Toshiba TG01 Launch Event on July 9th

Posted July 1st, 2009 by Andrew Boxall in Mobile Phone News

After a fantastic June, July just got a lot more interesting!  According to Pocket-Lint, Toshiba will be holding a launch event on the 9th July, where they will be finally giving all the UK release details of the new TG01 smartphone!  This month has seen the phone launch in Japan and Germany, so it’s fair to say the UK launch will be close to, if not on the day of, this event.

The Toshiba TG01 was officially announced back in February and stands out due to its use of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 1Ghz processor and massive 4.1″ 480×800 screen.  The phone runs Windows Mobile - still 6.1 Professional by the looks of things - and is 3G with HSPDA, GPS and a 3.2 megapixel camera.

No price or details of which network will be backing the TG01 have so far been leaked, but with only just over a week until we hear it direct from Toshiba, we don’t mind waiting!  Look out for more news as soon as we have it.

T-Mobile Adds Coupons to Green Mobile Aps

Posted July 1st, 2009 by Kathryn in Applications Mobile News Green Mobiles / Environmental Issues

T-Mobile USA has just announced the launch of a new green mobile coupon application. This ap meets customer’s latest demands in two areas – mobile coupons and green mobile applications. These are both trends that are likely to see significant growth in the next year or so. People who are interested in saving the earth and saving money at the same time will support the development of these apps.

The new application from T-Mobile USA is called Green Perks. It allows customers to receive mobile phone coupons for eco-friendly services and products. The coupons are delivered directly to the customer’s phone. These coupons can then be cashed in at the store for which the coupon was created using the store’s … continue reading "T-Mobile Adds Coupons to Green Mobile Aps"

PSP-Phone Rumours Back In Action

Posted July 1st, 2009 by Luke McKinney in Sony Ericsson Gaming Phones Mobile Technology Handsets

Ever since the PlayStation Portable first appeared there have been rumours of a PSP-Phone, a product developed by hardware giant Sony to straddle the markets of gaming and calling.  The extremely active iPhone marketplace has proven that mobile gaming is here to stay, with major licenses from Metal Gear Solid all the way back to Pacman getting the app treatment, and Reuters reports that the rumor mill is back in action.

The Nikkei business daily apparently reported on the creation of a team to look at developing a product that might be a gaming phone, but don’t get too excited just yet.  This story has run once a season, every season, since 2004 and is overdue another run around the tech blogs.  But that won’t stop us hoping it’s true this time.

Orange UK Shows Off HTC Hero

Posted July 1st, 2009 by Luke McKinney in HTC Orange Handsets

The vaunted HTC Hero, latest and greatest of that slick smartphone maker’s wares, was shown off in London last week - but now it’s turned up somewhere far more important: a shop.  The Orange UK webstore has started showing off the “HTC Hero in graphite.”

The web-store is going all tease on us, displaying the 5 megapixel camera and the increased customizability which defines the latest HTC handset, but plonking a great big “Coming Soon” badge where you’d normally expect the “Buy it now now now” button.  Watch that (and this) space for more information on the Hero as it happens.

Nokia Phones Shoot Noisettes Music Video

Posted July 1st, 2009 by Andrew Boxall in Nokia Mobile News

Who said the Nokia N95 was dead?  Certainly not us!  To prove there’s life in the old phone yet, the N95 has been used to shoot the music video to accompany indie rock band the Noisettes upcoming single ‘Saturday Night’.  Just to clarify, that’s the Noisettes, not a Whigfield comeback.

Nokia invited 70 fans to the video shoot and equipped them with 5800 XpressMusic’s, which they then used to record crowd-based footage, leaving the job of filming the band to the N95’s.  This was achieved by using 64 phones, all installed on a multi-armed machine nicknamed ‘the transformer’ and judging by the pictures, it was quite a beast!

The finished video won’t be out until September, but it will be fascinating to see the images captured by the Nokia phones.  This is the first time a music video has been shot in the UK using solely mobile phones and was done in part as promotion for the launch of the 5800 XpressMusic Comes with Music edition on Orange.

This isn’t the first time mobile phones have been used to film a music video.  Australian rockers The Presidents of the United States of America used Sony Ericsson phones, and a similar contraption as the Noisettes to hold them, to shoot the clever video for their 2005 song Some Postman.

Vodafone Consider T-Mobile Buy

Posted July 1st, 2009 by Andrew Boxall in Vodafone T Mobile Mobile Phone News

T-Mobile owners Deutsche Telekom’s talk of being keen to unload the UK carrier was overheard at the beginning of May, along with 3 as the prospective buyer, however today they have been replaced by Vodafone as the most likely suitor.  T-Mobile currently has a 15% market share, giving a potential T-Mobile/Vodafone mega-carrier a huge 40% share of the UK market.

For this reason, there is a chance competition regulators may decide to block the bid, although one less mobile operator in the UK would possibly be a popular move by fellow networks.  According to the Financial Times, there are operators with at least a 40% share in France, Italy and Spain, which should boost Vodafone’s hopes if they do enter a bid.

Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile have so far not commented on any of the above, however, Deutsche Telekom’s appointment of JP Morgan to advise them on ‘strategic options‘ does make their intentions relatively clear.

In related T-Mobile news, the operator has confirmed they will be bringing the recently announced HTC Hero to the network, but it will be named the G1 Touch instead.  This follows a Twitter posting in mid-June they would be adding to their Android phone line-up.

Top Ten Mobile Phone News Stories of the Week - 26th June

Posted June 26th, 2009 by Andrew Boxall in Weekly Round-up

With July only a weekend away, let’s see what made the headlines during the last week of June.

1.  Sony Ericsson Launch T715 Slider.

Sony Ericsson seem to have missed the idea of June 2009, a month where everyone was supposed to show off some super-flash new phone.  Instead they debut the T715, a perfectly acceptable, if a little ordinary, 3G slider with a 3.2 megapixel camera.  It’ll be out in the UK sometime during the third quarter.

2.   Full Flash for HTC Hero.

HTC showed off the Hero at a London event this week, where it was also revealed that the new phone would offer full Flash support - making it the first smartphone to do so.  This will mean almost complete support for online video (and adverts) without the need for a separate application.

3.  G1 and Magic Have No Sense.

Well, they may have sense, but they won’t have Sense!  The Hero phone launch also saw the launch of HTC Sense, their Android UI, which was rumoured to be made available as an upgrade to the G1 and Magic Android mobiles.  However, HTC have confirmed that due to licensing issues, Sense will not … continue reading "Top Ten Mobile Phone News Stories of the Week - 26th June"

iPhone Power Illegally Advertised

Posted June 26th, 2009 by Luke McKinney in Applications Mobile Technology iPhone

The iPhone 3GS’s greatest demonstration is not only unauthorised, it’s one Apple will actively fight against.  Despite it being absolutely awesome.

Hackers have crafted code allowing the upgraded iPhone to emulate an entire Playstation. This is serious software for a smartphone - in in increasingly aggressive market, showing that your gadget can recreate something that used to be an entire (and beloved) console for many of your target market is a major plus. Or at least it would be, if it didn’t massively violate copyright regulations, piracy rules, and require you to jailbreak your phone - all things Apple couldn’t be more against without using flaming arrows.

Femtocells Coming in July From Vodafone

Posted June 26th, 2009 by Andrew Boxall in Vodafone Mobile News Mobile Technology

This will be music to the ears of anyone who struggles with mobile phone reception at home!  From the 1st July, Vodafone will be offering Access Gateway, a service where customers will be supplied with a signal boosting box, called a Femtocell, enabling up to four 3G calls to be placed at one time over a broadband connection.

Femtocells, the name given to small cellular base stations designed for home or small business use, have been tested all over the world, with several network providers already offering them to customers in the US.  Vodafone have been testing theirs for six months, so it’s good to see this new and exciting technology finally get an official launch in the UK.

As far as the cost of Access Gateway is concerned, Vodafone will charge either a £160 one time payment, £5 per month or an undisclosed charge as part of a new contract.  You’ll also need a broadband connection at home and you’ll have to register which 3G mobile phones will be using the Femtocell once it’s up and running.  Visit the official Vodafone page on July 1st for more information.

New N97 In The UK

Posted June 24th, 2009 by Luke McKinney in Nokia Mobile News iPhone

The new Nokia N97 smartphone has finally arrived in the UK, with the intended anti-iPhone on sale in select Nokia stores since last Friday.  The brand-name exclusivity will last for one week, after which point the phone will be available from anywhere that wants to sell them.  Well, anywhere phone related.  Fishmongers are unlikely to participate.

The most visible differences between this and The iCompetition is the fold-out QWERTY keyboard, aimed at those frustrated with touch-screen input (which the N97 of course also offers, for the non-frustrated).  The real test of the N97, however, isn’t even in the handset but will be seen as the online Ovi store grows with an increasing user base.  Anyone after the smartphone market has to acknowledge and deal with the huge Apple Store factor, but as the largest handset maker in the world, Nokia do have the resources to attempt it.