Vodafone 4G plans revealed: Free Spotify, anyone?

 

O2 has already revealed its 4G plans and is set to launch its crazy fast LTE network later this month, but what about Vodafone? The big red network’s just announced its 4G plans, and they’re coming in fast – fancy some free Spotify Premium with your mobile contract?

Vodafone’s getting ready for the launch of its super speedy 4G network on 29 August in London, with 12 more cities on the way before the end of the year, and you’ll be able to jump onto the company’s Vodafone Red 4G-ready plans from 12 August. And to make things sweeter, Vodafone’s giving you the choice of grabbing either Spotify Premium – worth £9.99 per month otherwise – or access to all the action from Sky Sports Mobile TV as part of your plan. How’s that sound?

If you’re upgrading from a current Vodafone Red plan, you can grab either streaming service, get double the amount of data you currently have and access 4G for an extra fiver a month on top of your current plan. Vodafone’s main 4G offerings come in three different sizes: Red 4G, Red 4G L and Red 4G XL, each at different price points with double the data caps as the current Red plans (1GB, 2GB and 4GB) and unlimited texts and calls.

Let’s start with the base Red 4G plan, which starts at £34 a month: you can choose from either streaming service for the first six months, which will then cost you £4.99 a month for Sky Sports or £9.99 for Spotify Premium. On the other hand, if you opt for the Red 4G L plan, which starts at £39 a month, or the Red 4G XL plan, which starts at £44 a month and arms you with 8GB of data, you’ll be granted with either streaming service for free for the whole of your two year contract. After two years, you’ll have to fork out for the service yourself, but that’s not bad for two years worth of free Spotify on any device.

Already got a 4G phone and want a SIM-only deal? You’ll find Vodafone’s SIM-only plan start at £26 a month, but just like the base Red 4G plan, you’ll only get Spotify and Sky Sports for the first six months. It’s still a lot better than nothing, and compared to O2’s deal, which will include access to an as yet to be named music service, sounds a lot more exciting, given Spotify’s critical mass and huge suite of apps for every platform under the sun.

www.easyappsbusiness.com

iPad 4G on the way to the UK!

 

The iPad Mini is believed to be just around the corner, but it’s not the only tablet Apple has in the works right now. According to sources, a new full size iPad is on the way, packing the new Lightning connector and 4G that’ll work in the UK.

The Guardian reports this week that the smaller iPad MIni will, like its Android-powered rivals, only pack Wi-Fi for internet cruising, and no 3G, in order to keep the price down. But sources also indicated that a new full size iPad is on the way, with the same 4G chip and smaller docking port as the iPhone 5.

Why’s this important? The third generation iPad that launched earlier this year does offer 4G speeds in the US, but it doesn’t work with any 4G frequencies in the UK. But this new iPad would support the super fast 1800MHz 4G Everything Everywhere is pushing live at the end of this month.

That, combined with a new port to support the same accessories as the iPhone 5 could make a bigger iPad worth waiting on. But when will we see it? The report doesn’t say, but based on Apple’s previous launches, we’d say spring next year is a good bet.

Would you wait on a 4G iPad? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments below.

www.tell-me-first.com

4G in the UK, courtesy of Everything Everywhere

 

Everything Everywhere, the umbrella company set up by T-Mobile and Orange has announced plans to launch 4G mobile connectivity in the UK this year to give kickstart 4G phone coverage with broadband-like internet speeds.

Subject to approval by governing body OfCom, the plan is to launch 4G across Britain, spelling faster internet speeds for smartphones and improved phone coverage.

“Everything Everywhere’s vision is to launch 4G for Britain as soon as possible, and the roll out of 3.5G HSPA+ and our 4G trials across Britain are major steps towards delivering on that promise” says Everything Everywhere CEO Olaf Swantee.

How soon? Everything Everywhere hopes for a 4G roll out before the end of the year, with initial trials taking place in Bristol in April. If all goes to plan we could soon see 4G broadband-like speeds sweeping the nation, possibly ahead of rival network O2, who also have 4G plans lined up.
Unlike in the US, there are no 4G-enabled phones, but with 4G set to arrive, that could all change, opening the gadget floodgates for 4G-equipped phones with breakneck internet speeds. It could be the best thing to happen to the UK tech scene this year.

What do you reckon, gadget fans? Excited about the possibility of owning a 4G smartphone?

iPhone 5 and iPad 3 tipped to jump on board 4G LTE express

For all its many strengths, one thing that is lacking on the Apple iPhone 4S is 4G networking speeds. But if the latest reports are to be believed, both the iPhone 5 and the next-generation iPad 3 will come with high-speed LTE networking smarts built in.

That’s the gist of reports emanating from Japan’s Nikkei Business publication this week, which claim Apple CEO Tim Cook himself has sat down with leading Japanese network NTT DoCoMo at Apple’s Cupertino HQ to discuss the plans.

The network infrastructure required to handle 4G data speeds is already well established in the Far East, and the iPhone 4S’ lack of 4G connectivity has been probably the number one criticism of the Apple handset in those markets.
However, Nikkei Business claims Apple’s next generation of iDevices will have 4G LTE networking on board – the iPad 3 in the first half of next year, and the iPhone 5 in the autumn.
But while that’s definitely good news for the Far East and the US, the continued delay in getting 4G networks up and running here in the UK means it’s unlikely we’ll be able to take full advantage. High-speed networks continue to be tested on a trial basis, but real progress is only likely to happen on the other side of the planned 4G spectrum auction next year.