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Ofcom helps protect customers against unexpected roaming charges

Ofcom helps protect customers against unexpected roaming charges

UK service providers must notify customers when they connect to a different network

New rules from UK telecoms regulator Ofcom will protect customers when they use their mobile phone on a foreign network. In addition, customers will be alerted if they are inadvertently roaming, perhaps because they're near an international border.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Opinion Articles

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Don't worry about explaining your mobile design, just make sure it works

Mark Bridge writes:

Chinese mobile manufacturer ZTE has just announced a new mobile phone design philosophy. It’s called “Caring, Creative, Simple, Smart” and - let’s be honest - you could say it sounds a little trite.

The announcement was accompanied by a statement attributed to Gao Feng, ZTE Mobile Phone Innovative Design Director.

“The philosophy is based on four core principles”, said Mr Gao. “The ‘caring’ aspect is meant to illustrate our consideration of customer needs. ‘Creative’ is included to emphasize innovation and new designs and the ‘simple’ tenant of the philosophy refers to the sleek, clean appearance of devices. The ‘smart’ pillar refers to designing a product in a way that is intelligent and socially responsible.”

If that was the only quote I’d read about ZTE design, I wouldn’t be writing this.

But it’s not today’s announcement that really caught my eye. When I was doing some research I spotted an interview from December 2009 in which Gao Feng describes the design process as “presenting flowers to lover” - where customers are the lover, products are the flowers and being customer-centred means listening to your lover and giving them what they desire. He later goes on to talk about the challenges of industrial design as “like dancing in handcuffs and shackles”.

A nice turn of phrase... and what appears to be a very practical perspective. On that basis, I’m not sure today’s announcement was really needed. I think ZTE ought to let Mr Gao and his products do the talking next time.

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