Omio

HTC Touch HD on O2: Not Such An Orange Exclusive!

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

We reported about the HTC Touch HD on Orange as an ‘08 exclusive mere moments ago, and already Omio can blow it away as Mobiles.co.uk have announced a range of deals on the O2 network!

For a cost of £35 a month they are offering a free HTC Touch HD, 600 x-network minutes and unlimited texts, and a choice of £1.99 line rental for 2 months, £10 auto cashback or 5 months of line rental at half price! Check out the first HTC Touch HD deals on O2 here!

With stock expected as early as Friday 7th November, it looks like they could even steal a march on Orange’s own release date with an awesome deal! Orange is offering the phone for £79.99 on an 18 month, £40 per month contract, which is a good deal but not quite Mobiles.co.uk good. Of course, Mobiles.co.uk have a full range of HTC Touch HD on Orange deals too, so all of you who wished the iPhone killer would appear on another network will be in luck!

To add the cherry on a very sweet cake, Mobiles.co.uk will be offering unbranded HTC Touch HD handsets on O2, so if you were concerned that they might be lumbered with laggy network specific firmware, worry not! We can’t say the same for the Orange edition however, but let’s cross our fingers in hope…

Source: Mobiles.co.uk

Sony Ericsson Xperia X1: Confirmed On Orange And O2 At Carphone Warehouse

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

Sony Ericsson’s biggest new handset in many years, the Xperia X1, will be in Carphone Warehouse in the next couple of weeks, available on the O2 and Orange networks.

The device will hopefully be on £45 per month tariffs for free! The slightly more pricey option is to buy the handset on prepay for £600.

Kinda know why they weren’t so eager to shout the cost of from the rooftops, 600 quid is some serious money! Considering the bells and whilstles in the Xperia, it sounds about right.

The big question, is it wise to release such an opulent phone at a time when most manufacturers are focusing on cheap and cheerful solutions like the LG KP500 and Nokia 5800?

Source: Mobile Today

The Phone Is Your Oyster As Mobile Trials A Success

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

Finally, the UK (well, London) makes steps towards Japanese techno-culture as a trial of Oyster and Barclaycard technology embedded in mobile phones was deemed a success.

The joint development program by o2 and Transport for London allowed 500 testers to pay for their tube journeys by incorporating London Transport travelcard and prepay data into the Nokia 6131 handset, and also purchase food from shops by passing their mobile over contactless card readers in Eat, Krispy Kreme and Yo Sushi. Nothing like a healthy, balanced diet…

The system works on allowing users to purchase items under £10, in order to keep it a practical and fast method of payment for small items rather than an alternative to money or credit cards, hence the narrow food options for the test. People are able to ‘top up’ this balance from their bank account in a similar method to the Oyster card for travel. Losing a phone is bad enough without it being your entire bank balance also!

The practical implications of the system extended as far as concerts, giving the lucky few VIP access into the O2 arena and Hyde Park’s Wireless Festival. Anything that brings fraternizing with sweaty bouncers to get backstage down to a minimum has to be a good thing.

With nine of the ten users happy using the technology, and over two-thirds finding it a convenient method over traditional Oyster cards, it seems like smiles all round for Transport for London. The feedback that will really have manufacturers paying attention however, is that 87% of testers claimed features such as Oyster and Barclaycard access would influence their decision on which phone to purchase…

With hopes for a full rollout in as little as two years time, prepare to see a raft of shiny new phones right alongside them!

Source: The Guardian

iPhone 3G: £350 Pay & Go on Sept. 16th

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

The iPhone 3G has been unveiled on O2’s website at a prepay price point of £349.99, with a September 16th launch date.

This price has been set for the 8GB model, with the 16GB going for £399.99. This includes 12 months of free unlimited Wi-Fi and browsing, after which it becomes an option for £10 per month.

With 16GB iPhones changing hands for over £500 on eBay, O2’s prices may seem pricey but are well under what people are entirely willing to pay. O2 is said to be hoping for a strong Christmas presence, and they hope iPhone 3G’s new prepay strategy will be a major contributing factor to this.

Bear in mind, however, that these phones are still to be tethered to O2 SIM cards, not entirely unlocked handsets. With no software only solution to the unlocking of the iPhone 3G, those box-breakers looking to sell the phone overseas may have to keep waiting…

With the new range of iPods rumoured to be breaking cover any time from now, a £350 price tag could be far more appealing than one might imagine. With the 16GB iPod Touch selling for around £250, why not pay that extra bit more for all that added functionality?

With ample stock in their retail stores, activation issues a distant memory and a new prong of attack on consumer wallets, the iPhone 3G seems to have turned a corner and is set to be a great success story for O2.

Now Only Three Degrees Of Separation?

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

This is unfortunately not a post about the breakup of a famous female Philadelphia soul and disco musical group, but rather the results of an O2 study into the power of social networking in the 21st century.

Apparently the famous experiment of social distance through a maximum of six people has become incredibly outdated given the profusion of modern technology, according to O2-sponsored research. Despite Microsoft’s 2006 study of 30 billion electronic messages showing the original study still rings true with an average of 6.6 steps between strangers, organisational specialist Jeff Rodrigues shows that within networks of people of shared interests, the average is only three degrees.

He stipulates that people are connected via one of the three avenues of friends, family and work. Beyond these lie the personal interest spheres, areas which have been nurtured and matured by those seeking like minded individuals via the internet and mobile phones. As these have developed much faster and further than traditional methods of knowing people, the links forged are much closer.

When test subjects were asked to find an unknown person, 98% chose the web or their mobile phone to start, across all age groups selected. New forms of technology bring people together in a way which has never been seen before. Mostly social sites like Facebook admittedly, although mobile phones are considered by many as integral to connectivity.

Obviously, O2’s Brand Strategist was happy to chime in on the value of bringing people together: “As a business, O2 is all about helping our customers connect to the people and things that matter to them, enabling them to be in touch wherever they are in the world.”

If the world is so small and we’re all so connected, how’s about reducing my international roaming charges then? Yeah, thought not.

Source : Cellular News

iPhone 3G Turns Orange In October!

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

There had been rumours swirling around for a little while now, but we think that all of the pieces fit into place only too perfectly to sit on this bombshell…

We have word from a very, very credible source on the inside that the iPhone 3G will be available on Orange in the UK, possibly as soon as October.

We know. It sounds a bit hard to believe, but in light of recent events it seems a great deal more likely than not. Let us weigh up the evidence for the iPhone 3G’s October emancipation…

- o2 did win out in the UK, but don’t forget that Orange snagged the iPhone 3G in France, and T-Mobile in Germany. It is also freely available on the Optus, Telstra and Vodafone networks in Australia. So allegiance to a single network as far as Europe is concerned could easily be temporary.

- The possibility of o2/Apple exclusivity being a limited time offer due to lackluster sales of the first iPhone in the UK. Apple playing so nice and o2 giving phones out for free is a far cry from £269 for an 8GB a year ago, there had to be a catch to them delivering arguably the best value iPhone 3G deals in the world. Three months for o2 as the sole vendor, then all bets are off? Apple wants to sell as many phones as possible, an exclusive carrier is not in their best interests.

- With Apple capturing casual consumer interest through o2’s morning launches and queues round the block, then who better than Orange to pair with when it comes to tackling that more elusive discerning corporate user?

Or is it just an Omio fever dream? Do you think there’s something here, or are we making a few too many leaps of faith in our thinking? Let us know in the forums!

UPDATE: It’s half way through October and no news, what gives? Well, after much twisting of arms and pulling of hair, we managed to extract some information from our source.

He admits to having been slightly “overzealous” in his ‘October for iPhone’ statement, and says that the success of the iPhone 3G and PAYG option have delayed if not scuppered Orange’s plans to break the monopoly.

Oh well, at least there are a wealth of iPhone alternatives on the networks this festive period…

HTC Makes A Name For Itself In The U.S.

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

Heard of HTC? Unless you’re really into your tech hardware, possibly not. Maybe they aren’t a Samsung or a Motorola just yet, but they are the largest manufacturer of Windows Media-based handsets, and they want you to know about it. Okay, not you, but the US…then you.

With the launch of the Touch Diamond in the UK and the States, as well as the forthcoming Touch Pro, HTC seems determined to penetrate the public conscious with a multi million dollar marketing push across all media featuring the tagline, “Set Your Fingers Free”. Don’t mean to be a stickler, but whilst HTC were busy fiddling with styluses (stylii?), Apple beat them to the finger pie buffet with the iPhone. The Touch Diamond still has one…

The imaginative ad on their site highlights their new focus on being a maker of fun, intuitive touch-driven handsets, rather than remaining an austere PDA maker for the gadget-savvy. They have been known for courting a fair few networks in their time with many exclusive handsets including o2’s XDA series, but it seems they wish to get their solo project off the ground finally.

Combine this with their more prominent branding on handsets, the community aspect they are attempting to develop with the HTCWiki, and the Touch Diamond soon to be available on all networks in the UK, HTC may be a force to be recognised as much as reckoned with in the smartphone sector.

One Man, One iPhone 3G.

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

All the ePimps will be weeping into their piles of unsellable Playstation 3s when they hear about o2’s carefully orchestrated iPhone 3G launch.

There is still no word on the pre-order fun of advance credit checks and 7am with just over a week to go, but those who registered interest in the July 11th launch are getting mails to hype them up.

The big piece of news contained within this mail is confirmation that the iPhone 3G will be strictly one per person, as well as first come, first served ‘due to high demand’. Are they making sure all Apple fans go home happy, or to prevent eBay touts shilling loads online come launch day?

Either way, the UK seems to be one of the last to have full details released with regards to pricing, particularly with Pay-As-You-Go. Granted, there was the ‘blink and you miss it’ reveal which was quickly but back into hiding, but no concrete details as yet.

They sure know how to work these rabid iPhone fans into a frenzy. Us included.

Source : Trusted Reviews

O2 Redefines ‘Push To Talk’ With Pedal Charger

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (491)

Not to be beaten by Orange’s innovative mobile phone festival solutions for Glastonbury with their Dance Charger and mobile charge tent, o2 have unveiled their gimmick for the upcoming Wireless Festival this weekend. Eschewing solar power with the fickle nature of the British summer, they will offer specially equipped bikes which turn pedal power into phone juice.

In Hyde Park from the 3rd to the 6th of July, o2 will be turning revellers into Chopper lovers and BMX bandits in order to charge their handsets. However, they won’t be getting very far.

Not least that it is a difficult environment to stand upright let alone pedal about, the bike will be secured to the ground much like an exercise machine. Probably to dissuade light-fingered music fans from riding clean out of the park with a bunch of expensive tech.

Not the most fun alternative to watching your favourite band, sweating in a field to charge your phone. But at least the real-world implications for this technology is far more practical than Orange’s efforts, with that deadly commute to work being less pointless if boosting your mobile was a byproduct of push power.

Could even turn those exercise bikes in homes across the country into something other than a coat rack.

Obviously, o2 have no plans at present to release it commercially. That would make too much sense. As easy as it is to power the headlamp on a Raleigh with these things, charging a drained Nokia N95 might require a trip to the Cairngorms…

Omio Loves Free Mobile Phone Stuff

By Kate CrowleycloseAuthor: Kate Crowley Name: Kate Crowley
Email: talk@omio.com
Site: http://www.omio.com
About: Kate's interest in mobile phones began when she realised she was supernaturally adept at Snake 2. She was less good at Battleships and, frankly, we shouldn't even mention Pipes.See Authors Posts (212)

It’s no secret that mobile phone deals companies will sell you their firstborn if it means you’ll sign up with them. This is bad news if you’re one of those people who stick to the same phone, provider and price plan for your whole life, emerging from your shack only to growl at the sun and shake your fist at the neighbourhood children. If, like me, you’re a freebie-guzzling whore, take the companies for all that they’re worth. Believe me, once those bills start falling on your doormat, you’ll kick yourself if you didn’t. Here’s Omio’s list of great free things you can get with your phone or for your phone.

Free Pay-As-You-Go SIMs

Free SIMs are old news, but free SIMs with other free stuff bolted on top like some kind of free SIM orgy? Now that’s something worth writing about! O2 is offering a free SIM pack on their website. All you have to do is top up £10 a month for 300 free texts, or £30 a month for unlimited free texts.

Orange saw O2’s free SIM offer and raised it. Their free SIMs give you free texts, free evening and weekend calls, free internet access and a whole host of other great things when you top-up. Sign up for one of them here. Plus, you can take advantage of the cinematically-joyful Orange Wednesdays.

Free Champagne

Far be it for us to encourage alcohol consumption, but a free bottle of pink Moet champagne to toast the arrival of a pink Motorola U9 doesn’t sound too shabby. Definitely one of the more unusual free gifts you can get with a phone.

Nintendo Wii

If you haven’t managed to get your hands on one of these, now could be the perfect time to secure yourself a free Nintendo Wii from Dial-a-phone. All you have to do is sign yourself up for an 18-month contract that costs more than £26 a month. A new phone and the chance to lose your social life to Mario Kart? Ambassador you are really spoiling us.

PlayStation 3

If you are in the ‘Nintendo Wiis are for wimps” camp (AKA the ‘wrong’ camp) then maybe this offer will be more to your liking. Get a Sony Ericsson W380i from Carphone Warehouse and you’ll get a free Playstation 3 alongside your 18-month, £35/month, T-Mobile Flext tariff. Just think - GTA IV…. Gears Of War 4…

Free Laptop

Another offer from those generous sods at the Carphone Warehouse. You’ll get a free Acer Aspire 5315 laptop when you buy one of a selection of fine phones on a pay monthly contract. This laptop will set you back around £300 in the shops, so this is an offer worth investigating.

Free TV

Mobiles2YourDoor is offering you, the lucky reader, a free TV. Yes folks, you could be the proud owner of a free 32-inch Mirai LCD TV. No, I haven’t heard of Mirai either.

Free Stuff: A Retrospective

This is just the tip of the freebie iceberg. If you’re a savvy shopper you could nab yourself an iPod, a Nintendo DS, a Sony PSP or, if you’re really lucky, a hands-free kit.