Omio News Blog

Samsung Galaxy Y Pink Now Available From Carphone Warehouse, Free From £9.99 Per Month

Those looking for an affordable Valentine’s Day gift are in luck, as the Samsung Galaxy Y is now available in a fetching pink hue from the Carphone Warehouse.

Free from just £9.99 with 50 minutes, 100 texts and 250MB of data as well just as a shade under £80 on prepay, the Galaxy Y Pink brings Gingerbread to bear on a cute casual handset.

Very much a ‘starter for ten’ in terms of smartphone specs, the Galaxy Y Pink has a 3-inch touchscreen, 2 megapixel camera as well as 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Perks include swift texting and typing via Swype, as well as Samsung’s brand of customisation with the TouchWiz interface.

Cheaper than two dozen red roses, the Galaxy Y Pink is a Valentine’s gift that keeps on giving…well, in terms of free Android apps at least.

Anti-Stalking PanicGuard App Launched For Android, iOS

Released late last week, PanicGuard is the world’s first police-approved app for Android and iOS, specifically aimed at the personal security market.

Leveraging the handset’s GPS and video recording facilities to automatically contact emergency numbers when activated, PanicGuard hopes to lend peace of mind to some of the estimated 120,000 people who are victims of stalking each year.

Activated by shaking or holding the handset, an alarm is triggered and a text, e-mail or social networking message is automatically sent to your emergency contacts. Once the handset goes silent, rather than the app turning off it actually begins transmitting video and audio to a secure server. Finally the GPS functionality (at least until the handset is turned off) enables the authorities to follow a signal to the device’s location.

“Everyone has a right to feel safe on the streets and in their own homes, but sadly that is not always the case,” says Michael Dissing, entrepreneur and developer of the PanicGuard app.

“Our goal is to empower our users to feel more confident, knowing that without doing anything more than shaking their phone, they can instantly alert friends and family who can call the police to come to their aid and they will have the evidence to help them catch the criminal.”

Whilst free to download, the service costs £3.99 on a three month rolling subscription after a 30 day trial. It’s also important to bear in mind that this app needs to either run in the background or be previously activated to work. Whilst a great idea, running out of battery due to an eager GPS might leave you without enough to juice to make a call in a hairy situation…

Nokia OS Gets Last Hurrah, Belle Update Lands On Symbian Smartphones

 Nokia’s Symbian operating system seems to be getting a last nip and tuck before being put out to pasture, with the latest ‘Belle’ update set to grace the Finnish manufacturer’s range of pre-Windows Phone blowers from today.

The Nokia N8, E7, E6, C6-01 and C7 will all be receiving the long awaited revamp, with updates to all manner of features including a notifications bar, customisable homescreens and improvements in navigation. See if your handset is compatible by clicking here.

Whilst some may argue that this is all ‘too little, too late’, it’s nice to see the Nokia old guard getting the respect they deserve before focus turns to supporting Microsoft’s mobile platform in earnest.

In related news, Nokia have also announced cuts of 4,000 staff across three manufacturing facilities and a move of their production processes to the Far East. With a protracted time to market a major factor in the above being ill-equipped to compete with an Android avalanche and Cupertino’s finest, a move towards agility is a smart one.

Source: uSwitch Mobiles

LG Prada 3.0 Phone Gets Star Power For Ad Campaign, Deals Now Available From £31

Today in ‘symmetrical people holding things’ news (we miss you, Idiot Toys!), LG have hired actor Edward Norton and gorgeous Ukrainian/Canadian model Daria Werbowy as the faces of the new PRADA 3.0 handset.

With both recognised by LG as stand-out members of their field and representing the ethos of ‘stylish looks and smart functionality’, Norton and Werbowy will lend their visages alongside the latest Android-powered beauty from the Korean manufacturer.

The handset is certainly a looker, a fashion phone that finally evokes a lot of the Italian fashion house’s unique sense of minimalism and clean lines. The PRADA influence extends to a slender 8.5mm form, 4.3-inch touch display and the signature Saffiano pattern emblazoned on the matte black rear.

The PRADA vibe extends to the revamped user interface, complete with understated icons and simple fonts. An unfortunate side effect of this substantial facelift is that the PRADA 3.0 will be stuck on Android 2.3 rather than the newest Ice Cream Sandwich build…however LG are pledging to roll out an upgrade later this year.

Dr. Jong seok Park, President and CEO of LG Mobile Communications Company commented: “LG is delighted to have these talented and successful individuals on board to help launch this smartphone. They embody the very essence of the PRADA phone by LG 3.0, combining style with substance, as well as bringing to life this outstanding smartphone.”

Slightly more affordable than this season’s togs are the deals for the PRADA 3.0, Phones4U are offering the handset free for just £31 per month, with 900 minutes, unlimited texts and 500MB of data on Orange and Vodafone.

SIM-free phone fashionistas can pick one up for £429.99 from Expansys, with stock available now.

Samsung Go Dual-SIM Route With Galaxy Y Duos, Galaxy Y Pro Duos

Whilst proving popular with folks in emerging markets, the dual-SIM phone has historically failed to fan flames in the hearts of European consumers…nevertheless Samsung is aiming to change this with an Android powered duo scheduled for 2012.

The Samsung Galaxy Y Duos and Galaxy Y Pro Duos are a pair of mobiles with a nice line in dual-SIM functionality.

The Y Duos is a Ginerbread-powered device, packing a 3.14-inch touch display as well as all of the slick Samsung software acoutrements we’ve become used to seeing in their mid-range Android line-up, from the TouchWiz user interface to all sorts of media player love.

As for the Y Pro Duos – if the name didn’t give it away – packs a physical keyboard in its BlackBerry-aping slender form, as well as the modified Android OS.

So, what’s the point of a dual SIM device? Well, it stops you looking like an extra in The Wire for one, wandering around with a pair of handsets if you need two separate phone numbers – for ‘business’ and ‘pleasure’ as it were. These enable you to put both SIMs in one phone, switching between the two at will.

The reason that they’re so popular on other parts of the globe is the ability to have easy access to a dedicated SIM for international calling and the like. Avoic costly calls, texts and data charges, all the while looking cool with a single versatile device.

Russia is the first to receive the Duos…duo in January of 2012, likely followed by a global release soon after. Will the UK finally come around to the idea of doubling down in the SIM stakes? Perhaps these might be enough to change our mind.

T-Mobile UK Launches January Sale, Slashes Contract, PAYG and SIM Only Deals

The mulled wine is still warm in Omio Towers and yet T-Mobile are already thrusting into a January sale of epic proportions!

From today (23rd December) until the 31st of January, T-Mobile are offering discounts on contract deals, pay-as-you-go handsets and propping up their SIM only offers too.

In the pay monthly arena, the magenta network are taking a fiver off per month from the HTC Desire S, making it available for free from just £20 on a 24-month contract. A fiver more will net you the new and improved BlackBerry Curve 9360, complete with unlimited BlackBerry mail.

T-Mobile’s own-brand Android handset – the Vivacity – will now only set you back just £10.21 per month, a bargain for a Gingerbread-powered device complete with 3.5″ touchscreen and 5-megapixel camera.

For those happy with their current device and looking for a SIM only deal, T-Mobile now offers up to 500MB of free internet with every package, including both 30-day and 12-month plans. Factoring in unlimited texts to the bargain, and the offer stacks up favourably with the SIMO competition.

Phone fans will also appreciate the myriad offers in the PAYG section, including the HTC Wildfire S having its price shaved by £30 from £179.99 to £149.99, and the ever-popular BlackBerry Curve 8520 falling to £119.99, a saving of twenty quid.

There are a ton of other discounts across the board, so please be sure to check out their site for the full line-up of reductions!

Best Mobile Phones of 2011 : Omio’s Top 5

It’s been some year in the world of mobile. And whilst looking forward is what us tech watchers and gadget fanatics love doing more than anyone, it seems the right time to take stock and reflect on what’s happened on planet mobile in the last 12 months…specifically, the five best phones to hit the shelves in 2011.

Here’s our pick of the bunch.

1. Apple iPhone 4S

A controversial inclusion? Maybe. But the iPhone 4S is still one of the best phones that money can buy, even if it did leave Apple fans cold when it was first announced. Look beyond the phone’s year-old design (which is still head and shoulders above the competition), and this is a phone crammed with the best modern mobiles can offer. Full HD camcorder, stunning 8 megapixel camera, Siri voice recognition and access to countless stunning apps. Apple might have big plans for the iPhone 5, but the Apple iPhone 4S is a mighty impressive iterative update.

2. Nokia Lumia 800

Nokia’s had yet another tough year. Yet having started it with boardroom upheaval, it ended 2011 releasing its best smartphone ever and its first to use Windows Phone. The Nokia Lumia 800 is a glorious piece of engineering, with an operating system that remains vastly underrated and sadly lacking in a vast app ecosystem. But with Nokia Drive and Mix Radio, this is a device that’s well worth investing in. A welcome return to form.

3. Samsung Galaxy Nexus

The best Android phone ever? Possibly. Samsung’s latest ‘pure Google’ device is the most cutting edge smartphone out there, using Android Ice Cream Sandwich in conjunction with the kind of tech that rival handsets can only dream of. NFC, Full HD video and a gorgeous 4.65-inch super AMOLED screen make the Samsung Galaxy Nexus an all round winner. 2011’s finest Google phone, no question. Except…

4. Samsung Galaxy S II

The Samsung Galaxy S II runs its stablemate a close second. While not using the latest Android OS, it can be forgiven seeing as it landed months beforehand. This device really saw Sammy move into the big leagues and prove that Android has helped put it well ahead of the pack. The phone has become the choice, not just of Android fanatics, but also mainstream phone users not keen on Apple’s “walled garden”. A great piece of kit.

5. HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio

It’s been a hard year for HTC. After an all-conquering start, its spluttered to a halt, with profit warnings and falling sales. But the HTC Sensation XE is one of its finest ever phones. A rebrand of the Sensation, it uses Beats Audio tech to make it the most musically-focused phone ever. That means improved audio tech under the hood, as well as bundled iBeats headphones, which are better than any other buds we’ve ever used out of the box with a mobile. One for music lovers everywhere.

HTC To Offer Fewer Smartphones in 2012, Focus On Quality Over Quantity?

After a successful – if somewhat turbulent – year, Taiwanese manufacturer HTC is to change up their smartphone strategy for 2012, according to word from Boy Genius Report.

After a succession of iterations and updates might have led to market confusion and a subsequent decline in fortunes near the close of the year, HTC is rumoured to restrict their output to a few strong ‘hero’ handsets including a 4G Windows Phone variant for the U.S. and a new flagship Android device.

Whilst 2010 and early 2011 saw HTC rule the smartphone roost as far as Android was concerned, the well-documented success of handset competition like the Samsung Galaxy S II would mean that a revised plan of action could indeed see them come return with more pinpoint accuracy in the New Year.

As someone who has had to add the Wildfire S, Desire S, Sensation, Sensation XE, Sensation XL, Titan and Radar to Omio’s mobile database in the second half of 2011 alone, this change of tack would be a good thing.

Source: IntoMobile

Three Launches Pre-Emptive January Smartphone Sale, Starts 22nd December

An early Xmas gift from mobile network Three as they’ve decided to start their January sale before we’ve even unwrapped our presents, launching from 22nd December.

Both pay monthly and prepay are up for grabs in this winter warmer, with a fiver per month being saved on Android contracts and as much as £70 coming off the Samsung Galaxy W and Facebook-friendly HTC ChaCha on Pay As You Go.

Sylvia Chind, head of devices at Three said, “Smartphones will continue to be the must-have gadget in 2012 so we’re keen to give customers a head start in the New Year with the best phones on the most affordable price plans.

“Our January sale has been launched ahead of Christmas this year to help people planning to jump feet first into the world of smartphones, or those seeking a last-minute Christmas gift, get hold of the best possible deal on the UK’s fastest growing mobile network.”

Other exciting savings include the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Arc S going down to just £25 per month and the HTC Sensation becoming sub-£30 for 500 minutes, 5,000 texts and Three’s ever popular all-you-can-eat data offer.

Go on, treat yourself…

Samsung x Bang & Olufsen Concept Handset Is A Muso’s Smartphone Fantasy

Beats Audio is all well and good, but those that spend real money on music know of Danish technology brand Bang and Olufsen.

This gorgeous ‘BOPhone’ concept handset from Antoine Brieux of NAK Studio embraces B&O’s industrial design, metallic hues and clean lines (channeling a bit of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Arc‘s concave form into the bargain), making for a device that looks suitably fancy.

Speakers adorn the top of the device, and Android under the hood means that the expansive touchscreen display would be put to good use.

Add in a beautiful ‘enhanced B&O dock’ that ‘benefits from advanced acoustical know-how’ that the handset elegantly slots into, and you have a luxury musical mobile combo that could turn the heads of the most ardent Vertu owners…

Having already partnered with Samsung on the pricey (not to mention far more high concept) Serenata in 2007, this Bang and Olufsen crossover may not be a million miles from getting made one day.

At least it gives us all time to save up…

Check out Yanko Design for a wealth of additional concept images.