Google Maps – Now with a speedometer

I’m probably going to open up a whole can of worms here, but your car speedometer, some of the time, isn’t right. For the most part, it only needs to be accurate to within plus or minus 5 mph at 50 mph. Here in the UK the law …

Saving and earning money with your smartphone

I’ve got a savings account. The other day I took a look at it and was pretty shocked at just how much money wasn’t there. The problem? Here in the UK our interest rates are really low. That’s great if you’re getting a loan or a mortgage, but …

Mario Kart – Android gameplay

Mario Kart has been a hugely popular and addictive game in our house. It’s available on the Nintendo Switch, but we’ve played it on the Wii U and the original Wii back in the day too. For everyone else though, it’s not readily available. You can’t get it …

Vodafone 5G – Mobile gaming on test

The new, faster 5G network will, when combined with connected gaming, create a whole new world of mobile games. Vodafone have tested their 5G network in Birmingham with Gaming Expert, “Syndicate” and has been checking out some of the cloud-based games from Hatch. The new, faster 5G network …

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 …

KitSound Diggit XL Speaker – Review

Given the delightful summer we’re having this year, testing this one has been somewhat tricky. It doubles as a garden / outdoor speaker and has a detachable stake which lets you plonk it into the ground. It’s ideal for the beach, a garden party, a barbeque or on …

DAB in the UK. Quantity, not quality.

We have, for quite some time, covered a lot of the new and interesting ways to enjoy music and other types of media. Over the years we’ve featured the start of internet radio, streaming internet radio in the car and even the Virgin Mobile Lobster TV phone. Remember …

Xiaomi ROIDMI NEX Incoming. More suck. Added mop!

Last year we reviewed the rather cool ROIDMI cordless vacuum cleaner. We did it in two parts, here and here. Put simply, it’s a high-powered lightweight vacuum (available on Amazon UK and Amazon US) with a 2500mAH battery, multiple attachments and Bluetooth connectivity. You can use it as …

Xiaomi Announce the Mi Smart Band 4 coming to Europe

In continuation of my current obsession with all things wearable, I have just seen that Xiaomi has announced their latest Band product in the form of the Mi Smart Band 4. This is a departure from the previous designs in that it now has a full-colour AMOLED display. …

Alexa will now make calls for you

If you’ve got yourself an Amazon Echo and you’re a Vodafone customer, this is definitely for you. Customers can now make or receive hands-free calls through Amazon Echo with your existing mobile plan. All you need to do is link your mobile number to your Alexa account. This …

Google teases the Pixel 4

Whilst the Pixel 3 is still fairly new, Google appear to have released information about the Pixel 4 already. The official Google account just added this tweet with an image of the phone.. Well, since there seems to be some interest, here you go! Wait 'til you see …

Sky Mobile adds free unlimited data for all customers this weekend

Last year in the UK we experienced an absolutely stunning summer. This year, however, it’s done nothing but rain. Sky Mobile customers can at least drown their sorrows this weekend (June 15th and 16th) because the network is giving away unlimited mobile data. Sky Mobile customers can stream …

Apple App Store policies change again

The Apple App Store policies have received another refresh recently, and it could cause problems for gambling and gaming apps. The rules, which have just come into the public domain, say that certain categories of apps (and only some categories) cannot use HTML5 code. This rule seems to …

Played Fortnite recently?

If you haven’t, you probably know someone who has. The game has not only exploded across gaming platforms, but it’s remained “sticky”, with players coming back again and again to play. On your smartphone though, you may be playing a very similar game – PUBG Mobile. This has …

Electric scooter sellers! eBike stores! Get in touch!

I have a long story which I won’t go into right now, but let me tell you this. In two weeks I will no longer have a car. This will make the Coolsmartphone Podcast, recorded in the car, a little difficult. However, it does at least give me …

Honor 20 Incoming. Great specs, great price.

A 6.26″ all-view screen with a 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution at 412PPI. A 48 megapixel rear camera and a 16 megapixel wide-angle shooter. A 2 megapixel depth-assist camera, a 2 megaxpixel macro camera and a 32 megapixel selfie shooter. AI camera capabilities, Virtual 9.1 Surround Sound, NFC, …

Hyundai testing the transmission of injury information after collisions

We’ve seen cars which auto-dial emergency services when they’re in accidents, but now Hyundai is working on a system which will send across details of the injuries sustained in road traffic accident. All within just within seven seconds of a crash happening. They’re working with a company called …

Three announces 5G launch date, complete with loads of spectrum.

It’s the “Need for speed” according to Three, and they’ve announced that their 5G network will arrive in August. By then there’ll be just London, but things look to be spinning up very quickly, with 25 towns and cities going live by the end of this year. Using …

TicWatch Pro reduced for Fathers Day

So you may have seen the TicWatch Pro unboxing that I posted a few days ago, and thought that might be a good present for your dad – or maybe you just fancied one yourself. Well, the good news is that if you fall into either of these …

Asus ZenFone 6 – Review

In this review I’m speaking to a select few. You’re special, because if you want this phone you’ll probably not find it at your local mobile phone store. As I type, you’ll need to pre-order and the Asus website is your best bet. They’re offering the 128GB storage …