PowerupMobile.com

Beepy and Phonebox Mobiles Deals Now Listed

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:55:00 GMT

PowerupMobile.com has integrated deals from independent mobile phone retailers Beepy and Phonebox Mobiles making our price comparison service one of the most broad and competitive mobile phone comparison sites in the UK.

PowerupMobile.com now compares contract mobile phone deals from seventeen retailers and networks as well as sim free deals from six other retailers.

Beepy and Phonebox Mobiles are long established players in the mobile phone industry and both sites offer competitively priced deals, cashback offers and free gift incentives on a broad range of up to date handsets.

Sony Ericsson Announce Xperia X10

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:23:00 GMT

Sony Ericsson have announced the upcoming launch of their new Android powered touchscreen handset - the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. Announced on the 3rd of November in London, Sony Ericsson describe the Xperia X10 as the flagship device in a range handsets coming to market in the first half of 2010. The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is expected in Q1 2010.

Sony Ericsson have enhanced the Android experience using what they are calling Open OS and UX interface. There is a full press release along with some very cool videos showing off the device. The Xperia X10 is also outlined in full on the Sony Ericsson web site.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 which shares a similar name but runs Windows Mobile 6.5 is due to be available to order in November 2009.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 on Vodafone

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:44:00 GMT

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 is the upgraded Xperia X1, with a new, high end spec and features making it one of the most powerful devices currently available.

Expected to launch this month Vodafone have listed the Xperia X2 on their web site with a notice saying due November. The phone is also listed sim free / unlocked on Play.com as coming soon and rumours circulating on the Blogosphere indicate the release is imminent.

You will be able to compare Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 deals on our site as soon as we have them. In the mean time we have added a quick review of the device and specs.

BlackBerry Storm2 9520 Out Now on Vodafone

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:50:00 GMT

Not only has the new BlackBerry Bold had an upgrade with the BlackBerry Bold 9700, the BlackBerry Storm has been upgraded as you guessed it the BlackBerry Storm2 9520. The BlackBerry Storm was the first touchscreen device from BlackBerry and the Storm2 adds a few new features and brings the handset up to date.

Originally released on Vodafone, you can compare BlackBerry Storm2 9520 deals on Vodafone now, there are currently 284 deals from two retailers but no sim free listings yet.

BlackBerry Bold 9700 (Bold 2) Out Now on Orange

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:39:00 GMT

The new BlackBerry Bold 9700 (aka Bold 2) is the upgraded flagship QWERTY keyboard device from RIM. The BlackBerry Bold 9700 features a high-res full colour screen, touchpad navigation, WiFi, 3G, camera, web, email and multimedia player to keep you up to date with work and entertained on the go.

Just launched on the Orange network you can compare BlackBerry Bold 9700 (Bold 2) deals on Orange via our price comparison service. There are currently just shy of 2000 deals from two independent retailers. Also available sim free for £429.99.

5MB Mobile Broadband Discount Voucher from Three

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:43:00 GMT

Three are giving offering an exclusive online only Mobile Broadband voucher code that when used will reduce the monthly line rental for 5GB Mobile Broadband to £12 per month instead of £15. The deal surely makes it the cheapest available Mobile Broadband offer available when compared like for like with other networks.

Simply enter the following code at checkout: 3MBB3OFF

The voucher is only valid on the 18 month plan and not the one month plan.

View Three Mobile Broadband Deals...

Carphone Announce iPhone on Orange Release Date

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:25:00 GMT

The Carphone Warehouse has emailed its customers letting them know that the iPhone 3GS will be available on Orange from the 10th November and customers can pre register now. This is the first time the iPhone will be available in the UK on a network other than O2. Apple and O2 have maintained an exclusivity deal for sales of the iPhone which has now come to an end. Orange and Vodafone will both shortly be selling the iPhone on contract in the UK.

Pre-order the HTC HD2 on O2

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:09:00 GMT

Mobiles.co.uk, part of the Carphone Warehouse have announced they are taking pre-orders for the HTC HD2, ahead of O2 themselves. Mobiles.co.uk are the first company to offer the HTC HD2 on an O2 contract after Mobile Phones Direct listed the device on Vodafone and T-Mobile a fortnight ago.

The email alert direct from Mobiles.co.uk claims the phone will be available for delivery early next week so they may be the first company to ship it.

The best pre-order HTC HD2 O2 deals include a £25/month, 24 month contract with the phone at £99, £30/month, s4 month contract with £39 upfront payment or get the HD2 completely free on a £40/month contract with a range of gift offers or cash back.

We have not yet received feed data from Mobiles but as soon as we do we will integrate this in to our price comparison system so you can compare O2, Vodafone and T-Mobile.

Compare Palm Pre Deals Now

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:32:00 GMT

Having been available in the US for several months, the Palm Pre is finally available in the UK on an O2 contract. As well as being available directly from the O2 web site the Palm Pre is available from a small number of independent retailers. Contracts start from £30 per month and you can get the Palm Pre free on a £35 per month contract.

Compare Palm Pre Deals...

HTC Tattoo Now Available on Orange

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:54:00 GMT

The HTC Tattoo can now be bought on an Orange contract as well as Vodafone. You can either buy direct from Orange or choose from one of thousands of deals from independent retailer BuyMobilePhones.net. Great news as Vodafone only have about 7 deals where as there are now over 2000 deals including free gift and cash back bundles, plus of course a choice of network.

Compare HTC Tattoo Deals...

HTC HD2 Appears on Amazon.co.uk

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:25:00 GMT

Amazon in the UK have added the HTC HD2 to their catalogue overnight and are taking pre-orders now. The phone is currently on sale for £549.99, not the cheapest price we have seen but they are throwing in a free HTC M200 Bluetooth Headset if you pre-order which they normally sell for £42.71. You also get the reassurance it comes direct from one of the most reliable retailers around.

They are showing a release date of 20th November although they do note this is subject to change.

So far the cheapest price PowerupMobile.com is listing for the HTC HD2 is £486.43 from Insight and from Play.com at £499.99. There are also several contract HTC HD2 deals listed on our price comparison service where the phone is available free on certain tariffs.

Acer Launch new neoTouch and beTouch Range

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:28:00 GMT

Acer have launched their new range of Windows Phone devices all running the new Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system. Acer have made an effort to provide a phone for all markets from a basic entry level device, the Acer beTouch E101 to the top of the range Acer neoTouch (previously know as the Acer F1).

Acer beTouch E100 & E101

The entry level Acer beTouch E100 and E101 are virtually identical devices except that the E100 has HSDPA 3G internet access where as the E101 does not. Both phones have an array of useful features however such as GPS, 3.2" touchscreen, 2 mega-pixel camera and microSD expansion.

Compare Acer beTouch E100 Deals...

Compare Acer beTouch E101 Deals...

Acer beTouch E200

The Acer beTouch E200 has a few extra features thrown in on top of the E100 including a 3 mega-pixel camera and most notably a slide out keypad for easy dialling and texting.

Compare Acer beTouch E200 Deals...

Acer neoTouch S200 (F1)

The Acer neoTouch makes quite a big jump from the beTouch range and like the HTC HD2 includes the new Snapdragon 1GHz processor. It also has a large 3.8" touchscreen (800x480 pixel resolution), 5 mega-pixel camera and WiFi.

Compare Acer beTouch E200 Deals...

Free Jabra BT2015 Bluetooth Headset with Every Mobiles Order

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:05:00 GMT

Mobiles.co.uk, part of The Carphone Warehouse are giving away a free Jabra BT2015 Bluetooth headset with any contract mobile phone order. Simply enter the following voucher code at checkout:

mobcoukt1

Or follow this link and the voucher code will be automatically added for you.

Atomic Pico Bluetooth USB Dongle Review

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:51:00 GMT

This months competition winner will receive a brand new Atomic Pico Bluetooth USB dongle thanks to our Mobile Accessories partner Mobile Fun. I was lucky enough to receive one to keep for myself so have been evaluating it over the last week or two.

If you are not familiar with Bluetooth dongles - they are small devices that plug in to the USB port of your laptop or desktop PC and give it the same Bluetooth functionality that you find on most mobile phones.

Once set up and working you will be able to connect up several devices wirelessly to your PC such as a mouse, printer, keyboard or Bluetooth speakers. You can also hook up your mobile phone or PDA. This is great for syncing, backing up and transferring files.

What is special about the Atomic Pico Bluetooth Dongle is its size. It is tiny - you can plug it in to the USB port on your laptop and just forget about it. It's not going to get in the way or snag on anything or get broken. The Pico dongle is also fast at transferring data using USB 2 and Bluetooth 2 at speeds of 3 Mbit/s. It is also compatible with A2DP which means you can stream music to a set of Bluetooth speakers.

The Pico Bluetooth dongle ships with Bluesoleil software which provides lots of tools for linking up your laptop to various devices and transferring and managing your Bluetooth connections. Personally I skipped the software installation and used the built in Windows Bluetooth drivers which are more compatible with my PDA, covered in last months How To set up Bluetooth ActiveSync.

Finally the Pico Bluetooth dongle is incredibly cheap, currently selling for £8.95 it would make a great Christmas stocking filler for the gadget lover.

If you like the sound of the Pico Bluetooth Dongle why not enter our competition to win one now...

Atomic Pico USB Bluetooth Dongle provided for review courtesy of Mobile Fun. Mobile Fun is the UK’s leading online retailer for mobile phone accessories and mobile downloads. With a product range of over 5,000 globally-sourced mobile accessories and over 100,000 mobile downloads available on our website, Mobile Fun has an unparalleled product range, and has successfully established a market-leading position within the competitive mobile sector.

Microsoft Launch Windows Phone Web Site

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:31:00 GMT

With the launch of the latest Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system and with version 7 in full development Microsoft have further established their commitment to mobile phones with a newly revamped Windows Phone site.

The new Windows Phone web site and overall Windows Phone strategy brings together the operating system, the mobile devices and the applications available pre-installed or via the new Windows Marketplace.

The web site is nice and simple, spells out what the operating system does in a nut shell and has a phone selector to let you know of the latest devices. Hopefully the site will increase Microsoft's position in the mobile marketplace and make it more accessible to people who may be put off thinking it is complicated technology.

Tattoo your HTC Tattoo with TattooMyHTC.com

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:41:00 GMT

The recently launched HTC Tattoo has been designed so that you can customise the handset with interchangeable covers, now HTC have launched a complimentary web site that lets you buy off the shelf fascias or even design your own - TattooMyHTC.com.

There are a small selection of of the shelf pre-designed covers available for £10.90, but what makes things more interesting is the Design Your Own interface that lets you combine colours, backgrounds, text, symbols and your own images/graphics to create an inspiring piece of personalised art or a complete mess if you are not creatively inclined.

Custom covers cost £12.50 and you can design the front and back independently of one another. The covers need to be individually produced and are shipped from China so expect a short delay for delivery.

Acer F1 Available to Pre-order on Orange and O2

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:13:00 GMT

The Acer F1 follows hot on the heals of the recently launched HTC HD2 and is available now to pre-order on O2 and Orange. Like the HTC HD2 the Acer F1 is a Windows Mobile 6.5 device with a 1Ghz Snapdragon Processor and other high end specs.

The Acer F1 is slightly smaller than the HTC HD2 so if you want something a bit more compact and don't want such a big screen then the Acer F1 may be for you with its 3.8 inch screen. The screen is also a resistive touch screen which works better for accuracy and stylus use.

A great looking phone from Acer who only entered the Windows Mobile PDA market this year after buying Eten.

Compare Acer F1 Deals...

Phones4U to stock iPhone on Orange and O2

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:35:00 GMT

Phones4U have contacted PowerupMobile.com with the news they will shortly be selling the iPhone 3G S on O2 and Orange contracts. They currently do not have any deals or tariff information but have updated their web site with a small banner advertising the upcoming launch.

The fact that a retailer independent of any network and also not part of the Carphone Warehouse group is welcome news as this should open up pricing of the iPhone and make it more competitive.

As soon as tariffs become available we will integrate these in to our price comparison database so you can compare against other networks and retailers.

HTC HD2 vs iPhone 3G S

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:33:00 GMT

It's sure to be debated sooner or later so we thought we would get a discussion going on our Facebook Page. What are your first impressions of the new HTC HD2 device and do you think it will give the iPhone a run for its money?

Join the discussion on Facebook...

HTC HD2 Pre-order on T-Mobile and Vodafone

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:28:00 GMT

We have a scoop! PowerupMobile.com are the first mobile phone price comparison site to find and list deals on the HTC HD2 which was announced yesterday.

Although a number of sources have listed pre-order details for sim free HTC HD2 handsets, PowerupMobile.com is the first site to compare HTC HD2 contract deals.

A surprise to many will be that the first deals to appear are on Vodafone and T-Mobile. Although there were rumours of a T-Mobile launch most of the emphasis has been on an O2 offering. At the present time O2 are not listing the HTC HD2 on their online shop.

There are only a small number of deals where the handset is available free: a Vodafone Your Plan 35 + Web for £39.15 over 24 months (includes 900 mins, unlimited texts and internet) or on T-Mobile there is a Combi 40 plus Web n Walk deal for £40 for £44.05/month over 18 months (includes 1000 mins, unlimited texts and internet). Total costs over the contract period are £939.60 and £792.90 respectively. There are currently over 200 deals listed.

Compare HTC HD2 Deals...

HTC Announce UK Launch of HTC HD2

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:00:00 GMT

The wait is over and the rumours and speculation can be put to bed as HTC today officially announced the launch of the HTC HD2 (no longer the HTC Touch HD2 or the HTC Leo).

Many of the rumours can be substantiated however so a big hand to all the bloggers and forum posters who got that right. Confirmed for the HTC HD2 are the 1GHz Snapdragon processor, the 4.3" capacitive thouchscreen, 5 mega-pixel camera and Windows Mobile 6.5 (not Android as some reported). It's also incredibly thin for what it packs in at only 11mm.

Despite the ground breaking high spec of the HTC HD2, HTC decided to open their press release with the announcement that this will be the first Windows Mobile device to feature HTC Sense, the user interface found on the Android powered HTC Hero. We look forward to seeing how this runs on top of the core OS.

Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation comments "With HTC Sense, the HTC HD2 melds the power and flexibility of the Windows platform with the most advanced phone we've ever created."

The announcement also hints at the phones multi-touch capabilities saying office files, web sites, PDF docs and pictures can be zoomed and resized with the pinch of the fingers.

I'll be posting a full review shortly and preparing the site for price comparison with our partners.

HTC have confirmed the device will be available October 2009 in the UK and Europe and then rolled out to other countries across the globe. In the meantime some pictures below to whet your appetite.

HTC HD2 Review - Now Even More Official

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 06:01:00 GMT

Following on from the appearance of the HTC HD2 (aka HTC Touch HD2 / HTC Leo) in the October O2 Catalogue, Daron Brewood, CEO of Windows Mobile Blog 4WinMobile.com has announced that he has received a final hardware version of the device from O2 and will writing a review based on users questions.

Daron has been granted permission to post a single photo of the device on his forum and has invited questions from members which he will answer in due course. The device looks pretty stunning from the photo, a lot smaller than I personally imagined and very slick looking.

If you have a question about the HTC HD2 head over to 4WinMobile.com and post your question.

Sony Ericsson Satio Available to Pre-Order

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:40:00 GMT

The Sony Ericsson Satio, currently the most clicked on phone on PowerupMobile.com according to our stats is now available to buy online from a number of retailers on O2, Vodafone and Orange networks as well as sim free / unlocked.

The Sony Ericsson Satio is the big brother to the recently launched Sony Ericson Aino and also features Remote Play which provide access to your Sony Playstation 3's multimedia library. The Satio also outdoes its Aino sibling with an 12 mega-pixel camera over the Aino's 8.

There are currently 280 deals listed on the site for you to compare.

Compare Sony Ericsson Satio Deals...

Official HTC Touch HD2 (Leo) Specs

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 03:06:00 GMT

These specs for highly anticipated HTC Touch HD2 (HTC HD2 / HTC Leo) appear to be as official as they come and match some of the very vague specs outlined on the recent O2 catalogue announcement. The full specs have been posted by a member of the XDA-Developers forum called B3ler3fonte.

The highlights are as follows:

Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional (upgradeable to Windows Mobile 7)
Qualcomm MSM 8250, 1GHz processor (Snapdragon?)
ROM: 512 MB / RAM: 320 MB
4.3-inch 480x800 WVGA display
Capacitive touch screen with support for Multi-Touch
HSPA/UMTS/GSM/GPRS/EDGE, HSDPA/HSUPA 3G internet
Built in GPS
Motion G-sensor / Proximity sensor / Ambient Light Sensor
FM Radio
5 mega-pixel CMOS camera with auto-focus and dual LED flash
Bluetooth 2.1 compliant with EDR
Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g compliant
Micro-USB with USB 2.0 High-Speed client
3.5 mm stereo audio jack with mic
microSD card slot with SDHC support
1,230 mAh battery

Sounds like a beast of a device and everyone at PowerupMobile is waiting with baited breath for the imminent release of this device.

Win an Atomic Pico Bluetooth USB Dongle

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:45:00 GMT

Last months 'Spot the Mobile' competition was a great success with over 500 entries. This month we have teamed up again with Mobilefun to give away the worlds tiniest Bluetooth USB dongle - the Atomic Pico Bluetooth Dongle.

Plug this tiny little device in to a spare USB port on your laptop or PC and then forget about it. The tiny size means it is not in the way and can't get knocked or bent, you will hardley even notice it.

Once up and running the Pico dongle will allow you to wirelessly connect up your mobile phone, mouse, keyboard, printer and Bluetooth speakers. In the case of a Windows Mobile device you can use ActiveSync over Bluetooth and perform all the tasks you can normally do over a USB cable.

Enter the competition here...

I am currently testing and reviewing the Pico dongle and am so far impressed with its size and speed which is a great improvement over its predecessor the Nano dongle.

HTC Touch HD2 on T-Mobile and O2 Rumours

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:50:00 GMT

It has been discussed on countless forums and blogs under the guise of the HTC Leo for months, but finally details are starting to emerge about HTC's new power house device.

The HTC Leo has been pictured in the October O2 UK catalogue with the name HTC HD2 over on Engadget.com, (we are getting our own catalogue sent to us to confirm this) and also promo photos of a T-Mobile HTC Touch HD2 such as this one. The second one does look a bit suspect if you ask me though and a bit of a mock-up.

If these reports are true then this will be the first time either network have launched an HTC device without re-branding the devices, O2 normally re-badge their devices as XDA and T-Mobile as Vario or Compact. It makes sense that they are the first networks to release the HTC Touch HD2 given their close alliance with HTC in the past however.

Release date is expected to be around 12th of October but other blogs are reporting 26th October. So far none of our price comparison partners or suppliers have contacted us regarding the device.

We will keep you updated on all our research and findings.

Samsung Omnia II i8000 on Orange

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:37:00 GMT

The Samsung Omnia II i8000, the new Windows Mobile PDA device from Samsung and follow up to the original Omnia i900 is available to pre-order now on an Orange contract. Stock is expected 6th October so you should have the phone next week.

Compare Samsung Omnia II deals...

Samsung Omnia II Sim Free available to Buy Now

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 06:26:00 GMT

The Samsung Omnia II i8000 (Omnia 2), the latest Windows Mobile PDA from Samsung is available now to buy sim free but we are still awaiting the contract versions. The sim free Omnia II is priced from £399.45 and there are three different deals to compare.

The Samsung Omnia II houses an impressive array of features behind its large 3.7" AMOLED touch screen, you can read a full review or compare sim free Samsung Omnia II prices and buy now. As soon as contracts are available, perhaps after 6th October when Windows Mobile 6.5 is released, we will update the site.

The Nokia N900 Launches on Vodafone and T-Mobile

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:52:00 GMT

The Nokia N900 Tablet is the long awaited and much improved version of the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet. One of the key upgrades and much asked for feature on the Nokia N900 is the addition of voice and mobile broadband features. Surprisingly its predecessor only had WiFi for connecting to the internet. The new version includes standard phone features, HSDPA 3G high speed internet and WiFi.

The Nokia N900 looks similar to the Nokia N97 but is marketed as an internet device. Its not quite a netbook and its not quite a phone. It is powered by a 600Mhz ARM processor, has 1GB of RAM and runs on Nokia's own Linux variant called Maemo. There is 32GB of built in storage for all your files and has a 3.5" 800x480 touchscreen plus a slide out keyboard.

This powerhouse of a device is out now on Vodafone and T-Mobile contracts and you can compare Nokia N900 Deals now via the web site. Also available sim free from £449.99.

Pre order the Sony Ericsson Aino

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:08:00 GMT

The Sony Ericsson Aino, the first in a range of new touch screen Sony Ericsson multimedia devices is available now to pre-order on an Orange contract. The Sony Ericsson Aino has a host of high end features including an 8 mega-pixel camera, HSDPA, WiFi, GPS plus internet and email apps for staying in touch.

Another innovative new feature on the Sony Ericsson Aino is Remote Play which allows you to interact with the multimedia features of your Sony Playstation 3. You can wirelessly access and control your Playstation and stream and transfer files between devices.

The Aino is currently available to pre-order on an Orange contract with O2 approval expected very soon. The phone is available free on a £25/month 24 month contract along with hundreds of other deals.

Compare Sony Ericsson Aino Deals...