New social networking app from Vodafone

December 28, 2010

There are loads of applications available in the app store which help you stay connected to your friends and family but Vodafone Update 2.1.2 has something new to offer. Keeping track of each of your social networks all on different apps can be time consuming and complex. Now Vodafone has launched a really useful social networking app “Vodafone Update “. This free app allows users to connect to their social networks at once and update them at any time; it brings all your social network updates to one place thus making it easier for you to keep track of status updates.

When you start the app for the first time you will be asked for your account details for any social network you wish to access from the app, followed by a permission screen where you can allow the app to access your facebook / twitter or any other social network account. Vodafone update keeps you connected to  Twitter, Facebook. MySpace, LinkedIn, VZnetworks and Twitpic contacts. You have an additional option to view updates from specific networks only. You can achieve this by tapping on the social network icon above friends list. Add status updates to networks of your choice by tapping the “write update” button in the top right corner – this opens a text box where you can enter your update and choose the social networks of your choice. Aditionally, you can shrink an URL ; upload or take a photo using twitpic; and geotag your status update from the options menu before sending . You can also reply to your friends messages directly from the app, search for real-time news in twitter and easily send photos to your social networks  from the app.

The Vodafone Update V 2.1.2 is the latest update available to the app and is quite simple to install and fast to work. It is available from the app store for free . If you are thinking of purchasing, or upgrading, your iPhone – check out Vodafone’s mobile phone current offers on our website below .

Vodafone also sell a range of checked and tested  refurbished iphones –  they look and work just like new. You get a battery, charger and user guide with your iphone, plus pay monthly handsets also come with a warranty that lasts as long as your contract (PAYG handsets come with a 12-month manufacturer warranty). Remember your sim card will lock you into Vodafone. However, you will benefit from great deals on often popular handsets, without the risks commonly expected!

Check out the offer on the Vodafone website.

Best deal today – free iPhone on 2 year contract

December 11, 2010

Free refurbished iPhone 3G are available today only online.

There are a limited number of contract deals to choose from.

  • Visit the o2 website to consider this special offer.

The Apple iPhone 3G 8GB entered the market in 2007. That year it picked up the Invention of the Year award from Time magazine.  Just three months after its launch it had outsold the BlackBerry models from Research in Motion by over one million.

It is made in two forms, with one offering 8GB of internal memory (the deal on offer) and a higher end version which includes 16GB that can access more functions. However, both versions include memory expansion card slots. The iPhone 3G 8GB is operated by a touchscreen display which has been specially created for use with a finger or more than one digit for scrolling effortlessly through pages. The interaction system is equipped to understand complex gestures, thus allowing users to adopt techniques such as touching and dragging icons.

The phone doubles as a GPS device, thanks to assisted GPS and the Google Maps application. This enables you to receive turn by turn directions to your location and quickly and easily find your way around. And its large screen makes reading maps on the display a pleasure. There are games and apps which employ the iPhone’s accelerator to give you fun Wii-style.

If you are considering going for a refurbished iPhone offer there are a few things to think about. The overall consensus about the refurbished iPhone is not that it is too worn to work well but that it’s overall life will be less. It is difficult to replace batteries so check that a reputable company like O2 is offering a new battery in the handset.

The iPhone is also incredibly sensitive so avoid shaking it as this has a negative effect below its hood. If you are using it during physical activity, such as jogging, try to hold it to reduce movement. The touch screen is very sensitive which makes it prone to scratches and cracking. You should buy a protective cover to reduce any future damage that may occur (look at our website for choice of covers). If you would not be able to even consider the item unless it had the refurbished offer, then it is definitely worthwhile.  It is going to be much more reliable then buying one at an auction site, especially since you are guaranteed the quality of O2 service.

For some competitive offers and deals on new iPhones you might consider an Orange package.

  • Visit the Orange website

Remember – the best deals are only available online.

Compare iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS

December 9, 2010

The iPhone 4 is shown on your left and the iPhone 3GS is shown below. If you are thinking of buying an iPhone then below are some facts to help you decide which one will best answer your needs. Both iPhones look the biz and as you can see, there is only a slight difference visually in that iPhone 4 is slimmer than her older sister.

Currently at Three you can pick up the iPhone 3GS 8GB in black for an upfront cost of £129 and a monthly cost of £25 per month over 24 months.  The iPhone 4 16 GB in black can be bought upfront for a cost of £99 and a monthly cost of £30 per month over 24 months. Over 2 years the iPhone 4 will cost you about £90 more. Both come with 300 any network minutes, 5000 texts, 5000 Three-to-Three minutes and 500MB Internet on Three’s Internet Texter 300 package.

Specification Comparison

For ease of comparison and to match the information above we compare the Black iPhone 4 with 16GB of memory and the Black iPhone 3GS with 8GB of memory. The iPhone 4 comes with double the memory of the 3GS. Battery life on Iphone 4 also gets you 7 hours 3G talktime compared to only 5 hours on the 3GS. In the iPhone 4 the display is  High Resolution Retina display  with 960×640 resolution whereas the iPhone 3GS  has a slightly inferior 480×320 standard display. Apple’s Facetime, used for video conferencing, can only be used with the iPhone 4 as the iPhone 3GS does not have a front camera to make this possible.

The main camera of the iPhone 4 is 5 megapixels whilst the 3GS is 3 megapixels. Both iPhones have auto focus and tap to focus. However, the iPhone 3GS has basic VGA video recording whilst the iPhone 4 has impressive HD video recording with LED. The iPhone 4 has a Gyro which makes for a superior mobile gaming experience.

After this comparison you are aware that the iPhone 4 has an improved memory, longer battery life and new features while only costing approximately £90 extra (that is £3.60 a month more for an iPhone 4).

Non-contract deals and PAYG

The iPhone 4 uses micro SIM cards, and not standard SIM cards like the 3G models. So if you buy an  iPhone 4 the new SIM card you require will be the micro SIM card.  Activation of the phone requires the latest version of  iTunes, a broadband connection and a minimum level of PC or Mac software. If you are considering a reconditioned iPhone buyer beware – read our more detailed guides on buying secondhand.

New and second hand deals

Amazon and Carphone Warehouse both have great deals on new and second hand iPhones that change from hour to hour and day to day -so keep an eye open for their latest online offers. For example, the following are some of Amazon’s current iPhone deals:

  • The iPhone 3GS 16GB Black by Apple (Electronics) is £599.99 new.
  • Amazon have 12 new from £349.62 or 22 used reconditioned from £315.00.
  • The iPhone 3G 8GB in Black by Apple is £489.97 new.
  • Amazon currently have 6 new from £369.00 and 29 used from £210.00 – selling fast.

Click the following links to buy online or for current website information :

  • View our buy online webpage
  • View the Carphone warehouse website
  • Visit the Amazon UK website
  • Visit the three website

News on Apple iPad

December 8, 2010

This article aims to inform you regarding the first news app for Apple iPad and it then compares mobile phone operators contracts and download limits. We are beginning to see some very competitive iPad reductions and contract deals.

The Apple iPad is a touchscreen tablet computer that revolutionises the way you access the internet. The iPad is offering a new way of delivering your news. For example, The Sunday Times is the first newspaper to introduce a news app, a digital version, that allows readers to view the entire printed edition of their paper with video, graphics and superb HD-quality picture slideshows without getting any print on your hands! The iPad can deliver fantastic graphics and the app is free to view. However, to download issues of the Sunday Times you will have to pay £1.79 a week via your iTunes account. However, if you subscribe to the Sunday Times website, it will cost £1 a week under their current 30-day introductory offer. If you already subscribe to the printed edition you will be able to download the iPad edition free. Why not watch a video of the Sunday Times app in action at thesundaytimes.co.uk/ipad.  It only takes seconds to download each news section -to be read at your leisure- read in landescape mode and by rotating the iPad 90 degrees will give you plain text view of articles, with pinch and zoom functions enabling you to select type size.

IPad and the Internet

Wifi home users can use their iPad to connect online without any extra charge. There are wifi ‘hot spots’ in coffee shops and airports which you pay to use. The iPad can also connect online using the mobile 3G network, run by mobile phone operators, on a PAYG basis or a rolling monthly plan. Orange offers such a rolling plan for £15 a month for 3G data and unlimited access to BT Openzone wifi hotspots.  Operators are already enticing customers to sign up for longer contracts by subsidising the initial cost of the iPad.

Contracts and download limits

3 have introduced a two year plan that costs £25 a month and includes 15GB of downloaded data. The 16GB iPad costs £199; the 32GB £249 and the 64GB £349. If you exceed your data limit  3 will charge you 10p per MB of data -an expensive excess when compared to Orange and T-Mobile. However, 3 offers the ‘Mifi’  option which looks a great deal – a portable wifi hotspot that connects to the internet using a 3G network offering wifi only owners of iPad more flexibility. The Mifi offers 5GB of data downloads for £15 a month plus an initial cost of £39.99 for the portable wifi modem.

Orange & T-Mobile are both owned by Everything Everywhere and offer a two year plan costing £25 (existing customers) or £27 a month (new customers) with a rather meagre 1GB of downloads monthly at anytime and a further 1GB between midnight and 4pm. Not such a generous deal as 3. They will however only charge you 5p per MB for exceeding these limits. If you think you will be an avid data user of your iPad when you are out and about 3 sounds the better choice.

The best option overall?

Consumer Choices in the Sunday Times Newspaper suggest that it is cheaper to buy a 16GB 3G iPad for around £529 and a SIM only deal from O2 for £10 a month – saving around £78 over the 2-year contracts. For more information and updates:

  • visit the three website
  • visit the T-mobile website
  • Visit the Orange website
  • Visit the o2 website
  • Visit the iPad page on the Tesco website
  • Visit the iPad page on the Amazon website

iPad released on Three

December 6, 2010

Three (3) -the mobile phone network – is now stocking the iPad. They have entered the market with a cracking deal that not only matches the contract pricing being offered by Orange and T-mobile but beats them in the amount of inclusive data downloads.

Three have followed Orange and T-mobile in offering a cheaper way to buy the iPad…. if you go with a 2 year contract – the 16GB iPad will cost you an upfront fee of £199, the 32GB iPad costs £249 and the 64GB iPad will set you back £349. To get this discounted initial price you will have to sign-up to a 2-year data contract. The monthly plan for the Three Apple iPad is £25 per month (for 15GB of data downloads per month) based on a 2 year contract.

Buy the iPad from the following online retailers…

  • Visit the Three website
  • Visit the Orange website
  • Visit the T-mobile website
  • Visit the iPad page on the Tesco website
  • Visit the iPad page on the Amazon website

The iPad costs from £529 if you want wi-Fi and 3g connectivity and £429 if you can make do with just Wi-Fi connections.

HTC growing challenge to iPhone

November 27, 2010

HTC are currently getting more hits online than Apple’s iPhone suggests the Telegraph today. Web searches for HTC phones outstrip iPhone – consumers’ online habits reveal that they realise Apples are not the only fruit to pick. Apparently, we are more likely to search for HTC’s handsets when researching new phones than Apple’s flagship handset, the research reveals.

The research comparison site Good Mobile Phones recently confirmed that HTC’s Wildfire, Desire and Desire HD were the three most searched-for phones on the site, with Apple’s iPhone 4 in sixth place. If you too are checking out the competition then you need to read our blog on ‘Is iPhone your best buy?‘ published last week. Although HTC appear to be breaking new ground it could be a while yet before their brand can match Apple’s brilliant marketing with impressive products.

The mobile phone market is now more diverse than ever, with interesting offerings from BlackBerry, Android and Windows. But iPhone 4 remains the strongest proposition. The reason? IPhone 4’s battery lasts longer than the top HTC Android phones, the iOS operating system is slicker than anything yet offered by a Google-powered handset, and it provides music and video options that Windows Phone, though improving, has yet to match.

For some time now, HTC has been knocking at the door and trying to overtake the Apple iPhone’s dominance of the handset market,” said Mark Owen, managing director of the comparison site that carried out the survey. “Our results clearly show that HTC have taken the lead in terms of consumer demand for their smartphones.”

The cost of purchasing an iPhone 4 – starts from around £499 PAYG, and costs as much as £329 on some network and tariffs. However, limited availability is off-putting for some consumers. There is a growing conviction in the smartphone market that the HTC range of handsets offer an exciting competitive technological edge in terms of features and functionality. Many HTC handsets run Google’s Android operating system. The platform is now the second most popular smartphone OS in the world, with a 25.5 per cent share of the market. Apple’s IOS platform, found on the iPhone, accounts for 16.7 per cent, according to research from Gartner.

HTC’s Mozart is gaining ground on Apple iPhone but that may not be a bad thing for consumers as competition brings innovation. Apple will probably came back with something better. For example, one of the niftiest new features for iPhone 4 is the Find My iPhone which helps you locate your device if you have misplaced it. It actually lets you remotely lock your iPhone, wipe it, display a message or play a sound on it. This service is available on PAYG – add a MobileMe account by tapping Mail, then tapping MobileMe. Enter the Apple ID and password you use with the iTunes store. That will set up a MobileMe account for you. This is a great new feature for the smart, security-minded mobile user. It may even swing your decision to buy an Apple iPhone.

Further resources.

Visit our buy online webpage for more choice.

Or Visit the Orange website for HTC handset information as the HTC 7 Mozart is available now for £399 PAYG or consider a free handset with monthly deal.

Visit the Vodafone website where the HTC Desire Z can be found with several different options for pricing and plans. For a £25 a month plan you’ll pay £199 for the phone, whereas a £35 plan which features 900 minutes and 750MB of mobile data will get you a free phone.

Visit the three website for iPhone 4 PAYG and reconditioned handsets at competitive prices.

visit the t mobile website to buy PAYG iPhone 4 handsets

IPhone tops smartphone survey

November 24, 2010

A recently released survey by ChangeWave Research of 1,212 smartphone owners showed that iPhone 4 continues to “outperform the industry in terms of customer satisfaction.”

Results were percentage ratings – by maker – with Apple iPhone receiving (77%); Motorola (71%), HTC (63%); Samsung (45%) and RIM (44%). Paul Carlton, Vice President of research for ChangeWave said:

The iPhone 4’s exceptionally high Very Satisfied rating of 84% for 32GB model and 78% for the 16GB confirms that despite the controversy surrounding its initial launch, the iPhone 4 has been extraordininarily well received by its owners.”

This research also found that a third of people who had purchased other smartphones said they would have bought an iPhone if they had been available at the time they wanted to purchase. Almost 40% of people owning Motorola phones said they wished they had an iPhone.

Such demand for Apple iPhones mean consumers are going to have to hurry whilst stocks last. O2 still have iPhones available visit our buy online webpage or visit the o2 website

It is possible to buy refurbished iPhones at more competitive prices. Refurbished handsets have been checked out to make sure they meet factory specifications. Buyer Beware as the checking follows a point system, the better the product on offer, the higher points are awarded. They can range from a 10 point system to a 100 point system and if the handset has been checked and ‘certified’ it means it is in a ‘like new’ condition. The phone is then tested before repackaging it and offering it for sale.

Visit the Carphone warehouse website for current deals and information.

Please let us know your experience of reconditioned iPhones.

iPhone 4 still in stock

November 23, 2010

As the iPhone sales continue to outstrip supply (Tesco online are currently out of stock) it is good to know that a few online retailers still have stock. The iPhone 4 is still in stock on the Vodafone network so take our advice and get in there while stocks last. If you are looking to buy someone an iPhone for Christmas – “Please don’t leave your shopping until the last minute” – because stock levels are really tight.

iPhone stock update

(current @ 23rd November 2010)

Vodafone

  • Vodafone have pay as you go iPhone 4s – in stock. Visit the Vodafone website for more information.
  • Vodafone do not currently have iPhone 3GS on pay as you go – out of stock

T-mobile

  • You can not currently get the iPhone 4 on pay as you go on the T-mobile
  • T-mobile have the iPhone 3GS (8GB and 16GB) in black and white. Visit the T-mobile website for more information.

Orange

  • Orange do not currently have iPhone 4 on pay as you go – out of stock
  • Orange  have the iPhone 3GS (8GB) in black and white. Visit the Orange website for more information.

O2

  • O2 have pay as you go iPhone 4s (16GB and 32GB) – in stock. Visit the o2 website for more information.
  • O2  have the iPhone 3GS (8GB) in stock. Visit the o2 website for more information.

Also try the following websites – they also sell iPhone stock:

  • Visit the Amazon UK website, Ebay UK website, mobiles.co.uk website, Dialaphone website and Phones4U website

Is iPhone 4 your best buy?

November 16, 2010

The iphone 4 is being challenged by the HTC Mozart. How do the phones compare?

The iPhone 4 is an elegant handset with stunning technology. It is easy to use (no need to read the manual) and it has a long lasting battery much improved from the iPhone 3GS. However, there is a new smartphone, the HTC 7 Mozart, that appears to be impressing the marketplace and challenging the iPhone’s fanbase. The HTC 7 Mozart is slim, lightweight (130g), with triangular rubberized top and bottom segments, brushed aluminium smartness and a serious feel compared to the slightly heavier (137g)  iPhone 4.

The HTC Mozart is based on the Microsoft Windows phone 7 operating system and it has only just recently been launched in the UK.  This smartphone from HTC has a number of excellent features and specs to its advantage, but can it really match the lure of iPhone 4? This article aims to objectively compare the two handsets in five areas: making a call, sending an email, taking a photo, internet browsing and downloading apps.

Making a call

Your Apple iPhone 4 has an impressive talktime of 372 minutes (much improved from their earlier models) with excellent sound quality, the handset contains a noise-cancelling microphone making it easy to hear your call even during loud background noise. A swipe of the home screen lets you search for contacts, select and tap to choose a landline, mobile or FaceTime video chat. However, when Apple placed the antenna around the edge of the phone it causes reception problems when the phone is held in a certain way. This means we cannot give the iPhone 4 full marks for its basic task of making and receiving calls.

The HTC 7 Mozart processing and performance speeds match the iPhone 4. the screen display of 480 x 800 pixels 3.7-inches S-LCD capacitive touch-screen compares well with the iPhone’s 640 x 960 pixels 3.5-inches LED-backlit IPS TFT capacitive touchscreen. Mozart offers up to 360 h (2G)/ up to 435 h (3G) of stand-by time and iPhone 4 gives up to 300 h (2G)/ up to 300 h (3G) stand-by time – Mozart wins. This number of pixels per inch provides a ‘retinal display’ as it surpasses the point at which the eye can detect individual pixels. But, if we consider talk-time, iPhone 4 is ahead – Mozart giving 6h 40 min (2G)/ up to 5h 30 min (3G); whereas Iphone 4 gives a chatter availability of 14 h (2G)/ up to 7 h (3G). When making a call with Mozart, you find contacts in the People app called ‘hub’. Profiles include a photo and updates from social networks. A plus, you can ‘pin’ favourite contacts to your home screen.

Sending an email

With an iPhone 4 you open the email app and tap an icon to bring up a blank message. A chunky querty keyboard fills half the screen available and leaves limited space to write your message. Some users find the spelling checker over helpful which is a minus. Mozart uses a Windows phones email app which has a clean, business-like interface. The touchscreen keyboard was the best – this new smartphone has obviously learnt from its rival’s failings.

Taking a photo

The iPhone 4 has a 5Mp camera while the Mozart has an impressive 8 Mp. The iPhone 4 camera has an LED flash, a backlit sensor, and an integrated 5x zoom. The lack of a dedicated shutter button makes the phone slow to snap but the photos, once achieved, look terrific. You also have a second front-facing camera. The video calling ‘FaceTime’ feature is an interesting option that only works on wi-fi. One-touch keys will send your photos as emails or picture images but there is no quick way to post them to Facebook or Twitter.

The Mozart 8 megapixel camera with Xenon flash, autofocus, and 720HD video recording should more than satisfy the keen photographer with a resolution of 3264 x 2448 pixels. Hit the shutter button and the phone moves swiftly into camera mode. Look at your ‘Pictures hub’ to admire your photos and then share them on Facebook and enjoy automatic uploads to your free online account.

Internet browsing

The iPhone 4’s Safari browser has a Google searchbar built in. Pages load quickly and the phone is wi-fi capable for when you are in a wireless hotspot. There are useful tabs for News and Image searches. The phone runs on Apple’s impressive operating system iOS4 which will ultimately allow a host of new capabilities, not least the ability to multi-task by running several applications at once.

Mozart does not use Google but Microsoft’s Bing search engine – you hit the magnifier icon and the results are similar to Google’s. Hold the Windows button down for voice-activated searches.

Downloading Apps

No-one can beat Apple Store for games and apps – the choice is mind-blowing with about 300,000. After crediting your iTunes account, downloading and installation is really easy – just enter your password. The iPhone 4 is available with either 16GB or 32GB of internal memory, this gives you room to save all your favourite music tracks but it lacks an FM radio.

Windows Phone Marketplace currently only offers about 1,000 apps – they work smoothly and you are able to try out games before buying.The large display is perfect for those of you who like to be entertained (Xbox Live Gaming) especially when coupled with the handset’s Dolby Digital surround sound.

Conclusion

This article has attempted an unbiased review of the merits of Apple iPhone 4 when compared with the latest HTC Mozart handset. Iphone 4 has much to recommend it to seasoned smartphone users and apart from its camera’s capabilities it tips the scales in its favour – no surprise there then! However, the word is spreading among the techie’s that the Mozart is a serious contender with a great fresh new user interface, great camera and fantastic web browser. Perhaps that accounts for the Sunday Times Ingear  Tech & Net journalists Mark Harris and Matt Bingham opting for HTC 7 Mozart in their Xmas stockings?

Let us know what you think?

Apple iPhone 4 PAYG can be bought from Apple for £499.

Visit the three website for iPhone 4 PAYG and reconditioned handsets at competitive prices.

visit the t mobile website to buy PAYG iPhone 4 handsets

Visit the Orange website as the HTC 7 Mozart is available now for £399 PAYG or consider a free handset with monthly deal.


Apple iPhone tops Xmas list

November 12, 2010

It is not only adults who yern for the latest Apple iPhone in their Xmas stocking. Last week the annual Duracell toy report in a survey of more than two thousand children aged between 5-16 found that in the UK the iPhone 4 was at the top of most children’s Christmas lists too, toppling Barbie the doll. The appeal of the Apple iPhone appears to be universal- across both genders and all ages in the UK.

The Telegraph this week announced that the iPhone, originally released in November 2007, was now the third-biggest selling mobile brand in the UK. Apple sold 1.5m iPhones including the new iPhone4 model in the three months to the end of September 2010, a rise of 43% on the previous quarter. Apple have stated that they would have sold even more iPhones if it had not struggled with supply issues. When you consider that the cheapest pay-as-you-go iPhone4  mobile sells for around £480, it is not an inexpensive asset- yet demand still outstretches supply. In the UK users own 71.2m mobile phones, that is 10m more than our current population!

It appears that functionality is not the guiding reason for wanting to own an iPhone 4. Its greatest appeal is sensory; “Just cradling it in your hand is a delight, while sliding your finger across the screen to unlock it prompts a little gasp of pleasure” cited by David Edwards in The Times newspaper. When faced with the state of the art screen (read our article on Screen technology of the iPhone4), text, picture or map, by placing your fingers on the screen and dragging then apart the screen zooms in on the detail -move your fingers together again and you zoom back out – its a great trick to show envious family and friends.

It’s that time of year when you need to move now if you want to buy an iPhone4 for your own use or as a great Xmas gift. At present the iPhone4 is available on 3 after all stocks sold out last month. You can get a handset from 3 for £30 a month with £149 upfront charge on 3’s Internet Texter 500 plan. This will give you 500 any-network minutes per month plus 5,000 3-to-3 minutes and a monthly allowance of 1GB of internet use for downloading a fantastic range of apps and viewing media, plus 5,000 text messages. 3 are also stocking the 16GB iPhone4 in a refurbished condition.

Find out more, visit the Three website

T-mobile have iPhone 4 and iPhone 3G in stock too.

Check out the T-mobile website or visit our Buy Online webpage.

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