About Ben Smith

Ben is an expert on enterprise mobility and wireless data products. Ben has been a regular contributor to Mobile Industry Review since 2007.

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Mark Shuttleworth on the Ubuntu Mobile experience: “5 years after the iPhone, we needed to raise the bar”

It’s time now for the fifth episode of our exclusive video interview series with Ubuntu’s founder, Mark Shuttleworth. Yesterday we heard from Mark regarding the Ubuntu developer ecosystem and his intent to extend that to mobile. Today Mark talks briefly about the importance of user experience and how that’s factored into the design and production [...]

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Vodafone ‘Nearly New’ handsets now available online

Following some press fanfare, many keen Vodafone shoppers wanting to take advantage of the operator’s new ‘Nearly New’ programme of ‘officially refurbished’ device were left wondering what all the fanfare had been about. However, Voda now has it’s house in order and deals are available through the online shop: Nearly New isn’t like buying a battered [...]

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Operator app stores hit the rocks: 3 close this month

Operator app stores had been trumpeted - by the operators at least – as a way for them to maintain a stake in the valuable business of selling users ‘value add’ services. Petrified (or indignant, occasionally) at the predictions they were to become just ‘dumb pipes’ additional revenue streams were urgently sought. In 2012 several operators realised [...]

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Refurb smartphones to attract Vodafone pre-pay users?

Vodafone have announced they are to sell ‘officially refurbished’ smartphones. Available to all they come with a warrantee at a discounted price. Handset availability will depend on which devices other customers have previously returned. However, the announcement suggests their focus is firmly on reducing device costs for pre-pay customers: It makes it more affordable for [...]

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Ubuntu launches on mobile

Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Canonical - the firm behind Ubuntu - has announced the Linux distribution is to move into mobile, shipping on handsets by late 2013. Tablets will follow. Speaking in London at the launch event, Shuttleworth emphasised Ubuntu’s place as the world’s 3rd largest operating system highlighting the distribution by some of the world’s largest PC vendors, [...]

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