ee Launch 4g

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE LAUNCHES EE

A new company, a new network, a new brand

Everything Everywhere have announced the launch of EE – the UK’s most advanced digital communications company.

EE will become the new name of the Everything Everywhere business and its network.
EE will also be launched as a new superfast customer brand in the coming weeks. It is a brand born in the digital age, designed to serve both consumers and businesses, offering the UK’s only 4G mobile service and complemented by fixed-line fibre broadband.

The new EE brand will stand alongside Orange and T-Mobile. Together they will provide mobile services to 27 million people, now served by the UK’s biggest and best network.

Olaf Swantee, CEO of EE said:  “Today we launch a new company, a new network and a new brand for Britain.

“Our plans to revolutionise the UK communications market with a faster network and an exciting new brand for the digital age are built on solid investment and a simple belief that customers deserve better.

“We look forward to connecting the country with superfast mobile speeds in the coming weeks, months and years.

“And it starts today, with the announcement of our new business, our new brand and a new digital infrastructure that our company, our customers and the country can be proud of.”

EE – superfast 4G and fibre

The EE customer brand will launch with 4G services for consumers and businesses in the coming weeks.

It will be the first brand in the country to offer a mobile 4G service – the pioneering new technology that offers superfast mobile internet at speeds typically five times faster than 3G speeds today.
EE will also launch a fibre broadband service to homes and businesses with fixed-line internet speeds typically ten times faster than today’s average broadband speeds.

It means that EE’s 4G customers will be the first in the UK to enjoy superfast speeds on their mobile and at home or at work.

With superfast 4G mobile, customers will be able to:

• Access the web on the go without waiting
• Download high-definition movies in minutes
• Watch live TV on the move without buffering
• Play live multiplayer games on the go
• Download large email attachments quicker than ever
• Make high quality video calls on the move

Four cities – London, Bristol, Cardiff and Birmingham – are switched on today for the company’s engineers to begin live testing and systems integration, in readiness for the customer launch.

EE’s 4G network will cover a third of the UK population in 2012 – over 20 million people – and customers on the EE brand will also have access to the largest 3G network in the UK outside of the 4G cities. Further towns, cities and rural areas, will follow rapidly with 2013 population coverage to reach 70%, with 98% covered by 2014.

EE’s 2012 launch schedule will see 16 areas of the country connected to 4G by Christmas – the UK’s four capitals and twelve further major cities.
The 16 cities are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Derby, Glasgow,
Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield and Southampton.

EE will offer a range of state-of-the-art devices alongside its superfast 4G mobile network with more to be announced shortly. Today, EE confirmed it is to launch the following 4G devices:
 



  Samsung Galaxy SIII LTE – with a 4.8 inch HD Super AMOLED display, you can watch videos on your mobile like never before. Innovative Smart Stay automatically recognises when you are looking at the phone, maintaining a bright display for
continued viewing pleasure.



 



Nokia Lumia 920 – flagship Nokia Windows Phone 8 smartphone. Take bright, blur-free photos and videos in any light conditions with PureView technology – Optical Image Stabilisation and Carl Zeiss lens and view on a 4.5” PureMotion HD+ capacitive display.


 


  Nokia Lumia 820 – colourful, stylish, innovative design, with a 4.3 OLED WVGA screen. Capture great photos and movies with an 8MP Auto Focus camera, with Carl Zeiss optics and dual LED flash. Charge wirelessly without plugging in using a Wireless Charging Shell.





 

The HTC One XL – high quality entertainment and precision navigation combine in this handset, thanks to a large 4.7” HD touchscreen display. Full HD video, and front and rear facing camera let you capture crisp, vivid photos and movies in high
quality wherever you are.



 

Huawei Ascend P1 LTE – a powerhouse dual-core processor is packed in to this handset’s slim design. Take stunningly clear images or HD videos on an 8MP autofocus camera with LED flash and playback on the 4.3” high-res touchscreen.





 
Huawei E589 Mobile WiFi – hook up to five devices to the EE 4G network, making your existing phone, laptop or digital screen superfast even if they’re not 4G. Long battery life of up to 10 hours, enjoy 4G wireless broadband anytime, anywhere.




 
Huawei E392 Mobile Broadband stick – download and upload documents and files in super quick time on the go with this device. Make your laptop mobile and superfast, by hooking it up to the EE network. You’ll stay compatible with 3G too and seamlessly switch to the optimal connection.
EE’s superfast fibre broadband service will launch at the same time to complement the company’s superfast 4G mobile service. It will be available to 11 million households and businesses by the end of the year reaching two thirds of UK households and  businesses by the end of 2014.

Service, everywhere

The new EE stores – formerly Orange and T-Mobile shops – will serve customers of all three brands, giving them access to  service and sales in twice as many locations as before.
More than 10,000 EE staff have been trained, and will offer specialist advice in store, on the phone and on-line. The company as trained its Customer Team staff to become experts in mobile operating systems, meaning its customers will get a specialist service, regardless of which device they use. It is the only operator to offer dedicated expertise based around device operating systems.

The EE network

With the Orange and T-Mobile networks now combined, from today customers will begin switching over to the new seamless EE network, the largest in the UK. By the end of the year, all 27 million customers will be using the EE network.
It means that Orange and T-Mobile customers can now get faster 3G service, with speeds of up to 21Mbps, and more coverage than ever before.
EE will also launch superfast 4G mobile and fixed-line fibre broadband services in the coming weeks. It will also offer standard broadband via ADSL in non-fibre areas.

Orange and T-Mobile customers

Orange and T-Mobile customers will continue to benefit from the best 3G and 2G mobile network.
It means that from today – and over the coming months – customers using Orange and T-Mobile will begin to see their phone signal indicator change to EE, whether they are on 3G or 2G, showing that they are on the UK’s biggest and best network. This is at no extra cost and there are no changes to their existing price plans.
Orange and T-Mobile plans will continue to be offered to new and existing customers, and Orange and T-Mobile customers will also be among the first to have the opportunity to access 4G through a move to the new EE customer brand.

• EE network switched on
• EE’s new customer brand to launch in the coming weeks with pioneering superfast 4G LTE mobile services and fibre broadband
• EE’s superfast 4G service to launch in 16 cities by Christmas, covering 20 million people – a third of the population. Nationwide 4G roll out to accelerate through 2013 with 98% of UK population covered in 2014
• EE’s superfast fibre broadband service to reach more than 11 million households and businesses by end of year
• Over 700 EE-branded stores to open – more than any other operator
• Orange and T-Mobile customers to benefit from the UK’s biggest and best mobile network, and more stores than ever before

EE Launch 4G signal and re brand of Orange and T-Mobile Stores on the 30th of October

IPhone 5 Faults Already!!!

Apple has a new iPhone, which of course means it’s time to find problems to complain about

It happens with every new iPhone. Remember Antennagate? How about the battery issues with iOS 5? This time around we’ve got nicked cases, lens flare and, of course, the disaster of Maps. But are these really problems, or are people making such a fuss because it’s, well, Apple?

A little of both, actually. There are legitimate beefs, but what company hasn’t had issues with new hardware or software? With the Samsung Galaxy S III, some owners reported battery drain issues with their new handsets in June. But this is Apple we’re talking about, and the expectation is just a little bit … higher.

I do think that users have higher expectations when it comes to Apple, i just think that there is a particular pleasure by many in finding something wrong almost to show that Apple is not perfect.
And so we’re hearing no end of complaints and criticism now that pundits and the public are using their shiny new iPhone 5′s. Some of them are complete non-issues, but there are some actual problems. Lets break it down…

Scratches and chips

Shortly after iPhone 5′s got launched we were finding that in store when you open the sealed boxes they where scratched,chipped and even had dents in them. Others found that the switch from a glass back plate to anodized aluminum made the iPhone — particularly the black model — more susceptible to unsightly scratches and blemishes.

Within a few short days of being in store we had more and more customers complaingin about this issue,

 IHS analyst Kevin Keller, explained what’s going on here.
Apple has incorporated an aluminium unibody construction for the first time in the iPhone 5 — similar to what Apple has used in MacBooks and the iPad, that is, a single piece of aluminium hollowed out with a CNC machine.
“The issue, though, is that aluminium is a fairly soft metal,” Keller said.
The aluminium is anodised, a finishing process that is essentially an etch and dye process that gives it colour, but there is no sort of protective finish on top of that. “It’s just bare aluminium. It scratches easily. You can scratch it with a key or anything.”
This isn’t a problem so much for iPads and MacBooks, but iPhones are often put in pockets along with keys. Whether or not this is actually an issue, though, is in the eye of the beholder.”
As with a plurality of iPhone owners in the past, the threat of scratches may not be a problem for long. “If users care about their phone getting scratched, they’ll put a case on it, so ultimately it’s not really an issue,” Keller said. Personally, I’ve decided to put mine in a case anytime I put it in my backpack to provide added protection while walking around or biking.

Maps

Yes, Maps is indeed a serious problem. Apple CEO Tim Cook actually issued a formal apology for the app, which was perhaps pushed out a bit prematurely.

Apple’s new Maps app is perhaps the most pervasive issue affecting iPhone 5 users. But being a feature of iOS 6, it is affecting other iDevice owners as well. Some of the problems include 3D and satellite images being buggy (like bridges looking wavy, or dropping off in the centre); navigation directions sending people to incorrect locations; and out-of-date information on local businesses. The Maps app also lacks transit directions, which Google Maps has. It’s a large enough deal that some are even holding out upgrading until a better fix is in place.


In the meantime, iOS 6 users can download one of a number of transit apps or map apps, or create a homescreen bookmark to Google Maps’ web app.

Purple Lens Flare

You point your phone up at the sky to Instagram the bright afternoon sunlight catching the clouds, but then, gasp! The resulting image has a ghastly purple pallor cast around the sun’s powerful rays.
It’s an effect known as purple fringing, and it can be attributed to anything from stray UV or IR light, image processing issues, anti-reflective lens coatings, or overexposure. It’s something that plagues many digital cameras.
In the iPhone 5′s case, some postulate that because Apple removed the IR/Cut filter in the iPhone 5, its suffering from greater lens flare issues than the 4S. The phone’s new sapphire lens could also be to blame — this is what the photography folks at PetaPixel suspect is at issue. However, the process used to turn sapphire into a lens removes the telltale colouring you typically associate with the gemstone.
In some tests, the iPhone 5 does a better job of eliminating this issue than its predecessor, the iPhone 4S. But in others, like PCMag’s investigation, they found that among several major smartphones (the iPhone 5, 4S and 4; Samsung Galaxy S III and HTC One S), the iPhone 5 was the worst offender of this type of lens flare.
Should you be concerned? No. It may happen, it may not, but there is zero reason to rush back to the Apple Store and swap out your handset if you see a purple halo in a photo.

Light Leak on White Model

“My phone has a streak of light leaking from in-between the glass panel and the structure; it is right under my lock button. Kinda makes the lock button look illuminated. Anyone else notice a problem like this?”

 Light leakage seems to be a fairly common issue for white handsets — iPhone 4S owners reported a similar thing last year. Others that noticed similar issues with light leaking on their iPhone 5′s took their handset to the Apple Store and were issued a replacement.

If you notice this defect and it bothers you, you can try swapping out your handset, or you can just learn to ignore it.

 

Screen glitching

One issue that I and others are experiencing is an odd screen glitching that usually happens when you’re putting in your Apple ID password. As you type, horizontal lines appear across the keyboard. I mostly saw this in the App Store app.

Videos documenting the issue have appeared on YouTube, if you haven’t noticed it yourself. But despite headlines like “BIG iPhone 5 Screen Issue,” the glitch is just a minor software problem that should be fixed in an upcoming iOS update. It doesn’t affect overall performance, and it’s not something you need to drag yourself to the Genius Bar about.

Even with early reviews pointing out some of these issues, it hasn’t affected iPhone sales momentum. Apple reportedly sold 5 million units during the iPhone 5′s opening weekend alone.

If you have bought the IPhone 5 from any network provider and are experiencing problems like this then the best advice i can offer is go to Apple directly as network shops are experiencing problems getting stock in and exchanging them, so book an appointment with the Apple or contact them directly on 08000480408.

They are the manufactures so therefore they hold the warranties not the network providers.

iPhone 5 OUT NOW!!

The iPhone 5 is available in the UK from 21st September and mobile phone operators have announced their tariffs.

  Full Specs of the Phone Click Here 

 

Lowest monthly charges

Most operators are only offering the phone on a 24-month deal.

 

 O2 has the cheapest monthly charge for a 16GB iPhone 5 at £26 for unlimited calls and texts and 1GB of Internet data, plus £249.99 upfront. Over the two-year contract this has a total cost of £873.99.
The upfront charge increases to £299.99 for a 32GB phone and £399.99 for 64GB. Over two years they work out at £923.99 and £1,023.99 respectively.


 
Three's Ultimate Internet 500 contact includes all you can eat data, 500 any network minutes and 5,000 texts for £34 a month plus £79 upfront for the 16GB phone. That works out at £895 over the two-year contract. For a 32GB phone you pay £89 upfront and £37 a month for a total of £977, while a 64GB phone is £109 upfront and £40 a month, for a total of £1,069.

The operator's One Plan, meanwhile, includes all you can eat data, 2,000 any network minutes, 5,000 texts and 5,000 Three-to-Three minutes for £36 a month plus £79 upfront on a 16GB phone. That works out at £943. For a 32GB phone it's £89 upfront and £39 a month making a total of £1,025, while a 64GB phone is £109 upfront a £42 a month, for a total of £1,117.


Orange's The Works plans offer unlimited calls and texts, and charges vary according to the amount of data usage – £36 a month for 1GB, £41 a month for 2GB, £46 a month for 3GB and £51 a month for unlimited access. On the £36 plan the 16GB handset costs £109.99, for a total of £973.99 over two years. The 32GB handset costs £219.99 for a total of £1,083.99, while the 64GB handset is £269.99 upfront for a total of £1,133.99.






The T-Mobile Full Monty plan, which runs for 24 months, offers unlimited texts and Internet use plus 2,000 minutes for £36 a month plus £109 (16GB), £219 (32GB) or £269 (64GB). Those wanting unlimited call minutes can pay £41, £46 or £61 a month depending on the size of memory they want and how much they are prepared to pay for the handset.
On the £36 a month deal you will pay a total of £973 for a 16GB model, £1,083 for a 32GB model and £1,133 for a 64B model.

Free Handset

 

 Orange is offering a 16GB handset for free on two 24-month tariffs. The cheapest is £46 a month and comes with unlimited texts and calls and 3GB downloads. Over two years that's a total cost of £1,104. For unlimited data you pay £51 a month, which is £1,224 over two years.




  



O2 is also offering the iPhone 5 free on a £46-a-month tariff, although you only get 1GB of data downloads. Over 24 months that's a total of £1,104.




 




Vodafone is charging £47 a month on a 24-month tariff. It includes unlimited texts and calls and 2GB of data for £1,128 over two years.

 

 

Unlocked handset

Apple is selling an unlocked handset which you can use on any network you choose. The 16GB model costs £529, the 32GB model is £599 and the 64GB version costs £699. Numerous sim-only deals are available from most network providers and further afield starting at about £10 or £15 a month depending on data, text and call allowances.

Samsung vs Apple Verdict

Samsung Lose the battle to Apple costing $1 billion dollars

Apple has recently obtained a major victory against Samsung in the first U.S. trial between the two, but that’s not the only legal conflict in the region for the two parties. Riding the wave of its freshly won $1 billion verdict, Apple added various Samsung-made Android devices to its 2013 lawsuit that will also take place in San Jose, California and will be presided by the same Lucy Koh, the Judge of the first trial.

 

Apple’s filing mentions “at least 21 new smartphones, media players, and tablets that Samsung has released beginning in August 2011 and continuing through August 2012.”
Unsurprisingly, the list includes several new Samsung devices such as the Galaxy S3, the Galaxy Note and the Galaxy Note 10.1 but also the Galaxy Nexus, Google’s third Nexus-branded device, and the second one made by Samsung. Here’s a full list of Samsung Android devices included in the trial:

 

Specific devices named in this filing are the the Galaxy S III, Galaxy S III carried by Verizon, Galaxy Note, Galaxy S II Skyrocket, Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch, Galaxy S II, Galaxy S II carried by T-Mobile, Galaxy S II – AT&T, Galaxy Nexus, Illusion, Captivate Glide, Exhibit II 4G, Stratosphere, Transform Ultra, Admire, Conquer 4G, and Dart smartphones, the Galaxy Player 4.0 and Galaxy Player 5.0 media players; and the Galaxy Note 10.1, Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, and Galaxy Tab 8.9 tablets.

The brand new Galaxy Note 2 is not yet part of the trial, but Apple apparently left room for other Samsung devices that the iPhone maker might deem as infringing on its patents.

Apple claims that these devices infringe on various patents that were not part of the first U.S. trial against Samsung including the ‘647 “data detectors” patent, the ‘604 “universal search” – that was used successfully by Apple in injunctions against the Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Tab 10.1, and which Samsung and Google have already started addressing by dumbing down the search features on certain handsets, Galaxy S3 included – the ‘172 “word completion patent and the ‘721 “slide to unlock” patent.

Samsung already avoided an injunction against the Galaxy S3 in the U.S. ahead the launch of the device in the region a couple of months ago. On the other hand, Apple has decided not to include the new flagship smartphone in the recently finished U.S. trial as such a move would have meant postponing the trial date (July 30, 2012). Instead, the company wanted to go forward with its the case it has just won and therefore it decided to leave the Galaxy S3 for a later fight.

To find out more about the amended Apple vs Samsung complaint for patent infringement then click here and it will take you directly to the patent

Tesco Mobile Family Perk

Tesco Mobile has announced a scheme called Family Perk to make managing household mobile phone bills easier.

In an attempt to convince whole families or groups of friends to join Tesco Mobile, Family Perk allows you to roll all your pay monthly and SIM-only accounts into one account.

That alone sounds pretty handy if your family or group of friends has a few Tesco Mobile users, but Tesco is also offering customers extra incentives when they sign up to the scheme.

Each member of your family or friend group (you don't have to be related or live together to make use of the scheme) can enjoy extra bonuses, such as 500 extra minutes to Tesco Mobile phones, 150 extra minutes to any network or 250MB of data.

Up to five separate accounts can be tied together into one and each bill is itemised by phone number, so you can see exactly how much each person owes.

Instead of having to pay for multiple bills across a month, you only need to pay once. The downside, of course, is securing money from your family members, or friends who might be less inclined to pay the bill unless it's taken directly out of their account.

Tesco Mobile CEO Roger Fogg explained why it introduced the Family perk scheme.

'We understand that modern family life is hectic and we want to do all we can to support families in managing their household budget more efficiently.'

'We have spoken to our customers and we know that they want to be thanked for their loyalty with meaningful rewards. Not only does our offering simplify the billing process for families, providing a helping hand for the bank of mum and dad when wallets are feeling the pinch, it also gives us a chance to offer bonus bundles and offer even better value to our most loyal customers,' he added.

Click here for the terms and conditions

Everything Everywhere gets 4G Network

 Everything Everywhere gets 4G

 

Telecoms regulator Ofcom has allowed Everything Everywhere, the company behind Orange and T-Mobile in the UK, to use its existing bandwidth to launch fourth-generation (4G) mobile services.

The move means 4G, which allows much faster downloads, could launch in the UK earlier than previously planned.

Ofcom said the move would deliver "significant benefits" to consumers that outweigh any competition concerns.

But Vodafone and O2 expressed surprise and disappointment at the decision.
Ofcom plans to auction 4G bandwidth to other providers next year.
Everything Everywhere will be allowed to offer 4G services from 11 September.
But, as the regulator pointed out, the timing will be a commercial decision for the company itself. The operator has been trialling 4G services at a number of local businesses in Cumbria in the north of England since the end of June.

Ofcom said delaying the mobile operator from launching 4G would be "to the detriment of consumers".
'Hugely disappointed' Everything Everywhere itself said the regulator's decision was "great news for the UK".

"4G will drive investment, employment and innovation and we look forward to making it available later this year, delivering superfast mobile broadband to the UK," the company said.

The firm's two main competitors in the UK mobile market were less than pleased with the ruling.
They claim that they are disadvantaged as only Everything's spectrum can be reconfigured to handle 4G, while they will have to wait to buy spectrum at an auction next year.

"We are hugely disappointed with today's announcement, which will mean the majority of customers will be excluded from the first wave of digital services," said a spokesperson for O2.

Vodafone was more forthright, saying it was "shocked" at Ofcom's decision.
"The regulator has shown a careless disregard for the best interests of consumers, businesses and the wider economy through its refusal to properly regard the competitive distortion created by allowing one operator to run services before the ground has been laid for a fully competitive 4G market," a company spokesperson said.

Analysts said the two companies were right to be concerned, with the examples of other countries suggesting those network providers that got a head start on their rivals were often able to build successful 4G networks.

"Everything now has a golden opportunity to establish an early lead in the UK's 4G market, but it will only be able to exploit this window if it is able to build a successful launch strategy," said Thomas Wehmeier at Informa Telecoms & Media.

He said much would now depend on the company's ability to persuade mobile phone manufacturers to build smartphones capable of working on its 4G network.

Everything Everywhere has also announced that it will sell some of its 4G spectrum to rival Three.
This was a condition of the European Commission allowing the 2010 merger of Orange and T-Mobile in the UK.

Three's chief executive Dave Dyson said this deal would "more than double the capacity available to customers".

As Everything is not obliged to make the spectrum available until September 2013, this deal will not give Three a head start in launching its own 4G services, however.

Ofcom has issued Everything Everywhere with licences to launch what are called Long-Term Evolution (LTE) services. This is one of a number of broadband technologies that allow the transfer of high-bandwidth data such as video streaming and mapping services.

Other mobile phone networks will be allowed to bid for 4G bandwidth early next year.
The auction will offer the equivalent of three-quarters of the mobile spectrum currently in use - some 80% more than released in the 3G auction which took place in 2000.
Ofcom wants to see at least four wholesalers of 4G mobile services, so that consumers will benefit from better services at lower prices.

The auction will sell chunks of radio spectrum to support 4G, which will allow users to download data such as music and videos at much faster speeds.

For more information on click here

Phones 4 U Upgrade Price Promise

 

Phones4U is drawing to attention to its upgrades offering with a £10m campaign, after research revealed consumers were unaware of the service.

Television activity launched 16th June as part of the "upgrades 4u and u and u" campaign. It stared ex-'EastEnders' actor Dean Gaffney and a voiceover from 'Inbetweeners' star Alex Macqueen.

Phones4U commissioned research from YouGov that revealed only 44% of the 2,000 people surveyed listed Phones4U as a destination to get an upgrade, while nearly half of those surveyed were surprised they could get an upgrade from Phones4U if they had bought the phone elsewhere.
Caspar Nelson, head of brand communications at Phones4U, said: "We found there were some Real misconceptions among consumers in terms of their options around upgrading and certainly weren't placing Phones4U at the top of their consideration list when it came to upgrading their mobile phones.

"We have never really had any significant spend around upgrades so is kind of a new area."
Humorous creative work will answer specific misconceptions held by people, including not being able to upgrade by phone or having to upgrade via their network.
Different channels will cover common misunderstandings and an outdoor ad will reassure people that they can keep their number when they upgrade.

Nelson insists the move away from its "scary" themed advertising was not a result of the hundreds of complaints the ads received and added that the latest creative is aimed at a wider audience.
The upcoming campaign is aimed at 16- to 34-year-olds rather than the 16-24 audience of the horror-themed advertising.

Nelson said: "The message around upgrades by its nature is much more inclusive message that goes out to a much wider audience.

"It’s not a conscious decision to move away from being scary – it was only ever going to be a three month campaign and the answer to a brief we had."

The multi-channel campaign will also include radio from 21 June, a nationwide outdoor and press campaign from early July, and in-store, social media and online activity.

The ad creative was developed by Adam & Eve with media managed by its media planning and buying arm, Eden.         

       Upgrade Price Promise Terms and Conditions

• Upgrade Price Promise: If, as part of a pay monthly upgrade, you find a cheaper price for a handset with a competitor, on the same tariff and terms as offered by Phones 4u, then we will match the price of the handset.
• Qualifying Tariffs: This applies to consumer pay monthly upgrades only, and excludes SIM-free handsets, PAYG, business, or new connections and any 'gift-with-purchase' or cashback offers.
• Competitors: this means Carphone Warehouse, O2, Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone and Virgin Mobile retail and online stores.
• Comparing online & in-store deals: we will only match our online prices against competitor online prices and store prices against competitor store prices. We cannot match online prices in our retail stores and vice versa.
• Matching individual deals: we can only match published handset prices. We cannot match any variations to these advertised prices (e.g. variations offered directly to individual customers).
• Like for like comparison: the handset and tariff being compared must be identical (e.g. same duration, monthly cost, inclusive minutes/texts/data, same make, model, design & network), must be in stock and subject to the same terms of sale (e.g. delivery/warranty).
• Proof: you must provide proof of the cheaper price which is satisfactory to Phones 4u.
• Deals already completed: the price promise is not valid in relation to any deals already entered into at the time when you seek to enforce the price promise.
• We reserve the right to withdraw this Promise or change these terms and conditions at any time

The rest of Phones 4 U's  

'terms and conditions' can be found here

Win a Skydive! Vote Chris Brown

Win a Skydive!

This year’s Store Manager of the Year competition is all about reaching for the skies, so we thought it would be fitting to give prospective contestants the chance to win a skydive. To be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do is nominate Chris Brown and you will automatically enter the prize draw.

Nominate Chris Brown


The prize
A tandem skydive is a fantastic day out. You will be harnessed to a highly experienced instructor and will freefall from a height of 10,000ft or more at speeds approaching 120mph!
We will even film the skydive for you!
You can take up to four friends with you on the day so they can watch you perform the skydive from the spectators' area. You can also choose from 13 locations around the UK so you won't have to travel far.
If you have nerves of steel and are not afraid of heights, nominate Chris Brown for Store Manager of the Year today and you could be falling from the sky!

Get voting and you could be there

VOTE CHRIS BROWN 

Store Manager Of The Year 2012

Why Store Manager of the Year?

We know Store Manager of the Year is one of the best ways for anyone to boost there career in the mobile industry, but don't just take my word for it. Here are some of the UK's top mobile bosses explaining why people should enter Store Manager of the Year.


 
Jacqueline Kelleher, director of retail sales, Three
‘Retail is one of the most demanding parts of the industry so the hard work, flair and commitment of store managers deserves recognition. Store Manager of the Year highlights the quality, drive, character and leadership skills of the people that are both the engine of sales and the face of the brand.
‘Our store managers aspire to be the best on the high street and work day in and day out to deliver a great experience. Good luck to everyone that gets involved.’


 

 


Andrew Coull, VP of retail, Everything Everywhere
‘We want to give our customers the best service possible, and competitions like this feed our passion to do that. We encourage our store managers to step up and be recognised for the great work they do in bringing the Orange and T-Mobile brands to life.’









 

Srini Gopalan, consumer director, Vodafone UK
‘Giving our customers the best service in the market is absolutely central to what we do at Vodafone UK, so a well-respected competition like Store Manager of the Year is a great opportunity to highlight some of the stars we have in our retail universe. The competition has always been popular with Vodafone staff and I would expect it to be so again this year.’



Richard Baylis, general manager for retail, O2 
‘Store Manager of the Year is a brilliant way to showcase the talented leaders in our stores, and an opportunity to recognise their leadership qualities and great management skills. Year on year the competitiveness between our regions gets stronger and when people take part it creates a lot more energy and excitement in our teams.

‘We’ve got some truly outstanding leaders so I’m hoping someone from O2 will be crowned Store Manager of the Year!’




 

Nick Fisher, COO, Phones 4u
‘Mobile’s Store Manager of the Year competition is a great opportunity for store managers to demonstrate their quality and skills. In the past this has been a fantastic opportunity for Phones 4u to showcase the talent, knowledge and passion shown by our team members, and to celebrate great people doing great work.’






Matt Stringer, UK MD, Carphone Warehouse
‘The Store Manager of the Year award is always eagerly anticipated at Carphone Warehouse as it gives us the opportunity to highlight the exceptional skills of our store colleagues and the important work they do for our customers.

We have enjoyed great success in the competition – winning the last three Store Manager of the Year awards – and have complete confidence in our representatives once again this year. We are proud of all of our participating colleagues and wish them the best of luck in the competition.’

To Find out More about Store Manager Of The Year click here

EE Stores launch U24 for Orange customers

Orange has announced U24

The deal will see those who're 24 and under receive extra calls, texts and mobile data on top of their current price plan at no extra cost - specifically, users will get 1GB of free Internet, while calls and texts to other Orange and T-Mobile numbers will be free of charge.

The offer is supported by an app - Android, iOS and BlackBerry - that helps users to identify which of their family or friends are on T-Mobile or Orange contracts, so they know who they can call and text for free.

U24 is available to new and existing Orange pay monthly and pay as you go customers. However, there is a slight catch for those on PAYG: they must top up at least £15 each month.
 
“Whether they’re going away to university, or starting out in a new career, with U24 there hoping to make life a little easier, providing them with an extra mobile data allowance and the potential to call and text over 27 million people as often as they like - all for no extra charge”.

 "Unlike the banks, who can often secure a customer for life by offering incentives such as free overdraft facilities, mobile customers are more familiar with switching every couple of years to get a new handset or better deal.

To Find out more about Orange U24 click here and it will take you directly to the Orange website

Who has the 'Best' banking App?

Who has the BEST Banking APP?

The best thing about smartphone apps is how quick and easy it is to access information. This might be a bit of a mixed blessing when it comes to making impulse purchases on Amazon and eBay of course, but it has to be said that they’re damn convenient.
Banking might not be the sexiest or most glamorous subject in the world, but keeping tabs on your finances is important and thankfully there is a fine selection of apps to help you do it.

First Direct

Sadly this is only for iPhone owners at the moment, but with this app you’ll be able to make payments to existing payees and transfer money. You can also view your account balance and the last 20 transactions you made.
In order to use this First Direct app you’ll have to be a customer of the bank and be registered for Internet Banking, and of course, you’ll need an iPhone (using iOS 3.1 and above).

Santander UK

Only available for the iPhone and iPad at present, but so long as you’ve registered and logged onto the Santander Online Banking service at least once, you’ll be able to use the Santander UK app. You can view your account balances, transfer funds between them, pay existing payees, amend and cancel pending payments, find your nearest branch and view your latest transactions.

HSBC

The HSBC Fast Balance app is available for Android, BlackBerry and iPhone. With this app you can check your balance and the last six transactions made with your account, so it's slightly limited. If you own a prepaid mobile phone, you’ll also be able to top up your credit using the app.

Barclays Pingit

Barclay’s Pingit is a free app on Android, BlackBerry and iOS which allows you to view your balance, locate ATMs and transfer money. You can send up to £300 per day to friends, family or make payments. You’ll also be able to receive up to £5,000 from other Pingit users, and you can register three additional phones to receive money on your Pingit account.
If you aren’t a Barclay’s customer, you can still register and the bank will set up a Pingit Wallet account on the app which you can use to transfer money.

NatWest

Available for the iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry devices, you’ll be able to check your last six transactions, transfer money between your accounts and pay bills. You can pay or transfer cash to existing payees from your Online Banking, check your balance and find the nearest branches and ATMs. Pay-as-you-go top ups to boot, but you’ll have to be an existing online banking NatWest customer to use the service.

Lloyds TSB

The Lloyds TSB Mobile Banking app is free to download and available via the Apple App Store, Google Play, BlackBerry App World and Nokia Store.
You use your account’s existing Internet Banking login details to access it. You can view account details like your balance, transaction history, ISA and credit card accounts and make transfers between your Lloyds TSB accounts, manage your overdraft and view your mortgage balance.
There are also handy things like a branch and ATM finder and useful Lloyds TSB phone numbers.

O2 Signal Issue resolved With compensation

O2 CEO promises compensation 

to 7.5 million Customers

The giant O2 outage of the last two days is over, with CEO Ronan Dunne saying he's 'embarassed' and will make it up to the 7.5 million customers who were hit by the 2G and 3G blackout.

Dunne made a public apology in a Sky News Interview, where he also said an investigation was ongoing into the cause of massive outage.

About a third of O2's 20-plus million customers were affected, and Dunne said he would make it up them 'in an O2 way'. London's Boris Bikes were also out of commission for a while, as the docking stations use O2's 3G network.

O2 has had a service status page up all day today updating customers on the state of repair – 2G service came back on in the morning while 3G returned in the early afternoon. At around 5pm, O2 announced via its Twitter feed that the problems had been rectified and customers will be compensated for the misery of the outage.
Its first tweet said: 'Now the network's back, we remain focused on identifying the root cause of the incident. We want to restore confidence and trust.'
This was quickly followed by: 'For those customers affected by the lack of service, we will be doing everything we can to make it up to them in an O2 way.'
We're wondering if that means free or discounted tickets for upcoming events, although this would have to be for nationwide events rather than just concerts at the O2. Knocking some cash off the monthly bill would be welcomed by many, we're sure.

Dunne added in his interview: 'I'm a customer myself and I know how important service is. This shouldn't have happened and I'm going to make sure that it doesn't happen [again]. But it's a really complex system we operate – [we deal with] 125 million calls a day, 120 million texts a day.'

If you have been effected by this and want to talk to let off some steam then please leave your comments below and share your experiance with the world

Sports Tracker App

 

Helping you train better since 2004

Sports Tracker is an award-winning application and online service developed by a passionate team of outdoor sports enthusiasts and mobile experts, in cooperation with our users.
We’re on a mission here: we want to help people train better, connect through sports, and live healthier, happier lives. And we want to do this using mobile phones: the fact is, after all, that most outdoor enthusiasts already have sports computers their pockets in the form of smartphones – those gadgets just need to be activated with the right application.

By joining the Sports Tracker service and downloading the free application to your smartphone, you’ll launch your training to a whole new level. Easily track and analyze your exercises and have fun training by sharing your workouts and photos with your friends and other similar-minded people via the Sports Tracker community, Facebook and Twitter. You’ll enjoy monitoring the development of your progress like never before.
Sports Tracker is one of Nokia Ovi Store’s most downloaded applications, with millions of downloads from more than 200 countries. The combined tracked distance by our users reached a whopping 130 million kilometers in September 2011.
And the distance is increasing ever more rapidly, with the introduction of our iPhone, Android and Windows Phone applications.

A bit about our background

We started Sports Tracker in 2004 while working at Nokia. Our application was the first of its kind for mobile phones, so we can safely say the we’re the category founder and leader in our field. Our original vision was to come up with an easy and fun training application that would help people train better and connect them with each other.
Back then there were no phones with GPS, no smart phones, no Google maps. But like runners preparing for a marathon, we knew that if we’d just sweat it out, we’d reach our goal.
And here we are seven years later on our own (after a successful spin-off from Nokia). As of today, after millions of downloads and with an ever-increasing group of active trackers worldwide, we’re still the same sports enthusiasts and mobile geeks ourselves who want to carry on developing Sports Tracker and help people train better and enjoy themselves.