O2 unveils Techies mobile broadband support service

O2's small business customers can now get access to on-site set-up and helpline support for their broadband, phone and laptops, it has been announced.

The mobile broadband provider has launched its new Techies service, which will see specially trained staff visit clients to ensure devices are installed and set up properly.

In addition, it will also give businesses the chance to call a dedicated technical helpline for ongoing support.

Simon Devonshire, head of small business marketing for O2, said: "This is yet another example of O2's commitment to helping its customers get on with the job of running their business, and leave the hassle of setting up and managing technology to us."

The launch of the service has come after the company also unveiled its new Joined Up communications platform for both small and large businesses.

It will allow clients to outsource telecoms, IT and consultancy needs to just a single provider.

Source: http://www.cable.co.uk/

Orange to carry iPhone 3G this Christmas?

The internet is once again abuzz with rumours that the iPhone 3G may be made available on the Orange network here in the UK before Christmas, as early as October, if the stories are true.

It has long been suggested that O2’s exclusive network deal with Apple was only a temporary one, as we’ve seen Jobs and Co. dabble in network polygamy elsewhere in the world, such as Australia, where the handset is available on three different networks.

The net reached boiling point when a story published on The Register last week cited the blog of one Ernest Doku who claimed that a “very, very credible source on the inside” revealed that the iPhone 3G would arrive on Orange by October.

The post, (found here) says that “in light of recent events” (i.e. the O2 network repeatedly crashing under the groan of demand) the prospect of the iPhone 3G arriving on Orange is “more likely than not.” The post also points to the fact that sales of the initial iPhone were sluggish, although fault cannot be entirely attributed to O2 on that front.

Of course, its all hearsay without Orange, Apple or O2 officially confirming anything, but the prospect of an iPhone 3G available on another network this autumn has galvanised interest on the blogs, with people already speculating about the inevitable price war and how it would pave the way for iPhone availability on other networks.

source : http://www.mobile-phones.co.uk/

Motorola Z10 hitting UK exclusively through O2

We saw the Motorola Z10 hitting O2 UK's "Coming soon" pages back in September of last year. Back then we thought MOTO will have the device ready within a month, but as you know, we were so wrong. The Z10 was officially announced during this year's CTIA and is just starting to become available.

O2 scored the exclusive launch agreement for Motorola's video recording/editing slider smartphone. Other specs (aside from video capabilities) of the "banana smartphone" include such things as 3.2 megapixel camera, UIQ 3.2 running on top of Symbian OS, HSDPA support, Bluetooth, and of course the microSD memory slot. All users that buy the Z10, also get the Bourne Trilogy film collection on a 1GB microSD card to watch on their new mobile phone.

Finally, if you're not on O2, you should know the device will also hit other networks in the UK after the limited exclusive launch period.

source : http://www.intomobile.com/

HTC unveils new Touch phone

Mobile phone maker HTC has unveiled the next generation of its popular Touch device, the Touch Diamond, as the Taiwanese company looks to take on Apple's iPhone at the top end of the handset market.

The launch of the phone, which will be available in Europe next month, comes as Vodafone announced it would begin stocking Apple's iPhone across 10 markets, including India and Italy, later this year.

The HTC Touch, launched last year, has sold more than 3m worldwide through over 100 operators in more than 50 countries. HTC is hoping the next version of the device, which it has been developing since 2006, will be more successful.

The idea behind the phone is what HTC's chief innovation officer, Horace Luke, calls "thumbability". Unlike the iPhone, which users need both hands to access properly, the smaller HTC Diamond can be used easily with one hand.

"What we want people to be able to do is the equivalent of walk and chew gum at the same time; walk down the street and access the internet at the same time," he said.

The Diamond has a 4GB memory, which is smaller than the iPhone, but a more powerful 3.2 megapixel camera. Unlike the iPhone it also has GPS built in and works on the latest generation of super-fast mobile phone network technology, HSDPA. It has wi-fi and Bluetooth short-range wireless technology and is light-sensitive.

The phone uses the latest version of the Windows Mobile operating system but is far more intuitive than any Windows device so far seen.

Users navigate the phone through the touchscreen and a small iPod-like clickwheel. The thumb-rotation movement also allows users to zoom in on particular areas of the screen, while tapping the screen formats web text into columns, making it easy to read. The phone also has a stylus for notes and character recognition.

The phone's music service uses what HTC calls Touchflow 3D, which animates album covers a bit like flipping through LPs in a record store. Contacts also flow as if they were on a Rollerdex.

Getting music onto the phone is relatively easy. It is treated as a hard drive so users do not have to upload their music through a particular computer-based music player.

HTC's chief marketing officer, John Wang, said the phone was part of HTC's efforts to improve its brand identity. The company is a relative minnow when compared with other manufacturers in the far east, such as second-placed Samsung and number five player LG.

"In 2007 we talked about the Touch, in 2008 we are talking about the Touch Diamond. We have to come up with more great ideas in 2009, 2010 and so on. It's all about repeatedly demonstrating our leadership. That will gain us respect in this industry," he said.

Orange, 3, O2 and Vodafone will offer HTC's latest device. In the past HTC phones have been stocked under operators' brand names, such as the O2 XDA, or given generic names, such as the SPV. But most of the operators stocking the Touch Diamond phone will stock it under the Diamond name.

"Not because I have requested that they do that, but because they want to," said Wang.

HTC, however, still makes a lot of bespoke devices. It is looking to make a phone using Google's Android operating system, and is understood to be working with BT on a device that will work with its new Blackberry-style email and mobile internet service, to be announced tomorrow.

Vodafone gets the iPhone

As well as signing up for the Diamond, Vodafone has secured a deal to supply Apple's iPhone in Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey. Apple has already announced it will have other partners in some of these markets, including Canada and Italy.

The mobile operator is also understood to have signed a deal for the new 3G version of Apple's device, which is expected to be unveiled next month.

In a change of strategy, Apple has decided to dump the exclusive deals that marked the phone's entry into the initial markets of the US, UK, France and Germany in favour of having more operators stock the phone in the next batch of markets.

While Vodafone refused to comment, the company is understood to have struck a better deal than the original list of iPhone stockists. It does not have to give Apple as large a slice of ongoing revenues from iPhone customers as operators such as O2, who supply the handset exclusively in the UK.

source : http://www.guardian.co.uk/

The UK’s best (and free) mobile phones

Thanks to the subsidies offered by the likes of Orange, O2, T-Mobile, Vodafone and 3, there’s an amazing selection of mobile phones available for free. You still have to sign up for a monthly contract, but you can get hundreds of pounds-worth of mobile phone technology for absolutely zip.

Put it this way: the 8GB Nokia N95 costs over £440 without a contract on Expansys, but it’s free with a £35 contract at the Carphone Warehouse. A SIM-free Samsung Soul costs over £300, but you can get it for nothing at mobiles.co.uk.

All of which got us to thinking… What’s the best ‘free’ mobile phone you can get your hands on? What’s the best free handset if you want good music playback? What’s the best free phone for business? Or for taking photos? Here’s what we think.

The best music phone – Sony Ericsson W890i

As the successor to the W880i Walkman phone, the Sony Ericsson W890i has a lot to prove. An upgraded feature set offers enhanced 3G (HSDPA) high-speed data connectivity, a 2GB MemoryStick, FM radio and a 3.2MP camera. Crucially, the Sony Ericsson W890i has also maintained the essence of the W880i’s slim, stylish design, high quality finishing and overall desirability. (Free on: 3, O2, Orange, T-Mobile)

The best camera phone – Sony Ericsson K850i

The K850i brings the best of Sony’s Cyber-shot brand to bear on a 3G (HSDPA) mobile. Like many other Sony Ericsson handsets, the K850i is a music and video player, FM radio and Internet gizmo. But its key feature is a 5MP digital camera with 16x digital zoom and a Xenon flash. 40MB of built-in memory is available for photo storage, but this can be expanded via MemoryStick or MicroSD cards. (Free on: O2, Orange, 3, T-Mobile, Vodafone).

The best touchscreen phone – LG KU990 Viewty

The LG Viewty (aka the KU990) is certainly popular – it’s consistently been the most-searched for phone on TechRadar. The star of the show is the Viewty’s iPhone-esque 3-inch touchscreen. You use it to type text and email messages, view images, browse the web, shoot video and much more. A 5MP camera, stylish design and 3G (HSDPA) connectivity all contribute to make the KU990 Viewty is one of LG’s best ever mobile phones. (Free on: O2, Orange, 3, T-Mobile)

The best business phone – Blackberry Pearl 8120

Until Apple decides to give the 2nd-gen iPhone away for free, RIM’s Blackberry phones still dominate the business market. Dubbed ‘Crackberry’ phones by email-addicted owners, the 8120 Pearlhandset is the best way to get your messages on the move – enterprise server integration and personal email accounts are both supported. Once you’ve got used to the SureType keypad (two QWERTY keys per button), the Blackberry 8210 is a cracking smartphone. (Free on: O2)

The best sat-nav phone – Nokia N95

Whether you get the original N95 model or the new N95 8GB variant, Nokia’s do-it-all smartphone pushes GPS modules as the next standard-issue phone feature. Nokia uses its own mapping technology as standard - Nokia Maps. But third-party software, such as ALK’s more advanced Co-Pilot Live 7, can be installed instead. Whatever you use, the N95 is capable of giving standalone sat-nav devices a run for their money and is ideal for last-mile pedestrian location-finding. (Free on 3, O2, Orange, Vodafone)

The best slider phone – Samsung Soul

Samsung has blazed into the mobile phone market with a series of slick slider phones. The so-called ‘Soul’ is one such handset. The build quality is excellent, while the handset boasts 3G (HSDPA) support and a 5-megapixel camera. There’s a gimmick too: the Soul boasts dual screens, with a mini touchscreen below the main LCD. The touchscreen features dynamic icons that change depending on what you’re doing. (Free on: O2, Orange, Vodafone, T-Mobile)

The best free phone – Nokia N95 8GB

Yes, the Nokia N95 is a bit of a brick, but just look at all the functionality you can get for free: 3G, built-in 802.11g, GPS (with A-GPS support), an FM radio, 5MP digital camera (with Carl Zeiss optics), music and video playback, plus 8GB of internal flash memory. OK, so all of this power can drain the battery pretty fast. But in its new 8GB guise, the N95 is one awesome all-rounder smartphone. (Free on: 3, O2, Orange, Vodafone, read our full review).

And the best free gift is…?

A trawl of the mobile phone sites and stores on a Friday reveals that sellers will significantly sweeten the deal if you’ll buy a phone from them. Mobiles.co.uk, for example, is offering a Samsung J700 and a free PlayStation 3 if you commit to a £35 per month contract. Buy an LG Viewty via the Carphone Warehouse and they’ll throw in a free Nintendo DS. It’s well worth shopping around. Offers currently range from games consoles to HD TVs, Apple iPods to camcorders. And there are always cash-back deals to be had.

source : http://www.techradar.com/

New mobile broadband from O2

Broadband customers can now get a mobile service from O2, as it launches its new internet service.

O2 Mobile Broadband allows access to the internet through a memory stick, which slots into the USB of a notebook computer - which could interest broadband customers looking for extra coverage while they are on the move.

Marketing director Sally Cowdry said: "We are confident our broadband services complete a great communication experience for our customers however they want to connect to the internet."

The operator has already launched its own broadband service, which was announced in October 2007. This is now backed up by mobile broadband with 3GB data usage.

It was also revealed earlier in the year that mobile phone customers who selected the Pay As You Go option from O2 would be eligible to receive the home broadband service from £7.50 per month - the same price that contract mobile phone customers had previously been offered.

source : http://www.broadband-finder.co.uk/

Ofcom gives O2 3G deadline

O2's 3G coverage shortfall could see it lose 40 million pounds O2 could lose 40 million pounds if its 3G rollout does not reach 80 per cent of the population by June.

Ofcom last year requested each of the five networks with 3G licences to make 3G services available to at least 80 per cent of the population from December 31, 2007. An Ofcom assessment showed that O2 only reached 75.69 per cent of the population in the time given.

Ofcom has now issued O2 with a notice according to the Wireless Telegraphy Act for licence breaches. This proposes that if O2 has not met the rollout obligation by the end of June 2008, Ofcom will shorten the term of its 3G licence by four months to August 31, 2021.

O2 acquired its 3G licence in 2000 for just over £4 billion. Ofcom estimates that a reduction of the licence term by four months could see O2 lose at least £40 million.

O2 has until June 30 to meet its obligation.

source:http://www.mobilenewscwp.co.uk/