We’re getting closer to seeing a ‘universal’ mobile phone charger that’ll work on all devices.

Last week MEPs and the EU’s Council of Ministers agreed a draft directive that would compel manufacturers to produce handsets that were compatible with a common battery charging plug and socket.

Mark Bridge writes:

HTC experienced a bit of Christmas cheer last week when the threat of a sales injunction against the HTC One mini smartphone and a number of other devices was lifted. Nokia had previously won a patent-related court case against HTC but it seems that a sales ban was deemed too harsh a penalty.

UK telecoms regulator Ofcom says it’ll simplify fixed-line and mobile phone call charges from 2015.

There’ll be clearer pricing for ‘non-geographic’ numbers that start 08, 09 and 118. In addition, calls that begin 080 will always be free from mobile phones as well as from landlines.

The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld a complaint made about online advertising for the Sony Xperia SP smartphone.

A page on the www.sonymobile.com website had described the phone has having “an exquisite aluminium frame”. However, a customer who’d bought the phone said the ad was misleading because he didn’t believe that the frame was made from aluminium.

This week we're talking about a UK government deal to prevent bill shock, good news for some UK consumers visiting the USA, a court threat to HTC sales, new high-speed satellite broadband, mobile search, mobile shopping and much more.

Join Iain Graham, James Rosewell and Mark Bridge for an informed and entertaining look at all the major mobile industry news stories from the past seven days.