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Argos to stock network-hopping Anywhere SIM cards
Anywhere SIM, a company that wants to solve poor signal problems in the UK, has snapped up its first retail partner. Argos will be selling its SIM cards both in store and online, giving the upstart some much-needed visibility on the high street. The SIMs are unique because they automatically monitor and switch between three different UK networks -- O2, Vodafone and EE -- depending on which one has the strongest signal at the time.
Google's Project Fi gets more coverage through US Cellular
Ever since Google launched Project Fi, you've had to hop between just two networks: Sprint and T-Mobile. But what if you're in an area where one or neither is particularly great? You might have an easier time of things after today. US Cellular has signed up as Project Fi's third partner, giving you both better overall coverage and a greater chance of staying on speedy LTE data. You should see it reach your phone sometime in the "coming weeks." It's probably not the additional network you were hoping for (AT&T or Verizon, anyone?), but it could mean the difference between a rock-solid connection and having to wait for WiFi.
The Post Office is shutting down its year-old mobile network
Competition among mobile providers in the UK is fierce, with four major carriers and many, many more mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) beneath them. On a battlefield that busy, casualties are inevitable, and already this year we've seen Mobile by Sainsbury's put out to pasture. And now we have another fatality, with the Post Office confirming the closure of its mobile service on August 8th. According to the online notice, the Post Office "decided to conclude the trial as the results did not give us sufficient confidence that mobile will contribute to our goal of commercial sustainability."
Republic Wireless gets serious about its phone selection
Republic Wireless' promise of extra-affordable cellular service has usually come with a big catch: the phone selection. Outside of the occasional gem, you've had to settle for browsing a tiny collection of so-so budget devices. That won't be a problem after this summer, though. Republic has announced that it's adding seven more phones to its roster this July, and most of them are reasonably up to date, high-end models you'd likely be happy to have. The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are in the mix, as is Google's current Nexus line and the Moto X Pure Edition -- you can even get last year's Galaxy S6 if you're striking a balance between cost and cutting-edge. The prices are generally on par with what you find elsewhere, such as $699 for the Galaxy S7.
Messaging giant Line becomes a phone carrier in Japan
Line already dominates phones in some corners of the world through its messaging app and rapidly expanding list of services, but it's now taking that control one step further: it's becoming a carrier. As of this summer, Japanese residents can subscribe to Line Mobile and get unlimited use of not only Line's chat and call services, but the "main features" (browsing and posts) of Facebook and Twitter. It's cheap, too. The DoCoMo-based virtual provider will start plans at as little as ¥500 ($4.40) per month with unlimited Line use, and it's considering offering Line Points (cash back on Line's payment card) when you pay your phone bill.
The People's Operator now has a super-cheap 4G plan
When The People's Operator (TPO) launched in the UK in 2012, it stood out for two reasons. On the one hand, a quarter of the company's profits are piped into a charitable foundation, and 10 percent of subscriber spend goes to a charity of their choice. Kudos where kudos is due, but initially high data costs seriously limited the MVNO's potential audience. In subsequent years, TPO -- which piggybacks on EE's network -- has improved the attractiveness of its tariffs, though they've remained 3G-only. Today, however, TPO has finally caught up with the times, announcing its first 4G plan with 2GB of data, 600 minutes and unlimited texts for £7 per month.
Sainsbury's will kill its mobile network on January 15th
After more than two years of selling mobile plans to customers, Sainsbury's is very suddenly exiting the game. Talks with Vodafone, the carrier underpinning the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), apparently broke down, leading the supermarket chain to quietly pull monthly plans from its website. A knowledgeable source told Engadget that Sainsbury's began removing marketing material in stores yesterday and is in the process of contacting existing customers about their next steps.
New UK mobile provider bundles music streaming service as standard
New mobile providers seem to be springing up left, right and centre these days. Already this year, we've seen BT and Carphone Warehouse join the MVNO club, not to mention Sky's after its own membership and FreedomPop's due to unleash its completely free mobile plans on the UK sometime this summer. And today, we welcome another new kid on the block going by the name ROK Mobile. Launched last year in the US and going live in the UK today, ROK Mobile is aimed specifically at music lovers. The new MVNO, which piggybacks on Three's network, offers just one SIM-only tariff on a rolling one-month contract. For £25 per month, you get unlimited calls and texts, 4GB of 4G data, and -- here's the hook -- free access to 7digital's music streaming catalogue through the ROK Mobile Android/iOS app. Available only to paying customers, the app lets you stream over 20 million tracks, build playlists and download music for offline consumption.
Helio's cellphone service comes back to life with a $29 plan
Remember Helio, the virtual carrier that tried to cater to the tech-savvy young crowd (not so successfully) with data-centric plans and rebranded basic phones? It's baaaack. Ubi Telecom, a mobile company focused on Korean-speaking Americans, has quietly revived the brand as a mostly bring-your-own-device service on Sprint's network, with Verizon* as a roaming partner. However, it's definitely not the provider you remember from a decade ago. Service is much cheaper at $29 (tax included!) for unlimited data, text and voice, but that data is capped at a paltry 128Kbps -- you won't be checking out Netflix. The ready-to-go phone catalog is old, too, with the Galaxy S4 being as good as it gets. The resurrected Helio makes sense if you think that even Virgin Mobile's $35 plans are too rich for your blood, but it won't trigger those warm, fuzzy nostalgic feelings.
Free mobile plans are coming to the UK in July
Sure, mobile plans are getting cheaper by the day, but what if you could enjoy voice, texts and mobile data without having to pay a penny? That's what mobile carrier FreedomPop will offer when it launches in the UK in July. After finding success in the US and announcing its plans to expand almost a year ago, the company has set its sights on this side of the pond, noting that it will provide 200 minutes, 200 texts and 200MB of data free on its very first SIM-only plan. Basic, but perfect for someone who uses their phone sparingly. To further discourage the competition, FreedomPop will also offer free international calling to over 60 countries and allow free calls and texts to anyone on one of its plans.
Straight Talk gives customers who bring their own phones more data
Straight Talk has a nice weekend surprise for both old and new Bring Your Own Phone customers. The prepaid carrier has just upped its $45-per-month plan's data allowance from 3GB to 5GB for anyone who didn't purchase their phone straight from the company. New customers only need to register a compatible device and order a SIM to take advantage of the promo, while old faithfuls won't have to do anything at all: they'll get access to 5GB their next refill. Hopefully, the virtual network operator has cleaned up its act since the FTC fined it for throttling customers' connections too much, so people can actually enjoy the higher data cap. [Image credit: Mike Mozart]
Google's cellular service makes you ditch key Voice features
Are you a long-time Google Voice user? You might not want to sign up for Google's Project Fi service, then. Early adopters who've received an invitation report that you're required to give up important Voice features, including calls, texting and voicemail from within Google Talk, Google Voice and Obihai devices. You'll still get those options in Hangouts (if you turned on support) as well as call forwarding and voicemail transcripts, but you'll otherwise end up with a pale shadow of the phone services you knew before. That could be a worthwhile tradeoff if you like Project Fi's multi-network coverage and simple pricing -- just be sure that you're aware of the consequences.
A cheat sheet to Project Fi, Google's mobile phone service
Rumors of Google breaking into the wireless carrier game have been fodder for scoops, breathless reports and thinkpieces for years now, and for the longest time it looked like the search giant just couldn't make it happen. Yesterday Google put all that to rest. Project Fi is finally here (if invite-only and fully compatible with one phone) -- here's what you absolutely need to know about it.
Carphone Warehouse launching flexible 'iD' mobile network next month
Does the UK need another carrier? Carphone Warehouse seems to think so. It's been rumoured for months, but finally the company is ready to unveil its own mobile network. "iD" will arrive in May and, as expected, be powered by Three's network infrastructure. What makes it special? Well, the retailer says it's focusing on a few key benefits. The first is "controlled and capped plans," which it claims will be the cheapest on the market. It's also emphasising "flexible" 12-month contracts and 30-day SIM-only plans.
Google's Project Fi service turns multiple phone networks into one
Got a Nexus 6? Itching to dump your traditional wireless service provider for something a bit more ambitious? Google's got you covered. After months of speculation and a not-so-subtle nod from Sundar Pichai at Mobile World Congress, the search giant's new mobile phone service -- Project Fi -- is finally official. The company's plan is both as savvy and as unorthodox as we'd expect: Instead of trying to build out and maintain its own nationwide network of cell towers and repeaters, Google's instead combining Sprint and T-Mobile's coverage footprints with millions of pre-vetted WiFi hotspots to provide users with the fastest, most seamless mobile experience it can in real-time. Well, that's the plan anyway. You're probably just clamoring for the invite link at this point (here you go), but it's important to note that Google created Fi to fill in the gaps that already exist in our more-mobile-by-the-day lives.
Google's phone service reportedly has you paying by the gigabyte
Google said it would launch the "Nexus" of phone networks in the near future, and we may now have a good idea of what that means. Android Police has unearthed Nexus 6 firmware with an app for Project Fi, which appears to be the in-progress name for Google's wireless service. The code suggests a very different approach to mobile data than you're probably used to, even compared to a pay-for-what-you-use offering like Ting. You'd pay only for the gigabytes you expect to use, and you'd get credit back if you don't use as much as planned. There are no mentions of overage fees (you'd just pay the usual per-gigabyte rate), and Google would be unusual among virtual network operators in its willingness to support multiple lines and data-only devices like tablets.
Google wants no-cost international roaming for its phone service
Google may not have grand ambitions for its upcoming cellular network, but the company could still have a few clever tricks up its sleeve. The Telegraph claims that Google is talking to wireless giant Hutchison Whampoa, the owner of Three (and soon O2), about letting American customers roam at no extra cost on the foreign carrier's networks. In other words, you could go on Instagram photo tours of places like Hong Kong or the UK without facing an outrageous phone bill when you get home. Neither of the companies are commenting, but Hutchison Whampoa would be a very logical partner. It already lets its customers roam in other countries (including the US) as if they were at home -- in a way, a Google deal would simply be returning the favor.
Google's 'Nexus' phone network might only be for Nexus 6 phones
This week at MWC Google exec Sundar Pichai confirmed rumors that the company plans to launch its own wireless service, but a Wall Street Journal report claims it will only work with Google's Nexus 6 smartphone. Pichai stressed that the service would not operate on a large scale, and restricting it to a single device (even older Nexus phones are reportedly out), would just about fit that. We should've seen this coming once Pichai said it would be the "Nexus" of virtual phone networks, but according to the WSJ it will also combine WiFi connections with the cell networks of Sprint and T-Mobile for service. As the paper points out, other Motorola-built phones are already in use for primarily-WiFi carriers like Republic Wireless and Cablevision's new Freewheel. The newest Nexus 6 and Android Lollipop form the right combination for network-hopping, which could lead to the service launching within the next few weeks.
Google confirms it'll launch the 'Nexus' of virtual phone networks
Google has just confirmed a rumor at Mobile World Congress that many thought unlikely: It'll launch its own "white label" MVNO cell network. That means it'll carry or resell wireless services from larger operators in one way or another, not unlike, say, Boost Mobile. However, Android head Sundar Pichai stressed that the service wouldn't operate on a large scale or compete head to head against carriers like AT&T or Verizon. Instead, he likened it to Google's Nexus devices, calling it a way to drive new technology in order to make cellular and WiFi services work together in a "seamless" fashion.
Sky confirms launch of its own O2-powered mobile network
Talks between Three owner Hutchison Whampoa and O2 haven't yet reached a conclusion, but already some of the UK's biggest companies are keen to take advantage of a future merger. After briefly flirting with Vodafone in a recent trial, Sky has confirmed it will become a quad-play provider with the launch of its own O2-powered mobile network in 2016. According to Sky, O2's current owner Telefónica UK will provide access to the carrier's 2G, 3G and 4G services, allowing it to go up against BT, Virgin Media and also TalkTalk, which signed a deal with the operator in November, to offer phone, broadband, TV and mobile bundles.
