Latest Podcast



Featured Articles

Ofcom says mobile contracts should ditch inflation-related price rises

Ofcom says mobile contracts should ditch inflation-related price rises

UK telecoms regulator Ofcom wants to ban inflation-related rises in phone and broadband contracts. Instead, it says any potential mid-contract price rises should be set out in pounds and pence.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Global smartphone market is set for recovery, says new forecast

A new forecast from research specialists Canalys shows the smartphone market is set to recover next year. Worldwide shipments declined by 12% last year but that decline is expected to slow to 5% this year.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
Vodafone and Three plan to merge their UK businesses

Vodafone and Three plan to merge their UK businesses

New Hutchison/Vodafone network would be biggest UK operator

Vodafone Group plc and CK Hutchison Group Telecom Holdings Limited have agreed to combine their UK telecommunication businesses, respectively Vodafone UK and Three UK. The merger will create a large new network operator to compete with Virgin Media O2 and EE.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

UK mobile payment service Paym to close in March 2023

UK mobile payment service Paym will close on 7th March 2023. The service, which allowed users to make and receive payments using their mobile phone numbers, was launched in 2014.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
Qualcomm legal action moves forward in the UK

Qualcomm legal action moves forward in the UK

Which? seeks payout for Samsung and Apple smartphone owners

Consumer protection organisation Which? has been given permission by the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal to represent Apple and Samsung smartphone buyers in a legal case against chip manufacturer Qualcomm.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
RSS

Opinion Articles

Monday, October 1, 2012

Last week at The Fonecast: 1st October 2012

A high for RIM, a low for Apple

Mark Bridge writes:

Apple started last week in the glow of a CoolBrands survey that had named it the UK's coolest brand – but it ended the week with its head bowed in embarrassment. Not only did Tim Cook apologise for the quality of the company’s iOS 6 Maps application, he recommended that customers use competing services until it gets better. In addition, the company revised its web site to drop any suggestion that Apple Maps might be ‘the most beautiful, powerful mapping service ever’.

RIM could have had a similarly downhill week, starting with the excitement of its BlackBerry Jam developer conference and ending with a financial results announcement. However, its figures showed an increase in worldwide users alongside the expected quarterly loss, which seemed to please the stock market.

Also ending the week on a high were Vodafone and O2, who said their planned network collaboration had been given the all-clear by the Office of Fair Trading and Ofcom. The two operators already work together on a UK mast-sharing project and now plan to combine the basic parts of their network infrastructure in a new company.

As well as all this, changes were afoot at augmented reality pioneer Layar, at O2 shops, at WHSmith and at Brightstar. Layar is adopting a new focus on ‘interactive print’, O2 wants to sell more phones without chargers, WHSmith is installing free WiFi and Brightstar has added the Mobile Phone Xchange trade-in business to its distribution empire.

When it comes to retailing, Barnes & Noble responded to Amazon’s recent revamped Kindle Fire line-up with two of its own multimedia tablets. One has a 7-inch screen, one has an iPad-like 9-inch screen, both will hit the UK and the USA before Christmas.

Mobile billing hit the headlines twice. Facebook announced a deal with Bango to let the social network bill customers via their mobile networks, while MACH announced direct mobile operator billing partnerships with all the UK’s major mobile phone networks. I’d say it won’t be too long before customers are adding all manner of purchases to their phone bills.

Enough of my opinion; time for some proper research. SIM-only contract sales have hit a new UK record, according to figures from GfK. Three is still the UK’s most complained-about mobile network, according to Ofcom. Live sport is driving mobile video usage, according to QuickPlay Media. And the forthcoming Firefox mobile OS from Mozilla is expected to be used on 1% of global smartphone shipments in 2013, according to a new report from Strategy Analytics.

Finally, if the constant ‘Apple vs Android’ discussions are all getting a bit much and the British weather is getting you down, take a look at http://youtu.be/xnI9h3ELwjc. It’s a good way to start Monday morning.

Begin your week with a reminder of the latest mobile headlines. Simply register at TheFonecast.com by clicking the link at the top right-hand corner of our home page and we’ll send you this weekly news summary by email.
Print
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Rate this article:
No rating

Leave a comment

This form collects your name, email, IP address and content so that we can keep track of the comments placed on the website. For more info check our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use where you will get more info on where, how and why we store your data.
Add comment

Recent Podcasts

Podcast - 6th March 2007

A review of the Nokia 7373 and Sony Ericsson K810i, all the news plus "Are we all swapping Pink for Prada?". There's also a look at Lyric EMI and Ascendo Photos for Blackberry.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Podcast - 26th February 2007

The team discuss the changes taking place on the UK high street with 02 pulling out of Phones 4U. Has the Market matured? We also review the Samsung F700 and the HP iPAQ 514, plus Ghost Rider + VolumeCare Pro software for your mobile.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Podcast - 20th February 2007

The team look at the cash back crisis impacting the mobile industry, plus review the BlackBerry 8800 and Nokia E90 Communicator. 2 new pieces of software with Andy McNab's Enigma Force and Quickoffice Premier v4.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Podcast - 13th February 2007

This week the team look at all the latest news from GSM world, review 2 new phones from Nokia and Sony Ericsson the 8800 and W880i. We also look at smart2go and The Bird - Evil has Wings.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Podcast - 5th February 2007

The week the team take a look at the D840 from Samsung and the V3xx from Motorola. They also debate the evolution of VoIP for mobile over the past 6 months, as well as review the latest news from the past 7 days. This weeks software review includes Sonic the Hedgehog and amaZe advertising support GPS navigation software.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
RSS
First99100101102104106107108Last

Follow thefonecast.com

Twitter @TheFonecast RSS podcast feed
Find us on Facebook Subscribe free via iTunes

Archive Calendar

«June 2024»
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
272829303112
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
1234567

Archive

Terms Of Use | Privacy Statement