Mobile Phone News

O2 Unhappy Over Skype On Nokia Phones, Threatens To Block Service

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Following the news that Skype is now available on Nokia phones, it seems that O2 is less than pleased.

The application allows free phone calls to be made over data and wireless networks instead of using mobile minutes, and O2 are concerned that its usage could result in significant strain on their service. The carrier issued this statement to TechRadar:

“We do not as a general rule block access to voice over IP services on our network.”

“However, in the case of unlimited data services such as our data bolt on and iPhone tariffs, VoIP is prohibited within the excessive use policy.”

“These unlimited data packages are designed to allow customers to browse the web and access data services such as email without worrying about a cost per MB.

“To offer the best possible customer experience, we prohibit continuous streaming of any audio/video content, Voice over IP, P2P and file sharing services, all of which can adversely impact the overall customer experience.”

Fair enough, it’s against O2’s rules. But why?

As much as O2 reiterate that denying the use of VoIP services is to benefit the end consumer, we can’t help but think that it also has a lot to with the fact that Skype circumvents using their own network for voice calls, the primary revenue stream for many carriers.

This isn’t the first time the concept of VoIP (Voice Over IP) on mobile phones has been met with a frosty reception. When Nokia announced that the Symbian-powered N97 would have Skype pre-loaded at 2009’s Mobile World Congress, O2 and Orange retaliated by boycotting sales of the smartphone in their stores until the Finnish manufacturer stepped down and released the device without it.

Similarly, the iPhone’s Skype application is still hamstrung by restricting its usage to only Wi-Fi networks, blocking calls over 3G due to “contractual restrictions”.

Whether it is genuinely over issues of network capacity or simply to keep us using those minutes, it seems the mobile networks are still not ready to see consumers freely making and receiving calls over the web…

O2 Launches New SIM Only Tariff For iPhone And Updates All Pay Monthly Tariffs

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It’s all change at O2.

From today, 02 are offering a new range of Mobile and Mobile Broadband tariffs including new sim only for iPhone with inclusive Visual Voicemail, unlimited text messages, data and Wi-Fi from just £15 per month.

O2 customers who already have an iPhone or are just happy with their existing Smartphone can choose from a range of sim only tariffs starting at just £15 per month for 300 minutes, unlimited UK texts, data & Wi-Fi on a 12-month sim only contract, or from £20 per month on a 30-day rolling contract.

Don’t want to worry about how many minutes or texts you’ve used? O2 introduces a set of ‘all-you-can-eat” tariffs offering unlimited UK calls, texts and data from just £45 a month.

Also, iPhone customers who want to use their iPhone as a modem can do so and not pay more than £2 per day with O2’s newest Internet Tethering Bolt On.

O2 Marketing Director Sally Cowdry said the new tariffs reflected customer’s changing habits with more texts being sent and data being used than ever before.

“We have listened to our customers and introduced a range of new tariffs with unlimited calls, texts and data offering real value for money. We have also introduced a new £2 per day Internet Tethering Bolt On as we know our iPhone customers want to snack when they are using their iPhone as a modem.”

See how the new O2 tariffs shape up next to offers on other networks on our SIM-only deals page.

For more detailed information on the new tariffs,  check out o2.co.uk

Giffgaff Launches, First “People Powered” Mobile Phone Network

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New SIM-only network Giffgaff launches today which claims to be “the first people powered network” and raises the exciting proposition of a forward thinking network that actually listens to its customers.

Taking it’s name from an old Scottish phrase meaning ‘mutual-giving’ and apparently inspired by the socially-minded phenomena such as Wikipedia, Giffgaff allows Giffgaffers (see what they did there?) to redeem the costs of their top-up through active involvement in their on-line community.

Giffgaff themselves seem to be keeping an open mind as activity could take any number of forms – offering useful advise to other users, recruiting new members or even doing Giffgaff’s marketing.

As an MVNO, Giffgaff will join the likes of piggyback on the back of O2 and the plan is that without the costs of their own masts, call centres and advertising budgets, Giffgaff can then pass on some of this benefit to their customers, much in the same way that Virgin Mobile initally sold capacity on T-Mobile’s network.

This has been done to with varying success in the past – the first commercially succesful MVNO being Virgin Mobile who initially sold capacity on T-Mobile’s network.

At the other end of the scale, Marks & Spencer mobile made a complete hash of it, but Giffgaff looks set to offer something genuinely exciting and ultimately of value to the UK consumer.

Previously, Giffgaff’s proposition had been met with a lukewarm response, largely because of the lack of absence of price-plan details, and also because of concerns over O2’s coverage.

However, Giffgaff released a more explicit list of call charges today – in addition to 8p per minute and 4p texts to other UK mobiles, members get free calls, texts and media messaging between other Giffgaffers.

Voicemail isn’t free mind, but pioneering Giffgaffers do enjoy free UK web browsing for up to the first 6 months, under the proviso that at some point they will charge for it, but in the interim are looking to hear people’s opinions on a fair price. 0800 numbers also remain free for Giffgaffers.

Significantly, Giffgaff seems intent on conversing with its customers -  something which the other networks have been notoriously abysmal at doing.

We’ll have to wait and see what churn this gets on the UK mobile market over Christmas, but with belts tightening all around – anyone with an unlocked mobile phone at their disposal is likely to find Giffgaff’s outlook a real and exciting option.

O2 Offers Half Price Prepay Broadband Deal, Pledges To Improve Network

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Two bits of news from O2 today – one to cheer up existing customers whilst the other might make them a few new ones…

The first is that they are slashing the price of their Pay and Go mobile broadband dongle by half from today, offering a USB modem for just £14.67.

The bundles for daily, weekly and monthly usage are equally cheap, with £2 netting 24 hours and 500MB of unfettered downloading, whilst seven days costs £7.50 with a 1GB limit.

The 30 day package of data costs £15 for 3GB, whilst all the above are bundled with unlimited wi-fi into the bargain. Not bad for broadband on the move!

Check out the deal on O2’s site, but be quick as it expires on the 24th of November.

The second bit of news is for all those disappointed in the network coverage from their bubbly provider.

O2 has reportedly spent in the region of £500 million improving their infrastructure over the last two years, citing the increase in customer data usage as driving this shift.

With plans to add in excess of 1,500 new mobile data hotspots across the United Kingdom, they hope to handle the present wave of always-connected devices like the Palm Pre and Apple iPhone 3GS, as well as pledging to spend more in the future to cater for increased demand.

Perhaps Orange’s gloating spree over having “the biggest 3G coverage” will be a shortlived victory…

Source

O2 iPhone Customers Allowed To Unlock For Free, Network Offers Sky Mobile TV Trial

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It looks to be an amicable split between O2 and the iPhone, with T3 reporting that owners of Apple’s device on the network will be allowed to unlock their devices and roam freely at the end of their contract.

This puts paid to rumours that O2 would shackle iPhone lovers looking to switch, as pay monthly customers will be permitted to leave at no cost, whilst prepay folk will be required to cough up a mere £15 upon departure.

O2’s CEO Matthew Key was upbeat in the face of a potential exodus, with Orange advertising proudly the strength of their 3G network as many users face reception issues on the bubbly network:

“Once the iPhone becomes available on other UK networks, we will allow O2 customers to unlock their iPhones, although of course they will still need to honour any outstanding contract period they have.”

“At the end of their contract period, they are entirely free to move to another operator – though naturally we hope they won’t want to!”

On the issue of reception, Keys said:

“We are constantly increasing the capacity of our networks and the good news is that we now better understand and know what fixes we need to put in place to improve our levels of service.”

With the iPhone on Orange due to launch on the 10th of November, the anticipation of availablity of the coveted device has reached fever pitch, with a bumper launch both in store and online from 7am (if they can get past the throngs of gamers in line for Modern Warfare 2!).

O2 has made an attempt to retain some customers by offering a 3 month trial of Sky Mobile TV, an app enabling subscribers to watch Sky Sports 1,2 and 3, Sky Sports News, Sky Sports Extra, Sky News, At the Races and ESPN live on their iPhones.

A text to the number 2020 waives the £6 monthly line rental required for the Wi-Fi only service, but with TVCatchUp enabling FreeView on handsets for nothing, this gesture may serve as little incentive for O2 customers to stick around…

iPhone On Orange: Release Date Of 10th November

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The wait is almost over.

The iPhone 3G and 3GS have been reported to arrive on Orange on the 10th of November, precisely 2 years and one day after O2 secured exclusivity for the coveted device’s first iteration.

The end of O2’s exclusivity period has seen the other networks vying for rights to distribute, with Vodafone pledging to release the handset early in 2010 and 3 UK also announcing their intentions to stock the device in the new year.

Whilst the exact pricing is unknown, Orange – the British arm of France Telcom – has maintained that it will remain “competitive” to O2’s current offering.

Many hope that a price war in the lead up to Xmas will see the iPhone on Orange become a viable option for both those customers who deemed it too expensive, as well as those who O2’s golden handcuffs kept it out of their clutches.

With over 200,000 people already registering their interest on the Orange site, the iPhone is all but certain to see success as the shackles come off and the smart phone finally becomes available across more networks.

Stay tuned to Omio, where we will continue our comparison crusade to find the best Apple iPhone deals upon release!

HTC Hero Bags Phone Of The Year At Mobile Choice Awards

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Awards season is in full swing, and the HTC Hero can add another trophy to the mantlepiece after snagging Phone of the Year at the Mobile Choice Awards.

Already flushed with success from winning Gadget of the Year according to Stuff magazine, the HTC Hero beat out tough competition from hot handsets like the 12 megapixel packing Sony Ericsson Satio and Apple’s iPhone 3GS to take the top spot.

Mobile Choice magazine got some of the biggest experts in the biz (us included!) together to deliberate over the best phone in the market, and the strong design, slick social networking skills and beautiful implementation of the Android operating system with the ‘Sense’ UI saw the HTC Hero a clear winner.

Mobile Choice themselves were similarly effusive in the writeup:

“The HTC Hero is the first phone in the UK to take on the iPhone with any seriousness, and we think it does a masterful job. It’s only one of six phones to run on Google’s open source operating system, Android, and great software coupled with the nicest chassis we’ve seen from HTC yet makes the HTC Hero a deserving winner.”

It wasn’t just mobiles however, as operators and even tariffs got their dues with O2 being crowned Best Network, Tesco Mobile Pay Monthly recognised as the top deal and Orange being commended as the number one online retailer.

Plantronics’ Voyager PRO Bluetooth headset took the plaudits in their category, seeing off opposition including both Jabra’s HALO and the popular Jawbone Prime…a win which they certainly relished!

LG’s broad range of crowd pleasing phones saw them receive the honours for Manufacturer of the Year, whilst Carphone Warehouse was the one for shoppers on the high street.

With many of these winners chosen by the readers of Mobile Choice magazine, it is good to see actual customers voting for their faves and giving the right people some praise…even though their dream phone was the iPhone 3GS rather than a diamond encrusted Vertu.

More winners in other categories including Best Camera Phone and Best Multimedia Phone are up on Mobile Release…there are a couple of pleasant surprises!

O2 Offers Cash Cards For Kids

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The end is nigh for pocket money as O2 and Natwest introduce a new card which allows children to both withdraw their cash from ATMs and shop online.

This new card, called ‘Load and Go’, allows parents to ‘top up’ their children’s balance in a similar fashion to a prepay phone and can be used at any outlet that accepts Visa cards. It is available to anyone over the age of 13, can be filled up to £1,800 per year, with concerned parents able to get itemised accounts of all activity sent to them.

Fraser Campbell, head of O2 Money said: “Children are having to ask parents each time they shop online. We learnt a lot about these systems from pay and go mobile phones and consulted lots of parents. We believe the card will help teach budgeting and make life easier for parents.”

The hidden charges normally associated with these prepay cards are nowhere to be seen, with many applauding the move.

Joanne Garcia of Confused.com was seemingly impressed: “O2 and NatWest are delivering a fantastic innovation, and we hope this will encourage more competition.

“The Load & Go card, which is aimed at children aged 13 and over, will help educate and ensure that financial control is learned from a young age and young people won’t have to worry about carrying and losing cash.”

Grown-ups can be kept in check too with the ‘Cash Manager’ card, which enables users to control their spending and sends a text every time a purchase is made, letting them know their balance at all times.

Sources: Reuters/Moneywise

O2 UK Bags Palm Pre As Network Exclusive?

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In a very interesting turn of events, The Guardian is reporting that the Palm Pre – the smartphone closest to an iPhone toppler – is going to O2 as a network exclusive.

Yes, the same O2 that currently has the iPhone 3G as an exclusive.

Being the biggest phone network in the UK is obviously working wonders for O2 in terms of leverage, as winning both of the year’s must-have smartphones will be a coup to leave the others floundering.

Vodafone has secured the HTC Magic with Google, an impressive device which seems to be just as appealing to consumers as T-Mobile’s exclusive G1, namely a little bit, but not nearly as rabid as the iPhone’s take-up.

Orange has become the latest to board the exclusivity train with Samsung’s i8910 HD, a touch screen phone which can record video in high-definition, but has uninspired looks and prohibitive pricing…

Interestingly, the Palm Pre deal seems to co-incide with the end of O2’s iPhone exclusivity deal in Europe, which means the network will still have a hot handset just as Apple’s latest becomes free to capture the attention of the masses.

That, in addition to the allure of possessing both touch and a physical keyboard, great web browsing and robust e-mail connectivity makes the Palm Pre an amazing catch for O2, with many critics seeing it a welcome respite from the sea of iPhone clones.

With a lack of details regarding a UK price and release date (as opposed to the wealth of info regarding the US launch), it makes for an interesting summer. Will they aim to beat the iPhone version 3 to market or undercut on price?

Either way, this could be the best few months for phone fans!

Save Money On Mobile Bills By Using Free Minutes And Texts Wisely

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Mobile phones might have been considered a necessity immune to the recession, but the truth is that consumers are cutting back on every aspect of their lives, scrutinising their outgoings to save at every opportunity.

Mobile phone provider O2 has discovered that consumers are now rationing their voice call minutes and text messages to ensure they never go over the free time allotted on their tariffs.

This, in conjunction with the fact that less travelling equates to incurring less roaming charges, has meant that the UK’s largest mobile network has seen a drop of over 4% in their average revenue per user.

O2 has however added 141,753 new customers in the second quarter of 2009 – an increase of more than double compared to 2008 – to take its total mobile customer base (excluding Tesco Mobile) to 20.4 million.

So O2 are attracting more customers to their network despite the current economic climate, it’s just that they are being very savvy with their free minutes and texts when they get there.

Be sure to check out Omio’s mobile phone deals to ensure you are getting the most free minutes and texts for your money!

Source: The Times