The UK smartphone market?

[Guest drblow]

Hmm ... its been a while since my last rant! ;)

I don't know about you guys, I can't help but feel that we in the UK are getting a very poor deal at the minute. Orange UK has yet to release a single WM6 upgrade (as far as I can see), while countries throughout the world already have them. Lovely new handsets are being released all the time, but they arrive in the UK last - the latest news being that T-mobile are claiming their variation of the HTC Kaiser is "just not ready" or something? I don't understand - how can a phone that has had nothing but rave reviews and is on general release all over, not be ready for release? Maybe what they mean is they haven't quite filled the ROM with stupid, meaningless apps & nice pictures that we don't need.

Now, I know that marketing strategies need to play out - Orange aren't going to release a brand new handset only months after releasing the HTC Touch ... but I for one am sick to death of being controlled by the ridiculous UK mobile networks marketing policies. I also know I can buy a network free handset, but that's a pretty expensive alternative.

I just can't help feeling that we in the UK are getting a rally bum deal. We pay exorbitant rates for phone usage, and the smarphone providers are slow on the uptake of new devices, produce really rubbish ROMS designed to tie you into spending money on their network rather than to maximise your device's potential, and offer no upgrades whatsoever. Even the occassional Orange ROM update seems to have fallen by the wayside.

Is there an alternative? Or do we just need to get together enough weapons to actually start the revolution?? Who's with me??!! :wub:

[Guest chucky.egg]

SIM-free is the answer

Avoids all the pitiful network branding and operational/upgrade limitations

[Guest drblow]

Aye, but like I said its the expensive option. Anyway, all I wanted to do was give off about rip-off Britain! ;)

[Guest chucky.egg]

It's the availability that's the issue for me, maybe I'm just used to being ripped off.

There are very few WM Smartphones to be had from networks, and there's always (what feels like) a long delay between even a PDA being available SIM-free and it being available from a network.

[Guest drblow]

And another thing ... with the iPhone seeming to take the world markets by storm & price reductions being announced by Apple in the run up to a European release ... you'd think that competitors would want to REALLY entice the smartphone market with some lovely new phones & features ... wouldn't you??????