of protection for your personal details. Then, last year after those nudes where leaked, they enabled it on iCloud. Logging into iCloud.com, even in a browser, would trigger the verification process …

MS Office Comes to Android

Who out there uses their Android tablet for Work? Not that many I guess, and there is one huge reason for this and until very recently the this would be the case if you were to ask iPad users the same question. Finally Microsoft have stopped suing Google for …

CES – Asus unveil the new Chi lineup

Asus have been busy out in the desert today, not just with the announcement of the new Zenfone Zoom and Zenfone 2,:) but with the announcement of the new Transformer Book Chi range. The range will come in three sizes and with differing specs for each size. The …

Nexus 9 LTE available in the UK

Finally we are able to purchase a Nexus 9 LTE in the UK, but not from where you think. Amazon are currently showing that they have some Nexus 9 LTE variants in Black in stock.. Unfortunately since this screenshot was taken the price has gone back up to …

Coolsmartphone Podcast 120 – Watch live

Look, it’s raining and it’s cold outside. You really don’t want to be out there. Get yourself comfy for the live “as it happens” recording of our 120th podcast. We’ll be going live at 8.30PM tonight and it’ll then be available tomorrow morning after we’ve removed all the …

Three removing One Plan tariff for customers?

Three have always made an impact in the UK mobile phone market. They were the first 3G network to launch over 11 years ago, they’ve brought free roaming to certain countries and they introduced us to their outstanding One Plan tariff. The latter allowed customers to use all …

Could network roaming be coming to the UK?

Network Roaming is one of those break through events that we have been expecting for along time, but a lot of us were starting to suspect that it would never happen. The ability to roam across networks would allow users who find themselves without service to switch to …

Free WiFi potentially coming to a place near you…

  Did you know that we had a ‘Digital Economy Minister’? Me neither.  But apparently we do.  His name is Ed Vaizey and he looks like this: Our Eddy is actually more than just this Digital Economy Minister, though this is part of his portfolio.  His full title …

The future’s bright – the future’s .. O2?

Parties, foreign travel and stacks of free phones. That’s what you get if you work in the mobile industry. It’s just non-stop craziness for us here at Coolsmartphone Towers too, and when we’re not on a first class flight to New York, we’re sipping champagne with Beyoncé Knowles. …

FIFA 15 Ultimate Team Launches on smartphones everywhere

With little fanfare, the latest instalment of FIFA has crept onto the app stores a little earlier than expected, bringing with it the usual high expectations. FIFA has much to live up to, but does it live up to the hype? Featuring the Ultimate Team format, FIFA 15 …

Apple set to live stream Sept 9th Event

Apple sent out invitations to the press for their iPhone and wearable event on 9th. As Apple have done quite a number of times in the past for events like this they are also having a live stream – Apple Event Live. The live stream has a few …