Category: Mobile Phones

Pop Up Office This week has seen O2 announce the launch of Pop Up Office, which customers can use to create their own portable 4G mobile hotspot quickly and easily.What is Pop Up Office? This is a great solution if a customer has a variety of devices (laptops, tablets, smartphones) and wants to hook up to a 4G connection when they’re out and about.  Pop Up Office allows them to create their own mobile office in minutes. Users can connect up to ten other devices to the internet, email and access all their usual business applications. Because the hotspot is 4G-ready, the devices can use the O2 4G network whether they’re 4G-compatible or not. The 4G mobile hotspot (also known as a mobile wifi device) is small and lightweight – smaller than a typical smartphone, so customers can take it with them, wherever they go. Where and when can it be used? • Temporary shops, offices and other premises • Trade shows, exhibitions and events • Working on a customer or supplier’s premises–where there’s no guest wifi • Construction sites • While waiting for fixed infrastructure to be installed • As a fixed back-up solution –delivering resilience What does a customer need? Pop Up Office allows you to create your own mobile office in minutes – to do this, your customer would need a mobile wifi device which you can order from us on 01206 656001. Details needed when ordering: Device Name: Netgear Mobile Wi-Fi 4G Cost: £134.00 The device is small and lightweight, so you can take it with you, wherever you go. It’s also simple to set up and use – just follow the instructions that come in the box. The customer will switch over to 3G if they are out of 4G coverage.

 

How much does it cost? Inclusive data (after 31 October 2013) 3GB 5GB Promo until 31 Oct 2013 Not applicable   Get a promotional 3GB = total of 8GB3 Monthly subs – 24 month contract £14.17 £20.83 Monthly subs – 30 day rolling contract (sim only)   £14.17   £20.83 Out of bundle rates For capped, extra data costs £5 for 500MB, £8.33 for 1GB and £12.50 for 2GB. For uncapped – overage is charged at 2p per MB. If a customer connects to the O2 5GB tariff by 31 October 2013, as a special introductory offer, they’ll get 8GB of data each month. This is the usual data allowance of 5GB and a promotional 3GB. They’ll keep the increased data for the duration of their 24 month contract or until they remove their 30 day rolling contract. A customer’s monthly data allowance is reset on their bill date. O2 will send an alert to their device when they’ve used 80% and 100% of their data bundle. If they choose the capped version and use all your data, they’ll get slower speeds until they either buy extra data or it’s their next bill date. For the uncapped option, if a customer uses all their data bundle, they’ll be charged overage at 2p per MB.

SIM Only new business tariff

On 25th September, EE are launching a fantastic 24-month SIM only offer – from only £17.50 a month customers get unlimited call and texts, a whopping 4GB of data and 6 months free. Plus they can migrate free of charge to a handset plan from January 2014. Details to follow in Talking Shop.

EE and T-Mobile Roaming Data Add-Ons

EE and T-Mobile Small Business customers will be able to purchase a huge 100MB per day for just £2.50 when travelling to the EU from 11th September.  From 25th September daily data add-ons will be available for selected ROW countries from £2.50.

Two new phones are being released by Apple.

Apple have been promising a new “cheap iPhone” for a while now but guess what? Its not cheap!

The new iPhone 5S looks the same as the current iPhone 5, but it’s faster processor, with a better camera, and a fingerprint scanner that lets you unlock your phone much quicker than with a password. The 5S—which comes in black, white, and gold and should sell for around £464, or possibly be free with a contract. Not that much different from last years prices.

The new “cheap” iPhone 5C (is the c for cheap?) is made of plastic instead of the aluminum found on the bigger iPhone. It comes in five colors: green, blue, yellow, pink, and white. Other than that, it’s got the same internals as the current iPhone 5; same camera, same processor, same capabilities. Indeed, the iPhone5C is so similar to the iPhone5 that Apple is discontinuing that model. The iPhone 5C will sell for £392 ish, or maybe free with a contract, but whats cheap about that? This is not a cheap phone. And if the 5C is cheaper for Apple to produce than the 5 would have been—which seems plausible given its plastic body—it might even be a way for Apple to boost its profit margins rather than produce a cheap iPhone5.

Apple has announced the launch of the new iPhone 5s and 5c – which will be available on O2 4G from 20th September.

Both models are powered by iOS7, which will be available to download from iTunes on 18th September.

Don’t miss out on this much anticipated exciting new launch!

Call us today and place your order – 01206 656001.

To view the latest images and details of the new handsets on the Apple website, visit www.apple.com/uk/iphone.

O2 4G is now live in London, Bradford and Leeds, with Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Liverpool, Nottingham, Leicester, Coventry, Sheffield, Manchester and Edinburgh to follow by the end of the year. O2 Pop Up Office (mobile wifi) will launch in mid-September.

For a range of O2 4G information videos, please go to the O2 Business You Tube Channel.

For any further questions please contact Colchester Telecom.

O2 4G Handsets

To connect to O2 4G, customers need to have a 4G device, 4G SIM, 4G tariff and the correct software for their handset. These are the 4G devices currently available:

• BlackBerry Q10
• BlackBerry Z10
• HTC One
• HTC One Mini
• Nokia Lumia 625 (coming soon)
• Nokia Lumia 820
• Nokia Lumia 920
• Nokia Lumia 925
• Nokia Lumia 1020 (coming soon)
• Samsung Galaxy S4
• Samsung Galaxy Mega
• Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini
• Sony Xperia SP
• Sony Xperia Z
• Sony Xperia Z Ultra

Unfortunately, the software update for the open market variant of the Samsung S4, S4 Mini and Mega will not be available from Samsung for O2’s 4G launch today. O2 are working closely with Samsung to get this software update ready as soon as possible. It will be automatically sent to customers’ phones and they need to follow the instructions to update their software.

We will let you know as soon as the software update is available.

Launch Data Offer

Don’t forget, for a limited period from launch, O2 is offering additional promotional data on some of their 4G tariffs. Customers who connect to an eligible tariff by 31st October 2013 will get this promotional data for the duration of their contract.

90 day Happiness Guarantee

If customers aren’t totally happy with 4G within 90 days, O2 will help them transfer to a 3G tariff and give them a bill credit of up to £12.50. Customers will be transferred back to a 3G tariff which is the closest equivalent data bundle size – either the same amount of data or the closest amount of data below the 4G data bundle. Happiness Guarantee is not available on Pop Up Office, Mobile Broadband, Tablets and Data Only and is only applicable to customers paying standard business pricing.

Last month Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, said that mobile payments were ‘still in its infancy’. However he may just be talking about the US landscape because this week Visa, the global payments technology firm, revealed payments using its contactless payments technology numbered 5 million in the UK this March. It states that’s five times the amount as compared to July 2012. So, what is happening with mobile payments industry? How are businesses and consumers reacting to the opportunity to make fast payments on-the-go without cash or the traditional wallet?

We’re pleased to advise that from TODAY you can now order 4G Sim cards on O2.

To benefit from 4G, you will need:
•    A 4G Sim
•    A 4G ready device
•    4G software on the device. O2 are working with handset vendors to agree the date when customers can get automatic 4G software updates for any 4G ready devices.  We will provide confirmation of these dates as soon as they are received.
•    A 4G tariff – coming soon
•    To be in an area of 4G coverage

FAQ’s

Q:  If I buy a 4G ready phone, what sim card will I get?
A: You are more likely to get a 3G sim card. For most customers, this will mean doing a sim swap
Q:  Can I use a 4G sim card for voice and data in a 2G or 3G enabled device?
A:  Yes a 4G sim will work in any device, however as above, you will only receive a 3G service until the 4G platform is launched.

The Best Selling Business Mobile Phones This Year So Far in reverse order are:

8. Blackberry Bold 9900
7. Samsung Galaxy S111 mini
6. Blackberry z10
5. Blackberry Curve 9320
4. Sony Experia z
3. Samsung Galaxy S111
2. Blackberry Q10
1. Samsung Galaxy s4

Please note the total absence of any iPhones (I’ve always maintained they are not for business) although I do wonder how the list will look in 6 months time when the iPhone 6 has had a change to get its claws into the market. They key to having the best selling business mobile phones is always battery life and the new 6 is thought to have 50% more battery life than the iPhone4s.

 

 

O2 are reducing their roaming prices from 1st July 2013 in line with EU legislation.

The European Commission regulates roaming pricing within Europe and they’re introducing retail price rates/caps which will come into affect from 1st July 2013.

As with previous rate changes, the rate is based upon the Euro/Pound exchange rate – the rate for 2013 was based on the Euro/Pound exchange rate of 0.85097 published in May 2013. The changes are for both new and existing customers.

Key points to note:
• O2 are reducing standard voice, text and data roaming rates (including Ireland Bolt On but not O2 Travel) in European pricing zones in line with the regulatory price caps.
• O2 will be including Croatia in European pricing zones for voice, text and data rates including O2 Travel.
• Chosen Country Spain is being removed from sale for new customers.
• The rates from 1st July will be reflected within the International Traveller Service rates that are applied to all O2 Business Tariffs.
• Pricing will remain unchanged for customers who have chosen a bespoke roaming plan unless, the customer’s terms specifically references a discount against the regulated rates.
• BlackBerry – O2 are not changing the BlackBerry offering – this will remain on the current data rate.
• Customers with the following – My Europe Extra, Chosen Country Spain, Ireland Bolt On and BlackBerry Daily/Monthly Roaming will remain on their original tariffs with the pricing amended.

Vodafone to spend more than £2.5m every day on their network

­Vodafone UK has announced that it is increasing investment in its network this year as it prepares for the launch of LTE services by the late summer.

Spending is set to increase 50% to more than £900 million (US$1.37 billion) in the current financial year, or more than £2.5m every day.

Vodafone is also working on creating an integrated fixed and mobile network, having last year acquired Cable & Wireless Worldwide. This network will support businesses and public sector customers.

Vodafone UK chief executive Guy Laurence said, “This investment is great news for customers and further evidence of our commitment to deliver our best ever network. We’re bringing together the best of mobile and fixed communications to help our business customers make their communications work for them.”