An example on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kodak-Pulse-Digital-Frame-Facebook/dp/B004TRGDXI/ref=pd_cp_ce_0

That said, I’m glad to see Panasonic joining the fray; increased competition only helps us consumers. Best of luck to ‘em!

Far as I can tell, this number was generated through an independent analyst’s work, not directly from itemized figures in the telcos’ quarterly filings or guidance documents. In all likelihood, the author(s) collated some ex parte data — taken from surveys, insider snooping and God-knows-where else — they’d dug up, then used that to model the real world. And the point of all this jiggery-pokery was to tot up a ‘loss’ or ‘gain’ score.

Does that mean this report has no validity? Well, it’s abundantly clear many users are switching to free SMS services. And here is the US, big SMS bundles are costly options for all but top-tier phone plans. So, it’s reasonable to suggest the telcos are now losing, er, some amount of money…somewhere. But I think it’s anyone’s guess as to whether an analysts’s exercise in creative maths bears any resemblance to actual revenues.

BBC’s reportage here is among the better.: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17111044

And those who don’t have (near enough) unlimited texts don’t use the internet on their phones.

Is this an actual loss or a theoretical “if x number of whatsapp messages were texts messages instead we’d have made x. Therefore we have lost x.”?

I’m definitely not suggesting the only answer is a ‘free for all’ – just that billing in units no-one understands or can predict isn’t very consumer-friendly.