Author: Stephen Fenech

Kogan Mobile has just announced it will be increasing the data allowances at no extra across its entire range of already great value mobile phone plans that are offered on the Vodafone network. Heavy data users are always on the lookout for plans that not only offer lots of data but that are not going to break the bank. Kogan Mobile has delivered on that promise increasing the data on its plans without increasing the price. The Kogan Mobile $29.90 Medium plan has gone from 3GB to 5GB and the $36.90 Large plan has moved from 8GB to 10GB. At…

Without a doubt one of the most popular devices to be unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona was the re-release of a 16-year old handset – the Nokia 3310 – and Tech Guide got its hands on it. The Nokia stand in Barcelona around the new 3310 was one of the most crowded places at the show. And this was despite the fact there were three brand new 2017 Nokia devices running Android right beside it. For those who remember the original 3310, the new version will give you a rush of nostalgia. It is virtually the same design,…

Tech Guide got its hands on the new LG G6 smartphone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona which has been announced as a Telstra exclusive when it is released in the coming weeks. The device, which has a 5.7-inch display but manages to fit that inside a 5.3-inch body, will go on sale in Australia on March 28. Outright pricing is expected to be more than $1,000 while Telstra’s plans for the device are yet to be announced. The minute you hold the device in your hand you can see why LG has shoehorned such a large screen into a…

Telstra has launched a next generation service that will allow customers to make and receive mobile calls over wi-fi wherever there is an accessible wireless connection. Customers with the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge will be able to enjoy native wi-fi calling as part of the Android 7.0 Nougat software update. This feature is expected to become a standard feature on smartphones which will be released in 2017. The devices can make and receive calls over wi-fi when there is a link to wi-fi at home or in public including more than 750,000 Telstra Air hotspots across Australia.…

Episode 289 of Two Blokes Talking Tech, with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long, is coming to you live from Mobile World Congress in Barcelona where the latest smartphones were unveiled. On this week’s show: Huawei makes the most of the occasion at MWC, BlackBerry attempts the comeback of the century with the KEYone and Samsung offer up two new tablets but no smartphones – for now. The Blokes also talk about LG’s G6 which offers a large screen inside a smaller body, Sony updates the Xperia range with premium features, Alcatel lights up your life with…

Oppo didn’t unveil a new device at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona but it did reveal new technology – the world’s first 5x dual-camera zoom for a smartphone. With photography now a central part of the modern smartphone, the ability for a device’s camera to produce good images can mean the difference between whether a customer decides to buy it or not. Oppo’s new technology took a year to develop and offers 5x dual zoom that is sure to be a part of the company’s upcoming smartphones. The ability to create a 5x optical zoom within the slim chassis of…

Alcatel wants to light up your life with a new smartphone with built in LEDs that activate when you listen to music and when you receive calls and notifications. Unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the Alcatel A5 LED has a back panel with LED lights that shine through the surface. Alcatel also announced the U5 and A3 5-inch smartphones and the PLUS 12 – a 12-inch Windows 10 tablet. ALCATEL A5 LED – $299 The Alcatel A5 LED has a 5.2-inch high definition display, an octa-core processor and 4G LTE connectivity. It also has an 8-megapixel rear camera…

Tech Guide Episode 238 comes to you from Barcelona where editor Stephen Fenech is attending Mobile World Congress to keep you updated and educated about the new smartphone releases. On this week’s show, we talk about the devices that have been unveiled including the Huawei P10, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 and Galaxy Book tablets and the comeback story of the show – the return of the BlackBerry brand with the new KEYone device. We also talk about the new LG G6 smartphone, how Nokia is reviving an old classic and some new Android devices and Telstra plans for its…

Sony Mobile has raised the bar for video quality on a mobile device after unveiling the Xperia XZ Premium – the world’s first smartphone with 4K HDR display at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Also announced were the super mid-range Xperia XA1 and XA1 Ultra that build on the success of last year’s models. The Xperia XZ Premium has a dazzling 5.5-inch 4K HDR display to provide the ultimate mobile viewing experience. The display is enhanced with Sony’s Triluminos Display for mobile. Amazon Prime Video will offer 4K HDR content from this year to stream or download on the Sony…

Customers will have movies piped directly to their device that are ready to watch anywhere and anytime using an industry-first content delivery system created in partnership with Telstra, Ericsson and the Fox Innovation Lab at 21st Century Fox. Announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the personalised movie delivery system can position the content for customers to view on their device or offline without affecting their device’s performance or data allowance. A pilot program will begin today with a closed number of Telstra, Fox and Ericsson customers who will receive a device with a trial app so they can get instant access to…

Samsung didn’t have any new smartphones to announce at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona but it was all about tablets – the new Tab S3 and the Galaxy Book – which are designed to provide a powerful mobile computing experience. Both of Samsung’s new tablets have an eye-catching slim look and are designed to offer a premium experience whether it is used for work or play. The Galaxy Tab S3 comes with a 9.7-inch Super AMOLED screen while the Galaxy Book will come in two versions – 10.6-inch TFT LCD and 12-inch Super AMOLED. Samsung’s new tablets also have a…

Nokia has gone back to the future and reimagined the old favourite 3310 phone for the modern user and rolled out an impressive new range of devices running the Android operating system for the first time. Nokia was once a powerhouse in the mobile industry was swamped after the release of the iPhone and taken into the Windows world when it was acquired by Microsoft. But now the company is in the hands of HMD and back in the phone business and hoping to recreate its old successes. NOKIA 3310 That journey starts with the Nokia 3310 – a revamped…

Huawei unveiled an updated smartwatch at Mobile Congress in Barcelona – the Huawei Watch 2 – which ups the ante in terms of features and performance and that’s also the first to include the Android Wear 2.0 operating system. The Huawei Watch 2 features a similar timeless design to its predecessor and is available in two versions – sports and classic. But now it also has its own connectivity with a built-in eSIM card and with room for a nano SIM so it can be used to make and receive calls on its own and without being paired to a…

Huawei has revealed its new P10 smartphone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in a blaze of colour and with a range of dazzling features that includes an enhanced dual-lens camera co-engineered with Leica. The Chinese company, currently third global smartphone manufacturer behind Samsung and Apple, had a dazzling event to introduce the P10 front and also the latest Huawei Watch 2 which will reach Australia in April. With Samsung not making any major smartphone announcements in Barcelona and Apple not in attendance, Huawei has taken full advantage of the clear air to present its flagship new products which will…

LG has unveiled its new G6 smartphone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that has managed to fit an even larger screen into a regular size device to meet our screen-centric demands. LG’s G6 has a 5.7-inch FullVision display that’s housed in a 5.3-inch body to offer customers the bigger screen they want without weighing them down with an even larger device. It does this by going virtually edge to edge on the front of the device with a display that has an 18:9 aspect ratio and a Quad HD resolution of 2,880 x 1,440. An average consumer spends up…

BlackBerry has officially launched its comeback device – the BlackBerry KEYone – in Barcelona before Mobile World Congress officially kicks off and Tech Guide was able to get their hands on it. This is great news for the many users who spent years with their fingers flying across BlackBerry’s keyboard. Well, it’s back! And it brought back its famous keyboard with it. But this is 2017 and BlackBerry intelligently decided to give customers the best of both world. It has a 4.5-inch touchscreen with a 2:3 aspect ratio so it’s still a good size but no bigger than a 5.5-inch…

BlackBerry is back! The brand which had all but disappeared has just unveiled a brand-new device called the Blackberry KEYone on the eve of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. TCL Communications, the global smartphone manufacturer of Alcatel, has partnered with Blackberry to create a new device that combines the latest technology with BlackBerry’s iconic software and security along with its unmistakable physical keyboard. The BlackBerry KEYone, which will go on sale globally in April and in Australia in May, has an anodised aluminum frame with a soft-touch textured back panel. The device has a 4.5-inch touchscreen display with a resolution…

Fetch TV has announced new and affordable “Skinny” packs that will bring customers up to 49 additional channels including hit stations like SyFy, TVHits, ESPN, CNN and National Geographic. The Fetch TV set top box and PVR includes a high definition digital tuner and a 1TB hard drive. It is available through Australia’s leading internet service providers including Optus, iiNet, Dodo, iPrimus and Internode or through retailers Harvey Norman and JB HiFi. The Skinny packs will be available from Monday and will be priced at just $6 each per month. The four Skinny packs are Kids, Knowledge, Vibe and Variety.…

There are lot of connected security cameras on the market but there aren’t many that are as easy to set up as D-Link’s Omna 180 Cam HD which is available through Apple online and in stores. D-Link’s new Omna 180 Cam HD is the first camera that works seamlessly with the Apple HomeKit so you can take control and receive notifications through Apple’s Home app. The cylindrical device has a brushed metal housing and a design that means it can fit in anywhere in your home. Omna gets its name from Latin word “omnis” which means all-encompassing. It has a…

HTC has announced the release date and pricing for its new U Ultra and U Play flagship smartphones which offer a range of new features and a system that learns more about the user and their habits. The HTC U Ultra has a 5.7-inch display along with a small secondary screen that relays notifications and reminders without disturbing what you’re doing on the main screen. HTC’s U Play has a smaller 5.2-inch display. Each device has a thin premium look with a light-bending liquid surface design and a user interface that adapts to the user to provide timely reminders and…