Nokia/Microsoft Partnership - What do we want!

Speculate all you want - the Nokia - Microsoft partnership is a good thing for the mobile phone industry.

It was sad to see such a manufacturer heavyweight like Nokia stubble to its knees over the past 3 years with bombed smartphone products and glitchy, substandard operating systems. It wasn't always the case because Nokia had led the field for such a long time with well made, easy to use mobile phones but they just couldn't cut the mustard with the new kid operating systems in town aka Apple, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile (to a certain extent).

So what do we, the end user want from this partnership?

Nokia's world class, durable, well designed and built handsets with Windows Phone 7 operating system with plenty of free applications but most importantly at a reasonable cost with no pointless million megapixel camera's and features that we would just never use.... oh and a battery which will last more than a day!

Too much to ask?

If the partnership is to succeed then they should focus on the mid range handsets and build device(s) which everyone loves. High end devices are now plentiful and that market is crammed.

Lets see what they offer in the up and coming months

Orange & T-Mobile share their network

Did you know that Orange and T-Mobile customers can now share both networks' signal to boost their chances of getting reception!

The obvious benefit of this is to allow 29+ million customers across both bases to use their phones more often where before there may have been signal issues.

The two networks merged back in 2009 and began to allow dual access in October last year. All customers had to opt-in initially to use both signals.

But from the beginning of February, users started to receive text messages telling them they would automatically get access to reception from both.

If you're an Orange or T-Mobile customer you will only get automatic access to both networks once you receive the text.

If you haven't received your text and you are either an Orange or T-Mobile customer then visit the following appropriate website,

Orange

T-Mobile

Does this service cost anything? Not at all and your existing allowance will still be used. Treat this like roaming whilst abroad but in this case you're roaming whilst on home turf

For all of the online business offers for mobile phones visit www.OnlineBusinessMobiles.com

Nokia/Microsoft Partnership Press Release

Open Letter from CEO Stephen Elop, Nokia and CEO Steve Ballmer, Microsoft

By Stephen Elop and Steve Ballmer posted on the 11th of February 2011 at 7:30AM

GLOBAL – Today in London, our two companies announced plans for a broad strategic partnership that combines the respective strengths of our companies and builds a new global mobile ecosystem. The partnership increases our scale, which will result in significant benefits for consumers, developers, mobile operators and businesses around the world. We both are incredibly excited about the journey we are on together.

While the specific details of the deal are being worked out, here’s a quick summary of what we are working towards:

• Nokia will adopt Windows Phone as its primary smartphone strategy, innovating on top of the platform in areas such as imaging, where Nokia is a market leader.

• Nokia will help drive and define the future of Windows Phone. Nokia will contribute its expertise on hardware design, language support, and help bring Windows Phone to a larger range of price points, market segments and geographies.

• Nokia and Microsoft will closely collaborate on development, joint marketing initiatives and a shared development roadmap to align on the future evolution of mobile products.

• Bing will power Nokia’s search services across Nokia devices and services, giving customers access to Bing’s next generation search capabilities. Microsoft adCenter will provide search advertising services on Nokia’s line of devices and services.

• Nokia Maps will be a core part of Microsoft’s mapping services. For example, Maps would be integrated with Microsoft’s Bing search engine and adCenter advertising platform to form a unique local search and advertising experience.

• Nokia’s extensive operator billing agreements will make it easier for consumers to purchase Nokia Windows Phone services in countries where credit-card use is low.

• Microsoft development tools will be used to create applications to run on Nokia Windows Phones, allowing developers to easily leverage the ecosystem’s global reach.

• Microsoft will continue to invest in the development of Windows Phone and cloud services so customers can do more with their phone, across their work and personal lives.

• Nokia’s content and application store will be integrated with Microsoft Marketplace for a more compelling consumer experience.

We each bring incredible assets to the table. Nokia’s history of innovation in the hardware space, global hardware scale, strong history of intellectual property creation and navigation assets are second to none. Microsoft is a leader in software and services; the company’s incredible expertise in platform creation forms the opportunity for its billions of customers and millions of partners to get more out of their devices.

Together, we have some of the world’s most admired brands, including Windows, Office, Bing, Xbox Live, NAVTEQ and Nokia. We also have a shared understanding of what it takes to build and sustain a mobile ecosystem, which includes the entire experience from the device to the software to the applications, services and the marketplace.

Today, the battle is moving from one of mobile devices to one of mobile ecosystems, and our strengths here are complementary. Ecosystems thrive when they reach scale, when they are fueled by energy and innovation and when they provide benefits and value to each person or company who participates. This is what we are creating; this is our vision; this is the work we are driving from this day forward.

There are other mobile ecosystems. We will disrupt them.

There will be challenges. We will overcome them.

Success requires speed. We will be swift.

Together, we see the opportunity, and we have the will, the resources and the drive to succeed.

Nokia C6 - mini review

Touch screen devices are good but sometimes a physical keyboard is required for the longer messages. The Nokia C6 will suit you if you need to do plenty of emailing when you’re away from your PC. It gives you quick access to all the main email accounts like Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail and Windows Live. And with a large QWERTY keyboard at your disposal, you’ll find typing out your message is a piece of cake.

Personalising your business mobile phone with different, useful applications is important. Ovi is the name for Nokia’s wide range of internet services. You can use these to make sure the Nokia C6 does what you want, how you want. With Ovi services, you get access to all kinds of content that’s exclusively for Nokia users. You can download apps that make sure you’re up-to-date with the latest news, sport and weather. Or apps for the games you love to play. And it’s easy to change your C6’s wallpaper to show the image you choose – it might even be one you’ve taken with the C6’s 5 megapixel camera.

Nokia Maps is built-in to the Nokia C6. It gives you turn-by-turn directions that help you reach your destination quickly and safely. That’s great news if you’re running late for an important client meeting. Or if it’s pitch dark, pouring with rain and you’re desperately trying to find the venue of your business networking doo. The C6 also gives you detailed guides to lots of cities in the UK and overseas.

Use our OnlineBusinessMobile.com comparison website to find the latest business deals for the Nokia C6

Google Nexus S - mini review

Here we announce Google’s latest smart phone handset, manufactured by Samsung, the ‘Nexus S'.

It is the first mobile phone to run on the latest Android 2.3 ‘Gingerbread’ Operating System. The operating system promises to take Nexus S one step ahead of other phones in its class. The Google Nexus S Smartphone will definitely prove hard competitor to other smart phones in the market with its host of multimedia features.

The Google Nexus S includes a 4 inch Super AMOLED capacitive touch screen with a resolution of 400 x 800. The curved glass display of handset has over 16 million vibrant colours. The device is made of black coloured curved case with a sleeker design compared to the earlier Nexus One offer. The Nexus S is thin with dimensions of 63mm x 124mm x 11mm and weighing only 129g. The phone comes with touch-sensitive controls and an improved user interface with an on-screen QWERTY keypad that enables users to enter the text significantly faster than previous Android phones.

The latest Android 2.3 ‘Gingerbread’ Operating System is installed in Samsung Google Nexus S Smartphone. The mobile phone enables you to handle multiple applications simultaneously With the help of the 1 GHz Hummingbird processor and the battery life is also good. The mobile phone boasts a 5 MP camera that comes with auto focus and LED flash. The phone also offers you a front-facing VGA camera as well as the back-facing one. The Nexus S is also equipped with the latest Near Field Communication (NFC) software making contactless payment a reality.

Samsung Nexus S also comes equipped with Google’s noise cancellation software, which when combined with audio software, drastically reduces the background noise, so that you hear crystal clear voice of the person over the phone. The GPRS-enabled phone promises to offer you wonderful internet browsing experience. It also offers you Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. The Android phone comes with a whopping 16 GB internal memory, with 512 MB RAM. However, it doesn’t have scope for expanding the memory, as it doesn’t provide you an additional memory card. Nonetheless, you can store practically unlimited entries in the phonebook, in its gigantic internal memory.

Nokia partnership Microsoft's Windows Phone 7

Microsoft and Nokia are in talks regarding a partnership which could catapult both companies back in to the smart phone game which they have lost ground in recently due to Apple and Google's success.

The CEO of Nokia, Stephen Elop, (who at one point worked for Microsoft) has been talking to CEO of Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, about running Windows Phone 7, the computer giants latest mobile operating system, on their handsets.

Similar talks where held not so long back with Google's CEO, Eric Schmidt however no agreement was reached so an Anroid/Nokia partnership is non existent for the moment.

On February 11, Nokia will be holding an event where they will unveil the new strategy for the future of the company - Will they announce the Windows Phone 7 partnership then???

O2 to be using NFC mobile payments this year

Are you the type of person that likes to make life a bit easier? Well good news - O2 have indicated that later this year they will offer the Near Field Communication (NFC) method of payment on all enabled handsets.

The announcement follows Orange and T-Mobile's suggestion that they too will be endorsing the contactless payment process in partnership with Barclays Bank.

So which handset are NFC ready? There's Nokia's N8 & E7, Google Nexus S and the soon to be released Apple iPhone 5.

O2 is also expected to apply for an e-money licence from the Financial Services Authority (FSA). This will allow them to offer their customers money transfer facilities as well as contactless payments via their handset. It is believed 60,000 outlets around the country will also NFC ready later in the year, most likely in the second half of 2011.

Now where's my cheque book???

Nokia E7 - Review

If you want a phone that lets you take great quality pictures and video, and work on the move, choose the Nokia E7.

Write messages quickly

The Nokia E7 is great if you send a lot of messages and emails from your phone. A QWERTY keypad slides out from underneath the screen - perfect for typing longer emails or documents. Or if you're just sending a quick text, you can tap it out on the touchscreen. The BlackBerry Torch and HTC Desire Z also have this option, but the Nokia E7 offers a slightly larger touchscreen.

Take stunning pictures with the Nokia E7

Just bumped into a celeb on the street? Been invited to a party at the last minute? Because you don't always have your digital camera at hand - the Nokia E7's 8 megapixel camera lets you take high quality pictures whenever the opportunity arises. The crisp 4" screen makes viewing them a joy. And you can share them easily with your friends and family by uploading them to your favourite social network.

It's a great quality camera - better than the BlackBerry Torch or the HTC Desire Z but not as good as the Nokia N8.

Shoot high definition video

Next time you're at an event or a family gathering where a photo just won't convey the atmosphere - try videoing it. The Nokia E7 comes with a HD video camera, so you can record and play back high quality videos. There's also a HDMI slot, which means you can connect it to a TV if you want to view your videos on a larger screen.

Keep yourself organised with the Nokia E7

If you're out and about a lot for business, keep in touch by sending and receiving emails on the Nokia E7. You can also sync your work calendar, contacts and tasks - so you don't have to worry about missing out on an important meeting. These handy features are similar to those you'll find on other popular business smartphones, such as the BlackBerry Torch or BlackBerry Bold 9780

Work on the move - securely

The Nokia E7 also comes with business grade VPN, enabling you to connect to your company intranet safely and securely.
If you're not in front of your computer and need to make a last minute change to a document, you can do it easily on the Nokia E7. View and edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents using the built-in Quickoffice application.

BlackBerry Torch 9800 Mini Review

Keep your life in check with business apps from BlackBerry App World. Even when your world is moving a mile a minute

With 5 MP, flash, image stabilisation, continuous auto-focus and more, this camera is no afterthought.

Polished from the inside-out: more memory, an enhanced media player, a bigger screen Satisfy your senses with a touch screen and a full slide keyboard.

Engage in real-time conversations with BBM. With an intuitive chat-style layout and unlimited characters, it's the next best thing to talking. Search your entire smartphone and even the web - right from your Home screen. With integrated Twitter and Facebook apps, keeping up with your social world is almost too easy. And by visiting BlackBerry on Facebook, you can get exclusive updates, post your own reviews and photos and more.

Check out more offers across all of the networks by visiting OnlineBusinessMobiles.com

Setting up your O2 business BlackBerry

How do I connect my BlackBerry to O2?

If you don’t have usually GPRS, EDGE or 3G if you are using a 3G device, it should show in capital letters to indicate you have network coverage.

You need to register your BlackBerry on the O2 network. Go to the Home Screen on your device and click the Manage Connections icon, then tick the Mobile Network box.

You will then see the network coverage symbol in the top right of the screen. This is usually GPRS, EDGE or 3G if you are using a 3G device, and it should show in capital letters to indicate you have network coverage.

If your device is not showing capital GPRS, EDGE or 3G you will need to contact O2 Customer Services to check your device has been provisioned for BlackBerry.

Will my existing SIM work with my BlackBerry?

Yes it will. You will however need to ensure that your BlackBerry device has 3G capability, you have a 3G sim and you have a BlackBerry tariff. To check if you have a 3G sim, 3G will be shown on the sim card within the product code or within the last 4 digits of the SIM number. For example - 89441100639276352943GD2

How do I import my contacts from my email accounts to my BlackBerry address book?

To export Contacts from your ISP email account to your BlackBerry device:

1. Log into your ISP email account
2. Create an Export .CSV file (for Outlook) of your Contacts.
3. Save this .CSV file to your desktop. Next you will need to Import this .CSV file into your Contacts folder in Outlook.
4. On the File menu, click Import and Export.
5. Select Import from another programme or file
6. Select Comma Separated Value (Windows)
7. Browse to the .CSV file you created from your ISP contacts.
8. Select Contacts as your destination folder
9. Click Finish and this will import the contacts on your .CSV file into your Contacts Folder.

These contacts will now appear in your BlackBerry handheld Address Book.

Can I add the contacts saved on my SIM card to my BlackBerry Address Book?

Yes you can add your SIM contacts to your BlackBerry Address Book.

1. In the BlackBerry Address Book click the menu and select Click on ‘SIM Card Phone Book’
2. Click the menu key and click ‘Copy All to the Address Book’

How do I set up e-mail on my BlackBerry?

Setting up email from the BlackBerry device takes just a few simple steps.

1.From the Home screen select the ‘Set up’ folder and ‘E-mail Settings/Accounts’.

Then you can either –

Select the type of email account you want to set up, example, Yahoo, AOL and enter existing Internet Service Provider email address and password and agree to the terms and conditions.

Or "Create A BlackBerry E-mail Address" – example xxxx@o2email.co.uk and create a password.

2.Your email is now set up.

Once the first email address has been entered or the BlackBerry email address has been created the customer can then add additional email addresses by clicking 'Set up another email account’ and follow the above steps again.

No more than 10 email accounts can be set-up on one BlackBerry Device.

If you have a new device the set up wizard will appear on the screen when they switch on your device. The email set up instruction is also in the tutorial is in the set up wizard.

To see our interactive guide on how to do this please click here.