How to make your smartphone a one-stop shop for entertainment

Switch off that TV, tear up that cinema ticket and turn off that stereo. These days, there’s no need to jump between multiple entertainment sources - you can get everything you need from the comfort of your own phone.

In this guide, Mobilechoices.co.uk will highlight just some of the services that you can use to make your smartphone a one stop shop for entertainment. Bear in mind, these are just suggestions based on our experience - if there are any services that you recommend, feel free to let us, and other users, know in the comments section!

TV

Remember when you had to gather in the living room to catch the latest episode of Eastenders? These days, you can watch your favourite shows in bed, on the train, on the toilet - wherever you want basically, thanks to the increasing availability of TV through smartphones.

And more and more people are taking advantage of this ability. In the week after Christmas 2011, more than 80 million catch-up TV apps were downloaded to smartphones. Conclusion: people like having telly in the palm of their hands, and fortunately, there’s no shortage of options available.

Here are some examples you might want to check out:

• BBC iPlayer (Apple and Android handsets only) - In the five years since it first launched, the iPlayer has become a household name. It’s now the UK’s most popular catch-up TV service, letting users stream its programmes and selected films screened by the Beeb. Whatever platform you use, it’s fast and easy to navigate - and pretty much essential.
• Sky Go (Apple and Android handsets only) - Sky Go lets Sky customers watch both live and on-demand Sky TV, movies and sports. If you’re already a Sky subscriber, it’s free to download and use. If you’re not a Sky subscriber, you can still use the app, but you’ll have to pay a monthly rate, which varies according to what you want to watch.
• TVCatchup (Apple and Android handsets only) - Just because the App Store and Google Play Store are filled with tons of snazzy apps, don’t forget that you can access lots of TV content through your phone’s web browser. TVCatchup is one such service. Despite what the name would lead you to believe, CatchupTV isn’t a catch-up service. Instead, it lets you watch live TV from all major Freeview channels.

Note: Remember that watching TV through mobile internet will eat into your usage allowance quickly. We recommend comparing deals to make sure you’ve got a data allowance that gives you some breathing room - an unlimited mobile data plan is worth considering if you think you will be watching a lot of TV via your mobile.

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Movies

Thanks to today’s snazzy smartphones it’s a simple matter to get a big screen experience on the smallest screen you own. From the sensational superhero smash hits to raunchy romantic romps, by looking at the different services available, you’ll be able to find something to suit your taste.

Here are a couple of services that we use regularly:

• Netflix (Apple and Android handsets only) - This on-demand movie and TV service launched in January, and it’s already proving popular with British film fans. For a monthly charge of £5.99, you can watch as much content from the Netflix library of films and TV shows as you want on your computer , games console and - of course - mobile phone. The smartphone app is impressively slick - it’s easy to navigate around it and fast when loading what you want to watch. The only downside is that the selection of movies on offer is a little limited. However, that will no doubt change as the service grows.
• Crackle (Apple and Android handsets only) - If you want to watch the latest home entertainment releases, it’s worth checking Crackle out. This service lets you rent and buy films - often on the same day as they come out on DVD - and watch them across multiple devices, including the iPhone and many Android handsets. The app is available to download for iPhone from the Apple App Storeand for Android via the Google Play Store.

Note: As with TV, watching movies on your phone via 3G can guzzle data. To avoid running up bills by exceeding your data limits, stick to watching movies via a Wi-Fi connection where possible, where usage limits are typically much more generous. Alternatively, choose a phone plan that has a generous data usage limit - compare deals online to make sure you get the best price possible.

Music

The Mobilechoices.co.uk team has diverse musical tastes. Some like bands like The Smiths, others are into 1980s pop, and at least one of us has been caught listening to David Hasselhoff. The thing we have in common is that all of us regularly use our phones to listen to music.

That’s largely because it’s so easy - there are plenty of services available for your phone that let you listen to the tunes you like, and that’s before you consider that smartphones essentially double up as MP3 players.

• Spotify (Apple, Android, and Windows Phone handsets only) -With Spotify, you can listen to a wide range of tracks from most major record labels. You can download the app for free, but you’ll need to pay for a subscription to take advantage of key features, such as the ability to listen to your library and playlists offline.
• Last.fm (Apple , Android, and Windows Phone handsets only) - Last.fm lets you stream playlists that are based on the type of music you like. As well as your favourite bands, it will add artists you might be interested in, based on your preferences, so not only is it a way to listen to your favourite tunes, but you might discover some new ones in the process.
• Grooveshark (Apple and Android handsets only) - One of the most popular music streaming services around, Grooveshark can be accessed through your mobile phone’s browser. The service lets you create your own playlists and share your musical discoveries through Facebook and Twitter, but the real appeal of Grooveshark is its vast library of music, and simple, fuss-free interface.

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Books

There are few things as immersive as a good book, and, thanks to your smartphone, you can have hundreds in your pocket everywhere you go. Digital books may not replace the feel of the real thing, but there’s a lot to be said for convenience.

There are plenty of ereader apps available for smartphones. Here are just a couple:

• Amazon Kindle (Apple and Android handsets only) - The Amazon Kindle is one of the most successful ereaders on the market, and its apps for smartphones are equally slick; they let you read books how you want - you can change the text size, add bookmarks and even make annotations if you want. The Kindle Store’s not short of content either - there are over a million books available to buy with just a few taps of the screen.
• Google Play Books (Android handsets only) - To say Google has a big library of books is like saying JK Rowling has sold a few novels - technically true, but something of an understatement. Google Play Books has more than three million titles available to download, in addition to tons of free public domain and archive material.

That’s entertainment!

As you can see, a smartphone is more than just a tool - it’s a universal device that can accommodate all your entertainment needs, if you so desire.

If you want to be able to enjoy hours of entertainment wherever you go, compare deals online to make sure you’ve got the right mobile phone and right mobile plan for the best price.

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