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

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.

Vodafone Salisbury 5/30 Mystery Shop

Vodafone Salisbury Score a dreadful 5/30 for Mystery Shop

APPROACH
There was no initial interaction with any member of staff as i had to take a ticket and wait,
When i did get to speak to someone they seamed very rushed and not willing to help this was possibly due to the size of the queue that had formed and were using the queue chopping method (OK i gets the queue down and stops customers from complaining about the length of time but is that actually giving great service...)
( Due to long waiting times with very little customer service i must give them a 2/10)

PROCESS
During the whole process i felt it very dull, robotic, there was very little effort to get information from me what so ever no open questions,  To me there was obviously no process at all as the sales person was constantly looking over my shoulder and staying behind the counter. (OK they were short staffed however a little nod or smile to people to let them know that they were there would be good start)
(What can i say really about the process,there was no process!!, i waited 20mins in the queue without any acknowledgement i was there that why I'm giving a 2/10)

CLOSE
After i waited for 20mins in the queue i asked what i was in here for i said i wanted the new galaxy s 3 they shifted there eyes and said its not out now but the galaxy s 2 is out and is equally as good, so to attempt to close the sale they tried selling me a completely different product in which is the previous model to the one i went in for... OMG are you stupid no one in there right minds would go for a older model.. They could have attempted to pre order one for me or do someone other than sell me a older phone and miss lead me by saying its 'pretty much the same'
(After being shocked of the outcome of the close I'm giving them a 1/10)

CONCLUSION
A shocking visit overall, as a loyal customer of 8 yrs i expected more. They clearly have issues with customer interaction and feel that the ticket machine is a great substitute for customer satisfaction. I can clearly say that after Queueing up like cattle and then  speaking to someone over the counter like your at the post office is not a great experience. The result for my Dreadful visit is 5/30

Samsung Galaxy S 3 Specs

'Software not hardware is the focus with the Galaxy S III'

 

The Galaxy S III has an impressive 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display. It's 16% larger than the Galaxy S II and a bit heavier at 133g, but it packs a lot more power (the quad-core processor is over 60% faster).

 

The camera features a 'burst mode' similar to the HTC One series to make sure you don't miss that key shot. SmartStay recongises when you are looking at the screen and prevents the phone going into power saving mode, while Social Tag enables quick photo sharing via social media.

 Official Specs

• Processor: 1.4GHz quad-core processor – 65% quicker than the Galaxy S II
• Display: 4.8 inch HD Super AMOLED
• Resolution :(1280x720-pixel) display
• OS: Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• Camera: 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with auto-focus, flash and zero shutter lag.
• Front Camera: 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera, HD recording @30fps with zero shutter lag, BSI
• Video: Codec: MPEG4, H.264, H.263, DivX, DivX3.11, VC-1, VP8, WMV7/8, Sorenson Spark Recording & Playback: Full HD (1080p)
• Connectivity: WiFi & WiFi HT40. GPS/GLONASS, NFC and Bluetooth
• Sensor: Accelerometer, RGB light, digital compass, proximity, gyro and barometer
• Memory: 16/32GB user memory (64GB available soon)
• External Memory: microSD slot (up to 64GB)
• Size: 136.6x70.6x8.6mm
• Weight:133g 

  What is NEW

• Smart Stay - Every few seconds the Galaxy S III will look for your eyes, if it doesn't see them it will put the phone into standby and lock the screen as it knows you are not using it!
• S-Beam - Using NFC & Wi-Fi Direct, the Galaxy S III can beam content to another phone in close proximity
• Social Tag - When you take a photo and save it to gallery, it will tag friends found in your contacts. You can share the photo with them and touch their face to access their latest Google + update or Facebook wall.
• Face Zoom - while taking a photo you can double tap to zoom straight into the face on the person you are taking the photo of.
• Burst Shot - take a burst of 20 photos at once, this is great for capturing movement.
• Best Shot - will take 8 pictures and put a "thumbs up" in the picture which is the best for clarity, resolution and overall best quality. Once you've selected it will delete the others and keep the best one.
• Pop-up and Play -You can be watching a video on the Galaxy SIII and use all the other functions of the phone at the same time.
• Direct call - Auto call someone from the SMS screen just by putting the phoen ot your ear.

Phones 4u SPLIT with Three

Three and Phones 4u are terminating their trading relationship

Phones 4u will no longer offer Three contracts in its stores.The split is attributed by Phones 4u to Three’s strategy of upgrading customers directly.

A Phones 4u Assistant Manager said: ‘Three has a direct strategy with its customers, including Three performing all of its customer upgrades through its own channels.

'Phones 4u’s strategy is to build a strong relationship with its customers throughout their lives. We value long-term relationships with our network operator partners where we can add value to their mobile journeys.

'In light of our diverging strategies, Phones 4u and Three have decided to no longer maintain our relationship. Given the minimal level of connections in the last few years this will not impact either the Phones 4u or Three business.’

Three confirmed the split. A spokesman said: ‘We are not looking to trade with Phones 4u going forward.’