Orange has just signed a deal with wi-fi provider, The Cloud to make the companies 7,500 UK hotspots available to Orange users. The deal is aimed at satisfying the needs of business customers who will be able to access the points via their existing Orange Business Everywhere data cards.
Orange has already snuggled up to BT OpenZone, France Telecom and WeRoam to provide broader wi-fi access to its customers so this move is pretty much in keeping with its existing strategy. Combined, Orange customers now have access to more than 10,000 wi-fi hotspots.
The Cloud is no stranger to mobile network providers either having already brokered a deal with O2 to offer wi-fi access to iPhone users. Let’s hope those hotspots don’t get too crowded.
(Via Orange)
You’d think Sony Ericsson would have got this right by now after dozens of Walkman releases, but nope - the first W910is to hit the market on Orange have been recalled after a number of faults.
Among the reported faults have been handsets switching themselves off after ten seconds, not answering calls or letting users make calls and not staying turned on when the battery is full.
Customers have reportedly had to return handsets several times because even replacements have been faulty. Orange has since instigated a recall of the first batch of handsets, despite claiming that ‘only a small number [of handsets] were affected’.
Both Sony Ericsson and Orange have claimed the problem is now resolved, so anyone who still has a faulty handset can return them to Orange stores or call Sony Ericsson’s customer services to arrange a (hopefully) working replacement.
The W910i was supposed to be one of Sony Ericsson’s biggest handsets this Christmas (alongside the K850i) so for the first batches to be faulty is obviously going to be setback.
[Via Mobile Today]
Microsoft has entered into talks with French mobile music specialist Musiwave with a view to purchasing the company.
Musiwave currently provides mobile music services for several operators including Orange, and Microsoft may be planning to use its software to set up on-demand music downloads and streaming similar to Nokia’s Music Store for use with both Windows Mobile and Microsoft’s iPod competitor, the Zune.
Musiwave has relationships with music labels and content providers, which should mean Microsoft get a boost in those areas.
“Musiwave would bring key assets to us as we continue to bring our vision of Connected Entertainment to life,” said Microsoft’s J Allard, MS Corporate Vice President in charge of music
No financial details have been released as yet, but it will be interesting to see how Musiwave’s other clients react to this.
Although they are not really thought of as the go to carrier for mobile music services it seems that Orange has had a very good year on that front.
Figures released today indicate that the companies music download sales have increased by 70 percent over the last six months and are expected to double and then some by the end of the year.
Just goes to show that there really is still plenty to play for on the mobile music download front. Perhaps the iPhone and O2 won’t have quite such an easy time prying customers away from their current carriers as some expect. Or will users now used to buying music for their phone make their way towards the most visible product and service (for those not paying attention that is the iPhone and iTunes)?
With the iPhone launching tonight *giggles nervously* we shouldn’t have to wait long to find out.
(Via Orange)
In a friend-of-a-friend type way, Coolsmartphone.com has heard that the HTC Touch Dual will be arriving at Orange on November 12. Whether this is only with Orange’s Direct Sales and Retentions (i.e. upgrades) teams, or whether it’ll also appear in retail isn’t exactly clear at the moment.
We don’t want to come over too Terry Tibbs about this, but Orange really needs to sort out its ‘Coming Soon’ line-up on its website. That image above is supposedly Orange’s entire selection of new handsets that we’re supposed to be getting excited about for the coming season: the Samsung E590, D900 and P260, plus Nokia’s nice-but-a-bit-dull 6120.
The E590 is actually quite a cool little phone, with a 3.2MP camera and design by Jasper Morrison… But you wouldn’t know it from the way it’s being pitched here. And where’s the red W910i (Orange’s lead Christmas handset)? We’re just not sure how people are supposed to get excited about a company’s range when it’s this uninspiring — and this poorly presented.
Following Vodafone’s rather rambunctious roll-out of its Christmas range of handsets, which includes the top-end Nokia N95 8GB and Samsung SGH-F700, Orange has announced its festive line-up. Aside from the presence of Sony Ericsson’s highly promising W910i, it seems Orange is mainly relying on gimmicky special edition colours to boost sales — even the W910i is in ‘exclusive’ red (actually one of the phone’s two standard colours).
The rest of the range is squarely aimed at the Christmas gift market, with pink versions of Samsung’s Shine, U600 and F210, and the Sony Ericsson W580 and W200. Also announced is the first from Orange’s new own-label range, called ‘Berlin’, which is aimed at the ‘younger market’ and comes with a 2MP camera, 3G and MP3 player.
It’s hardly an inspiring line-up — although all those pink phones will probably sell bucketloads, in the short-term. But when Pocket Picks contacted Orange about its rumoured boycott of Nokia’s N81, the company refused to comment. Orange, like it or not, you need to offer cool phones in order to attract customers. Kids with pink phones don’t care which operator they’re with; they’re not market leaders. By restricting your handset range in this battle over music sales, you’ll simply drive the trend-setters to other operators.
IntoMobile reports that both 3 and Orange are refusing to stock Nokia’s new N81 in the UK due to it shipping with access to Nokia’s new Music Store. This news marks the beginning of a fresh battle in the mobile phone world: the battle between Nokia and the operators for the content pound in your pocket. Flogging you music, video, games, wallpapers and other content is a big earner for the operators, and they’re clearly not happy about Nokia offering an alternative.
We’ve pondered before whether off-contract handsets are about to see an explosion of interest. The N81 8GB should be priced around £339 before discounts, which should mean we’ll see it for £299 or less. Network free or not, that’s still a lot more than we’re used to paying for our phones — about £299 more, in fact.
So where now? Will Nokia have to offer the operators a share of revenue? Or will it discount its off-contract handsets to entice us away from a network tie-in? Or is it time for the authorities to step in and tackle what could be considered to be anti-competitive behaviour by the operators? We’re betting Nokia already has its lawyers and lobbyists working on that one.
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