The iPhone 5s and 5c in the UK: what you need to know

iPhone 5s and 5c the UK carrier roundup

The dust has settled on Apple’s 2013-era iPhone launch, so it’s time that we delved into what the damage is here in ‘ol Blighty. EE, along with its buddies Orange and T-Mobile, has confirmed that it’ll carry both the iPhone 5s and 5c from launch. LTE contract users who are six months into their EE deal will also be able to take advantage of the conveniently-announced Swap service. O2 has said that customers will be able to use O2 Refresh to upgrade their handset from launch, and Vodafone and Three have both given the thumbs-up to carrying the pair of handsets. No-one’s talking about specific contract pricing, but we expect carriers will drip-feed this information in poker-faced chunks between now and the September 20th launch date.

iPhone off-contract pricing (UK)16GB32GB64GB
iPhone 5s£549£629£709
iPhone 5c£469£549N/A
Prices subject to change

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Source: Apple

AppleCare+ rolls out to three European countries, but incident fees climb to $79 in the US

AppleCare rolls out to France, Italy and the UK, incident fees climb to $79 in the US

While we were busy gawking at the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s, Apple was quietly expanding the reach of its AppleCare+ extended support program. The service is now available in France, Italy and the UK, giving locals two years of iOS and iPod hardware support (including two accident claims) beyond the European requirements. Customers pay £79 (€99 in Europe) to cover an iPad or iPhone, and £49 (€59) to safeguard an iPod. Unfortunately, the expansion comes at a cost for Americans — Apple is quietly hiking its AppleCare+ accident repair fee in the US from $49 to $79. While that’s still cheaper than regular service, it’s expensive enough that some may simply prefer to take better care of their gadgets. May we suggest a case?

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: Apple (UK), (US)

Dyson sues Samsung for copying vacuum design

Dyson sues Samsung for ripping off vacuum design

If Samsung’s patent infringement battle with Apple wasn’t enough, the Korean company is in the spotlight again over claims that it intentionally copied the design of a patented Dyson vacuum. The British manufacturer has filed a lawsuit with the UK High Court accusing Samsung of duplicating the steering mechanism used in its DC cylinder models and embedding a similar component in the new Motion Sync vacuum cleaner (unveiled last week at IFA 2013). Unfortunately for Samsung, Dyson patented the mechanism back in 2009, which has led Sir James Dyson, the company’s founder, to call it a “cynical rip-off.” Considering Dyson successfully sued its rival for infringing on its “triple-cyclone” patent four years ago, Samsung’s lawyers might just have to suck it up and make a settlement offer.

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Source: BBC News

UK cable provider Virgin Media will become the first ever to partner up with Netflix and provide its

UK cable provider Virgin Media will become the first ever to partner up with Netflix and provide its streaming services. A sign of things to come in the US?

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Netflix app is coming to Virgin Media TiVos, 40k household test starts this week

In an unusual move for a pay-TV operator, Virgin Media is going to enable Netflix on its TiVo DVRs in the UK. Here in the US cable company-provided TiVos are missing the app and have blamed its absence on Netflix’s content agreements with the studios. Virgin Media’s claim that its the first pay-TV operator to offer TiVo doesn’t seem quite right though, since Google Fiber TV has included Netflix and YouTube (which VM wedged into TV guide listings earlier this year) alongside regular TV since it launched, and recently added Vudu to the mix. Either way, we expect subscribers will be happy to see the option when it pops up for all later this year, a trial starting this week is limited to 40,000 households. The two will still need separate accounts and billing, at least for now, and users can create a new account within the app itself. According to the press release, this rollout comes alongside updates that increase energy efficiency while improving WishLists and recommendations — let us know if you’re seeing any changes for the better.

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Source: Virgin Media

Vodafone 4G coming to 5 UK cities on September 28th with 4GB of extra data

Vodafone 4G coming to 5 UK cities on September 28th with 4GB of extra data

While EE celebrates reaching 1 million 4G subscribers, Vodafone is stepping up its game to get you to become part of its LTE family. Originally limited to London at launch, Vodafone says it plans to roll out its 4G network in Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield on September 28th. On top of that, the operator will also throw in an extra 4GB of data if you join before the end of October. Vodafone already offers customers unlimited data for the first three months of their tariff, along with your choice of Spotify Premium or a Premiership football bundle (free for six months), so this will help to soften the blow when that comes to an end. Right now, Vodafone’s 4G footprint is still relatively small but it plans to push its LTE network live in Bradford, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle by the end of the year.

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VODAFONE BOOSTS ULTRAFAST 4G PLANS WITH ‘4GBONUS’ SPECIAL PROMOTION

· All Vodafone Red 4G-ready and Vodafone Red Business 4G-ready customers signing up before the end of October will get an extra 4GB of data per month for the length of their contract

· Existing ultrafast 4G customers will also get the ‘4GBonus’ added to their plan at no extra cost

· Vodafone ultrafast 4G coming to Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield on September 28 as rollout to 98% of UK population continues

Vodafone UK is today giving customers even more reasons to enjoy fantastic sports or music entertainment on ultrafast 4G by boosting the amount of data available with all Vodafone Red 4G-ready plans by 4GB per month for the length of their contract. Vodafone Red 4G-ready brings 4G to life as never before, with sports action including over 150 hours of Premier League football from Sky Sports Mobile TV, or more than 20 million songs from Spotify Premium for music lovers.

Anyone signing up to a SIM only plan or a 12 or 24 month plan, with a new 4G-ready handset included, will get three months unlimited UK data, then double the amount of data available on standard Vodafone Red plans plus an extra 4GB per month for the length of their contract. On top of unlimited calls and texts it’s Vodafone’s best ever value deal. The ‘4GBonus’ offer runs from today until the end of October for new and upgrading customers. Customers who signed up for Vodafone Red 4G-ready plans after they went on sale on August 12 will also receive the additional 4GB of data at no extra cost.

Following the launch of Vodafone ultrafast 4G in London last month, Vodafone also announces today that it will launch 4G services in Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield on September 28. By the end of the year, Vodafone Ultrafast 4G, with speeds typically six times faster than 3G, will also be switched on in Bradford, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.* Vodafone is targeting indoor 4G coverage across 98% of the UK population by 2015.

Mark Howe, Head of Post Pay Consumer, Vodafone UK, said “With our Vodafone Red 4G-ready plans 4G finally has a purpose and now with the ‘4GBonus’ Vodafone ultrafast 4G is even more compelling. There are a number of hotly anticipated new devices coming out in the Autumn and with the ‘4GBonus’ there are even more reasons for customers to choose Ultrafast 4G from Vodafone.”

Vodafone Red 4G-ready starts at £26 per month for a 12 month SIM-only plan, which now comes with 6GB of data, and £34 per month for a 24 month plan with a handset included, which now comes with 6GB of data. Vodafone Red 4G-ready customers also have a choice of great entertainment from either Sky Sports Mobile TV or Spotify Premium.

Customers choosing Sky Sports Mobile TV will have access to more live football than ever before, including exclusive live coverage of more than 100 matches from the Barclays Premier League, the Sky Bet Football League, UEFA Champions League, the SPFL and La Liga. Vodafone customers choosing Sky Sports Mobile TV can also look forward to the Ashes tour of Australia this winter, Majors golf coverage including the US PGA Championship and Heineken Cup rugby.

Vodafone Red 4G-ready customers choosing Spotify Premium will have more than 20 million songs at their fingertips. Spotify is the largest music streaming service of its kind, offering instant, on-demand access to the world’s music, on the go. Vodafone Red 4G-ready users can discover new music, enjoy playlists curated by their friends, follow their favourite artists and celebrities, or just relax and listen to Spotify radio. Spotify Premium lets music lovers enjoy music however they want – on a smartphone, tablet or through a home entertainment system. Music fans can even listen to their favourite tracks on aeroplanes, thanks to the ‘offline sync’ feature.

Business users who want to enjoy ultrafast 4G and the ability to share their data allowance at no extra cost with Vodafone Red Business 4G-ready, will also receive an extra 4GB of data for the length of their contract. Vodafone Red Business starts from just £21.67 (ex-VAT), for a 12 month SIM-only plan, which now comes with 6GB of data. Customers who signed up for Vodafone Red Business 4G-ready plans after they went on sale on August 12 will also receive the additional 4GB of data at no extra cost.

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Amazon’s new Kindle Paperwhite priced at £109 for UK, arrives October 3rd

A few years ago, British e-readers were expected to wait months before Amazon’s latest reading slab managed to swim across from the US — but no more. The refreshed Kindle Paperwhite is set to launch on October 3rd, just slightly over a week later than its scheduled release in America. Higher resolution, higher contrast text and next-gen lighting technology can be yours for £109 — reservations are being accepted at the source.

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Source: Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble slashes Nook tablet prices in the UK

Nook HD review a highdef tablet with the heart of a reader

Bargain hunting? Good, because Barnes & Noble has just hacked down the price of its Nook HD range in the UK. The 7-inch Nook HD will now set you back just £79 for the 8GB edition and £99 for the 16GB version, while the 9-inch HD+ is now available for £129 (16GB) or £149 (32GB). We’re not sure if this is a Touchpad-style fire sale or if the bookseller is prepping for its traditional autumn refresh (albeit with a third-party tablet this time ’round) — but either way, the Nook is a great piece of hardware for under a ton.

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Sky becomes first UK TV network to broadcast live 4K video

Sky becomes first UK TV network to broadcast live 4K

Remember how we’d heard that a British broadcaster is trialing 4K TV? We have a hunch as to which company that is: Sky now claims that it’s the first UK TV network to have conducted a live 4K broadcast. The firm captured a weekend Premier League match in ultra high resolution using the same infrastructure it normally requires for a live show, with satellites delivering a feed to the company’s Isleworth broadcast center. Commercial service remains distant, mind you — Sky requires both more research and wider adoption of 4K TVs to justify an upgrade. If everything falls into place, though, Sky could have an advantage over rival providers that have yet to venture beyond HD.

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Source: Sky

Three now lets travelers use their UK cellphone plans in seven countries

Three unveils Feel At Home, lets travelers use their UK plans in seven countries

Three UK must hate international roaming charges as much as we do — it just launched a Feel At Home initiative that ditches those fees in seven countries. Subscribers who visit Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy and Sweden can now use data, messaging and voice as if they were back in Britain. The perk doesn’t require a specific plan, and customers can roam on any compatible network in a Free At Home country. There are a few catches, of course: calls to non-UK numbers still incur roaming fees, and tethering is strictly verboten. Still, Brits who just have to post vacation photos on Instagram should be happy.

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Source: Three