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: Vodafone Smart II hands-on

Continue reading Vodafone UK launches Smart II: Android Gingerbread for £70 (hands-on)

Vodafone UK launches Smart II: Android Gingerbread for £70 (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 11:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia's latest Windows Phone addition might not stack up to the polycarbonate glory of its forebears, but at this price, it's hard to complain that much. While the reduced RAM specification is proving tricky with some apps, the Lumia 610 has some strong points, arriving with WiFi tethering out of the box and a raft of Nokia's impressive home-made apps. We're putting the phone through its paces for review now, so you can expect our verdict pretty soon. The Lumia 610 will be available across Vodafone, Orange, O2, T-Mobile and Three, in a choice of white, cyan, magenta and black finishes. Phone sellers Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4u will also be more than willing to take your money and if you'd like to hear Nokia wax lyrical on its tiniest leading light, take a look right after the break.

Continue reading Nokia Lumia 610 launches in the UK, starts on £15 per month contracts

Nokia Lumia 610 launches in the UK, starts on £15 per month contracts originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 May 2012 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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.

Vodafone UK, retailers push back Galaxy S III in Pebble Blue by weeks, trample on dreams originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 May 2012 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of May 21st, 2012

Mobile Miscellany: week of May 21st, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 May 2012 21:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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.

Samsung Galaxy S III tops UK pre-order records, shows that British love their quad-core originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 21:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the US, Asia and Australia they've already had their fill of the HTC One XL. But, in Europe, they've had to make do with the lame ol' HSPA+ One X. That is, until now. German carrier Vodafone has announced that it'll be the first to bring the XL home, complete with triband LTE in tow. Just like the American "One X," the new Euro XL ditches the quad-core Tegra 3 for a 1.5GHz dual-core S4, primarily because the NVIDIA solution doesn't support LTE. Though, as an added bonus, we're sure it helps extend the life of that 1,800 mAh cell inside. Vodafone will get the handset first in early June in a nice matte black, while Deutsche Telekom and O2 Germany will score the device later -- potentially in white. If you want yours contract free, it'll cost you €699 from Vodafone or €659 from HTC.

HTC One XL coming to Germany, drags LTE with it originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 14:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Operating on Vodafone's network, Bemilo is a new pay-as-you-go mobile service in the UK that aims to give parents greater control over their child's use of a mobile phone. Among the features, one can specifically set which hours during the day that the phone can be operated (the only exception being calls to mom or dad), which websites can be visited and who the child may contact. Further in the name of safety, all picture and video messages are disallowed from the get-go, and parents can even review their children's text messages -- even after they've been deleted. The Bemilo service runs £2.95 per month, on a month-to-month basis, whereas calls and voicemail access are charged at 10 pence per minute. Text messages run a similar 10p, but data usage will be levied at a steeper 25p per megabyte -- cost-conscious parents may wish to nix this usage entirely. Bemilo's required SIM card may be purchased either directly through the company's website or its partner, Carphone Warehouse. As for the company's mascot, Milo, that's one cute character that your kids will surely resent.

UK's Bemilo pay-as-you-go mobile service gives greater control to worrisome parents originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 08:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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, Verizon Wireless brought its LTE service to 28 new markets and expanded its reach in 11 additional areas. We also saw Straight Talk introduce the Samsung Galaxy Proclaim, and it appears that Rogers will soon offer the HTC One S. 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 14th, 2012.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of May 14th, 2012

Mobile Miscellany: week of May 14th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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.

O2 UK rolls out 42Mbps DC-HSPA+ 3G, gives that new iPad fast data in Old Blighty originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 10:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Vodafone Portugal was so excited to hear about HTC's Desire C that it added it to the company's summer brochure -- despite it not being officially announced. The catalog reveals that the low-end handset will arrive with a 3.5-inch, 320 x 480 display, a 600MHz processor and a 5-megapixel camera. It'll run on the country's 3.5G network (HSDPA to you and me) and you'll find Ice Cream Sandwich sharing the room on that 4GB of on-board storage. It's also reported to have a 1,320mAh battery and will retail for €200 ($260) once it's finished enjoying the Iberian weather.

HTC Desire C spotted enjoying the Portuguese sun originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 06:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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.

Samsung Galaxy S III up for pre-order in the UK from Vodafone, O2 and Three originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

AMD's Radeon HD 7770 and 7870 reference cards already sport 1GHz clock speeds, but so far the high-end flagship 7970 has been stuck at 925MHz. That'd be no big deal, perhaps, were it not for rival NVIDIA's benchmark-stealing GeForce GTX 680, which autonomously adjusts its clock speed on the fly and easily hits 1.2GHz under the right conditions. But while NVIDIA has yet to roll out its full stack of 28nm cards, AMD is finding plenty of time to play catch-up. According to Australian site Atomic MPC, the company has revealed that the manufacturing process of its next-gen GPUs has improved to the point where the same average voltages can yield much higher clock speeds. Recent chips can reach 1.25GHz without struggling, which means a conservative "GHz Edition" of the 7970 can now safely be rolled out, of course with scope for much higher overclocking on third-party boards with more robust coolers. By the time the battle between Red and Green reaches full-swing, it might not be so easy to call a winner.

AMD Radeon HD 7970 could get 'GHz Edition', put the hurtz on NVIDIA originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 08:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While we wait for the LTE version of the Samsung Galaxy S III to arrive in the US this summer, UK punters will have opportunities to preorder the new flagship device starting right away on these carriers: Vodafone, Orange, O2, T-Mobile and Three. Although details and specific availability vary from carrier to carrier, retailer Carphone Warehouse currently lists a SIM-free preorder price of £499.95. While Orange didn't mention any other details than that it will offer the phone, Vodafone has revealed that beyond the 16GB edition, it has a timed month long exclusive on the 32GB version. On Three, preorders open tomorrow, May 4th, with the all-you-can-eat data One plan for £34 monthly. The phone will launch May 30th in the UK, a day after the May 29th global release date. There's a few UK / Ireland specific press releases included after the break and links below, check those out for all details, preregistration and information on preorder bonuses some are offering.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S III launching on Vodafone, Orange, O2, T-Mobile and Three in the UK

Samsung Galaxy S III launching on Vodafone, Orange, O2, T-Mobile and Three in the UK originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 May 2012 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Pitched spec-wise somewhere between Samsung's first Galaxy S and its very popular sequel, think of the Galaxy S Advance as the original, reimagined for a new generation -- a generation that remembers only a few years back. The attractive Super AMOLED display with dual-core bones caught our eye at MWC a few months earlier and will finally arrive on rain-soaked British shores on April 30th at the like of Phones 4u and Vodafone. The bad news? It's still toting that Touchwizzed Gingerbread, and arrives just days before Samsung shows what it's been hiding in its top-spec drawers.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S Advance gets April 30th release date in UK, needs more suffixes

Samsung Galaxy S Advance gets April 30th release date in UK, needs more suffixes originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Rumors and leaks have been flying fast and furious about Samsung's next handset to be graced with the Galaxy moniker, and we've just gotten one more tidbit. Other than the event invite Sammy sent out last week and a recent video teaser, official info on the handset's been hard to come by. However, Vodafone's just put up a page indicating the carrier will, indeed, get the new superphone and is letting you register for updates on its status. So, we now know at least one carrier that'll have the handset, the question is who else is in line to get the Galaxy?

Vodafone first carrier to jump on the new Samsung Galaxy phone bandwagon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

UK mobile giant Vodafone is planning to buy up commercial network provider Cable & Wireless for just over £1 billion ($1.7 billion). If successful, it'll gain a national fibre-optic broadband network (separate to BT and Virgin Media's), a large portfolio of business customers and a backbone venture that connects 150 countries with undersea cables. The latter will probably be sold off so that Vodafone can concentrate on winning more enterprise customers from its rivals while also easing the burden on its own network. It's also worth pointing out that C&W previously offered retail broadband and cable services, but any notion of Vodafone using this acquisition to offer the same would be pure guesswork.

Vodafone looking to buy Cable & Wireless, just can't resist that fibre-optic infrastructure originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

HTC One V now available for pre-order in the UK originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Former RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie's very different rescue plan revealed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Huawei Ascend G 300 coming to Vodafone UK on April 13th

Huawei Ascend G 300 coming to Vodafone UK on April 13th originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of March 26th, 2012

Refresh Roundup: week of March 26th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Apr 2012 20:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of February 27th, 2012

Mobile Miscellany: week of February 27th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Mar 2012 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Myriad Updates enables social networking via USSD (hands-on video)

Myriad Updates enables social networking via USSD (hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Facebook to simplify in-app payments with streamlined carrier billing originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 09:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Vodafone bringing LTE speeds to Germany, with the HTC Velocity originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

HTC HD8 hides out in Romania, Windows Phone app spills the beans originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dutch officials contemplate barring KPN, T-Mobile and Vodafone from spectrum auction originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

T-Mobile, Vodafone and KPN raided in Dutch price-fixing probe originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Sony Ericsson has teamed up with Ingram Micro, a distributor that ships phones to Amazon, Buy.com, Best Buy and Newegg, to expand the distribution of its Android lineup in the US. The deal will include a healthy chunk of the Xperia series, including the arc S. [PRNewswire]
• Like the Motorola Defy+ but it's just not tough enough? Check out the limited-edition JCB version of the rugged device, which adds a hardcore JCB case, a special app with handyman tools and a two-year extended warranty. And it can be yours through Clove on December 6th for £219. [TechDigest]
• Verizon introduced the LG Extrovert, a prepaid device with a slide-out four-row QWERTY, 2.8-inch WQVGA (400 x 240) touchscreen display, 2MP camera and expandable storage. It, however, lacks 3G data. It's all yours on Verizon's prepaid site for $110. [PhoneArena]
• Speaking of Big Red, the rugged Casio Gz'One Ravine 2 was launched this week, and can be yours for $150 with a two-year contract. [PhoneScoop]
• The BlackBerry Bold 9790, announced this week, is confirmed to show up in the UK on Vodafone and O2, likely sometime in January. [Unwired View]
• SFR is selling the ZTE Tania, but it appears to be sold as a carrier-branded Windows Phone. You can purchase it without a contract for €269, or with a two-year commitment for €9.99. [MobileTechWorld]
• Twitter for Windows Phone just got updated to be compatible with Mango. It's meant to offer a smoother experience, but doesn't bring any new features with it. [WMPowerUser]
• Fandango debuted a new paperless ticket system, in concert with Regal-owned theaters, which can send a scannable bar code to your phone when you want to go see a movie. The ticket-takers then simply scan the code and you're all ready to root on Team Edward in the latest Twilight movie. Just don't forget the popcorn. [Yahoo!]

Mobile Miscellany: week of November 14, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Nov 2011 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading SIM-based NFC gains global support from 45 mobile carriers, all huddled around GSMA's standard

SIM-based NFC gains global support from 45 mobile carriers, all huddled around GSMA's standard originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 03:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Samsung makes Galaxy Nexus release date official, available in the UK on November 17th originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia Lumia 800 hits UK carriers this November, Xbox 360 used as bait originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• The HTC Rezound (codenamed the Vigor) started showing up in Cellebrite systems, just another indicator of its impending arrival -- and likely name. [Droid-Life]
• AT&T's current lineup of Windows Phones, such as the Samsung Focus, LG Quantum and HTC Surround, are now showing up as EOL -- End-of-life -- likely in preparation for the trio of incoming devices we saw earlier this week. [WMPowerUser]
• Cricket added another ZTE feature phone to its lineup this week, called the Memo (shown above). It's got a full QWERTY keyboard and is available for $100. [Cnet]
• Google Maps for Android was the beneficiary of yet another update. This time, version 5.11 makes one critical feature change: it offers different-sized maps for phones with different screen resolutions. Thus, if you have a 3.5-inch HVGA screen, you're not forced to download a map designed for a 4.3-inch qHD display, saving space on your phone in the process. [MobileBurn]
• Vodafone 360, launched in 2009 as a LiMo-based cloud synchronization and backup service, will be officially closed by the end of the year. The carrier stopped developing handsets that took advantage of the plan last year, so it really was a matter of time before this happened. [Wall Street Journal]
• Toshiba Mobile Display announced this week that it's working on a new type of mobile display optimized for wide-angle viewing. Dubbed the "Soludina," it'll be shown off at next week's FPD International in Japan. [Nikkei]
• Sprint announced a new plan called Wireless CapTel that's designed for those who are hard of hearing. The service, which can be used on Android devices, allows the caller to view conversations in real time as word-for-word captions on their phone's screen. [BusinessWire]
• Telus will officially launch the 4G Samsung Galaxy S II X on October 28th, according to its website. [Unwired View]

Mobile Miscellany: week of October 17, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Vodafone brings ARM and Ubuntu together for South African Webbook

Vodafone brings ARM and Ubuntu together for South African Webbook originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Samsung Galaxy Y available now from Vodafone UK originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone 4S preorders open up at 3AM ET -- are you ready? (Update: They're live!) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 23:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

HTC Titan, Radar on sale now at Phones4U, blow a raspberry at 'launch date' nonsense originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 02:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Vodafone Data Test Drive enables users to experiment with data, see what tier fits best originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Last week we heard the rumor that Sprint would be launching the BlackBerry Curve 9350 on October 2nd, and we've finally received the official confirmation. The device will be hitting stores tomorrow for $80 with a two-year contract. [PhoneArena]
• The Motorola Photon WiMAX, referred to as the Photon 4G in the US, is now making its way to Japan as KDDI announced the launch of the device this past Monday. [Motorola]
• Verizon Wireless launched the Pantech Jest 2 this week, which is a feature phone with a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard. [Verizon Wireless]
• The Samsung Galaxy Y is now listed as "coming soon" on O2's website, which makes it the second carrier to announce upcoming availability in the UK. The actual date of release, however, is still unofficial. [O2]
• Softbank (Japan) looks ready to land the ZTE Lord V882, which appears to be an Android device running on Gingerbread, and comes packed with a 1GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM, 3.8-inch LCD at WVGA resolution and a 5MP camera. [LandofDroid]
• NTT DoCoMo and Orange have teamed up to offer the Sharp AQUOS SH80F, which features dual 8MP stereoscopic cameras and claims to be the world's first Android device capable of converting 2D content into 3D in real time. It'll first be launched in France on October 6th and will follow to other European and Asian countries shortly after. [Softpedia]
• Maybe Microsoft Canada just assumed nobody actually reads terms and conditions, because the company outed the names of a few upcoming Windows Phones in the T&C for a developer contest: the Nokia Sabre and a duo of Samsungs named the Yukon and Wembley. The Nokia Searay was also named in the list, indicating the Sabre is a second device running on Mango. [Nokia HDBlog (translated)]
• In preparation for its Windows Phone debut, Nokia is also rumored to be featuring a new voice navigation system with 3D maps, according to some leaked marketing materials. [WinRumors]
• Here's a rendering of the HTC EVO Design 4G, also known as the Kingdom or Hero S. [Pocketnow]
• Samsung may have a midrange device coming soon to AT&T's lineup as a complement to the Galaxy S II. We've already seen the I857 pass through the FCC and show up in a leaked roadmap, and now it appears to have been dubbed the Doubletime, according to uncovered Cellebrite records. [Pocketnow]
• Also appearing in Cellebrite records are the HTC Vigor (PH98100), Motorola Droid HD (XT912), and the Samsung Nexus Prime (SCH-i515). [Droid-Life]

Mobile Miscellany: week of September 26, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Oct 2011 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

ZTE Smart Tab 10 makes its way through FCC with Vodafone branding originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S available now on Vodafone UK originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.