Mobiles2day – Mobile Industry News

According to telegraph.co.uk british mobile giant Vodafone will be carrying exclusive on next HTC-made Android powered handset, named G2.

First generation G1 phones were sold exclusively by T-Mobile in UK and so far failed to attract large number of customers.

The second generation Google phone, apparently called the HTC Magic, reportedly boasts a 3.2 megapixel camera, WiFi, and a built-in GPS receiver, which already present in G1.

Other handset manufacturers are rumoured to be working on their own Android driven handset, but we have not heard any firm dates on releases so far. Android presense on Mobile World Congress this week has been weak as well.

Samsung had been expected to launch an Android-based phone in Barcelona this week, but executives have conceded that the phone will be delayed until later this year.

The exclusive deal to supply the G2 will provide a significant boost to Vodafone as it battles Apple’s dominance of the smartphone market.

O2 announced its plans to enter the laptop market with a promise to couple market-leading home and mobile broadband with impressive devices and excellent customer service. With laptop sales expected to reach 9-10 million devices in 20091, O2 is ranging Samsung laptops to create exclusive packages that will give customers everything they need to be more connected, with minimum fuss and hassle.O2 will introduce three new Pay Monthly deals, available online and at its 490 stores nationwide, on 27 February 2009. With broadband bundles set to take a large proportion of the overall laptop market within three years, O2 is entering this market in a strong position with an all-round package that will meet the consumer needs of style, substance, staying power, service and security head-on.

O2 CEO, Ronan Dunne, highlighted the great opportunity presented by the market today:

“We all want to be better connected at all times and the substantial and continued growth in the laptop market is symptomatic of this desire. Laptops are rapidly eroding the desktop PC market and at the same time, the emergence of the mini-laptop has opened up a whole new market for ultra-portable devices – one that is expected to more than double in size in 2009 alone.

“To date, the subsidised laptop market has received some bad press due to poor equipment and frustrating customer service experiences. O2 is stepping into the market with a promise to turn this around by taking a holistic approach to the product offer. Our package ticks every box when it comes to the main purchase drivers in the market, which in turn means we are taking away the “worry-factor” involved in buying a laptop.”

O2’s laptop package is designed to give customers everything they want at a price that they will love:

· Style – Samsung’s NC10 mini-laptop and R510 laptop models combine great design with looks for the ultimate in laptop style.

· Substance – with strong specifications and great performance, Samsung’s NC10 mini-laptop and R510 model deliver on functionality too.

· Staying Power – Samsung’s solid specifications deliver staying power and assure customers that their choice of device will meet their computing needs for years to come, rather than just months.

· Service – Recognising the ‘worry factor’ that many consumers have when looking to buy a laptop, O2 will offer customers expert sales advice to meet their needs. This includes O2 Laptop Support at no additional cost for a limited period to help get them up and running, with a chargeable option to extend this cover, O2 Assistant software to allow computers to be fixed remotely and award-winning UK based customer service. In addition O2 is offering a 30-day Happiness Guarantee on all laptops and an extended two-year warranty on all devices at no extra cost.

· Security – McAfee software to ensure customers feel secure online.

“The growth in the laptop market is clear to see and we want to be a part of it. But we want to ensure that our customers get a better experience, not just when they buy the package but throughout the duration of their contract with us. Our two year warranty and 30-day Happiness Guarantee are market leading and show our continued commitment to providing great service,” adds Dunne.

“Our bundle packages, unique amongst those currently on the market, provide customers with everything they need and we are confident they will move people away from traditional laptop providers and into our stores.”

Customers can purchase O2’s new laptop packages at any of the 490 stores across the UK or by visiting online shop at www.o2.co.uk from 27 February 2009.

Source: O2 Press Release

Orange announced the launch of a £7 million above-the-line marketing campaign for Orange Wednesdays. The campaign is designed to promote the 2-for-1 cinema tickets deal available every Wednesday to all Orange mobile and broadband customers as the fifth anniversary of Orange Wednesdays approaches. Starting on 6th February with the first airing of the TV ad, the campaign will also appear across cinema, radio, press and outdoor.The Orange Wednesdays advert, created for TV and cinema by Fallon is shot documentary style and tells the heart-warming story of The Wicked Witch of the West from the timeless classic The Wizard of Oz, who now lives a less wicked life in rural England, enjoying a trip to the cinema with her friend, Vicki. The quirky friendship between The Witch and Vicki brings to life the pleasure of sharing the cinema experience with friends. James Corden of Gavin and Stacey fame provides the voice-over for the ad.

The campaign is the next evolution of the ‘I am’ campaign and reinforces the importance of relationships, underpinning Orange’s ‘Together We Can Do More’ vision.

Justin Billingsley, Director of Brand Marketing, Orange UK said: “Orange Wednesdays has been a huge success for us over the last five years. The campaign brings to life what Orange Wednesdays has delivered for millions of our customers: the enjoyment of sharing a trip to the cinema with friends. Our customers love us for this, so this campaign is about reminding customers about Orange Wednesdays and making sure that all our customers, whether they are Pay Monthly, Pay As You Go or Broadband, take advantage of this great deal.”

The above-the-line campaign follows the successful re-launch of Orange’s film portal last week which puts Orange Wednesday at the heart of the new film site. The new film portal, designed by the internal team, Poke and IMP Media not only lets you organise your Orange Wednesdays but is a great place to go to check out film trailers, news stories, celebrity interviews and peer reviews on the hottest new films. The site also offers opportunities for advertisers who want to align their brand with film. www.orange.co.uk/film

Orange has also signed a deal with PizzaExpress to offer Orange Wednesdays customers the chance to get a 2-for-1 deal at PizzaExpress for the next 6 months. All you need to do is simply text ‘film’ to 241 from your Orange mobile to get your cinema tickets, then head to orange.co.uk/orangewednesdays to download your PizzaExpress 2 for 1 meal deal voucher – including a choice of either free garlic bread or dough balls.

Source: Orange Press Office

Nokia’s first touch screen handset is now available for sale in UK. On 23rd January official sales started, more than 150 customers queued outside the Nokia Flagship Store on London’s Regent Street to be among the first to own the device.

This handset was released last year in several countries, mostly outside EU. Sales proved to be very successful and Nokia already shipped more than 1 million of these handsets in countries where it was launched.

Phone now appeared as coming soon on T-Mobile website, so if you are looking to get this handset and with T-Mobile, you can probably get this as your next upgrade handset.

 Last weekend T-Mobile launched “Life is for sharing” campaign with this creative ad where hundreds of people are dancing in Liverpool Street station. advertising company, Saatchi & Saatchi filmed an advert for T-Mobile using hidden TV cameras at London’s Liverpool Street station.

If you haven’t seen this ad yet, please see video from youtube below.