Tag: mobile

We’ve been covering smartphones since the Orange SPV and Microsoft Smartphone 2002. That, along with Microsoft Pocket PC, eventually became Windows Mobile 2003, then Windows Mobile 5.0, Windows Mobile 6.0, Windows Mobile 6.1, Windows Mobile 6.5 and then we had the whole “Windows Phone 7 Series” launch that …

It’s always a dangerous phrase. Say “unlimited data” to potential customers and, love it or hate it, a number of them will really push that to the limit. That’s what MVNO TalkTalk are doing, in a giffgaff-esque 30-day SIM offering which offers unlimited everything for £12 per month. …

So it begins. The BT MVNO sitting on top of the EE network has revealed prices and more details of their offerings. It’s a sign of things to come, as the new world order seems to dictate that you absolutely must have your TV, home phone, broadband and …

It used to be that the case that if your phone was lost or stolen and some little toerag ran up a huge bill calling premium numbers or some random far away land then you would liable for the whole amount. In the not to distant future, this …

We had a look at the Doro 820 Mini just moments ago, and if you’re interested in getting one, Tesco Mobile have confirmed that they will be selling it. Yes, it’s for the elderly, but Tesco are keen to point out the “beginners” who might be interested in …

The Coolsmartphone crew are a pretty organised bunch, it must be said. Planning and preparation is key, so getting bags packed and ready a week before Mobile World Congress starts is a good thing. At least, this is what they told me. Although most of the team are …

1995 was an interesting year. The music charts featured the “Outhere Brothers” with “Boom Boom Boom” and there was those unforgettable lyrics… “Boom boom boom now let me hear you say wayoh, wayhoh!” Back then I was too busy partying and wasn’t really concerned with working in IT. …

If you’re in London then you’ve already got quite a selection when it comes to home broadband, however you’ll usually find that line rental is an essential. Those headline figures try not the mention the all-important line rental cost, which is tucked away in the corner of the …

As promised, I’m writing all the Coolsmartphone content this weekend on my phone. It’s part of #acerliveblog2014. There’s a number of challenges facing rail commuters still, even in our modern world of 4G communications, HD video and on-demand content. It’s not always the trains themselves though. On the …

Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod. How good is this eh? This man played Darth Vader. I mean sure, they got James Earl Jones to do the voice (y’know, with great lines such as “The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the force”). Anyhooo.. This, my friends, …

People tell me that this is a known scam, but to be honest I’d not heard about it. However, a neighbour (at least according to the Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter I seem to get every week) had scammers do this to him. Luckily the guy realised, but this is …

EE recently announced the launch of their upgraded LTE-Advanced network here in London. This runs at a maximum of 300Mbps with real-world max speeds of 150Mbps promised and a realistic 90Mbps during the day. Vodafone also launched their service in London with the same speed expected. But are …

Sometimes, if I go to a restaurant and order a large steak, I’ll get the meat sweats. Likewise, when I need to make an important call or I’m waiting for an email and see my phone hitting 5% battery life, I get the battery sweats. We’ve seen various …

Have you ever been unfortunate enough to have to dial 999 from your mobile? 60,000 people per day or 22 million a year call the emergency services from a mobile telephone (is it me or is that number absolutely vast?) and it is pretty much nailed on that …

Sorry. At least we’re not that SCS furniture store trying to sell you a sofa with a free carpet and delivery in time for Christmas every 15 blinkin’ minutes eh? No, this is a post about some mobile deals that you can get from Tesco. I popped in …

Everyone knows the drill by now, you board an airplane and you get a safety message asking you to ensure your seat is upright, trays up, luggage safely stowed and to switch off all electrical devices including mobile phones (or at least put them in flight mode). Now, …

Yes, I recently dropped my phone into a pool. I tried to dry it out, but alas the damage was done. I didn’t have one of those clever EVAP pouches to try and get the moisture out and I quickly learned to be a bit more careful. Trouble is, …

We’ve all been there haven’t we? You need to call the bank, gas company, the insurance company, an airline or even that special clinic and.. oh.. it’s an 0845 number.. or an 0870 number. A few years back I had to call a recovery truck after I inadvertently …

Bear with me on this one, because I will eventually relate this to smartphones 😉 Pirate radio stations have always interested me. Despite endless streaming services and internet radio, pirates still take a chance and launch a station on FM without a licence. It seems that, regardless of …

The time that all Nokia WP8 users have been waiting for has arrived. Microsoft just announced that the Lumia Cyan Update is starting to roll out …..now! It will be reaching your device very soon and will bring some significant enhancements to your device. The main features that …

Thought that might get your attention 😉 Imagine the scene, you are on a bus /train/aeroplane/horse drawn cart or other mode of transport. You are minding your own business and get off without a care in the world. A while later you go to get your phone and …

I know I’ve mentioned it before, and yes, I’m guilty of repeating myself. However, it’s something I’d like to bang my drum about because, for the most part, people tend to switch off when the words “online safety” are mentioned. Still there? Good, because a recent survey of …

I have, I’ll admit, mentioned this before. However, on my travels I’ve seen a number of mobile phone masts and have taken a pretty un-cool fascination with them. Unless I’m going mad (which is possible), they’re getting slightly smaller and, in towns especially, cleverly hidden. I know, I’ve …

Getting 4G is one thing, but turning that ultra-fast 4G speed into a WiFi hotspot is another. Today EE have revealed a number of options for getting yourself a mobile WiFi cloud to hop onto. The first is something called “Buzzard”. It’s a little widget that basically plugs …

In just a few days time I’m planning to do a cycle ride for charity. It’s in aid of the the Douglas Macmillan Hospice. I have a grand total of £0 in sponsorship on my JustGiving page. I’m dedicating it and doing it in memory of my father. …

If you’ve ever taken more than two journeys on the London Underground then you will have seen the above mascot. If you’ve visited a shop specialising in imported products, specialist foodstuffs and other overseas paraphernalia you will most likely have been exposed to their striking blue branding. Lycamobile …

Telecoms regulator Ofcom have released their yearly report into the way we use our mobiles and media. In the last year, there’s been a 42% increase in older people using mobile devices. Some 17% of these people (aged 65-and-over) have used a tablet, which compares to just 5% …

If we’re all honest with ourselves then we’ll perhaps admit to touching our phones whilst driving. Whether it be a quick press to drop a call, or even opening a text -it’s something we shouldn’t do. Just last night, as I drove home, I saw a car on …

Most of you will have heard of Siri, the personal Apple assistant used by millions of people around the world. It’s used for all sorts of different tasks and has been around for a while now. Maybe you only use to set an alarm instead of going into …

A few years ago you might find yourself in an office without your mobile charger. Back before microUSB became the default charging port, people would walk around asking for “a Nokia charger with a small rounded end” or “a Samsung one that looks flat”. It was a nightmare …

I know. Sainsburys have a mobile network. Whatever next eh? Come on Aldi. This particular deal is Pay As You Go. Personally I’m not a fan of Pay As You Go offers because, quite simply, I don’t want to be faffing about topping up. However, you can buy …

We’re getting more info coming through our Coolsmartphone Internet Hats (TM) about the Xperia Z2 delay. A number of anonymous tipsters are now telling us that the hot new Sony mobile has been delayed until week commencing April 28th. Now that, if you’re having it delivered, means you …

We’ve mentioned Ovivo Mobile quite a bit here at Coolsmartphone.com and we were big fans of their business model, even though it didn’t seem to work out in the end. Things seemed to be going pretty well. You pay up-front for the privilege of having an Ovivo SIM, …

My initial thoughts on this were a little negative if I’m honest. Kids all-too-quickly get their hands on phones and, before you know it, your five-year-old is sending emails and offering web design services. This toy-like mobile only allows incoming and outgoing calls to four designated numbers and …

A strange thing occurred to me recently. My local high street seems to have less and less shops open. The stores that were there are now behind shutters and the people, it seems, are behind closed doors too. Even those stores that fare well in tough times, such …

We held a top level meeting recently to plan the future of Coolsmartphone. After a game of darts and several beers, we decided that we needed more pictures of kebabs on the site. To be fair, it wasn’t the most productive meeting we’ve ever had, but we did …

Digging through the Coolsmartphone archives, I can see that our last mention of an Inq Mobile handset was back in 2011. It’s been more than a little quiet since then. The Inq Cloud Touch had a 5 megapixel camera and 320×480 pixel screen. It was available on Three …

Three may have been the first network to announce that they wouldn’t charge a premium for using 4G, but now your local Tesco are to do exactly the same. The Tesco Mobile 4G service, which runs on top of the relatively young O2 4G network, will be offered …

Getting your kids on the internet is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you want them to use a tablet or phone like their friends do, but on the other hand you want them to be safe. Parental Access, which is free and available for Android, seeks to …

My lunch break has become increasingly interesting in recent years. I meet new people and literally bump into them as I head out to grab a sandwich. It’s the “phone zombies” – those people who walk down a street staring at their phones. They put walking and avoiding …