Delay in Ofcom legislation on 0870 numbersOver the last few months a review of telephone numbering in the UK has been taking place, which included potential changes to the regulations regarding 0870 and 0871 number ranges. One of the key changes expected was to align the cost of an 0870 call to that of a national rate call from 1st February 2008. The effect of these changes would have been that out-payments on 0870 numbers would have ceased, and that charges would have been made to receive calls to 0870 numbers.
However, Ofcom has now announced a delay in the implementation of these regulations, due to concerns about pre-call announcements. As a result, the 1st February 2008 implementation date is no longer applicable and no firm revised date has been set. They have also announced a delay in the implementation of 0871 regulations until Summer 2008, due to the late submission of the PhonepayPlus (ICSTIS) Statement.  |
iPhone launch deemed a ‘damp squib’ Apple have been very reluctant to say how many iPhones were sold on Day One of trading, stating that this information is ‘commercially sensitive’. However, the general feeling in the industry is that it’s more a case of not wanting to admit to the fact that sales volumes were far less than expected.
This mobile phone is in effect a combination of the iPod and a mobile phone rolled into one. It lacks much of the functionality of the iPod, and has a smaller hard drive, but as a user experience is one of the freshest things available today. It is also fair to say that it’s a great concept, easy to operate and with a user interface that is years ahead of anything else in the marketplace. In fact, it makes you wonder why other manufacturers have not gone down this route, rather than sticking with clunky buttons and small screens.
On the positive side, the concept, the user interface, the screen and the overall
operation score ten out of ten, but on the negative side its Internet capability is poor, as is the Bluetooth, there’s no ability to change the battery, and a lot of web pages cannot be viewed as the iPhone cannot cope with flash and java 2/10. Basically, there are many other phones out there which come close, such as the Nokia N95 which has a better camera, proper Bluetooth and is quicker on the Internet. You can also change the battery, unlike the iPhone.
There was also certain amount of dismay from the public over the price. At £269 for the handset, plus a minimum monthly charge of £35, that’s £899 over 18 months. Rather pricey, and even with the clever user interface it’s just not worth it. It has also been reported that one person requested a refund as the unit would not even turn on!
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