iPhone 4 Tariff Comparison

If you’re hoping to get the new iPhone 4 when it launches later this month you’ve got a big decision to make – which network do you go with? In the past this hasn’t really been too much of a problem, as every iPhone release prior to this one was exclusive to O2. This time round we’ve had announcements from every UK network and Tesco Mobile, with rumours that Virgin Mobile are also going to be offering it.

Tariff and handset pricing is slowly starting to become available and while all networks are pretty close, there are a few differences between them. There are also a couple of other things to bear in mind when you take out a new contract on the iPhone 4.

18m or 24m contract?

As much as I don’t really like the idea of a 2 year contract, they do actually make sense when it comes to iPhone. The main reason being that if Apple stick to their annual iPhone update, there will be a new iPhone every June/July.

If you opt for an 18 month contract, chances are that when you’re out of contract in January 2012, you won’t want to upgrade to what ever iPhone is current as it means you won’t be able to upgrade again in June/July with out paying a heavy penalty. So, if you’re going to wait for the newer one, you might as well sign for 2 years in the first place and save yourself some money.

Several friends of mine that have an iPhone 3G held off upgrading to the iPhone 3GS for this very reason, and like me, they’re going to be first in line for the iPhone 4. Those who ran out and upgraded to the iPhone 3GS at the end of their contract in January are now kicking themselves as it means they’ve got to shell out a lot of cash to get iPhone 4 or wait until this time next year for iPhone 5.

16GB or 32GB?

As with any device that has fixed internal storage, always get the largest capacity device that you can afford. If your budget allows it, go for the 32GB. You might not have enough music to fill it now, but you’re going to have this phone for another 18 – 24 months. Just think how much extra music, photos, videos and apps you’re going to be carrying around with you in the future. If your phone can’t store it all, it means you’re going to have to constantly update your play lists and transfer videos on and off the phone.

Which Network?

This is the big question and one that there isn’t a straight forward answer to. Tariffs from O2 and Orange have been confirmed, Vodafone have had some pricing leaked, but this isn’t confirmed yet.

UPDATE: Vodafone have confirmed their tariffs now and the charts below have been updated to include them.

UPDATE 24/06/10: Three have now released their tariffs, but haven’t confirmed if these are 18m or 24m, but given the aggressive pricing, we’d assume 24m. Charts updated with new pricing.

In terms of services and supported features, O2 are the only network to currently support Visual Voicemail, so if this is something you want/need, you’ll need to stick to O2.

Most tariffs include unlimited texts, but not unlimited internet. Even those that say unlimited have an asterisk next to it that says there’s a MB limit on your data. Vodafone were the most generous with the iPhone 3GS, giving 1GB of data each month. O2 are introducing a data cap of 500MB on most tariffs and Orange sit in the middle on 750MB. In all cases this should be more than enough for most users, so long as you try and stick to wi-fi for data intensive apps or video streaming.

I’ve put a pricing comparison below that shows the differences between the networks, but with so many combinations available, I can’t list them all and you’ll need to take a look at the network’s websites for full details.

To try and give a more accurate reflection of cost, you’ll see that there’s a total contract cost and an average monthly cost in the tables below. The total contract cost is the cost of the phone plus your line rental, and the average monthly cost is this figure divided by how ever many months are in your contract. This makes it easier to see the savings of a 24m contract over an 18m one.

iPhone 4 32GB

The value for money is just a quick way of working out whether you’re getting enough from your contract. The 24m £30 deal may look like the cheapest way of getting an iPhone 4, but the reduced number of minutes, text and data make it an expensive way to run the phone. The higher this number is, the more you get for your money.

iPhone 4 16GB

Again, the value for money table shows if you’re getting enough from your contract. The 18m £30 deal again looks like it’s the cheapest way of getting an iPhone 4, and although the contract cost is the lowest, you don’t get much in the way of minutes, texts or data.

Remember though, the Vodafone prices are based on those that were leaked earlier in the week and I’d expect these to change to fall in line with O2 and Orange. As soon as pricing is confirmed for other networks, I’ll get this updated.

Guide to iPhone Bike Mounts

The iPhone is great for internet, email and phone calls, and now thanks to a number of apps in the App Store, it’s also great when you’re out and about. Since Apple added GPS to the phone, the number of location based apps has grown quickly – especially those that track your location when you’re out walking or cycling.

If you enjoy venturing out on your bike and like to track where you’ve been, how fast you’re going or just find your way home again there are a number of Apps that will help you. One of the most popular amongst cyclists is MotionX GPS, a handy app that lets you track your route, record the distance travelled and monitor your speed. I’ll cover more of these apps in a future post.

If you’ve got one of these apps, you can leave it running in your pocket while you’re cycling, but this can often be uncomfortable and there’s always the risk that your phone could fall out.

The best way to use these kind of apps is to use an iPhone Bike Mount. These are secure cradles for your iPhone that clamp onto the handlebar of your bike, making it easier and safer to use.

I’ve had a number of enquiries recently as to which is the best iPhone Bike mount, so I’ve put this guide together that runs through some of the best iPhone Bike Mounts available.

Dahon BioLogic Bike Mount

The Dahon BioLogic Mount looks like it’s going to be an extremely popular option for bike enthusiasts. The mount incorporates a waterproof case that allows you to use your iPhone even in light showers. It has cut outs for your headphones and charger that have rubber covers to prevent liquid getting in.

You might think having access to the charger while it’s attached to your bike is a little unusual, but it’s actually a great feature as it means you can use external batteries or chargers such as the Freeloader Globetrotter to keep your iPhone charged – even when using GPS applications that really suck the power out of your phone. The BioLogic mount is bolted on to your handlebars and has a quick release button that makes removing the case from your phone quick and easy.

Ram Mounts for iPhone

Ram Mounts are one of the most talked about brands of iPhone Mount. Instead of using a bolt to clamp it to your handle bars, it uses zip-ties. The base of the holder has a rubber coating to prevent it from slipping and spinning round. It’s designed to hold your phone securely in portrait mode and has a sprung clip to keep your iPhone in place.

iPhone Bike Mount

The iPhone Bike Mount is a simple, no frills holder for your iPhone. It fastens securely to your handlebars without the need for any special tools. It has a tilting base plate that also rotates, allowing you to use your phone in either portrait or landscape mode, although the cradle is designed primarily for landscape use.

Arkon iPhone Bike Mount

We launched a wide range of Arkon mounts earlier this year and they’re all proving to be extremely popular. Their latest iPhone holder is this bike mount. It has a clamp that is bolted together for a secure fix and a fully adjustable cradle. It can be rotated and tilted to ensure good visibility and has 5 arms to hold your iPhone in place – 2 at the bottom, 2 at the sides and a spring clip at the top.

Krusell Bike Mount

The Krusell Bike Mount on it’s own isn’t enough to attach your iPhone to your bike. In order for it to work you’ll need to make sure that your phone is in a case such as the Krusell Classic or Krusell Orbit Flex. Both Cases offer great protection for your iPhone, but personally I’d opt for the Krusell Classic. It covers all of your phone, so will give it some protection against the elements, and the clear plastic window on the front doesn’t get in the way of using your phone.

The Krusell Bike Mount bolts on to the handle bars of your bike, then the Multidapt clip on the back of the case slides into the mount and is held in place. You can lock the orientation of the phone, but it’s a bit fiddly and involves pushing the clip further into the holder. Customer reviews are all good, but the general feeling is that it can be a bit fiddly to remove your phone from the holder.

Stabilo Bike Mount with Cradles

This is probably the most flexible bike mount that we offer, and by flexible I don’t mean bendy! It’s adjustable in a number of ways and has an extendible arm – although I’m not sure you’d ever need it. You can adjust the angle of the mount at the base and behind the cradle. It secures to your bike using a clamp and allen keys, so if it comes loose while you’re out and about you won’t be able to tighten it.

It doesn’t come with a phone cradle – you’ll need to buy these separately and you have a few to choose from. Personally I’d opt for the tall iPhone Cradle. This has a long support that will help keep your iPhone secure regardless of whether you’re using it in landscape or portrait mode. If you’re only planning on using it in portrait mode, then the shorter iPhone Cradle will do the job nicely.

GoRide Bike Mount for iPhone

The GoRide Bike Mount fixes to your bike in a similar way to the Ram Mount, but instead of having a rigid holder, it has a detachable case for your iPhone. This means that you can leave the case on your phone all the time, and quickly dock/remove it from the holder. Unlike the Ram Mount, this holder can be used in both portrait and landscape modes.

If you’ve seen any other types of iPhone Bike mount that you think do a great job, let us know using the comments form below.

Review: Ten of the Best HTC Desire Cases

The HTC Desire is an awesome phone. It’s fast, responsive, has a great screen and it looks gorgeous. It’s so good in fact that I’m tempted to switch to the Desire from my iPhone 3G.

The Desire looks great – our test handset was the black/grey version and has a soft touch finish, but I doubt it will stay looking this good for long. The finish looks like it will scratch quite easily, so you’re going to need a case for it. As the Desire is almost identical to the Nexus One, most Nexus One Cases will fit, but a couple of subtle changes to the keypad and bottom of the screen mean that not all of them will fit.

The HTC Desire Cases listed below have all been tried and tested with a working phone and we’ve found them to do a great job of protecting your phone.

1. Noreve Tradition A Leather Case for HTC Desire

A luxury phone deserves a luxury case, and you don’t get much more luxurious than a Noreve Case. What I love about them the most is the way that they hold your Desire securely without having to slide it into a stitched pocket that interferes with the light sensors and blocks the edges of the screen. The Noreve case looks excellent, is made from high quality leather and is surprisingly slim once it’s on your phone.

2. FlexiShield Skin For The HTC Desire

If you want to keep your Desire safe, without adding any extra bulk to your phone then this is the kind of case you need. Flexishield skins are thin, flexible gel cases that cover the back, side and corners of your phone and protect it against scratches and scrapes. They leave all the vital parts of your Desire (such as the camera, headphone port, charging port) fully accessible and can be removed quickly and easily if needed. They don’t cover the screen though, so you’ll need to invest in a HTC Desire Screen Protector.

3. HTC Desire Carry Pouch

If you prefer to put your phone away somewhere safe when it’s not in use, then a carry pouch will suit you down to the ground. This case is made specifically for the HTC Desire & Nexus one and holds your phone securely when it’s not in use. It has a soft lining that helps to keep your screen free from fingerprints and will protect your phone well in the event that you drop it. The case has a stitched in belt loop on the back that you can use to attach the case securely to your belt or bag.

It’s still early days for cases for the HTC Desire and more cases should be arriving daily. As they do I’ll update this page with any cases that I think work really well with the HTC Desire. Head over to the main Mobile Fun site to see the full range of HTC Desire Cases and HTC Desire Covers.

[UPDATE: 22/04/2010]
Since writing this post Mobile Fun have had a number of other cases arrive that all deserve a mention, so here are a few more recommended cases for the HTC Desire.

4. Flip Case – HTC Desire

Simple and effective, the flip case protects your Desire against knocks and scrapes. A built in belt clip lets you secure it to your bag or belt, and an open top means you can use your headphones while the case is closed.

5. HTC PO S491 Desire Standard Leather Pouch – White

Depending on which retailer you got your phone from, you may have got a case in the box with your phone. If you didn’t, or you’ve lost it, this is the original HTC Desire leather pouch that’s included as standard. It’s a simple slip pouch that protects your Desire against minor knocks and bumps.

6. HTC PO S491 Desire Standard Leather Pouch – Black

This case is the same as the one above, only in black leather rather than white. You can use your headphones with your phone in the case as the top is open.

7. Tuff-Luv Napa Leather Case For HTC Desire

Another Flip Case, but this time from Tuff-Luv. Unlike the flip case at the top of the list, your Desire isn’t held in place using a stitched pocket. Instead, two padded runners hold your phone securely, while leaving your screen and keypad fully accessible. The flip is hinged at the top of the phone and has a cut out that allows you to use the headphones while the phone is in the case.

8. HTC Desire Pull Case – PO S520

If you like the idea of a pouch for your Desire but don’t want to wrestle with your phone every time you want to take it out of the case, then this is what you need. It’s a slim case that has a built in strap that, when pulled, gently raises your phone out of the case making it much easier to get to your phone when it rings.

9. Sena Ultra Slim Pouch For HTC Desire

The Sena Ultra Slim Pouch is a form fitting case for your Desire. It doesn’t feature a pull tab like the HTC case, but is made from a soft leather that folds easily, allowing you to push the bottom of the case upwards to remove your phone.

10. PDair Vertical Leather Pouch Case For HTC Desire

PDair are one of the most popular brands of case Mobile Fun sell. They’re made from a high quality leather and are lightly padded to give your Desire as much protection as possible. Each PDair vertical pouch has finger cut outs on the sides for easy removal of your phone, and a sprung belt clip on the back.

Choosing the Right Cradle for your HTC Desire

Whether you’re sat at your desk or spend all day in the car, the easiest and most accessible place to keep your HTC Desire is in a Cradle. As well as holding your phone securely, most cradles can charge your phone and synchronise your contacts, photo’s music and videos.

There are two types of cradle available for the Desire, Desk Cradles and Car Cradles. To give you a better idea on what’s available, here are some of our top selling HTC Desire Cradles. More are expected in the next few weeks and we’ll update this post with any new ones as and when they arrive.

HTC Desire Desk Cradles

Desk Cradles provide an easy and convenient way to charge and sync your phone.

HTC Desire Desktop Charging Cradle

This is a simple and effective desktop sync and charge cradle for the HTC Desire. Simply plug it into a spare USB port on your PC or Laptop and place your phone in it to start charging. The phone will sync with your contacts, photo’s and video’s as soon as it’s docked, or you can manually sync it using the HTC Sync application if you’re using Windows.

If you’re using a Mac and you want to sync your music from iTunes, you’ll need to install some extra software. Our blog post on syncing your phone with iTunes talks you through what you need to do.

HTC Desire Dual Desktop Charging Cradle

If you’re a power user and have to carry a spare battery around with you in order to make it through the day, then this is the cradle for you. Not only will it keep your HTC Desire charged while you’re at your desk, it will also charge a second battery. If you’re already using two batteries, I’m sure you agree that it’s really quite a challenge to keep both batteries charged and ready to use.

HTC Desire Car Cradles

Car Cradles for the HTC Desire don’t do quite as much as their desktop counterparts, but that doesn’t make them any less necessary. They’re the only way that you can safely and legally use your phone in the car and as the HTC Desire now has free turn-by-turn Sat Nav built in to it, you’re going to want to have your phone easily accessible.

HTC Desire Car Pack

The HTC Desire Car Pack is the most popular in car holder for the HTC Desire. It features a sturdy, adjustable arm with a moulded cradle that’s been created especially for the Desire. It rotates quickly and easily from portrait to landscape mode making it a great choice for all Sat Nav users.

If you’ve used Sat Nav on your Desire already you’ll have noticed that it’s quite a drain on the battery, so for that reason, the HTC Desire Car Pack also includes a HTC CC C200 Car Charger

Brodit Passive Holder With Tilt Swivel – HTC Desire

If you don’t want a holder that sticks to your windscreen or doesn’t obscure your view of the road, then you’d be better off with a Brodit Holder. These are strong ABS plastic holders that are moulded specifically for the HTC Desire. They have a tilting/rotating base that allows you to easily adjust the cradle to a suitable position while your driving, and switch between portrait and landscape mode.

Brodit Holders are designed to be screwed to your dashboard, but as most people are reluctant to do that, Brodit have also introduced ProClips. These are plastic brackets that clip on to your dashboard without damaging it and provide a firm base for you to screw the Brodit Holder on to. Brodit Active Holders are also available – these are exactly the same items, but have a car charger built in to them.

It’s still early days for HTC Desire Accessories and the range is still growing. Hopefully we’ll see a HTC branded desk cradle and car cradle make an appearance in the coming weeks, If we do, I’ll update this post with details.

[u] Top Stereo Bluetooth Headsets for iPhone & iPod touch

Yesterday saw the release of a major software update for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The update brought over 100 new features, but one of the best new features is that the iPhone 3G and 2nd generation iPod Touch now support Stereo Bluetooth. Stereo Bluetooth lets you enjoy your music in stereo and without wires connecting to your phone. As Stereo Bluetooth has been around for years there are plenty of Stereo Bluetooth Headsets to choose from.

Thereare a couple of points that you’ll need to remember though, the iPhone and iPod Touch support the A2DP profile only. If you have an iPhone this means you can answer & end calls, play / pause your music, but not control it fully. If you have an iPod Touch 2G then you will be able to play / pause your music and adjust the volume, but you won’t be able to use these headsets with any of your VOIP apps (such as Skype) on your iPod.

In order for you to be able to control your music fully, the iPhone or iPod Touch would need to support the AVRCP profile – hopefully we’ll see this in a future software update from Apple. Stereo Bluetooth is not available on the first generation iPhone or iPod Touch.

UPDATE: It appears that volume control when using a Bluetooth Headset is a bit of a mystery – it works on some headsets, but not on others. We’ve tested the headsets shown here and listed whether or not the volume levels can be adjusted.

UPDATE: April 9th 2010 iPhone OS 4.0 was previewed yesterday by Apple and early development previews show that Apple have now included support for volume adjustment, but music controls still don’t work as the AVRCP profile still seems to be excluded. It’s a step in the right direction, but still not ideal. Hopefully this will change between now and the official release of iPhone OS 4.0 in June. Look out for an updated post nearer the time.

Right, on to the headsets! With so many to choose from, it can get a bit overwhelming, so I’ve been through our current range of Bluetooth Headphones and compiled a list of my top 5 Bluetooth Headphones for the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3G S and iPod Touch 2G.

Sony Ericsson IS-800 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

These are without doubt my favourite Bluetooth Headphones, hence they’re at number 1 in my list. It’s incredibly small, and although it still has a wire, the IS-800 is pretty much the only headset that doesn’t feature a fairly bulky control unit. Instead this has a small, simple in-line control that allows you to answer and end calls. Battery life is impressive at upto 270 hours – especially considering how small this headset is. The IS-800 doesn’t support AVCRP, which in this case is a good thing as it means you’re not going to be paying for features that you can’t use. Volume levels are currently fixed when using this headset, but hopefully a fix from Apple is on the way.

Sony Ericsson DS200 Stereo Bluetooth Headset
The DS-200 is designed to hang around your neck in a similar way to the Jabra BT3030. It comes with ‘in ear’ style headphones that can be replaced with any standard headphones with a 3.5mm jack plug. Battery life is great with upto 300 hours stand by and 6 hours of music play back, and an LCD Display will let you know when you’re running low. This headset allows you to control the volume levels by pressing and holding the play button.

Jabra BT3030 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

The Jabra BT3030 is probably more suited to the iPod Touch than the iPhone. The reason I say that is because the BT3030 is a Multipoint Headset – this allows you to connect to two devices at once, so you can connect it to your mobile phone and your iPod Touch to listen to your music, and when a call comes in, it will pause the music and answer the call from your mobile. It hangs around your neck on a chain or can clip to your belt or pocket, and can be used with any 3.5mm headphones. Volume control on the BT3030 is not a problem, press the ‘+’ or ‘-’ keys to adjust the volume.

Nokia BH-604 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

These are probably the most normal looking headphones of the bunch. They’re solid, comfortable and well built and have the best battery life out of all the headphones listed here with up to 19 hours of music playback, 18 hours of talk time and 2 weeks standby. Sound quality is excellent and set up is incredibly easy. Volume is controlled using a slider on the base of one of the ear cans and worked as you’d expect.

Nokia BH-501 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

The baby brother to the BH-604. A smaller more compact design that goes around your head rather than over it, and folds away neatly when not in use. The controls for music and calls are mounted on the outside of the earpiece and are easy to use. One of the more comfortable headsets thanks to the large, padded earphones. We weren’t able to test the volume control on the BH-501, but as all Nokia Headsets work in the same way, we would expect the volume controls to work perfectly fine on this headset.

This isn’t the full range of Stereo Bluetooth Headsets for the iPhone and iPod Touch, so if you’ve not seen one here that does what you want, take a look at all Stereo Bluetooth Headsets.

If you’ve got any questions or queries about Stereo Bluetooth on the iPhone get in touch with us using the comments form below!

Top 10 HTC Hero Accessories

The HTC Hero is the most highly anticipated Android handset to be released. Not only because it’s only the third handset to be released running the new operating system from Google, but because this one is available without network or Google branding. Instead, HTC have put their own interface on top of the Android operating system to make it easier to use and improve how the menu system looks.

There’s no doubt that the Hero is going to be an incredibly popular handset this summer, and if you’ve invested in one, you’re going to want to keep it looking at its best and working to it’s full potential. To do that you’re going to need a few accessories, but with so many accessories for the HTC Hero available, choosing the right ones for your phone can be a bit of a minefield.

To help you decide on the accessories that you need, Ive compiled a list of my top 10 Accessories for the HTC Hero .

1. HTC Hero C300 Leather Carry Case

The Hero is a smart looking phone that needs a smart looking case. The C300 has been designed to fit most HTC smart phones. It has cut outs for your charger and handsfree/headphones, as well as a hole in the bottom to make it easier to push your phone out. It’s made from a high quality leather with grey stitching and a soft suede lining that helps to keep your screen fingerprint free. The front of the case has been toughened to give your screen extra protection against crush and impact damage. On the back, the case has a couple of mounting options. The first is a sprung belt clip that allows you to attach it and remove it from your belt quickly and easily, the other is two stitched belt loops that allow you to keep the case on your belt permanently with no chance of it falling off.

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The Best iPhone Car Holders

Keeping your phone safe and accessible in the car often means getting a car holder for it. Windscreen mounts for mobile phones are probably the most popular way of securing your phone in the car. They are affordable, easy to install and can be removed quickly so as not to draw any attention to your car. With Sat Nav for the iPhone now available too, mounting your iPhone on your windscreen lets you keep your eyes on the road while following the on screen directions.

Windscreen holders aren’t the only option though. You can also get a range of fixed mobile phone holders that can be securely attached to your car, without causing any damage to your dashboard. To give you an idea on what car holders work the best with the iPhone and iPhone 3G, I’ve been through our most popular car holders to see how they measure up.

iPhone Car Holder by Brodit

If you need something a little more heavy duty, or a semi permanent solution, then a Brodit Holder will be your best option. Brodit produce a range of holders, each made from a tough ABS plastic and then coated with a soft touch fabric to prevent your iPhone from getting scratched. There are 3 different types of Brodit Holder available:

• Brodit Passive iPhone 3G Holder
• Brodit Active iPhone 3G Holder
• Brodit Passive iPhone 3G Holder with Dock Connector

All 3 do a great job of holding your iPhone securely in the car, the only difference between them is how they can charge your phone. Brodit Passive Holders only hold your phone, if you wanted to charge your phone, you’d need to buy a separate car charger. Brodit Active Holders have a car charger wired into them, so as soon as you slide your phone in, it starts charging. The Brodit Holder with Pass through is slightly different, it doesn’t have a car charger attached, but it does have a Dock Connection on the bottom. This allows you to connect a car charger, FM Transmitter, Parrot MKi Car Kit or any other accessory that uses the Dock Connector to the phone while it’s in the holder and means you won’t have to fiddle around plugging them in each time you get in the car.

All three are on a ‘Tilt Swivel’ base that allows you to rotate the phone through 360 degrees, as well as angle it away from sunlight or reflections and should ideally be screwed to a flat surface in your car. If you dont want to screw into your dashboard (and I know I certainly wouldnt) then a ProClip from Brodit is your answer. Brodit ProClips are strong plastic mounts that clip onto your dashboard without causing any damage and provide a great base for attaching car holders onto. Proclips are vehicle specific and are normally available for different parts of your dashboard.

Griffin WindowSeat

Griffin are well known for making iPod and iPhone accessories. The Griffin WindowSeat for iPhone 3G has a high-grip silicone suction pad that easily and quickly attaches to your windscreen or other smooth surface and stays put. It leaves your charging port and headphone socket accessible, and comes with an audio cable so you can connect your phone to your car stereo (As long as your stereo has a 3.5mm aux-in port). If you use Sat Nav on your iPhone, you can rotate the holder through 360 degrees without having to remove your phone.

Drive Safe

The DriveSafe Pack for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS include a car charger as well as a holder for your iPhone. The holder has an adjustable arm that can be bent into shape and rotated to suit your needs. The car charger will ensure that you don’t run out of power on your journey.

iPhone 3G Cradle with Changeable Mounts

This is the most customisable type of iPhone Car Holder. First you pick a cradle, then you choose a mount. As all of the mounting ports use the same clip system, you can choose a mount that will best suit your vehicle. The iPhone cradles all do the same thing, the main difference between them is that the PDA Cradle for iPhone 3G has a longer support on one side to keep your phone more stable when being used in landscape mode. Some of the available mounts available are listed below

• Air Vent
• Windscreen Mount (Fixed)
• Suction Mount (Rotating)
• Cigarette Socket
• Bicycle Mount

From experience though, I’ve always found Air Vent holders a little loose, especially on heavier handsets like the iPhone, so I’d opt for a Rotating Windscreen Holder as it’s a lot more secure. The Rotating Holder has a solid arm that can be rotated in three directions to help you get the best viewing angle and allows you to turn your phone into landscape mode without having to remove it from the holder.

Deluxe Holster

The Deluxe Holster for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS is really a two in one holder. It’s made up of two parts, the first is a polycarbonate case that protects the back of your phone and can be attached to a belt, the other is a suction mount that attaches to your windscreen and can hold your phone without you having to remove it from the case. The Deluxe Holster also comes with a car charger.

If you’ve seen a different holder that works well with your iPhone then let me know using the comments form below.

A guide to choosing the best Toughphone

Recently we’ve started to see more and more rugged phones make their way onto the shelves. The first to launch was the JCB Toughphone in early 2008. The promotional videos from JCB showed the phone being thrown into cement mixers, driven over by diggers and then washed down with a pressure washer. Surprisingly it still worked for calls – something that your everyday phone can’t do.

While rugged handsets aren’t anything new, manufacturers all seem to be making more of an effort to produce something that is near indestructible. Since the JCB Toughphone was launched, Nokia, Samsung, Land Rover and Sonim have all released tough durable handsets, they all look different and the price of the handsets varies considerably.

Getting the right phone for your needs is vital – particularly if you need a phone that can take more abuse than normal. The last thing you’ll want to do is have to replace it a few months down the line because it wasn’t quite strong enough. Currently there are 6 rugged phones available, but what’s the difference between them, what are IP ratings and more importantly, which should you go for?

This guide should hopefully make deciding which one to go for a little bit easier.

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The Best Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headsets

I’ve been working with mobile phones for years now, and I’ve noticed that people really seem to struggle when it comes to choosing a Bluetooth Headset. To someone who isn’t that clued up on mobile technology they all look the same, they all allow you to use your phone safely in the car and can answer & end calls, so why are there so many different ones to choose from and why the big differences in price?

Up until recently my answer would have been that the main differences were size, weight and battery life and that’s still true for most headsets, but advances in headset technology have meant that there is now something else to consider when choosing a Bluetooth Headset – Noise Cancellation.

If you’ve ever looked into bluetooth headsets in the past, you might be thinking that noise cancellation is nothing new and that it’s been around for years, and your right, it has. Over the years noise cancellation has seen many different forms, from simple design changes such as foam covers over the microphone to clever software that makes your voice clearer, but newer Bluetooth headsets go one step further and have 2 microphones built into them, one that picks up your voice and another that picks up background noise. Software in the headset then analyses the sound from both microphones and any sounds picked up by both microphones are removed so that your voice comes through clearly.

Not all Bluetooth Headsets currently have this feature, and trying to find the ones that do out of the hundreds that are available will take you quite some time, so to help you along I’ve listed below what I think are some of the best noise cancelling headsets available. All of these headsets have the dual microphone technology, and a couple of them have some extra clever technology make your voice even clearer.

Most of these headsets are available from mobile fun and I’ve provided a link to the relevant page on their site if you want to find out more about any particular headset. If you’re thinking of ordering one, us the voucher code MFAWAUG9 before the end of August to get 5 off any order over 25.

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The best accessories for the Nokia E52 & E55 are…

The Nokia E52 and the E55 are the latest E-Series smartphones and have both been introduced to replace the popular Nokia E51. The E52 and E55 are almost identical, they both larger screens, faster processors and more memory than their predecessor, with the only difference between them being the keypad. The Nokia E52 retains the classic 1-9 numbered keypad and gains a new row of shortcut keys, where as the E55 has a brand new “half qwerty” keypad that promises faster text entry than using the standard T9 predictive texting.

To really make the most of your new E-Series smart phone, there are a number of accessories you can get. Choosing the right one accessories can be a bit of a mission as there are so many to choose from. To try and help you decide for you Ive compiled a list of 10 accessories that I’d recommend for the Nokia E52 and E55.

1. Martin Fields Screen Protector
The last thing you’re going to want to do the the screen of your new phone is scratch it. When I bought my N82 last year I managed to gouge a nice chunk out of the screen within an hour of having it, but back then I’d not really heard of screen protectors. Martin Fields are the just about the best quality screen protector you can get for your phone. They’re precision cut to size and can be removed easily and leave no residue behind. They claim that they’rere-usable too, so if it ever gets dirty, just take it off, run it under the tap and re-fit it. I tried this and found it didn’t stick too well and I ended up with a lof of dust and bubbles under the screen.

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