Vodafone has announced a new own-brand handset that's likely to sell for under $15, which is around £9.60 at current rates. The phone is called the Vodafone 150 'Tiger 1' and was announced this week at Mobile World Congress.

However, this device is unlikely to reach the UK because it – and its sibling, the sub-$20 Vodafone 250 'Tiger 2' – is designed for emerging markets. In the next few week's both dual-band GSM mobile phones are expected to go on sale in India and across Africa.

Intel and Nokia, which announced a partnership last summer, have decided to merge two of their software platforms. Intel's Moblin platform will join with Nokia's Maemo to create a new Linux-based software platform called MeeGo. It's designed to support a wide range of devices, from handheld computers to in-car entertainment and from netbooks to TVs.

The first release of MeeGo is expected in the second quarter of 2010 with devices launching later in the year. MeeGo apps will be offered via the Ovi Store and the Intel AppUp Center.

Last year a crowd of telecoms companies said they'd developed the 'One Voice' initiative, which was a technical profile for voice and SMS services on 4G LTE networks.

This week the GSMA says it's adopted the work of the One Voice Initiative, which will now be called Voice over LTE (VoLTE). That means no more Barry Manilow jokes, although many other puns are still possible.

Twenty-four of the world's largest telecommunications operators have formed an alliance to build an open platform that delivers applications to all mobile phone users.

América Móvil, AT&T, Bharti Airtel, China Mobile, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, KT, mobilkom austria group, MTN Group, NTT DoCoMo, Orange, Orascom Telecom, Softbank Mobile, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Telenor Group, TeliaSonera, SingTel, SK Telecom, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, VimpelCom, Vodafone and Wind have created the Wholesale Applications Community, which is also supported by the GSMA, LG Electronics, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.

Microsoft has revealed the long-awaited and much-rumoured new generation of its mobile phone operating system, Windows Phone 7 Series. There's a strong focus on seamless connectivity and aggregated services, with social networking updates available in real time. There'll also be access to Xbox Live information and the 'Zune' music player. The company says phones will be available in stores by the end of the year.