News - 7 - Mobile News

Xiaomi and Leica Launch New Institute for Mobile Imaging Advancements

Xiaomi and Leica Camera AG have unveiled the Xiaomi x Leica Optical Institute which aims to integrate optical technology with digital imaging and AI to produce the next generation of mobile photography. Xiaomi willprovide robust R&D support for the Institute. Currently, three major laboratories are planned in Beijing, with focuses on Camera Hardware, Imaging, and

February 19, 2024

Government pushes for nationwide ban on mobile phones in schools

The Government has has announced it is pushing for a sweeping prohibition on mobile phones in schools across the country in a bid to curb distractions and foster a safer learning environment. Under the new guidelines, schools have been instructed to implement stringent measures to enforce the ban effectively. Options include requiring students to hand

February 19, 2024

Virgin Media O2 sets up new fibre network subsidierary to challenge BT Openreach

Virgin Media O2 and its shareholders Liberty Global and Telefónica are to challenge BT Openreach with their own net network company called NetCo to build fibre network infrastructure. The venture is ley to Virgin Media O2’s ambitious plan to upgrade 16 million homes across the UK to full fibre as a major competitor to BT’s

February 16, 2024

Virgin Media O2 2023 figures show mobile base now at 24 million customers

Virgin Media O2 now has 24 million mobile subscribers on both contract and pre-paid deals. The mobile base last year increased by 46,600 contract customers and 211,200 IoT and wholesale connections. The converged fixed-mobile Volt bundles also saw growth, with 1.9 million customers opting for these services. The company invested over £2 billion in 2023

February 16, 2024

Lyca Mobile appoints ex-Vodafone and EE executives to leadership team

MVNO Lyca Mobile has hired ex-Vodafone Group executive Nikos Paraskevopoulos (main pic left) as its new group chief financial officer and ex-BT and Plusnet executive Ketan Hindocha (right) as group director of customer care. These appointments are part of Lyca Mobile’s recent efforts by CEO Richard Schäfer to strengthen its executive team, which also saw

February 15, 2024

Virgin Media O2 hits a century on the Shared Rural Network

Virgin Media O2 has installed its 100th site under the £1 billion Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme. The SRN initiative is a partnership between the Government and mobile network operators aimed at extending 4G coverage to 95 per cent of the UK by the end of next year.. Nearly 80 of the sites are in

February 14, 2024

Revolut and 1Global launch eSIM service to eight million UK Revolut customers

Unicorn fintech Revolut has partnered with 1Global to launch an eSIM service to millions of Revolut customers offering data plans without unexpected roaming charges in over 100 countries. 1Global is the new brand for Truphone, The partnership allows Revolut customers to install the eSIM and top up their data plans in their Revolut app whenever

February 13, 2024

Virgin Media O2 users to get free AI spam-busting help through Hiya partnership

Virgin Media O2 has partnered with with fraud call prevention company Hiya to give the network’s customers free AI-powered spam-fighting tools and advanced caller identification services across its network to protect against fraud. The initiative uses Hiya’s Adaptive AI technology to flag suspected spam calls or and block fraudulent ones, by preempting potential fraud before

February 12, 2024

Mobile News Awards 2024 Judges Select Finalists

Finalists for this year’s Mobile News Awards. are announced, Thirteen mobile industry experts spent a day reviewing a total of 97 entries across 21 categories (below). Congratulations to all the Finalists (below). Winners will receive their trophies at a black-tie Gala dinner at The London Hilton on Park Lane on March 6 attended by more

February 12, 2024

Twig man branches out to greener pastures at Mazuma

Ex-Mobi Market co-founder and Twig executive Emeka Nwadike has joined Mazuma Mobile as head of commercial. His new role at Mazuma is to support the business both domestically and to lead expansion into Europe said managing director, Craig Smith. He moves from Twig which is being wound down after its latest finance round failed to

February 10, 2024

Likewize checks in with high-flying airport experience organisation

Likewize and airport experience company DragonPass have teamed up to offer Likewize’s device insurance and support services to its members. The collaboration is aimed at providing travellers with tech support and travel benefits in one package, accessed via digital devices. Likewize customers will now have access to over 700 airport lounges worldwide and other DragonPass

February 8, 2024

Mobile News ‘Circular Summit’ is catalyst for new industry committee to establish grading standards of used devices

Mobile News’ Circular Summit conference held last November has facilitated the establishment of a UK Circular Standards Committee to oversee agreed standards of quality for the sale of used devices. Leading figures from VMO2, GiffGaff, EE, Vodafone, Three, PhoneCheck, eBay, BackMarket, CCS Insights, Currys, and Music Magpie have already joined the committee,following a presentation at Circular

February 6, 2024

GK Telecom launches eSIM 7-day unlimited data plans with Olympics in mind

GK Telecom has introduced a new range of 7-day unlimited eSIM plans targeted at people attending major sporting events such as Paris Olympics 2024, expos in Dubai and Qatar and the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup USA. The seven-day plans aim to provide reliable internet in over 200 countries, helping travellers stay connected without

February 6, 2024

Vodafone UK added 18,000 contract mobile customers in last quarter

Vodafone UK has reported a 5.2 per cent increase in service revenue in its latest quarterly financial update, demonstrating strong performance across both its Consumer and Business segments. The mobile sector witnessed an addition of 18,000 contract customers, attributed to robust seasonal trading and an improvement in consumer contract retention by 0.8 percentage points year-on-year.

February 5, 2024

GK Telecom boss wins UK Business Leader Award for ad strategies

GK Telecom MD Ravi Navaratnam has been awarded the UK Business Leader Award for Best Business Leader in Marketing and Advertising for 2024 in the UK Business Awards This award acknowledges individuals in the marketing and advertising sector who have made notable contributions through innovation and effective strategies. Navaratnam was selected for helping to improve

February 2, 2024

Virgin Media O2 and Tesco renew 20-year partnership MVNO for another decade

Virgin Media O2 and Tesco Plc have renewed their Tesco Mobile joint venture for another 10 years to continue the partnership which has been in place for 20 years. Tesco Mobile now has a customer base of over 5.5 million users. Lutz Schüler, CEO of Virgin Media O2, commented “ “We have enjoyed great success

January 31, 2024

100 staff hit by Bullitt firings – “the founders let us down”.

Rugged handset specialist Bullitt Group has gone into administration with the loss of 100 jobs after a critical planned restructuring failed. Mobile News understands 100 staff were let go on Friday after the plan to move them across to a new company failed, and that none of them had been paid for two months. The

January 29, 2024

CMA starts its investigation into Vodafone and Three merger

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has started its Phase 1 investigation into Vodafone UK’s joint venture agreement with Three UK to combine the companies’ telecommunications operations under one single network provider. The CMA must assess the potential impact of a merger on competition. It cannot consider other potential effects, such as national security concerns,

January 26, 2024

First phase of CMA probe into proposed Vodafone and Three merger expected to begin soon

The Competition and Markets Authority wlll soon begin the first phase of its probe into the planned merger of Vodafone and Three. Ahmed Essam, CEO of Vodafone UK?, said: “We have formally submitted our Merger Notice to the CMA, having worked with them closely through the pre-notification process. “We look forward to continuing the constructive

January 25, 2024

OPPO and Nokia settle longstanding 5G patents battle

OPPO and Nokia have settled their legal dispute over the alleged unauthorised use of unlicensed 5G patents by OPPO. The two companies have agreed to a global patent cross-license agreement, encompassing standard-essential patents in 5G and other cellular communication technologies. As a result of this agreement, all pending litigation in various jurisdictions will be resolved.

January 24, 2024

Fónua completes integration of Bluechipworld after 2022 acquisition

Fónua has completed the integration of Bluechipworld Sales and Marketing Limited (BCW) following the Fónua acquisition of Bluechipworld 18 months ago. Bluechipworld’s facilities in Cannock are now Fónua’s UK Head Office. Bluechipworld was established in 2009 to design technology, audio, and mobile accessories. It managed licensed brands such as MiTEC, iT7 Audio, SilverLabel, iCandy, Keplar,

January 22, 2024

EU cops swoop on used phone £16 million marginal VAT fraudsters

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has carried out 25 raids in six countries targeting a suspected £16 million VAT fraud involving used mobile phones imported from Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United States. The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It?is responsible for investigating, prosecuting

January 19, 2024

A Galaxy S24 not so far far away

London’s skyline was lit up by a huge hovering spaceship last evening made up of hundreds of illuminated drones. More than 550 drones and took an awestruck audience on a journey through the solar system with a series of colourful celestial scenes above Canary Wharf. The mysterious spectacle wasorchestrated by Samsung to celebrate the landing

January 18, 2024

Qualcomm and Samsung kickstart the race for AI dominance in smartphones

Samsung has launched the new Galaxy S24 Ultra,Galaxy S24 Plus and S24 with Snapdragon’s 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform chip. This integrates Galaxy AI with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy said to offer improved performance and energy efficiency. Chris Patrick, Senior Vice President and General Manager of mobile handset at Qualcomm Technologies said

January 17, 2024

Lyca Mobile reinforces top team with new COO and Country Manager hirings.

Lyca Mobile has appointed Lawrence Corbett (main pic left) as the new Group Chief Operating Officer and James McQuillan as the UK and Ireland Country Manager. Their arrival follows the appointment of Richard Schafer as Group CEO last June. “We are poised to challenge established operators. Lawrence and James, with their impressive backgrounds, are invaluable

January 17, 2024

Vodafone to invest £1.18bn in 10-year Microsoft partnership to combine AI and IoT expertise

Vodafone and Microsoft have joined forces in a 10-year collaboration partnership to develop a new AI and IoT connectivity platform and revamping Vodafone’s global data centre cloud strategy. Vodafone will invest £1.18 billion over the next decade in cloud and customer-focused AI services developed with Microsoft. Microsoft will use Vodafone’s fixed and mobile connectivity services.

January 16, 2024

Cellhire appoints Vodafone IoT leader Tony Guerion as CEO

International mobile comms connectivity provider Cellhire has appointed former Vodafone IoT sales chief Tony Guerion as its new CEO. Guerion has more than 27 years of experience in the communications industry. He joined Vodafone in 2010 and become Global Head of Sales for IoT in 2016. Cellhire provides mobile communications, M2M/IoT services and data connectivity

January 15, 2024

Focus Group buys NHS England-approved comms supplier RPM Communications

Focus Group has acquired RPM Communications which sells cloud-based telephony to the healthcare sector. The move bolsters the growth of Focus’ specialist healthcare division Think Healthcare which is an approved supplier to NHS RPM Communications and is also a preferred supplier to NHS England. “When the opportunity arose to further enhance our capabilities and bolster

January 12, 2024

Focus buys NHS England-approved comms supplier RPM Communications

Focus Group has acquired RPM Communications which sells cloud-based telephony to the healthcare sector. The move bolsters the growth of Focus’ specialist healthcare division Think Healthcare which is an approved supplier to NHS RPM Communications and is also a preferred supplier to NHS England. “When the opportunity arose to further enhance our capabilities and bolster

January 12, 2024

Ex Head of Samsung and Vodafone Enterprise Zoe Pullen Joins Lease Group as Head of Corporate

Hove-based equipment and technology financier Lease Group has appointed of Zoe Pullen, Head of Corporate, to support its resellers selling to PLCs and the public sector. Pullen, previously Head of Enterprise for Samsung and Vodafone, will be heading up Lease Group’s Corporate division following an increase in demand for flexible funding solutions in the supply

January 11, 2024

Bullitt Group set to close and move satellite message service to new company

Ruggedised handset company Bullitt Group is set to go into voluntary administration according to a report in the Telegraph. The Telegraph reported that Bullitt’s satellite connectivity business and 100 employees would be transferred to a new company owned by its creditors. A source close to the company told Mobile News that it was not surprising

January 9, 2024

Samsung Electronics UK appoints ex-Nike and Amazon heavy hitter as first chief customer officer,

Samsung Electronics UK has appointe ex-Nike and Amazon executive Deborah Honig as its first-ever Chief Customer Officer. She spent the first part of her career as a management consultant at McKinsey where she was part of the consumer practice and advised global businesses on strategy, marketing and commercial leadership. Honig has worked for Nike, Amazon,

January 9, 2024

BT innovation arm Etc to trial conversion of street cabinets into EV charging points

Etc., the startup and digital incubation arm of BT Group, has unveiled plans to convert street cabinets into electric vehicle charging stations. A series of technical trials will investigate the conversion of up to 60,000 cabinets across the UK to receive the shortage of charging points on UK roads. There are only 53,000 public EV

January 8, 2024

Nokia and Honor confirm 5G patent license agreement

Nokia and Honor have signed a new patent cross-license agreement covering both manufacturers’ fundamental 5G inventions and other cellular technologies. Nokia says it has invested more than €140 billion invested in research and development over the last 23 years since 2000 to develop around 20,000 patent families. These include 6,000 patent families essential to 5G.

January 4, 2024

Doro MD Peter Marsden vacates MD seat to run new direct-to-consumer division

Doro UK and Ireland MD Peter Marsden is heading up a new Doro direct-to-consumer division, He has been replaced as MD by senior channel account manager Ben Crompton. Crompton has 20 years’ experience in the mobile industry and has worked at Orange and BlackBerry. He joined Doro in 2019 and will be working to expand

January 3, 2024

London Mayor again demands mobile phone vendors make devices less desirable to steal as knife crime soars

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has again blamed mobile phone manufacturers for the 35 per cent rise in knife crime in London. When challenged by Mark Austin of Sky News on why knife crime is on the rise in the capital, Khan said: “The biggest personal robbery is of mobile phones. We know 20 or

January 2, 2024

Phones4U collusion trial racks up £106 million in legal costs

Administrators launch battle to slash networks’ lEGAL COSTS The administrators of Phones4U face a staggering legal bill of £77.2 million from the networks they sued in addition to their own costs of around £29 million. This arises from Phones4U’s unsuccessful four-month trial during its administration, where they claimed all the mobile networks colluded to push

December 26, 2023

Reports about BT penalties for missing Huawei equipment-removal deadline “premature”

Reports that BT is facing massive fines for not meeting the deadline to remove Huawei equipment from its core network appear to be premature.

December 21, 2023

Nokia sells device management business to Lumine for £160 million

Nokia is selling its Device Management and Service Management Platform businesses to Lumine Group for £160 million.

December 20, 2023

Device-to-device 5G and broadband satcomms services poised for growth in 2024 – analysis

Next year will see many more device-to-device satcoms services says Peter Kibutu,Advanced Technology Lead at 5G satellite consultancy TTP There will be further partnerships between terrestrial network providers, which own most of the desirable spectrum and have access to a large subscriber base, and non-terrestrial providers. These joint ventures will tackle rural and remote black

December 20, 2023

Virgin Media O2 upgrades rural 4G to help SMEs with cashless sales

Virgin Media O2 is upgrading its 4G network and rolling out of new 5G services across 55,000 rural postcodes.

December 20, 2023

iPhone 15 line-up now covered by Apple’s Self-Repair programme

Apple has expanded its Self Service Repair program to include the iPhone 15 lineup and M2-powered computers. The service is now available in 24 additional European countries, including Croatia, Denmark, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Switzerland. This expansion supports 35 Apple products across 33 countries and is available in 24 languages. Apple Diagnostics for Self

December 18, 2023

Saascoms lands Innovation award for call centre support software

Contact centre software specialists Saascoms has won a National Innovation Award for Online Self-Service Experience for its Omnireach call centre conversational software.

December 18, 2023

Google Pixel Fold heads league table of expensive device repair costs

The Google Pixel Fold is the most expensive phone to repair with an eyewatering bill of £1,177 at for a full repair including new screen and battery replacement

December 18, 2023

Most businesses ignorant about analogue phone switch off – Gamma report

A third of UK businesses are still ignorant abut the discontinuation of the pubic switched network and chage to VoIP scheduled to take place by December 2025.

December 15, 2023

Rob Orr is new Virgin Media O2 Chief Operating Officer as Gareth Turpin leaves the company

Virgin Media O2 chief commercial officer Rob Orr (main pic) has taken over as chief operating officer to replace Gareth Turpin who has left the business.

December 15, 2023

Honor drives Porsche Design to create new premium smartphones

HONOR has commissioned Porsche Design to help create high-end smartphones. The first jointly-developed smart device will be unveiled next month in China. The Porsche subsidiary has created designs for premium devices for about 15 years including models from BlackBerry and Huawei. “HONOR is the perfect brand partner to drive innovation and combine exceptional design and

December 14, 2023

Alchemy opens offices in Dubai and Miami

Dublin-based circular technology company Alchemy, has opened new offices in Dubai and Miami which it says will give it the capacity to process another one million devices annually. The company says it has now processed more than five million devices globally for a second life. Alchemy offers device warehousing, device triage and grading, reverse solutions

December 14, 2023