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Last week at The Fonecast: 20th May 2013

Mark

New products from BlackBerry, Google, HP and Nokia

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Mark Bridge writes:

Last year, the Google I/O developer conference gave us plenty of product announcements: Google Glass, the Nexus 7 tablet, the Nexus Q device and the Jelly Bean version of Android. This year’s announcements were less dramatic: a streaming music service, a Google-friendlier Galaxy S4 and some game development tools. Coincidentally (or perhaps not) Apple announced its 50 billionth app download in the middle of the event.

Still, if it’s product news you’re after, there was plenty from other parts of the world. Blackberry revealed the third smartphone that’ll run its BlackBerry 10 platform. It’s the Q5, it has a QWERTY keyboard and it’s expected to hit the shops from July. Mind you, soon you won’t need a BlackBerry device to chat to your mates on BBM: from this summer there’ll be compatible iOS and Android apps as well.

In addition, Nokia announced its Lumia 925 smartphone – which is rather like a smarter-looking Nokia 920 with a better camera – and HP showed off a convertible Android tablet with a detachable keypad.

Mobile networks were also in the headlines. EE started last week with a defence of its privacy policies following a Sunday Times report… but it ended on a happier note by confirming it would be providing temporary 4G coverage for the Glastonbury festival.

BT revealed that its WiFi service now has more than 5 million hotspots in homes and commercial properties across the UK and Ireland. Telefonica announced a deal that’ll add direct mobile billing to Samsung’s application store. And Vodafone started looking forward to a £2 billion dividend from US partner Verizon Wireless.

Finally for now, we bid farewell to Mary Grant, CEO of Phones 4u’s Distribution business: responsible for the retailer’s high-street shops and online business. She’d been in the role for less than 18 months, having joined from bus and rail operator FirstGroup plc. It’s reported she’s leaving the company for ‘personal reasons’.

Every Monday morning we summarise the past week’s mobile industry headlines in a newsletter that’s a lot like this article. To receive it, simply register your email address at TheFonecast.com by clicking the link at the top right-hand corner of our home page.

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Opinion Articles

ExclusiveThis week at The Fonecast: 7th May 2011

Mark Bridge writes:

It's time for another round-up of the week's mobile industry news.

Two of the recurring themes we've encountered in the last few months are legal action and partnerships. This week's legal story involves a conflict between Huawei and ZTE, while the partnership news sees RIM working with Microsoft. Yes, you may well raise your eyebrows. It seems Nokia-loving Microsoft is also a friend of the BlackBerry.

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ExclusiveThis week at The Fonecast: 1st May 2011

Mark Bridge writes:

We've had another short working week here in the UK... although not necessarily if you're working in retail. The reason for that shortness was a combination of Easter Monday and the Royal Wedding – an event that was rumoured to have its own mobile phone jammer.

As well as having another short week, we've also had another week of financial figures.

ExclusiveThis week at The Fonecast: 23rd April 2011

Mark Bridge writes:

It’s Easter, but that’s not stopped the mobile phone industry from generating plenty of news stories.

Let’s start with partnerships. Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom - which already work together as Everything Everywhere in the UK – have now agreed to combine their procurement activities for customer equipment, network equipment, service platforms and IT infrastructure. Yes, even these two telecoms giants can save money with group buying!

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Mark Bridge writes:

In July last year I wrote about the 'geek porn' of unboxing being taken to a new level with celebrity unboxing (which sounds rather like a challenge from a reality TV show).

Sony Ericsson had persuaded Maria Sharapova to give her first impressions of the X10 Mini Pro. The end result was entertaining, if not insightful.

And now Samsung have added a new facet to the trend with 'extreme unboxing'.

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