laptop in its 'connected' range - an Asus complete with dongle for just GB£25 per month.Details of these announcements are provided below.

Orange and RIM Launch Blackberry Bold smartphone in the UK

London, UK  Aug. 14, 2008 -– Orange and Research In Motion (RIM) are pleased to launch the new BlackBerry® Bold™ smartphone for Orange customers in the UK market.

The BlackBerry Bold is the first BlackBerry® smartphone to support high-speed 3G and 3G+ HSDPA networks for fast Internet access and browsing on Orange World. It also comes with integrated GPS and Wi-Fi®, as well as a rich set of communications and multimedia capabilities. Featuring a stunning half-VGA display, sophisticated and intuitive user interface and newly designed, precision QWERTY keyboard, together with a lustrous black exterior, satin chrome finished frame and stylish leatherette backplate, the BlackBerry Bold is a ‘must have’ for business professionals and power users.

Francois Mahieu, Director of Devices, Orange UK, said “It’s great that Orange is able to work closely with RIM to bring this fantastic smartphone to both business and consumer users in the UK.”

“The BlackBerry Bold smartphone delivers an amazing combination of functionality, performance, usability and design and we are proud to bring it to Orange customers in the UK,” said Mark Guibert, Vice President of Corporate Marketing, RIM.

Through its integrated GPS with SatNav from Orange* the BlackBerry Bold smartphone can pinpoint its exact location and provide accurate directions to get users where they want to go. The BlackBerry Bold also supports SatNav with its improved rendering capabilities and faster download speeds; and with the ability to support voice and data applications simultaneously, the smartphone even allows users to navigate while on a call.

The Blackberry Bold will be available to both business customers and consumers from August 16 through Orange channels. The Bold will be free on Orange contracts from £40.

Orange's First Connected Laptop Offer in Orange Shops from August 16

London, UK  Aug. 15, 2008 -- Orange today announced that the first laptop in its ‘connected’ range will be available from tomorrow, August 16. The move follows June’s strategic announcement in which the company pledged to “evolve” the communications market by offering new ways for customers to connect with the people and things that matter most to them.

Available from Orange shops, consumers will be able to purchase a package consisting of Orange’s 'Internet Everywhere' mobile broadband service and dongle and an Asus laptop for just £25 a month. The Asus laptop offers the ultimate portable experience with its 8.9" compact design and weighing just 0.99kg allowing consumers to walk out of store and connect to the Internet. The offer will also be available via telesales and the Orange web site at www.orange.co.uk/shop. 

Francois Mahieu, Director of Devices, Orange UK said: "It is Orange's aim to be at the forefront of serving today's 21st century customers, so we’re pleased to bring to market our first connected laptop offer with Asus. This launch is just the start, over time we will be expanding our offering even further with more suppliers who are at the forefront of laptop technology.”

With the largest integrated mobile data network in the UK, this is the first package in Orange’s connected laptop product line, with the company planning to evolve its offering over time to include fixed line broadband and an increased laptop range.

Consumer Proposition

Price: £25 per month

Laptop: ASUS Eee PC 900 16G

USB Modem: Option ICON 225

Internet Everywhere tariff:

- UK data allowance 3GB UK

- UK 100 texts from laptop

- 24 month contract

Information Source:    Orange UK

Images courtesy of Orange UK