Madonna's First Single From Hard Candy Now Available Exclusively on Vodafone

Vodafone has revealed that the new '4 minutes' single from Madonna is now available to its mobile users.

Vodafone said its customers can purchase the complete track, which is the first single from Madonna's new Hard Candy album, through an exclusive pre-release on the Vodafone live! portal.

It confirmed that users will also be able to download the ringtone and ringding for the single from 24 March.

The album is Madonna's 11th album with Warner Music, which is also working with Vodafone to establish a promotional campaign for the release, to include the Internet, TV, radio, billboards and the press.

Hard Candy will not be on sale until 28 April, but Vodafone is enabling customers to hear one track each day for a week starting 21 April, through its agreement with Warner Music.

Vodafone Customers to get new Madonna Album "Hard Candy" , before Official Release

Vodafone and Warner Music International have completed an agreement allowing new music and mobile content from Madonna’s highly anticipated new “Hard Candy” album to be distributed and promoted exclusively to Vodafone customers around the world, prior to the April 28th global release of Madonna’s 11th studio album for Warner Bros. Records.

Starting on April 21st, a total of seven tracks from “Hard Candy”, with songs by the multi-platinum, Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and video visionary, will be released at a rate of one a day counting down the week before the album is available. Each track will remain live for 24 hours for download before being replaced by the next one.

In addition, Vodafone customers in selected markets including Spain, Portugal, Germany and Belgium will get exclusive mobile access to the newly released single “4 Minutes”, effective immediately.

As part of this unique music experience, Vodafone customers in all participating territories will have access to Madonna’s mini site on Vodafone live! which will include one week of exclusive, associated mobile content, including ringtones, ringback tones and SMS tones.

Vodafone Exclusive - the 3G HSDPA Nokia 6124

Nokia announced the launch of the Nokia 6124 classic, exclusively available from Vodafone in Vodafone markets. The Nokia 6124 classic is a compact multimedia device offering Vodafone customers faster and easier access to all of Vodafone's high speed Internet and entertainment services. Vodafone and Nokia will make it easier to access the Internet quickly at the click of a button on the Nokia 6124 classic. Customers will get the full suite of communications, content, Internet services and browsing, through seamlessly integrated Vodafone services on this Nokia device.

Available exclusively for Vodafone customers world-wide, the Nokia 6124 classic features superior data rates with 3G broadband offering downloads up to 10 times faster than 3G networks. A large 2.0" display with outstanding brightness and clarity adds more pleasure for internet browsing and video streaming. Taking pictures is convenient with the 2 megapixel camera, flash and panorama mode. The external memory card slot allows the user to expand the memory up to 8GB, which offers plenty of space for favourite images, videos and music.

Based on S60 and Symbian OS, the Nokia 6124 classic enables the user to download additional applications and content on the phone. It also allows the user to run several applications on the device at the same time - making it easy to browse the Web while listening to your favorite music or talking.

The Nokia 6124 classic will start shipping in Vodafone markets in the second quarter.

Vodafone Sat Nav now available

Vodafone has announced its Sat Nav service will now be made available to consumers , but only on a limited set of handsets.

Vodafone Sat Nav provides users with a complete mobile navigation experience, including both in-car and pedestrian navigation. Featuring 3D maps that enhance the navigation experience, up-to-date maps and directions it also gives the customer instant access to live traffic alerts and millions of points-of-interest such as hotels, restaurants, shopping and attractions.

Vodafone Sat Nav is available on a variety of consumer mobile devices; launching initially on three of Vodafone UK’s GPS embedded handsets – Nokia N95, Nokia N95 8GB and Nokia 6110 as well as the new BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8110 smartphone. The subscription to the service costs £5 per month with the first month free. When using the service data charges apply. Customers can purchase the service from any Vodafone retail stores, through telesales or directly from Vodafone live! Customers who purchase the BlackBerry Pearl 8110 will get 12 months Sat Nav included.

The solution has already been successfully launched into the enterprise market, where it is available on a number of devices including the BlackBerry® Curve™ 8310, Vodafone UK’s fastest selling BlackBerry smartphone ever, and the BlackBerry Pearl 8110.

Vodafone Confirm Release of 2 New Branded Handsets

Vodafone will launch two new own branded mobile phones to grow its range of own branded and award winning mobile phones launched over the last year.

V228

The Vodafone 227 and Vodafone 228 will launch this month, February, and will be available across both Europe and emerging markets. Both mobile phones will meet the customer demand for low cost, simple to use yet stylish handsets. The launch of these mobile phones follows the successful introduction of seven own branded handsets by Vodafone throughout 2007, which today make up on average one in six of the mobile devices shipped by Vodafone annually.

V227

Both the Vodafone 227 and Vodafone 228 offer more choice of style and price to customers. The Vodafone 227 is a clamshell phone and the Vodafone 228 is a slider mobile. In addition to core text and voice services, both come with a colour display, vibrating alert and headset.

Vodafone slashes Mobile Broadband Prices

Vodafone have cut the prices of their mobile broadband packages to compete more with Three.

Vodafone announced the Mobile Broadband 3 GB price plan for £15 per month (incl. VAT). This halves the price of the existing 3 GB offering while providing unrivalled top download speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps per second.

Additionaly, for occasional internet users Vodafone UK will introduce a 30 day no commitment plan, Mobile Broadband 30 Day, for just £20.

Vodafone have also considered users wishing to browse abroad and customers wishing to take can roam abroad for just £9.99 per 24 hour session with Vodafone Connect Abroad in selected countries.

Vodafone UK announce exclusive new Blackberry Pearl 8110

Vodafone UK and Research In Motion introduced the BlackBerry Pearl 8110 in the UK with integrated GPS and a 2 megapixel camera. This popular business smartphone now includes the latest release of Vodafone Sat Nav, a powerful and user friendly navigation application, which now offers 3D mapping as standard. The BlackBerry Pearl 8110 can immediately be ordered online at www.vodafone.co.uk/the8110.

The sleek, small and elegant BlackBerry Pearl 8110 smartphone integrates GPS along with powerful communications and multimedia capabilities. It is one of the smallest and lightest smartphones available and designed for people who want to make the most of their work and personal lives.

When combined with Vodafone Sat Nav powered by Telmap, the BlackBerry Pearl 8110 can help customers avoid getting stuck in traffic jams with instant access to live traffic alerts, and includes information to millions of points-of-interest such as hotels, restaurants, shopping and attractions. Customers also get up-to-date maps and directions, as the information is quickly retrieved over the Vodafone network as needed.

So what else is new? The BlackBerry Pearl 8110 builds upon the original model with both hardware and software enhancements. The smartphone now features a 2 megapixel camera, with 5x digital zoom, enhanced flash and the capability to capture video in two resolutions: 240x180 or 176x144 for sharing via MMS. The expansion memory slot supports microSD/SDHC cards (8GB cards currently available on the market) for storing pictures, music and video, and is conveniently accessible from a side door.

Customers can also plug in their favourite headphones or speakers through the 3.5mm jack. SureType(r) keyboard system now features word completion, easier editing of misspelled words and a built-in spell checker, while the visual interface has been improved to make viewing messages and web pages more visually appealing.

O2 and Vodafone in 3G Ofcom row

Vodafone and O2 have attacked Ofcom's plans to seize part of the radio spectrum they have used since the 1980s to provide mobile phone coverage, and sell it to their rivals for third generation mobile services.

O2 estimated the plan would cost it pounds 4bn in profits as a result of the forced migration of their customers to 3G. It predicted most of that would be passed on to customers as higher bills.

Vodafone said Ofcom had made its decision "based on a hypothetical and fanciful version of the future''.

Source: The Daily Telegraph

Vodafone Launch Upload Service

Vodafone have launched My Communities , a new service that enables Vodafone customers to upload pictures and videos to MySpace, Facebook, Bebo and Youtube.

The new service enables users with a Nokia N95 8GB or Sony Erricson w910i to upload direct to Facebook from their phones.

This service is currently exclusive to Vodafone and costs £7.50 a month as part of the unlimited internet bundle.

A "normal" photo will take around 30 seconds to upload while using a 3g Network.

To use the service you should click the My Communities Icon on your phone where you will be prompted to download the application.

Vodafone and Nokia agree to launch integrated Vodafone services on Nokia handsets

Vodafone and Nokia have agreed to launch an integrated suite of Vodafone services combined with Nokia Ovi Services on a range of Nokia handsets. These services will offer customers a greater choice of communications, Internet services, content and browsing through a range of premium handsets on high speed 3G and 3G broadband networks.

Vodafone and Nokia also have agreed that a number of these handsets will be exclusive to Vodafone.

Customers will get faster and easier access to all of Vodafone's Internet and entertainment services as well as all of Ovi from Nokia services on a wide range of handsets. Vodafone customers will be able to access the widest and most attractive choice of Internet services.

Vodafone and Nokia will make it easier to access the Internet quickly at the click of a button. Customers will get the full suite of communications, content, Internet services and browsing, through seamlessly integrated Vodafone services on Nokia handsets.

Vodafone and Nokia will also deliver greater choice in music for customers, by making both the Vodafone music service and the Nokia Music Store available on Nokia's 2008 handsets.

Ovi Website Here

Musicstation Now Launched on Vodafone UK

Vodafone UK has launched its Musicstaion service in the UK. Its exclusive to Vodafone mobile users who can download as much music as they want at a cost of only £1.99p per month.

Currently, there are 1.25 Million tracks to download from leading companies such as Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, EMI Music, Warner Music Group and independent labels.

With MusicStation, you can download and play your favourite tracks, even on the move. It is currently available on a range of 13 handsets. More on these 13 handsets here. Click here

• Search over 1.25 million songs
• Create killer playlists
• Access music news
• Create a profile
• Share music with friends

To visit Vodafone's Musicstation Click here

You can get MusicStation free for one month when you buy a new pay monthly phone.

Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 selected by Vodafone

Glu Mobile, Konami Digital Entertainment and Vodafone announced that Konami’s long anticipated Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 mobile game will be deployed across all of Vodafone’s territories over the coming months. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 will be Vodafone’s first ‘Hero Game’, as the operator continues to drive awareness and take-up of mobile gaming among its global subscriber base.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 was developed and published by Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH and will be distributed and co-marketed by Glu in EMEA, Australia and New Zealand.

It is the first mobile soccer game that lets you play football your way with a unique one button control system perfected for mobile gaming. Defeat the opposition with a flowing short pass game, long up-field passes with pin-point accuracy or stunning attacking dribbles towards your opponent’s goal. Featuring superb graphics and animation, accurate ball physics and incredible game play, Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 is the most playable and realistic football experience ever seen on mobile.

Vodafone intends to launch two hero titles every year. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 was selected by Vodafone after extensive collaboration with its local markets and careful examination of the co-marketing, handset and promotional support offered by Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH and Glu Mobile.

Vodafone launch Second Life Island

Vodafone has launched a Second Life Island. Second Life is a virtual world where people can interact with each other.

Vodafone InsideOut lets you live both your real life and virtual life to the full. Instead of having to choose between worlds, keep your second life and real life connected through your mobile.

With Vodafone InsideOut you can text friends to meet you on your favourite island before you log-in, or make and receive real voice calls from wherever you like in Second Life. Watch our video demo to see the service in action.

What you get out of it

Calling - You can use the HUD to call other Second Life avatars, and Vodafone will connect the call to your real mobile, with your virtual identities intact. Even when your Second Life friends are offline you can call them when you’re online.

Messaging - You can also use your HUD to send private messages to friends in-world, and if they’re offline, they’ll receive your message on their real life mobile as an SMS. When you’re offline, you can send and receive texts using your virtual identity on your real life mobile.

Any usage of Vodafone InsideOut initiated from Second Life is free-of-charge until 30th November 2007. Afterwards all messages and voice calls initiated inside Second Life may be charged up to 300 L$ per minute/message. Any usage from your mobile phone calling into Second Life is charged according to your tariff plan of your chosen telco provider. To get started Click Here

Sony Ericsson Launches New ‘Havana’ 3G Phones Exclusively with Vodafone

Sony Ericsson announced an exclusive colour range with Vodafone that combines both companies’ expertise in mobile music with a unique new style, labelled the Havana collection and finished in a stand-out Havana colour.

The chic family of mobile phones and accessories unveiled today by Sony Ericsson and Vodafone sets out to combine music with fashion. The new collection comprises exclusive colour variants of the popular W880i and W910i Walkman® phones, plus a colour-matched music accessory, the Portable Speakers MPS-70. The final addition to the collection is the Sony Ericsson V640i, a music-enabled phone available exclusively to Vodafone customers in selected markets*


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Sony Ericsson introduces the 3G HSDPA V640i, exclusively with Vodafone

Sony Ericsson announced the V640i, a stylish music phone with a funky feature set, available exclusively with Vodafone in selected markets*.
Available in two rich colours or shades – Havana Gold and Quick Black - the Sony Ericsson V640i available exclusively with Vodafone provides a true music and entertainment experience. With support for Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™) up to 4 gigabytes – that’s up to 3600 full-length tracks – and a dedicated music key to help you navigate all of those songs, the V640i really can be your music library on-the-move.
The V640i is designed to appeal to music lovers looking for no-compromise performance. Weighing in at a pocket-sized 97grams, it delivers 3G Broadband (HSDPA) Web browsing on your mobile. It also means that it takes about 14 seconds to download a full-length music track**; up to four times faster than average on a 3G phone.
There’s no need to worry if you just can’t place a song that you hear on the radio. The V640i’s in-built TrackID™ feature lets you record a 5 second music clip – either by tagging it from the phone’s own FM Radio or from a nearby stereo – and then within seconds receive notification back of the song title, the artist and the album name. The TrackID™ music recognition software can then provide a direct link to the homepage of Vodafone’s Music Store for fast track download. Hear it, identify it and own it.




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Palm Launches 3G Treo 500v on Windows Mobile 6 for Vodafone

Palm announced the Palm TreoTM 500v smartphone which combines multiple forms of communication and multimedia capabilities with high speed 3G/UMTS mobile internet access, allowing users access to popular websites such as MySpace, YouTube and eBay whilst on the move. The new Palm Treo 500v smartphone will initially be available exclusively to Vodafone customers from October.

The Palm Treo 500v smartphone runs on a Windows® Mobile® 6 standard platform and has a full keyboard, large screen, video streaming capability and a comprehensive multi-messaging functionality covering Instant Messaging, SMS, email and phone and personal information management software in a new design1. The compact form factor is available in two colours: glacier white and charcoal grey.

It will initially be available to Vodafone customers in Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the UK and Vodacom customers in South Africa.

John Hartnett, Senior Vice President, Global Markets and Windows Business Unit, Palm Inc, said, “We are pleased to be one of the first partners to provide an internet ready Vodafone live! smartphone. The Treo 500v is priced to enable a broader audience to experience the internet and email on the go. Today’s generation has really embraced the internet as a way of keeping in touch with friends and family, seeking out entertainment and managing their day to day lives. We can offer users the choice to do what they want, how they want, when they want.”



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Vodafone Offering Unlimited Music Downloads on 2.5G and 3G Handsets

Vodafone UK announced that customers will have unlimited access to over a million tracks from all the major record labels, as well as leading independents, on a range of new handsets for Christmas. This follows the launch of Vodafone Mobile Internet in June this year which brings the best internet brands and services to customers on the widest range of mobiles in the UK. This service has been highly praised by Mobile magazine who rated it the number 1 mobile internet service in a review in August 2007. Through an exclusive agreement with Omnifone, the UK based mobile music company, Vodafone will roll out their award-winning MusicStation, giving customers the ability to download tracks from Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, EMI Music and Warner Music Group direct to their handsets, even while on the move.

Customers will be able to sign up for unlimited downloads from MusicStation for just £1.99 per week. The service will be easy to use on new Vodafone UK handsets as well as existing 2.5G and 3G mobiles, ensuring that most customers do not need to upgrade their phones to access tracks. Vodafone UK's new range of mobiles comprises models from many of the major brands allowing customers access to internet leaders including eBay, MySpace and YouTube on Vodafone Mobile Internet and the best in downloadable music. Vodafone UK-exclusive handsets include: the new Nokia N95 (8Gb) with its 5 mega pixel camera, the touch-screen activated Samsung F700, and the Sony Ericsson W910i (Havana Gold Design) with its 40Mb memory and innovative shake control, making it perfect for music lovers.




Full Story Here

Sony Ericsson introduces the 3G HSDPA V640i, exclusively with Vodafone

Sony Ericsson announced the V640i, a stylish music phone with a funky feature set, available exclusively with Vodafone in selected markets*.


Available in two rich colours or shades – Havana Gold and Quick Black - the Sony Ericsson V640i available exclusively with Vodafone provides a true music and entertainment experience. With support for Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™) up to 4 gigabytes – that’s up to 3600 full-length tracks – and a dedicated music key to help you navigate all of those songs, the V640i really can be your music library on-the-move.

The V640i is designed to appeal to music lovers looking for no-compromise performance. Weighing in at a pocket-sized 97grams, it delivers 3G Broadband (HSDPA) Web browsing on your mobile. It also means that it takes about 14 seconds to download a full-length music track**; up to four times faster than average on a 3G phone.

There’s no need to worry if you just can’t place a song that you hear on the radio. The V640i’s in-built TrackID™ feature lets you record a 5 second music clip – either by tagging it from the phone’s own FM Radio or from a nearby stereo – and then within seconds receive notification back of the song title, the artist and the album name. The TrackID™ music recognition software can then provide a direct link to the homepage of Vodafone’s Music Store for fast track download. Hear it, identify it and own it.

Full Story Here

Vodafone 3G Gets Faster, Much Faster

From September 3, Vodafone UK customers who want to benefit from even faster laptop connectivity speeds can invest in a new range of devices that will ultimately deliver the fastest ever Mobile Broadband service - making it possible to both send and receive information over ten times faster than the original 3G service launched in 2004.

The choice of devices will include a new plug and go USB Modem as well as two next-generation ExpressCards; one that is plug and go and another, more suited to corporate customers.

Following the new £25 Mobile Broadband flat rate announced in June, Vodafone UK has experienced an unprecedented demand for laptop connectivity and there's more good news for customers. Throughout autumn Vodafone UK is upgrading its mobile broadband network to support download speeds of up to 7.2Mbps. This will initially be in central London and major airports* and will offer typical speeds of 1.7Mbps to 5.5Mbps. This allows customers to download a 5MB file in around seven seconds, up to 14 times faster than standard 3G and upload speeds are also increasing up to 1.44Mbps, via a technology called HSUPA, which is up to 10 times faster than 3G.

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Formula One Bespoke Mobile Content for Vodafone

FoneStarz Media has been exclusively chosen by Vodafone as the global partner to host and manage its Vodafone McLaren Mercedes mobile service for the 2007 Formula One season.

With the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team currently at the top of the constructors’ table, the FoneStarz offering could not come at a better time for fans of Formula One.

The bespoke portfolio of downloadable content will allow Vodafone subscribers in sixteen territories across the world to personalise their mobile handsets with wallpapers, animations, ringtones and videos of one of the world’s most dynamic racing teams.

FoneStarz will provide a broad offering of content to enable more enthusiastic Formula One fans to access the team’s latest news stories and diary dates for all of the season’s key events, as well as the team’s race results as soon as they come in.

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