Galaxy S4 Zoom to Launch in UK Around July 8th?
Those of you that have been waiting for the Galaxy S4 Zoom in the UK might not have too much longer to wait, as online retailer Clove UK are claiming that their first stock will be in for 8th of July. The device will cost £420 or so with VAT and if you’re unfamiliar with the device, think of a Galaxy S4 Mini grafted onto a point and shoot camera and you’ll get the idea. With a 4.3-inch qHD Display, dual-core CPU and 1.5GB of RAM this is hardly a powerhouse but, the camera is where all the action is. With a 16-megapixel sensor coupled with a 10x optical zoom and Xenon flash. The question is, will anyone buy this?
Vodafone Release 4G Hotspot…Without 4G
When it come to product launches, Vodafone have always released some head-scratchers but this might just be the best one yet. The network is releasing its 4G hotspot some 2 months before their 4G network even goes live. Nevertheless, it’ll still connect to the ageing 3G network as well. The hotspot will connect to 10 devices at one time, feature a 32GB card-reader and pack a 2,800 mAh battery inside. The Vodafone R212 will cost you £39 upfront and then £10 a month thereafter for a brilliant 1GB of data – which will last real well on 4G, right?
Three UK Cleans Up Pay-as-you-Go Tarriffs
Three UK has made some tweaks to their Pay-as-you-go pricing and now it’s just 1p per MB of data (which makes 1GB a tenner), 2p for a text and 3p per minute for phone calls. As well as this, 3 have gone on to say that your credit won’t expire as long as you do at least something with it within 6 months. The change is effective as of now and those that are changed over should have received a neat little text message telling you such. Finally – a network goes back to the good old days when things were simple.
Galaxy Mega 6.3 Now Available from 3 Online and in Stores
The Galaxy Mega 6.3 is one huge smartphone and if you’re on 3 you can now order it online or in store. The device is available on a number of different tariffs and price plans, with the device not costing the earth. However, keep in mind that this is not a Galaxy Note, specs here aren’t too fantastic and there’s no 1080p display just a 720p panel and a dual-core CPU. Still, if you’re looking for a smartphone that’s just bigger, the Mega 6.3 is not a bad choice and 3 say that the device will be compatible with their new LTE network when that goes live – whenever that might be.
EE Expands 4G Offerings; Introduces “Double-Speeds”
If you thought that EE’s LTE was fast now, just wait until you get to test out their new “double-speed” enhancement that should have gone live by now. The “upgrade” promises speeds of up to 80mbps which is probably more than anyone sees at home let alone on the go. The following cities – out of 12 – are included in the rollout: Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Sheffield. We’ve really got to hand it to EE, while it was wrong for Ofcom to let them set up LTE before anyone else, they’ve certainly shown everyone else how it’s done. Come July 17th, the network will be offering shared 4G plans as well, which allows customers to share up to 20GB between devices. Although, that’s not going to be cheap and should come in above £100.
Galaxy Ace 3 Now Available to Pre-Order
The Galaxy Ace 3 might not be much of a head-turner but, like the Original Galaxy Ace and the Ace 2 it does offer a decent device for those not looking to spend masses on a smartphone. It might only come with a 4-inch 480 x 800 display and a dual-core CPU but it does pack a 5MP rear-facing camera as well as Android 4.2.2 and LTE support. If you’re looking to get your hands on the latest budget-offering from Samsung then you should head on over to Clove and pre-order it but, at £240 it’s not exactly the best value out there.
Nook HD and Nook HD+ Tablets Become Best Cheap Tablets on the Market
It might have taken a long time for Barnes and Noble to bring their offerings to the UK but, they’re here now. Not just that but, they’re undergoing a price cut which brings them down to £99 and £149 respectively, for the Nook HD and the Nook HD+. The Nook HD+ in particular is a great buy at £149, with a decent CPU, SD card expansion and a cracking Full HD 9.7-inch IPS display. Now, you can also install the Play Store on these tablets, making these more akin to the Nexus 7 than the Kindle Fire. If you mainly read magazines and books on your tablet but want a little extra then these are great buys here in the UK.
Phones4U Insurers Forced to Pay Millions in Fines for Wrongly Ignoring Complaints
If you’ve been paying for your insurance through Phones4U and you’ve found it difficult to get a claim sorted out, well you’re not alone. The company behind the high-street retailer’s insurance, Policy Administration Services, was found to be wrongly ignoring complaints from customers and has been fined to the tune of £2.8 Million. Compensation has also been paid to 1,438 and if you were someone who had problems claiming then you should definitely dig up a little more info to see how you can get any compensation or at the very least a phone repair or replacement at long last.
Galaxy S4 Mini Now Available on Three UK
Back with Samsung here and the Galaxy S4 Mini is now available to buy both from Three online and in store. It’s available from free all the way down to outright and isn’t too expensive. There are a variety of plans from Three and if you’re in the market for a device that’s not too big, but doesn’t cost the earth then the S4 Mini could well be a great compromise for you.
Sony’s Smartwatch 2 to Ship Week of July 15th; According to Clove
Sony took the covers off of their new Smartwatch last week, and now Clove are telling us that it’ll be available from the week commencing July 15th. Which is pretty strange considering Sony’s own press release said September. Nevertheless, this at least gives us some idea of price, coming in at £120 inc VAT is not too bad for something like this, especially when we consider Sony has improved it a whole lot. To read more about this latest smartwatch, read this.