Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc coming soon on Three.

Another week, another smartphone launch – such is life at Three! At this rate, I’m a little concerned that I might run out of clean shirts to wear in my videos . Sony Ericsson kicked off the year for us with the release of the X8 and now they’re back with the Xperia Arc.

The most notable thing about the design of the Arc is the shape; it has a curved back (hence the name) which is only 8.7mm thick.

The Arc is the first phone announced on Three to launch on Gingerbread (also known as 2.3), the very latest version of the Android operating system. It also comes with a 1GHz processor which means it’s really quick; you won’t have to wait long for an app to open or your Facebook page to load. This is perfect if you’re on our All You Can Eat One Plan as you can download as many apps and update your Facebook as many times as you like without even thinking twice about your data usage.  The phone’s fitted with a 4.2inch touchscreen as well as Mobile Bravia Engine (You remember Bravia for Sony TVs right?) which makes the screen really clear and crisp. This is also great for reading e-books with your Amazon Kindle app or for watching a full-length HD movie on the train.

Those of you interested in photography are going to love the 8.1MP camera that comes with an Exmor R sensor; which will really improves the video quality when you’re shooting under low light conditions. You can film in HD while using the handy face detection feature as well as HDMI connectivity. It comes with a 8GB microSD card so you won’t have to worry about running out of space when taking photographs and making videos.

The Arc is a great example of what’s to come in new mobile for 2011 so I’m really exciting that it’s coming soon to Three.

Article: RSS via Three Blog

Tags: 3, 3G, 3G Network, Android, Smartphones, Sony Ericsson, The One Plan, Three, Video, Xperia Arc

Posted in 3 / Three, 3G, Android, Smartphones, Sony Ericsson, Videos | No Comments »

Samsung Galaxy Ace coming soon to Three.

Galaxy Ace is the follower of the very popular Galaxy Portal. It’s an Android phone and it’ll launch on version 2.2.1(FroYo +) of the operating system. The phone is fitted with a 3.5 inch touchscreen which looks great when you use the live wallpapers. It also comes with a 5 megapixel Auto Focus camera and ultra bright LED flash, so you can use it to capture some great night time footage.

One of my favourite things about the Galaxy Ace is that it can be used as a portable Wi-Fi hotspot. In other words, you can use your Ace to create your own Wi-Fi signal from 3G. For those of you that haven’t spotted, we’ve just announced all-you-can-eat data on The One Plan, which means you can use this WiFi hotspot function to your heart’s content. You can stream, download, upload, browse, surf and all that other data related stuff and never have to worry about running out of data or the cost.

There are over 160,000 apps on the Android Market now, so you can download a range of apps such as Tunewiki, Skype and Facebook to make life easier and more fun.

Let us know what you think 

Article: RSS via Three Blog

Tags: 3, 3G, 3G Networks, Android, Samsung, Samsung Galaxy Ace, Smartphones, The One Plan, Three, Video

Posted in 3 / Three, 3G, Samsung, Smartphones, Videos | No Comments »

T-Mobile tell customers to “Use your home broadband for downloading”.

We reported yesterday that T-Mobile were reducing their fair use policy for data from 1GB & 3GB (Android) to a mere 0.5GB. They have now clarified the situation and have told their customers that they should only use their devices to “browse” the internet and not download. In fact they stick the boot in even further as the last sentence in their full statement goes on to say “If you want to download, stream and watch video clips, save that stuff for your home broadband”. Charming!

Here’s the full statement direct from the horse’s mouth:

Changes to Mobile Internet fair use policies

T-Mobile is the only operator to give customers the Mobile Internet for a fixed-price. We never charge our customer’s more than they expect for their Mobile Internet in the UK.
Therefore you’ll never need to worry about how many emails you’ve sent, how long you’ve been on-line or the ‘data / GB’s’

Browsing means looking at websites and checking email, but not watching videos, downloading files or playing games. We’ve got a fair use policy but ours means that you’ll always be able to browse the internet, it’s only when you go over the fair use amount that you won’t be able to download, stream and watch video clips.

So Whats Changing? – From 1st February 2011 we will be aligning our fair use policies so our mobile internet service will have fair use of 500MB.

What Does This Mean? – We’ll always let you email and browse the internet and you’ll never pay more than you agree to. We do have a fair use policy but ours is there to make sure we deliver the best service possible to all our customers.  This means that you’ll always be able to browse the internet.
So remember our Mobile Broadband and internet on your phone service is best used for browsing which means looking at your favorite websites like Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, BBC News and more, checking your email and looking for information, but not watching videos or downloading files.

If you want to download, stream and watch video clips, save that stuff for your home broadband.

Our advice: If possible, cancel your contract with T-Mobile under the grounds that they have “significantly” reduced the fair use policy which will affect your ability to use your device without incurring extra costs. Head over to Three’s SIM Only page and get yourself The One Plan @ £25 per month which only has a 12 month contract. As well as the 1000′s of minutes and texts, it comes with All You Can Eat Data with no limits or fair use.

Tags: Data, Fair Use Policy, SIM Only, T-Mobile, The One Plan, Three, Unlimited Data Plans

Posted in 3 / Three, T-Mobile | No Comments »

Three introduces a world without data restrictions on The One Plan

December 15^th 2010: London:

Mobile network Three has opened up data on its ground-breaking tariff  The One Plan.

From today Three moves away from a world of data allowances, to give The One Plan customers all-you-can-eat data, challenging the limited offers and additional charges other operators levy on smartphone users.

The change is aimed at giving customers peace of mind when it comes to data – so they can surf, email, update, watch, listen or play freely on their smartphone – making the most of all it can do.

This is the second time Three has challenged the UK mobile industry with The One Plan.

When The One Plan was introduced in July it was designed to be the most competitive offer on the market – giving customers all the calls and texts they need each month for one simple and affordable price, along with 1GB of data.

But customers say the fear of incurring unexpected data charges is one of the biggest barriers to really making the most of the new smartphone world. With the advent of high definition videos and games, not to mention apps, maps, social media updates, emails music, video calls and much, much more usage will continue to grow and with it the need for a plan that provides reassurance.

So, to ensure our customers continue to experience peace of mind, on the UK’s biggest and best network for smartphones, Three has decided to buck the trend and give people all-you-can-eat data on The One Plan.

While other operators are restricting the data their customers can use before they get hit with out-of-bundle data charges, on The One Plan all limits have been lifted on the amount of data you can consume on your mobile.

Sales and Marketing Director, Marc Allera, said: “The One Plan was already a market-changing offer – we’ve just made it even better.

“At Three we’ve built a network with the scale and scope to meet people’s data needs both now and into the future – and with more and more customers choosing to opt for next generation smartphones, this will prove more important than ever.”

“Everyday thousands of customers buy a smartphone on a two-year contract. The trends clearly show usage grows over time. With its all-you-can-eat data The One Plan will still fit your needs no matter how much data you use.’

“We expect to see more people using mobiles than PCs to access the internet by 2015. all-you-can-eat data is designed to remove the possibility of bill shock when you use data, so you can use your smartphone to do everything it was designed for without the worry of cost.”

The One Plan now offers customer 2,000 any-network minutes, 5,000 Three-to-Three minutes, 5,000 texts and all-you-can-eat data – all from just £25 a month.

Three came first in the most recent YouGov Smartphone Mobile Internet Experience report, and the YouGov iPhone survey, as the number one network in the UK for speed and value.

Following a £400m project to upgrade and improve Three’s 3G network – which was already the biggest in the UK – it now covers more than 97.3% of the UK population.

Article: Local via Go Gadget News

Tags: 3, 3G, 3G Networks, Data, Smartphones, The One Plan, Three, Unlimited Data Plans

Posted in 3 / Three, 3G, Mobile Networks, Smartphones | No Comments »

iPhone 4 now available on 3

The iPhone 4 is now available on the Three network and offers are among the best we’ve seen. Stock is limited but is expected to last over the weekend.

For £45 per month you get 2000 xnet minutes, 1GB of data, 5000 extra minutes to mobiles on the same network and 5000 texts. For most customers this will effectively mean unlimited everything.

The offer is available with the iPhone 4 32GB, there’s £89 to pay upfront for the phone and £45 per month on a 24 month contract.

Highly recommended.

Compare all iPhone 4 32GB deals

Article: RSS via: Mobiles4u

Tags: 3, Apple, Compare iPhone Deals, Deals, iPhone, iPhone 4, Mobiles4u, The One Plan, Three

Posted in 3 / Three, Apple, iPhone | No Comments »

Sony Ericsson Zylo on The One Plan from 3

The Sony Ericsson Zylo is out now on The One Plan from 3. For just £28 per month you get 2000 minutes to any network, virtually unlimited texts and free calls to other phones on the same network. It also comes with 1GB of data per month. Amazing value for money. Other tariffs are available from just £13 per month.

The Sony Ericsson Zylo has social networking at its heart and includes a Walkman player for enhanced audio quality. Facebook and Twitter come pre-loaded to get you to the latest wall updates and tweets quickly and easily. Web browsing with HSPA offers a speedy browsing experience with Google Search to help you find the information you need.

The 3.2 megapixel camera features Photo fix, 2x digital zoom and geo-tagging. You can post your snaps on Picasa and Flickr to share the moment with family and friends. The camera can also capture video clips and the pre-loaded YouTube application allows you to upload your clips or view a huge variety of other videos.

The walkman player features shake control, Clear Stereo and Clear Bass to make the most of your music. Listen to your favourite tracks out loud or enjoy stereo sound on a Bluetooth headset. The internal memory can be expanded up to 16GB so you can carry your music collection with you.

Entertainment options include a FM Radio with RDS, video player and video streaming. All message options are included with SMS, MMS, Email and instant messaging.

Compare all Sony Ericsson Zylo deals

Article: RSS via: Mobiles4u

Tags: 3, Deals, Mobiles4u, Sony Ericsson, Sony Ericsson Zylo, The One Plan, Three

Posted in 3 / Three, Mobile Phones, Sony Ericsson | No Comments »

ZTE Racer on The One Plan from 3

This new Android phone from ZTE is available on The One Plan from 3. For just £28 per month you get 2000 minutes to any network, virtually unlimited texts and free calls to other phones on the same network. It also comes with 1GB of data per month. Other tariffs avaialble from £13 per month.

The ZTE Racer sports the Android 1.6 operating system that opens up a massive range of downloadable applications, many of which are free, to boost the already impressive feature set. Styled on a Palm type design the Racer offers an up to date look that will impress.

The front fascia is dominated by the large 2.8 inch QVGA touch-screen display thus providing plenty of space for operation and content alike. 3G Internet access opens up a world of virtual shops, news and sports sites wherever you are, and finally means the laptop can be left at home or in the office. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi and wireless Bluetooth, crucial for today’s need to connect with each other quickly and safely. The ZTE Racer provides entertainment with a FM radio and offers guided navigation with GPS support.

Compare all ZTE Racer deals

Article: RSS via: Mobiles4u

Tags: 3, Android, Budget Phones, Deals, Mobiles4u, The One Plan, Three, ZTE, ZTE Racer

Posted in Android, Smartphones, ZTE | No Comments »

The One Plan from 3

Sooner or later someone was going to challenge the way tariff pricing has been formulated and revolutionise the industry with a new and simplified pricing method that makes sense. So, it should be no surprise to most that it is the 3 network that has taken the initiative and created The One Plan.

The One Plan offers peace of mind and freedom of use by removing the so-called ‘unlimited packages’ that are capped with a fair usage policy that can often cripple users with large and unexpected bills. Instead, The One Plan brings a huge amount of clearly defined free usage that comprises of 1GB of data, 5000 text messages, 2000 minutes to any network any time and 5000 minutes for calling other mobiles on 3.

If you’re thinking about an iPhone 4 then you’ll be delighted to see a SIM only option with The One Plan at a low price of £25pm on a 12 month contract. Pick up a SIM free iPhone 4 direct from Apple for £499 and it works out cheaper than any of the deals available on Orange, O2 or Vodafone.

If you prefer a new phone on The One Plan then 24 month contracts are available. The cost of line rental depends on which phone you choose, it starts at £28 per month for phones such as the Nokia E63 or the LG Viewty GT. The HTC Desire is available for £35 per month.

The The One Plan has placed 3 at the forefront of the UK networks with probably the most attractive and easy to understand price plan that simply makes sense.

Most popular deals on The One Plan

View Source

Article: RSS via: Mobiles4u

Tags: 3, Deals, Mobiles Phones, Mobiles4u, SIM Only, Smartphones, The One Plan, Three

Posted in 3 / Three | No Comments »

Three launches The One Plan

The Complete Communications Package

Something strange is happening at Three. They started by re-branding the company from ’3′ to ‘Three‘. They also completed a deal with T-Mobile UK to create the UK’s biggest 3G network by sharing cell sites. This has clearly had a positive effect as Three’s mobile broadband speeds are now one of the best I’ve tried and believe me I’ve tried them all.

To top it off they are now selling for the first time ever, Apple’s holy phone with some holy plans to match. The price plans they announced for the iPhone 4 a few weeks ago were quite remarkable and it seems now that they are extending this by offering a new package to all Three customers and phones called ‘The One Plan’.

If they continue to offer great plans, and build an even stronger network then they might start to win a lot more people from the other major UK networks. I think the only problem Three have at the moment is the customer service. It doesn’t matter how well you train people in India, it will never compare to speaking with a local person who actually knows the products and network.

Take a look at the blog release from Three below:

This morning we launched a new plan. It’s called The One Plan and it’s available on all of our phones. It’s simple, it’s big and it has enough minutes, texts and data for almost everyone.

Mobile phone price plans don’t normally make the news, but I wanted to share with you some of the thinking behind The One and why it represents such a milestone for us.

The future of the UK mobile market is all about data and that’s what we were designed to do. We were ahead of our time with the first 3G network, but with the huge growth in internet and smartphones we’re now coming into our own. Our innovative tie-in with T-Mobile has allowed our 3G network to grow from around 8,000 sites in 2008 to what will be more than 12,000 by the end of this year. That takes us up to 98% 3G population coverage. We’re also continuing to invest heavily in the way data is carried across our network – giving you faster speeds and more capacity.

That doesn’t mean we should forget about voice and text. The success of the Terminate the Rate campaign gives us the ability to price voice services in line with actual costs – and that will mean that you guys, our customers, will no longer need to pay for us to subsidise the other operators with Mobile Termination Rates.

Though Ofcom’s proposed changes might not come into play for many months, we don’t want you to have to wait. We fought for changes to the marketplace and promised a revolutionary new type of contract plan if MTRs came down.

We want to start passing on the benefits of that change now, which is why we’re delivering on our promise early with The One Plan:

• From £25 per month (depends on the phone you choose)
• 2,000 any network minutes
• 5,000 Three-to-Three minutes
• 5,000 texts
• 1GB internet

We’ve squeezed as much as we can into The One Plan, so how and when you use your phone is one less thing for you to worry about. With this plan, you can talk for over 24 hours and send 1,000 texts a week, watch 30 minutes of YouTube a day or check Facebook over 65,000 times a month.

You’ve given us lots of feedback about our use of the word ‘unlimited’. We’ve heard your message loud and clear: Don’t say it unless you mean it. So we’re making the small print big.

From the beginning of July, we’re going to stop using the word unlimited. We won’t be reducing how much customers get (many of your will have got used to looking for the * and the fair use policy) – we’re just making it simpler to understand.

In fact, from today, at a time when other networks are reducing data for their customers, we’re giving you more. As standard, all of our newer tariffs have had an allowance of 500MB (hidden underneath the ‘unlimited’ umbrella). For those of you on Internet Texter 500 or 900, or Internet Talker 900 or 1200, (that was over two thirds of you judging by our June figures) you’ll now get 1GB of data every month. And of course, for an extra fiver a month, any of our customers can buy themselves an extra 2GB.

We’ll be making this change from today if you’re new to Three and signing up now. If you’re already with us, we’ll be upping your allowance over the next couple of months. I really wanted to do this sooner, but this is a big system change and it’s going to take some time to implement. You’ll be getting a text from us soon to explain the details.

So in summary, today’s pretty big. We’ve announced what we see as the simplest, most competitive tariff ever offered in the UK, we’ve taken a stand against ‘unlimited’ and misleading jargon, and for our biggest users we’re doubling your internet allowance, when elsewhere it would be under pressure. The mobile market is facing tough times, but we’re committed to listening to your feedback and doing the right thing by offering the best value possible in the most transparent way.

Tags: 3, 3G, 3G Network, Apple, iPhone 4, SIM Only, The One Plan, Three

Posted in 3 / Three, 3G | No Comments »