Omio News Blog

HTC Flyer available to order

HTC’s first ever tablet is now around to order from Expansys.com, with the Flyer costing just £479.99 for the 16GB WIFI model and £599.99 for the 32GB 3G version – both SIM free and unlocked.

The HTC Flyer made is first public appearance at Mobile World Congress this year, along with 5 other new handsets from the Taiwanese mobile phone maker.

HTC’s Flyer runs from Android ‘Gingerbread’ 2.3, although the more recent spate of tablets all run the Android Android ‘Honeycomb’ 2.3 OS that has been designed solely for these products.

The Flyer comes with a 7-inch 1024×600 LCD capacitive touch screen, with a 1.5GHz processor, a 5MP camera and HTC Sense v2.1.

This tablet is just one of the plethora of large touch screen devices to arrive this year to take on the Apple iPad 2; with the Xoom from Motorola, another two Galaxy Tabs from Samsung and the TouchPad from HP – to name but a few.

Check out all of the HTC Flyer deals at OMIO here.

HTC Sensation Exclusive To Vodafone In May 2011, Other Operators From June

The HTC Sensation will be released exclusively on Vodafone in the UK and Europe in May, at least initially.

HTC’s all-singing all-dancing Android ‘multimedia superphone’, previously known to tech watchers as ‘Pyramid’, will be available a month later in June on T-Mobile and Orange according to Pocket Lint.  3 Mobile have also announced a vague ‘summer’ release period, and whilst O2 have announced their intentions to stock the handset to CNET today, they had no dates to give.

The Sensation, with its 4.3″ qHD screen (960 x 540 pixels) will take the throne of flagship handset from the popular Desire HD. It sports a smokin’ fast dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor, that should keep things running quicker than your fingers can press things. Video calling will be a doddle with the front-facing VGA camera, and you will be able to capture memories with the impressive 8MP camera at the rear, in full 1080p HD video at a smooth-as-eggs 30fps. The Sensation will also include the latest version of their widely praised Sense overlay for Android OS, which adds further tweaks to streamline the user experience.

Most interestingly, the handset will come preloaded with HTC Watch, a multimedia portal for renting or buying movies and TV shows on the move. However, despite the handset having HDMI out and wireless DLNA, DRM restrictions will not allow downloaded videos to be streamed over to your massive TV/monitor.  Whilst this may turn out to be something of a deal breaker for some, many more will love the convenience of being able to watch  from a large library of content on the handsets spacious 16:9 screen.

Pricing is still unknown at this point, but we will post any news up as it arrives. Alternatively, you can sign up for information on the HTC Sensation, as we get it, on OMIO’s deals page.

LG Optimus 3D – Sim Free Pricing Details, Release Date

LG’s showstopper at MWC 2011, the LG Optimus 3D is available SIM-free for pre-order via Expansys.com for £514.99.  The handset is currently listed for release on the 25th April 2011.

On top of being an already feature packed 1Ghz Android phone, the Optimus 3D’s real selling point is it’s 3D tech credentials.  With two 5MP camera’s at the rear, capable of shooting 720P high definition 3D video and pictures, this sci-fi handset is going to set the expectations for 3D technology for years to come.  The future is here people!

Whilst a lot of the ‘meh factor’ surrounding 3D up until this point has been down to the goofy (and sometimes expensive) glasses, naysayers will be happy to hear that the Optimus 3D has a revolutionary new 4.3″ screen that can switch at an instant from super crisp 2D, to extra-dimensional 3D before your unbelieving eyes.

There has also been issues surrounding the lack of watchable 3D content.  This is soon to change however with Youtube releasing a dedicated 3D channel, enabling users to view and share 3D content on the fly.  At this very moment, the producers of You’ve Been Framed are clearly rubbing their hands at the prospect of a raft of freely available family calamity videos.  People falling over has never looked so real!  LG are also chucking 3D games into the mix

The Optimus 3D will soon be joined by Nintendo’s 3DS handheld console, due out in March, as the only two ways to play 3D games on the go, an application that I think has always made more sense than 3D films.  Both units will share the sci-fi glasses-free screen and dual camera’s, so love it or hate it, 3D content is here to stay… for now.

Be one of the first to get your hands on the Optimus 3D SIM-free on Omio’s deals page.

Samsung Galaxy S II – Available To Pre Order Sim Free

Good news all you power addicts out there, the Samsung Galaxy S II is here to satisfy your every desire.  This Android 2.3 Gingerbread device was officialy revealed to the masses at MWC 2011 and now been listed via expansys.com, off contract, for a princely sum of £649.99.  Early adopters can pre-order the handset now, with deliveries expecting to start shipping April 18th 2011.

Samsung have really pulled out the stops with the Galaxy S II, packing premium features into a desirably thin form factor.  Its 1.2GHz dual core processor and 1GB ram will make light work of pretty much anything that you care to throw at it.  An 8MP camera sits at the rear, capable of stills or 1080P full HD video, whilst the 2MP camera at the front will be just fine for portrait pictures or fancy video calling.

At 4.3″ the Galaxy S II’s ‘Super AMOLED Plus’ screen is now bigger and brighter and even more power efficient, with 14% extra screen estate available to show off it’s excellent HD video handling, full internet browsing and gaming prowess.  If you thought the iPhone 4′s retina display looked crisp, just wait until you see this in action!

Fans of cutting edge technologies will also be excited to hear that this will be one of the first handsets to incorporate Near Field Communication.  Puzzled?  NFC will basically mean that you will be able to pay for products and services simply by holding your phone near a reader device, saving embarrasing scrambles for small change on the morning commute.

It’s older brother the Galaxy S won a whole heap of silverware and we have no doubt that this handset will follow suit.  It’s staggering to think that Samsung have managed to cram all this technology into a body that is a mere 8.49mm thick.

You can pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S II Sim-Free via Omio’s deals page.

MWC 2011: HTC Incredible S Announced, Release Date Revealed

HTC revealed today in Barcelona that they would be bringing the HTC Incredible S to European markets in the second quarter, along with its range of updated handsets.  The Incredible S was otherwise known to the U.S. as the Droid Incredible (even being released in a rather fetching limited R2-D2 colour scheme) and was previously unavailable to the Old World.

The Incredible S has a unique ‘shrink wrapped’ design that hugs the innards of the phone, showing off its interior physique.  Whilst the original Droid Incredible was hailed upon release as the ‘most powerful Android phone in America’, the Incredible S won’t have the benefit of such a tag, now that dual core handsets like the LG Optimus 2X are the bullies on the block. However, it will still pack a punch with a 1GHz Qualcomm processor and 768MB ram.  Onboard storage is a little lacking, with 1GB sure to cause a few grumbles, but this is expandable via the addition of microSD cards up to 32GB.

Premium features are a 8MP camera capable of photos and HD recording, a front facing 1.3MP camera for video calling, and a 4″ high definition 480 x 800 Super LCD display.  This 4″ display places it slightly bigger in size terms than the Desire S, but slightly smaller than the Desire HD.  Those of you wanting to show off your holiday snaps or video shenanigans on a larger screen can stream them to a compatible television over the air via DLNA.

Rather surprising is that the Incredible S will be released into the wild sporting Android 2.2 (Froyo), although HTC have said that an update to 2.3 (Gingerbread) will follow.  As with the other HTC handsets, the Incredible S will have a number of custom interface tweaks courtesy of HTC’s Sense UI overlay.

So HTC hasn’t gambled on updating it’s ‘S’ lineup with overpowered dual-core processors, or gimmicks like 3D or Near Field Communications this year.  Who knows whether anyone will be able to take full use of such features on the other handsets, in the meantime HTC release an incremental update to a hugely popular handset to a new market.  Hopefully for HTC this will be enough to continue their great success to date in the smartphone market.

We’ll post any hands on impressions and videos from MWC 2011 to the blog as we get them.  Any details that we can get on specific release dates and contract details, we will post to Omio’s HTC Incredible S deals page.

MWC 2011: HTC Wildfire S Launches, Super Small Smartphone Set For Q2 Release Date

Today at MWC 2011, HTC revealed the update to its Wildfire range of small, fun and affordable handsets with the HTC Wildfire S.

Whilst you won’t get the HD capability or flashy screens like HTC’s higher end handsets, the Wildfire S will focus once again on smartphone functionality at an affordable pricepoint, all packaged into a compact 10.13cm x 5.94cm unit.

The Wildfire S has the smallest screen of HTC’s lineup, at 3.2″, with display resolution boosted from 320 x 240 to 320 x 480 pixels, so comparable to the iPhone 3Gs.  The Wildfire S will ship with the latest Android ‘Gingerbread’ software, and will be modded with convenient interface tweaks via HTC’s Sense UI.  As expected, the camera is a 5MP unit that will allow you to snap away to your hearts content and post your photo’s and videos to Facebook with ease.

Once again, the updates to the Wildfire series are incremental rather than a leap forward.  HTC seems to be playing it cautiously, maintaining the solid reputation of their already popular brands with tweaks to the formula.  Whilst the Wildfire S won’t win any races based on specifications, (it’s 600MHz processor is somewhat underpowered) it is still an attractive entry level smartphone, containing all the key functionality and clearly aimed at the right market.

The HTC Wildfire S will be released in a variety of colours during Q2 2011.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Now Available for Preorder – Free From £35 Per Month

Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play deals are now listed via BuyMobilePhones.net as being available for pre-order.

The UK’s big four carriers are listed – O2, Orange, Vodafone and T-Mobile, but nothing for Three or Virgin as yet.  The prices for the handset range from FREE on a fairly steep £35 per month package, all the way up to a £249.99 handset cost on the various contracts available, too numerous to list here.

Meanwhile, Expansys.com lists the handset at £539.99 SIM-free and have pencilled in the availability date as the 31st March 2011, so a maximum of just over 6 weeks to wait!

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play has to be one of the most poorly kept secrets since, well the iPhone 4, and we wonder if testing the public reactions in some way is due to a little hesitancy or insecurity on behalf of Sony themselves.

Sony stopped short of allowing the subsidiary Sony Ericsson to call it the ‘PSP Phone’ or similar, settling for a slightly less commital ‘PlayStation Certified’ stamp of approval, which only covers the XPERIA Play’s hardware setup, rather than gaming credentials.

The jury’s still out on whether the XPERIA Play will really do justice to the PlayStation brand, although Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kazuo Hirai was there to show support for the handset when he appeared onstage at the MWC 2011 on Sunday night during the official reveal.

The XPERIA Play packs a 1Ghz Qualcomm Scorpion ARMv7 processor (an interesting choice given the profusion of multi-core mobiles coming this year), has 400MB RAM, a 4″ capacitive touch screen running at 854 x 640 pixels, and runs on Android 2.3  or ‘Gingerbread’.

Onboard storage comes via an included 8GB MicroSD, expandable to 32GB.  The handset can also record 720p video and DLNA will stream it to compatible televisions.  In addition to a 5MP camera at the rear, a 2MP front facing camera is on hand to provide video calling functionality for all you Skype heads out there.

The controller itself has the familiar four button directional pad, triangle/circle/cross/square buttons as well as L and R shoulder buttons, instantly familiar to the Playstation range.  Some gamers earlier bemoaned the lack of analogue sticks, but it so happens that the slightly mysterious touch interface in the middle will be usable in lieu, giving fans of FPS games like genre stalwarts Call of Duty and Killzone something to sleep well on.

Oh yeah and before we forget, it’s also a phone! You know, to call people on, although we can’t imagine that serious gamers will want to be disturbed when they’re right in the middle of a serious multiplayer firefight.   Good luck making that call!

Check out Omio’s deals page where you can find the best offers on the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play.

Android Gets Its Very Own Sky+ App

Telly addicts with an Android Phone can rejoice as the platform gets its very own Sky+ application after the iPhone version attracted over a million downloads from the iTunes store.

The app allows owners of a Sky+ or Sky+ HD box to set recordings when out and about, a godsend if you’re the sort to suffer withdrawal symptoms if you miss your favourite programme.

The Sky+ app lets you browse through all the current SKy listings, select them through a genre-specific filter, or just search for a specific show. You can also set the box to record a single episode or series link the whole season.

This latest service marks a shift in Sky’s overall strategy for the mobile sector which has been decidedly iPhone centric. However, now that the success of the Sky+ app and Sky Sports Football Centre has confirmed the real demand for features such as Remote Record.

The new app is completely free to download but users must register for Remote Record before their phone will take to their Sky+ or Sky+HD box.

Source: Pocket Lint

O2 First To Scrap Misleading “Unlimited” Data Moniker

O2 have announced that they are doing away with the unhelpful “unlimited” data tags on their mobile internet packages, replacing them instead with a more transparent model that is tied to usage.

CEO Ronan Dunne said that the move was in response to customers demand for clarity in pricing as well as helping the network manage demand on the service and was confident that the new pricing would allow O2 to provide an overall better level of service.

All new internet packages from 24th June onwards would be subject to the below pricing structure. According to the network, based on current usage patterns, 97% of customers wouldn’t need to buy additional internet packages, as the lowest bundle (500MB) covers 2.5 times the average O2 customers use.

Existing Customers

Customers who already enjoy “unlimited” internet will continue to do so as a promotion until 1st October after which additional bolt-ons will have to be purchased costing £5 for 500MB and £10 for 1GB. O2 have promised that customers will “easily” be able to monitor their usage via regular text messages, although a more accurate measure would be to go to Settings>General>Usage. As a guide to usage, O2 have supplied this chart, which gives approximate figures for data consumption:

The new price structure is undoubtedly a win for consumer transparency and for the majority of users, the limits won’t be a problem, but if you’re a heavy user you’re going to have to take it easy on streaming videos and music or else be prepared to pay for the privilege.

More details on O2′s new data plans can be found here.

Samsung Galaxy Portal – Picture Gallery

We recently became proud owners of the second Android phone to come from Samsung – the Samsung Galaxy Portal.

Currently the Galaxy Portal is available exclusively through T-Mobile from £15 per month – a bargain for the specs!

However, if you need more details before you take up a contract, wait for our full review next week.

In the meantime, enjoy this picture gallery: