Tag: o2
O2 wins the battle for the Palm Pre
As predicted by yours truly a few hours ago, O2 will be the exclusive network of the Palm Pre.
O2 reportedly beat off competition from Orange – just as it did when it scored the exclusive rights to the iPhone back in 2007. O2 is already the market leader in the UK with a share of 27%. By stocking the Pre alongside the iPhone 3GS their lead will surely increase further.
Nothing has been confirmed by O2 officially and there are no price details as of yet either. You can’t imagine Apple would be too thrilled if the Palm Pre was a more affordable option than the iPhone 3GS though. I fully expect the pricing to be an exact match of the 3GS in terms of plans, although the handset itself might be a smidgen cheaper as it is in the US.
(via The Guardian)
Palm Pre UK announcement next week
A briefing for the UK press has been arranged by Palm for next week – fuelling rumours that they will be announcing release details for the much anticipated Palm Pre smartphone.
The phone was released in the first week of June in the US but us poor old Brits have had to wait with baited breath for launch details. As of yet we’ve heard nothing.
But this could all be set to change on 7th July. Hopefully, Palm will not only provide a release date but they’ll also give us network and price information. Rumours have circulated that the Pre will be exclusive to O2, although Vodafone has also been touted as a possible carrier.
I’m going to stick my neck out and say it will be available on O2 with the same contracts available as with the iPhone 3GS. This is purely a guess though. Just a bit of fun. Don’t come complaining if I’m wrong.
(via T3)
O2 announces 3D interactive cinema experience
O2 has announced that they’ll be screening the world’s first interactive 3D game across Britain this summer. Asteroid Storm will played by an estimated 1million people in 20 selected Vue cinemas.
The elements of the game are fairly simple both in terms of plot and interactivity. Players will become crew on the Starship O2 and they need to steer the ship back on course. This will be done by waving their arms in the air in accordance with instructions from the Captain. 3D obstacles will race towards them in an effort to put them off.
The interactive experience uses floor projectors and was dreamt up by ZenithOptimedia. Creative work was done by VCCP and Agency Republic. The game will be accompanied by the first ever 3D movie tralier reel, by advertising guru Pearl & Dean.
The experience will be supported by a huge online campaign as well as interactive games, such as Wac-a-roid, that will feature in the foyers of the selected Vue cinemas.
Asteroid Storm is released on 10th July and it sounds like some great family fun. And you know what they say – a family that plays together stays together. I’m all for it.
(via Marketing Magazine)
O2 – party poopers for rouge tetherers
O2 has confirmed that they will ban any users who use alternative methods to tether data with their iPhones. The tethering issue has become quite a sore point in the iPhone community since it was announced last week that O2 would only be allowing users to tether who pay for an additional bolt-on to their contracts.
A German website was providing a link to a programme called Mobileconfigs which allows users to change the profile of their local carrier. This would mean that iPhone users could tether without having to go through the official channels – and therefore not pay any extra on their bill.
Although the link doesn’t seem to be active at present, there are always going to developers who will look at ways of bypassing the tethering bolt-on charge. It seems that the tethering argument is set to run and run. Oh goody.
(via ITProPortal)
Ofcom offers glimmer of hope in O2 tethering row
Consumer blog Bitterwallet has posted an interesting update concerning the ongoing issue of whether O2 should be allowed to charge for iPhone tethering.
The row essentially boils down to the fact that O2 are proposing a £14.68 – £29.36 monthly bolt-on charge for customers who want to use their iPhone to tether 3G data to their laptops. iPhone customers already have a plan in place with O2 whereby they can download, supposedly, unlimited data, so customers would be paying extra for data they’ve already paid for.
Bitterwallet’s post includes a letter from a reader who contacted Ofcom to complain about O2’s proposal. The reader was told that “without further calls to them about this issue” any action Ofcom might take would not go forward. This implies that Ofcom will need more people to lodge a complaint before any action is taken.
If you did want to complain then Ofcom can be reached on 020 7981 3040 or 0300 123 3333.
iPhone 3G S secret specs leaked by T-Mobile
The secret behind what makes the iPhone 3G S tick is out the bag this morning after the Dutch carrier of the latest Apple phone spilled the beans on their website. The three phrases that come into my head are “whoops”, “ha ha ha” and “nice”.
As it goes, they’re pretty much what we expected from the rumours all those weeks ago and I’m rather chuffed on my guesswork in the super smartphone comparison feature I put together yesterday.
All the same, I’m sure Apple is none to pleased that T-Mobile wasn’t quite with the program. Personally, I don’t see what there was to hide. A 600MHz processor and 256MB RAM is a perfectly respectable chipset. It could be something to do with all the iPhone 3G handsets that are about to be pelted at O2 execustives.
(via Wired)
O2 stings iPhone customers with tethering bolt-on
What an absolute con! One of the few real benefits of the iPhone announcements last night was that Apple handset customers can now use their little touchscreen darlings to tether with their computers for mobile internet access. In network pricing news this morning, however, O2 has completely stiffed users by charging a premium bolt-on for this new feature that’s already built into the phone anyway.
3GB of tethered data will cost you a stunning £14.68 per month while they charge £29.36 for the 10GB package. You get free tethered access over Wi-Fi in Cloud hotspots but it’s absolutely criminal to charge you twice for the same 3G data that you’re already receiving as part of your deal.
I’m absolutely fuming about this. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such blatant profiteering in all my life. This is the best advert for jailbreaking your iPhone I’ve ever seen. Jailbreaking allows you to tether your phone via Bluetooth or USB such that you can use the 3G internet connection on your phone passed on to your laptop effectively giving you mobile broadband.
Already this morning the internet community is up in arms with petitions appearing on Facebook and Twitter for the O2 to charge reasonable prices for tethering and upgrades.
iPhone on O2
O2 Joggler – the family digital calendar with a horrible, horrible name
O2 is launching a device for the family home in April known as the Joggler. Horrible name, I know. The idea that arose from some hideous marketing session is that it’s dynamic and it juggles all the arrangements so that you don’t have to. Bucket please.
It’s a £149.99 device with a 7-inch WVGA touchscreen, an AC adaptor, Ethernet port, USB slot, 1GB of internal memory and Wi-Fi connectivity. There is no battery because…
O2 and Orange refuse to stock Nokia N97
A row has erupted between Nokia and network operators Orange and O2 over Nokia’s plans to pre-load the Skype VoIP service onto the N97.
The N97, Nokia’s flagship touchscreen phone due in June, is eagerly anticipated around here, but networks fear that including Skype on the device could cause them to lose voice revenue, with customers opting for cheap unlimited data plans over plenty of free voice minutes.
It’s prompted “high-level discussions” between the companies, which is code for “someone up top is very angry”. O2’s official comment says “We are currently working with Nokia to understand their Skype service and the business model around it.”
It’s interesting that the major operators have such a problem with the service, especially given the runaway success that Three has seen with its Skypephone and followup Skypephone S2, and the awards that the Facebook-and-Skype-integrated INQ has recieved. I’m sure Three will happily take O2 and Orange’s customers for the N97.
(via Pocket Gamer and Mobile Today)
O2 sells 1 million iPhones in the UK
O2 has just released a statement on its Digital News Centre announcing that more than a million iPhones have now been sold in the UK. I can attest to that personally, I was in a pub the other day, and the three other table inhabitants ALL had iPhones. I would have felt left out if I didn’t love my N95 so much.
The company’s also announced that it’s signed up 1.1 million new customers over the last year, with 390,000 of those joining O2 between Oct and Dec 08. That’s a lot. Good work, O2.
