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:

Last week a major retailer with a significant online presence announced plans to release its own-brand smartphone by the end of the year. No, not Amazon. This news came from Tesco.

Mark Bridge writes:

'Twas the week before Christmas, when all thro' the mobile industry
came a sudden burst of news-related activity.

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:

The telecommunications industry was making plenty of headlines last week – but much of it wasn’t particularly upbeat.

The debate about privacy and security continued in the wake of allegations about US agents intercepting internet traffic. Meanwhile, Nokia prepared to make its last Symbian smartphones and Tradedoubler warned that mobile devices were having a negative effect on high-street consumer loyalty.

Mark Bridge writes:

We’re moving into that time of year where product announcements are replaced by promotional campaigns and sales figures. Apple revealed it had sold three million assorted iPad tablets in just three days, while Samsung said its Galaxy SIII smartphone had sold more than 30 million units since its launch in May.

The Mobile Academy offers a London-based masterclass designed to give you a helping hand with mobile innovation, whether you're an entrepreneur, a business owner, a developer or a designer.

We've been talking to Julia Shalet, Course Director of the Mobile Academy, to learn more about the next 10-week course.

The last of the 2012 quarterly results are coming in, so it's time to compare figures from the biggest mobile handset manufacturers.

We're also looking at Twitter's new video app, discussing the forthcoming Firefox OS and preparing for the BlackBerry 10 launch later today.

In this special feature we're talking to Shankar Meembat, co-founder and CEO of Exaget, about the company's new UTuneMe service.

It lets broadcasters add targeted audio advertisements to radio programmes that are streamed onto smartphones.

It's another packed podcast this week, starting with mobile payments and ending with DIY mobile accessories.

We also cover manufacturing news, mobile VoIP calling, a new virtual network heading for the UK high street, shop closures, smart accessories and phablets.

We start this week with a look at troubled UK retailer HMV before moving on to research that sheds new light on mobile data usage.

You'll also find a new mapping app, increasing free WiFi coverage, a phone service designed for children and preliminary quarterly results from Samsung and Nokia.