InMobi, the world’s largest independent mobile ad network, is receiving a $200 million (£127 million) investment from Softbank.

The first $100 million will be handed over this month, followed by another $100 million in April 2012. Previous investments have come from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Sherpalo Ventures.

Google UK head of mobile advertising, Simon Morgan, considers the most significant developments in the field of m-commerce and crunches the mobile numbers.

Over the past year we've seen smartphones overtake PC sales for the first time. The number of people on the mobile web globally has doubled, reaching one billion and in the UK there are now 20 million mobile internet users. If we think of search as being a barometer of consumer interest, in just 12 months there has been a huge shift.

The Apple iPhone 4 can claim to be the world’s thinnest smartphone. That’s the opinion of the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority, which was asked to adjudicate after a complaint about an online ad for Apple.

The complaint pointed out that the Samsung Galaxy S II was just 8.71mm at its thinnest point, while the iPhone 4 - which claimed to be “the world’s thinnest smartphone” - was 9.3mm.

Today’s edition of The Fonecast is packed with a wide variety of news, from yet another Google acquisition to the EC’s plans for cars that call for help. Almost inevitably, there’s some legal action to talk about... and we also spot a lapse in judgement by the Phones 4U marketing department.

You’ll find the programme via our web-based audio player, on iTunes and by subscribing to our RSS feed.

In this week's edition of The Fonecast we're covering a wide range of mobile industry topics, from apps to ads, from patents to payments... and from mobile TV to Flash video.