Mobile Network Comparison

O₂ owner Telefónica has recently invested in mobile payments company Boku. Telefónica has not commented directly on how much they have invested but said it was less than £7 million. Boku has now raised a total of £22m in funding, including funds from New Enterprise Associates, Andreeson Horowitz, Benchmark Capital, DAG Ventures, among others.

Telefónica has explained that the investment is a ‘significant development’ as O₂ becomes closer to launching its mobile wallet services, and Boku will become Telefónica’s preferred mobile payment system. Telefónica will be embarking on a global partnership with Boku to improve the overall payment experience of their future mobile payment system

Telefónica chairman and CEO, Matthew Key, has said:

Payments are going mobile and we want to be at the forefront of this trend. Boku has quickly established itself as a true innovator in the mobile commerce space and this investment gives us access to their tools, infrastructure and knowhow, ideally complementing our own mobile payments expertise. We are also embarking on a global partnership with Boku to enhance our operator billing capabilities and the overall payment experience through our future mobile wallet services.

The ‘mobile wallet’ is an interesting idea, and we’ve already seen advances from other companies in this mobile payment system.

Boku’s CEO, Mark Britto has said:

Payments is an industry that requires scale, and in the three years since Boku launched we’ve grown rapidly to partner with more than 250 mobile network operators, processing transactions in 67 countries all over the world.

With a vision on such a scale as this, Boku has demonstrated why their services would be perfectly fitted for a mobile wallet system for Telefónica.

Previously O₂ had a payment system using ‘Load & Go’ cards, which was powered by NatWest. This was then closed in anticipation of the ‘O2 Wallet’, which was announced for launch in the second half of 2011, since then it has been delayed to further improve the service. It wouldn’t be unlikely to see Boku involved in the ‘O2 Wallet’mobile payment system in the near future.

What do you think? Would you use a mobile wallet system? Do you think it’s the future of mobile payments?

Continue Reading

Easter isn’t just about fluffy bunnies and gorging yourself on chocolate – it’s also a great time of year to treat yourself to a new bargain handset with the Orange Easter Sale that starts today. There are tons of great PAYG handset deals available but hurry because it’s only running until the end of April.

We’ve already checked it out and phones are selling out fast but here are a few of the best price cuts available:

The fantastic Orange San Francisco II which we absolutely love can now be had for only £89.99. You can beat the amount of phone you get for less than £100 with this beauty. This stylish smartphone will keep you connected with email, high-speed internet, WiFi and GPS. Watch your favourite videos on the brilliant 3.5-inch TFT widescreen display, or shoot the action on the 5 megapixel camera – great for snapping and sharing shots on the move. We previously took at look at it here. Compared to the previous version, there’s no denying that this is a significant upgrade in the hardware and the newer version of Android is also a huge bonus. Overall, if you’re looking for a budget smartphone on PAYG, you won’t do any better than this. In many ways, this is a better handset than much more expensive smartphones.

Another great offer is the cute little Samsung Galaxy Mini also for just £89.99. They say good things come in small packages…now say hello to the Samsung Galaxy Mini. What makes it even more tempting is that, during the sale, it comes with 12 months completely free internet! Don’t be fooled by the size, this pocket powerhouse has a plethora of features. The Android 2.3 operating system, 3.1-inch TFT capacitive touch screen and accelerometer sensor all combine well to create unrivalled usability and ease of use. Take photos using the 3.15 megapixel camera and share with friends via Bluetooth or simply relax with your favourite sounds using the FM radio and music player.

If that’s too pricey for you, check out the bargain Alcatel OT-355 which costs just £12.99. Light in weight, but not light on features, the Alcatel OT-355 has all you need. Type out quick text messages or emails on the QWERTY keypad and add in a picture taken on the VGA camera. Tune into FM radio with RDS or listen to your own music on the MP3 player. Enjoy function and entertainment with this stylish phone.

Continue Reading

Hi again and welcome to the third instalment of our series on the state of the UK phone market. Today we’re looking at the excessive roaming fees we are made to pay by UK mobile networks and ways you can get caught out while travelling on holiday or even at home. But first, don’t forget to check out all the other articles in the series:

• Part 1: Does the mobile phone industry in the UK need a top-down shakeup? – Contracts and new phones
• Part 2: Does the mobile phone industry in the UK need a top-down shakeup? – Repairs and unlocking
• Part3: Does the mobile phone industry in the UK need a top-down shakeup? – Roaming on holiday
• Part 4: Does the mobile phone industry in the UK need a top-down shakeup? – 4G and mobile data

Are you updating your Facebook status by the pool?

How many times do we go away on holiday and take our smartphones with us? Every time, probably. Do you get home from your holiday and totally forget about the next mobile phone bill landing on your doormat? When the bill arrives you have to look at it twice in disbelief wondering how the bill came to £100s of pounds more than you usually spend. It’s not unheard of for bills after holidays to be in excess of £1000.

You might not think that checking your Facebook status could be so costly. The reason it is expensive because your home networks have struck up a roaming agreement with foreign networks. Your mobile network may well have networks in other countries and you would be forgiven for thinking, for example, that Orange FR (France) would be exactly like Orange UK wouldn’t you? Well it is, but in name only. The similarity ends there; it may appear to be the same network, but it it’s charged differently. So you might have only updated your Facebook status once or twice a day, but if you are away for a couple of week it can mount up.

Did you know that if someone from yhe UK rings you while you are abroad, you will both be charged when the call is connected? The rules differ slightly with text messages. In the case of texts being sent abroad from the UK, or vice versa, the sender pays extra for the text, but they are free for the recipient.

Can I avoid being ripped off when on holiday?

The answer is yes you can. There are a few measures you can take to avoid being ripped off. The first is you can switch off data roaming on your handset, then phone your network and ask them to put a bar on international calls and texts. If you really want to use handset abroad, phone your network and ask about international charges. They may have a network in the country you are visiting. You can also have an international call add-on so you won’t be stung for high charges. Make sure you all your notifications are switched off; things like your email alerts, etc.

If you really have to take your handset on holiday it may be cheaper if you buy a PAYG SIM card for a network in the country you are visiting. Your handset will need to have been unlocked to use a local SIM card. It may be worthwhile investing in a cheap phone on PAYG complete with SIM for the duration of the holiday. You can, of course, use it again if you’re a regular visitor to that country. It might cost you around €50-€60, but it’s cheaper than getting a mobile bill of £100s of pounds. The best way to avoid charges is to either leave your phone at home, or make use of any free wifi hotspots that are available, such as in hotels, coffee shops, etc.

Even if you don’t leave the UK you’re not exempt; it’s possible to be charged roaming while actually being in the UK. But how is this possible? A few years ago some people living on the south easy coast of England near Dover found their phones were picking up an Orange FR (France) instead of Orange UK transmitter. This was because Orange switched off a transmitter in the area and the Orange FR signal was the strongest in the area despite having the English Channel between to the two countries. The distance between England and France is only around 25 miles.

It’s a real problem in Northern Ireland too. Many people who live there can’t get a signal at all, as the nearest cell transmitter for the network is 2 miles away. However, often it is is possible to pick up a transmitter in the Republic of Ireland. This shows that it’s possible to pick up an Irish network when still in the UK. Just to be clear Northern Ireland is in the UK, but the Irish Republic is in Europe – where roaming rates apply.

Continue Reading