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Samsung Galaxy S5 launching on April 11th in 150 countries
Samsung has just announced that the Galaxy S5 will be available starting April 11th in 150 countries. Over here in the US, it'll be available on Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, MetroPCS and U.S. Cellular. Ma Bell is going one step further, offering up the Gear 2 and the Gear Fit smartwatches as well. If you'd rather go elsewhere for your mobile needs, retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, RadioShack, Sam's Club, Target and Walmart will have the GS5 plus all three of Samsung's newly announced wearables. As for our friends across the Atlantic, UK providers EE, Three and Vodafone UK have jumped aboard the GS5 bandwagon, as have retailers Phones4u and Carphone Warehouse. Though it hasn't been announced, we expect other carriers such as O2 will support the phone too. No word on pricing just yet, but we expect we'll find that out closer to the phone's April launch date.
Huawei Ascend Mate to reach Vodafone UK in July
Britons with extra-large pockets will have more phones to choose from this summer than the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3: Vodafone UK has committed to carrying the Huawei Ascend Mate before the end of July. The carrier hasn't yet discussed pricing, although the Ascend Mate's modest specs (6.1-inch screen aside) should keep costs in check. We were impressed with the gigantic handset's battery life during our testing, so Vodafone customers with an aversion to wall outlets may want to give it a closer look.
Vodafone UK switching to per-minute call charging on PAYG, stiffing you out of seconds
Benefits of pay-as-you-go handsets and SIMs include having complete control over your spend, and knowing how much call time is left before the next top-up is due. Well, if you PAYG with Vodafone in the UK, prepare to start seeing those available minutes diminish a little quicker than you're used to. You may have been unaware that calls are currently charged by the second, but come August 1st, the network will begin pricing calls by the minute. Basically, this means calls will be rounded up to the next minute, so a natter lasting just over a minute will be charged as two, losing you precious seconds. Voda says this is to make things simpler, so "you'll always know exactly how many minutes you have left" -- or don't, as the case may be. In a statement, the carrier was keen to point out that several "competitors already offer price plans charged in this way," and that top-up extras (like free minutes and cake) "continue to offer our customers great value." Nice try, Voda. Full statement after the break.
Vodafone UK announces pricing plans for Nokia Lumia 925, pre-orders start today
We knew Vodafone would be adding the recently unveiled Nokia Lumia 925 to its smartphone lineup in the United Kingdom, but today the carrier's officially diving into how it plans to sell it to potential suitors. The best attraction would appear to be the all-you-can-have calls / messages with 2GB of data, which will cost you £34 per month over two years. If that particular offering isn't for you, however, Vodafone UK also has something for those who need a little more web access on the go: £39 for 24 months gets you the same unlimited deal on voice and text but with 4GB of data -- and it's worth mentioning both plans won't require any cash upfront for the device. The sleek Lumia 925 is set to be up for pre-order starting today, and Vodafone's really hoping the 32GB black model will be a crucial detail in your decision to go its way instead of, say, O2. So, what will it be?
Huawei G510 heads to Vodafone UK, puts Jelly Bean on a budget
Huawei's G510 isn't what you'd call a screamer. In fact, the handset's more of what the Chinese market refers to as a "1,000 yuan" phone, or as we so benignly call it: a budget device. Formerly available in Asia-only, the G510's now making the trek to the UK on Vodafone for £130 outright or £13 monthly. Despite its lower-end leanings, the Android Jelly Bean device packs a reasonably large 4.5-inch WVGA display, dual-core Cortex-A9 clocked at 1.2GHz, 5-megapixel rear camera, NFC and a 1,750mAh battery. It's also the first of Huawei's UK releases to ship with its custom skin, the Emotion UI. It's a questionable bragging right, we admit. But we'll let it slide for now.
Mach inks carrier billing deal with Everything Everywhere, O2, Vodafone and Three in the UK
Not a month after Mach's last carrier billing deal, UK network providers Vodafone, Three, O2 and Everything Everywhere are getting in on the action. The company's direct billing solutions will initially allow the networks to charge app and online purchases straight to your bill, with in-app sales joining them at a later date. Don't expect this to be implemented immediately, however, as the agreement covers the back-end processing -- the individual carriers will be responsible for turning it on customer-side. They'll likely inform you when they hit the switch and your phone bill becomes a monthly surprise.
Vodafone offers unlimited voice, texts, 1GB data with £29-per-month Red plan
It's a sign of the times that as our smartphones do more, the less we use them for their intended purpose, you know, as a phone. Vodafone's seizing upon the trend by offering you unlimited calls and texts, but keeps a firm hand on the hose marked "data allocation." Vodafone Red will set you back £29 a month, offering you 1GB of mobile internet on the network, while £34 gets you Vodafone Red Data, doubling your allowance to 2GB. The plans go live in-store and online from tomorrow, and are available to pair with any handset that the company current sells -- and, we'd hope, any that arrive in the near future.
Mobile Miscellany: week of July 30th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, the Galaxy Nexus for Sprint and Verizon Wireless each became available for free, while in the MVNO world, Simple Mobile dropped the price of its high-speed unlimited smartphone plan to $50. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of July 30th, 2012.
Vodafone walks us through a phone's Android 4.0 upgrade, explains our protracted thumb-twiddling
We're used to seemingly interminable waits for phone firmware upgrades for carrier-locked phones. What is it that takes so long? Vodafone UK isn't promising a quicker process, but it's offering a rare walkthrough of just what itself (and many other carriers) do to rubber stamp a firmware upgrade. Using the Huawei Ascend G 300's Android 4.0 update as the reference point, Vodafone explains that the actual network testing lasts a week or less, depending on the scope of the upgrade -- it's the requirements for branding and carrier-specific network settings that introduce additional overhead. Android phones that skew closer to Google's stock OS (like the G 300) tend to be easy updates, although Vodafone warns that the verification process is typically getting longer, not shorter. There's not much consolation here for phone owners around the world still using Android 2.3; if you'd rather skip the carrier update process entirely, however, you know where to turn.
Nokia's 808 PureView will not be sold by major UK carriers, time to save up some pounds
If you Brits were looking forward to utilizing the 808 PureView's 41-megapixel sensor while sipping Pimm's this summer, well, be prepared to pay a hefty price. We've heard from O2, Three and Everything Everywhere (the parent company of Orange UK and T-Mobile UK) that they will not be selling said Nokia device in the UK, and Virgin Media told us it isn't in the pipeline "just yet." Our friends over at Wired UK have also heard the same bad news from Vodafone and O2, with a source close to the latter laying the blame on Nokia's "outdated" Symbian Belle system. Ouch. So yes, this means all the major carriers in Her Majesty's backyard are out of the game; but until we hear back from Carphone Warehouse, there may still be a small chance for keen British mobile photogs to dodge the full £500 ($780) price tag on Amazon (in comparison to $699 on the US site), so stay tuned.
Vodafone UK launches Smart II: Android Gingerbread for £70 (hands-on)
UK carriers often like to elbow their way into the limelight when a rival's getting some attention. This time, Vodafone's cutting into Orange's Intel excitement with the Smart II; an update to its wallet-happy Android device from 2011. The UK carrier even let us get some hands-on time with the pebble-sized phone. While the specifications (800MHz processor, 3.2-inch screen) aren't going to wow, at £70 (around $109) it could reel in plenty of feature phone graduates. Check out a brief hands-on video and our own impressions right after the break. %Gallery-156540%
Vodafone UK, retailers push back Galaxy S III in Pebble Blue by weeks, trample on dreams
We previously looked at talk of delays for some versions of the Galaxy S III with a jaundiced eye, as there hadn't been much official word at the time. That chatter just grew decidedly louder and more formal: Vodafone UK is now telling Pocket-lint that only the 16GB Marble White version will hit the high streets this week, with as many as two to four weeks before any Pebble Blue variant, or even 32GB white models, are ready to go. There isn't much comfort if you decide to turn elsewhere, either. With a few exceptions, third-party shops are all warning of at least slight delays for blue models that range from June 5th at Clove to a somewhat ominous-sounding "to be confirmed" at Handtec. Samsung is still quiet about what's triggering the delays, although Negri Electronics' founder Ryan Negri is claiming that different regions have been short-changed on different colors. Whatever the cause, it appears as if the Galaxy S III will face a rocky launch, even though the quad-core, Android 4.0-toting beast has otherwise been getting a warm reception.
Mobile Miscellany: week of May 21st, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, it was revealed that the HTC EVO 4G LTE likely supports simultaneous voice and data connections on Sprint's network, Samsung's Galaxy Ace 2 landed at Three in the UK and Vertu revealed a refresh to its Constellation series of luxury phones. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of May 21st, 2012.
Samsung Galaxy S III tops UK pre-order records, shows that British love their quad-core
The British clearly didn't waste any time once pre-orders opened up for the Galaxy S III, which just broke through pre-order records for at least one carrier and one retailer in the country. Carphone Warehouse's chief commercial officer Graham Stapleton says that the quad-core, 4.8-inch flagship is the quickest-moving pre-order of the year "so far," while Vodafone UK adds that the new Galaxy is its most pre-ordered Android device to date. Without hard numbers, though, it's difficult not to couch the successes in relative terms: both are using conditional language that makes clear neither record is absolute and that they might be eclipsed by companies with a knack for building early demand. Even so, that pride in early results suggests the third time is indeed the charm and that Samsung won't have much trouble filling its own pop-up stores with customers at the end of the month.
O2 UK rolls out 42Mbps DC-HSPA+ 3G, gives that new iPad fast data in Old Blighty
The UK might be champing at the bit for 4G auctions to finish and give the country a taste of sweet, sweet LTE, but O2 UK is at least offering a panacea with a launch of dual-carrier HSPA+ 3G, or DC-HSPA+ in less wordy form. The British carrier has started deploying a full 42Mbps to "major" cities on the isle, most likely including London as one of them. Vodafone would argue that going dual-carrier is old hat, having started a year earlier, but it's also peaking at 28.8Mbps -- and frequent data advocate Three doesn't start its own proper 42Mbps deployment until the summer. As such, if you're a Brit looking for the speediest path to the Internet for a new iPad or one of the few other devices that supports DC-HSPA+ at full bore, O2 looks to be your best bet for now.
Samsung Galaxy S III up for pre-order in the UK from Vodafone, O2 and Three
We knew it was coming, but in case you had any doubts, you'll be glad to know Vodafone, Three and O2 have opened up the pre-order doors to those looking to grab the newest Galaxy on the block. As we're accustomed to seeing from carriers across the pond, the trio's pricing Sammy's S III with enough flexibility to fit a slew of different budgets; for example, you can snag the 16GB model at no cost with a £41 monthly plan on Vodafone. Of course, O2 and Three offer similar plans, with others ranging as high as £219 for the handset but with less of a commitment. For all those details, point your browser toward one of the source links below and choose the deal best suited for you.
Huawei Ascend G 300 coming to Vodafone UK on April 13th
We've laid our eyes (and hands) on the Ascend G 300 a pair of times, first while it was sneaking past the FCC, then shortly after that when we took it for a quick spin at MWC in Barcelona. Now, Huawei's Gingerbread handset is prepping to land in the UK on Friday the 13th, being available exclusively at Vodafone. Just as we predicted, the device won't be much of a burden on anyone's wallet, with the carrier pricing it at £100 (around $160) on PAYG (£10 top-up minimum) or gratis on £15.50, two-year plans. Unfortunately, the G 300 won't have Ice Cream Sandwich on board at launch, but Vodafone says the 4.0 update will be coming later this summer. Good enough for you? The source link below lets you register to be one of the first to know when this 4-inch Ascend is up for grabs.
Refresh Roundup: week of March 26th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Nokia Lumia 800 hits UK carriers this November, Xbox 360 used as bait
Nokia fanboys and girls across the British Isles are getting the Lumia 800 love as early as November. Confirmed on a trio of carriers earlier today, Espoo's "first real Windows Phone" is slated to hit Vodafone, Orange and 3 UK sometime next month, though no specific street date has yet been revealed. You can hit up the operators' respective sites now to sign-up for the availability updates, or go whole hog with an in-store pre-order in the case of 3 UK. At least one of these networks is sweetening the pot for potential subs, as Orange's enticing lure of a free Xbox 360 with handset upgrade is sure to reel in bargain hunting customers. So, what are you waiting for? Hit up the source below to hand over your deets and claim your spot in this Finnish Mango queue.
Samsung Galaxy Y available now from Vodafone UK
The latest product off Samsung's near-constant conveyor belt, the Galaxy Y, has been spotted loitering around Vodafone UK stores. The "youth"(translation: entry-level) smartphone arrives with a slightly better spec sheet than the Korean giant's cheapest Android phone, the Galaxy Mini, although you shouldn't expect a load of GS II-eque features. The petite handset includes a two megapixel camera, a three-inch touchscreen, an 832MHz CPU, and the typical wireless medley of Bluetooth, 801.11 b/g/n WiFi and GPS -- all packed into a 3.5 ounce shell running Google's Gingerbread OS. Sure, there's no 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen, but for just £10.50 per month, we may be willing to overlook it.
