EE launches limited edition 4G price plans - budget £31 contract and 20GB 'super-user' plans

When EE (Everything Everywhere) first launched its 4G LTE service in the UK, two common complaints focused on the price of its subsidized smartphone contracts and the 8GB ceiling for data allowances. Today it seems the carrier's ready to test the water with some more adventurous price plans, as for a limited time it'll offer a budget-centric £31 per month, 24-month deal, along with a new "super-user" contracts with 20GB of data per month. 

The £31 per month plan costs £5 per month less than EE's cheapest standard contract, and will be available to customers from Jan. 31 to Mar. 31. Like all of EE's smartphone-inclusive plans, it runs for 24 months and includes unlimited calls and texts. Phones offered on the £31 plan will include the HTC One SV (check out our review) and the Windows Phone-powered Nokia Lumia 820, so there's a clearly a focus on entry-level hardware here.

But it's the second limited edition contract that'll probably be of interest to Android Central readers. For £46 per month on a 12-month, SIM-only contract, EE's offering a whopping 20GB of data per month. Alternatively, customers can get the new 20GB deal with a subsidized smartphone on a 24-month, £61 per month contract. The 20GB plans will be available in stores from today until Feb. 28, EE says.

In addition, EE says it's introducing a new 8GB, 12-month SIM-only plan costing £41 per month.

Due to its current monopoly over 4G LTE in the UK, EE's prices remain higher than rival networks. But the company will be hoping that this diversification of its range of price plans will help it scoop up some additional customers before rival networks launch their LTE services later this year.

Any UK readers tempted by EE's new tariffs? Let us know in the comments.

[Source: AndroidCentral]

Microsoft Unleashes New SDK So Older Apps Work With Windows Phone 7.8

Microsoft on Tuesday made a new Windows Phone SDK available to developers so their WP7.1 and 7.5 apps will play nice with Windows Phone 7.8. Basically, the biggest aspect developers will need to tweak is adding support for adjustable Live Tiles, which is a hallmark feature of Windows Phone 8 and Windows Phone 7.8.

The upcoming update to 7.8 isn’t as feature packed as WP8, which resides on devices such as the Lumia 920 and HTC 8X, but it’s certainly a nice addition for older handsets. Hopefully this means that Windows Phone 7.8 will be made widely available soon.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Mozilla reveals Firefox OS Developer Preview Phone

Mozilla said it won't be launching its own hardware to run the in-development Firefox OS when it's finished, but the company has just announced a "Developer Preview Phone" for putting the OS through its paces. It's not quite the same as the mystery device we saw sporting Firefox OS at CES, but its specs seem almost as basic. The handset will feature a 3.5-inch HVGA touchscreen and 3-megapixel camera on the outside, with a 1GHz Snapdragon S1 CPU, half a gig of RAM, 4GB of microSD-expandable storage and WiFi, 2G and 3G antennae inside. Sure, that processor isn't a beast, but an 800MHz S1 does just fine in the Lumia 610. A 1580mAh battery will keep the carrier-unlocked phone running, and Mozilla is promising OTA updates to Firefox OS to keep devs, well, up to date. At the moment, we have no idea how much the phone will cost, but the first units are expected to be available next month.

The developer handset is called the Keon, according to creator Geekphone's website, and while not mentioned in the Mozilla Hacks blog post, it appears to have a more powerful cousin called the Peak. It's got a 4.3-inch qHD screen, 8-megapixel back-facing camera (with flash) and 2-megapixel shooter round the front. A 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 CPU and larger 1800mAh battery are within, but storage, RAM and connectivity specs are the same as the smaller Keon. Mozilla may not be formally promoting this as its own dev handset, but it was still included in the picture which accompanied the announcement (see above: the Keon is in orange, the Peak in white). We're getting in contact with Mozilla to clarify, and will update you when we hear back.

[Source: Engadget]

Phones4U to launch own virtual mobile network using EE's infrastructure

'LIFE Mobile' to launch 3G service this March, 4G later

British phone retailer Phones4U has announced it's to get into the network operator game through a new virtual network operated on EE's infrastructure. The new "LIFE Mobile" network is scheduled to launch this March, with 2G and 3G services being offered at first, followed by 4G LTE options later in the year. EE is, of course, currently the only operator to offer 4G services to British consumers.

Phones4U has not yet revealed details of pricing on the new service provider, but says it'll offer "variety of tariffs and services" with a "broad appeal" to consumers.

According to today's press release, the deal with Phones4U brings EE's total number of MVNO partners up to 25. Phones4U's biggest domestic rival, the Carphone Warehouse, already operates its own virtual network, Talkmobile, through a partnership with Vodafone UK.

[Source: AndroidCentral]

Blackberry App World store makes early switch to Blackberry World, but no music or video yet

We're still a few days away from BB10's genuine debut, but RIM's decided to press on early with its app store changes. Starting with the webstore front (which is rolling out in the next 24 hours, depending on your territory) then moving on to the PlayBook and existing BlackBerry phones, the renamed BlackBerry World store will also offer up access to videos and music -- RIM reckons it'll be your "one-stop shop" for mobile entertainment, but those channels aren't live just yet. Test out the store's new offerings at the source link to the right.

[Source: Engadget]

Samsung rumored to be launching enormous smartphone with ridiculous name in Europe

Leak season continues, and we're back with Samsung this time around. Sammobile, a usually reliable source of all things Samsung, claims to have received word of a 5.8 inch smartphone from the Korean OEM destined for Europe. The reported name is, ready for this? The Samsung Galaxy Fonblet. 

The device is said to be loosely based around the Samsung Galaxy Player 5.8 PMP that was launched in Korea, only with cellular capabilities. The Galaxy Player 5.8 has a qHD display, and a 3MP rear camera. The bad news is that Sammobile claims the Fonblet is supposed to have the same display. So we're not looking at a high-end, Note 2 beating device. Additionally, it's expected to have dual-sim capabilities -- suggesting emerging European markets might be the target here -- and will come in white. Feels a lot like parts recycling though, if we're honest.

[Source: AndroidCentral]

LEAKED BLACKBERRY 10 SALES MANUAL REVEALS NEW IMAGES AND DETAILS

The buzz continues to mount leading up to the January 30th unveiling of Research In Motions’s (RIMM) next-generation BlackBerry 10 platform, but we’re not sure how much is left to learn. Many BlackBerry 10 features have already been announced, we’ve seen RIM’s first two next-generation handsets — the BlackBerry Z10 and the BlackBerry X10 — a number times, and now Rogers’ internal sales manual for BlackBerry 10 devices has leaked thanks to CrackBerry. The manual is packed full of images and it also confirms some specs reported a few months ago, and the full document is embedded at the source link below. RIM’s next-generation operating system and handsets will be unveiled during a press conference on January 30th, and BGR will be on hand reporting live.

[Source: BGR]

BlackBerry Z10 Detailed in German Video

We have a feeling we’ll be able to bring you an in-depth look at RIM’s new hardware, including the Z10, on Jan. 30 during the company’s big BlackBerry 10 event. But if you want yet another look at the hardware and the operating system, a new video has been posted thanks to a few folks in Germany. The 7:10 clip walks through the actual Z10 hardware as well as some software features. There’s even a glimpse at BlackBerry Hub, which wasn’t active on the test unit we recently filmed.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

BB 10 Twitter and Google Talk app integration leaks ahead of launch

Care for a sneak peek at BB 10's third party app integration? Well, if the screens above are to be believed (and we have reason to assume they're quite legit), standalone applications like Twitter and Google Talk could be ready to download on BlackBerry World at launch. From what we can glimpse, it appears the apps will be folded into BB Hub, the OS' new unified inbox, lending further credence toRIM's claims of a seamless "flow," as it doesn't seem likely social applications will be sandboxed. Design-wise, both apps offer a direct parallel to their current offerings on other rival platforms, albeit made to fit the straight and soft BB 10 aesthetic. We'll know much more in the weeks ahead as RIM prepares to reveal the full monty. For now, buckle in for a load of expected leaks.

[Source: Engadget]

Samsung ships 100 million Galaxy S devices worldwide

Samsung has announced that its Galaxy S line of Android phones has shifted a total of 100 million units “on the supply side” to date. Meanwhile, the manufacturer’s leading Galaxy S3 smartphone has reportedly moved some 40 million units, as has its predecessor, the Galaxy S2.

Samsung broke the news through a Flickr post, in which it also revealed that the Galaxy S3 is currently selling at a rate of around 190,000 per day. (Our last update on Galaxy S3 numbers came in early November, when Samsung had moved 30 million units.)

The history of the series stretches back just over two and a half years, to the launch of the original Galaxy S in May 2010. Since then, Samsung has gone on to dominate the Android market, and in many countries its devices account for the majority of smartphone sales.

Desirable specs, broad international availability and aggressive marketing have seen the Galaxy S3 emerge as one of the biggest-selling handsets of the year, going toe-to-toe with Apple’s iPhone 5 in recent months.

As we move further into 2013, all eyes will be on the eventual successor to the Galaxy S3, though at present Samsung remains tight-lipped about any possible Galaxy S4 device.

[Source: AndroidCentral]

BlackBerry 10 sees 15,000 app submissions in less than two days

RIM will be facing an uphill battle when it does eventually launch BlackBerry 10, but the company is making sure it’ll have a healthy selection of apps from the get-go by incentivizing developers. RIM recently hosted two Port-a-Thon events to encourage developers to submit their games and general apps for BlackBerry 10, offering $100 for any app approved to the store. Naturally, the promise of cash seems to have worked: 15,000 apps were submitted over the course of 37.5 hours.

Money wasn’t the only incentive, though, as BlackBerry hardware was also on offer. The first developers submitting between two and five approved apps were promised a free PlayBook, while those writing more than five approved apps were entered into a random draw to receive a BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device. It’s doubtful that every app will be approved for the store, but RIM needs as many submissions as possible if the company hopes for a successful launch.

[Source: TheVerge]

BlackBerry 10 promises six phones, 90 per cent of major apps

Half a dozen BlackBerry 10 phones are coming this year, with 70,000 apps at your fingertips including nine out of ten of the big names.

Speaking to FierceWireless, the marketing boss of BlackBerry builder Research in Motion confirmed we'd see at least six BlackBerry 10 devices, at a range of prices.

RIM also said that BlackBerry 10 will have 70,000 apps, including 90 per cent of the top 600 apps on rival platforms.

BlackBerry 10 is the much-anticipated next generation of software for the clicky-keyed phones popular with business types and messaging teenagers alike. There's a lot riding on the new lineup of phones and software as RIM's market share is in serious trouble, after coming under pressure from the iPhone and Android in recent years.

One of Android's strengths is that you can buy Android-powered smart phones at almost any price. By selling low-cost phones as well as premium models BlackBerry can appeal to the BlackBerry Messenger-loving teen market as well as the business-loving serious types.

RIM better hurry up though -- Samsung is aiming to swoop into businesses, investing in security and reliability to replace BlackBerry as your next work phone. 

The first two BlackBerry phones will be unveiled with the new software at the end of this month. One will sport a traditional BlackBerry keyboard, while the other will have a full touchscreen. There won't be any deals to make them exclusive to one particular network.

[Source: CNET]