LG partners with F1

LG Electronics has become a Global Partner and a Technology Partner of Formula 1 motor racing, which means it'll be able to offer the 'official Mobile Phone of Formula 1' for the next five years. LG had previously sponsored ITV's F1 coverage. [Sources: Press release; BrandRepublic.com]

Smarter phones mean more security risks

Mobile messaging company Airwide Solutions says European mobile phone customers are now receiving 21.3% more unwanted text messages than they did last year - with France suffering a 61.3% increase. [Press release]

EC moves closer to capping 'roaming' SMS charges

As anticipated, the Council of EU Telecoms Ministers has endorsed the European Commission's plans to reduce consumer charges for sending text messages and downloading data via mobile phones while 'roaming' abroad in the EU. If the plans (known as the Roaming II Agreement) are passed by the European Parliament in spring they could become law next summer. The EC's proposal includes:

• capping the cost of sending a text message at 11 Euro cents (excluding VAT),
• automatically sending an text message explaining the charges when you travel abroad,
• offering a pre-set limit for roamed data charges from 2010,
• further reducing the cost of 'roaming' voice calls in 2009 and 2010,
• introducing per-second billing after 30 seconds for all calls made, and
• introducing per-second billing for all calls received.

[Press release 1; Press release 2]

Samsung launches BizBee business phone range

Samsung has launched a new European business smartphone brand called 'BizBee'. It says BizBee products will be targeted at business people who need all-in-one connectivity, email, a QWERTY keyboard and increased productivity. The first BizBee phone is the Samsung i780, which was announced earlier this year but will now come with Windows Mobile 6.1. [Source: BusinessWire.com]

13% of us rely on mobiles to find the way

In a Nokia press release that's full of comedy facts - more people get lost in London than anywhere else in the world, one in three Londoners deliberately gives people the wrong directions, 10% of Spaniards consider a sense of direction matures with age, the average person wastes 13 minutes when they get lost - there's some mobile-related stuff as well. Apparently 13% of people now use a mobile phone as their main navigation tool. [Press release]

Control your home with a Nokia phone

Nokia is developing a 'smart home' platform - the Nokia Home Control Center - that'll let users monitor and control their home via mobile phone or PC. Consumers can monitor and control their electricity usage and security systems, either from within the home or remotely. The first products are expected by the end of 2009. [Press release]

Nokia leaves Japan (almost)

Nokia says the current economic climate has caused it to leave Japan. It'll stop selling most phones and will end marketing activities in Japan, although a number of researchers will remain and the company will continue selling its luxuty Vertu phones. Nokia currently has around 1% of the handset market in Japan. [Source: Forbes.com]

Microsoft Zune phone rumours return

The rumours that Microsoft is planning a Zune-branded music-playing mobile phone seem to have more substance these days, according to a report from CNBC.

Spending on mobiles will affect other business comms

Analysys Mason says business spending on voice services is moving to mobile - much like the consumer telecomms market. In Western Europe, enterprise mobile voice spend is expected to grow at a CAGR of 1% while enterprise fixed voice spend is expected to decline at a CAGR of 15%. It also says the current global financial situation may accelerate mobile substitution and fixed/mobile convergence because businesses are unwilling to pay the relatively high cost of desk phones. [Analysis Mason news insight]

Vodafone CEO wants his company to react more quickly

In an interview with the Financial Times, Vodafone CEO Vittorio Colao says he wants the company to become faster at responding to customers’ needs and competitors’ initiatives.

EC decision on data roaming charges expected soon

The EC's plans for a cap on European data 'roaming' charges are expected to be agreed tomorrow, according to the International Herald Tribune. It says cross-border text message charges could to drop to 11 Euro cents (about 10.6p incl. VAT) from July 2009 - and there could be a similarly dramatic drop in data usage, too.

Wireless traffic could increase tenfold

Mobile network operators in developed regions should be ready for a tenfold increase in wireless network traffic by 2015, according to a new report from Analysys Mason. Its Wireless network traffic 2008–2015 report says data traffic is quickly overtaking voice, driven by factors that include USB modems, smartphones, affordable pricing and bigger downloads. Developed regions are expected to account for just 25% of mobile phone users by 2015 but will generate 65% of total global wireless network traffic. The average mobile user is expected to use eight times more data by 2015, rising from the current figure of 56MB per month to 455MB per month... although one forecast says this could be as much as a 23-fold increase, depending on circumstances. [Press release]

El Paso is the top town for texting in the US

Scarborough Research says El Paso in Texas is the top US city for text messaging, with 57% of mobile phone users sending texts - compared with a national average of 48%. Residents of Grand Rapids, Missouri, are least likely to send text messages. Apparently texters are more likely to be young and from Hispanic or African-American backgrounds, which the research company says helps to explain the geographic results. Texters also spend more on their mobile bills, play more sports, shop online and love technology more than other people. [PDF press release]

Mobile phones can damage your soul

"Vatican Warns That Mobile Phones Threaten the Soul". That's the headline, although Father Federico Lombardi, who runs the Vatican press office, wasn't quite that specific. He's warned people that modern life isn't leaving time for us to look after the spiritual dimension of our lives - and says mobile phones and the internet probably make it more difficult. [Source: Cellular-News.com]

Apple iPhone TV ad banned by ASA

Following T-Mobile's knuckle-rapping last week, Apple is the latest company to have its mobile phone advertising criticised by the ASA. TV advertising for the Apple iPhone 3G described the handset as offering the internet "really fast", showing pages loading in a fraction of a second. The ASA said the on-screen visuals, in conjunction with the repeated use of the claim "really fast", were likely to lead viewers to believe that the device actually operated at or near to the speeds shown in the ad - but it doesn't. [ASA adjudication]

Mobile News podcast now available to download

This week's Mobile News podcast takes its regular look at industry headlines from the last seven days. There's a preview of the tough new Sonim XP3... and we'll be time-travelling back to 2006 to see how the industry's changed. As usual, you can download or listen free at TheFonecast.com and on the Mobile News website... and you'll find us on iTunes and via RSS too.

The Mobile News podcast is presented and produced by Iain Graham, James Rosewell and Mark Bridge at TheFonecast.com

Carphone not selling Hugh Symons

The Carphone Warehouse has decided not to sell Hugh Symons Communications. It put HSC on the market earlier this year but says it's now growing and is essential to Carphone’s operations. [Source: Mobile News]

Apple sued over iPhone browser

Law firm Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro has filed a patent infringement lawsuit on behalf of EMG Technology against Apple, accusing Apple of infringing US Patent 7,441,196 in the way the iPhone navigates the internet. The patent covers internet content reformatted to XML; the format used by the iPhone and other mobile devices. [Sources: MarketWatch.com; TheRegister.co.uk]

Operators could make $52 billion from mobile content in 2013

Juniper Research says mobile network operators could make $52 billion from mobile content by 2013 - up from $23 billion in 2008 - but only if they make major changes to their business models. It says they must emphasise 'shared value creation’ to avoid becoming seen as ‘dumb pipes’ in the future. The total global mobile content market is expected to be worth $167 billion by 2013. [Press release]

Mobiles to be made illegal in Scottish prisons

Ministers in Scotland have taken the first step towards outlawing mobile phones in prisons. The aim is to prevent mobiles being used for drug dealing or for organising criminal activities. From next month, possession of a mobile phone or SIM card in prison will become an offence - as will attempting to pass these items to offenders in prison. The Scottish Prison Service will also introduce mobile phone 'signal blockers' to stop mobiles from working. [Press release]

Mobile internet increasingly popular

Researchers at Nielsen say the number of British people accessing the internet via their mobile phones has increased 25% from Q2 to Q3 2008, rising from 5.8 million to 7.3 million. In contrast, PC-based internet use increased 3% from 34.3 million to 35.3 million. Google is the most popular PC-based web site, while the most popular mobile internet site is BBC News, with 1.7 million British visitors (24% of mobile internet consumers) every month. [Sources: PDF press release; Telecoms.com; TotalTele.com]

1 million T-Mobile G1 phones shipped this year

HTC says it expects to have shipped 1 million T-Mobile G1 handsets (and 3 million HTC Touch Diamond devices) by the end of 2008. The company's CEO denied rumours that it's been affected by the global economic slow-down and is planning to lay off staff. [Source: DigiTimes.com]

Mobile phones that shout for help

The Washington Post has an entertaining story about the ways that stolen mobile phones can 'report' a thief.

Cashback complaints have fallen, says Ofcom

Ofcom has published a new report called The Consumer Experience 2008, which reveals that complaints about mobile phone cashback deals have fallen from a peak of more than 600 per month in September 2007 to fewer than 70 per month in September 2008. It's also revealed that more consumers are contacting Ofcom about fixed line mis-selling and silent calls than any other telecoms issue. In addition, Ofcom revealed that consumers are increasingly aware of the number of different fixed line and mobile suppliers. 62% of consumers are aware of three or more fixed line suppliers and 89% are aware of three or more mobile providers (compared to 55% and 85% in 2007). That means 11% of people aren't aware of all five UK mobile networks. [Press release]

BlackBerry MySpace application hits 400,000 downloads in a week

Social network MySpace and BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion have announced record download numbers of the 'MySpace for BlackBerry' application in its first week of availability. There have been more than 400,000 downloads since the application’s launch on 13th November, which apparently represents an all-time high for both MySpace and RIM in terms of first-week application downloads. In that first week, users have sent and received more than 15 million messages and published over two million updates. [Press release]

Vodafone keeping Verizon stake

­Vodafone CEO Vittorio Colao has said the company will hang on to its 45% stake in Verizon Wireless for now, although it's open-minded about the future. He's also confirmed that the company is interested in the Nigerian market. [Source: Cellular-News.com]

Jailed VAT fraudster ordered to sell helicopter

Craig Johnson, who is serving 12-and-a-half years in prison for his part in a multi-million pound mobile phone related VAT fraud, has been ordered to repay £26 million to the UK government. It means he'll need to sell his helicopter, his stately home and several luxury cars. He faces an additional 10 years in prison if he doesn't repay the money: £8m within the next 12 months and the remainder within a further year. [Source: BBC News]

Yahoo launches voice-enabled mobile search in UK

Following April's USA launch, Yahoo has launched its voice-enabled oneSearch mobile service in the UK. Instead of using a keyboard, users can speak their internet search queries. It's currently available on some BlackBerry devices and Nokia S60 phones. [Source: ZDNet.co.uk]

Ofcom report shows UK top for mobile broadband coverage

Ofcom has published its third annual International Communications Market Report, which looks at take-up, availability and use of broadband, landlines, mobiles, TV and radio in a number of countries. Some of the key mobile-related points include:

• HSDPA mobile broadband availability covers 87% of the UK population; the highest of all 16 countries surveyed.
• In all of the countries covered by the report, total mobile revenues last year were higher than fixed-line voice and broadband combined.
• Mobile call volumes grew by 21% in the UK during 2007. However, increases in call volumes have not been matched by corresponding increases in retail revenue.
• Text messaging volumes increased by 36% in the UK, 90% in Poland and over 100% in the US and Canada.

[Ofcom report]

Sony Ericsson UK MD moves to Jawbone

Sony Ericsson UK Managing Director John Harber is leaving to join Bluetooth headset company Jawbone. He'd been in his current role for almost three years and had worked at Sony Ericsson since the early 1990s. He'll be replaced in January by Sony Ericsson UK Sales Director Nathan Vautier. [Source: Mobile News]

Nokia puts IBM Lotus Notes email on S60 phones

Nokia and IBM have announced that IBM Lotus Notes will now be supported on many Nokia S60-based mobile phones from December. It means that users of Nokia S60 3rd Edition devices can access corporate email via Lotus Domino Server software - giving them real-time access to email, calendar, address book, diary and to-do list data. Nokia says this collaboration means nearly 90% of business email can be accessed with Nokia devices without the need to purchase additional servers, third-party software or licenses. [Press release]

The perfect phone call lasts for 9 minutes and 36 seconds

The ideal phone conversation should last for 9 minutes and 36 seconds, covering family news, personal problems, work, current affairs and the weather, according to new research from the Post Office. And during that call, you'll spend 102 seconds laughing plus 12 seconds in silence. [Source: Telegraph.co.uk]

Mobile TV worth $10 billion by 2013?

Last month we mentioned a study from Juniper Research that said most people with mobiles capable of receiving broadcast TV would only use free-to-air broadcasts and wouldn’t pay for premium services. They estimated revenue from mobile TV users in 2013 would be $2.7 billion. But the latest report from Informa Telecoms & Media says mobile TV revenue could hit US$10 billion in 2013 because we’ll see on-screen advertising taking over from the current subscription model. As you’d probably expect, the strongest growth is anticipated in South Korea and Japan. [Source: Telecoms.com]

Worst mobile content of 2008

Yes, I was right - it's time to start the reviews. FierceWireless has published its "Mobile Content Turkeys of 2008" list, which features John McCain Themed Content, Mobile TV, Bad Licensing Deals, Mobile Messaging Addiction and Dumb iPhone Applications.

Mobile gaming worth $10 billion by 2013

Juniper Research says the retail value of the global mobile games market is expected to rise from $5.4bn in 2008 to more than $10bn in 2013, although the potential for growth in many key markets is being dampened by poor marketing and limited on-portal revenue share for publishers. They say the Apple iPhone could end up being a popular choice for game publishers due to the revenue share offered by Apple, which could see the end of Java games. In addition, the volume of paid-for mobile game downloads has flatlined across North America and Western Europe - a phenomenon that was reported in February by M:Metrics. [Press release]

T-Mobile ad criticised by ASA

T-Mobile's "You won't find more minutes for £30. Guaranteed." press ad and brochure have had complaints upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority following an objection from Hutchison 3G, which has a tariff offering up to 1100 voice minutes for £27. A similar complaint about T-Mobile's TV ads was not upheld because it challenged consumers to "See if you can find more minutes for £30". [ASA adjudication]

Blyk raises money and cuts costs

Ad-funded virtual mobile network Blyk raises says it's raised an additional €40 million to support its operations, although it's also cutting costs and is streamlining the organisation. Blyk launched in the UK in September 2007, attracting over 200,000 members in its first year. It's currently working with 180 brands and plans to have and 200 brands using the service by the end of 2008. [Press release]

Mobile Phones of the Year 2008

Hey heck, it's time for reviews of 2008 and annual awards. At least, that's what consumer web site Reevoo is telling us. Its top five highest-rated mobile phones of 2008 are the BlackBerry Bold 9000, the Sony Ericsson W980i, the Apple iPhone 3G, the Samsung F480 Tocco and the Sony Ericsson K660i. The top phone for Christmas - based on ratings in the last 30 days - is the Nokia N96. [Press release]

Mobile manufacturers agree rating system for chargers

LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson have launched an energy rating system for chargers, making it easier for consumers to choose the most energy-saving devices. The new rating system indicates how much energy each charger uses when left plugged into the wall socket after charging is completed. The ratings covers all chargers currently sold by the five companies, range from five stars for the most efficient chargers down to zero stars for those consuming the most energy. Ratings will be shown on each manufacturer's web site. [Nokia press release]

New Mobile News podcast now available

In this week's Mobile News podcast we take our usual irreverent look at the week's industry news headlines. There's also a discussion about how the credit crunch is affecting the mobile industry and a preview of the INQ1 'Facebook phone'. As always, you can download or listen free at TheFonecast.com and on the Mobile News website... and you'll find us on iTunes and via RSS too.

The Mobile News podcast is presented and produced by Iain Graham, James Rosewell and Mark Bridge at TheFonecast.com

JCB Toughphone awarded Guinness World Record

­The JCB Toughphone is officially the world’s toughest mobile phone, according to Guinness World Records. The phone was dropped 3.25 metres onto concrete and carried on working without sustaining any cracks or dents. [Source: ElectricPig.tv]

Samsung being sued twice

Samsung is under attack from two different directions. Memory chip maker Spansion is taking legal action against Samsung, claiming that Samsung's memory chips violate Spansion's patents. This doesn't just affect Samsung products but also devices from other manufacturers, including music players, mobile phones and digital cameras. Meanwhile Kodak is suing Samsung and LG over patents that it says are being violated by camera phones. [Sources: Cellular-News.com; WashingtonPost.com]

GSM Association wants mobiles to be NFC-equipped from next year

The GSM Association has said it wants full NFC functionality - the ability to use 'touch payment' systems - built into commercially-available mobile handsets from mid-2009. This would let the phone communicate with contactless readers to provide credit and debit payments, turning it into a 'mobile wallet'. The organisation says delivering mobile payment services efficiently and cost-effectively means device manufacturers need to make sure the vast majority of handsets incorporate Near Field Communications features as standard. [Press release]

Most mobile users would view ads to cut bills

Business software company Transverse has published new research that says 61% of mobile phone users (in the USA) would view advertising on their phones if it meant their monthly bills were less. The figure varied according to the level of discount, with 56% happy to view ads for a discount of between 25 and 50%. In addition, 46% of users said this level of discount was enough of an incentive to provide access to their usage patterns. Users under the age of 35 were most receptive to the idea of discounts for viewing mobile advertising. [Press release]

World's fastest smartphone

Taiwan-based ASUS has announced the ASUS P565, a smartphone that contains an 800MHz processor - making it the fastest-running smartphone in the world. It has a 2.8-inch touch-sensitive display and uses Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. [Press release]

Carphone confirms broadband business review

The Carphone Warehouse has published its half-year results. Excluding figures from Best Buy Europe, which now manages the Retail and Distribution business, group revenues were £697 million compared to £711 million in the same period last year. The biggest surprise - or not, depending on whether you heard the rumours at the weekend - was that the board is reviewing the Group’s structure, which may lead to the retail and broadband businesses being separated. They'll tell us more in Spring 2009. [Press release]

New Marketing Director at Phones 4U

Russell Braterman has joined Phones 4U from Unilever as Marketing Director, replacing Jim Slater who left at the end of August. [Source: Mobile News]

Mobile Industry Review empties its cupboard for charity

Well done to the bloggers at Mobile Industry Review for giving away the contents of their goodie cupboard in a charity-funding prize draw. Donations are split between Childline and the United Nations Foundation, with prizes including an assortment of mobile phones, accessories and services. The draw takes place on 10th December 2008; tickets are £5 each.

Barack Obama to give up his BlackBerry?

Never mind his plans to change the world... the current story on everyone's lips is the likelihood that US President-elect Barack Obama is going to stop using a BlackBerry when he takes office. Despite wearing the device on his belt during much of his election campaign and frequently sending messages to friends, he's likely to ditch mobile email when he takes office in January. Not only is security a risk, his messages would all be recorded under the Presidential Records Act. But he wouldn't be the first president to stop using personal email. Current president George W Bush sent his friends an email before entering the White House eight years ago, explaining that he was going to stop corresponding in cyberspace because he didn't want to risk any private conversations being published. [Source: NYTimes.com]

Customers happy to pay extra for decent cameras on mobiles

Research company Strategy Analytics says consumers in the USA and Western Europe are most willing to pay extra for a camera on their mobile phone. Over 60% of all respondents said they'd be willing to pay extra for a quality camera on their mobile. Other popular options included a video camera, music player and removable memory cards. Customers aged 35 and older were less willing to pay extra than younger consumers. [Press release]

Carphone planning to sell TalkTalk?

There are reports that The Carphone Warehouse is soon going to announce plans to split its fixed-line phone and broadband business from the rest of the company. It's expected that the split will take place towards the end of next year. [Sources: TimesOnline.co.uk; Telegraph.co.uk]

Just 2% of iPhone users don't touch data services

Research company Nielsen has calculated there are 3.6 million mobile subscribers (aged 13+) actively using an Apple iPhone in the USA, with 98% of customers using at least one data service. [Source: wirelessandmobilenews.com]

Smartphones are driving customer satisfaction

Customer satisfaction with mobile phones is increasing in the USA as smartphones become more popular. The link between the two bas been made by J.D. Power and Associates, which has just published its latest Wireless Mobile Phone Evaluation Study. They measured customer satisfaction by looking at design, operation, features, durability and battery life. Their results showed that average prices have risen because of the increased popularity of smartphones and other highly-featured phones. Customers are also spending more per month - yet overall satisfaction has improved significantly and is higher among younger handset owners who are more inclined to own feature-rich phones. [Press release]

Nokia says mobile industry is slowing down

Nokia says the current global economic situation means the mobile industry will ship fewer devices in the fourth quarter of 2008 than previously expected. In addition, mobile device volume will be down in 2009 compared to 2008. Nokia estimates that around 330 million mobile devices will be shipped worldwide in Q4 2008, up from the estimated 310 million produced in the third quarter of 2008 but resulting in an annual figure of 1.24 billion devices instead of the previously estimated 1.26 billion. [Press release]

O2's parent publishes Q3 results

Telefónica, which owns O2 in the UK, says its profits for the third quarter of 2008 were down 50% year-on-year... although it's worth noting that last year's figure included the sale of television company Endemol. In the UK, O2's revenue was up 8.7% and a record-breaking 277,593 'contract' customers had been added. [Sources: Telefonica press release; FT.com; Bloomberg.com]

200 million people will have used mobile coupons within 5 years

Juniper Research has estimated that 200 million people will have received promotional coupons on their mobile phones by 2013. The company says the market is currently most advanced in Japan and Korea but mobile coupons are becoming an increasingly popular tool for restaurants, entertainment and shopping in the USA and Europe. [Press release]

Sky to run own advertising on mobile TV

In a contrast to the recent story about Channel 4 dropping its mobile advertising, Sky is to start selling its own advertising on its mobile TV channels offered via T-Mobile and Vodafone in the UK. [Source: NMA.co.uk]

Mobile Marketing Association finds increased interest in mobile marketing

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) has published its Annual Mobile Attitude and Usage Study, which shows there's increasing interest in - and usage of - mobile marketing services. It says a quarter of mobile users in the US and Western Europe are interested in mobile marketing, with interest levels even higher in Asia Pacific and Latin American markets. In all regions, text-to-win and interactive voting campaigns are the most common examples of mobile marketing in which mobile users have participated. [Source: MarketWatch.com]

3 launches Facebook phone

As expected, 3 has announced the INQ1 - the 'Facebook phone' - today. It's the first phone from Hutchison-backed INQ and includes a number of social networking and communication services: Facebook, Skype, Windows Live Messenger, Last.fm and RSS feeds. There's a 3.2 megapixel camera, too. The INQ1 will be available free on a 'pay monthly' contract from £15 per month, which will include unlimited Facebook, Skype, Windows Live Messenger and web access, plus 75 minutes of calls to other networks, unlimited texts, unlimited email and unlimited free 3-to-3 calls (subject to 'fair use' terms). [Press release]

EC looking at VoIP blocking by mobile networks

The European Commission has asked mobile phone networks whether (and how) they're blocking VoIP calls - voice calls over the internet. The action is thought to be the prelude to a possible formal investigation. [Source: IHT.com]

Mobile News podcast now online

This week the Mobile News podcast talks to Faisal Sheikh of 'Fone Doctors' about the current state of retailing. There's a preview of the Sony Ericsson W705 Walkman and the team's usual off-beat look at industry headlines from the last seven days. As always, you can download or listen free at TheFonecast.com and on the Mobile News website... and you'll find us on iTunes and via RSS too.

The Mobile News podcast is presented and produced by Iain Graham, James Rosewell and Mark Bridge at TheFonecast.com

Text bug revealed in T-Mobile G1 phone

The BBC and Wired.com have reported on a (potentially amusing) bug that affects the T-Mobile G1 mobile phone. Typing the word "reboot" in a text message soon after restarting the device causes the phone to... reboot. UK users should receive an update by tomorrow.

Facebook hits 15 million mobile users

Facebook says that it now has 15 million mobile users worldwide - that's three times more than they started with at the beginning of 2008. [Facebook blog]

Mobile Messaging continues to grow

ABI Research says there's no sign of a slow-down in the growth of Mobile Messaging Services despite the current tough economic times. They reckon global revenue from mobile messaging services will grow from $151 billion this year to over $212 billion by 2013. [Press release]

Channel 4 drops mobile ad sales

Channel 4 is shutting down its mobile advertising sales business at the end of the year. The company, which is also closing its interactive TV advertising at the same time, produces a 20-minute mobile TV compilation of popular shows. This compilation currently includes commercials but, from 31st December, will no longer carry any advertising. [Source: BrandRepublic.com]

Vodafone publishes half-year report

Vodafone has published its half-yearly figures (April - September 2008), which show that Group revenue is up 17.1% to £19.9 billion, data revenue is up 48.6% to £1.4 billion and European revenue is up 14.3%. Profits, however, were down 34% to £2.17 billion. Chief Executive Vittorio Colao says the company plans to improve operational performance through customer value enhancement and by cutting £1 billion of costs. [Press release]

Ofcom ends Phones 4U investigation

Ofcom has closed its 6-month investigation into the activities of Phones 4U after persuading the retailer to change its handset return policy, its chequeback terms and its sales practices. It says Phones 4U had been acting in a way that breached aspects of the Sale of Goods Act 1979, the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977, the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 and the Control of Misleading Advertising Regulations 1988. [Ofcom bulletin]

Nokia considering unlimited game and video services?

There are suggestions that Nokia's "Comes With Music" unlimited music service could be expanded to offer unlimited games or movie downloads in the near future. [Sources: NMA.co.uk; NokNok.tv]

Mobile phones used for traffic monitoring

Nokia and the University of California have just launched the Mobile Millennium project, which combines anonymous GPS information from mobile phones with data from existing traffic sensors. From today, any San Francisco Bay Area resident will be able to automatically submit and receive traffic information between the San Francisco Bay Area and the Lake Tahoe ski area, either on compatible smartphones or iusing a PC browser. [PDF fact sheet]

iPhone 2.2 software to allow over-the-air podcast downloads

Apparently the new Apple iPhone software version 2.2 will allow you to download podcasts 'over the air' instead of needing to synchronise with iTunes on a computer. When it does, you'll find our iTunes feed by clicking here. [Source: AppleInsider.com]

EC plans mobile TV action soon

In an interview with EurActiv.com, European Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding has said the EC will soon 'fix the rules' for mobile television in Europe.

Avenir MD moving to Vodafone

Tanny Price, the UK MD of distributor Avenir Telecom, is leaving to take a senior channel role at Vodafone. She's been in her current role for over four years and has worked at Avenir for over 10 years. [Source: Mobile News]

Cashback dealer declared insolvent

First Contact Mobiles, which was based in Leeds but did most of its business online,has been wound up in the High Court following an investigation by the Companies Investigation Branch of the Insolvency Service. The company encouraged customers to connect mobile phones by promising 'cashback' deals but failed to pay. It also failed to keep records of the amounts involved, which could exceed £250,000. [Press release]

Austrian mobile networks criticise EU roaming caps

Mobilkom Austria, T-Mobile Austria and Orange (Austria) have published research that shows the EC's capping of 'roaming' costs has led to significant losses and no significant increase in usage. They say the roaming regulation is having a negative effect on Austria's mobile industry. [Sources: Telecoms.com; TradingMarkets.com]

Mobile gambling wagers to hit $27.5 billion by 2013

The research just keeps coming. Juniper Research say mobile betting will be worth $27.5 billion (£17.5 million) by 2013. They reckon mobile operators are much more interested in offering betting services and accepting advertising from betting companies than they were last year. [Press release]

Global smartphone sales up 28%

More research from Canalys. These figures say smartphone shipments have risen 27.9% worldwide (from Q3 2007 to Q3 2008), hitting 39.9 million. This means smartphones now represent around 13% of the total mobile phone market, up 2% from the previous quarter. Nokia has retained its market lead, but its share has been eaten into by Apple and BlackBerry devices. [Press release]

GPS-equipped smartphones outsell other navigation devices

Researchers at Canalys say GPS smartphones have overtaken the number of stand-alone Personal Navigation Devices (PNDs) shipped in the Europe, Middle East and Asia. They've calculated that EMEA shipments of PNDs in Q3 2008 fell to 4.3 million, down half a million from the previous quarter, while shipments of smartphones with integrated GPS more than doubled to 10.4 million. [Press release]

82 million location-aware mobile social networkers by 2013

Research company ABI Research says there'll be 82 million people using location-based mobile social networking services by 2013. [Press release]

Motorola UK boss leaves

Motorola UK General Manager Jim Michel is reported to have left the company following a restructure. [Source: Mobile News]

Vodafone takes control in South Africa

Vodafone has confirmed that its acquisition of an additional 15% stake in Vodacom, taking Vodafone's shareholding from 50% to 65%, has been approved by the government of South Africa. [Press release]

Smartphones driving increased mobile search

This is probably another of those "it's obvious when you think about it" reports. Researchers at The Kelsey Group have linked the increased purchase of 'smart' mobile devices with an increase in searches - particularly for local information - from mobiles. They say 18.9% of mobile customers in the USA now use a smartphone, with 49.2% of all respondents planning to buy a smart mobile device within the next two years. In the last six months, 17.6% of US mobile users have downloaded or looked at maps or directions (up from 10.8% in 2007), 15.6% have searched online for products or services in their local area (up from 9.8% in 2007), 14.3% have searched online products or services outside their local area (up from 6.4% in 2007), 13.7% have searched for entertainment information (up from 8.2% in 2007) and 9.6% have connected with a online social network (up from 3.4% in 2007). [Press release]

Mobile News podcast now online

The new edition of the Mobile News podcast is now available to download. Iain Graham talks to John Fannon about T-Mobile's recent channel review and its plans to change dealer commission payments. Mark Bridge and James Rosewell join Iain to discuss the latest mobile industry headlines - and there's a quick preview of the Samsung M8800 Pixon cameraphone. As usual, you can download or listen free at TheFonecast.com and on the Mobile News website... and you'll find us on iTunes and via RSS too.

The Mobile News podcast is presented and produced by Iain Graham, James Rosewell and Mark Bridge at TheFonecast.com

T-Mobile launches UK femtocell trial

T-Mobile is running a femtocell trial in the UK, Germany and Poland, according to a report on Unstrung.com.

Mobile advertising awareness up 33% this year

A study from social networking site Limbo.com in association with research company GfK has revealed that mobile advertising awareness in the USA grew 33% since January (compared to a 6% growth in mobile phone usage). Nearly four out of ten Americans with a mobile - 104 million people - recalled seeing advertising on the device between July and September 2008. [Source: MarketWatch.com]

Top websites aren't coping with mobile browsing

Mobile web company Bango has just completed a survey of the top 20 websites (according to the amount of PC-based traffic, as surveyed by Nielsen Online). They found that half of the sites didn't work well on mobile phones, even though 5% of website visitors are estimated to come from mobile devices. In addition, many online businesses didn't know how much mobile traffic was hitting their PC-focussed site. [Press release; Bango blog]

Tiscali broadband being bought by Sky?

After interest from a number of telecomms companies - including Vodafone and The Carphone Warehouse - it looks as though Tiscali's UK broadband customer base will be sold to BSkyB. [Source: TimesOnline.co.uk]

LG and Microsoft working together

LG Electronics and Microsoft have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that'll see them working together on mobile convergence. They will collaborate on research & development, marketing, applications and services. [Press release]

Robber caught after swapping mobile with victim

A 21 year-old man has been jailed for six months after stealing a mobile phone and handing over his own phone as compensation. Eneas Tanyongana from Harlow was arrested within hours of his offence. He 'd robbed his 16-year-old victim on a train in Hertfordshire, threatening to stab him if he didn’t hand over his mobile phone. When the boy asked what he was supposed to do without a phone, Tanyongana handed over his own phone, complete with contact details and photos. Police investigators used the information contained in Tanyongana’s phone to identify and arrest him. The victim's phone was recovered and CCTV footage was used to link the attacker to two other robberies. [Press release]

Mobile advertising claims are inflated, says report

Researchers at CCS Insight say the success of mobile advertising in Europe is being exaggerated and advertisers will only spend a fraction of their budgets trying to reach people through their mobiles. It says mobile advertising revenue in Europe over the next two will total less than 430 million Euro. However, it points out that people take more notice of mobile ads than advertising on TV or PC, which means the potential market is huge. [Source: TelecomTV.com]