Womens clothing retailer Topshop plans to launch its Spring/Summer 2003 collection by photo messaging over the Orange network.

Topshops in-house Unique collection will be launched to the press with an MMS photo message campaign this Wednesday (30 October) as part of a digital art exhibition to be held at an art gallery in Camden Town London. The pictures have been taken by celebrated fashion photographer Rankin.

Customers without MMS phones will receive a text message inviting them to view their photo message on the Orange website.

The MMS photo messaging initiative is reckoned to be the first time that a communications company and a fashion retailer have joined forces.

Fashion is all about getting the look first and for consumers to have instant access to the latest trend said an Orange spokesperson.

Topshop brand director Jane Shepherdson added: Topshop is thrilled to be pioneering the use of this new creative medium to launch our Unique collection.

The brand is all about accessibility and spontaneity. The marriage between Topshop and Orange reflects these values.

The digital art exhibition will feature other images taken using photo messaging phones by celebrity contributors including Kate Moss Jo Reynolds Samantha Morton Kate Ashfield and Sofia Kokosalaki.

With Argoss Text & Take Home service customers can use text messaging to check prices and availability and reserve goods. Argos claims it is the first high street retailer to launch such a reservation service through a mobile phone.

A deposit of 20 is refunded when the handset is returned. The service depends on stock availability and the loan mobile offered may not be the same model as the customers own. The free loan scheme follows Link research indicating that being without their mobile is a major concern for customers.

The Link reckons the average UK user misses around four calls and eight text messages each day they are without their mobile. The Link surveyed 400 adult mobile users on their mobile usage habits and discovered a third of respondents make between three and five calls daily with 31 per cent sending the same number of text messages. One in ten made up to 20 calls per day and one in four sent the same number of messages.

The Link says UK mobile retailers normally only offer loan mobiles as part of an extended warranty package or for a fee – often around 1 per day. Customers using The Links loan service will keep their SIM card.

Customers are increasingly reluctant to hand over a faulty mobile for repair. Its as if weve asked them to hand over their credit card. By providing a loan phone were helping to soften the blow said The Links managing director Nick Wood.

The site samsungmobile.com is the manufacturers response to ClubNokia and is live across the UK Germany France Italy and Spain.

It offers downloadable ringtones content graphics and Java games. Non-Samsung owners can become members and receive free SMS messages and e-cards as well as product information on the Samsung phone range and its online games.

Loyalty points can be earned and swapped for ringtones games colour images and software. Owners of Samsung handsets automatically receive 300 points.

It is about helping customers understand their handsets better said Samsung content manager Imogen ORourke.

ORourke is looking to have 50000 UK members by the end of the year and 250000 across Europe.

This range of seasonal fascias from Lazer XS incorporates a flashing LED in the design which lights up when there is an incoming call or text message. Festive.

Aimed at helping networks spice up their SIM card designs the Clear Card is like a normal credit card-sized SIM but with a protective film overlay.

The cards are available in several colours enabling a wide variety of images and see-through effects to be used.

Digital Bridges started out with simpler games such as hangman and anagram and has since added branded titles.

Well he did when he went to the Carphone Warehouse ball on October 12 along with thousands of other revellers in various stages of Schooldays fancy dress under the strict tutelage of headmaster Dunstone (see inset).

Nokias network operator customers will then be able to brand the services individually.

MMS is already taking the industry by storm said Esa Harju director of strategic marketing for Nokia Networks. Weve already seen strong growth in markets like Italy where in the first two weeks of service more than 180000 MMS messages were sent. We want to see this happen in all markets and with all our customers; this agreement with IMG is just one example of the initiatives we are taking.

Mark Selby head of IMGs mobile division commented: With MMS we see a major opportunity to create rich media services that deliver the emotion of sport. This global project with Nokia provides an ideal opportunity to explore the potential of rich media services with mobile operators.

He added that IMGs analysis of mobile user behaviour patterns indicated that MMS offers a major opportunity for new rich media.

Nokia says the Essential Sports project will enable Nokia and IMG to gather experience in the successful delivery of multi-media content to sports fans.

IMG was founded by Mark McCormack in the early 1960s. The company claims to be the worlds premier sports management and marketing agency with an international staff of more than 2500 across 32 countries. Its television division produces and distributes 6000 hours of programming a year.

In the six months to the end of June there were 415000 new connections.

The proportion of contract customers rose from 28.6 per cent to 31 per cent on the previous 12 months.

Rolling blended ARPU (ie the mix of pre-pay and contract users) increased for a second consecutive quarter. This time it was up from 247 to 252. Annual average revenue from contract users went from 548 in March to 555 in June. The pre-pay average increased from 121 to 122 over the same period.

Text messages and other data services contributed 13.9 per cent of GSM network revenues a growth of 4.3 per cent over the past year.

Over half of our network investment is integrating 2.5G and 3G capabilities. We are on track for our planned 3G launches said Orange chief operating officer Graham Howe.