It is celebration time for the HTC Desire admirers as the much awaited Android 2.2 update is on its way to be rolled out on Virgin Mobile as well as Vodafone. Both Vodafone and Virgin Mobile have confirmed the upgradation of the popular Android handset.
According to the Vodafone’s post on their support forum, testing and development of the HTC Desire update is in the process. Vodafone is also working to get the approval from both Google and HTC. However, the roll out is expected to commence in a few days.
Recently, number of HTC Desire customers got furious when they tried downloading an update issued by Vodafone taking it for Froyo, but later found it to be an Android 2.1 update which added unnecessary 360 extras and displeased many.
However, Vodafone has made it clear that this Froyo update will not be coming with extra 360 gunk. Users can however get it later as an optional update.
Meanwhile, Virgin Media also announced that over the air Android 2.2 update will be released by early September for the HTC Desire and the HTC Wildfire.
With the Froyo update, the customers can experience improved performance, a faster browser along with better Android Market that includes a handy bug reporting feature.
UK mobile network provider Virgin Media unveils Alcatel VM202, a budget QWERTY slider handset. The VM202 phone is the latest edition to its range of budget handsets. The VM202 can be grabbed for just £29.99 on PAYG.
The handset which is available in dazzle pink colour boasts a ‘soft touch’ slide out QWERTY keyboard. It also packs other features such as MP3 player along with MP4 video playback, 3.5mm audio jack, an inbuilt FM radio, a VGA camera and 1GB of memory via microSD card as well.
The VM202 budget handset is best suitable to youngsters as it offers access to Facebook, Instant Messenger, Twitter as well as emails. Additionally, Opera Mini has also been provided for improved web browsing.
According to Virgin Media’s director of mobile, Jonathan Kini, the VM202 is perfect for teenagers to go with as it provides easy access to Facebook and Twitter along with amazing multimedia features. Also, it is beneficial for the existing Virgin Media families that are allowed to make free calls between Virgin home phones and Virgin mobiles.
Users can also get 300 additional text messages by going with a top up of £10 when they purchase the Alcatel handset. Moreover, users will enjoy typing with the ‘soft to the touch’ sliding QWERTY keyboard of VM202.
Here comes another offering from the Finnish phone maker, the Nokia X3 Touch and Type handset. This is the first S40 phone to feature both a touch screen and a standard 12-button numeric keypad, which in spite of being strange is an appealing combination.
The handset is a smaller version of the already existing Nokia X3. The phone which is a successor to the Nokia X3-00, is on the higher-end of the feature phone spectrum.
The handset which comes in five colours packs a super slim, 9.6mm thick body. Other specs of the handset are a 2.4-inch touch screen, an ARM based processor, a 5 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom, a 16GB microSD card slot, FM radio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G.
The 78g weighing handset which is loaded with OVI Music unlimited is expected to be available for just £100 when it will be released in this quarter. As such, it might be considered by many as a replacement to the iPod.
The Symbian-based phone also provides access to Nokia’s Ovi Store for downloading apps. When the X3 Touch and Type handset will go on sale, it might face competition from the LG Optimus GT540 or Nokia’s original X3.
The Samsung Galaxy tab, a rival to the Apple iPad, is already on its way to land the UK market this quarter. More details regarding the tablet specifications and carrier have been revealed now.
The display of the Galaxy tab is said to be limited to 480 x 800 which indicates that iPad is a step ahead in this regard. It will be sporting a 3.2 megapixel camera to its rear with a 240 x 320 resolution camera on its front.
The tablet will be undoubtedly offering Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth. However, versions have not been revealed yet. It will be more appealing than the iPad for online games and videos, as the tablet might come with a Flash Player as well. It will be powered by a 1GHz ARM11 chip and also possess a new Swype keyboard.
The Samsung Galaxy tab is expected to be on Vodafone’s upcoming roster of devices according to Engadget. However, its UK launch date or price has not yet been unveiled.
Moreover, it is being claimed that the Samsung Galaxy tab will make its debut at IFA 2010. You need not wait too long to get the confirmation as IFA will commence on 3 September.
The upcoming announcement from HTC about two new handsets being offered for pre-order has been revealed to the world, thanks to Amazon.
One of these two handsets is the HTC Desire Z, otherwise known as the HTC Vision which you can find on the Amazon UK site available for £455 on pre-order.
Other handset that appeared earlier on the site is the HTC Desire HD that comes with a price tag of £415. A German network database listed both the handsets as coming soon. However, the UK launch of the handsets is also said to be in the air.
The HTC Desire HD is said to be an Android 2.2 device and has a 4.3 inch WVGA capacitive touch screen with multi-touch capabilities. The handset also boasts a 8 megapixel camera coupled with 720p HD video capture capabilities.
Other specs leaked about the handset are XviD format video playback support, Face tracking, SRS Audio Technology, E-book reader, Adobe Flash 10.1 support along with 4GB of internal memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card slot.
On the other hand, the HTC Vision sports a 3.7 inch touch screen display with WVGA resolution along with a spacious QWERTY keyboard.
Mobile phone giant Nokia is geared up to come with its next handset, the Nokia 6700 Classic Gold. The handset will be more appealing to the users who like the look of the Nokia 6700 but are looking for something more flashy.
The Nokia 6700 Classic Gold is available on pre-order and is expected to hit the store shelves by this month end. The device which comes with normal features additionally boasts 18-carat gold plating along with selected gold-themed wallpapers to make it more appealing to users.
Generally, gold plated handsets are more expensive. However, you can avail the SIM free Nokia 6700 Classic Gold for just £369 (inc VAT) on pre-order via Nokia Online. Make the payment by placing your order now and once the handset is launched at the end of August, you will directly find it at your door steps.
The Nokia 6700 is a candybar phone which features Bluetooth, A-GPS, EDGE & 3G networking. It also has noise-cancelling mics that allow you to make crystal clear calls from anywhere. You can use the handset on any network as its pre-order version is unlocked and SIM free. As such, simply inserting a SIM will enable you to use the device.
Leading mobile phone carrier Vodafone has come up with its own branded MiFi device, called the Mobile Wi-Fi. After 3 Mobile, Vodafone is the second UK network to do so.
It is over a year that the device from 3 was released which was a head start in the mobile Wi-Fi hotspot market. The MiFi can be bought from online retailers without a contract by spending around £180.
The Mi-Fi which is a small battery powered router comes with a mobile SIM using which multiple devices can be connected to it through a local Wi-Fi hotspot. As such devices can be brought online easily and in an affordable way. Using this, one can combine an iPad online without the need of spending on another data plan that might be used rarely.
The device from Three has been manufactured by Huawei. It supports 3G, HSDPA 7.2Mbps, and 5.76Mbps HSUPA. The device weighing just 90g boasts 256MB flash memory, battery life of 4 hours and 100 hours of standby time.
You can grab the device for free by shelling out £25 a month on an 18-month contract which will provide you with 5GB data cap. 3GB data cap is availed by shelling out £15 a month along with MiFi cost of £49. 4GB data cap is given for £20 a month at a cost of £29.
The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 White is an extraordinary device which is bundled with high end features to meet all your basic and multimedia needs. Considering youngsters’ preference to phone screen, Sony Ericsson has designed this device with wide 2.5 inches and in multiple colours to allure colour appreciators.
It is more user-friendly to view anything on the TFT screen, which comes with a scratch-resistant glass so that the handset is shielded from day-to-day wear and tear. It has got 1GB of internal memory storage expandable up to 16GB.
Apart from a hand free communication supported by 3.5mm audio jack, it has got sophisticated technical features such as EDGE, 3G HSDPA and GPRS at the speed of 7.2 Mbps. Users can access various sites such as YouTube, Facebook and Flickr, thanks to the Wi-Fi, USB, Bluetooth with A2DP, and HTML web browsers.
The users will find it more convenient to hold and easy to use. The extraordinary 8MP camera comes with image stabilizer, geo-tagging, auto-focus, and LED flash. Users can experience full fun and amusement, thanks to the FM radio with RDS system.
Various other features such as organiser, A-GPS system, voice memo, calculator, T9, etc can be explored using this amazing XPERIA X10 White. You can avail the handset in the UK as affordable contract mobile phones with free gifts, PAYG phones and Simfree phones via mobile retailers.
Now-a-days people are not just looking for handsets with advanced features but also for the best deals that could match their device. As such, mobile phone operators are coming up with PAYG deals, contract deals and Sim free mobile phone deals to lure the customers.
You can grab the HTC Desire as contract mobile phones and Sim free phones bundled with free gifts via O2, Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile and 3 Mobile. HTC desire which is bundled awesome features is expected to be the mobile phone of 2010. The handset sports a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash.
Customers should analyse carefully before going with any of these deals. Contract deals in the UK are more popular due to the benefits provided to users in the form of free facilities. However, users need to enter into an agreement with monthly payments for limited period of time which will provide them with free texts as well as talk time.
If you want to go with Pay As You Go deals, then it is required to make advance payment. The credited amount can be spent as needed and you can further recharge anytime. Sim free phones allow users to buy the handset from any mobile manufacturer or buy online. Sim free phones also give you the flexibility to buy the desired SIM card along with various offers of discount.
A firmware update for Dell Streak has been leaked and customers in the UK can take advantage of the same to upgrade their tablet.
Users who are waiting to upgrade to Eclair (Android 2.1) can use a link to the Modaco forum and get to it. The link is apparently from Dell though it might not be there for too long.
There are a whole lot of changes awaiting you if you want to take the leap of upgrading your firmware despite the fact that the release is not official and there is clear risk attached to it as well.
The new array of features includes keyboard improvements, 720p video recording and live wallpapers. Those who want to take the plunge need to copy the .pkg file to the SD card, rename it to Update.pkg and boot the Dell Streak in recovery mode.
If you are game, go ahead and enjoy the all new Eclair.
The LG GT540, an Android based smartphone which was launched in June 2010 offers web access at impressive speeds. The handset packs a punch by sporting a colourful touch screen and including all of Google’s mobile services and popular operating system.
It boasts a TFT resistive touch screen of 3 inch with a display capacity of up to 256,000 colours and an accelerometer sensor. The smartphone also sports a 3.15 megapixel camera bundled with face detection, auto focus and geo-tagging options to help you capture amazing images. Videos can also be recorded at VGA quality and at 17 frames per second.
The device features both HSDPA as well as Wi-Fi connectivity. It also features EDGE, GPRS, micro-USB and Bluetooth connections. There is also GPS function with A-GPS support to provide satellite navigation capabilities.
The GT540 is bundled with various social networking integration features that come with live updates. It provides Bebo, Facebook and twitter integration along with Google talk, YouTube and other Google features.
Additionally, the device also boasts MP4/MP3 media player, stereo FM radio with RDS capabilities along with various games for entertainment which makes the device even more popular. Overall, the Black LG GT540 is an appealing handset for all which integrates advanced technology with style.
Sony Ericsson gadgets are famous all over the world for their awesome sound quality. Sony Ericsson Yendo is one such device which is loaded with all the multimedia capabilities. Though the smartphone will not be an Android device as said earlier, it will still feature Walkman technology.
The Yendo has a quite pretty appeal with a large touch screen display, a small camera hole in the back along with a few buttons on the body. You will also find a small Walkman logo to its lower right.
The handset sports a 2 megapixel camera which gives an amazing experience of movies and images to its users, thanks to its video recording facility and a high resolution touch screen. With the camera in the middle and a long gap for the loudspeakers the back casing oozes stunning looks.
Coming to other specs of the smartphone, it features a resistive touch screen display of 2.6 inch with 320 x 240 pixels resolution. Touch based controls are not very efficient due to the resistive screen. Users will also have to compromise with EDGE and GPRS due the unavailability of Wi-Fi on Yendo.
You can grab this Walkman phone through Sony Ericsson Yendo contract deal which is very affordable as well as it is bundled with free gifts like laptop, digital camera, gaming console or anything else that you need.
Mobile phone giant Nokia is all set to come with its next entry level touch screen device, the Nokia 5250 which is set to be the Nokia’s next sub £70 star. However, going by official manual of Nokia’s website, the smartphone might turn out to be a major disappointment.
The Nokia 5250 is a Symbian S60 5th Edition smartphone and carries a resistive screen a 2.8-inch. Also, a slot has been provided for the built-in stylus to be popped in and out.
The smartphone comes with an array of other features such as a 2-megapixel camera without flash, a microSD card slot up to 16GB, a 3.5mm audio jack, Bluetooth support, support for GSM, GPRS & EDGE, compatibility with both Microsoft Exchange and Nokia Ovi, an FM radio, an onscreen virtual keyboard along with a proximity sensor.
But, the disappointing thing is that the smartphone has neither Wi-Fi nor 3G. Also, it has no GPS either which even its predecessor, the Nokia 5230 possess. In spite of being an entry-level phone, the handset comes with a standard 360 x 640 pixel resolution.
However, the Nokia 5250 might have to face tough competition from the Nokia 5230 as the latter is available for just £70.
After Vodafone, it is now O2 offering iPhone 4 on Pay As You Go deals. However, you will have to fork out £25 more to grab the gadget from O2 than from other carriers which will allocate you with 500MB of data allowance.
The iPhone 4 32GB can be grabbed for £595 whereas the 16GB version comes for £495. The operator which is charging £25 more than Vodafone and Orange for both the models could not give out any reason for this.
The gadget will be shipped with a text and web SIM card. Also, 500MB data allowance will be provided by the operator. By going with a monthly top up between £10 and £14, customers can avail 300 texts a month. Top up of £29 provides you up to 500 texts whereas £30 top-up allocates you with unlimited texts.
The iPhone 4 can now be owned by anyone on PAYG deals from O2 with full tariff details available on its web site. O2 is offering the device to new customers on contract from last week.
Three and T-Mobile have however not revealed any information as to when they will offer the iPhone 4 on Pay As You Go deals.
In what it believes to be the cheapest Sim-Only mobile tariff plan, Tesco is offering 100 minutes and unlimited texts for just £6 every month.
Tesco is offering the deal over the phone as well as online and is for a one month Sim-Only contract which facilitates the customers to switch the service providers with ease. To top it all, customers earn Tesco Clubcard reward points too with the monthly bill.
As per Tesco, the target customer segment for this deal is the younger lot or people who are addicted to text messaging but cannot afford to pay huge bills every month. Tesco believes that there is an increase in the Sim-only tariff plans because people seem to be more than happy switching the service provider for the best tariffs rather than changing the mobile phones.
As per a research by Tesco Mobile, it is the younger lot between 16 and 24 that spend the highest amounts for mobile contracts thanks to their affinity to use text messaging big time. However, only 31.6 % of these people spend more than £ 30 per month for their mobile bills.
Tesco has already got a £10 per month Sim deal that provides 800 texts and 400 minutes to five selected numbers.
There is some disappointing news for the customers who are eager to lay their hands on the white iPhone 4. According to Orange, they may need to wait until next year to grab the device.
In response to a customer email, Orange replied saying that the white iPhone 4 would not be available in the UK until the end of 2010.
Apple is said to be facing this problem due to the colorant which is used in the material required to give the white finish to the iPhone according to Ars Technica. The site further said that the difficulty is probably being faced during the ion-exchange hardening process to make Gorilla Glass.
Engadget, the popular tech site which has its own reasons says that possibly Apple’s glass supplier, the Chinese glass-etching company is facing much trouble in finding an elusive combination of paint thickness and opaqueness.
Many people are transforming their existing black iPhone 4 into a white model by swapping the external enclosure. Already, DIY kits are about to be sold by retailers in China using which black iPhone users can transform their devices into white ones.
Also, white iPhone 4 parts can be bought with the Apple stamp via some websites. The whole conversion operation is said to take just 20 minutes to complete.
Verizon unveiled Droid 2, the successor to Motorola’s Droid which is Motorola’s biggest success in the Android market so far.
Next week will see Droid 2 on Verizon’s network and we will get to see if Motorola and Verizon can replicate the success that the original Droid achieved. Droid had been the most popular Android based Smartphone from Motorola’s mantle till date and it continues to be rated high amongst peers even after a year of its launch.
Despite the fact that there were other impressive Android Smartphones from Verizon like the Droid X, Droid is still popular amongst the business users who need to type a lot of text.
Motorola did not change much with respect to design, though Verizon chose a different colour scheme which made the Droid look aggressively styled with softer edges.
As Verizon runs on CDMA, the Droid 2 will need a change in radio so that it gets to Blighty. The Droid was rechristened as Milestone in the UK in the past for similar reasons and we can anticipate a similar renaming this time too.
Though the Droid 2 specs are not yet out, it is expected to cost $600 ( £380) without subsidy from Verizon. Droid 2 might get going next week and we need to wait and watch for its arrival in the UK.
Almost two months after the UK launch of the Apple iPhone 4G, Vodafone is now offering the phone on PAYG. Vodafone is selling the device whose price starts from £480 for the 16GB model and £570 for the 32GB model.
Users will be benefitted by this as they will be able to save £20 and £30 for the 16GB and 32GB models respectively when compared to that of the SIM free versions of the iPhone 4. The PAYG models are bundled with wireless data access for 12 months, capped at 250MB a month on 3G and 1GB for BT Openzone Wi-Fi.
The iPhone 4 16GB which comes with 600 call minutes, unlimited texts, 1GB Wi-Fi along with 1GB internet carries a TCO of £959 over a period of two years.
Alternatively, to get the PAYG iPhone 4 having an equivalent SIM only plan, you will have to shell out £960. As such it is a good thing to opt the pay monthly version of the iPhone so as to avoid the hefty initial cost.
However, we just need to keep our fingers crossed and watch if pay monthly customers of Vodafone will be prioritised over its PAYG ones.
Three UK, the smallest mobile carrier in the UK is all set to offer the RIM’s latest flagship handset, BlackBerry Torch 9800 soon. Earlier, Research in Motion (RIM) has announced the smartphone to be available on Vodafone and Orange.
RIM said that the BlackBerry Torch was its ‘best BlackBerry ever’. The Torch 9800, released last week, is the RIM’s latest device to hit the smartphone market. It sports a full touch screen with slide-out QWERTY keyboard and trackpad. The phone also boasts a 5 MP camera with autofocus and flash.
Other specs of the gadget are 4GB internal memory, 624MHz processor, microSD card reader and Wi-Fi. Above all, the Torch 9800 is the first device to run on the latest BlackBerry OS 6.
Details regarding the pricing and availability of the phone in Europe will be revealed in the weeks ahead. O2 is also expected to offer the Torch 9800 in the near future. It is being anticipated that the Torch 9800 will go for sale by 3 UK for around £40 per month.
Currently the Bold 9700 and the Pearl 9105 are being offered by 3 UK on monthly contracts which starts from £36 a month for the Bold and £25 per month for the recently released Pearl.
BlackBerry is a well known mobile phone brand with great industry reputation. BlackBerry is geared up to launch its entry-level Curve smartphone on the faster 3G network this month.
Currently, the Curve handsets depend on the slower GPRS network for wireless connectivity during the unavailability of the Wi-Fi. Canadian manufacturer of BlackBerrys, Research In Motion said that the new curve 3G will hit the store shelves this August.
The BlackBerry Curve 9300 3G smartphone comes in an extremely appealing design and is said to be an accessible option for those looking to buy their first smartphone. It features a QWERTY keypad, optical trackpad navigation, 2 MP camera, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS along with microSD cards support up to 32GB.
The Blackberry OS 5.0 would be loaded on the handset as standard which can be later upgraded to the more effective and easy to use Blackberry OS 6 revealed last week. However, to get recognition in this competitive smartphone bandwagon, Curve 3G might have to struggle.
The Curve 3G is expected to hit the market this month from network providers. However, pricing details have not yet been revealed. Moreover, T-Mobile confirmed to make the handset available in the coming weeks.
