UK

12 Apple users in UK sue Google over Safari tracking

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Although US District Judge Susan Illston recently approved the $22.5 million fine Google agreed to pay in order to settle the FTC claim that it illegally bypassed user privacy settings in Safari, the Internet giant is not yet off the hook over in the United Kingdom, where a group of twelve disgruntled users decided to take the search behemoth to the court over the scandal. A group called "Safari Users Against Google's Secret Tracking" hired a law firm to file a complaint conveniently timed ahead of the sixth annual Data Privacy Day in the country...

Apple retains European smartphone lead over rapidly-growing Samsung

Ed Sutherland ∙ December 17, 2012

The UK continues to be Apple's European fortress against the invading hordes of Android smartphones. That's the word from Internet firm comScore, which announced Monday most European cell phone owners have adopted smartphones. In the United Kingdom, Apple is holding onto a slim 4 point-lead.

Meanwhile, South Korea-based Samsung experiences double-digit growth. Germany is the only European nation where smartphone penetration has not reached at least 50 percent. In the UK and Spain, two countries where consumers have largely abandoned landlines, smartphone adoption is at 62.3 percent and 63.2 percent, respectively.

But the real story could be the tight race between Apple and Samsung, fueled by Android's growing presence in Europe...

UK’s Everything Everywhere announces LTE expansion to 17 new markets by March 2013

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 13, 2012

Everything Everywhere (EE), a joint venture between Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile and France Télécom’s Orange, launched UK's first commercial 4G LTE network on October 30 and today the company has announced a network expansion to seventeen new markets in the country, to be finished by March of next year.

The carrier powers UK's sole 4G LTE network so would-be iPhone buyers should be delighted to learn that its 4G density is “being increased on a daily basis"...

China could soon top US as the largest iOS and Android market

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated March 12, 2018

If the global picture of mobile devices were a soap opera, it would be called "As the World Turns". A constant stream of numbers show how demand and usage is shifting away from the U.S. and to China. The latest figures show the Asian country will soon top the United States with the most active iOS and Android smartphone users.

While China's 167 million iOS and Android users currently puts the nation slightly behind the US at 181 million, that ranking will change in early 2013 as China's triple-digit growth rate easily outpaces America's maturing smartphone market, according to a new report released Wednesday by a mobile analytics firm...

Apple ordered to pay Samsung’s legal fees in failed UK patent suit

Cody Lee ∙ November 11, 2012

Apple's legal team has had a rough go of it in the UK over the past few weeks. After losing a patent suit against Samsung, and then the ensuing appeal, the company was forced to write a public apology on its UK website.

Of course, Apple complied and posted the apology, but the judge wasn't impressed with its snarky tone. So in addition to asking the iPad-makers to correct it, he's also ordered them to pay Samsung's legal fees...

Apple corrects inaccurate statement regarding Samsung patent infringement ruling on its UK website

Sébastien Page ∙ November 3, 2012

Apple just published a statement on its UK website to correct a previous apology that had been found inaccurate by the Court of Appeal of England and Wales. The statement can be found at the bottom of Apple UK website's home page, and links to a longer statement acknowledging that Samsung didn't copy the iPad.

This "updated" statement comes several days after Apple published a public apology on its website, at the request of the Court...

Apple’s revised apology to Samsung hits UK newspapers

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 2, 2012

As required by the UK court of appeal, Apple today published a public apology to Samsung in The Guardian newspaper, following the previous U.K. ruling that Samsung tablets did not copy the iPad. Snarky Apple yesterday published a public notice of the ruling on its web site and ran into trouble because it cunningly inserted a paragraph quoting the Judge on how consumers can’t confuse the Galaxy Tab with the iPad because “they’re not as cool", prompting Judge Robin Jacob to order that the edits be made within 24 hours.

The iPhone maker has pulled the notice upon request by Samsung, which argued that Apple's version of the notice gave the “impression that the UK court is out of step with other courts". The company did not update its web site with a revised version of the notice at post time. I take it Apple employees are busy launching the iPad in 34 countries so nobody can update the web site...

UK Judge: Apple must remove “incorrect” Samsung apology

Ed Sutherland ∙ November 1, 2012

Note to Apple: UK judges don't get American snarkiness. The UK Court of Appeals Thursday told the iPhone maker its recent apology to Samsung was "incorrect" and required a new notice on the website "acknowledging the inaccurate comments." At issue: comments from the trial's first ruling in which the judge declared Samsung's tablet "not as cool."

Judge Robin Jacob ordered the changes to Apple's website be made within 24 hours, rejecting the Cupertino, Calif. firm's request for 14 days to make the edit. "This is Apple. They cannot put something on their website?" Jacob reportedly said...

UK’s Everything Everywhere launches 4G LTE network

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 30, 2012

Everything Everywhere today launched its 4G LTE network in the United Kingdom, giving UK shoppers plenty of reasons to buy the new iPad mini, the iPhone 5 and the fourth-generation iPad this holiday season. All these devices feature improved cellular connectivity that supports a wider gamut of LTE frequency bands across the world's carriers.

Apple's web site also lists Everything Everywhere as being compatible with the 4G LTE flavors supported by Apple's late-2012 iOS devices. Go past the fold for plans and pricing information...

Apple loses appeal in major UK patent case against Samsung

Cody Lee ∙ October 18, 2012

Back in July, the High Court in London ruled against Apple in a patent suit against Samsung, saying that consumers were unlikely to mistake its iPad with Samsung's Galaxy Tab because it "wasn't as cool."

As a result of the ruling, Judge Colin Birss ordered Apple to run advertisements on both its UK website and in British publications stating that Samsung didn't copy the iPad to correct the damaging impression.

Well, Apple might want to start planning its marketing campaign. Because it just lost the appeal...

EE to launch the UK’s first LTE network on October 30

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Folks in the UK who recently purchased an iPhone 5 will be happy to hear that in less then a month, they'll finally be able to use the handset to its full potential. It's official: the country's first LTE network will go live on October 30.

The network belongs to EE (Everything Everywhere), which is a joint venture between Orange and T-Mobile. And the new 4G service will be available to existing customers on either of the two carriers, and obviously, new ones...

UK carrier authorized to offer first LTE service ahead of iPhone launch

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

This is pretty interesting: Ofcom, the regulator for UK communications, announced today that it has given permission to the carrier Everything Everywhere to begin using its existing 1800 MHz to offer LTE services beginning on September 11.

If that date sounds familiar, that's because it's the day before the all-but-confirmed media event where Apple is said to be unveiling it's next smartphone. The handset is widely expected to be LTE-capable, but will it work outside of the US?