Ian Carlos Campbell-Reporter

Ian Carlos Campbell

Reporter

August, 2023
Bachelor's Degree in Screenwriting | Chapman University Dodge College of Film and Media Arts
smartphones, tablets, headphones
  • 339
    articles
  • 35
    News
  • 103
    Features
  • 48
    Lists
  • 115
    Guides
  • 18
    Reviews
  • 20
    Deals

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About Ian Carlos Campbell

Ian Campbell is a reporter based in San Diego who writes features, interviews, guides and reviews for Pocket-lint. Before he spent his days covering great products for Pocket-lint readers, Ian was an associate editor at Inverse. His work has also appeared in Engadget, Input, dot.LA, and The Verge.

Prior to joining the world of online media, Ian received a BA in Screenwriting from Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. His background in film and television and interest in technology has made Ian a jack-of-all-trades in all the ways entertainment touches the products we use every day, and particularly the screens we place in our home, keep in our pockets, wear on our wrist, and strap on our face.

What was your first phone?

My first phone was a cheap LG feature phone that I don't remember the name of and mostly neglected in favor of my iPod Touch. The first phone I actually cared about was my mom's chunky hand-me-down first generation iPhone, one of many things that sparked my interest in technology in the first place.

When did your interest in technology begin?

I played computer strategy and simulation games growing up but getting my parent's old gadgets (mainly old iPods and an iPhone) was the real thing that that got me interested in how consumer technology is made and how it works. That lead to me reading tech blogs, following leaks and rumors, and buying quite a few gadgets of my own, setting the groundwork for what I do now.

What tech products or categories are you most passionate about?

Smartphones, wearables, tablets, e-readers, VR/AR hardware, game consoles. In general I'm also really interest in tech that requires us to change our behavior to use.

Latest

Holding the Pixel 10
3 reasons I'm sticking with the Pixel 9 and not upgrading to the Pixel 10

Google's updated smartphones are impressive, but they're not as necessary an update as they appear.

5
a hand holding a Kobo Elipsa 2E displaying its home screen.
5 of my favorite Kobo hacks that changed how I use my e-reader

Kobo's e-readers are already more open than the Kindle, and with a few tweaks you can make them even better.

3
A hand holding an iPhone 16 displaying the dialer.
These 8 codes can uncover hidden features of your iPhone and Android phone

Your smartphone's dialer is hiding several secret features you can unlock with the right code.

google-messages-4
Here's how I remove accidental texts in Google Messages

You can already edit RCS messages on Android, and now you can completely delete them, too.

1
The iPhone 16's Camera Control button
The problem with Apple's Camera Control is that it's only a photography tool

The iPhone 16's new button hasn't made a big impact, but that's not because of how it works.

1
The new Inzone headphones, mouse, in-ear monitors, keyboard, and mousepads.
Sony making yet another big push into PC gaming

Sony's unexpected move into PC gaming accessories

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
I can't help be feel like Samsung's S Pen is on its way out

Will any manufacturer keep smartphone styluses alive if Samsung won't?

2
A hand holding na iPhone 16 with a magnetic notepad attached to the back.
My top 5 phone gadgets for back-to-school (and why they're great)

With the right gadgets and accessories, your smartphone can be an ally at school, rather than a distraction.

A hand writing in the Journal app on an M1 iPad Air.
This new iPadOS 26 app has really impacted how I organize my thoughts

Using the iPadOS 26 public beta has made me a Journal app convert.

Android Sharesheet
I found a surprisingly simple way to make sharing faster on Android

Your Android phone does its best to predict where you want to share, but you can make it even quicker.

A Surface Laptop 5G over a tiled background of cell towers.
Microsoft's Surface Laptop 5G should be a valuable lesson for Apple

The company is targeting business customers with its new Surface Laptop 5G, but the idea is good enough that other companies should sell one, too.

1
iPhoen 16 USB-C
USB-C is still way more complicated than it needs to be

The reversible connector has made charging and data transfer easier, but not less confusing.

9
A person wearing black Halo smart glasses in front of a bookcase that's been edited to be blue and green.
These new smart glasses might be able to remember things for you

Brilliant Labs' claims its second pair of smart glasses will come with a conversational AI that has a memory of everything you see or hear.

The Google Pixel 10.
The Pixel 10 doesn't seem exciting because Google is focused on software

Software must be the focus when the company's new phone seems eerily similar to the Pixel 9.

3
A hand holding an iPhone 16 running the Fantastical Action Button shortcut.
The 5 best uses for the iPhone's Action Button that aren't available by default

The Action Button is one of Apple's few customizable buttons, and it can do a lot with the right apps.

A hand holding a Switch 2 console over a colored background of Nintendo Labo accessories.
There's room for weird Nintendo in the normie Switch 2

At first blush, Nintendo's new console seems surprisingly tame, but that might not be the case for long.

A Flex S display prototype created by Samsung Display.
More creases won't make Samsung's foldables any more compelling

The company released vastly thinner folding phone in July, but that doesn't mean the world is ready for even more creases.

1
A hand dragging a blue Joy-Con 2 like a mouse in front of a Switch 2 playing Civ VII
The Switch 2's mouse controls has me rethinking the future of games

The strategies of big video game companies seem very different, but Nintendo's new handheld is further evidence of how they're starting to converge.

A silhouette of a Nothing smartphone with a dot-matrix display in the top right corner.
Nothing's new 'Glyph Matrix' seems like the best use for the back of your phone

Switching from lights to a rudimentary display could change when and how you turn to Nothing's phone for information.

A Steam Deck OLED over a two-color background of game cartridges.
The Steam Deck might not be the best handheld for long -- that's a good thing

SteamOS made PC handhelds exciting again, and it seems like Windows is finally ready to catch up.

1