There’s a new mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) vying for the hard-earned (or purloined from their parents) rands of South Africa’s young folk. Called Trace Mobile, the SIM-only operator uses Cell C’s network to provide prepaid voice, SMS and data services and offers users bonus airtime with each recharge and free access to Facebook and WhatsApp, with a range of Ts&Cs, of course. A Trace Mobile SIM costs R5 and is available from the company’s website, Cell C stores and retailer Pep. As with other operators, when users buy a starter pack they can either get a new mobile number…
Author: CraigWilson
Ever encountered a post on Facebook about something sad or infuriating and wanted to react to it but decided “Like” was inappropriate? You’re not alone. Users of the social network have been asking for alternatives to the ubiquitous Like button for years, and Facebook has listened. The company is running a pilot test of something called Reactions, which it describes as a “more expressive Like button”. The new feature is being rolled out to Facebook users in Ireland and Spain first. Users’ feedback will be used to make any final tweaks or changes to the feature before the new feature…
The Core Group, which imports and distributes Apple products in South Africa has confirmed pricing for the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus that go on sale locally next Friday (16 October). Users can pre-order the devices on a dedicated page on the MyiStore website. As expected, the new devices aren’t going to come cheap, ranging from R11,799 for the 16GB iPhone 6s (a product that by many accounts should’ve been retired in favour of a 32GB model) to R17,499 for the 128GB version of the larger iPhone 6s Plus. Thanks rand-dollar exchange rate. Thanks a lot. Users can also…
South Africans will be able to upgrade their iPhones annually, through a new financing option and buy-back plan local iStores are offering in partnership with Standard Bank. The new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus will go on sale locally next Friday, October 16. Using a Standard Bank-issued credit card, people will be able to buy a new iPhone on a 24-month contract and trade it in after 12 months to settle the outstanding balance. The average trade-in value of an iPhone after a year (assuming it’s been kept in good condition) is roughly half the price of the phone, according to Apple’s…
At long last the Apple Watch is coming to South Africa. The Core Group has confirmed it will begin selling the device locally on 23 October. Consumers who want one can register their interest on the MyiStore website’s dedicated Apple Watch page. The South African section of Apple’s global website began listing the Apple Watch, alongside information on the recently updated operating system that powers it, called watchOS 2 earlier today. Announced in September 2014, the Apple Watch went on sale in select international markets in April 2015. To date, South Africans wanting to get one on their wrists have either had to…
Microsoft’s hosting its device media event later today in New York City. We’re expecting to see a Microsoft-branded Windows 10 smartphone, an updated Surface tablet computer — most likely called the Surface Pro 4 — and a new wearable (rumoured to be the Microsoft Band 2), alongside news on updates and/or additions to Windows 10 — the operating system is slated to arrive on the company’s Xbox One gaming console next month. The event is scheduled for 10h00 EDT (or 16h00 SA time) and consumers and media alike can stream the event on Xbox or online. Twitter users can also…
Mobile operator Vodacom has announced it will offer the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, Apple’s new flagship smartphones, from Friday 16 October. Consumers looking to get their paws on one of the new devices can pre-order them from next Friday (9 October) on Vodacom’s website. We expect MTN, Telkom and Cell C to make their own, matching announcements soon. [UPDATE: MTN has confirmed it, too, will have stock of the new iPhones on 16 October. Consumers can re-register here.] Vodacom hasn’t confirmed pricing for the new devices which, like the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus — last year’s flagship Apple handsets…
Apple’s latest mobile operating system iOS 9 has brought with it all manner of shiny new features. Some are excellent, but one in particular is a little suspect, promising a better mobile internet experience, if you don’t mind the associated costs, that is. And most of us, I fear, would rather have less-than-perfect connectivity than an inflated data bill. If you go to “Settings”, then “Mobile Data”, and scroll right to the bottom, you’ll find something called “Wi-Fi Assist” on an iPad or iPhone that’s been updated to iOS 9. This feature will be turned on by default after the update. What…
The (usually) quiet town of Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape will see its beards-per-capita ratio go through the roof this weekend as South Africa’s Instagram community arrives for the country’s first, official, national Instameet. The event, which takes place from Thursday to Sunday, is organised by the @southafrica Instagram account and SA Tourism. Craig Rodney, MD of Johannesburg-based communications agency Cerebra and the man behind the @southafrica account on Instagram, says more than 450 people have registered for the event, and by Thursday afternoon, more than 150 of those had showed up and checked in. While there are a number of official…
Given its enormous population, growing connectedness and accompanying appetite for affordable mobile devices it’s no surprise Alcatel OneTouch has decided to take on the Nigerian market with a range of its mobile phones. The company plans to offer a feature phone, a smartphone and a 3G-enabled 7-inch tablet to start with. First up there’s a the Alcatel OneTouch Pixi 3 smartphone, an entry-level smartphone that includes a 4-inch WVGA touch display, a dual-core 1.0GHz processor, 4GB of storage and 512MB of RAM. It also includes a rudimentary 2-megapixel primary camera and a VGA front-facing camera. The handset is powered by version 4.4…