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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

Monday, June 24, 2013

Last week at The Fonecast: 24th June 2013

More of the same

Mark Bridge writes:

Another week, another couple of product announcements from Samsung. There appears to be no stopping them, despite a recent drop in the company’s share price.

This time it’s a couple of tablets – one of which runs both Android and Windows 8 – and a 20 megapixel camera that’s got a 4G-enabled Android device built in.

Across the Yellow Sea in China, Huawei has announced the world’s slimmest smartphone. At just 6.18mm deep, it’s taken the prize from whoever had it before. Well, world records aren’t the same without Roy Castle making the announcements. The phone has a 4.7-inch HD screen and runs a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, so it’s pretty high-spec as well as slim.

There was also an announcement from a UK-based company called Kazam, formed by a couple of people who’d worked at HTC. They’re preparing to launch a range of smartphones later this year.

And while I’m talking about new products, mobile photo-sharing service Instagram launched a video option as a challenger to Twitter’s Vine. You can now choose between 6-second repeating video clips and 15-second non-repeating video clips. Or YouTube.

In the world of management, BT CEO Ian Livingston announced his departure to become Minister of State for Trade and Investment (and probably Baron Livingstone) later this year; he’ll be replaced at BT by Gavin Patterson, who’s currently chief executive of BT Retail.

The Communication Workers Union reached an agreement with Telefonica about outsourcing at O2 UK, ending the possibility of strike action. And Orange Group’s Board of Directors stated its full confidence in CEO Stéphane Richard, who was placed under formal investigation for fraud last week. The investigation relates to his previous role working for the French government.

Finally, a spot of research. Last week we learned that Amazon and Argos are the UK’s most-visited mobile retail web sites, the value of mobile commerce transactions is expected to double within the next four years, younger mobile users value data more than text or voice, NFC handset sales were up 300% last year and 4G LTE Advanced devices are going to become more popular.

Which seems to suggest we’re all getting similar phones and will use them to buy loads of mass-produced products from retail warehouses. That’s progress, you know.

On Monday mornings we summarise the past week’s mobile industry headlines in a newsletter that’s a lot like this article. To receive it, simply register your email address at TheFonecast.com by clicking the link at the top right-hand corner of our home page.
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Recent Podcasts

Yahoo! gains a new CEO while RIM loses a patent case and O2 loses service

Podcast - 18th July 2012

It's a good week for Yahoo! as it appoints Marissa Mayer - previously Google employee number 20 - to the role of CEO. However, things aren't as cheery at Research In Motion, which has been ordered to pay over $147 million in a patent case.

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MeeGo returns, Samba Mobile offers free mobile data and WiFi starts taking over

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Interview with Ian Brown, CEO of Axell Wireless

How difficult is it to install mobile coverage on the London Underground?

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WiFi is now available on a number of London Underground stations - so why is it taking so long to arrange mobile phone service on the Tube?

Author: The Fonecast
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Google reveals its tablet, RIM admits delays and the Firefox OS gets closer

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There's also talk about HTC's partnership with Pioneer, Vodafone's European reorganisation, the new BT WiFi brand, Ofcom complaints, tariff problems and international roaming.

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Getting ready for Windows Phone 8, the Amazon Appstore and simpler international roaming

Podcast - 27th June 2012

In this week's podcast we're talking about the forthcoming Windows Phone 8 mobile operating system, the UK launch of the Amazon Appstore and the GSMA's plans to make international roaming easier to understand.

There's also time to discuss new mobile tariffs from Virgin Media, cars that call for help after an accident, some mobile shopping research and LG's future as a tablet manufacturer.

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