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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mark Bridge writes:

“Hey, everybody, we’re releasing a new flagship smartphone that carries all the hopes of the company with it. If this sells well, we could be saved. If not, it could be disaster.”

“Great. What shall we call our new phone?”

“Oh, we’ll give it the same name as the previous model. That’ll be fine.”

Mark Bridge writes:

Some companies have saved their big announcements for the week of Mobile World Congress. Samsung and Nokia, for example. Others have issued a press release in advance.

Ashley Gilmour writes:

A quick fact: nearly half of Facebook’s advertising revenue now stems from mobile ads.

That’s right – of the social network’s $1.8 billion (£1.1 billion) generated in the third quarter of 2013, 49% of it was made up of mobile advertising revenue. Last year, the channel represented only 14%.

Mark Bridge writes:

Google’s big announcement last week involved the company introducing Android v4.3 (as expected), launching a new Nexus 7 tablet (as expected) and also revealing a ‘Chromecast’ HDMI adaptor that’ll stream from most portable devices. That was more of a surprise.

Mark Bridge writes:

Let’s start with a slightly belated birthday wish to the hand-held mobile phone, which made its first public appearance on 3rd April 1973. At that point we’d had carphones for a while… but this was the first time anyone had heard the phrase “Sorry, I’ve got to go, the battery’s running out” spoken in public. Or something like that.

This week in a double length episode the team provide top tips for 2007, review the W950i and Motorokr 6 plus take a look at the latest news as well as reviewing mobile software Zuma and Flurry.

This week the guys review a smart new phone from Emblaze, take a look at Nokias new offerings, provide advice on Christmas mobile related presents and review GP Bikes 3D and Mobiola WebCam software.

This week the team ask "What's happening at 3?", review the Samsung Z560 and the T-Mobile Sidekick 3. Plus take a look at Opera Mini v2, Sherlock Holmes game and comment on the latest news stories.

This week along side the usual news on the mobile industry the team look at the X-Series from 3, the new chocolate phone from LG, debate the future of mobile advertising and look at an address book backup service from ZYB.com and have a bit of fun with Diner Dash.

This week the team debate the launch date and iPod functionality of Apples forthcoming iPhone, review the Sony Ericsson Z558i with touch screen, take a look at the credit card sized P310 from Samsung and some new software that transfers DVDs to your mobile in 2 clicks, plus South Park has come to the mobile in the form of an interactive game.