Mobiles NewsMobile Phone News
September 3, 2010
It seems that the rumoured next smartphone in HTC's HD line might not be called the HD3, as standard numerical progression would suggest. Engadget got the scoop on this one, with the site obtaining an internal spreadsheet from O2 which had the phone listed as the HD7. Of course, as Engadget points out, a simple spreadsheet isn't the hardest thing in the ...
HTC HD3 coming soon, but now named the HD7?
by Darren AllanIt seems that the rumoured next smartphone in HTC's HD line might not be called the HD3, as standard numerical progression would suggest. Engadget got the scoop on this one, with the site obtaining an internal spreadsheet from O2 which had the phone listed as the HD7. Of course, as Engadget points out, a simple spreadsheet isn't the hardest thing in the ...
Nokia gets the X-Factor app
by Darren AllanYes, it's that time of the year again, when some quite good singers, and a load of very bad ones (who could forget chicken factory bloke), turn up at the X-Factor auditions across the country to grab their fifteen seconds of fame. And if you like to keep up to speed with all things Simon Cowell related on the move, there's ...
September 2, 2010
Huawei has revealed a budget mobile which the company claims will be the first to hit the market with Android 2.2 preloaded. The Google branded handset certainly seems like a pretty cheap way of getting yourself a piece of Froyo action, with pricing set to start from £100 on PAYG plans. The Huawei Ideos comes complete with a 2.8 inch QVGA display, ...
Huawei Ideos phone with Android 2.2 unveiled
by Darren AllanHuawei has revealed a budget mobile which the company claims will be the first to hit the market with Android 2.2 preloaded. The Google branded handset certainly seems like a pretty cheap way of getting yourself a piece of Froyo action, with pricing set to start from £100 on PAYG plans. The Huawei Ideos comes complete with a 2.8 inch QVGA display, ...
Nokia N8 release date finally set at September 23rd
by Darren AllanThe much awaited Nokia N8 high-end handset has been the subject of a number of delays. Vodafone had it announced as “coming soon” back in May, and many thought it was definitely going to be launched last month. It seems that now we have the final release date, however, courtesy of NokNok, who discovered the magic day when one of their ...
Samsung Wave 723 to hit UK shores
by Darren AllanThe Samsung Wave 723 phone, which sports the Bada operating system, has been unveiled. This new handset is essentially a more budget oriented version of the original Wave that crashed home with Bada, as it drops the Super AMOLED screen in favour of a 3.2 inch LCD. Other specs include a 5 megapixel camera, GPS, bluetooth, 3G and wi-fi, along with a ...
September 1, 2010
Along with unveiling the Milestone 2 smartphone today, Motorola has also brought out a new mobile which is designed with toughness in mind. The rugged Motorola Defy is scratch-proof, dust-proof and water resistant, which means you should be able to happily drop it in the bath without frazzling the unit. In theory, it can spend a number of minutes submerged under shallow ...
Motorola Defy tough smartphone announced
by Darren AllanAlong with unveiling the Milestone 2 smartphone today, Motorola has also brought out a new mobile which is designed with toughness in mind. The rugged Motorola Defy is scratch-proof, dust-proof and water resistant, which means you should be able to happily drop it in the bath without frazzling the unit. In theory, it can spend a number of minutes submerged under shallow ...
Motorola Milestone 2 gets Froyo’ed up
by Darren AllanMotorola has announced a new version of the Milestone smartphone, which is, unsurprisingly, called the Milestone 2. It packs a fair bit more punch than the original Milestone, coming with Android 2.2 (aka Froyo) on board, and a zippier processor to help take advantage of the operating system's speed boost, in the form of a new 1GHz model (the original had ...
Orange HD calls go live
by Darren AllanOrange has launched its High Definition voice service, which provides a higher level of call quality than your standard handset. HD calling works by isolating and dampening any background noise, to give a supposedly crystal clear sound quality. Orange claims that the technology makes a phone call seem like you're talking to the other person in the same room. The downside is ...
Android 2.1 coming to Dell Streak on O2
by Darren AllanLike Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 owners, those with a Dell Streak will doubtless be glad to hear there's an upgrade on the way which will take them off the aged Android 1.6 operating system. Streak owners with O2 should receive the Android 2.1 update today, so rumour has it, Electricpig.co.uk reports. The site talked to a Dell spokesperson, who wouldn't confirm ...
August 31, 2010
If you've been mulling over the idea of getting one of HTC's recent hot handsets, then they don't get much warmer than the Wildfire – not now the mobile has had its price cut, anyway. Mobiles.co.uk has the smartphone available on a T-Mobile two year contract, with a £5 discount meaning that it's just £15 per month, T3 reports. The tariff in ...
HTC Wildfire now available for £15 per month
by Darren AllanIf you've been mulling over the idea of getting one of HTC's recent hot handsets, then they don't get much warmer than the Wildfire – not now the mobile has had its price cut, anyway. Mobiles.co.uk has the smartphone available on a T-Mobile two year contract, with a £5 discount meaning that it's just £15 per month, T3 reports. The tariff in ...
M-Dress comes with built-in phone
by Darren AllanFile this under the category, “Whatever will they think of next”. Either that or simply, “Why?”. At any rate, a London fashion company has designed a new dress which comes with a built-in mobile phone. Mashable reports that the tight, figure-hugging black dress with long sleeves comes with a mobile stitched into the top of the sleeve. The wearer will simply ...
Apple smartphone becomes the iStethoscope
by Darren Allan
Android 2.1 coming to the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
by Darren AllanSome good news for owners of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, as the smartphone is set to finally receive an update to Android 2.1. Sony Ericsson has announced via the company Twitter feed that the 2.1 update will be on its way before the end of September. This is good news in light of the fact that previously a fourth quarter ...
Nokia C6-01 to run Symbian^3?
by Darren AllanMore details have leaked out regarding the upcoming Nokia C6-01 smartphone. It seems that the touchscreen handset might come packaged with the latest flavour of Nokia's operating system, Symbian^3. Unwired View reports that the source of this speculation is a Bulgarian online shop, which posted up pics of the C6-01 with Symbian^3 clearly running on the display. Apparently these were quickly taken ...
August 30, 2010
The Froyo update for the HTC Desire was rolled out by Vodafone last week, although it seems Orange customers are going to have to wait a bit longer for that Android 2.2 goodness. It was announced on Orange's Twitter account that the 2.2 update has been delayed, with the company apologising for the fact that it isn't expected to turn up ...
HTC Desire Froyo update delayed at Orange
by Darren AllanThe Froyo update for the HTC Desire was rolled out by Vodafone last week, although it seems Orange customers are going to have to wait a bit longer for that Android 2.2 goodness. It was announced on Orange's Twitter account that the 2.2 update has been delayed, with the company apologising for the fact that it isn't expected to turn up ...
India gives Rim 60 day reprieve over BlackBerry affair
by Darren AllanA ban which was due to come into force on BlackBerry messaging services in India tomorrow has been postponed by the country's government. India isn't the only country to have concerns over the security of BlackBerry handsets, and the fact that communication is encrypted so the government can't monitor messages. However, at the last minute, the Indian government has decided against enforcing ...
August 29, 2010
Owners of Samsung's critically acclaimed Galaxy S smartphone should be aware of a potential problem with the handset. A major glitch can occur when connecting the Galaxy S to a PC using Samsung's Kies software, with the bug wiping the handset back to factory default settings, the Inquirer reports. According to a spokesperson for Samsung, this problem only occurs if the handset ...
Samsung Galaxy S in reset woes
by Darren AllanOwners of Samsung's critically acclaimed Galaxy S smartphone should be aware of a potential problem with the handset. A major glitch can occur when connecting the Galaxy S to a PC using Samsung's Kies software, with the bug wiping the handset back to factory default settings, the Inquirer reports. According to a spokesperson for Samsung, this problem only occurs if the handset ...
August 28, 2010
The wait for the Nokia N8 smartphone has certainly dragged out. The last time we reported on the highly anticipated handset, we speculated it would be out by now, but that clearly hasn't happened. As a reader pointed out in the comments thread on our story two week ago, Mobile Fun has actually changed the release date to September 7th. And ...
Vodafone to offer exclusive green Nokia N8
by Darren AllanThe wait for the Nokia N8 smartphone has certainly dragged out. The last time we reported on the highly anticipated handset, we speculated it would be out by now, but that clearly hasn't happened. As a reader pointed out in the comments thread on our story two week ago, Mobile Fun has actually changed the release date to September 7th. And ...
August 27, 2010
The Nokia C6 became available to purchase online and sim-free at the end of July, although as a one-off payment, the smartphone costs £289. However, Vodafone has now started offering the handset on contract, so you can pick it up for free, providing you're willing to sign up for at least 18 months of instalments of course. On an 18 month contract, ...
Nokia C6 now on Vodafone
by Darren AllanThe Nokia C6 became available to purchase online and sim-free at the end of July, although as a one-off payment, the smartphone costs £289. However, Vodafone has now started offering the handset on contract, so you can pick it up for free, providing you're willing to sign up for at least 18 months of instalments of course. On an 18 month contract, ...
August 25, 2010
O2 has come up with a new scheme to rank mobile phones in order of how environmentally friendly they are. The Telegraph reports that the O2 “eco ratings” were scored with the help of experts from the Forum for the Future. The evaluation process examines factors such as the mobile's packaging, materials used in its manufacturing, how easy it is to ...
O2 goes green and ranks eco-friendly phones
by Darren AllanO2 has come up with a new scheme to rank mobile phones in order of how environmentally friendly they are. The Telegraph reports that the O2 “eco ratings” were scored with the help of experts from the Forum for the Future. The evaluation process examines factors such as the mobile's packaging, materials used in its manufacturing, how easy it is to ...
August 24, 2010
It's official for those of you with the HTC Desire smartphone on Vodafone: Froyo is finally on its way via an over-the-air update. Android 2.2 offers a considerable speed boost over the previous version of the OS, along with full Flash support and device tethering. Many Vodafone users thought they were upgrading to Froyo three weeks ago, although that update turned out ...
Vodafone HTC Desire Froyo update goes live
by Darren AllanIt's official for those of you with the HTC Desire smartphone on Vodafone: Froyo is finally on its way via an over-the-air update. Android 2.2 offers a considerable speed boost over the previous version of the OS, along with full Flash support and device tethering. Many Vodafone users thought they were upgrading to Froyo three weeks ago, although that update turned out ...
Nokia 5250 budget phone confirmed
by Darren AllanTwo weeks ago, rumours were rife about the Nokia 5250, a replacement mobile for the Finnish firm's 5230. And now Nokia has confirmed that the 5250 is a reality, as well as providing those all important juicy spec details. Although being a budget phone, don't expect the Earth. Indeed, Electricpig.co.uk reports that the 2.8 inch display is a resistive touchscreen, not a ...
Intel and Nokia to work on mobile 3D
by Darren AllanIntel and Nokia have announced their intention to develop 3D and virtual reality based interfaces for mobile devices in conjunction with Oulu university in Finland. The work will take place at a joint research lab based at Oulu university, V3.co.uk reports. Over twenty techies will be beavering away attempting to create flash three dimensional interfaces with a focus on Intel and ...
August 23, 2010
An Apple patent has come to light which revolves around identifying and dealing with stolen iPhones, and also those which have been jailbroken.
TechRadar reports that the “Systems and Methods for Identifying Unauthorized Users of an Electronic Device” patent, which was filed by Apple back in February, details methods of detecting hacked or jailbroken devices, and measures that could ...
Apple patent explores anti-jailbreak options
by Darren Allan
August 20, 2010
Nokia has bought up a small mobile analytics outfit based in California for an undisclosed sum. Motally, which employs just eight people, develops technology to track the usage of mobile websites and applications. Nokia will doubtless be hoping to use this expertise to track how its phones are being used in the States, in order to better target and improve them in ...
Nokia snaps up mobile analytics outfit Motally
by Darren AllanNokia has bought up a small mobile analytics outfit based in California for an undisclosed sum. Motally, which employs just eight people, develops technology to track the usage of mobile websites and applications. Nokia will doubtless be hoping to use this expertise to track how its phones are being used in the States, in order to better target and improve them in ...
HTC Desire HD and Desire Z confirmed by another retailer
by Darren AllanIt seems that the HTC Desire HD and the Desire Z smartphones are definitely in the pipeline. Amazon recently put up listings for both phones, pricing them at £415 and £455 respectively, but pulled the product pages no sooner than they were up. These could have been mere test pages, of course, but that seems very unlikely now another online retailer has ...
BlackBerry Bold R020 details leaked
by Darren AllanDetails of another smartphone have been leaked online, this time the successor to the BlackBerry Bold 9700. And it would seem that the Bold R020, as it's named in the leaked internal document Boy Genius Report got hold of, is pretty much the same as the Bold 9700. Aesthetically, it certainly looks the same. Okay, so bits of the phone have been ...
Orange fixes 3G connection problems
by Darren AllanA number of Orange customers have been experiencing serious problems with their mobile broadband connections this week. Some users experienced major surfing slow-downs and in some cases, a complete failure of the service. Orange admitted there was a problem and apologised yesterday, although it seems the company has now managed to resolve the issue. Just over an hour ago, Orange tweeted: “Further ...
August 19, 2010
Both Virgin Media and Vodafone will be rolling out Froyo, version 2.2 of the Android operating system, for the HTC Desire smartphone in short order. Virgin Media announced via Twitter that the over-the-air update to 2.2 will be on its way early September. The HTC Wildfire will also be given a new lease of life with Froyo, which offers a speed ...
Froyo for HTC Desire on Vodafone and Virgin soon
by Darren AllanBoth Virgin Media and Vodafone will be rolling out Froyo, version 2.2 of the Android operating system, for the HTC Desire smartphone in short order. Virgin Media announced via Twitter that the over-the-air update to 2.2 will be on its way early September. The HTC Wildfire will also be given a new lease of life with Froyo, which offers a speed ...
Apple app Director sells own toilet humour apps
by Darren Allan
August 18, 2010
Nine people have been arrested in raids earlier this morning regarding an alleged million pound plus scam run using Apple's famous smartphone.
Those picked up by the police came from a range of cities up and down the country, from London through Birmingham to Middlesbrough. They were all male, save for one woman.
The scam was purported to work ...
Nine nabbed in million pound iPhone scam
by Darren AllanIf you’re happy and you know it, clap your iPhone
by Darren AllanHTC Desire Z pops up on Amazon
by Darren AllanYesterday we reported on Amazon putting up a listing for the HTC Desire HD, pricing the handset at £415, although it was swiftly pulled. And now it seems that Amazon has been up to similar tricks with another HTC smartphone, according to a report by TechRadar. The HTC Desire Z was also glimpsed by the site, although like the previous Desire HD ...
Apple gets funky with Grooveshark and pulls app
by Darren Allan
August 17, 2010
Another recession-friendly mobile phone has been unveiled, this one from Virgin Media in conjunction with Alcatel. You can pick up the VM202, which comes with a “soft touch” Qwerty sliding keyboard, and an exclusive “dazzle pink” colour scheme, for just £30 on PAYG. Mind you, the sunglasses to protect your retinas from that glaring pink paint job will run you to ...
Virgin Media VM202 budget mobile unleashed
by Darren AllanAnother recession-friendly mobile phone has been unveiled, this one from Virgin Media in conjunction with Alcatel. You can pick up the VM202, which comes with a “soft touch” Qwerty sliding keyboard, and an exclusive “dazzle pink” colour scheme, for just £30 on PAYG. Mind you, the sunglasses to protect your retinas from that glaring pink paint job will run you to ...
BlackBerry Torch fails to shine upon launch
by Darren AllanRim's latest great hope, the BlackBerry Torch slide and touchscreen smartphone boasting OS 6, hasn't got off to an auspicious start over in the US. The Wall Street Journal quotes an analyst who estimates that the mobile only shifted 150,000 units over its launch weekend. We say “only”, that's still a fair few sold in a short space of time, but compare ...
HTC Desire HD priced at £415 by Amazon
by Darren AllanIt seems that the upcoming HTC Desire HD has been listed on Amazon, with the smartphone priced at £415. Although the listing was only up for a short while, Softpedia reports, before being pulled down by the request of someone at HTC no doubt. Of course, the price might not be correct. It does seem pretty cheap, relatively speaking, as Amazon flogs ...
Nokia X3 Touch and Type handset unveiled
by Darren AllanThe Nokia X3 Touch and Type phone has been announced, and as the name suggests, it comes with a touchscreen and keypad. A 2.4 inch touchscreen, in fact, and twelve button keypad, crammed into the device's 10 x 5 cm body. Other tech specs include a 5 megapixel snapper (with a 4x digital zoom), 16GB of memory, wi-fi, 3G and an FM ...
Google may use PayPal for Android Market
by Darren AllanDiscussions are currently underway between Google and PayPal, regarding the prospect of using the latter as an avenue for purchasing Android apps, Bloomberg reports. Currently, those shopping in the Android Market have to use Google Checkout or a credit card. Google's hope, if the deal comes off, will be that giving developers another potential payment method will encourage them to produce more ...
Microsoft shows off Windows Phone 7 gaming plans
by Darren AllanMicrosoft has announced its mobile gaming plans for handsets which will use the company's upcoming Windows Phone 7 operating system. And big plans they are indeed. Microsoft reckons it will have more than fifty games available at launch, including mobile “companion” versions of big franchises such as Halo: Waypoint, Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst, Guitar Hero 5 and Assassin's Creed. Crackdown 2: Project ...
August 16, 2010
Another rumour to hit the net this morning is that Rim is set to bring out a clamshell design BlackBerry, the 9670. This all centres on a device simulator for the BlackBerry 9670 which has been leaked online, as reported by BlackBerry Leaks. Not many details are available for the clamshell smartphone, although it will run BlackBerry OS 6. Snaps on the ...
BlackBerry 9670 clamshell phone leaked
by Darren AllanAnother rumour to hit the net this morning is that Rim is set to bring out a clamshell design BlackBerry, the 9670. This all centres on a device simulator for the BlackBerry 9670 which has been leaked online, as reported by BlackBerry Leaks. Not many details are available for the clamshell smartphone, although it will run BlackBerry OS 6. Snaps on the ...
Samsung Windows Phone 7 handset pics leaked
by Darren AllanImages of an upcoming Samsung smartphone running Windows Phone 7 have been leaked online. The snaps, which turned up on Twitter (highlighted by Pocket Now) show what appears to be a phone with an AMOLED display, and a very square design. Some sites are calling it slick and/or minimalist, we call it blocky and unattractive, but maybe it's just us. Take a ...
August 14, 2010
Hot on the heels of Vodafone's announcement on Tuesday, O2 has now declared it will be selling the iPhone 4 on PAYG. If you want Apple's latest smartphone without a contract from O2, it will cost you £495 for the 16GB model, and £595 for the 32GB handset. That's more expensive than Vodafone who pitched the iPhone 4 at £480 and £570 ...
O2 now offering iPhone 4 on PAYG
by Darren AllanHot on the heels of Vodafone's announcement on Tuesday, O2 has now declared it will be selling the iPhone 4 on PAYG. If you want Apple's latest smartphone without a contract from O2, it will cost you £495 for the 16GB model, and £595 for the 32GB handset. That's more expensive than Vodafone who pitched the iPhone 4 at £480 and £570 ...
August 13, 2010
It seems that HTC will be announcing the successor to the Desire smartphone on September 15th. The news comes as HTC has sent out invites to the press for an event on that date, which doesn't mention any specifics, but merely says “Come see what HTC has dreamt up.” By the looks of the wafting black smoke which is the only other ...
HTC Desire HD to be announced September 15th?
by Darren AllanIt seems that HTC will be announcing the successor to the Desire smartphone on September 15th. The news comes as HTC has sent out invites to the press for an event on that date, which doesn't mention any specifics, but merely says “Come see what HTC has dreamt up.” By the looks of the wafting black smoke which is the only other ...
Oracle gets legal with Google over Android
by Darren AllanOracle has filed a lawsuit against Google over the company's Android operating system. Oracle claims that the search giant infringed patents relating to Java in the development of the OS. The BBC reports Oracle as stating that Google “knowingly, directly and repeatedly infringed Oracle's Java-related intellectual property.” The suit was filed in San Francisco last night, in a move that has surprised many. Android's ...
India sets BlackBerry ban deadline, eyes Skype and Google
by Darren AllanIndia has previously made noises about BlackBerry security, along with other nations such as Saudi Arabia. But now India has set a deadline for the end of the month, Reuters reports, for the authorities to have access to BlackBerry's encrypted messaging service. The country is concerned about terrorists using the service, and other security risks of not being able to monitor ...
August 12, 2010
Smartphones are selling like, well, shiny compact touchscreen gadgets which allow you to play games, use apps and surf the Internet on the move. In fact, Gartner's figures for the second quarter of this year show that smartphones have witnessed a 50% boost in the numbers of units shifted. Gartner says that 326 million mobiles have been flogged over the past three ...
Smartphone sales surge by 50% in Q2
by Darren AllanSmartphones are selling like, well, shiny compact touchscreen gadgets which allow you to play games, use apps and surf the Internet on the move. In fact, Gartner's figures for the second quarter of this year show that smartphones have witnessed a 50% boost in the numbers of units shifted. Gartner says that 326 million mobiles have been flogged over the past three ...
Tesco wheels out £6 per month mobile contracts
by Darren AllanTesco Mobile has found a whole new meaning for the phrase budget mobile contract, with the company introducing a £6 per month tariff. It's a sim-only deal which gives you 100 minutes and unlimited texts, and the contract length is just a month, so you can opt out quickly if you wish. There's no Internet access included, but at this price point, ...
Palm Pre suffers from literal bugbear
by Darren AllanPalm Pre owners be warned that an exploit has been uncovered on the phone whereby a hacker can trigger the device to literally bug you. Security specialist MWR InfoSecurity has illustrated how a hacker can create an SMS business card which delivers an exploit that allows the bugging of the owner. It essentially uses the handset's microphone to record anything said and ...
Apple fixes PDF vulnerability on iPhone and iPad
by Darren Allan
