EE offers 4G connectivity to international visitors

Come fly with EE

Everything Everywhere (EE) has become the UK's first network operator to offer 4G connectivity to international visitors. The company has announced this week that people visiting from abroad can now take advantage of EE's network.

Due to an agreement with US comms giant AT&T, the carrier has become Britain's first to offer 4G to travellers from abroad. This is the second international deal that AT&T has made, following a similar arrangement earlier this year with Rogers of Canada. EE plans to launch additional partnerships around the world in 2014, which would give visitors from other countries a chance to access the network itself.

Jet-setting

There will be benefits for consumers at home too, as it has also been announced that the company will open free roaming 4G to UK customers travelling abroad in 2014. No specifics were mentioned as to where they may be able to do so, however. EE does already have a variety of roaming packages, but at present all of these top out at HSPA data speeds.

Olaf Swantee, chief executive, argued that tourists "are increasingly looking for fast and reliable mobile experiences" when they travel abroad. "Technology is not just shaping how people book and research holidays, but what they look for when they are choosing a country to visit," he added.

The 4G network released by Everything Everywhere was the first in the UK and has rolled out to more than 60 per cent of the country's population to date. The carrier anticipates that by Christmas more than 160 towns and cities will be covered.

How much the 4G roaming will cost AT&T or EE subscribers has not been detailed. As of December 2013, EE's membership has doubled from last year to more than 1.2 million subscribers.

• 4G and LTE: everything you need to know

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/ee-offers-4g-connectivity-to-international-visitors-1208972

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Renders of Vivo Xplay 3S and its QHD screen leak

Vivo is scheduled to officially announce the Xplay 3S today – the 5.5" phablet that will reportedly have a QHD (1,440 x 2,560) screen. A few renders have leaked, perhaps giving us an early peak of the first ever device to be announced with such an over the top resolution.

The renders look somewhat different from the earlier leaks and promise amazingly thin bezels (the screen covers 84% of the front surface supposedly). Above the screen are the tightly grouped earpiece, camera and sensors (their positioning has changed from earlier leaks) and below the screen are three capacitive keys (menu, home, back).

The back is quite interesting – little is known about the camera, but given the screen resolution we expect 4K video capture. The two horizontal bars are allegedly stereo speakers.

The Vivo Xplay 3S body will be made of metal with a slightly curved back reminiscent of the HTC One. Earlier info on pricing suggests a $740 tag. That's what the rumors say anyway, it should be only a few hours more until the official unveiling.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Source (in Chinese) | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/renders_of_vivo_xplay_3s_and_its_qhd_screen_leak-news-7388.php

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Samsung stores could be incoming as Apple designer jumps onboard

Store wars incoming

The next stage of the Samsung vs Apple rivalry could be taking place right on the high street, with a report that Samsung is looking to up its retail game in the US.

Samsung has swiped ex-Apple Store designer Tim Gudgel, according to The Information, suggesting it might be looking to set up its own full-sized retail stores.

Two people "close to the company" claim that Samsung has hired Gudgel to work on "deeper investment in US retail". Gudgel specialises in store design, so it's pretty obvious what Samsung is up to here, assuming these details are true.

Genius move?

Samsung's retail presence certainly isn't small right now – there are a number of Samsung Experience Shops in shops around the world - but having its own full-sized stores would be a massive step up.

It might be needed too, what with Microsoft pushing out its own retail stores in the last few years.. Whether Samsung will offer up its own version of Apple's in-store "geniuses" remains to be seen. If it does, we'd like them to be called Guardians of the Galaxy.

All well and good, Samsung, but will yours be able to float on water?

• No wonder these are good times for Samsung - that Note 3 ain't doing too badly right now.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/samsung-stores-could-be-incoming-as-apple-designer-jumps-onboard-1208981

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Xperia Z1 and Z Ultra now getting Android 4.3, Xperia Z close behind

It might not KitKat, but it'll do for now

Lagging a little behind their current rivals, Sony's Xperia flagships could start getting a pre-Christmas treat in the form of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.

The support pages for the Sony Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z Ultra both show the latest software as 14.2.A.0.290, with a release date of 16 December 2013.

Sony may have also inadvertently leaked the release date for the Xperia Z update too, with its support page briefly showing the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean being released on 19 December. Sony's Xperia Z is being treated to software version 10.4.B.0.569.

The page has now been reverted back, but thankfully Xperia Blog managed to get a screenshot just in time.

Now you see me...

Sony is currently lagging a little behind with the Android 4.3 update, with the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 already having been upgraded.

Included in the update is support for Bluetooth low energy, OpenGL ES 3.0 and multiple users.

Unfortunately, an update still leaves the Xperia line up a little behind the times; Android 4.4 KitKat has launched on the Nexus 5 and is set to hit the One and Galaxy S4 early next year.

One final reminder: even though the update may have left Japanese soil, when it hits your handset is dependent upon your location and network provider.

• The Sony Xperia Z Ultra - Phone? Tablet? Worth your money?

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/xperia-z1-and-z-ultra-now-getting-android-4-3-xperia-z-close-behind-1208963

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Samsung Galaxy S5 may toughen up with a diamond-like coat

Samsung wants its future phones to be tough as nails

The Samsung Galaxy S5 could come with a nice new scratch-resistant coat, with word that Samsung wants to introduce a diamond-like material into its future smartphones.

According to Korean site ET News, Samsung is in the process of testing out a "diamond metal surface treatment technology" by blasting carbon with high temperatures in the same way that diamonds are formed.

Don't worry, this doesn't mean you'll be getting a gaudy, glistening handset. However coating a diamond-like material on top of the metal case would make the phone more resistant to scratches and damage.

But even if Samsung is planning to go ahead with its fancy diamond material, there's the problem of timing. Right now we're expecting the Galaxy S5 to arrive as early as February so we may not get to see any of this happen until the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

Diamonds are forever

Meanwhile, those previous rumours of the S5 coming with a metal-alloy chassis may have just been dashed.

Digitimes reports that "Taiwan-based chassis makers" have said that Samsung is still weighing up the pros and cons of metal chassis right now and that there's no sign of mass production taking place.

The same sources reckon that switching the plastic chassis for a metal one would only up the cost for Samsung without bringing any huge benefits.

• Want to know more about the Samsung Galaxy S5? It's your lucky day

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-s5-may-toughen-up-with-a-diamond-like-coat-1208946

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The UK will be getting Pink Galaxy S4 in January

Shopping for the end of the year holidays is almost over, time to plan ahead for the ones that come next year. Like Valentine's day, for example. Which is why UK retailer Phones4u has already announced that it will be exclusively be offering the Samsung Galaxy S4 in Pink early next year.

The color option comes in addition to the standard White and Blue colors and the, uh, other Blue color. Phones4u claims this means it offers the widest range of color options in the UK.

Anyway, the pink Galaxy S4 will be available for pre-order starting in early January 2014 for new contracts and upgrades. The phone will be free with a £33 contract (3G data) or £38 (4G data). The choice of carriers is Vodafone, E, Orange and T-Mobile.

Phones4u will also throw in a wireless speaker – the retailer doesn’t specify make or model, saying only it usually costs £120.

UK users who want a pink Samsung Galaxy phone, but find the Galaxy S4 either too small or too big, can check out the pink Galaxy Note 3 and pink Galaxy S4 mini.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/phones4u_to_offer_pink_galaxy_s4_in_january-news-7387.php

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HTC Desire 501 dual sim announced in India

HTC unveiled three phones at the end of last month, two of which were dual-SIMs. The exception was the HTC Desire 501, but it turns out that its dual-SIM version was just a few weeks late.

The HTC India website now lists the HTC Desire 501 dual sim as "coming soon". The phone is a more affordable HTC One mini alternative with a 4.3" WVGA screen, dual-core 1.15GHz processor (likely a Cortex-A7) with 1GB RAM running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with Sense 4.0 on top.

The Desire 501 dual sim has two microSIM card slots with dual-active support – you can switch lines or use data during a call. Only one SIM is 3G-enabled, it does 14.4Mbps downlink with HSDPA.

Other connectivity options include Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 with Apt-X and NFC. The 501 dual sim packs an 8MP back camera and 2.1MP front-facing camera, both of which have f/2.0 apertures. The main camera can record 720p video and uses HTC's ImageChip technology.

The phone has 8GB of built-in storage expandable with microSD cards. The whole thing is powered by a 2,100mAh battery.

There's no official word on availability and pricing, but the Desire 501 dual sim is so far only listed on HTC India's site.

Thanks goes to sourabh for the tip!

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_desire_501_dual_sim_announced_in_india-news-7386.php

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