iPhone 4S Queue Update #2 (night time)

As the night draws closer, it looks like my two buddies Craig & Dan are in for a wet night. Hopefully the warm glow from the Apple Store windows will keep their spirits up.

I personally find it amazing that Craig & Dan are enduring a long long wait to get their hands on this exciting device. I wonder what Siri would say if they had it now. "Siri we are queueing up all week to buy the iPhone 4S, what do you think of that?"

Siri… 1.You are mad. 2.You are truly dedicated. or simply 3.The weather will be wet and windy in London.

iPhone 4S Queue Starts in London

With a little under a week to go until we can get an iPhone 4S in our hands, the queue has started. Two of my buddies are already outside the Apple Store in Regent Street London. Wow, this is really amazing, the dedication to getting the latest and greatest Apple device can only be commended. If you find yourself in the area, give them a shoutout and a cuppa tea ;)

Please also follow them on Twitter @flawlessfox and @Daniel277

Apple iPhone 4S Pre-order First Batch Sells Out

The new Apple iPhone 4S went on sale today at around 8:40am in the UK. People raced to get their orders in early and the process seemed to go extremely well. My own personal order took literally twenty seconds. It seem that now the first batch of stock for delivery on and around the 14th October has now sold out. Apple's online store is now quoting a dispatch time of 1-2 weeks.

On another note, I have published a video on this link, detailing the UK & US pricing and some important links that might save you some money on your mobile phone purchases. Cashback might not apply to all orders, but save those links under the video for future use too.

Apple Store UK http://quid.co/XA4VJ
Apple Edu Store UK http://quid.co/aKdNR
Vodafone coming http://quid.co/MAZje
Vodafone Business http://quid.co/ghfzt
Orange http://quid.co/E66vQ
T-Mobile UK http://quid.co/wl3Yu
T-Mobile UK Business http://quid.co/Q3jY6
O2 http://quid.co/udbSY
Three http://quid.co/6EPgG

Apple iPhone 4S UK Pricing

Apple revealed the iPhone 4S yesterday, but they did not tell us the UK pricing for various capacities. However, they did put the prices in their iOS app. See the picture below for what the new 4S is going to cost you.

Samsung Galaxy Note gets UK Launch Date

Following the recent global launch at IFA, Samsung has today announced that the latest device to join its Galaxy range, the Galaxy Note, will be available in the UK on 17^th November 2011. 

Simon Stanford, Managing Director, Mobile, Samsung UK and Ireland said: “We’re delighted with the overwhelming reception the Galaxy Note has received since it was announced earlier this month and are looking forward to offering Samsung customers a whole new smartphone experience. The Galaxy Note is a great example of Samsung’s passion for innovation by bringing to market a brand new category of mobile products. It is our fastest handset to date and brings together all the benefits of our award-winning smartphone technology and services.”

The Galaxy Note combines the benefits of a notebook with the portability of a smartphone. Thanks to its 5.3” HD Super AMOLED screen, the largest, highest quality display available in any phone, consumers can view movies, photos, and documents, as well as play games on the device with crystal-clear clarity.

Not only that, an advanced pen-input technology called the S Pen and a full touch screen mean owners of the Galaxy Note can easily create and consume more content whilst on the go, with minimum scrolling and screen transitions. With a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, the Galaxy Note is Samsung’s fastest handset to date, combined with HSPA+ enabled super-fast connection means there’s immediate access to content and increased download speeds for streaming videos in real-time or chatting with friends online.

The Samsung Galaxy Note will be available in the UK across major networks, key high street and out of town electrical retailers and online.

HTC Explorer AFFORDABLE smartphone unveiled

HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today unveiled HTC Explorer, its most affordable smartphone and the latest addition to its global portfolio of devices. HTC Explorer brings an advanced smartphone experience to first time smartphone customers.  With a curved and compact design, a 3.2” HVGA touchscreen and 3MP camera, HTC Explorer offers smartphone performance in an attractive and affordable phone.

“HTC Explorer is an easy-to-use smartphone that puts the customer in control, providing quick access to their most important content and information,” said Jason Mackenzie, president of global sales and marketing, HTC Corporation. “HTC Explorer is simply a smarter phone for anyone and it represents another clear demonstration of HTC’s global commitment to expanding the market for advanced smartphones.”

HTC Sense

With HTC Sense™ integrated, customers experience sharp graphics, vibrant animations, a wide variety of widgets and a cinematic and immersive weather experience. HTC Explorer also includes a customizable lock screen that functions as a real-time window to the customer’s most important information and content, such as social updates, photos, weather or stock updates that are viewed by simply waking up the display. The lock screen also enables quick access to the camera for capturing those important moments. It also includes a new Smart Dialer that displays a one-touch menu for quick, easy dialing of contacts.

Stay connected with family and friends

Track social updates from colleagues, friends and family with the People widget that displays social updates in a single easy-to-view thread. You can also easily send a photo, video clip or location in a message with just one touch.

Fast Intuitive Web Browsing

HTC Explorer provides a complete web browsing experience with Adobe® Flash® support, and is the first in its class with a HVGA display, allowing you to run nearly all of the applications in Android Market. Smart URL prediction provides quick access to the top 100 websites, while automatic URL correction streamlines web navigation. Users can make restaurant reservations or connect to customer service hotlines just by tapping the phone numbers listed on any website. And if you’ve forgotten to print out the map of your destination, simply tap on the address to bring up a real-time map and its location.

Take control of your life

The HTC Explorer allows you to access multiple work and personal email accounts and combine different calendars into a single view. Appointments from each calendar are displayed in different colours to deliver a clearer picture of your busy day. New calendar invites are also managed from one tab allowing you determine the best use of your time. HTC Explorer offers you control over your data and mobile services with a usage monitor that tracks your call minutes, messages and data to keep you on top of your spending.

Availability

The HTC Explorer will be available across key markets in EMEA and Asia from Q4 2011 in Metallic Black, Active Black and Metallic Navy.  Customers will be also able to customize their HTC Explorer with a range of optional back covers including Metallic Blue, Metallic Orange, Metallic White and Metallic Purple.

Huawei’s feature-packed Blaze prepay smartphone

Huawei, a world leader in cutting-edge telecoms solutions and a powerful and exciting new brand in smartphones, is pleased to announce that its hotly-anticipated and feature-packed new Android smartphone, the Huawei Blaze, will be available from leading UK specialist mobile phone retailers Phones 4u and Tesco Mobile in October 2011.  

Running the latest Android 2.3 „Gingerbread‟ operating system and boasting an advanced feature-set at its price, the slimline Huawei Blaze is the first Android smartphone to appear solely under the Huawei brand in the UK. It represents the first in an expanding series of highly specified and affordable handsets that Huawei will launch in the coming months.

The device and the retail agreements that support it are milestones in Huawei‟s drive to establish itself as a leading smartphone brand in the UK, and an essential part of its global vision to be among the leading smartphone brands in the next few years. In the UK, Huawei remains committed to its expanding ODM portfolio even as its builds its brand in smartphones and connected devices.

Huawei UK and Ireland Executive Vice President Mark Mitchinson said: “The Huawei Blaze represents the first important chapter in an epic new journey Huawei is embarking upon in the UK and Ireland, and indeed globally, and I am delighted to have Phones 4u and Tesco Mobile supporting such a pivotal and innovative product.

“The Phones 4u and Tesco Mobile brands are synonymous with the UK youth market and value segment, and this is where Huawei will enjoy early success as a progressive new smartphone brand, which we will build alongside our highly-successful ODM portfolio.

“The Huawei Blaze packs a powerful punch in terms of its feature set in the Android prepay and contract market. It is a slick, slimline smartphone with great functionality and exceptional build quality. It will clearly appeal to a whole swathe of UK consumers as a first Android smartphone and is bound to be a must for discerning shoppers.”

The Huawei Blaze, which goes under the name Ideos X3 in other markets, measures just 11.2mm in thinness. It has a refined user interface that makes it easy to navigate, more intuitive to use and more power efficient. It boasts a super-fast „boot‟ function, and Huawei‟s own over-the-air (HOTA) upgrade solution, affording easy and timely Android OS upgrades.

It includes Google Maps, Google Talk, Gmail and YouTube, and features a 3.2 megapixel camera, 3.2 inch HVGA screen with 480x320 pixels, and the latest HSPA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. It has 512MB on-board storage, expandable to 32GB with a micro SD card.

The Huawei Blaze is expected to retail for under £100 on prepay in the UK.

BlackBerry Curve 9360 London Launch

Not sure how I missed this one, but this video shows Stephen Bates, RIM's UK & Ireland Managing Director presenting the new BlackBerry Curve 9360 to the media at the London Launch Event, 23rd August 2011.

HTC AND BEATS INTRODUCE NEW HTC SENSATION XE™, THE FIRST PHONE WITH INTEGRATED BEATS AUDIO™

HTC Corporation, a global designer of mobile devices, today unveiled the new HTC Sensation XE – the first in a new line of HTC smartphones to feature Beats Audio technology to deliver studio quality audio. Taking HTC’s flagship handset to a new level of high fidelity audio, the HTC Sensation XE offers consumers the ultimate multimedia experience, setting a new standard for audio quality in the mobile market. In addition, the HTC Sensation XE boosts performance and battery life even further with the addition of a blazing fast 1.5GHz dual core processor and an extended battery that enables you to listen, watch, speak and browse for even longer.

“Audio is a crucial part of any consumer’s mobile experience and we are continually pushing the audio boundaries to encompass not only improved voice but music, movies and games,” said Jason Mackenzie, president of global sales and marketing, HTC Corporation. “The HTC Sensation XE offers a truly incredible experience that demonstrates our commitment to place consumers at the center of their mobile worlds.”

The ultimate audio experience

The HTC Sensation XE is the first handset to offer a Beats Audio experience — a combination of software & hardware that allows you to hear music the way the artist intended. When used with the exclusive Beats by Dr. Dre in-ear headphones, the handset automatically switches to the bespoke Beats by Dr. Dre sound profile, delivering audio tracks tuned specifically for the headphones.

Whether you are using any of the many music services available in the Android market you will notice fuller bass and crisper vocals and a new level of clarity and range offering audio the way the artist intended it to be heard.

Beats Headphones

The HTC Sensation XE also ships with a microSD card (8GB/16GB) allowing you to carry thousands of songs. The exclusive Beats by Dr. Dre in-ear headphones feature a remote control, allowing you to pause, play or skip through tracks and answer/end calls while the phone is in your pocket.

Availability

HTC Sensation XE will be available across EMEA and Asia Pacific from late September.

Samsung Galaxy Note - Check this out

Samsung Galaxy Note - Truly Smart [video].

I love the design of the Samsung devices and really hope I can bring you a review of this as soon as it becomes available.

What makes the Samsung Galaxy Note truly smart? Perhaps it's the enormous 5.3" screen and 8mp camera. Or maybe its Super HD Amoled crispness, ensuring you never miss a detail, not even a cats whisker. 

Or maybe it's the minimum scrolling and screen transition, which ensures minimum efficiency when switching between applications. It could also be the 1.4 Ghz Dual Core Processor powering the whole thing. Either way, put all these ingredients together and you have a smartphone like no other - The Samsung Galaxy Note. Truly smart.

HTC gives us the Radar

Elegantly crafted with an aluminium unibody, HTC Radar brings you closer to the important things in life, with the new People Hub from Windows Phone. The People Hub keeps you up to date with your friends’ latest news showing all of your communication history with each person, as well as their recent social network updates and photos. You can also stay in touch using SMS, Facebook chat and Windows Live® Messenger in one conversation, without having to switch applications or disrupt the conversation flow. Alternatively, speak “face-to-face” with new video calling that lets you see your friends’ faces on the bright and sharp 3.8 inch screen.

Entertainment on the move

With HTC TITAN and HTC Radar, mobile multimedia is greatly improved. Both phones include HTC WatchTM – an application and service that puts an entire library of the latest, premium movies and TV 

HTC unveils the TITAN

With its large and bright 4.7 inch super LCD screen, an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.3 megapixel front facing camera for live video calling, HTC TITAN combines high performance innovation with a super-slim 9.9mm curved body made from a brushed aluminium shell that fits comfortably in your hand and exudes style and quality.

HTC TITAN is also the perfect portable office that enables efficient multitasking like viewing a presentation while you’re on a conference call or listening to music while compiling an email. With its expansive screen with built in Microsoft® Office Mobile, this super smartphone enables you to create, edit and collaborate quickly and easily. Advanced email features like Linked inboxes makes it easy to manage multiple email accounts, synchronize your to-do list and calendars in one place, group contacts to make communication simpler and faster, and even store your latest ideas and notes in the cloud with Microsoft® OneNote®. Typing on the HTC TITAN is quick and easy with the huge virtual keyboard on the responsive 4.7 inch screen.