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EE has unveiled two of its own smartphones and portable Wi-Fi devices, while Carphone Warehouse is planning to launch its own mobile network.
Both of EE’s smartphones and Wi-Fi devices will also be targeting the small business, corporate and public sectors.
EE’s Harrier smartphone (out April 28th) is built on Android Lollipop, and boasts an Octa Core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. It has a HD 5.2-inch display plus CAT 4 chipset technology that allows users to access EE’s 4G double speed network, offering speeds of up to 60Mbps.
The Harrier Mini smartphone contains much of the same, except it has a 1.2GHz Quad Core processor, and a 4.7-inch HD display.
EE claims that the Harrier Mini is the most affordable smartphone in the UK, priced at £99.99 on pay-as-you-go and free on 4GEE plans from £16.99 a month. The Harrier will cost £199.99 on pay-as-you-go and free from £21.99 per month.
Two 4G Wi-Fi devices from EE have also been announced, both of which will be available in May. The Osprey 2 and Osprey 2 Mini will arrive in early May, providing customers with 4G mobile internet hotspots, allowing ten devices to connect at any one time.
They are able to stream more than 15 hours of uninterrupted video thanks to the 5,150mAh capacity battery.
The Osprey 2 will be available free on pay monthly plans from £15 including 3GB of data, or £69.99 on pay as you go including 6GB of data. The Osprey 2 Mini is available for free on pay monthly plans from £15 including 3GB of data, or £49.99 on pay as you go including 6GB data.
Carphone Warehouse, on the other hand, is stepping into EE’s territory by announcing plans to launch a mobile network, reports the Telegraph.
The network (which will be called iD) will launch in May, billed as "the best value 4G available on the UK market".
It will offer access to free data roaming, promise more flexible contracts and offer controlled and capped plans, to try and help customers avoid “bill shock”.
The first offer from iD will be with the Samsung A3, available on a 12-month 4G plan with 300 minutes, 5,000 texts and 1GB of data for £19.50.
Graham Stapleton, UK CEO at Carphone Warehouse, said: "People want greater flexibility from their plans and are fed up with the ‘one size fits all’ approach.
"We are also a generation obsessed with the mobile internet and accessing data and services on the move – things people are either paying too much for or just aren’t getting. Addressing these challenges forms the basis of the first wave of plans from iD.”
