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Monday, March 24, 2014

Last week at The Fonecast: 24th March 2014

The new iPhone no-one was expecting

Mark Bridge writes:

New Apple products! New Android smart watches!

You’d be forgiven for not having noticed either of those news stories last week. Apple did indeed announce a new iPhone – but it was simply a new iPhone 5c with just 8MB of memory. And there was a change to the company’s tablet range, with the entry-level iPad 2 replaced by the now unretired iPad 4.

Meanwhile Google revealed its 'Android Wear' project for smart watches and other wearable devices. Quite a few handset manufacturers have said they’ll use the new OS, with LG and Motorola planning to launch Android-powered smart watches this summer. UK availability hasn’t been mentioned... but neither have any technical specifications, really. Features will include telling the time and... er... stuff.

Vodafone announced plans to acquire Spanish broadband and pay-TV provider Ono, moving its expansion plans onto Telefonica’s home turf. It also reminded us it’s now 30 years since the name Vodafone was created – apparently then-CEO Sir Gerry Whent originally favoured ‘Vodaphone’ – in a press release that spoke of “travelling by car between London and Edinburgh” and being “able to make or receive national and international telephone calls with ease throughout the entire journey”.

Meanwhile, virtual network Ovivo Mobile has closed down. Although its basic tariff was advertising-funded, customers could also buy extra allowances of calls, messages and data, which means some people have ended up out of pocket. The news came as Cognatel, the mobile virtual network aggregator behind Ovivo Mobile and several other MVNOs, was reported to be restructuring with a new focus on larger-scale partnerships.

SMS messaging in the UK was given a boost as the ‘big four’ mobile network operators and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) confirmed they were all using the GSMA’s Spam Reporting Service to deal with unwanted SMS text messages. By sharing information it’s hoped that spammers can be shut down quickly and penalised as well.

Finally, in the week that HTC is set to launch its new One Up smartphone, Samsung has started letting consumers get hands-on with the forthcoming Galaxy S5. Although the new Samsung handset doesn’t go on sale until Friday 11th April, over a thousand shops around the world – Samsung Experience Stores and some other retailers as well – will have the Galaxy S5 smartphone, Gear 2 smart watch and Gear Fit fitness tracker available for demos. All firmly chained to the display stand, I’m sure.

On Monday mornings we summarise the past week’s mobile industry headlines in an email newsletter that’s very much 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. Alternatively, stay in touch by listening to our free podcasts via our website, by subscribing on iTunes, by using our RSS feed or by downloading the Stitcher.com mobile app.
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Opinion Articles

Last week at The Fonecast: 12th August 2013

Welcome to the not-so-silly season

Mark Bridge writes:

August is traditionally known as the ‘silly season’… but last week’s mobile industry news was all very serious. Apple started with a move designed to reassure customers about unsafe iPhone chargers by arranging a discounted exchange scheme – and it ended the week with a patent victory in the USA.

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Dual Core Smartphones only £7.70pm... whatever that means

Mark Bridge writes:

Don't sell the steak – sell the sizzle!  That's the mantra of many salespeople. It's all about emphasising the benefits of a product rather than its features. You don't tell people about the 13 megapixel camera when they ask about the new LG smartphone, you tell them it'll capture the first steps of their precious young nephew in pin-sharp accuracy. Or something like that.

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Mobile retailers waste over £21.6 million a year on unnecessarily sending mobile phones for repair

David Heled of Cellebrite writes:

Smartphones are now by far and away the communication, payment and information device of choice for consumers and enterprises. Sales are set to overtake those of traditional feature phones this year for the first time. However, the increasing complexity of the devices’ technology means that there’s a lot more that can go wrong, and make it harder for mobile retailers to identify potential problems – and it’s costing them millions per every year.

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Last week at The Fonecast: 29th July 2013

Surprises and statistics

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.

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Top Ofcom tips when taking your smartphone or tablet abroad

Mark Bridge writes:

With the school term over and August just a few days away, UK telecom regulator Ofcom has published a new guide to help travellers avoid ‘bill shock’ after using their mobile phones, tablets and laptops abroad.

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Recent Podcasts

Reviewing our 2015 mobile industry predictions... and looking forward to 2016

Podcast - 15th January 2016

Iain Graham, James Rosewell and Mark Bridge return to review their mobile industry predictions from last year. Which mergers, partnerships and developments did they forecast correctly... and which didn’t work out as planned?

Later in the programme, the team anticipates some of the topics that will be hitting the headlines during 2016.

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Podcast from Mobile World Congress 2015

Podcast - 6th March 2015

Mark Bridge learns about the mobile technology trends at Mobile World Congress 2015 by chatting to James Rosewell of 51Degrees, Dr Kevin Curran from the IEEE and Chris Millington of Doro.

They talk about wearable devices, wireless charging, mobile operating systems and much more... including some of their favourite products from the exhibition.

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Looking back at February: from security scares to multiple MVNOs

Podcast - 27th February 2015

We're taking a look back at the biggest mobile industry news stories from February 2015, including allegations that the UK's security service tried to breach SIM card security by hacking into one of the world's biggest SIM producers.

We also talk about the planned BT and EE merger, the creation of two new UK virtual networks, some acquisitions in the mobile payment arena and a new Ubuntu smartphone.

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Interview with Chris Millington of Doro about mobile retailing, wearables and technology for older consumers

Podcast - 24th February 2015

In today's programme Mark Bridge talks to Chris Millington, who's Managing Director for Doro UK and Ireland.

They discuss the state of mobile retailing in the UK, the future of wearable devices and - as you might expect - smartphones for seniors.

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A month of mobile: O2 counts on 3, Microsoft counts to 10 and Apple counts its profits

Podcast - 30th January 2015

We're back with a month of mobile industry news, including takeover talks and takeover rumours. O2 and Three are said to be discussing a merger... but is there any truth in the suggestions that BlackBerry could be up for grabs?

We also discuss Apple's record-breaking quarterly figures, the highlights of CES and the launch of Microsoft Windows 10, as well as saying farewell to the current version of Google Glass.

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