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 (461)

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

HTC Touch HD on Orange: Check out the WAPs on that!

By Robin LandycloseAuthor: Robin Landy Name: Robin Landy
Email: talk@omio.com
Site: http://www.omio.com
About: See Authors Posts (17)

You have to hand it to HTC. They keep finding ever-more spectacular ways to slap a thick coat of lipstick on the pig which is Windows Mobile.

The HTC Touch HD is their shiniest, most iPhone-like effort so far, featuring a large high-res touch screen, Touch Flo 3D and all the usual WiFi/GPS/accelerometer gubbins. Rather bravely, they’ve omitted a directional rocker - which won’t make it any easier to navigate Windows Mobile’s antediluvian interface.

Unfortunately for anyone with a red, blue or magenta logo on their monthly bill, Orange have snapped up a temporary exclusive that will last from “early November” until 2009.

And Orange being Orange, they will probably mangle Touch Flo with their ‘unique’ customisations. There’s certainly something ironic about the way they decided to showcase the handset’s “full internet” capabilities and massive screen by displaying a screenshot of the Orange WAP site in their promotional photos….

Anyhow, for people who want a decent iPhone alternative, or just really like slabs of very shiny plastic, the Touch HD should be available within a couple of weeks.

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 (461)

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

Blackberry Bold On Orange From Saturday!

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 (461)

Despite all the noise surrounding T-Mobile and their September launch of the Blackberry Bold, The Inquirer has announced that Orange will in fact be bringing the new multimedia handset from RIM as early as the 16th of August, which is this weekend!

With the phone coming for free, and the tariffs starting at a competitive £45 per month on consumer as well as business deals, Orange are aiming straight for the people who might have otherwise been distracted by the iPhone 3G…

The Carphone Warehouse may not have been as quick to bring the phone to market, but they certainly know how to put up a good offer with a free Bold on a £40 month tariff, plus unlimited data from the 21st of August.

The first 3G handset from Blackberry is sure to sell like hotcakes, and they have been very clever to try and stem the tide of businessfolk turning to other phones, as well as bring new fans in with the increased media functionality.

What have the other networks got in store for the Bold? Well, despite all three having shown off the phone in various forms, they all seem strangely quiet with regards to a release date…

Review coming soon…

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 (461)

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…

BIC Hates the Environment, Loves Lung Disease.

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 (211)

Ignoring the current trend for recycling, the pen/lighter manufacturer BIC has joined forces with US company Hop-On (remember them?) to bring disposable mobile phones to Europe. The phones will initially only be available in France, where they’ll be released on 7th August. The handsets will cost around £40.

The battery is already charged so the phone can be used as soon as it’s purchased. The battery can be recharged using a USB connector. The BIC phone is disposable in the loosest sense of the word: although talk time can be extended, the phone number is only valid for one year. Users will have to register their phone with Orange after the first ten minutes of talk time. So what distinguishes this handset from usual pay-as-you-go phones? It’s the fact that the battery is charged from the get-go, and that you can only use the phone number for a year. Great…

Source: Mobile Burn

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 (211)

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.

The Love For 3G Oranges

By MattyBcloseAuthor: MattyB Name: Matt Bortone
Email: matt.barr@trafficbroker.co.uk
Site: http://www.omio.com
About: I've been a fan of mobile phones...since the beginning. Being a poor sharecropper's son, I'm less gadget-obsessed than some of our reporters who seem to have developed an unhealthy attachment to the idea of the HTC Diamond. Instead, I'm interested in the way mobiles have changed our lives at work, at home and anywhere else that people cooler than me go.See Authors Posts (60)

Thanks to a new survey by JD Power, Orange can officially be called the worst mobile phone provider around. 3340 mobile phone users across the country were asked to judge their providers on price, style, reception, promotions, handset quality and customer service.

Thankfully Oranges are not the only phone companies - and if you are thinking of switching, Tesco Mobile and Virgin Mobile might be who to turn to, for pre-paid and contract deals respectively. They received the highest satisfaction rating.

Orange To Be Guest Star At HTC Event?

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 (461)

We at Omio have been getting our Poirot mustaches and magnifying glasses out in full force since we first saw the speculation at Trusted Reviews regarding the HTC announcement on the 6th of May. In light of some new info, the rumours have a bit of added weight to them. Another sign pointing to a big Orange-flavoured announcement very soon is the lack of stock on their site for the HTC TyTn II. Hardly strange you say? However, it has been out of stock for the past three weeks with no indication of replenishment any time soon… Mere coincidence, or are Orange clearing house in anticipation of Windows Mobile 6.1-driven handsets? The HTC Diamond? Not likely, being as it’s already attached to o2 in Germany. The new handset codenamed Raphael, said to be the natural successor to the TyTn II’s throne? Looks possible.

Curiouser and curiouser…we’ll keep you posted!

Nokia Play Nice to Break US Market

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 (211)

Nokia have a reputation for never pandering to networks’ requests. For example, in August of last year Orange threatened to avoid carrying the 8GB version of the Nokia N81 because Nokia didn’t give them the chance to test the Nokia Music Store on the handset. Orange had no idea if it would be easy for customers to use. Also, the Nokia Music Store replaced their own music service, but I’d never be cynical enough to suggest that this affected Orange’s decision at all. An attitude like this doesn’t go down well with the US mega networks where, if a manufacturer fails to respect their authority, that manufacturer probably won’t get anywhere. This runs counter to Nokia’s strategy of rampant innovation with little regard for the networks. It seems that Nokia, in a bid to gain a larger market share in the US, has turned over a new leaf. They’ve assigned 300 product development guys to AT&T and Verizon each. The 6555 is one of the results of this unholy union. AT&T wanted the PTT button on the 6555 to be moved to the top, and Nokia complied. Will this change in attitude mean more US networks are prepared to carry Nokia handsets? Source: Engadget Mobile