For the first time ever, Alcatel will be getting it's hands dirty here in the states. O2, an MVNO, has just announced that it will be carrying the first ever Alcatel phone to be officially carried in the United States. The phone, is the OT-E206a, which is a compact candy bar This is the first of more to come. The relationship ... continued »

UK network O2 were perhaps overdue a new smartphone, so they've introduced their own version of HTC's S730 Windows Mobile handset.  Branded the Xda Atmos, the handset somewhat disappointingly ships with WM 6.0 rather than the newer 6.1, but GPRS, EDGE, 3G, WiFi, HSDPA and quadband GSM should go some way to making up for it. continued »

Apple shares have seen a turnaround after the market reacted positively to the company's news that it had met its iPhone sales targets and was preparing to unveil the long-awaited official SDK for the handset at an event next month (which PHONE Magazine will be live-blogging).  The uplift coincides with confirmation from O2 Ireland that the network will begin sales of ... continued »

UK carrier O2, currently Apple's partner in the country for the iPhone, have been threatened with a £40m ($79m) fine by telecoms regulator Ofcom for failing to meet a 3G licence roll-out requirement last year.  The clause, which obliged any UK carrier with a 3G licence to build a network catering for at least 80-percent of the population by the ... continued »

HSDPA, EV-DO and the rest are all lovely and fast, as long as you can get a signal in the first place.  That's where Ubiquisys step in; their name might be tricky to type, but their product - called a ZoneGate Femtocell - promises perfect reception in your home or office.  Femtocells boost cellphone coverage by bridging wireless network data onto ... continued »

As cellphone networks support ever increasing download speeds, and consumer appetite for media on a small screen develops, Paramount Pictures has announced the formation of its Mobile Entertainment unit intended to focus on "developing mobile entertainment and alternative distribution models".  A subsection of Paramount Pictures Digital Entertainment, the group will be helmed by Sandi Isaacs, SVP-mobile and interactive, and have ... continued »

UK business customers with an eye for new smartphones will now be able to pick up O2's Xda Orbit 2 from the carrier's business store. Based on the HTC Touch Cruise, the handset runs Windows Mobile 6 and has a 3-megapixel camera, GPS, quadband GSM including 3G and HSDPA, WiFi and Bluetooth. continued »