Apple officially launches smartphone trade–in programme

Swap your old Samsung, BlackBerry and Nokia devices for store credit.

Apple has officially launched a smartphone trade–in programme, weeks after stories emerged about the company’s plans.

The new service lets would-be Apple device owners exchange a series of top–end rival smartphones, either for store credit to go towards a new iPhone, or for cash via a bank transfer.

Handsets Apple receives will be recycled in an eco–friendly manner, something that services such as Envirofone already offer. The programme is open both online and in Apple's high street shops throughout the UK.

We played around with Apple’s site and were offered £108 in store credit for a good condition Sony Xperia Z3 Compact.

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New Moto G second-generation 4G: Five things you need to know

Cheap-as-chips smartphone gets a speed boost.

The Moto G is one of our favourite budget handsets.

When it first launched back in 2013, it set a new standard for affordable smartphones and prompted other manufacturers to get their acts together.

The second-generation model arrived in September last year, and now there's finally the option of a 4G edition. Tempted? Here's all you need to know.

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Exclusive: Moto G 4G (2015) is coming soon

Speedy version of budget phone incoming.

Motorola has confirmed plans for a 4G version of the second-generation Moto G, in keeping with its marketing model for last year's model.

The original first-gen Moto G was available in 3G and 4G options. The 4G edition also improved on the 3G version by offering expandable storage by microSD.

Those two handsets were then superseded late last year by a second-gen Moto G phone with better specs but 3G support only.

And the good news for fans of affordable but pretty impressively specc'd Android phones is that a 4G edition of the second-gen Moto G is on the way soon.

Asked if a 4G version of the Moto G (2014) model is coming this year, Magnus Ahlqvist, Corporate Vice President of EMEA & APAC at Motorola, said: "Yes. It is coming to Europe, so stay tuned for details on that one.

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MWC 2015: The five best phones ranked and rated by 3dmobileworld Tech

The best and brightest from Barcelona.

MWC 2015 has seen its fair share of slick new devices, not to mention some major plans for how we’re going to use our phones in the future.

So, what has been the pick of the Barcelona show?

Is Samsung’s new Galaxy range enough to see off the ongoing threat of Apple’s iPhone?

And can HTC continue to make progress with its promising new One M9?

Ranked and rated, here are our five favourite new devices from MWC 2015.

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Three and O2 merger: we answer your FAQs

What happens next? Will you lose out? Ask us anything.

The landscape of the UK mobile industry is changing underfoot. Everywhere you look, carriers are eyeing rivals for takeover bids in what could be one of the biggest transition periods for the market for aeons.

Amid all the changes, today's big news is Three's mooted takeover of O2, which has sparked understandable concern from their subscribers.

Here, we aim to answer any questions we think you're likely to have about how it'll affect you.

If you've got a question of your own, leave it in the comments section and we'll endeavour to answer it.

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iPhone 6: 5.5” and 4.7” models will launch together, says analyst

Wonk dismisses talk of separate events

Rumours that Apple could unveil the two versions of the iPhone 6 at separate launch events have been dismissed by a high-profile industry analyst, after probing accessory-makers in China.
Tech-site reports had suggested that battery and screen-manufacturing problems with the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 meant that it may not tip up until much later than the 4.7-inch model.
However, anyone hoping to get their hands on the iPhone phablet sooner rather than later got something of a fillip last week when it was claimed that Apple had discovered a way of making a battery thin and durable enough for the larger phone.

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iPhone 6 and iWatch could showcase new materials, hints Ive

God’s Own Englishman talks product design.

Apple is experimenting with new materials for forthcoming iGadgets, the company’s design don Jonathan Ive has confirmed.
In a New York Times profile of Apple CEO Tim Cook, the tech giant’s head of design Jonathan Ive revealed that recent projects at Cupertino involved working with unspecified constituents that have never before featured in its products.
He told the august US newspaper: “I've worked for the last 15 or 20 years on the most challenging, creative parts of what we do

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iPhone 6: New image leaked

Weibo user claims pic is from Foxconn factory.

A new photo purporting to show Apple’s forthcoming iPhone 6 has been leaked on Chinese micro–blogging site Weibo.
Clearly featuring a new–look handset with a protruding camera lens and iPad mini–style design, the image is said to have been taken at Foxconn’s factory in China.
This isn’t the first leaked photo we’ve seen of the iPhone 6, but it is the first one to have come directly from the production line, if it does indeed prove to be accurate.
Previously leaked images have shown a much thinner handset, which looks more like the current iPod touch than any other Apple product.

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Motorola Moto E vs Nokia Lumia 630

The best budget smartphones in town duke it out in a head to head.

The Moto E and Lumia 630 are two of the newest budget smarties. The Moto E is the successor to the Moto G, and is even more wallet-friendly, costing just £90.
The Lumia 630 was expected to cost the same, but it turns out it’ll cost a few pounds extra, at £99. Unless you snap it up SIM-free directly from Nokia, that is, in which case you're looking at an outlay of £129.
Still, they’re both extremely easy on the wallet, and both boast some very impressive specs for the price. But which should you go for? Read on to find out who’s king of the bargain bin.

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iPhone 5S and Samsung Galaxy S5 price cut with Three World Cup promotion

Upfront fee dropped to £19.66.

Three has trimmed the asking price of flagship phones from Samsung and Apple, as part of a time-limited promotion to tie in with the World Cup.
To mark this year’s fiesta of football and in reference to the last time England knew glory in the tournament, the upfront charge for the 16GB editions of the iPhone 5S and Samsung Galaxy S5 is £19.66.

The deal runs as long as England stay in the World Cup. Which could mean that it ends Tuesday June 24th, which is the date of our boys’ last group. Or, more optimistically, it might end on Sunday July 13th - the date of the final.

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