Vodafone text users asking them not to update to iOS 6.1 because it 'impacts performance on 3G'.

Image Credit: V3.

   The other day we heard about how Vodafone's CEO labelled 4G networks for 'technofreaks'. Today though the news is slightly more sensible as we've heard that the company has been texting some of their iPhone users warning them not to update their devices to iOS 6.1 if they haven't already!

Image Credit: LoT.

   Vodafone's text message is embedded to the right, but their tech team has offered slightly more details on why iPhone 4S users should abstain from the latest update for a little while. They said :

We’re aware of an issue caused by Apple iPhone 4S handsets that have been upgraded to iOS 6.1 which impacts performance on 3G.
Some customers may occasionally experience difficulty in connecting to the network to make or receive calls or texts or to connect to the Internet. Apple is working on a solution to their software issue. These connection problems are intermittent.
While Apple’s investigations continue, we would recommend that anyone who has not yet installed iOS 6.1 on their iPhone 4S should delay doing so until Apple has confirmed that their problem has been fixed.

   Some people have been reported that their devices have been iperating without any problems, but if you rely on your phones it's not worth the risk! Apple is already working on iOS 6.1.1, which has been released to developers as a beta, so there's the possibility that this contains the fix for the issue! Given the fact that Vodafone felt the need to promote this publicly we would expect that this is a bigger issue then the standard firmware updates cause, so just hold out a little longer if you haven't updated already!
Via LandOfTechnology and Vodafone.

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uSwitch latest stats reveal top phones in the UK for January!

   When it comes to mobile sales it's always interesting. You see the headline first weekend sales figures and that is normally a good indication of the popularity of devices, but that tends to focus on the high-end devices or flagship phones. So what's really selling in the UK at the moment? Well we think you'll be surprised to see some of the phones on this list!

   According to uSwitch's Mobile Tracker Samsung's Galaxy S3, the eternal Galaxy Ace and the Galaxy S2 were the three most popular phones in the month! The Galaxy Ace was probably helped by the new lease of life it has found on £7.50 per month contracts! There were four Nokia's in the list too, as well as the iPhone's of the 4S and 5 varieties and there was LG's Nexus 4 in there for good measure!

   The way uSwitch works this out is from their 'deal popularity and sales... [and] Statistics are derived from uSwitch.com, plus our network of mobile phone comparison partners [sic]'. So this should be a relatively broad representation of how popular devices are proving to be!

   The full chart looked like this:

1. Samsung Galaxy S3 Blue 16GB.
2. Samsung Galaxy Ace.
3. Samsung Galaxy S2.
4. Nokia 100.
5. Nokia C2-01.
6. LG Nexus 4.
7. iPhone 5 16GB Black.
8. iPhone 4S 16GB Black.
9. Nokia Lumia 800.
10. Nokia Lumia 610 Blue.

   We're a little surprised there's no Windows Phone 8 devices on the list, but then Nokia's Windows Phone 7 devices are now a lot cheaper than they used to be so that could well explain their omission! uSwitch spokesman Ernest Doku said that there were a set of cheaper phones in there which can be explained because:

"The mobile market is no stranger to a bit of January belt-tightening, with tech fans looking for sensible deals following a seasonal gadget binge... A swathe of bargain smartphones like the C2-01 have leapt back into the chart as a residual effect of gifting and January sales, whilst canny consumers also wait to see high-end devices around the corner."

   Doku thinks that February will be very different with the:

“Launch of a revamped BlackBerry in the full-touch flagship Z10 and Nokia’s Lumia 620 looking to disrupt the affordable end of the spectrum, expect some significant movement in the coming weeks – not to mention major smartphone announcements amidst February’s Mobile World Congress.”

   What do you predict February's chart will end up like? Will the Nexus 4 push on and will Samsung's Galaxy S3 get dethroned as the successor draws ever closer?

uSwitch and MobileNews Via Eurodroid.

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The upcoming iPhone compared to the 4S on video!!!

   This is definitely the closest we've come to seeing the next generation Apple iPhone, here it's being directly compared to an iPhone 4S.

   The video shows the backplate of what is supposedly the upcoming iPhone. There's a number of changes including a new button layout and a clear increase in size. The video below shows the two phones side-by-side, by component supplier ETrade Supply:

   The new phone has an aluminium unibody casing something that has been widely tipped to be the housing for the new iPhone. This does seem to be a return to the design of the original silver-backed iPhone with its black blocks at the top and bottom of the device, instead of the current design, which wields a metal band around the edge with glass around the front and back. This would be a smart move by Apple making the phone far more sturdy and drop resistant, something which is a common problem with the current crop of iPhones.

   The unreleased device in the video is the same width as the 4S, but taller. This gives you a widescreen display for when you're playing games and movies. The screen is 4 inches in size, exactly as previous leaks have rumoured.

    The new phone is also considerably thinner than the 4S, this is something which is needed in a new iPhone because the 4S, when compared to the Galaxy S3 and HTC One X, seems like a bit of a porker.

   The buttons around the frame of the phone remain in exactly the same places. But, the headphone socket has been relocated to the bottom of the phone. Also down there there's a much smaller entrance for a dock connector, which again follow the rumours that the traditional connector Apple connector will be replaced in the next version of Apple devices.

   This is a very good looking new iPhone, if this is how it proves to look, what do you think, do you want one? Let us know in the comments below.

Via CNet

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