My first mobile phone was the Nokia 3310, and although it had a leather and plastic case for it, the phone known simply as “the brick” hardly needed one. My subsequent Sony Ericsson slider and Samsung flip phone also went without cases.

The phone case market didn’t truly take off until the iPhone in 2007. Suddenly we had very breakable glass screens in our pocket that cost hundreds more than our old feature phones, and the case makers are raking it in.

Nowadays, cases can cost a fiver on Amazon, or more than £60 from the likes of Otterbox, Mous and Casetify.

You can get any design you want, but the majority of phone cases hide your phone’s style – you might buy a lovely orange aluminium iPhone 17 Pro only to cover it in a cheap plastic case. You lose out on enjoying the feel of the product you’ve forked out for, plus you can’t see it either.

That’s why I’ve been very much enjoying testing out two intriguing versions of the Arc Pulse, a phone case like no other from Dutch company Arc.

The ‘case’ is two solid aerospace-grade aluminium parts with rubberised inlays that slide onto the top and bottom of your phone. With an eye-catching metal finish in silver or black, the concept behind the Pulse is to only protect the most vulnerable parts of the phone – the back and sides are mostly left uncovered for you to touch, hold and enjoy.

It means you can lay the phone facing up or down and it won’t touch the surface, importantly protecting the camera lenses and screen, while all four corners are gripped and covered to take the impact from drops.

Theoretically, the back, screen and sides won’t ever hit the tarmac first if your phone tumbles out your hand. Arc says all its cases are rotated for 10ft (3m) of drop protection.

Arc sent me its cases for the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL and Nothing Phone 3 to test out, both in silver finishes. The case fits the Pixel better, slotting on firmly in place, while the design struggles to fit around the Nothing Phone’s odd camera layout. That said, the combination of case and phone here feels like it was born to be for Nothing phones, the aesthetic working perfectly with the device’s unique design.

Despite the metal finishes, the cases are only about 17g in total and don’t add much weight, but they do add some bulk. You won’t forget they’re on your phone like you might a case, as they stick out on each corner and get caught on the way in and out of my pockets.

The look will either be a love or hate situation for many. But even those who love the look might not be able to stomach the price. The silver versions for the Pixel and Nothing Phone cost a hefty £79.99, while the black versions are £59.99.

For some reason, the iPhone 17 Arc Pulse costs £10 more across the board, stretching to a sky-high £89.99. The firm even offers a titanium case for the iPhone 17 Pro Max that comes up at a lofty £299.99. For an unhinged purchase, there’s even one at £1,400.

Arc does at least offer free shipping with all orders. It offers cases for several generations of iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel, as well as options for Apple AirPods and AirTags.

If you love the look of your smartphone and wish you could show it off more, the Arc Pulse is a bold look and something of a fashion statement all in one. I love the look, and though the cases are expensive, you are getting a thoroughly premium product.

View the Arc Pulse cases on Arc’s website

Roku recently announced the release of new projectors which offer the ability to beam movies and sporting action onto any walls in homes. In fact, owners can instantly turn their living room into a mini cinema with these devices capable of producing an image that’s as big as 120 inches in size. Of course, a TV gadget is no good without any content but Roku has this covered. Just like its other products, the new projectors have Wi-Fi built in, which means there’s full access to all the latest streaming apps such as Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+.

The Roku Channel is also a nice added bonus with this service, offering plenty of free content to watch. In fact, Roku boasts that its channel features thousands of TV shows and hit movies, along with Roku Originals. All can be watched without a subscription or payments coming out each month.

To add to the entertainment, Apple AirPlay is also included, which offers support for streaming music, videos, photos, podcasts, and games from Apple devices.

A total of two models have been released this month, including one made by Sharp and another created by Aurzen. It’s that second Aurzen device, which now looks the most enticing, with Amazon offering a massive launch-month discount.

The Aurzen Roku TV Smart Projector is usually priced at £199.99, but shoppers can add a virtual voucher on Amazon’s website, which slashes that price to just £129.99 – that’s £70 off.

It’s worth noting that this is a limited-time discount and will only be available until June 14th. Amazon says that the voucher can be applied while stocks last.

Speaking about the launch of the new devices, Richard Halton, Country Manager, Roku UK, said: “Projectors have long promised a cinematic experience, but often they’ve lacked the simplicity and intelligence consumers expect.”

“With Roku TV Smart Projectors, we’re bringing the seamless streaming experience Roku users know and love to an exciting new form factor — making big-screen entertainment more accessible than ever.”

Don’t fancy a projector? There are plenty of other deals on TVs with stores including Argos offering discounts on Samsung, LG and Hisense models.

Anyone looking for a new broadband deal will probably head straight to the main UK providers, such as BT, Sky, and Virgin Media. However, before signing on the dotted line and joining one of these popular firms, it’s worth taking time to check out smaller rivals. Alternative networks – or so-called alt-nets – are popping up all over the UK and one is now offering an epic upgrade at a price that’s hard to beat.

Community Fibre has just launched a deal that is offering rapid 1Gbps downloads for just £20 per month. That’s its lowest ever price for those speeds, which allow homes to download a full HD movie in under 40 seconds. As a quick guide, using a standard 80Mbps plan, it would take around 8 minutes to whizz the same film to TVs.

So, how good is this deal? A quick look at other providers reveals most charge around £30 for similar speeds. For example, Virgin Media currently charges £26.99 for 1GBps speeds, BT’s best speeds are priced at £36.99 and Sky has a 900Mbps option for £30.

Clearly, Community Fibre beats all of those rivals, but before you get too excited, there are some things to note.

Unlike BT, Sky and Virgin, Community Fibre is only available across parts of London, which means those outside the capital can’t take advantage.

Those who can get access will also see prices rise rise with things going up to £23 from April 2027.

Finally, this sale event only lasts until July 6th so those wanting to take advantage will need to act fast.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE BEST 1GBPS SPEED DEALS

Sky Broadband 900Mbps
PRICE: £30 per month
EXTRAS: Sky Max Hub included
SEE THE DEAL HERE

Virgin Media Gig1
PRICE: £26.99 per month
EXTRAS: Virgin’s Wi-Fi Guarantee
SEE THE DEAL HERE

Remember, all of these deals look good, but prices will rise during the term of the contract, so make sure you read the full terms and conditions.