Mobile Phone Blog:

Right then, folks, you may have noticed me mentioning, more than once, that I’m excited about seeing the Sony Xperia S in the flesh. Sure, it may not be anywhere near as exciting as the HTC One X (but then, what is?), but it looks like a properly nice phone, and on top of that, it looks gorgeous. So, I’ve been waiting for news of which networks would get it, and when.

As for the “when”, it’s due to land some time this month. As for the “which networks”, the answer to that one is O2 and Three. We know this, because the phone is in fact, available to buy on those two networks, right now! I’m especially excited about that second network, there, and I shall tell you why…  (more…)

Right then, Boot2Gecko, Mozilla’s new mobile OS, can best be summed up thusly: the internet isn’t on your phone, the internet is your phone. It’s such a new idea for a phone OS that I’m dying to see this beastie in the flesh, and now, during the Mobile World Congress, we can seen it…

Hmm, as it turns out, it’s very similar to every other major phone OS out there, ain’t it? Mind you, that ain’t a bad thing, really, ‘cos people expect certain things in their user experience, and Boot 2 Gecko looks like it delivers, even in this obviously unfinished state. Oh, and also, we now know who Mozilla’s partners are in this little endeavour… (more…)

Now then, this one is quite a serious story, as reported on by Engadget. It seems that there’s been a bit of a problem with the setup of O2′s data network, in that when users have been browsing sites, their phones have sent out their mobile numbers to the sites in question. It’s all to do with the way the phone sends info to the site you’re browsing, you see, so it can tailor itself to your device (showing the mobile version, for example).

Basically, it all concerns that little titbit of info shown in the pic, “x-up-calling-line-id”, which is normally not sent to websites (except trusted sites and O2 partners), but due to an accidental error during routine maintenance on January 10th, something had gone awry… (more…)

Right then, if anybody is looking forward to the Sony Xperia S (like I am), and is wondering what networks it’ll pop up on, in the UK, then wonder no more! Thanks to Unwired View, we now know which networks it’ll be appearing on, over here in Blighty! So, who’s going to be getting it?

Well, let’s not beat about the bush, it’s O2, Orange and Three. They’ve all confirmed they’re going to have the Xperia S on their networks, which is no real surprise; the big surprise, though, is that Vodafone have said they’re not going to be selling it. Well, alright, they say they have “no plans” to sell it, so whether that means they will do, in future, is anyone’s guess. It seems to be a phone that’s worth getting excited over, too… (more…)

Hmm, seems there might be another oopsie situation brewing in the world of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. We’ve already had one oopsie moment, that I blogged about the other day, when they accidentally sold a developer phone to the very first customer in the entire world to buy one, but this one looks like it could be an even bigger oopsie. It may even end up being a case of D’OH…

According to PCMag, there appears to be a bit of a bug in the UK-spec version of the phone, that makes the volume controls go all squiffy. Basically, it looks like it randomly (and rapidly) makes the volume rise and drop, which, if I’m honest, is a bit on the sub-optimal side… (more…)

4G is coming to London for a nine month trial to 1000 O2 customers.

The operator has installed 40 masts in a 40 square kilometre area, with up to 25 stations in the pipeline, for testing of the high-speed mobile on the 2.6GHz spectrum ahead of a planned nationwide launch in 2013.

The trial could see a download speed as fast as 100mbps to the O2 customers taking part.

Chief Executive Officer of Telefónica UK, Ronan Dune, commented: “The work we are doing now will lay the foundations for our commercial 4G network when it launches in the UK… Our work in London will give us a better understanding of the capabilities of 4G technology and will allow us to explore the superfast benefits it will bring to people and industry across the UK. This 4G trial is the next step on our journey to a smarter network – a network that offers a seamless, connected experience across multiple devices, locations and services.”

O2 has announced O2 connect for the iPhone and Android devices which is available now as an invite-only beta app.

The new VoIP app will enable users to make free calls to mobiles and landlines over WiFi connections and most likely 3G as well once it officially launches next year. Apple and Android smartphones will be the first devices to get the app but it is expected more will follow.

An O2 spokesman commented “From a traditional telecoms company’s view, you either see VoIP as a threat, or you think about how you work with it and take advantage of it,”

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray will be launching in September on O2, the network has published the handset on their coming soon page with a release date of September but with no pre-order option as of yet.

Like the Xperia Arc the handset will run Android Gingerbread and will feature a rear 8 megapixel camera that captures in full HD. The screen will be smaller measuring at 3.3 inches and the handset will also feature a front facing camera.

The casing will be more compact and will most likely cost less than the Arc.

Right then, I’m about to voice an opinion that’s bound to be unpopular amongst the average Englishman, but I’m going to say it, anyway. So here goes: I think the European Union is a good thing. I’ve seen all the apocryphal (and yes, most of them are apocryphal, or, to put it more accurately, completely cobblers) stories about English cucumbers being banned for not being straight enough, and I feel I should point out how valuable, how important, things like the European Court of Human Rights are.

And now there’s another reason for me to support the EU. According to IntoMobile, the EU is planning to abolish international roaming charges, for voice calls within the EU itself, by 2015. (more…)

Right, I did a blog post a few weeks back, about Google Wallet, the search giant’s brand NFC-powered mobile payment thingie. You know, it’s the one where you wave your phone at a terminal, exactly like you would with an Oyster Card (NFC… same tech, y’see), to pay for stuff; it’s due to hit the UK at some point, although no-one has any idea when.

However, according to the Engadget, the UK networks have decided to try and trump Google Wallet at its own game, before Google even unveil the service over here. Specifically, Vodafone, O2 and Everything Everywhere (made up of Orange and T Mobile) have said that they’re working on their own NFC-powered mobile payment system. (more…)