Mobile Network Comparison

Android was first released in Sepember 2008 by internet search engine giant, Google. The premise would be that all versions would be open source and available to any developers free but phone and tablet manufacturers had to pay for a licence to put the Android operating system on to their devices. The problem with Android is that there’s far too many versions and too many devices, some devices are high powered and some are very low powered, and sometimes the device manufacturers release a phone or tablet but don’t put out updates. meaning that the phone or tablet will stay on that version unless the network or phone manufacturers release official updates.

There is also a very thriving ROM development scene on forums such as Modaco, XDA, where developers release unofficial custom ROMs to work of specific phones and tablets, the custom ROMs often work better and are stripped down to the bare bones where operator logos and bloatware is removed freeing up the phone’s internal memory.

Android versions to date:

1.5 Cupcake (April 2009)
1.6 Donut (September 2009)
2.1 Eclair (October 2009)
2.2 Froyo (May 2010)
2.3 Gingerbread (December 2010)
3.1 Honeycomb (Tablets only) (February 2011)
4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich ( October 2011)

As you can see it was very fast paced. There were earlier versions such as 1.0 which was released on a specific device and wasn’t available generally.

Android is going toe-to-toe with other operating systems such as Apple’s iOS, but the latter is a lot more restricted. As with the iOS which has its App Store, Android also has an app store called Android Market which has just been renamed to Google Play. Unlike Apple’s apps market, most of the apps in the Google Play market are free with ads.

Have you been surprised with a ridiculous mobile phone bill after returning from a trip to Europe? Do you think that the roaming charges your mobile network forces you to pay our way over the top? Well there is great news from the European Parliament which is expected to approve a new deal on EU roaming rules this May. If everything goes well, last year’s European commission proposal will come into force on 1 July 2012.

The new rules will introduce a price cap for wholesale and retail roaming costs that will be ratcheted down over the coming years. This will ensure that there is a limit on the price you have to pay when roaming abroad in the EU and will massively reduce phone bills for most people travelling in Europe. There will be more competition in the roaming market and the prices will steadily be coming down from the current high prices because of this.

Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice President for the Digital Agenda, said:

Consumers are fed up with being ripped off by high roaming charges. The new roaming deal gives us a long-term structural solution, with lower prices, more choice and a new smart approach for data and Internet browsing. The benefits will be felt in time for the summer break – and by summer 2014, people can shop around for the best deal.

Part of the deal will allow customers to pick and choose which mobile network they want to roam on when they enter a foreign country. This means that there will be more competition between the various providers to offer the lowest rates. Because the European Union has approach this problem from the ground up, the very core of the market will change which results in better prices for everyone. These rules will safeguard low prices for consumers until at least 30 June 2017.

The current price caps with VAT for consumers are €0.35 per minute for outgoing calls and €0.35 per minute or receive calls and send SMS messages. There is currently no cap at all on data roaming and with the rise of smart phones, this is easily most to blame for the ridiculous phone bills some people get after coming back from holiday.

After 1 July 2012, the roaming costs will start to come down significantly. Before VAT, SMS messages will be only €0.09 to send, incoming calls will be only be €0.08 per minute and outgoing calls will come down to just €0.29 per minute. And finally, there will be a cap on data roaming charges of €0.70 per MB.

By 1 July 2014, the mobile internet charge will be down to only €0.20 per MB and outgoing calls will fall to €0.19 per minute while incoming calls will be only €0.05 per minute. Texts will be a very reasonable €0.06 each. These rulings will go a long way to reducing bill shock when using smart phones abroad. Another new piece of legislation will mean that people travelling outside the EU will get a warning message when they’re nearing €50 of data downloads or a different preagreed level so that they don’t unexpectedly run up massive phone bills.

Please see the tables below for the full range of price caps over the next few years and pleased as know what you think about this new announcement.

Retail pricing (ex. VAT)

Wholesale pricing

Today marks a week since the release of Apple’s new iPad also known as the iPad 3. After you get over marvelling at the glorious retina display screen, you’ll suddenly realise how important it is to keep it in pristine condition. The last thing you want is for your shiny new iPad to get scuffed or scratched!

We’ve spent the last few days testing out a variety of covers and cases for the iPad 3 and have narrowed down the very best ones on the market. If you’re lucky enough to have a brand new iPad, check out our reviews below to decide which case would be best for you.

G-HUB Genius iPad 3 Cover

Was £16.99 Now £9.99

The G-HUB genius case is made of red leather and has a magnetic foldable cover that can be turnt into a stand for the iPad with ease; this makes it very portable. It is also rather well made for its price.

It also comes with a G-HUB Stylus. The leather is well cut and will probably hold together for a long time with a little bit of care.

 

iTALK ProGel Frosted Transparent Generation case

Only £6.95

This case is tricky to get on, but once on, it does its job surprisingly well, at a low price. It cancels out the slippery surface of the gorgeous back of the ipad meaning you’re much less likely to drop it so it smashes on the floor. It’s also compatible with the genuine iPad cover.

The material is made of silicon, but feels more like a flexible kind of plastic; it feels very good to the touch, and looks good too. And as an added bonus it doesn’t seem to smudge as much as most protective covers like this do.

For such a low price this is definitely a good buy and, although simple, it does its job perfectly. It also comes with a stand so you can prop it up to watch films or TV shows.

 

SD Tabletwear iPad 3 case

Only £5.95

The case includes two screen protectors, a car charger, and a stylus pen. Like many cases, the cover flips back to be used as a stand. And although simply made, the case feels good, and gives you the satisfaction of knowing your iPad will be extra safe. The case fits the iPad with ease and all the buttons are lined up correctly with the holes on the cases.

The stylus isn’t too great, and the car charger has been made merely to do its job, but for £5.95 this is most definitely a great buy.

 

KAVAJ “Berlin” leather iPad 3 case

Was £49.90 Now £44.90

The KAVAJ case is once again made of leather, and is certainly very well made. The cover flips back in different ways to create a stand at different angles – this makes using the iPad much more efficient, as you can stand it up to an angle suited to your own liking.

The case comes in two versions, “Berlin” and “London” but the Berlin one is much better. Even though it doesn’t come with a stylus, a stylus holder on the side of the case or pocket on the front which could be used for storing paper etc, it’s much less bulky and also £5 cheaper. We recommend it.

 

Snugg iPad 3 Case

Was £39.99 Now £29.99

This case is made simply of leather, but has a hand strap which makes using the iPad when walking far easier, and can even be strapped to the back of a car seat to keep the kids entertained on a long car journey.

The cover of the case can also flip back and be used as a stand, although the leather catch can get a bit loose if not looked after properly so you do need to be a little more careful than with other cases.