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

Pulling up Spotlight in macOS 26 on a MacBook Pro.
macOS 26's updated Spotlight seems like all the Siri I need

Apple's introducing an alternative take on some promised Siri features that might be easier to use than the final product.

A Daylight DC-1, Kindle Colorsoft, and Panic Playdate sitting on each other with their screens on.
4 reasons I prefer gadgets with weird 'alternative' displays

Bright OLED screens aren't the only way to have a good gadget experience.

Kindle Scribe
The Kindle Scribe is great for taking notes, but it needs to be more portable

Taking notes on your e-reader is incredibly useful, but not everyone wants to handle a 10-inch screen.

The Kindle Colorsoft, Scribe, Paperwhite, and normal Kindle on a gradient background.
Amazon's current Kindle lineup is perfect, except for this one missing feature

The humble page-turn button is one of the features that made the Kindle different from any other device you use to read.

A blue folder with a gear on it over a blue and orange background of file folders.
Smart Folders are making me rethink everything about how I organize my laptop

You can automate the process of finding and filtering out files on your Mac with this built-in folder feature.

Xperia Play
Why I think the world is ready for another Xperia Play

Sony is reportedly working on a handheld for its next generation of consoles. Why shouldn't it be a smartphone, too?

swift-keyboard-iphone-16-pro
I've tried several phone keyboards, but this one is my favorite

You're not stuck with the default keyboard your smartphone has out-of-the-box, but only one third-party alternative is up to snuff.

Kobo Libra Colour on a bedside table
This is the Kobo you should buy if you want the ultimate reading and writing experience

The Kobo Libra Colour has everything you need from an e-reader: Color E Ink, physical buttons, and stylus support.

1Password
1Password is my go-to password manager because it's so versatile

The password manager has more features than most people will ever need, but it's still simple to use.

The Kindle app on an iPhone
Making my smartphone into a Kindle replacement is how I started reading more

You can leverage your attachment to your smartphone to read more and better with the right set up.

A hand holding a Kobo Elipsa 2E on top of a reMarkable Paper Pro.
4 reasons you don't need a reMarkable Paper Pro if you have a Kobo Elipsa 2E

reMarkable's E Ink tablet comes with a luxury price tag, but you can get a majority of what it offers from the Kobo Elipsa 2E.

A hand holding a black Pixel with the back facing the camera, over a blue gradient background.
Google's Pixel phones have come a long way in a relatively short amount of time

In less than a decade, Google's gone from not making its own phones, to matching competitors like Apple and Samsung who've been doing it for longer.

1
A hand holding a reMarkable Paper Pro open to its search screen.
If the reMarkable Paper Pro featured universal search, it would be near-perfect

An E Ink tablet for taking notes sounds great until you can't find any of your notes on it.

1
The Pixel 9a's camera bump
5 reasons there's never been a better time to not buy new electronics

Changes in global trade and the quality of modern gadgets means you're almost always better off buying used.

Writing on a reMarkable Paper Pro on top of a closed laptop.
5 features that make the reMarkable Paper Pro my go-to tablet for writing

The E Ink tablet is a natural home for notes, outlines, and first drafts.

The Kobo Libra Colour running Calibre
This app is my secret weapon for supercharging my e-reader

There's an all-in-one app that can manage your eBook collection and convert into other formats so you can switch e-readers.

Writing on the reMarkable Paper Pro
The biggest problem with the reMarkable Paper Pro is converting handwriting to text

E Ink tablets stumble when you have to take your scribbles into the world of usable text.

3
A Kindle Colorsoft being held on top of a reMarkable Paper Pro.
Can a reMarkable Paper Pro replace your e-reader?

The E Ink tablet has a display that's up to the task, but whether you can use it depends on your e-books and comics.

1
An iPad Air sitting on a deck over a green background.
The iPad Air only serves one purpose for Apple: upselling you a Pro

Expansions to the iPad lineup used to be defined by unique features -- now they mostly represent the maximum amount of money you're willing to pay.

A hand holding a Fire tablet in front of a Windows laptop.
How to install the Google Play Store on an Amazon Fire tablet

Amazon uses their own app store, but Fire tablets are Android at their core, and can just as easily work with the Play Store.