Technology lover Archives - Page 3 of 6

April 11, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Analogue Pocket UK Buyer’s Guide 2026: Every System It Plays

Last updated: 11 April 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

The Analogue Pocket UK buyer's guide covers everything you need to know before spending upwards of £270 on what might be the finest retro gaming handheld ever made. This FPGA-powered device plays Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance cartridges straight out of the box. With adapters and community cores, it goes much further. We are talking Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket, SNES, Mega Drive, arcade classics and more. If you have ever wondered whether the Analogue Pocket is worth importing to the UK, this guide has your answers.

Published by Stiv in Reviews, Tech News, Technology lover

Tags: Analogue Pocket, FPGA, Game Boy, handheld console, openFPGA, retro gaming, retro handheld UK

April 11, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Refurbished Phones UK 2026 – iPhones, Androids and Top Deals

Last updated: 11 April 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are the author's own and do not constitute professional advice.

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

There are two types of people at CoolCuration: those who would sell a kidney for the latest iPhone, and those who would rather eat their own SIM card than leave Android. The office group chat is basically a rolling debate about widgets versus AirDrop. However, there is one thing we all agree on: buying refurbished is the smartest phone move you can make in 2026. This guide rounds up the best refurbished phones UK buyers can get right now, covering flagships, budget gems and sustainable picks from both sides of the divide.

Here is a number that should stop you in your tracks. A refurbished iPhone 15 Pro on Back Market right now starts at around £400. That is roughly what you would pay for a brand new iPhone 16e. One gives you the same chip as an iPhone 15, a single camera and no ProMotion display. The other gives you a titanium flagship with a 48MP triple camera system, ProMotion, and full Apple Intelligence support. Let that sink in.

Published by Stiv in Buying Guides, Carbon conscious, Comparison, Comparisons, Money saving, Technology lover

Tags: Amazon Renewed, Apple Intelligence, Back Market, iPhone 15 Pro, Pixel 8 Pro, refurbished Android, refurbished iPhones, refurbished phones, refurbished phones uk, Samsung Galaxy, SIM only deals, sustainable tech

April 8, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Smart Rings UK 2026: Tested and Compared

Last updated: 8 April 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

We have been wearing smart rings at CoolCuration for the past few months, and honestly, it has changed how we think about health tracking. Between the five of us on the team, we have tested every major option on the market right now. So if you are looking for the best smart rings UK buyers can actually get hold of in 2026, this is everything we have learned from wearing them day and night, through gym sessions, pub trips, rainy runs and too many late coffees.

Below, you will find hands-on verdicts for five rings, a head-to-head comparison table, a breakdown of how smart rings stack up against the Apple Watch, and a practical buying guide to help you pick the right one. Every product has been worn for weeks, not just unboxed for a quick look. Let's get into it.

Published by Stiv in Best of Amazon, Comparison, Comparisons, Reviews, Self-care Champion, Sport fanatics, Student, Technology lover

Tags: Amazfit Helio Ring, fitness tracker, health tracking, Oura Ring 4, RingConn Gen 2, Samsung Galaxy Ring, sleep tracking, smart ring vs Apple Watch, smart rings, Ultrahuman Ring Air, wearable tech

April 7, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best eSIM for UK Travel 2026: Stay Connected Abroad and at Home

Last updated: 5 September 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are the author's own and do not constitute professional advice.

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

Trying to find the best eSIM for UK travel in 2026? Whether you are a UK resident heading abroad or a visitor arriving in Britain, eSIM technology has made staying connected simpler, cheaper, and far less faff than swapping physical SIM cards at the airport. In this guide, we break down the top eSIM providers, which UK mobile networks support eSIM, and how three budget-friendly options can keep you online without burning through your holiday fund.

Published by Stiv in Comparison, Comparisons, Mobile Networks, Money saving, Tech Hacks, Technology lover, Travel, Travel lover

Tags: eSIM, eSIM UK, EU roaming, giffgaff, Honest Mobile, mobile data, roaming charges, SIM only, Smarty, travel eSIM, travel tips, UK travel

March 29, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Dyson Spot+Scrub AI Review UK: Overpriced, Outsourced, Underwhelming

Last updated: 22 March 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are the author's own and do not constitute professional advice.

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

Cool Factor: 0/5

This Dyson Spot Scrub review is not one we ever expected to write. We've reviewed hundreds of products across CoolCuration and never once handed out a zero. Not once. But the Dyson Spot+Scrub AI, priced at a staggering £1,049.99, has earned the dishonour of being our first. It's a robot vacuum that somehow offers less suction than its predecessor, appears to be manufactured by a third-party Chinese ODM, and arrives stamped with a premium price tag that only the Dyson name can justify. For a vacuum cleaner, the Dyson Spot+Scrub AI really does suck. Just not in the way you'd want it to.

Published by Stiv in Reviews, Smart Home, Tech News, Technology lover

Tags: best robot vacuums, Dyson, Dyson review, Dyson Spot Scrub AI, robot vacuum, robot vacuum review, smart home

March 26, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

MacBook Neo Review UK 2026: Is Apple’s Budget Laptop Worth It?

Last updated: 4 September 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are the author's own and do not constitute professional advice.

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

Cool Factor: 4/5, Stone cold

This MacBook Neo review UK is the one I never thought I would write. Apple making a genuinely affordable laptop? At £699? It felt unlikely right up until the moment I unboxed my Citrus-coloured unit and realised it was actually real. After spending several weeks travelling, working, and bingeing shows on it, I can confidently say this is one of the most interesting Apple products in years. However, it's not without its quirks, and at least one cost-cutting decision that feels properly annoying.

Published by Stiv in Commuter, Reviews, Student, Tech News, Technology lover

Tags: A18 Pro, apple, Apple Intelligence, budget laptop, laptop review, MacBook 2026, MacBook Neo, MacBook Neo UK

March 26, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best SIM Only Deals UK 2026: Honest Mobile, Smarty and giffgaff

Last updated: 5 September 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

The best SIM only deals UK in 2026 are not coming from EE, Vodafone, O2, or Three. They come from the challengers running on the exact same infrastructure at a fraction of the monthly cost. Three stand out right now: Honest Mobile, Smarty, and giffgaff. Each one has a distinct edge, and together they cover pretty much every type of mobile user. Every price below was re-checked at source on 5 September 2026, the week giffgaff cut unlimited data on an 18 month contract to £14 a month and Smarty quietly narrowed its unused-data refund.

Published by Stiv in Buying Guides, Technology lover

Tags: 5G, eSIM, giffgaff, Honest Mobile, mobile, MVNO, SIM only deals, Smarty, UK mobile

March 24, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Apple Studio Display XDR Review: Is £2,999 Worth It?

Last updated: March 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are the author's own and do not constitute professional, financial, or purchasing advice.

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

The Apple Studio Display XDR review everybody has been waiting for. Seven years on from the Pro Display XDR, Apple has finally returned to the professional monitor space -- and this time, at a price that won't require a second mortgage. Sort of. At £2,999, the Studio Display XDR is still a serious investment, but for the first time in a long while, Apple's premium display actually makes sense for a wider audience of creatives and professionals. Whether it makes sense for you is a different question entirely.

Cool Factor

★★★★☆

4 out of 5 — Stone cold

Published by Stiv in Apple, Reviews, Technology lover

Tags: apple, creative tech, designers, HDR, Mac, mini-LED, monitor, review, studio display

March 23, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Fairphone Fairbuds XL Review | Worth £219 in the UK?

Last updated: March 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are the author's own and do not constitute professional advice.

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

The Fairbuds XL review you didn't expect to go like this: Fairphone's over-ear headphones are not the compromise you'd assume. The sound is genuinely fun, the build is impressively sustainable, and there is a single control feature that every major headphone maker should have nicked by now and somehow hasn't. They're not perfect — the ANC and feature set have real limitations — but as a statement of intent about what consumer electronics could look like, these headphones are hard to argue with.

Cool Factor

★★★★☆

4 out of 5 — Stone cold

Published by Stiv in Audiophiles, Reviews, Technology lover

Tags: audio, eco-friendly, fairphone, headphones, noise cancelling, review, sustainable tech, wireless headphones

March 20, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

iPhone 17 vs 17e: Which Should You Buy? (UK Buyer’s Guide)

Last updated: 29 March 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

The iPhone 17 vs 17e decision is one most UK buyers are wrestling with right now. Apple's 17e landed on 11 March at £599, sitting a full £200 below the standard iPhone 17 at £799. Both run the same A19 chip and pack a 48MP main camera, so on paper they look remarkably similar. However, dig a little deeper and the differences start to matter. Whether you care about refresh rates, camera flexibility or simply getting the best value, this guide breaks down every key difference so you can decide with confidence.

Published by Stiv in Buying Guides, Reviews, Tech News, Technology lover

Tags: apple, iPhone 17, iPhone 17e, iPhone comparison, smartphones, tech, UK buyer's guide