Mark Bridge writes:
Apple kicked off its 2014 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) last week with an announcement about the forthcoming iOS 8 operating system for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. There was some catching up, some innovation and a couple of new services designed to work with home automation and health/fitness devices. What’s Tim Cook’s plan? We’ll have to wait and see.
Rival Samsung was also innovating, with the launch of its first Tizen-powered smartphone and a new Nook-branded version of its Galaxy Tab 4 tablet.
Talking of smartphones, luxury manufacturer Vertu announced a new high-spec Android smartphone called the Signature Touch, while London-based mobile phone company Kazam confirmed that two of its handsets are now on sale at Phones 4u.
And sticking with the UK, regulator Ofcom says it wants mobile termination rates to keep falling; a wholesale price cut that it hopes will benefit consumers.
Looking at the bigger picture, Ericsson says the total number of mobile subscriptions will outnumber the world’s population next year. Inmarsat is planning a hybrid satellite/ground-based service that’ll provide aircraft passengers with mobile broadband connectivity. And Vodafone has admitted that some countries have laws that allow direct access to its network. And to everyone else’s, of course.
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