ZTE Kis smartphone now available on Virgin Media

Another ultra-cheap Android device is about to hit the market, this time from ZTE. The ZTE Kis will sell for less than £50 on Virgin Media from today and has a 3.5″ HVGA 480×320 screen. Powered by an 800MHz CPU, the phone runs Android 2.3 and has Bluetooth …

Google+ Comes To The iPad

Yes folks, now you can Hangout with your friends and catch up on your streams on the iPad. Google have released an update for the iOS Google+ app which is now optimised for the popular Apple tablet and it includes Retina Support. With Full iPad support, you can …

Android 4.1.1 Rolling Out to Nexus 7 & Galaxy Nexus

If you are one of those lucky enough to already have your hands on the Nexus 7 then expect an update to be heading your way rather soon. Google has started to roll out Android 4.1.1, build JRO03C which includes Google Wallet. The update is also rolling out to …

Opinion: Apple, Beauty or the Beast?

I listened with interest to Jamie’s self confessed rant on the Coolsmartphone podcast number 4 where he describes in great detail his thoughts on Apples actions around the patent lawsuits. It is really worth a listen, not only does his passion come across but so does the complexity …

Mobile security – You never know you need it, until you need it

Earlier in the week I received a mobile phone to review. This isn’t unusual, but what I found on it was. There was a definite “pre-owned” feel to it. No, it wasn’t scratched. It wasn’t damaged in any way. Instead it had stacks of data on it. Someone …

Motorola MOTOSMART Budget Android Device

Motorola announced today a new budget Android device coming in the next few weeks, they say that the device will be available by the end of July on T-Mobile, here in the UK at a very respectful £99.99. Are you looking for your first Android device and have …

App Review: CamCard for Android

Ever wanted to look awesome, professional and geeky all in one? CamCard is the app for you! Scan business cards that you’re given and store them directly as new contacts, or share that information with colleagues. In essence it’s a platform that allows the scanning of Business Cards …

Why pay for mobile broadband?

Not a day goes by without any of us using the internet, somewhere along the line this has to be paid for. Whether you are paying your isp for the internet at home or whether you pay your mobile provider for internet, or even heaven forbid you pay …

Got the SIII and want the Samsung Smart View app?

This might only target a fairly small subset of people, but they’re no less important than anyone else. If you, dear reader, have gone out and bought yourself one of those whizzy Samsung Smart TV’s and then bought a brand new Samsung Galaxy SIII, listen up. On the …

JollaMobile are set to give Meego the life it deserves!

Now many of you out there may have heard of Nokia and their much heralded N9. The N9 was the first, and only, smartphone to run Meego; a pleasant little OS which was widely described as a ‘breath of fresh air’ when it was shown off last year. …

Patent Wars: Now Galaxy Nexus Sales Ban Overturned

In what could be seen as a surprise move the ban on the sales of Google’s flagship Galaxy Nexus handset has been overturned by the appeals court. No reason has been given for the overturning however Apple have until Thursday to appeal.  The full trial is due to …

Gear4 IceBox Edge iPad Case Review

I’ve been on the lookout for a case for my iPad 2 that looked good, didn’t add too much bulk or weight and would stop the back from getting scratched when I put it down on my wooden table. I’ve been using the Gear4 IceBox Edge for the …

How online music should be done. 7Digital Review

Over the last few years I have been looking for a solution to my music storage problem. Recently whilst playing about with Windows Phone I have come close to finding my ideal solution. That solution was 7Digital. First of all I should let you know what the problem …

Exploding Galaxy S3 was microwaved!

A couple of weeks ago we reported on a possible case of an exploding Samsung Galaxy SIII.  It had been claimed by a user in Ireland that his S3 exploded whilst on his in-car charger. Appearing on Samsung’s global blog are details of how they contracted an independent investigator (Fire …

LG Optimus L7 Review

The LG L7 forms part of the “L Style” range. When we saw the L3, L5 and this at Mobile World Congress. This is at the very top of that range but it’s still not one of the most powerful devices we’ve seen from LG. First impressions are …

SoundWave SW50 Bluetooth Speaker Review

Whilst many smartphones now come with in-ear headphones and on-board technology to make your tunes sound better, there’s still a certain amount of disappointment when you use the external speaker on your phone for playing music. Sound quality is also a bit pants when using the external speaker …

Review – Doro PhoneEasy 610 (one out of three ain’t bad)

Okay, it’s not cool, it’s not smart, but the Doro PhoneEasy 610 is a phone at least! A phone which deserves a mention because of what it achieves by not being cool or smart. Why am I reviewing a feature phone? Despite his age, my elderly father has …

Amazon About to Enter Phone Market?

Reports coming from Bloomberg indicate that Amazon could be about to enter the mobile handset market and are said to be in the process of acquiring patents to protect themselves from possible litigation. The Chinese mobile manufacturer Foxconn is reported to be working with Amazon on the device.  There is …

Sony Xperia 13 Megapixel Phone Due Soon?

With the Sony Xperia S only just getting Ice Cream Sandwich around the world, looks like Sony are busy making it’s replacement with an improved 13 megapixel lens capable of 1080p HD video. The ‘LT30p’ as it is known at the moment should also have a metal back …

Coolsmartphone Podcast – Episode 4

You can now start your weekend off the right way by downloading episode 4 of the Coolsmartphone Podcast. This weeks is a mixed affair where we discuss Google I/O a little further, talk about our experiences with Jelly Bean, rant about patents and deliberate over whether the delay …