Tag: android

Motorola unveil the new Moto G series

The Moto G range has always been a stalwart in the budget Android device segment and with their latest release nothing changes on that front. As is expected from my new phone release the specs have taken a bit of a jump, as have the screen sizes. This …

Android Pay – It’s finally here

MasterCard are first off the line this morning with the announcement that Android Pay is finally available in the apparent sleepy backwater that is the UK. All you need is a compatible Android phone with NFC. It’s not just MasterCard though. Everybody has been in touch with us …

Huawei MediaPad M2 10.0 now on sale

Fancy grabbing the new Huawei MediaPad M2 10″ tablet we reviewed just this morning? It’s now on sale from Currys PC World. The tablet, which we reviewed here, has Harman Kardon speaker technology (which sound, let me tell you, very good indeed), excellent battery life and a slim, …

MediaPad M2 10.0 – Review

I’m going to take a slightly different approach to this review and note down everything as I unbox the device. First, the specs. This is the Huawei MediaPad M2 10.0 and it’s available in either “Luxurious Gold” or in this fine shade – “Moonlight Silver”. It weighs in …

Huawei add the P9 Lite to their portfolio

As you can see in the review we are pretty big fans of the Huawei P9. It now seems that Huawei is going to be making a bigger push into the UK market than we first thought. Coming very soon to a network near you is the P9 …

Xiaomi’s Mi Max launched

I am a fan of big screened phones this is something that I don’t try to hide at all. One of my favourite devices of all time was the Xperia Z Ultra from Sony, I have owned 3 of them in the past. I just really liked the size …

EE launch the Jay

Back in the 90’s there was a group called Jamiroquai headed up by Jay Kay. He used to date Denise Van Outen too. Oh, and he owns loads of sports cars. Lucky, lucky blighter. Anyhoo. EE have named a tablet after him and, somehow, I though that the …

Possible Oneplus 3 images leaked

Yes I was one of those people that jumped on the invitation merry-go-round to buy the OnePlus One. Oh, and guess what. I did there same a year later for the OnePlus Two. I love OnePlus devices so, when here at Coolsmartphone towers we had a sniff of …

HTC announces first quarter loss

I’ve got a HTC 10 in my hands right now and, I must say, it’s a strong bit of kit. Whether this phone knows just how much is riding on it is another question though, as the HTC figures (released today) put a lot of emphasis on this …

Google’s making Android Wear Mode straps

    Google has recently announced that it is making straps for nearly all the Android Wear variants out there. It’s called ‘Mode’. Not sure why. Not happy with providing only software for the Wear devices, Google has now ventured out into the hardware side of things for …

Player FM update brings cool new functionality

Podcasts have exploded in popularity since they first came onto the scene in the early 2000’s. The move to smartphones and busy lifestyles with commuting, has only increased this popularity to the extent that phones seem to have become the main medium for consuming them. In such an environment, a good …

It’s the random next Nexus maker guessing game

Wow. That’s a headline isn’t it. As I sit back and re-read it, it almost hurts my head. Anyhow, rumour has it (#Adele) that HTC will be making a couple of Nexus handsets which are currently known as the M1 and S1. They’ll run Google N. The rumour …

DEWALT announce a tough phone too

Creating a tough smartphone is something a number of companies have already tried. Over the years we’ve seen Energizer, JCB and CAT have all released smartphones which can survive the bumps and knocks of working life. Now DEWALT are having a go at it too, and the dual-SIM …

A “More Playful” interface for your LG G5

I don’t know about you, but the one thing I want more than anything is a playful interface. I mean, an interface alone is great, but let’s make it a playful one eh? Let’s make it fun. Let’s make it lively, cheerful, impish and a little bit frisky …

Android apps finally heading to Chrome OS?

When we cover live events you’ll usually find that a Chromebook is involved. We do pretty much everything on the web now, and the little Samsung we tend to take has a battery life which will see us through even really long launches. Getting Android apps to work …

New data reveals contrast between Google Play and iOS app stores

Statistics can often be skewed to serve a particular purpose, but new data just released about the relative numbers of downloads and amount of money generated by the Google Play and Apple iOS app stores make for interesting reading.  The most obvious points from the above graphs, which …

Over 2.1 million Android devices downloaded malware in 2015

Quite a shocking headline in many ways, though it ought to be borne in mind that there are somewhere in the region of 1.5 billion Android devices registered for use around the globe.  The information comes from Google’s second annual security report.  Despite this figure, Google are quick …

Google in trouble over apps monopoly in the EU

Want the Google Play store installed on your phone? Google makes the installation of Google Android apps a prerequisite. They simply have to be preinstalled, which in turn gives itself a monopoly in the market. This is upsetting the anti-competition heads in the EU. If proved guilty, Google …

Honor due to release their version of the P9 soon?

Huawei have released their P9 and P9 Plus and we will be seeing them in store very very soon. The phone looks to be a fantastic bit of kit and we are very excited about as you may have been able to see from Leigh’s extensive coverage. However, …

LeEco ditch headphone jack on new superphones

Pssst – have you heard the latest rumour that Apple is going to get rid of the 3.5mm headphone jack in the next version of the iPhone? Well, it appears that Chinese phone manufacturer LeEco has beat the US giant to the punch in ditching the conventional headphone …

Argos app receives an honest update

Well, if nothing else, they’re up front about their mistakes. We like that. The developers behind the Argos Android app were refreshingly frank about their latest update…  Remember that Easter Egg we put in where it looks like you can tap on the search term but you can’t? …

Grow your own weed, sell it and become rich

This awesome headline combined with creative gameplay makes growing weed something everyone can do, even if it is “just” a game! Now you can practice the cultivation and earning potential of your “empire” with Ganja Farmer, which is available for both iOS (over 17’s only) and Android (PEGI …

Android N Developer Preview 2 Is Out

Today those with compatible Nexus devices are being treated to the option to upgrade to the Android N Developer Preview 2. I’ve already upgraded my Nexus 6P and will do the same with my Nexus 9 this evening. This is an incremental update to the Android N Developer …

OPPO Launches F1 Plus, Slim-Bezel Stunner with 16-MP Front Camera

Oppo has launched a second device in the photography-focused F series, the Oppo F1 Plus. The device was released at a launch function in New Delhi, India. This was presumably to increase their market share in the ever growing market in India. In addition to India, the F1 Plus …

HTC 10 – The videos

Usually when a brand new handset is launched we’ll be reporting live right now. We’d be battling to get hold of the actual, real phone so that we can give you some instant feedback on what it’s actually like in the flesh. Unfortunately, the HTC 10 launch isn’t …

Blackberry to launch two more Android handsets

Well it’s looks like the death knell is well and truly ringing for the Blackberry OS, following a sales fall of almost $200m in the three months to the end of February. Further bad news included the announcement that Facebook and its WhatsApp messaging service will no longer …

OnePlus Marshmallow Update

Yo OnePlus owners waiting for your Marshmallow update still…. It’s coming… it’s on its way… it’s nearly there!! I know this has been said before and has been due from earlier this year. But listen, the word from the company’s co-founder Carl Pei is that the update is in …

Wilkin only went and did it!

Remember how Wilkin Lee promised to have his hair styled if the Honor UK Twitter account hit a certain amount of followers? Well, they’re nearing 5,000 followers now and Wilkin has gone and done it. His time at the barbers is shown here on Twitter and he’s now …

Huawei P9 – Video review

Another day of Huawei P9 coverage and today I wanted to give you a full overview of the handset. My thoughts so far are pretty positive. It’s lighter than my G4, but has a rigid aluminium unibody which feels really nice in the hand. After a bit of …

Huawei announce the P9 and P9 Plus

Today Huawei have just finished their press conference which we covered live with the help of Paul O’Brien from MoDoCo. The event was full of glitz and glamour as their events usually are, and if you wish to relive the blow-by-blow report from the event then take a look …

Meizu M3 Note Officially Launches

Meizu, the Chinese smartphone brand, has launched the M3 Note. Some of you may recall Leigh’s impressions of the M1 Note, or my own take on the M2 Note. Well, the M3 Note is here and will be officially available from April 11th in China. No details are …

Android Pay in the UK. Finally… err.. announced as coming soon

For UK Android users it’s still not quite the news we were hoping for. iPhone users can whizz through the London Underground and pay for items easily with their devices, but Android owners still have to use a card to tap their way through. OK yes, that’s not …

Google Photos automatically creates your holiday albums

I love the Google Photos app and, with every iteration, it gets better and better. Google have announced that it will automatically curate the best photos taken during a holiday or an event, then create a new album. All of your holiday snaps will be collated and sorted into your …

HTC One M10 Launch date confirmed

What are you up to on April 12th? It’s just under three weeks away on a Tuesday and HTC have this set as their launch event for the HTC One M10, which could just be called the HTC 10. Unlike the rather massive Samsung event, it looks like …

Vodafone start G5 pre-orders

Yesterday we let you know about some of the pre-order deals available on the LG G5. Now it’s available to pre-order from Vodafone too. They’ll be doing the same deal on the Bang & Olufsen H3 in-ear headphones as Clove. If you put your name down now you’ll …

Stronghold Kingdoms to Launch in Summer 2016

Firefly Studios, the company behind the computer game series, “Stronghold” and “Space Colony” are launching their first “Stronghold” game on mobile this summer. The first trailer for their upcoming iOS and Android castle MMO, Stronghold Kingdoms was released this week. Upon release in summer 2016 phone and tablet …

Nest comes to your Android Wear watch

The Nest Thermostat we reviewed continues to get even more clever. Recently they added multi-account and phone location support, and now you can control and view your home heating on your Android Wear watch. You can get more info on the thermostat here. It’s £199 and you might …

MSQRD now available for Android too

You may remember just how giddy I was when I first found the MSQRD or “Masquerade” app on the iPhone. Although we’ve seen similar tricks on Sony handsets, this is an app that has gained quite a bit of traction and popularity. Now, for those Android users who …

Blackberry PRIV review

BlackBerry are a brand that have been around for countless years and have a huge reputation when it comes to security on mobile devices. So much so they are still, to some, considered the industry leader – even in 2016. With the introduction of the iPhone and countless …