Tag: android

Honor 5X – Review

Recently I was at the Honor 5X European launch in Munich, Germany. Since then, as well as recovering from a Red Bull Cola high, I’ve been working on the review of the Honor 5X. In this article I’ll give you my review of the hardware and my impressions. …

Android Pay arriving in the UK at the end of next month

After what feels like an age it appears that Android Pay is finally making the journey across the pond to the UK. The Telegraph is reporting that Google will launch the mobile payments system in the UK at the end of March. Since Apple Pay’s debut in the …

MWC – Lenovo Tab3 series. Hands on.

Lenovo had a slightly smaller presence at MWC this year. but nonetheless we still went out to see them and to see what other new products they were announcing. Phone-wise we have already seen most of their stuff for this year. That is taken care of under the …

MWC – Haier smartwatch with an Android twist

MWC isn’t just about mobile phones and tablets of course.  Showing off its new smartwatch in Barcelona is Haier.  This is a company that makes fridges… and phones.  Their Voyage V6 looks well built and comes in with a 5.5″ 1920×1080 LCD full HD screen. It’s dual SIM …

MWC – LeEco showcase

This morning I headed out to meet a relatively unknown company, in the UK at least.They are called LeEco – formally LETV. The reason I was so keen to go out and meet them was that they were the first manufacturer to release a smartphone with the new …

Leaked Malware code for Android

In has been reported that the source code for some Android malware that steals your online banking credentials and details from your handset, according to IBM. There is an assumption that it can only steal banking information if you use your handset for online banking and download third-apps …

MWC – Remix OS Update

For those of you who have been following the site for a while, you will surely be aware of the fact that I am a massive fan of the Remix OS in all its forms be it the Remix Mini or the Remix Ultra tablet. Well, today I …

MWC – Sony Xperia X Series

Sony has just finished their announcement for MWC 16 and along with some interesting looking non-phone devices, they released the new Xperia X Series. This series will come in two different versions; the Xperia X and the Xperia XA, there is also a Xperia X Performance but unfortunately …

MWC – Sony press event Live Blog

Today MWC 2016 starts proper and what better way to kick it off than by seeing what Sony have brought to the party. We are on their stand now and looking to see what new toys they have to play with. Rumours are pointing to a new MediaTec …

Are Samsung bringing back the waterproof Galaxy?

At the Samsung Galaxy S6 launch event in Barcelona last year there was a lot of chatter about what had been removed from the handset. Gone was the microSD card slot, gone was the replaceable battery and gone too was the waterproof protection. All features of the S5. …

LG Stylus 2 announced ahead of Mobile World Congress

I’ve never really been a big fan of using phones with a stylus, but if you are, the LG Stylus 2 could be right up your street. It’s not, as you might initially think, a stylus. “Stylus” is actually the name of the phone. It’s an enhanced version …

LG G5 rumour roundup

It’s been apparent for a while that you don’t really have a product to release if there aren’t leaks of it before you’re ready to announce. This time it was LG’s turn with the up and coming LG G5, due to be announced on Feb 21 (the same …

Android Turing Phone now with less Android

I have a thing for the weird and occasionally wonderful. The Turing Phone sits in the first category, and I am sincerely hoping that it will fall into the second category. Google, and by extension, its Android partner ecosystem weren’t afraid to try new things in the early …

The Honor 5X arrives in Europe. All the details, right here.

I’ve got to admire Honor. Yes, they’re “really” a brand from Huawei but that, in a way, just makes them even better in my book. They deliver good phones at good prices and that’s something that you can’t really argue with. The Honor 5X has already appeared in …

PlayerFM review

I would say that 80% of my mobile phone use is listening to media. Specifically podcasts. I can’t even walk up to the shop to buy a loaf of bread without popping in some headphones and listening to my favourite episode. One of the first apps I load …

Moto X Force – Unboxing

Today is an exciting day. I have received a new phone to review. One that comes with a very bold claim. It apparently has a shatterproof screen. Yes, I’m talking about the new Moto X Force. This is a phone that, at first glance, looks unassuming and mild-mannered. However, …

Google updates its Now Weather app

To be honest, Google Now just sits in the background of my phone, and it’s one of those features I forget is even there sometimes. Until I get a notification that is, and realise what a really useful app it is. Well, Google has announced that the company has …

Google handed $1 billion to Apple for search provider privilege

Further embarrassing news for Google today following our earlier story revealing just how much Android makes. Today Bloomberg reports that Google paid $1 billion in 2014 to ensure that they were the default search provider on the iPhone and iPad. It seems that the deal was done on …

Android or iPhone for gaming?

Mobile gaming is an industry that is growing stronger each year with increased revenues every quarter. Whether you are playing an online game or an online casino (온라인 카지노) having the right mobile phone can make a difference in enjoying the game or not. Check our list of …

Vodafone Tab speed 6 available for just £125

   Finding a good, cheap Android tablet can be a hit-and-miss affair at times, but we’re lucky in the sense that we already have one of these newly-announced Vodafone Tab speed 6 tablets right here, and you can read our thoughts on it tomorrow when the review goes …

Oppo release the F1

ohere at the mighty Coolsmartphone a number of us have had Oppo devices. Generally they are well received (just have a search through the site to see how much interest this manufacturer has generated). Oppo have now announced a new device – the F1. If the specs and …

New Year, New OS

I’ve been a windows user all my life or at least since I bought my first PC thirty years ago. (Actually I tell a lie as I had an Amstrad PCW before that but let’s not get into all that CPM nonsense right now.) I’ve used DoS 5.1 …

Bluboo Xwatch approaching – Android Wear for not that much at all

We get a lot of random emails. One company in particular has been pretty incessant, and that’s Chinese manufacturer Bluboo. They make phones (like the pretty powerful and good-looking X9 which is a “monster inside and aesthetic outside”) and watches, like their Uwatch. Next month they’ll be launching …

13 More malicious apps removed from Google Play

We reported late last year the ever increasing malicious applications appearing on the Google Play application store. Google removed 13 applications which appeared in the store as games however they were able to execute unauthorised commands and code which was difficult to remove. The games contained malware similar to …

How to – Run your own Minecraft server on a mobile

Last night my son wanted to play Minecraft with his mates. It’s really easy if you’re in the same house or on the same WiFi access point. During New Years Eve he spent an hour with his mates, iPads a-plenty, on the sofa creating new worlds together. They …

Huawei launch the Mate 8 Globally – CES

Huawei has been busy at CES this year. They released two new variants of their Watch aimed specifically at the female market, and aficionados of  “Mockadile” (this should keep our resident Pixel Density Enthusiast editor Matteo happy). Huawei also unveiled an update to their tablet lineup in the …

Samsung Gear 2 gets some bling!

Samsung have announced an expansion of the Gear 2 wearable range. They two new editions of the Gear S2 classic, one encased in 18K Rose Gold and another in Platinum, offering people diverse options to express and match their style while highlighting its circular design and advanced functionality. Samsung have …

ASUS ZenFone Zoom finally launching in February

Last year at CES 2015 Asus announced a new smartphone that will “redefine your expectations of smartphone photography”. The ZenFone Zoom ran Android 5.X Lollipop and should offer some great photo capabilities. The closest the Coolsmartphone team came to it was the device in a glass display case, and it wasn’t powered …

Archos release a bevy of phones in Vegas – CES

CES has kicked off in the Nevada Desert and Archos have been hot to trot in announcing their new handsets to the coming few months. They have actually announced a few phones as part of the new ranges – the Power and Cobalt line. In the Power line …

Acer at CES 2016

Well aren’t we being busy Acer? Acer is announcing a slew of devices at CES 2016 in Las Vegas. These include a new tablet, some new laptops, a smartphone and a Chromebook. The press releases are making the rounds on the internet. If on the other hand you …

Ford and Fiat Chrysler to support Android Auto

Las Vegas isn’t filled with just gamblers and drinkers this week, oh no. It’s a tech-fest as the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicks off and the very latest gadgets get shown off. Two big car manufacturers are there too – Ford and Fiat Chrysler. They’ve announced that Android …

Running a website from your phone

I’ve got an Android handset that is gathering dust and, despite the fact that the camera is cracked and the screen only works when it feels like it, I wanted to make some use of it. So, after a little bit of fiddling, I’ve turned it into a …

Lenovo K4 Note Teasers

Lenovo, the parent company of Lenovorola Motorola, have been teasing their upcoming release of the K4 Note quite a lot recently. The K4 Note is the successor to the popular Lenovo K3 Note, which sits in the same market segment as the Meizu M1/M2 Note and the Xiaomi …

Remix Mini – Review

Mini PC’s are quite the thing at the moment and seem to be popping up everywhere. Now for a while, these were nothing more than Netbook components being shoved into a small box. However, with the recent developments in Android and, to a lesser extent Chrome, there has …

Honor 7 4G UK – Boxing Day Bargain

We’re all feeling far too fat. There’s still boxes of chocolates everywhere and for breakfast we had turkey on toast. Still, despite the fact that we should probably all be relaxing, loads of you will be out in the sales to finally demolish any remaining allowance you had …

Coolsmartphone Awards 2015 and Podcast

Welcome to the Coolsmartphone Award Ceremony and Podcast, coming to you, prerecorded from Coolsmartphone Towers. Our team of experts got together yesterday and decided on the best and worst bits of 2015 in order to entertain you and reward/shame those responsible. As with all good awards ceremonies we’re …