Orange today announced that it is extending its partnership with Apple to offer new iPad plans for customers in the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Switzerland. The partnership between Orange and Apple, which has already seen iPhone launch with Orange in 30 countries across Europe, Middle East and Africa, will extend later in 2010 with the launch of iPad in additional Orange markets.
Orange UK will offer tailored 3G data plans for iPad Wi-Fi + 3G, from 10th May, and will launch a pre-registration site for SIM’s at Orange.co.uk/iPad. Pay-as-you-consume, daily, weekly and monthly data plans will be available, providing the freedom to choose a type of plan depending on usage.
More after the break.
We mentioned earlier that the iPad is coming to UK shores very shortly, May 28th will be the UK release date, and we now have had the prices confirmed. They are as follows:
£429 (inc. VAT) for 16GB Wi-Fi iPad
£499 (inc. VAT) for 32GB Wi-Fi iPad
£599 (inc. VAT) for 64GB Wi-Fi iPad
£529 (inc. VAT) for 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G iPad
£599 (inc. VAT) for 32GB Wi-Fi + 3G iPad
£699 (inc. VAT) for 64GB Wi-Fi + 3G iPad
As expected we are getting charged a lot more here in the UK than our friends over in the States.
To compare: The 16GB Wi-Fi pad in the States is $499 which equates to £330. Yet we are being charged £429!
The 64GB 3G iPad in the States is $829 which equates to £549. We pay £699.
So I am afraid that if you want an iPad here in the UK you will be ripped off! Why are Apple doing this? I think the answer is because they can.
Posted by: James
Well it looks like the wait is almost over. As you can tell from the headline above, Apple have announced the release date for nine extra countries, including the UK, with pre-orders beginning on May 10th.
The full list of nine is Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.
We still don’t have any idea on prices quite yet, but I’m guessing that that will be obvious in a couple of days.
The full press release is after the break.
The below is a statement released by Sony Ericsson regarding when the X10 will be eligible for an upgrade to Android 2.1
“Thanks for your patience concerning more information about software upgrades.
UXP (UX platform) is the strategic framework for the core of Sony Ericsson’s portfolio. The XperiaT X10 family of phones (XperiaT X10, XperiaT X10 mini and XperiaT X10 mini pro) are the first products to deliver this unique user interface layer to the market. UXP builds on top of the Android OS and brings together a rich graphical user interface, unrivalled service plug-ins and content from external partners to deliver unique consumer propositions such as Sony Ericsson’s signature applications Mediascape and TimescapeT. Through UXP consumers get the best of two worlds, leveraging Sony Ericsson heritage as a leader in communication entertainment and the benefits that the generic Android OS delivers. With UXP Sony Ericsson gives consumers additional value in comparison to generic Android handsets. Sony Ericsson’s strategy is to continue to enrich the UXP layer through software updates.Some examples of user benefits that will be included in the UXP upgrade for XperiaT X10 in Q4 2010 are:
– Upgrade to Android OS version 2.1
– HD video recording as per the same execution as Sony Ericsson VivazT
– Wireless home connectivity via DLNA
– Improvements to signature applications TimescapeT and Mediascape to make them even smarter and richerThe upgrade will be made available to consumers through the update service at www.sonyericsson.com
I do appreciate that the timing for the upgrade above might not meet some of your expectations and that you will have further detailed questions. I will take them onboard reading your comments and address questions as soon as it is possible for me to share further details.
I would also like to emphasise that there will be an additional smaller software update, already in the next couple of weeks aiming to enhance the usability and performance of XperiaT X10. In the next post, I will share more details and precise timings for when this update will be released.
We can also confirm that the XperiaT X10 mini and XperiaT X10 mini pro will be upgraded to Android version 2.1, during Q4 2010.
More details with regards to the specific components of the UXP upgrade will be shared over time through official Sony Ericsson channels including this blog.
Please use our forum to vent your frustration!!!
Posted by: James
Techradar have stolen a march on the rest of us and got the official word from Apple on the iPad price and availability here in the UK.
We already know that it will be available to pre-order on the 10th May but added to this we now know the release date is the 28th May:-
iPad UK pricing
Apple’s suggested retail prices are as follows:
£429 (inc. VAT) for 16GB Wi-Fi iPad
£499 (inc. VAT) for 32GB Wi-Fi iPad
£599 (inc. VAT) for 64GB Wi-Fi iPad
£529 (inc. VAT) for 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G iPad
£599 (inc. VAT) for 32GB Wi-Fi + 3G iPad
£699 (inc. VAT) for 64GB Wi-Fi + 3G iPad
iPad will be sold through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorised Resellers. The iBooks app for iPad including Apple’s iBookstore will be available as a free download from the App Store on 28 May. Full Press Release is here.
Via Tech Radar
Viewsonic are probably best known for their monitors and projectors, but they are expanding their range to also include PC’s.
The VOT120 PC Mini is part of this expanding range and is based on the 1.6GHz Intel® Atom N270 processor that we are familiar with seeing in netbooks, which means huge power savings over a more traditional tower system as well as a smaller form factor.
The Mini is indeed very small – about half the size of an internal CD drive – you can sit it on the desk or attach it to the back of the monitor and you wouldn’t really know it was there.
So let’s put this tiny box through its paces …
The Google Nexus One will be available at Phones 4U from Friday (May 7) via its retail stores and website. It follows Vodafone in stocking the device in the UK.
The device will be available from the retailer for free from £35 per month on a 24-month contract, offering 600 minutes, unlimited texts, 1GB of data and unlimited Wi-Fi.
Phones 4U spokesperson Russell Braterman said: "We’re really proud to be one of the first mobile retailers to stock Google’s Nexus One and we anticipate a rush of customers to be the first to get their hands on the phone."
The big decision to make here is do you get the Nexus One or go for the HTC Desire which is £5 per month cheaper?
The Desire has the added benefits of HTC Sense and the optical track pad but the Google Nexus One will get Google updates straight away.
Now there’s a dilemma!
Posted by: James
Love it or hate it this device is looking more and more real. Thecellguru.com apparently had some further images sent to them by an anonymous tipster.
Looking at the screenshot, to the right, the BlackBerry 9670 is clearly running BlackBerry 6 which is a good sign.
The device is most defiantly not the most attractive handset in the BlackBerry range but I have a sneaking suspicion that there is a market for this phone, particularly in the USA where a lot of clamshell devices are sold.
With still no official word from RIM we will once again have to be patient and wait and see if this device does emerge this year.
Posted by: James
London, 5th May 2010 – BMX enthusiasts from across the globe descended upon Liverpool’s Rampworks this weekend, to kick off the inaugural Sony Ericsson Ride to Glory 2010.
To celebrate Sony Ericsson’s first year as headline sponsor the entrants will be pushed to the limit and have their riding skills tested to the max with a series of new routes, daring stunts and high octaine thrills, culminating in a finale at Cantelowes outdoor skate park in Camden, London on the 8th May.
During this seven-day endurance challenge, thrill-seeking contenders will capture the action live in HD on the feature-packed Sony Ericsson VivazT, and this ground breaking footage will be uploaded daily to the Ride to Glory website – http://rideukbmx.mpora.com/
More after the break.
Back in February Acer announced a number of new smartphones at Mobile World Congress.
Slowly making a name for themselves in the smartphone market. The first two from the range have landed today and are beginning to ship. If these don’t take your fancy, we are sure something else in the range will.
Acer neoTouch P300 is a great productivity tool for the personal or the business user with many features, just a few are:
- Slim and lightweight design
- Windows Mobile 6.5.3, full Microsoft® Exchange support and Office Suite
- 3.2″ touch screen
- Full slide down QWERTY backlit keyboard
- Qualcomm 7225 processor
- 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity built in
- Exclusive Spinlets application provides free streaming of worldwide music and video, that can be shared with friends and family via the web or e-mail.
- Instant access to Windows Market Place
You can read more or place an order for one HERE
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