Sony is giving you £22 to spend on music, games and movies from the Sony Entertainment Network (SEN) for free when you purchase an Xperia Z in May. On top of that, you get a free 30 day trial of their Music Unlimited service. £22 of value is added to your SEN wallet so you can purchase movies and TV series from Video Unlimited, games on the PlayStation Store or download tracks from Music Unlimited.

If you haven’t heard of the Sony Entertainment Network yet, it’s the umbrella platform of PlayStation Network, ‘Music Unlimited’, and ‘Video Unlimited’ that operates on anything with a screen labelled ‘Sony’, ‘Playstation’, and ‘Bravia’. It functions as a haven for digital entertainment lovers and provides easy access to your desired media across multiple devices. Comparable to an adapted hybrid of Xbox Live, Netflix, and iTunes, SEN does a great job of making all of the content you want reachable in one place. It’s also available on Mac or PC.

How to Redeem:

Step 1

Download the Xperia Privilege app from Google Play Store

Step 2

Tap on the SEN promo in the app & enter email address

Strep 3

You’ll receive and email containing your voucher code

Step 4

Go to the SEN site and create a profile

Step 5

Select Settings from menu and click “Redeem Codes”

Step 6

Enter voucher code

Step 7

Start choosing your content

 

One of the key trends in mobile hardware has been towards ever-larger screen sizes. We’re now using our smartphones for a lot more: whether that’s web browsing, watching videos, sharing photos, e-mailing, texting or using apps. With voice communication gradually being replaced by data, phones that have bigger and richer displays have rapidly grown in popularity. This trend of ever-larger phones has culminated in the birth of a new type of mobile device: the phablet.

A phablet is a smartphone that has a screen size between 5-inches and 7-inches. The name comes from a portmanteau of smartphone and tablet: that’s because phablets aim to be an all-in-one device combining the benefits of both. With the portability of a smartphone and the rich multimedia experiences of a tablet, an all-in-one phablet can be a great purchase.

According to a report by Barclays, 84 million phablets were sold across the world last year. By 2015, that’s expected to grow to over 400 million phablets per year. With growth like that, it’s no wonder phablets have been getting so much attention lately. In this article, we look at the key things you should consider when buying a new phablet. More...

We don’t know about you but we often find ourselves stranded without battery in the middle of the day, usually when it’s most inconvenient. If you’re a Smartphone power user and consider your phone (in this case the iPhone 4 or 4S) as one of your work tools, then you’ve probably been there at one point or another. If you spend a good portion of your day emailing, tweeting, Facebooking, reading, surfing the web, listening to music, and basically symbiotically living with your phone, then you’ve definitely been there.

So what’s the solution you might ask? Well, an external battery charger might be one but we have something a lot simpler in mind. And better looking. More...

Facebook Home

Just in case you thought Facebook was about to surprise you with its very first phone think again. They were up to something for sure but it’s not a phone, it’s a software, which can transform your Android home screen into a Facebook feed with the new Chat Heads as one of its top assets. 

Facebook Home is going to be available only on a select few devices, the HTC One, the One X, One X +, Samsung Galaxy SIII, SGS4, Galaxy Note II, and HTC’s latest Facebook phone, the HTC First. Facebook is allegedly working on making it available on more devices soon. More...

If you love spending time outdoors or if you’ve got a job that involves being outside a lot of the time, a key thing to consider about your next smartphone is how well it copes outdoors.

Expansys has a range of smartphones and accessories that are prepared for everything life can throw at them. Whether you’re looking for a water-proof phone or a case that can withstand drops, consumers who spend a lot of time outdoors have a wide range of products to choose from.

In this article, we present the top 5 things to know about buying a phone for the outdoors. More...

Companies all ship similar products with features to entice you to buy them over their competitors.

Mobile phones are no different, where each new flagship handset arrives with a whole raft of new additions.

These come with a suitably high cost attached for a cutting edge, top-tier device - but there are still ways to experience these features without spending too much money.

Mobile makers such as Nokia, Samsung, HTC and LG all realise that not everyone will be able to afford the more expensive mobiles.

They have brought elements of these handsets to the more affordable range, as a nod to continuity across the brand.  

We are now highlighting some of these handset manufacturers’ higher-end features, found on their lower-end models.

Samsung

Samsung’s current top tier Android device (the Galaxy S3), soon to be replaced at the end of April by the Samsung Galaxy S4 – is a prime example.

This Galaxy S3 came with all manner of smartphone firsts, including the likes of ‘Direct Call’ and ‘Pop Up Play’.

The first allows for someone to be called from a text message, by simply raising the mobile phone to an ear - where whomever sent that SMS is automatically dialled.

That second allows a video to be ‘popped out’ and run in the background, while the user responds to a text message, sends an email or surfs the web. Whilst multitasking like this is familiar on desktop computers, seeing this feature was certainly a novelty on a mobile.

All this is available on the budget Samsung Galaxy S3 mini, at a fraction of the cost of the higher-end device. 

 

Nokia

The Finnish company’s Windows Phone 8-powered Lumia 920 comes with a couple of standout features, in both software and hardware.

Its screen can be used with a gloved hand, which is great for a cold weather climate and with the UK not being the warmest of places - it is a useful ability.

There is also a range of digital lenses, such as cinemagraph for animating photos, a panoramic mode, as well as Smart Shoot, for finding that perfect shot.

These are all to be found on the very entry-level Nokia Lumia 520, due to arrive in April with a cost of £169.99 - compared to the £519.99 price tag of the 920.

 

LG

There is an entire range of LG mobile phones, called the L series, which all have features and capabilities present across the whole portfolio from the top-tier L7, to the mid-range L5 and entry-level L3 .

The company is soon to release its ‘LII’ series, which mirrors the same continuity of features as its first outing.

They will all have a QuickMenu app for onscreen note taking, and Safety Care. The latter comes with three options – Emergency Call Forwarding, Phone Non-Usage Notice and My Location Notice – that can be programmed to contact a loved one in case of an emergency.

These are only some of the examples of what can be found in a company's range of mobile phones, brought in from the top-end models.

 

This is a guest post by Rob Kerr, a contributing editor to the mobile phone comparison site Omio.

As the name suggests, PlayStation Mobile is Sony’s mobile version of the fantastic PlayStation network. Download and purchase games from the PlayStation Store and play them on any PlayStation certified device and PS Vita. Bringing you console-quality gaming on the move, all you need is a Sony Entertainment Network account (can be the same one you use for Video & Music Unlimited).

Experience PlayStation Mobile on these handheld devices
Download PlayStation Mobile content to the following devices now using PlayStation Store.
• PlayStation Vita
• Sony Xperia PLAY
• Sony Xperia acro S
• Sony Xperia S
• Sony Xperia T
• Sony Xperia V
• Sony Tablet P
• Sony Tablet S
• Sony Xperia Tablet S
• HTC One series smartphones
• Sony Xperia Z
• Sony Xperia ZL
• Sony Xperia Tablet Z
• ASUS
• Wikipad

Nokia Maps is a superb navigation app specifically designed for when on foot and taking public transport. Available on all Nokia Lumia devices only, Nokia Maps helps you discover the world around you and gives you directions. It can work fully offline – something no other map service can do.

Nokia Maps has public transport routes for over 450 cities around the world and maps for nearly 200 countries. Type in where you want to go for A to B, turn-by-turn walking directions with integrated public transport information. Your Lumia can tell you the number of the bus to hop on and which Underground train line to ride on to reach your destination. It shows you shortcuts through parks, public buildings and footpaths for the quickest route. Points of interest indoors such as cash machines, toilets, elevators etc. are all available on your device as well.

You can pin places onto your Start screen for quick access. Pin your home or office to the Start screen for example and always find the best route back whether you’re driving or walking. On top of this, it seamlessly integrates with Nokia Drive so you can hop in your car - or vice versa - on your travels and it will give you turn-by-turn road directions. It even has live traffic updates so you can know which roads to avoid.

Remarkably, Nokia Maps can work 100% offline. If a building blocks your signal you don’t have to worry or exploring new cities abroad you don’t have to worry about incurring massive roaming costs. 

Nokia HERE City Lens is an application available exclusively on Lumia phones that helps you find places of interest and explore cities. Hold your Lumia up and it displays dynamic visuals - through augmented reality – that provide you with information of your surroundings. Live AR (augmented reality) is a really fun and exciting way of discovering new places to go, eat or sleep. You can find shops, hotels, restaurants, theatres, gigs, cinemas, sights and museums all by pointing your phone’s camera in whatever direction you want to go.

 

Nokia City Lens is powered by Microsoft Bing Maps which gives you access to information. Press onto a place of interest and you are given user reviews, photos, opening times and other useful information. A clever feature is the way it ties with Nokia Maps and Nokia Drive. It will give you directions on how to get there. You can share places easily with friends as well and can even pin place onto your start screen as a live tile.

 

Overwhelmed by the information? You can change the range of the view finder to Sightline so places only right in front of you are visible; in a busy city for example. Turn your phone 45° and place will appear in a list format. Or, if you hold your Lumia completely flat it will appear as a Map view.

With no subscription and no fees, Nokia Music is an outstanding music streaming service available exclusively on all Nokia Lumia smartphones. It works straight out of the box (no profile set up required) and has over 17 million songs for you to listen to whenever and wherever you want. Offering music from SonyBMG, Universal Music, EMI and Warner Music Group, you can download mix playlists directly onto your Lumia for free or purchase MP3 tracks.

 

Mix Radio is a remarkable feature of Nokia Music that makes it a strong contender to other music streaming services such as last.fm, Spotify and Soundcloud. Mix Radio are playlists of songs tailored from certain genres that you can listen to for free; for example, New Releases in Pop. Unlike Spotify, there are no adverts between songs and it’s a great way of discovering new music. Using create a mix you can select three of your favourite artists and it will formulate a playlist of their songs and artists of a similar genre.

 

 

You are limited to skipping 6 tracks an hour but the best feature is the make available offline option. This enables you to download entire playlists for offline listening absolutely free – Nokia can offer this for free as they pay for a radio licence. You can save money by not racking up huge data costs streaming music, simply download mixes over a Wi-Fi network. It's a great way of discovering new music and is perfect for working out in the gym or when you’re going on a long train journey. Nokia Music also has album artwork that fills your vivid Lumia screen when you play tracks. You can put your own music onto your Lumia which appears in Nokia Music as well. You can even pin your mixes as a live tile onto the start screen for easy access.

There is a Nokia Store within Nokia Music for if you want to buy MP3 tracks. In there you can search for your favourite artist and download their latest album or songs at price.

 

If live music is more your thing then there is the gigs feature. Using your current location, this lists local gigs at venues near to you, telling you when there taking place. You can buy tickets and can even give you the directions through Nokia Maps or turn-by-turn navigation through Nokia Drive – all from within the Nokia Music application.

 

With Nokia audio accessories you can do those tunes justice. The Nokia cans by Monster compliment the bold colours of the Lumia range while the JBL speakers are great for out and about or in your bedroom.