Telstra and Optus customers suffering serious iPhone order delays and poor customer service

IT HAS been a month since the crazy queues outside the Apple stores for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. It has been over 5 weeks since you were able to pre-order them from Telstra, Optus or Vodafone. But many people still haven’t got their new device.
When the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were first able to be ordered, many sales reps from all three big carriers were telling customers that their phones were in stock, only to later be told that it will be coming in two weeks. No three weeks. No, maybe sometime in November.
That’s if they were told anything at all.
The delay of stock is an issue, due to how Apple allocates its stock worldwide. It’s also speculated that the launch of the iPhone 6 in China — a key market for the company — will mean that the focus to get enough stock in Australia will be even less.
However, the lack of stock is only a small part of the bigger problem here.


News.com.au readers have overwhelmed our email inboxes with stories about not only ridiculous delays but shameful handling of situations, particularly from Telstra and Optus.
Reader Shantel Tamarah informed us that she placed her order at 7am on September 13th from Telstra, with a confirmation email promising a delivery time of “up to two weeks” after the 19th (the iPhone release date) depending on location.
Ms Tamarah later rang Telstra to confirm that there was nothing else she needed to do with her order, with the Telstra representative informing her that her device had been dispatched and she would receive it on the release day. This was not the case.
Following many phone calls with Telstra staff insisting her device was coming in the next few days, she eventually managed to speak to an honest representative who informed her that they did not have any stock and realistically she was looking at late October/early November for it to arrive.
Other Telstra customers who pre-ordered their phone have not yet received their devices, despite Telstra posting on their support forums saying that all pre-orders had been filled.
Some people have even tried to cancel their order, with Telstra telling them to “give a real reason” why they need to leave. One customer (who asked not to be named) said that after they gave Telstra their “real reason” they were told to wait for the device to arrive and post it back. Not until that happened were they able to cancel their order and account.
Optus has proven to be just as difficult to deal with as Telstra.
One loyal customer of 20 years told news.com.au that he signed his new contract after not only being assured that Optus had stock, but that it would be delivered on release day. After being messed around by Optus customer service, it wasn’t until the Telecommunications Ombudsman became involved that Optus tried to sort the situation out.
Another reader reported his phone was delivered to his local Optus store, rather than his address, and then was sold to another customer before he had a chance to come and pick it up.
One Optus customer told us that when she asked if she could be offered any compensation for her continued delay, Optus said it was her responsibility to approach the appropriate team if she wants any. When she did contact the “appropriate team” she was told they can’t start the process until she receives the phone.
Some news.com.au staff have also experienced problems, with two people who ordered through Optus on launch day receiving their first piece of communication today advising them that their order would be delayed a further two weeks.
Despite the lack of stock and delays to existing orders, that hasn’t stopped carriers from excessively advertising their iPhone 6 deals. Optus has been particularly prominent, with its ads covering CBD bus stops and signs in cities across the country. The carrier has told news.com.au that they are still heavily advertising as they have 16GB models in stock, however they are currently out of 64GB and only have limited availability of 128GB models.
So what can customers do now? Both carriers seems to be allowing customers to cancel their orders, but only after some attempts to convince customers not to. If you do cancel, Apple retail stores have more stock than carriers and are able to sign you up on their plans in store.
If you still aren’t getting any luck, Kogan.com boss, Ruslan Kogan says he can have one at your door step in five days.
“While there is certainly some supply shortages in the market, we have been consistently outperforming our competitors ​by​ being able to supply the iPhone 6 much quicker and cheaper than others in the market. Our average dispatch time for the iPhone 6 is 5 days. We have even had several wholesale customers and large retailers purchase iPhone’s from us as it’s their only alternative to being able to fulfil customer demand in a timely manner.” Mr Kogan said to news.com.au.
“We apologise to any customer who has had a poor experience ordering an iPhone with Telstra,” Steven Carey, General Manager Media, told news.com.au.
“We are working to fulfil orders as quickly as we can. Unfortunately, demand for some models and colours is currently high. In instances where customers face a wait for their chosen model we send a regular text message to confirm that we are continuing to work on their order. Customers who would like to talk to us directly about the status of their order can contact us on 132200.”

http://www.news.com.au/technology/gadgets/telstra-and-optus-customers-suffering-serious-iphone-order-delays-and-poor-customer-service/story-fn6vihic-1227096263171

$571,000 in Mobile Charges for Australian who had his mobile stolen.

Coming home from an overseas trip to find a surprisingly high phone bill is nothing new. But one Australian got the shock of a lifetime when a European trip came with $571,000 in mobile charges.
The bill - which would have been enough to pay for over 285 return flights from Sydney to London - was a nasty surprise that came on top of an unhappy theft.
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman said the case occurred after an Australian traveller's smartphone was stolen in Europe. Rather than dump the SIM card, the thief evidently decided to phone up a storm that cost over half a million dollars.
The victim's father David took the cause up with the telecommunications carrier and pointed out that the theft had been reported to police. Some of the calls had been made to Somalia.
But the telco refused to wipe the record while insisting the full amount be paid.
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Simon Cohen said the case was one of 138,946 made by phone and internet users in financial year 2014. The body will release its annual report on Wednesday morning.

 Disputes from customers about being charged extra for exceeding their mobile internet download limits have become the top topic of phone user complaints this year. Photo: Glenn Hunt

It shows that the number of complaints about phone and internet services has reached a six-year low but anger from customers over excess download charges is on the rise.
The improvement in overall complaints was driven by falls in complaints about mobile services, which dropped by 20 per cent to 73,518 in financial year 2014 compared to 2013.
SingTel-Optus and Vodafone Hutchison Australia both experienced substantial decreases in customer complaints that were raised with the Ombudsman.
"We're seeing fewer complaints in terms of mobile coverage and mobile faults related we think to the significant investment by telcos in mobile infrastructure," Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Simon Cohen said. "So the steps being taken by the industry are positive."
However, disputes from customers about being charged extra for exceeding their mobile internet download allowance rose substantially to become the top topic of complaint this year.
"As networks become faster and consumers want to download more and as phones become better, it's a challenge to make sure there's a match between the sort of data consumers are using and the affordability of the plans they're on," he said.
Australian Communications Consumer Action Network chief executive Teresa Corbin said that customers getting hit with high bills should consider shopping around, with recent data showing most customers used 2 gigabytes of data while using plans with caps of just 1GB.
SingTel-Optus showed the biggest improvement, with overall complaints falling 46.9 per cent from 26,629 to 14,144. Problems with coverage, disputed bills and poor contract information all fell at the telco.
Optus and Vodafone Hutchison Australia also improved the most in mobile coverage, with complaints from both companies falling 60.7 per cent and 58 per cent respectively.
But Vodafone Australia's mobile coverage still reaped the most complaints in Australia despite the fact that it has fewer users than Telstra and Optus.
The Ombudsman received 8143 complaints about mobile coverage from Vodafone Australia's 5 million mobile subscribers in financial year 2014. In contrast, Optus' 9.4 million mobile customers made 1623 complaints while Telstra's 16 million subscribers complained 1526 times.
Telstra's overall complaints rose by 1.2 per cent to 58,009 during the financial year but Mr Cohen said the company also added over 1 million phone and internet services to its subscriber pool over that period.
Mr Cohen said the Ombudsman was working to provide contextual data to better rank the telcos as part of a big picture view.
"There are significantly fewer complaints about Vodafone from consumers than there were 12 months ago," he said. "But I don't intend to comment specifically about the proportions against each of those.
"We've been looking to contextualise our data and hope to be in a position shortly to work with industry to provide that context around the complaints information in addition to the pure trends."
A spokesman for Vodafone Australia said the fall in network coverage complaints was a pleasing sign its investments were paying off.
"We know there is more work to be done, and remain committed to improving our customer service," he said.
Fortunately for Australian travellers, the Ombudsman said efforts by all three mobile telcos to reduce international roaming charges had helped lower the number of complaints about the issue.
This meant that David's son – and the Somali-dialling thief – managed to get away scot-free.
"The matter was resolved without him having to pay the charges," Mr Cohen said.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/biztech/mobile-phone-complaints-fall-but-excess-download-charges-the-biggest-gripe-20140917-10i0aj.html#ixzz3DXpMKgES

Apple’s iPhone 6 and iWatch: all the good, bad and hopefully true rumours

• 18 hours ago August 28, 2014 3:08PM

Band on the run ... A possible vision of the Apple iWatch. Source: Supplied

ANOTHER day, another Apple rumour.

It’s less than a fortnight to Apple’s biggest launch of the year . And to help Apple fans sing along to “On the 12th day of iChristmas, Tim Cook gave to me ...”, here is a quick guide to some of the best and worst rumours about the iPhone and iWatch.
1. The iPhone 6 will be unveiled on September 9:
This was is set in stone, assuming that stone is not quite solid and subject to change. Apple hasn’t actually announced a date for the iPhone 6, nor has it said it will call its next smartphone the iPhone 6. Actually, you could write a book about what Apple has not said, although it would be a very small book. With no words.
Re/Code’s John Paczkowski broke the news of this date back in August 22 and his leak still stands. We like this rumour much better than the old rumour that the 5-inch iPhone won’t be released until next year.
Rumour quality: Solid gold. This is as good as a certainty and will be confirmed in the next few days. Still not sure? Think about this: when they send out an invitation to an event on September 9, the reflection of the nine will be in shape of a 6. Dan Brown couldn’t write stuff that good.

Expect queues ... September 9 is expected to be the release date for the new iPhone as well as the new iWatch. Source: News Limited

2. The iWatch (aka iTime, iBand or iWearablethingie) will be unveiled on September 9:
This is hot news today, courtesy of another scoop from Re/Code’s Paczkowski who says Apple will use the iPhone 6 launch to show off a new wearable. Interestingly, he doesn’t call it the iWatch. Interestingly, he also doesn’t call it a iWheelbarrow. Analyse that for the next few hours and you won’t be alone. Also, Paczkowski calls it “a new wearable” rather than “thenew wearable”. Does that mean there is more than one, in the way a bigamist has “a wife” in here, “a wife” in there and so on until he’s doing the hokey pokey.
Rumour quality: Paying respect to Paczkowski, it’s good enough for us. One big question remains, however. Given there are so many leaked photos of the iPhone 6, why are there no leaked photos of the iWatch?
3. This is the iPhone 6 in a box. (By which we mean no, it’s not)
In the race to be first with the latest iPhone leaked pics, it’s easy to opt for speed over certainty. TechRadar, to be fair, didn’t say they were certain this was actually an iPhone 6 in a box. Still, the fact the same iPhone 6 box was shown off in a YouTube video about a fake Made in China iPhone rip-off is a fair sign that this rumour was way off the mark.
Rumour quality: Some rumours are rated as “hits”. This is a rumour that puts the ‘s’ at the other end of that ranking.

YouTube

4. I came, I saw, iWatched ... everywhere
VentureBeat broke the news that Swatch and Timex were working on dozens of models of iWatch. That broken news was still broken, when the watchmakers said they weren’t.
Rumour quality: Missed it by that much. To be fair, Swatch makes a iSwatch so really it wasn’t a rumour that was wrong - just misspelt.
5. Name game: What comes after 5S?
One of the biggest challenges for those of us writing about as yet unannounced Apple products is that they are so unannounced nobody has even announced their name. The next iPhone will be probably be the iPhone 6 for the 4.7-inch version and the 5.5-inch version will probably be called iPhone Air, or the iPhone 6L — as in L for “larger than the other one” or “lame name”.
Rumour quality: Definite, by which we mean the next iPhone will definitely have a name. Unless of course Apple repeats the mistake of the New iPad which was a brilliant idea for a name until offcourse the next new iPad came out.
6. The iWatch will measure 2.5 inches
Take your wrist. Draw a 2.5-inch square on it. Does that look good? As a runner who straps his iPhone 5S to his arm, I’m already considering hitting the roids so that the bigger screen 4.7-inch or 5-inch iPhones don’t make my stick-like biceps look even more stick-like. The idea that Apple’s wearable band would be as wide as a playing card — surely they’re joking. It’s not an ace idea. Do they come in pairs? (I’ll see myself out).
Rumour quality: Big deal, no way.

 http://www.news.com.au/technology/gadgets/apples-iphone-6-and-iwatch-all-the-good-bad-and-hopefully-true-rumours/story-fn6vihic-1227040184143

Faulty iPhone Burns Through $30,000 Of Mobile Data

A supposedly “faulty” iPhone landed a man in severe financial trouble after the device racked up an astonishing $30,000 data bill — and UK network Orange tried to take the money from the bloke’s account.
Chris Bovis realised he had been cut off, so he phoned Orange for an explanation. That was when he discovered the network had tried to bill him $US14,000 for exceeding his data allowance. His bank had rather unsurprisingly refused the transaction, so Orange blocked his number. Orange also told Chris his next bill would be around the $US16,000 level.
The actual source of the problem is a little vague. Chris said the iPhone was even downloading data while switched off, with Apple employees agreeing it was broken in some way and replacing the phone. Orange eventually caved in and agreed to reduce his bill to $450, before completely giving up and writing off the entire amount. [Evening Standard]

Monkey Business

A tourist was taking pictures with her iPhone of this snow monkey in a natural hot spring, but she came way too close - the monkey grabbed the phone and played with it for quite a while. It even managed to make the built-in flash go off. Needless to say that the iPhone did not survive the underwater session that followed.

This Photo was taken at the scene of the crime and is in the running for the People’s Choice Award of the 2014 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition

Boy found to be allergic to his iPad, and he isn't alone

Unexplained rash? Check your iPad. It turns out the popular tablet computer may contain nickel, one of the most common allergy-inducing metals.
Recent reports in medical journals detail nickel allergies from a variety of personal electronic devices, including laptops and mobile phones. But it was an Apple iPad that caused an itchy body rash in an 11-year-old boy recently treated at a San Diego, California hospital, according to a report in American peer-reviewed medical journal Pediatrics.
Nickel rashes aren't life-threatening but they can be very uncomfortable, and they may require treatment with steroids and antibiotics if the skin eruptions become infected, said Dr Sharon Jacob, a dermatologist at Rady Children's Hospital, where the boy was treated.

An undated photo provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows a rash on an unidentified 11-year old boy from a nickel allergy.

The boy had a common skin condition that causes scaly patches, but he developed a different rash all over his body that didn't respond to usual treatment. Skin testing showed he had a nickel allergy, and doctors traced it to an iPad his family had bought in 2010.

Doctors tested the device and detected a chemical compound found in nickel in the iPad's outside coating.
"He used the iPad daily," she said.
He got better after putting it in a protective case, she said.
Whether all iPad models and other Apple devices contain nickel is uncertain; Apple spokesman Chris Gaither said the company had no comment.
Nickel rashes also have been traced to other common products including some jewellery, eyeglass frames and zippers.
Jacob said evidence suggests nickel allergies are becoming more common, or increasingly recognised. She cited national data showing that about 25 per cent of children who get skin tests for allergies have nickel allergies, versus about 17 per cent a decade ago.
She said doctors need to consider electronic devices as potential sources when patients seek treatment for skin rashes.
AP
 http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/boy-found-to-be-allergic-to-his-ipad-and-he-isnt-alone-20140714-zt7gi.html

End of service as Vodafone closes Crazy John's ​After a turbulent few years and a wind down of its business, Crazy John's will cease to exist in September, affecting 100,000 customers.

Australian mobile provider Crazy John's is set to finally close in September this year as Vodafone retires the brand and brings 100,000 remaining customers across to its suite of plans. However, the telco has warned that not all plans provided by the online-only Crazy John's brand will be "replicated" at Vodafone.
Crazy John's has ceased offering plans to new customers, and existing customers are being warned that their service will be "deactivated" by September 30, 2014, their SIM will stop working and users will lose saved data such as messages and contacts on this SIM.
"For most Crazy John's customers, we've been able to create a replica plan at Vodafone," said a notice on the Crazy John's website. "To get started, you'll need to swap your current SIM for a new Vodafone one by your allocated transfer date.
"Unfortunately not all Crazy John's plans are able to be replicated. If your current Crazy John's plan cannot be replicated on Vodafone, don't worry -- we still have some exclusive plans we can offer you."
Vodafone has described the move as "the last stage of a transition to a single brand", bringing Crazy John's completely under the Vodafone umbrella and closing the book on one of Australia's more recognisable mobile retail chains.
After opening its first store in Victoria in 1991 and growing its footprint across Australia, Crazy John's was bought out by Vodafone Hutchison Australia group in 2008, a year after the sudden death of the company's founder, John Ilhan.
Just five years later, in February 2013, Vodafone announced it would be closing all Crazy John's retail shopfronts and begin winding down the business, ceasing upgrades and closing off prepaid services in August 2013.

Apple's largest ever iPhones said to start mass output next month

The current iPhone, the 5S, has a 4-inch screen. Photo: Getty Images

Apple suppliers in China will begin mass production of its largest iPhones ever next month, according to people familiar with the plans, as the smartphone maker faces increased competition.

Apple is ramping up on two bigger devices, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private. One model will have a 4.7-inch display, compared to the 4-inch screen of the current iPhone 5s, that may be available to ship to retailers around September, said two of the people. A 5.5-inch version is also being prepared for manufacturing and may be available at the same time, the people said.

The new iPhones will also be rounder and thinner than previous models, said one of the people. Production of the 5.5-inch model is more complicated than the smaller version, resulting in lower production efficiency that must be overcome before manufacturing volume can be increased, said the person.

Apple is getting ready for its annual unveiling of new iPhones after rivals including Samsung and HTC released smartphones with displays that are as large as 5.7 inches. Consumers have been gravitating toward larger-screen devices — in China, 40 percent of mobile gadgets based on Google's Android operating system that were sold in 2014 had display sizes of more than 5 inches, according to an estimate from Forrester Research.

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Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook is under pressure to reignite Apple's sales growth and the iPhone, which generates more than half of the company's annual revenue, remains his chief weapon. Last year, the smartphone produced $91 billion in revenue alone, more than the total sales of Oracle, Yahoo, Facebook and Twitter combined.

Natalie Kerris, a spokeswoman for Cupertino, California- based Apple, declined to comment.

http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/apples-largest-ever-iphones-said-to-start-mass-output-next-month-20140625-zskxi.html

Apple smartwatch coming soon: report

About time: One of the many iWatch concept photos making the rounds online. Photo: Todd Hamilton

• Smartwatches from Apple, Google mean fitness-tracking device trend over

Apple is likely to launch a computerised wristwatch this year that includes more than 10 sensors to take health measurements and other data, according to a published report.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Apple is planning multiple screen sizes for the device, which some people have dubbed the iWatch.
Samsung, Sony, Qualcomm and others have already released smartwatches, but the gadgets have mostly functioned as companions to smartphones, offering email notifications, clock functions and the like. Samsung's Gear 2 line, released this year, added fitness-related apps and has a heart rate sensor.

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There's been longstanding speculation that Apple has been working on a smartwatch. The main question has been when it would come out.
Apple intensified speculation this month when it said the upcoming version of its mobile operating system, iOS 8, will include tools for managing health data. The software is expected in September, along with new iPhones.
Apple has been under pressure to release new products, as investors question whether the company that popularized the smartphone and the tablet computer is still able to innovate following the death of co-founder Steve Jobs. CEO Tim Cook has hinted at new products coming this year, but the company hasn't provided details.
Citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, the Journal said production of the smartwatch is expected to begin in two or three months at Quanta Computer, a Taiwanese company that has worked on Apple's Mac computers. Sales of the device could begin as early as October.
Apple declined comment in line with its policy of not discussing future products.
APhttp://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/apple-smartwatch-coming-soon-report-20140623-zsipk.html

Rise of the retro phone: Trend for app-free bulky mobiles means some 1990s models are fetching up to £800

• Among the top-sellers is the old-school Nokia 8210 at €59.99 (£48 or $80)
• A vintage Nokia 8800 Arte Gold is selling online for €1,000 (£810 or $1,360) 
• Experts claim the high-price is because old mobile phones are now trendy
• They are also simple to use, have long-lasting batteries and are more sturdy

By Ellie Zolfagharifard

Published: 22:25 AEST, 26 May 2014 | Updated: 22:26 AEST, 26 May 2014

In a surprising trend, consumers are increasingly buying retro phones such as this Ericsson R290 Satellite which came out in 1999

Remember when snake was all you needed to be entertained?

Now, the retro mobile game could be making a comeback, along with the vintage handsets it was played on.

Consumers harking back to a simpler era are turning their backs on smartphones by embracing bulky, vintage mobiles, with retro features.

The demand for these old-school phones is so high that some models of old Nokias, Ericssons and Motorolas are now fetching up to €1,000 (£810 or $1,360) a piece.

While they may lack features, these retro phones are simple to use, have batteries that last the week and are practically indestructible compared to their smartphone equivalent.

 

‘Some people don't blink at the prices, we have models at more than €1,000 (£810 or $1,360),’ said Djassem Haddad, who started the site vintagemobile.fr in 2009.

‘The high prices are due to the difficulty in finding those models, which were limited editions in their time.’

For instance, a Nokia 8800 Arte Gold is currently listed on the site for €1,000 (£810 or $1,360), while a Nokia 8800 could be purchased for €250 (£200 or $337)

Mr Haddad had been hoping to explore what he believed to be a niche market, but since last year, sales have taken off.

Remember when snake was all you needed to be entertained? The retro mobile game could be making a comeback, along with the vintage handsets it was played on. Consumers harking back to a simpler-era are turning their backs on smartphones by embracing bulky, vintage mobiles, with retro features

Among the top-sellers is the Nokia 8210, with a tiny monochrome screen and plastic buttons, at €59.99 (£48 or $80). Finnish firm Nokia, the biggest mobile phone company before the advent of Apple's iPhone or Samsung's Galaxy, offloaded its handset division to Microsoft this year after failing to catch the smartphone wave

Over the past two to three years, his company has sold some 10,000 handsets, ‘with a real acceleration from the beginning of 2013’.

WHAT COULD YOUR OLD MOBILE BE WORTH? 

Among the top-sellers on vintagemobile.fr  is the Nokia 8210, with a tiny monochrome screen and plastic buttons, at €59.99 (£48 or $80).

A Nokia 8800 Arte Gold is currently listed on the site for €1,000 (£810 or $1,360), while a Nokia 8800 could be purchased for €250 (£200 or $337). 

A Motorola StarTac 130 - a model launched in 1998 - and repainted bright orange was recently offered for €180 (£145 or $245), while an Ericsson A2628 with gold coloured keys for at €80 (£65 or $110). 

Among the top-sellers on the website is the Nokia 8210, with a tiny monochrome screen and plastic buttons, at €59.99 (£48 or $80).

‘The ageing population is looking for simpler phones, while other consumers want a second cheap phone,’ he said.

Ironically, the trend is just starting as the telecommunications industry throws such handsets into the recycling bins, hailing smartphones as the way ahead.

Finnish firm Nokia, the biggest mobile phone company before the advent of Apple's iPhone or Samsung's Galaxy, offloaded its handset division to Microsoft this year after failing to catch the smartphone wave.

But it was probably also the supposedly irreversible switch towards smartphone that has given the old school phone an unexpected boost.

For Damien Douani, an expert on new technologies at FaDa agency, it is simply trendy now to be using the retro phone.

A Motorola StarTac 130 - a model launched in 1998 - and repainted bright orange was recently offered for €180 (£145 or $245). Ironically, the trend is just starting as the telecommunications industry throws such handsets into the recycling bins, hailing smartphones as the way ahead

There is ‘a great sensation of finding an object that we knew during another era - a little like paying for vintage sneakers that we couldn't afford when we were teenagers,’ Mr Douani told AFP.

There is also ‘a logic of counter-culture in reaction to the over-connectedness of today's society, with disconnection being the current trend.’

‘That includes the need to return to what is essential and a basic telephone that is used only for making phone calls and sending SMSes,’ he added.

It is also about ‘being different. Today, everyone has a smartphone that looks just like another, while ten years ago, brands were much more creative.’

French online shop Lekki, which sells a range of vintage, revamped mobile phones, claims simplicity is the way forward.

On the left is a photo from 14 years ago of a Nokia mobile phone which was able to access Internet. On the right is a photo of an Ericsson mobile telephone sporting the slogan of Japan's Sony Corporation, taken in 2001

‘Too many online social networks and an excess of email and applications, have made us slaves to technology in our everyday life,’ it said on its website.

A Motorola StarTac 130 - a model launched in 1998 - and repainted bright orange was recently offered for €180 (£145 or $245), while an Ericsson A2628 with gold coloured keys for at €80 (£65 or $110).

‘We have two types of profiles: the 25 to 35 year-olds attracted by the retro and offbeat side of a telephone that is a little different, and those who are nostalgic for the phone that they used when they were younger,’ said Maxime Chanson, who founded Lekki in 2010.

‘Some use it to complement their smartphone, but others are going for the vintage, tired of the technology race between the phone makers.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2639542/Rise-retro-phone-Trend-app-free-bulky-mobiles-means-1990s-models-fetching-800.html#ixzz32rnztSSw

When hitting 'Find My iPhone' takes you to a thief's doorstep

West Covina, California: After a boozy Saturday night, Sarah Maguire awoke the next morning to find that her iPhone was gone. Her roommate's phone was gone, too. Were they at the bar, she wondered, or in the cab? 
Using the Find My iPhone app on her computer, she found that someone had taken the phones to a home in West Covina, 50 kilometres east of her West Hollywood apartment.
So Maguire, a slight, 26-year-old yoga instructor, did what a growing number of phone theft victims have done: She went to confront the thieves - and, to her surprise, got the phones back.
"When I told my mom what I did, she thought I was crazy," Maguire said.

The emergence of this kind of do-it-yourself justice - an unintended result of the proliferation of GPS tracking apps - has stirred worries among law enforcement officials that people are putting themselves in danger, taking disproportionate risks for the sake of an easily replaced item.
"This is a new phenomenon - it's not simply running after the person to grab the phone," said George Gascon, the San Francisco district attorney and a former police chief. "It opens up the opportunity for people to take the law into their own hands, and they can get themselves into really deep water if they go to a location where they shouldn't go."
"Some have been successful," Gascon said. "Others have gotten hurt."
More than 3 million smartphones were stolen across the United States last year, according to a survey by Consumer Reports.
Victims are often desperate to recover their stolen phones, which, as home to their texts, photos and friends' phone numbers, can feel less like devices than like extensions of their hands.
And although pursuing a thief can occasionally end in triumph, it can also lead to violence, particularly because some people arm themselves - hammers are popular - while hunting for their stolen phones.
A New Jersey man ended up in custody himself after he used GPS technology to track his lost iPhone and attacked the wrong man, mistaking him for the thief.
Commander Andrew Smith, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department, called the trend "a big concern".
"It's just a phone - it's not worth losing your life over," he said. "Let police officers take care of it. We have backup, guns, radio, jackets - all that stuff civilians don't have."
Still, although police departments have devoted more resources to combating smartphone theft, most cannot chase every stolen device right away, especially if the phone was left idly on a bar rather than seized in an armed robbery.
Despite the obvious risks, the lost phone's location - blinking on a GPS app - is a siren song many find too alluring to ignore.
After Nadav Nirenberg lost his iPhone on New Year's Eve in 2012, he realised someone was sending messages from his OkCupid account. He lured the thief to his Brooklyn apartment building by posing as a woman and flirting with him on the dating service.
When the thief arrived with a bottle of wine, expecting to meet "Jennifer", Nirenberg went up behind him, hammer at his side. He slapped a $20 bill on the thief, to mollify him and compensate him for his time and wine, and demanded the phone. The thief handed it over and slunk away.
"I was trying to avoid conflict," Nirenberg said. But he added that, if robbed again, he would go to the police.
Police chiefs have advocated another solution that they say could end smartphone thefts altogether: a mandatory "kill switch" that would render stolen phones inoperable and therefore unattractive to thieves.
"This would all be moot if we had an industrywide kill switch," Gascon said.
After years of pressure, phone makers, including Apple, have begun offering this feature. But a bill that would require a kill switch on all smartphones sold in California has stalled in the state legislature amid opposition from the telecommunications industry.
When Maguire and her roommate called the Los Angeles police, she said, they were told they could go to West Covina themselves and call 911 if they felt threatened. 
Maguire debated for hours before deciding to go after her phone. The house where her phone had been taken was on a quiet residential street, with a well-tended yard and palm trees out front. Inside, she could see children running through the hall - a sign, she hoped, that she was dealing with opportunists, not career criminals.
She knocked on the door. It swung open, revealing a large man, about 30 years old. "I think you have my phone," Maguire said haltingly, as she later recounted the conversation. The man denied this. But she pressed him, insisting that GPS had led her to that address.
The man ducked back inside. The blinds in the living room, which had been open when she arrived, slowly closed.
Finally, he returned with one phone, then - after more negotiation - with the second. Unsure if the danger was over, Maguire sprinted to her car.
Still, when she was asked by text message if she would pursue a future pickpocket, she typed an unequivocal reply on her recovered phone: "Yes, def."
New York Times

Most Mobile get damaged or lost at weekend , check this guide out to help you avoid such disasters.

It's finders-beepers for your lost mobile phones

•  David Frith
• The Australian

 In the space of two weeks recently we managed to lose not one but three mobile phones.

Actually only two handsets were involved: an iPhone and a Samsung Galaxy S4. But sadly we contrived to lose the S4 twice.
Apple, Samsung and Google all offer "find my phone" services that can hopefully locate a missing device on a GPS-style map and, if for some reason it can't be retrieved, lock it or wipe its contents. But, as we discovered, some of these services work better than others.
The first time the S4 went missing we spent several days ransacking the house, being pretty sure we hadn't taken it out. We tried ringing it, but got no answering ringtone: the sound had been turned down for a recent media conference.
We were, alas, unaware of the Android SMS Alarm app that might have solved the problem. SMS Alarm is activated when you send a text message containing a code word to your phone and an alarm should sound even if the ringtone has been silenced.
Our Galaxy did eventually turn up, safe and sound, stuffed into a deep crevice between two sofa cushions, a position it seemed to be sharing with food crumbs and a few dead insects.
The iPhone was next to disappear. Couldn't be found one morning and, as with the S4, couldn't be located by ringing it, since the sound was turned down.
We tried to locate it using Apple's Find My Device software, installed on a desktop iMac. This is linked to iCloud, a service which stores users' mail, contacts, music, photos and other information on Apple's servers and shares them between multiple Apple devices.
It also contains information that will hopefully let it locate a missing iPhone, iPad or even a Mac.
We clicked on that, and it immediately used mapping services to show the location of two iMacs, a MacBook laptop and an iPad (all as it happened just metres away within the house).
But it couldn't locate the missing iPhone, presumably because it was either turned off, or out of battery life.
We were able to use the service to send the iPhone a message, to be displayed on its screen, saying "This iPhone has been lost" and urging the finder to ring our home phone for a reward.
Silence.
We rang our telco, Telstra, and suspended the service, thereby preventing a finder from using the phone to make calls at our expense.
Happy ending: the iPhone did turn up three weeks later, stashed in a hideaway pocket in a rain jacket we rarely use.
Meanwhile the Galaxy S4 had disappeared again. We'd had it the night before at a Sydney restaurant. But it wasn't in any of our clothing the next morning.
Had we ever registered the phone with Samsung's Find My Phone service? We weren't sure, but we gave it a try, anyway, using another Samsung device - a Note II phablet - to locate the missing gadget. Bingo. The phone immediately showed up, pinpointed and blinking brightly on a Google map, several kilometres away in a North Sydney office block we had never visited.
No need to call the cops. It was in fact in the office of our host company from the previous evening. An executive had spotted the phone on the floor of the restaurant and, not knowing whose it was, put it into safe keeping.
DoubleClick and the Galaxy were reunited within the hour. Had it been otherwise we could have used the Samsung app to lock the phone or wipe its contents.
In retrospect we were much more impressed by the Samsung finder system than by Apple's, but to be fair, we hadn't given the latter much chance by apparently having turned the iPhone off.
And if we had written off the iPhone and bought a new one, iCloud would have restored all our settings, contacts, music and email in a trice.
The moral of this story is, whenever you buy a new mobile, whatever the make, the very first thing to do is register it for a find-my-phone service. And if you do turn the ringtone down or off, you'd be wise to restore it later.
Samsung's Find My Phone software has been on all Galaxy models since the S3, but users of other Android-powered mobiles can access similar free software.
There's Android Lost and Locate My Droid, both available on the Google Play Store.
These, like the Apple software, need to be installed in advance. If you haven't installed such software and you lose your Android phone, there's always Plan B, literally.
An app named Plan B can be remotely installed on a lost Android phone from the Play Store. When activated, the app sends an email to the missing device's registered Google account, hopefully with its location.
For finding a mobile simply mislaid somewhere round the house there's also the free Whistle Android Finder: just whistle and your mobile should beep right back. Be warned; some users say all kinds of odd noises or radio music may set the beeper off, and there are also complaints of it sending out expensive premium-rated SMS messages without the user's consent.
BlackBerry has had a find-me service with a remote-wipe feature on its handsets for years, and Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 system, while not a top seller, may be the best of all.
There's no need for WinPhone 8 users to install an app at all: if the mobile goes missing they can access the Windows Phone Web site from any computer to find, lock or erase it.
Apple security, incidentally, will get tighter when the new iOS 7 operating system becomes available later this year.
Currently if someone with a bit of i-knowledge finds an iPhone you've left in a restaurant or on the bus and decides to make use of it, they can simply toggle off the location system in the Settings app.
Under the new system, the location tracker can only be turned off if the user knows and enters your Apple ID. You should be able to locate the phone and lock it. A casual finder will find he or she has simply acquired a natty little paperweight and, hey, there's someone knocking loudly on their door.

Someone call 999! Girl who got stuck trying to rescue her iPhone from down the drain has to be rescued by firemen

As any parent will tell you, teenagers and their phones are not easily parted.
Take 16-year-old Ella Sankey, who dropped her new iPhone down a drain while walking her dog.
Determined to retrieve it, she climbed into the drain – only to find that she couldn’t get out. An amused crowd, including her own mother, gathered to watch her struggle before she was eventually freed by firemen.

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The teenager became caught in the storm drain in an attempt to retrieve her phone, that has since between described as 'ruined'

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Firefighters rescued the girl from the drain near her home less than 10 minutes after receiving the call

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Miss Birchenough was eventually hoisted to safety after he attempt to get her phone went wrong

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Ella-Anne shortly after regaining her freedom. The teenager is completely unhurt but the phone is ruined

Emergency services had to be called and, luckily, it was a quick rescue. Kent Fire and Rescue Service received the call at 7.17pm and by 7.26pm, Miss Birchenough was free.
These photographs, taken by an eye witness, show two firefighters grabbing her arms and hauling her to safety while another watches on.

 

The girl's mother, Joanne Birchenough , 36, dashed to the scene and then dialled 999 and three firefighters turned up to gently pull the red-faced schoolgirl free.
Miss Birchenough, a GCSE student at Astol College, had only had bought the phone two weeks ago on a contract.
She said: 'I was talking to somebody and I went to put my phone in my pocket and it fell down the drain.
'I thought to myself 'I'm not leaving this' and I jumped down to get it.
'I wasn't really even stuck, I just need somebody to help lift me out but my mum got all panicky.
'When they pulled me out I ran straight home and jumped in the bath. I think it was just water but I wasn't taking any chances.

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Ella-Anne Birchenough, 16, managed to squeeze down the small drain on her street in Dover, Kent

'I was just laughing the whole time, I have seen the funny side of it. You just have to laugh along with it.

'There have been a few nasty comments about me being fat which isn't nice but I'm trying not to take it to heart.'

Taxi operative Joanne, who also has an eight-year-old son Ben, said: 'I was really worried. My face went white and I was in a panic.

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Ella-Anne had to hoist off the heavy drain cover to climb down, she said even at the time she saw the funny side

'I was scared she might sink.
'I ran out the house, turned the corner - but as soon as I saw her I burst out laughing.
'I thought 'we are never going to get her out of there' so I called the fire service who got there pretty quickly.
'We are going to have to replace the phone but I'm not too angry. Worst case scenario is she ends up with an old Nokia.
'She is never going to live this down now. We will be bringing it out at her 18th birthday and her wedding.
'But worse things can happen then getting stuck in a drain.'
A firefighter from Dover fire station said: 'She was trying to retrieve her iPhone that she dropped down there. It's very unusual! I hear a few people have taken pictures.'
The drain cover and a pair of red wellies and a towel, understood to belong to the teenager, were next to the drain.
The photos of the incident have been posted on Facebook and Twitter and have since gone viral on the social networking sites.
The girl was not injured but a friend posted on Facebook that the phone was 'ruined'.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2595913/Help-Teenage-girl-gets-stuck-DRAIN-removing-metal-cover-try-retrieve-iPhone-feet.html#ixzz2xrhYysnU
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Nomophobia

Stolen Mobile Phones , Things You Should Know

Stolen mobile phones

Regrettably, the theft of mobile phones is increasing with the rise in mobile phone usage in Australia. So what steps can you take to minimise the risk and inconvenience of having your mobile phone stolen?
The first step can be taken when you buy your mobile phone. Always ensure that you understand your contractual obligations if the phone is stolen. For example, if you signed a two year minimum term contract, you may be required to pay access charges for the remainder of the two years, even though you no longer have your mobile phone.
You may also choose to take out insurance to cover the theft of your mobile phone. You can enquire with your insurance company or your mobile phone supplier as to whether they offer insurance coverage for the theft of your phone. Again, make sure that you understand exactly what is covered by the insurance.
A feature of digital mobile phones is a removable Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card. This SIM card identifies the account holder, in contrast to the mobile handset itself. When a phone is stolen, an unauthorised user may make fraudulent use of it in several ways, including, quickly making calls on the phone before you have had time to report it stolen or, exchanging the SIM card.
Many makes of mobile phones have security features built in by the manufacturer. You should consult your user handbook for information on these features. If your mobile phone has such features as, for example, a Personal Identification Number (PIN) lock, you may wish to consider using it to disable the phone which may prevent an unauthorised user from making calls.
Every digital mobile phone also has a unique International Mobile Equipment Identification (IMEI) number which is like an electronic "fingerprint" for the mobile handset itself. To find out what the IMEI for your phone is, dial *#06#. You should record the identification details for your phone.
When carrying a mobile phone, take the same care that you would with a credit card or any other valuable item. Do not leave the mobile phone unattended in a car or handbag and try to keep it on your person, rather than lying on a restaurant table or shop counter.
If your mobile phone is stolen, you should immediately report the theft to your mobile phone company, so that any future calls are not billed to your account. You should also report the theft to the police. Supplying your IMEI to your mobile phone company and to the police may assist in the recovery and identification of your mobile phone.

Apple refused grieving sons' request to unlock iPad that belonged to cancer victim mother because 'they need dead woman's written consent'

A grieving son has accused Apple of having an 'utter lack of understanding and discretion' after the company refused to unlock his dead mother’s iPad - and asked for written permission from her.
Josh Grant, 26, from London, became the co-executor of his mother Anthea Grant’s will and estate with his brother Patrick when she passed away from breast cancer, aged 59, earlier this year.
He said his mother enjoyed playing games on the iPad after her husband died in 2010 and said she liked its raft of new security measures since updating to iOS7.
However, when the brothers contacted Apple following their mother’s death on January 19, they were told they would need 'written permission' from their mother to access the account.
On his blog, named Mustn’t Grumble, Josh wrote: ‘Unfortunately in her dying days she didn’t think to tell us her Apple ID password. Funnily enough, I think she had bigger things to worry about.
‘Patrick and I were named co-executors of the will and found ourselves responsible for mum’s estate.
'A tiny piece of that estate is her iPad, which my brothers and I agreed could go to Patrick.
‘In order to clear mum’s account from the iPad and set Patrick’s up they have asked for written permission from mum.’
After reiterating to Apple that their mother had passed away, Josh said the tech giant asked to see copies of her death certificate, will and a letter from the family’s solicitor.

However, this was still not enough and the brothers were then told by the US firm to provide a court order to unlock the device, invoking the Electronic Communications Privacy Act.
Josh, who said the court order could cost hundreds of pounds, was left disappointed with the way Apple handled the sensitive issue.
He blogged: ‘I have always been a fan of Apple but this incident has changed my opinion of them completely.
‘Their utter lack of understanding and discretion in a time of great personal sadness has been astonishing. For a company that sells itself on the idea we are all part of one big Apple family, they have been very cold.

'For a company that sells itself on the idea we are all part of one big Apple family, they have been very cold.'
Josh Grant
 

‘Understandably, my brother has given up and we now have a redundant iPad. If anyone has any suggestions for an unusable iPad please do send them in. I’ve suggested illuminated placemat and shiny paperweight.’
Apple said confusion surrounded the iPad because Patrick asked the firm to provide his mother's Apple ID password which can’t be released without a court order.
However, the company said the matter had since been resolved after it was confirmed he actually wanted to use the iPad for himself rather than access Apple ID protected files.
The tech giant said it was then able to turn off the Activation Lock security feature which only requires a copy of the death certificate and a legal document confirming the right to transfer the deceased's property.
The new iOS7 security measures are designed to protect users' online iCloud accounts which can be used to store personal information, documents and photographs.
In iCloud's terms and conditions, Apple warns: ‘You agree that your Account is non-transferable and that any rights to your Apple ID or Content within your Account terminate upon your death.
‘Upon receipt of a copy of a death certificate your Account may be terminated and all Content within your Account deleted.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2574697/Apple-refuses-grieving-sons-request-unlock-cancer-victim-mothers-iPad-tells-need-dead-womans-written-consent.html#ixzz2vE1PlVsA
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Rogue cold callers jailed for £300,000 scam selling fake discounted insurance for mobile phones

A team of con artists who netted £300,000 from a cold-calling scam selling 'worthless' mobile phone insurance are facing lengthy jail terms after police installed hidden cameras and microphones in their office.
Workers at the bogus call centre in Swansea tricked around 3,000 mobile phone users across the country in the eleborate scam.
They targetted people who had just bought phones from Phones 4U and Carphone Warehouse as one of the gang had worked for both companies which meant he had 'insider information' about how the system worked. 

They pretended to be from phone giants O2 and Orange - and claimed to offer their customers discounted insurance packages. But a court heard they were not authorised to sell the policies which were worthless.

 

Prosecutor David Elias said: 'Around 3,000 people across Britain were conned in the fraud.

'It contributed to the erosion of confidence in the industry by members of the public.'

The team, based in Swansea, were monitored by police who installed hidden microphones and cameras to take hundreds of hours of footage over two months.

Craig Pitman,  received a suspended sentence for his part in the £300,000 scam while Wayne Ghosh, who was said to have played a leading role was handed a three-and-a-half year sentence

Swansea Crown Court heard how they told customers they were saving money when they paid a one-off sum of £105 to swap their legitimate phone insurance for worthless ones.

Three members of the team admitted conspiracy to defraud, another four admitted selling insurance when unauthorised to do so.

Christopher Surman, of Sketty, Swansea, who was described as the major player, received a four year sentence.

Andrew Patterson, of Swansea, had 'inside knowledge' from working at Phones 4U and Carphone Warehouse. He was given three and a half years in jail.
Wayne Ghosh and Omar Mapara of Bristol, who were said to have played a leading roles in the scam, were sentenced to three and a half years and three years respectively.
Managers Helen Lewis and Craig Odger and Craig Pitman all admitted a charge of selling contracts of insurance which they were not authorised to do and were were handed suspended sentences.
Detective Inspector Dave Runnalls of the South Wales Police Economic Crime Unit said: 'This large-scale investigation into the fraudulent sale of mobile telephone insurance from a Swansea premises identified victims throughout the United Kingdom.
'It has been a long and complex criminal investigation over several years conducted by the South Wales Police Economic Crime Unit and the guilty pleas reflect the overwhelming amount of evidence gathered against the individuals concerned.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2564909/Rogue-cold-callers-jailed-300-000-scam-selling-fake-discounted-insurance-mobile-phones.html#ixzz2uBdY73f8

Down the toilet, dropped - most popular ways Australians break their phones .....thats why you should insure with PHONEINSURE

WE'RE a clumsy bunch us Aussies. Also a bit naughty it seems, too, as revealed in a recent survey showing how we break our phones and our habits of using our phone in bed.
One in ten Australians have used their mobile phone while having sex to either text, go on social media or take a call from their boss, family or friend, with 20% of these people in the 25 to 34 age group, according to research released by Yatango, an Australian mobile phone retailer.
Andy Taylor, Yatango CEO said: "Is romance dying in Australia? In the lead up to Valentine's Day, [we're] calling on people to take an amnesty from using their phones during intimate moments."
Disturbingly perhaps and according to the research, 45% of those people took a call from a family member and 36% from a friend or colleague - proving that in a 24/7 world, no time is off limits.
In the past two years, over 30% of people have lost or broken their mobile phone one or more times, in various ways, including:
•Falling out of a bag or pocket (46%)
•Dropping it down the toilet (13%)
•Losing it while drunk (13%)
•Sat on it (10%)
•Left it in a cab or at the pub (9%)
•Dropping it in a drink (7%)
•Smashing their phone on purpose (2%)

These Insurance Claims For Lost Phones are Hilarious

A builder in his 30s from Stockport reported his phone as lost, but later called to withdraw the phone after a customer got in touch with his firm to say that they’d heard a phone ringing inside the wall of their new extension. He’d left it inside the wall cavity and the customer was kind enough to let him remove the phone and patch the wall up.

A farmer in his 50s found his mobile phone embedded in the edge of a hay bale. Despite being somewhat damaged, the handset still worked.

A 19 year old woman from Birmingham  that lost her phone she’d earlier reported had actually turned up in her fridge, next to the milk on the middle shelf.

A man in his 50s from York, who happened to be a keen gardener, found his mobile phone that he’d originally reported as ‘lost’ beneath the soil in one of the flower beds in his front garden. The phone was undamaged, if a little dirty.

A man in his early 30s found his ‘lost’ mobile phone in the corner of his young son’s hamster cage, beneath the sawdust and explained that his son must have put it there without him noticing. It turned up when he went to clean out the cage.

A man in his 20s found his iPhone under the bonnet of his car, realising that he must have left it there when he was topping up his screen wash. Despite driving around for days afterwards, the phone remained in place under the hood of the car and didn’t fall out onto the road.

A lady in her 30s from Cambridge who had reported her phone as lost later withdrew the claim, after she received a message on her landline from her local library to say that they had discovered the phone sandwiched between two books in the non-fiction section.

A woman in Plymouth found her ‘lost’ mobile phone 1 week after first reporting it, when she went back to her local petrol station to fill up her car. The handset was sat on top of the fuel pump, exactly where she’d left it without realising, tucked behind a promotional leaflet.

A 40 year old man from Liverpool didn’t realise that his lost phone was actually inside his toilet cistern, until he lifted it off to drop a cistern cleaning block inside and seeing it submerged in water. He didn’t know how it had got there and the phone was water damaged.

An undertaker from London reported his phone as lost, but called the next day to withdraw the claim after finding it inside a coffin, next to a body that was due to be buried shortly afterwards.

Mobile phone crime soars

Mobile phone thefts surged last year with more than 700,000 handsets stolen, a Home Office report revealed today.

The study estimated that the overall number of stolen mobiles was more than double the 330,000 figure officially recorded by police.
And the research showed that children under 15 were the most common targets with up to half a million young people aged between 11 and 15 falling victim to phone theft.
The report comes days after a 19-year-old woman was shot in the head by a mugger in Walthamstow, east London, who was trying to steal her mobile phone.
Today's study added that the typical phone robbers were boys aged 14 to 17, and in five out of seven areas studied the most likely offender was black.
In London seven out of 10 suspected mobile phone robbers was black, while in Birmingham 54% were black and 34% Asian. In Stockport, 76% of suspects were white.
The figures will back a tough Government warning to mobile phone companies to beef up security.
There were an estimated 26,300 mobile phone robberies last year, up five-fold on 1998-99 figures, the study showed.
Overall, mobile phone theft has risen 190% since 1995.
Ministers will be infuriated by the industry's refusal to act when their products are fuelling a steep rise in robberies, thus damaging the Government's record on crime.
Today's research suggests that were it not for mobile phones, street robberies could have levelled off in the last two years.
The Home Office has spent a year trying to persuade the industry to install equipment which allows stolen mobiles to be immobilised.
A Home Office spokesman today named BT Cellnet and Vodafone as the two networks which have failed to agree the new measures, which officials believe could instantly slash the number of robberies and thefts involving phones.
They want companies to introduce measures which allow accounts to be cut off when customers pass on the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number of stolen handsets.
"We are focusing on the IMEI, which is a number that is already programmed into every phone," said a Home Office spokesman.
"Three of the networks, Virgin, One to One and Orange, can already immobilise phones if they are given the number, effectively making it useless.
"BT Cellnet and Vodafone can't do that and are refusing to put the technology in place.
"They are saying it is not worth their while because the next generation of phones are coming along in a couple of years and their customers are not demanding it.
"We think everyone in the industry needs to play their part in preventing their customers becoming victims of crime."
Ministers are still considering whether to make legislation which will force the networks to introduce the anti-theft measures, but the spokesman said new laws would be "a last resort".
Today's report said mobile phone robbery was mainly carried out by male teenagers on other boys their age, and is mainly a black-on-white crime.
Inmates at Feltham young offenders' institution in west London who were interviewed by researchers claimed they regarded choosing women targets as "out of order".
They also said the sell-on value of the new handset was more important than free calls, with each phone reaching between £10 and £60.
The inmates dismissed the idea of "text bombing" stolen phones with endless text messages - as piloted in the Netherlands to deter thieves - explaining that they would simply steal another and count on police not being able to keep up.
Mobile phone thefts are an increasing problem for police in London and are targeted in more than a third of robberies in the capital, where officers have advised people not to make calls in the street.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ian Blair last week said mobile phone robberies in particular were causing grave concern.
Latest figures show a 35% increase in general street crime in London and a 53% rise in robberies at gunpoint, he said.
Ten children were robbed of their mobile phones last Thursday after a trip to see The Lord of the Rings at a cinema in Surrey Quays, south-east London.
The boys and girls aged 10 to 13 were set upon by a group of up to 40 older youths, who threatened the youngsters and then searched them before making off with four mobile phones and their pocket money.
Home Office minister John Denham today visited sixth formers at St Olave's school in Southwark, south-east London, to discuss their experiences of phone-related crime.
"Mobile phones can be an important tool in keeping children safe, but they can also expose young people to the risk of robbery," said the minister.
"It is very important that young people use their phones responsibly and avoid making themselves targets for phone thieves.
"All the pointers suggest that mobile phone thefts are driving the robbery figures upwards and making the increase in robbery greater than it would otherwise be."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-93597/Mobile-phone-crime-soars.html#ixzz2pC07455Q