The website of Alex Kinch, live from London
Posts tagged Vodafone
Confusion reigns in iPhone deal
Jul 5th
Link: Tech.co.uk | News | Hacked iPhone reveals T-Mobile, Vodafone info
Just when you thought it was all making sense..
As we reported yesterday, hackers have cracked the Apple iPhone activation process. Its firmware was also leaked over the weekend, revealing the Apple iPhone wide open, laid bare.
Four very interesting files were found within in the Apple iPhone system, says Hackintosh . They are:
Default_CARRIER_ATT.png
Default_CARRIER_CINGULAR.png
Default_CARRIER_TMOBILE.png
Default_CARRIER_VODAFONE.png
Rumours are that Apple are chosing carrier partners based on their market share in a particular country. So O2 get the UK, T-Mobile have Germany, which just leaves Vodafone. Ireland anyone? Also there’s another rumour doing the rounds that France Telecom/Orange are going to get the gig in France.
Vodafone give away stuff to boost numbers
Jul 2nd
Link: Vodafone accused of massaging UK figures
Vodafone has been indulging in giveaways to boost its subscriber figures for its first 2007 quarter. It has been handing out free phones and SIM cards with free minutes to help numbers.
It’s not clear exactly how long this practice has been going on for. The company told The Mail on Sunday that the offer was an “experiment in parts of London for contract customers. It may be rolled out nationwide.”
If there’s an N95 giveaway I’m down there like a shot..
3G iPhone to launch on Voda and T-Mob today, apparently
Jul 2nd
Link: Euro iPhone launch will reveal 3G handset for Vodafone, T-Mobile | Reg Hardware
I like rumours and gossip. They keep the industry interesting – although they don’t always come true.
Veteran tech and mobile journo Guy Kewney has reported that Apple are about to announce the launch of the European version of the iPhone. It’ll be 3G, available from the Carphone Warehouse, and hooks into deals with operators T-Mobile and Vodafone.
The announcement is due today, so watch this space.
Jersey gets new mobile network
Jun 28th
Jersey Airtel, a subsidiary of the Bharti Group, today announced the launch of its mobile services on the Island. The Company will offer market-leading products and services under the Airtel-Vodafone brand to customers on the Island, over its full 2G, 3G and HSDPA enhanced network.
To celebrate the launch, Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman & Group CEO, Bharti was in Jersey today to serve the first customer at the Airtel-Vodafone shop, centrally located in Queen Street, St Helier. During his visit, Mr. Mittal also met representatives from the political and business sectors.
Commenting on the launch, Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal said, “This is a special day for all of us at Bharti and we are delighted at the launch of our services in Jersey. We are committed to bringing world-class services to customers and adding value to communities and businesses on the Island.”
Vodafone brings Google Phone to Europe
Jun 27th
There’s some interesting news appearing this morning about the new long-rumoured ‘Google phone’. According to various sources, the much talked about handset is an LG KU-580, and will begin shipping shortly.
Only available on Vodafone in Italy and France at the moment, the handset is especially designed for Google functionality, and includes Google Search, Maps, and Gmail pre-installed.
More on this breaking story at Wired Blogs, Reg Hardware and Gizmondo.
Property site RightMove partners with Vodafone
Jun 26th
UK property website RightMove has launched it’s new mobile-enabled website, allowing home hunters and property professionals to search for property on the move.
Although the new mobile site is accessible to users on all networks, Vodafone subscribers have access to a ‘find me’ facility, which allows them to see all available property in the area and locate their nearest Rightmove agent. The service makes use of Location-based Services (LBS), although the press release quite excitingly claims “the user can ask the Vodafone mobile network to find their current location using satellite technology” – which I’m sure sounds more exciting than cell triangulation and the like.
The new mobile RightMove site is available at http://mobile.rightmove.co.uk – just be careful of low flying satellites if you’re a Vodafone user.
Nokia and Vodafone help share ideas
Jun 22nd
Nokia and Vodafone have launched a new website designed to help share ideas on how to use mobile communications for social and environmental benefits. The site, www.shareideas.org, was created in direct response to NGO calls for better tools and information to help them use mobile services more effectively in their work.
Ndidi Nwuneli, Founder and CEO of LEAP Africa, a Nigerian NGO dedicated to nurturing a new generation of African leaders, said, “The positive contribution mobile technology can make to societies is without doubt, but to realise its full potential we need to share our experiences and learnings more effectively. The partnership between Nokia and Vodafone has created something which is simple and practical to use, and will give us access to information which will help make a real difference to people’s lives.”
New Vodafone data tariffs ‘slash mobile internet charges by half’
Jun 18th
Link: Vodafone slashes mobile internet charges by half – Independent Online Edition > Business News
This interesting news appeared on UK newspaper The Independent website today. Vodafone have apparently kicked off a ‘price war’ by introducing a flat-rate mobile broadband tariff of £25/month. Although the article says that the ‘fair use’ limit has been raised, it doesn’t say exactly what the new limit is.
There’s also news on a new tariff for roaming data users.
In order to capture more roaming revenue, the company has also introduced a tariff that charges contract customers £8.50 for a 24-hour session to use data cards abroad. It has also doubled the amount of data that subscribers to its £95-a-month Mobile Broadband Travel tariff can use, while increasing the number of networks on to which those customers can roam.
Will be interesting to see the response in the coming weeks from the other mobile operators, especially T-Mobile and Three.
Questions asked about Vodafone and Verizon deal
Jun 10th
Link: Just what is Vodafone doing with Verizon?
Found an interesting article on IT tech news site The Inquirer about Vodafone’s part ownership of US mobile operator Verizon.
A move by a very small group of activist shareholders in Vodafone has thrown the spotlight once again on Vodafone’s 45 per cent holding in Verizon Wireless.
The INQ has long argued that as a global leader in the GSM market, it makes little sense for Vodafone to hold an interest in a US Cdmaone operator not a GSM based one.
This has all bubbled back towards the top again as a result of rebel shareholder leader John Mayo’s recent requests for change in the group. The article does raise an interesting point about roaming between Vodafone’s GSM networks and Verizon’s CDMA network – or rather the lack of it.
Meanwhile in the land of the broadsheets, Business Editor of The Independent on Sunday Andrew Murray-Watson has offered to eat his mobile if Mayo’s company Efficient Capital Structures wins this battle. Do you want fries with that?
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