latest
UK regulator to ban carriers from selling locked phones
From December 2021, all phones bought on contract in the UK will work with any network
When a mobile network sells you a phone with a costly contract, it makes sure that switching providers won't be easy. Handsets have traditionally been locked to the carrier who sold it, and you have to jump through hoops to get it unlocked. From December next year, this practice will no longer be permitted in the UK as regulator Ofcom is banning the sale of locked phones by network operators.
Pixel 4a launch could be postponed to early June
It might be announced during the Android 11 Beta Launch Show
Despite the canceled Google I/O slated for this week, we initially assumed that the Pixel 4a would still be announced via other means any day now, but according to information from German publication Caschys Blog, the launch may have been postponed to June. Internal documents obtained from Vodafone Germany state that the carrier might start selling the phone on June 5.
Probable Pixel 4a shipping date leaked by German carrier
Internal documents from Vodafone Germany suggest availability in late May
We've already heard almost everything there is to hear about the Pixel 4a except for a rather important detail: When exactly will it be available for purchase? While we've assumed that Google planned on introducing the phone during its (now canceled) I/O conference in May, we've got some more evidence that it's indeed launching next month: German Caschys Blog got to see some internal Vodafone Germany documents stating the phone will be available through the carrier starting May 22.
A staggering proportion of the global population owns smartphones, but access is far from universal. Google is partnering with carrier Vodafone-Idea to bring Assistant access to users in India who either don't have smartphones or reliable mobile data in a clever, old-school way: over the phone.
The UK's first 5G network was switched on today by network operator EE, and the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G is the first commercially available 5G smartphone in the country. The carrier owned by the BT Group has beaten Vodafone to the punch by more than a month— its 5G rollout doesn't commence until July 3.
Read update
Things are going from bad to worse for Huawei. In the wake of the US Government executive order that restricts US companies from doing business with the Chinese tech company, the repercussions are mounting. Huawei and Honor phones could lose Google services and access to future Android updates and HiSilicon's Kirin chips are also under threat. Now, two major UK carriers have dropped Huawei from their 5G launch plans.
This year’s MWC is all about folding phones and 5G connectivity, and Xiaomi just threw its hat in the ring with the announcement of its first 5G smartphone: the Mi Mix 3 5G. As the name implies, this is simply the Mi Mix 3 but with an upgraded Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor and X50 5G modem.
The Pixel 2 was one of the first smartphones with eSIM — a feature that allows devices to connect to cellular networks without inserting a physical SIM card. The Pixel 2 and 3 both have eSIM, but it's only used for Google Fi. That will soon change, as multiple carriers are working to support the feature.
Space exploration is a tricky business, especially when it comes to maintaining a strong signal to planet Earth. NASA maintains an array of communication facilities worldwide just to download data from deep-space probes. Future interplanetary missions involving multiple landers and rovers need a way to all talk to each other that doesn't involve radio, and that's where Vodafone and Nokia come in.
RCS is designed as the (eventual) successor to SMS and MMS, but it's a bit of a mess right now. Several carriers have their own implementations of the standard, often incompatible with each other. Google's Jibe RCS Cloud is quickly gaining ground, but there's still only one US carrier supporting it - Sprint. Now Samsung has announced its own RCS cloud.
Google has allowed paying for Play Store purchases through your phone carrier's bill for a while now, but it's not available on all carriers. Vodafone in Portugal just started supporting Play Store carrier billing, becoming the first carrier in the country to do so. In fact, the Google Play support page for Portugal hasn't even been updated yet.
It's been a while since we've seen any progress on the carrier billing front. Admittedly it's something of a niche feature - if you're using a smartphone there's a good chance that you also have a credit or debit card handy. But if for some reason you'd like to send your Play Store purchases to your wireless provider and pay them along with your bill at the end of the month, it's a handy option. Now it's available on a smattering of new carriers in Bulgaria, Estonia, Ireland, Lithuania, and Qatar.
The G5 has just been announced by LG in Barcelona prior to the start of Mobile World Congress. During the press conference, LG didn't clarify the price, availability countries, or dates of its new quirky modular flagship, but the details are starting to surface right now.
The BlackBerry Priv is the sole option for Android users looking for a high-end phone with a physical keyboard. But, here in the States, the phone is currently only available on AT&T. Want the Priv? You need that carrier. Network not good in your area? Tough.
Vodafone UK announced its own Wi-Fi Calling service earlier this month, but support remains extremely limited. As of right now, the only devices listed are the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. Fortunately that's about to change, though not by much. Android compatibility is coming in the form of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.
Happy Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge pre-order day UK residents! If you've been anxiously fiddling and waiting for Samsung's new flagship to land in your hands, you are now one step closer to fulfilling that goal. Many UK carriers and sellers have started today their pre-orders for the devices, with various offers, bundles, colors, and configurations to choose from. Here are the details.
After its introduction at CES, the curvtastic LG G Flex 2 is almost ready for primetime. The phone has been available for pre-order on Sprint in the US for a few days with a free Quick Circle case, but its global rollout is about to commence. It will first be offered on "major carriers in the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore, France, Germany, and the U.K," according to an LG Press Release, followed by key markets in North and South America, Europe, and Asia.
More details have started pouring in regarding the newly announced LG G Flex 2's availability. Yesterday, Sprint, AT&T, and U.S Cellular confirmed that they would be carrying the phone, with Sprint getting the "Volcano Red" color exclusive. But if you live on the other side of the pond and you're itching to get that curvy bendy phone in your hands, you should know that it will be a Vodafone exclusive for the first 6 weeks of its launch in the UK. As for the plans,
Normally we're pretty pleased when we can report that a new country or carrier has enabled the option for carrier billing in the Google Play Store, allowing customers to charge app and media purchases directly to their phone bill. But for some reason, European carrier Vodafone seems to have dropped the option entirely. Vodafone has disappeared from the list of carrier billing partners on Google's Play Store support page, and we've confirmed the loss of capability from individual users in the UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
