Oct 27

Samsung makes Galaxy Nexus release date official, available in the UK on November 17th

Posted in: Google, mobilepostcross, NeXus, o2, Release Date, samsung, Today's Chili, uk, vodafone
October’s dizzying spate of high-end smartphone announcements gave us plenty of pizzazz, but not much in the way of release date meat. Well, that’s about to change for those of you craving an Ice Cream Sandwich delight across the pond. Leaked out via an Amazon product page and officially confirmed by Samsung today, the Galaxy Nexus is slated to arrive on UK retailers’ shelves this coming November 17th. If you’ve had your eye on this Android 4.0 flagship, you can always sign-up for a subsidized handset on Vodafone, O2 and 3UK — its intended HSPA+ carrier homes. Or, if you like your Google experiences pure and contract free, hit up the source below to pre-order it with no strings attached.

[Thanks, Pedro and Nathan]

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 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 26

Nokia Lumia 800 hits UK carriers this November, Xbox 360 used as bait

Posted in: carrier, mango, mobilepostcross, nokia, pre-order, Today's Chili, vodafone, xbox 360, Xbox360

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.

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 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceOrange, 3 UK, Vodafone  | Email this | Comments

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Oct 22

Mobile Miscellany: week of October 17, 2011

Posted in: Android, Google, Miscellaneous, mobilepostmini, samsung, Today's Chili, vodafone

This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here’s some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of October 17, 2011:

  • 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 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 19

Vodafone brings ARM and Ubuntu together for South African Webbook

Posted in: Linux, Today's Chili, ubuntu, vodafone
Vodafone Webbook

If you don’t know what Ubuntu is by now, we’re not sure what tech blog you’re reading — ’cause it sure isn’t this one. Ok, so finding a computer with the world’s most popular Linux distro preloaded on it isn’t exactly easy (there aren’t any lurking in your local Best Buy, that’s for sure). But, tracking down a machine running the Ocelot in South Africa will be getting a bit simpler. The country’s Vodafone affiliate, Vodacom, launched the Webbook — a 10-inch laptop running Ubuntu 11.10 on a Cortex A8-based Freescale i.MX51 processor (likely 800MHz). Inside is also 512MB of RAM and 4GB of flash storage, enough for basic browsing. The Webbook is available now, starting at R1,499 (about $190) for just the device, and climbing up to R1,899 (about $245) for the Webbook, modem and 100MB of monthly data for 12 months. There’s also an on-contract option, which nets you the pile of hardware, plus 500MB of data for R189 a month and a two year commitment. Check out the pair of press releases after the break, as well as one more photo of the device

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 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 14

Samsung Galaxy Y available now from Vodafone UK

Posted in: Android, gingerbread, Google, mobilepostmini, samsung, smartphone, Smartphones, Today's Chili, united kingdom, UnitedKingdom, vodafone

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.

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

Permalink Mobile Burn  |  sourceVodafone UK  | Email this | Comments

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Oct 06

iPhone 4S preorders open up at 3AM ET — are you ready? (Update: They’re live!)

Posted in: Apple, att, iPhone, iphone 4s, mobilepostcross, PreOrder, Sprint, t-mobile, Today's Chili, verizon, vodafone


It’s been a tumultuous week for Apple followers, but the earliest opportunity to snag the company’s new slab opens up in just a few hours. Without an extended review, we’ve done what we can by asking Siri to understand our most random queries, breaking down the costs / benefits, and even leaving it up to the masses. Decision time is upon us, so if you’ve just got to be first to order an iPhone 4S then either make it a late night or set an early alarm for 3AM ET — we’ll do you one more solid by linking up the US and Canadian carrier pages below (other international providers have only listed notification sign ups so far, but don’t worry, we’ve got them here too.)

Update: And they’re off! As of a few minutes after 3, all the US carrier’s sites are taking preorders as well as Vodafone in the UK, although word is AT&T and Sprint’s servers are overloaded so be patient. The Apple store went down for updates around midnight (ET) and is still down, but we’ll update again once it’s open for business.

Update 2: At 3:43AM, Apple.com is finally back up although you’ll still need some luck getting through at this point.

Read – Apple
Read – Verizon
Read – At&t
Read – Sprint
Read – Telus
Read – Rogers (via the Rogers Reservation System)
Read – Vodafone
Read – Orange
Read – T-Mobile (UK)

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 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 04

HTC Titan, Radar on sale now at Phones4U, blow a raspberry at ‘launch date’ nonsense

Posted in: HTC, launch, mango, Microsoft, mobilepostmini, t-mobile, Today's Chili, uk, vodafone

Whether you’re a spendthrift or just happened to be down at the shops, Phones4U had an extra early bird special this past weekend. Turns out the mobile retailer had received stock of both the HTC Titan and Radar ahead of the planned October 7th launch date, and did what any good commercial enterprise would — they put’em up for sale. If you’re down with carrier chains, you can snatch both handsets in-store or online gratis, with a contracted monthly fee on Orange, T-Mobile or Vodafone (for the Titan only). For the no SIM attached route, you’ll have to practice a wee bit more patience, and wait until this Friday when Clove will offer the Mango phones at full price — £489 and £329, respectively. Statesiders, take a deep breath, your crack at this first wave of Windows Phone 7.5 devices is close at hand.

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 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Inquirer  |  sourcePhones4U (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments

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Oct 03

Vodafone Data Test Drive enables users to experiment with data, see what tier fits best

Posted in: mobilepostcross, mobilepostmini, Today's Chili, vodafone
At the same time that kindly Mr. Vodafone released the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S to the children of the world, it announced a new program that helps you gauge your mobile data needs. Data Test Drive gives you three months of unlimited, kid-in-a-candy-van access for as much mobile Tweeting, Spotifying and YouTubing as your eyes and ears can handle. At the end of that period, the company will let you know if your current data plan would cover your usage and provide the option to increase if necessary. The program’s only open to new customers, and there’s no mention if you can down-shift your charges if you sip miserly at your data. Still, it’s better than getting a slap in the face with the wet fish of a penalty data charge.

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 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 03

Vodafone Jumps the Gun With 64GB iPhone 4S and 8GB iPhone 4 Listings

Posted in: iphone 4s, leaks, Phones, rumors, Today's Chili, vodafone

The 64GB iPhone 4S, and 8GB iPhone 4 revealed by Vodafone’s inventory system

Oh, Vodafone, what did you do? It seems that some over-efficient employee over at Vodafone Germany has prematurely updated its product list to include the new iPhone 4S. Even better, it lists a 64GB model, in both black and white colorways, and the 8GB iPhone 4 which is expected to take the place of the current low-end iPhone 3GS.

The info can be found in a compatibility drop-down box. I took this particular screen-grab on the product page for Elgato’s Tivizen TV tuner for iOS devices, but it can be found anywhere that regular iPhone 4 accessories can be seen (this iCandy case, for example).

What with these listings, the iPhone 4S name hidden inside iTunes, and the complete lack of reports about iPhone 5-specific internals from leaky manufacturers, it seems that the iPhone 4S is a done deal.

Which just leaves those curious tapered iPhone designs that the Chinese are making millions of cases for already. My guess? The new iPod Touch, wedge-shaped in order to fit in a decent camera at one end without thickening up the whole body.

Vodafone’s over-eager listings [Vodafone via Jon Fingas]

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Oct 01

Mobile Miscellany: week of September 26, 2011

Posted in: BlackBerry, galaxy, HTC, Japan, mango, Microsoft, Miscellaneous, mobilepostmini, motorola, NeXus, nokia, o2, research in motion, ResearchInMotion, RIM, samsung, Sharp, Sprint, Today's Chili, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless, vodafone, vzw, WiMAX, windows phone, WindowsPhone, Wp7

This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here’s some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of September 26, 2011:

  • 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 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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