Mobile phone industry

Latest News

Orange "upgrades" small to medium business plans
Unlimited call offers 3 August 2009 17:41 GMT
Orange has announced updates to its small and medium business plans claiming extra cost savings as well as unlimited calls to nominated numbers.

Available on Orange Business Sense, Business Solo and Business SIM Only tariffs, Orange says the deals are inspired...
Vodafone offers a "Bonus Bank" for PAYG customers
Register now for 10% back for every top-up 3 August 2009 11:19 GMT
Vodafone has announced its pay as you go customers will be rewarded for their loyalty with a new scheme called Vodafone "Bonus Bank".

Every time a customer tops up, Vodafone promises to "give 10% back". For example, for every £10 top up, the mobile operator...
VIDEO: Nokia pushes "unlocked" phones to US consumers
New promo vid extols virtues of getting your handset direct 31 July 2009 17:19 GMT
Nokia has released a curious promo infomercial aimed at American consumers extolling the virtues of unlocked handsets, complete with practical, how-to advice on swapping out SIM cards.

"Nokia offers unlocked phones to help you unlock possibilities", the world's...
Virgin Media offers "ultimate" flat rate monthly mobile tariff
Follows Tesco into murky "unlimited" waters 30 July 2009 10:07 GMT
Following news this week that Tesco Mobile is offering what was then the UK's first "unlimited" mobile tariff, fellow MVNO Virgin Media has now announced it is to offer the "ultimate 'unlimited' tariff".

Virgin Media is offering unlimited text, talk and internet...
Tesco Mobile offers "unlimited" £30 per month tariff
Talk and text as much as you want 29 July 2009 11:30 GMT
Tesco Mobile has unveiled a brand new "credit crunch-beating 'Unlimited' tariff", that it says allows people to talk and text as much as they want "without worrying about their monthly phone bills".

The SIM-only, pay-monthly deal, gives people unlimited minutes,...
Orange launches "Monkey" package with "free music"
Access to 16 playlists from Universal Music's catalogue 29 July 2009 10:46 GMT
Orange has unveiled "Monkey", describing it as the first pay as you go package for the UK market that offers free music to customers when they top up their mobile.

Slightly convoluted - and with limited content - the scheme, that will arguably not be so attractive...
O2 admits to roaming issues
More problems for O2 customers 24 July 2009 17:25 GMT
At the end of a bad week for O2, the Telefonica-owned operator has had to admit to more problems its customers are currently facing.

It appears that O2 customers abroad at the moment are experiencing a loss of service. In a statement O2 says:

"We...
O2 announces "Fixed Number Anywhere"
Landline numbers direct to mobile phones 23 July 2009 9:17 GMT
O2 has announced the launch of "Fixed Number Anywhere", a new service that provides small businesses with a landline number that rings straight through to a mobile phone.

Apparently the first service of its kind to be offered in the UK by a major mobile operator,...
O2 data services crash in UK
Smartphone users find themselves without internet or email 21 July 2009 18:59 GMT
O2's data network in the UK has crashed leaving thousands of pay-monthly customers unable to send or receive emails or surf the Web.

The crash, which affects all phones not just data heavy dependent devices like the iPhone, has meant the latest state of the...
Symbian Foundation launches Horizon apps scheme
"We'll make your application famous" 17 July 2009 12:18 GMT
The Symbian Foundation has announced it is to plunge into the world of mobile phone app schemes with the launch of "Symbian Horizon", something that may finally realise its huge installed customer base and take some of the currently popular app focus away from Apple and...
AmazonWireless goes live
Online giant takes bigger step into mobile phone retail market 10 July 2009 11:14 GMT
Amazon has made a major move into the mobile phone retail market in the States with the launch of AmazonWireless.

Currently in beta, the new website offers "cell phones" and service plans, promising American consumers an easier, free-shipping shopping experience...
Orange intros mini SIMs
Plastic packaging reduced 9 July 2009 16:30 GMT
Orange has announced that it has become the first European mobile operator to introduce mini SIM cards.

With the potential for slight confusion, the actual SIM cards are the same size as any other SIMs - and would in fact need to be to fit in handsets - but...
Ofcom publishes 3G coverage maps for UK operators
Orange looking good, O2 less so 8 July 2009 13:06 GMT
Ofcom has published some maps that it cooked up earlier this year, which predict 3G coverage from the five major mobile network operators - O2, Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone and 3.

The maps were put together by estimating coverage from theoretical predictions,...
Vodafone offers business roaming deal
£20 per person, per month 7 July 2009 14:50 GMT
If you're a business with employees that regularly flit around Europe, incurring vast mobile roaming bills, then you might be interested in the latest announcement from Vodafone.

For a £20 flat fee, per person, per month, Vodafone will charge you exactly what...
Vodafone offers international "Super SIMs"
"Great value when calling friends or family worldwide" 6 July 2009 10:45 GMT
Vodafone has announced what it says are the first international SIM-only deals in the UK, with the claim they give customers "great value when calling friends or family worldwide".

The new "International Super SIMs" offers international calls from 5p per minute...
O2 Tech Support launches
"No fix - no fee" 2 July 2009 13:50 GMT
O2 has launched a new chargeable phone service for its broadband customers called "O2 Tech Support".

Rivalling services such as the Geek Squad and the TechGuys, users will be able to "benefit from a range of expert technical services providing peace of mind...
Vodafone returns to Carphone Warehouse
3-year "exile" over 2 July 2009 11:26 GMT
Vodafone contracts will make a return to the shop shelves of Carphone Warehouse after 3 years.

Thought to be a move to "take back" the UK-based operator's home market, currently led by O2, it ends a 3-year absence from Carphone Warehouse stores.
Hyundai Mobile ditches UK launch plans
No dolphin-shaped phones for you 1 July 2009 15:40 GMT
Hyundai's plans to launch its mobile phones into the UK market have been scrapped.

Oxfordshire-based Hyundai Mobile UK was due to enter the competitive UK market in the first half of 2009, following an announcement in January, but the collapse of its distribution...
O2 and Orange eye T-Mobile
Will there be a bidding war? 1 July 2009 10:06 GMT
Following the news we brought you that Vodafone was considering a buy-out of struggling mobile phone operator T-Mobile, it seems both Orange and O2 are also looking at the option.

Orange is now said to have entered into the negotiations for Deutsche Telekom-owned...
Comment: What's in a name? T-Mobile G1 Touch vs HTC Hero
Why is T-Mobile insisting on G1 Touch? 24 June 2009 18:10 GMT
We are changing our name, no really, but only for users visiting the site using an Apple Mac.

For PC users we will still be called Pocket-lint, but for Mac users we've decided that it would be really clever to change our name to Technamesthatsoundalikebutdontactuallymeananything.com....
68% say no to 2-year phone contracts
Commitment-phobes will be left out in the cold 24 June 2009 12:59 GMT
Pocket-lint readers aren't convinced by the growing need to sign up to 24-month phone contracts in order to secure the latest mobile, a recent reader poll has revealed, with 68% saying they are not prepared to commit that long.

As consumer-aimed phones get smarter,...
Firefly phone to launch for 4-year-olds
Catch 'em young 24 June 2009 9:44 GMT
A mobile phone aimed at pre-school children is to launch in the UK. Made by US company Firefly, the "glowPhone" device will be on sale here before the end of the year.

The handset has a five-button keypad and offers programmable "mom" and "dad" keys for quick...
60% say mobiles are overcomplicated
Modern handsets have too many functions and features 19 June 2009 14:43 GMT
As the arguably sophisticated Nokia N97, Nokia N86 and iPhone 3G S go on sale in the UK today, it's been revealed that 60% of UK consumers think mobile phones are "overcomplicated with unnecessary features".

The data from mobile phone recycling company Fonebank's...
3 launch £0 monthly contract SIM ZERO
You just pay for the calls 15 June 2009 1:11 GMT
3, the mobile phone operator, has announced that from the 17 June, customers will be able to get the UK's first £0 a month contract service.

Called SIM ZERO, the operator hopes to make its money from people making phone calls rather than paying an up front...
Comment: iPhone 3G S contract upgrade controversy
Will be the first of many as new handsets come thick and fast 10 June 2009 13:00 GMT
Apple's latest iPhone announcement and mobile phone operator O2's subsequent dealing of it has highlighted a major problem the mobile phone industry faces in the next couple of years.

How can manufacturers continue to churn out new products at frequent intervals...