While Brits still languish at the back of the queue for LTE, there is at least a sliver of hope that regulator Ofcom is moving forward with plans for 4G provision. It's announced today that carrier Everything Everywhere (the combined network of Orange and T-Mobile) will be allowed to use its 1800 MHz spectrum to push out next-generation phone services. Ofcom decided that the change to the UK network's license would deliver "significant benefits to consumers, and that there is no material risk that those benefits will be outweighed by a distortion of competition." Auctions for additional 800 and 2.6 GHz bands are still on track to happen later this year, aiming for a roll-out through 2013. Everything Everywhere will be allowed to use LTE and (bizarrely) WiMAX starting 11 September 2012, although this may not be the launch date for any commercial service -- which could be unfortunate. The UK's comms regulator goes into the specifics after the break.
Update: Vodafone UK has issued a statement regarding the decision (hint: it's not happy), which can be read in full after the break.
Continue reading Ofcom approves Everything Everywhere's early 4G plans, starting next month (update)
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Ofcom approves Everything Everywhere's early 4G plans, starting next month (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 02:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Well, well, so much for being "truly unlimited," right? As TechRadar adequately reports, T-Mobile UK's confirmed that any new customer looking to snag the Full Monty data plan won't be offered an unlimited tethering feature on their all-you-can-have bundle. Effective immediately, the change is a sudden move from the carrier and it wasn't quite clear as to what made it backpedal on its initial "unlimited" promise, only saying, "From 8th August, tethering is not permitted for new customers under the terms and conditions of the Full Monty." Surely this is a small blow to UKers hoping to grab the Full Monty for the all-out tethering alone -- but hey, at least you've still got the data, texts and calls.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless
T-Mobile UK confirms unlimited tethering won't be available to new Full Monty customers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Aug 2012 03:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Motorola isn't letting the Atrix HD hog all the spotlight today. If you'd like your smartphone a little more to-the-point, the MOTOSMART distills just about everything cellular to its fundamentals. It's as frugal as can be -- the tiny full-touch phone packs a 3.5-inch 480 x 320 display, a 3-megapixel rear camera and the same MotoSwitch-layered Android 2.3 we saw half a year ago with the MOTOLUXE. Then again, that essentialism is really the focus, isn't it? The MOTOSMART will cost just £100 ($155) SIM-free when it hits T-Mobile UK and other parts of Europe by the end of the month, so the barrier to entry is more like a speed bump. Click past the break for the video, some brief impressions, and the source for the hard details in the Italian-only listing that Motorola has so far.
Continue reading Motorola MOTOSMART comes to UK in July: we go hands-on
Filed under: Cellphones
Motorola MOTOSMART comes to UK in July: we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 03:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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If you Brits were looking forward to utilizing the 808 PureView's 41-megapixel sensor while sipping Pimm's this summer, well, be prepared to pay a hefty price. We've heard from O2, Three and Everything Everywhere (the parent company of Orange UK and T-Mobile UK) that they will not be selling said Nokia device in the UK, and Virgin Media told us it isn't in the pipeline "just yet." Our friends over at Wired UK have also heard the same bad news from Vodafone and O2, with a source close to the latter laying the blame on Nokia's "outdated" Symbian Belle system. Ouch. So yes, this means all the major carriers in Her Majesty's backyard are out of the game; but until we hear back from Carphone Warehouse, there may still be a small chance for keen British mobile photogs to dodge the full £500 ($780) price tag on Amazon (in comparison to $699 on the US site), so stay tuned.
Nokia's 808 PureView will not be sold by major UK carriers, time to save up some pounds originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 18:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, it was revealed that the HTC EVO 4G LTE likely supports simultaneous voice and data connections on Sprint's network, Samsung's Galaxy Ace 2 landed at Three in the UK and Vertu revealed a refresh to its Constellation series of luxury phones. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of May 21st, 2012.
Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of May 21st, 2012
Mobile Miscellany: week of May 21st, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 May 2012 21:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We've been twiddling our thumbs waiting patiently for the littlest of Sony's new-look smartphone lineup, the Xperia U, to arrive in earnest. It's a bit of a relief then to see the Android 2.3 phone go on sale at Three UK. You'll be getting what we saw back in Barcelona, including Sony's Timescape interface and the trick color light-up strip. We're guessing that most will see the cheap-as-chips price as the real selling point: the Xperia U costs £170 ($269) without a plan, and it's free as in beer on a two-year contract for £23 ($36) per month. O2, Orange and T-Mobile will expand UK carrier choices soon, but if you're looking for a fresh entry point into Android, Three can take care of you today.
Sony Xperia U goes on sale at Three UK originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 04:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sure, we'd seen a handful of other carriers in the UK have Sammy's GS3 up for pre-order, but that circle wouldn't be complete without a certain Magenta network. Worry not, though, as T-Mobile's joined the pre-order race and is now ready to swap your cash for a spanking-new Galaxy slab. Per usual -- at least across the pond -- you're likely to find a deal that's perfectly suited for you, with T-Mobile UK pricing the device as low £10.50 per month (£300 up front) and as high as £41 with the Full Monty on a 24-month deal -- of course, there's a plethora of different bundles to choose from. The carrier's site does note that if you order the goods now, unlike those lucky folks getting it on the 29th, delivery here is set for sometime after May 30th.
Samsung Galaxy S III now available for pre-order on T-Mobile UK originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 12:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of April 23rd, 2012
Refresh Roundup: week of April 23rd, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 21:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Last month we heard the Curve 9320 was readying itself for a discrete trip to India, and a recent "coming soon" page on T-Mo's site suggests the device could soon be heading to the UK. While the carrier's register sheet isn't revealing many details (save for the teasing photo above), The Inquirer claims the handset's warming up for an eventual launch in May. Of course, don't count on this OS 7.1-packing Curve to change much in comparison to the Indian flavor, as it's still expected to ship with identical lower-end specs, including the 3.2-megapixel rear camera, a 320 x 240 screen and 512MB of RAM. No word on pricing yet, but we're guessing it'll fall somewhere between "mildly tempting" and "almost free."
BlackBerry Curve 9320 shows up on T-Mobile's site, heading to the UK next month? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 06:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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