Company News - Pages 4-5
Industry News - Page 7
Retail Achievements - Page 17
Product Showroom
Stay up to date
Who's doing what
ISSUE 8
Product Guru
Get the low-down on the latest accessories
Pages 14-15
Store of the Quarter Find out who won
Page 23
Competition
Reviews
Promotions
Win a Huawei Ascend P6
Latest Smartphones
What's happening in-store
Page 18
Pages 10-13
Pages 19& 21
experience the best of Sony in a smartphone
The sleek and durable Xperia™ Z brings together Sony’s expertise in design, technology and innovation. When you’re out and about, the 13MP camera takes crystal clear pictures, even in low light. And spilt drinks or sudden downpours aren’t a problem, as the Xperia™ Z is water resistant to a metre.
BE MOVED
sonymobile.com
Available in black, white and purple.
In compliance with IP55 and IP57, Xperia Z is protected against the ingress of dust and is water resistant. Provided that all ports and covers are firmly closed, the phone is (i) protected against low pressure jets of water from all
practicable Page 2 directions in compliance with IP 55; and/or (ii) can be kept under 1 meter of freshwater for up to 30 minutes in compliance with IP 57. Icons are for illustrative purposes only. Sony and “make.believe” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Corporation. Google Chrome and Google Play are trademarks of Google Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. © 2013 Sony Mobile Communications AB.”
Contents Hi Everyone, Welcome to another exciting edition of the Fónua Magazine. The last couple of months have been hectic in Fónua with our new office move taking place in June; it only feels like we are now getting back to normal! This issue, as always, is jam packed with the latest news, reviews and products, we guarantee you will find lots to keep you entertained! Within our new head office we now have an amazing state of the art product room, in this issue you will get a brief introduction and also some shots of the cutting edge room! In this edition, we review the newest handsets to market and recommend some perfect partners. To find out how to be in with a chance of winning one of these handsets flick to page 18! Our product guru has been very busy
lately reviewing the ultimate in handset protection and our new connect at home range, check out what she has to say on page 14 & 15. Our retail executive team have been out and about with you guys in store, see if you can spot yourself in one of our pictures! That’s all for this issue, but make sure to watch out for the next one as it will be our very exciting Bumper Christmas Issue!! Until then, hope you enjoy reading!
Warmest Regards, Edel Ronan Marketing Executive
Summary Fónua News
Pages 4-5
Industry News
Page 7
Customer Portal Update
Pages 8-9
Review Galaxy S4 Mini
Page 10
Review HTC One
Page 11
Review Huawei Ascend P6 Page 13 Product Guru
Pages 14-15
Fonua Social
Page 16
Retail Achievements
Page 17
Competition
Page 18
Plantronics Promo
Page 19
Accessory Focus
Page 20
Sony Promo
Page 21
2013 Tradeshows so far
Page 22
Store of the Quarter
Page 23
Congratulations Western Cellular, Tuam Road Page 23
Retail Achievements Page 17 New Products Reviewed Pages 10-13 Congratulations to our previous issue contest winner Page 18
HTC One
Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini
Huawei Ascend P6
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F贸nua News As you may already know we recently moved into our new head office facility within the South County Business Park, Leopardstown. Here we have created a state of the art product showroom in order to showcase our product offering and brand partners. Here we feature everything from the latest handsets, tablets, CE offering, mobile accessories, audio, connect at home range and our new interactive solutions. This room allows us to bring technology to life and will be used for everything from training days, customer events, range reviews, demo days, retail focus groups and plenty of other customer and supplier engagement opportunities.
We are delighted to be able to share with you some pictures of our cutting edge showroom!
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F贸nfix offer a wide range of services including: Handset and tablet repair Reverse solutions Management of trade-in schemes Handset refurbishment
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Industry News Mobile Phone Theft
Almost half a million euro worth of mobile phones have been stolen in Dublin's city centre so far this year. Gardai in the capital's two central stations have recorded 1,066 stolen smartphones in the first quarter of 2013, with the average handset worth an estimated €403. It has been reported that most phone thefts occur in bars, restaurants and nightclubs when people are socialising, and also during the busy commuter times. The public have been advised to be conscious of their surroundings and also to be aware of the need for personal safety when using a mobile phone in public. Gardai at Dublin's Pearse Street and Store Street stations believe a total of €430,068 worth of smartphones have been snatched within the first quarter of 2013.
UK / Ireland 4G launch
Despite Ireland awarding 4G licences to the various mobile operators last November, it is being surpassed by the UK which, although awarding its licences to operators in February, saw operators Vodafone and O2 go live with their 4G networks in the UK at
the end of August. It is understood that the first 4G services in Ireland from Meteor and eMobile are due to go live in the coming weeks. The danger is that Ireland could very much find itself being one of the last countries in Europe to switch on 4G networks, despite a lucrative spectrum licensing auction that saw Ireland’s four main mobile operators fork out €850m for wireless spectrum licences to roll out 4G mobile networks across Ireland. When the networks eventually go live they won’t be ubiquitous – the licences cover only 70pc of the population, which means cities and large towns. The upshot, however, is that former areas that only had 2G coverage will be able to enjoy 3G speeds, meaning some form of broadband will theoretically be available across most of the country.
Samsung to release tab for kids
Samsung are planning to launch a tablet specifically for children – the Galaxy Tab 3 Kids. The tablet will be powered by a 1.2GHz processor and runs the Android 4.1 operating system. It will have a seven inch screen, three megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front camera and 8GB of internal memory that can be expanded by 32GB with a microSD card. The device will come pre-loaded with plenty of educational tools and the ability for parents to control when their child can use the device. Samsung CEO and head of IT and mobile communications JK Shin said: “It’s no secret that kids are using technology more than ever before. We saw an opportunity
to create a device just for kids that provides them with an intuitive, fun and kid-friendly user experience filled with rich, interactive and educational content that parents will love.”
HTC & Robert Downey JR
Robert Downey JR has recently signed a two year agreement to head-up HTCs new marketing campaign. HTC is beginning a major
marketing campaign to help create a more “playful” identity, the firm has partnered up with the Iron Man star to head up the new campaign, which recently aired on YouTube. Ads, which are part of HTC’s $1 billion marketing spend for 2013, will include Downey Jnr offering a number of unique interpretations of the HTC acronym while others will include hairy green trolls. The ad’s will end with the new HTC slogan, ‘Here’s to Change’, replacing its previous ‘Quietly Brilliant.’ HTC insist the inclusion of Downey Jnr is not a “normal endorsement”, with the actor having had “significant” input in the creation of the ads. HTC CMO Ben Ho states “With this campaign, we are affirming what HTC’s role is in the mobile market which is to define change and to lead the industry in developing the newest and most innovative technologies.” Page 7
Customer Portal Update In previous editions we have communicated the development of our web based Customer Portal with the aim of providing you with direct online access to all of our services. To date we have rolled out Phase 1 which provides you with access to: Stock visibility Product information An online ordering facility - Easy & quick reorder facility - Faster order creation - Ability to create draft orders - Enhanced security for order creation Order tracking Copy invoice facility We are now delighted to inform you that we have completed development of Phase 2 and we plan to commence the roll out over the coming weeks. This development will see the introduction of the Returns / DOA Logging & Status Check facility and the long overdue retirement of our old store website. This is yet another exciting step in our on-going efforts to provide you with a ‘Best in Class’ service and it will move us even closer to a single Customer Portal where you will be able to access all aspects of our service. Future phases will see the integration of our Repair and Trade-In facilities, but we won’t be stopping there so watch this space. We will be contacting you soon to chat to you about this exciting new facility but in the meantime take a look at some images of the new facility on the page opposite.
We’re sure you will agree that this is a really positive development in our service offering and it can only result in a better customer experience for you! Page 8
Logging a return
Check return status
Unlock pattern function
Page 9
Review: Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini
Mini Flagship: The best bits of the flagship handset ‘Galaxy S4’ have been squeezed down to form the S4 Mini
Camera:
8 megapixel camera and excellent battery life
Powerhouse: 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage with expandable storage via MicroSD card slot
Xqisit Flex Case
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Genuine Folio Case
Screen Protector
PERFECT PARTNER
PERFECT PARTNER
PERFECT PARTNER
FOR GALAXY S4 MINI
FOR GALAXY S4 MINI
FOR GALAXY S4 MINI
Review: HTC One Outstanding Display: 4.7 inch, Full HD 1080p, 468 PPI
Beautiful build with a
sleek aluminium design
Studio-Quality Sound:
Beats Audio and dual frontal stereo speakers with built-in amplifiers
Genuine In-Car Holder
PERFECT PARTNER FOR HTC ONE
Otterbox Commuter Series
Zagg Invisible Shield Screen Protector
PERFECT PARTNER
PERFECT PARTNER
FOR HTC ONE
FOR HTC ONE
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Drive connected Parrot ASTEROID: The first range of all in one car kit systems: Hands-free, Music playback, Navigation, Internet + Apps
• Satellite Navigation • Hands-free telephony system with advanced voice recognition • Voice activated music search • Digital Radio ready* • Music streaming with Spotify and Deezer • A range of essential applications to enhance your car journey
Download your favorite Apps on the ASTEROID Market: www.parrotasteroid.com/asteroidmarket
Contact Fonua for more information and product demonstration * Internet radio - requires a web connection via a Smartphone or 3G/4G Dongle Parrot trademarks figuring on this document are the property of Parrot SA. Other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. Parrot SA - RCS PARIS 394 149 496.
w w w. p a r r o t . c o m
Review: Huawei Ascend P6 Razor Thin: at just 6.18mm in depth the P6 is one of the slimmest smartphone we've ever seen
Design: A sleek but sturdy design incorporating a 4.7-inch touchscreen protected behind Gorilla Glass
Performance: ADRX battery optimisation and power saving technology that can improve battery performance by 30%
Belkin Micro USB to HDMI cable
KSix Roma Universal Pouch
Sandisk MicroSD 32GB memory card
PERFECT PARTNER PERFECT PARTNER FOR HUAWEI ASCEND P6
FOR HUAWEI ASCEND P6
PERFECT PARTNER FOR HUAWEI ASCEND P6
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Product Guru Gadget Saver It goes without saying that we all rely heavily on our handsets and other electronic devices, and up until now our precious devices were threatened with near extinction by so much as a slip into a puddle. This is no longer the case thanks to Gadget Saver. My first-hand experience with Gadget Saver came after a very wet and muddy concert in the Phoenix Park when I dropped my phone into a puddle. Having precious photos and music saved on the phone I was desperate to find a solution. In work on Monday I decided to test out the Gadget Saver, I was delighted to see that my phone could be rescued for up to five days after the damage
had been cause. I followed the instructions leaving my phone in the Gadget Saver bag for 8 hours, followed by fully charging the device plus an additional four hours. After a nervous night of charging I was delighted to wake up to a fully functioning phone the next day. While I don’t recommend or encourage dropping your phone into a pool of water, it’s comforting to know that a Gadget Saver can save the day! Aside from relying on the Gadget Saver, why not invest in either of the below highly resistant cases. Assured to keep your handset waterproof and protected from all the elements.
Ultimate Protection: Lifeproof VS Otterbox Armor Lifeproof Case
Otterbox Armor Case
A case for all occasions, from everyday life, snowboarding, rock climbing or surfing - this iPhone case is designed to take all the punishment your adventurous life can dish out. • Thin case design - only adds 0.15cm to the sides of device • Waterproof up to 2 meters • Shock proof up to 2 meters • Zero dust & airtight • Military standard tested • More aesthetically pleasing than the Otterbox Armor
This case definitely lives up to it’s description as being the ‘toughest case ever built’. The perfect case for anyone who deals in heavy duty activities or needs total protection, without sacrificing any functionality! • Device becomes 0.64cm taller, 0.66cm wider, and 0.4cm thicker • Waterproof up to 2 meters • Shock proof up to 3 meters • Zero dust & airtight • Military standard tested • Crush proof - up to 2 tonnes • More expensive than the Lifeproof
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Product Guru Connect at Home Belkin Wemo Switch & Sensor The Wemo Switch and Sensor is a great gadget for the home. This device allows you to automatically turn on and off power in many areas of your house via the Wemo app. Anything with a 3 pin plug is directly controllable, meaning everything from portable heaters, hair straighteners, the kettle or the iron can be heating up all before your even get out of bed in the morning. Wemo Switch & Sensor can also be paired up with lamps meaning you never have to worry about stubbing your toe in the darkness again!
Belkin Wemo Net Cam The Wemo Net Cam is effectively the wireless alternative to home security. The applications for this little camera are positively endless. Whether you just want to check-in on your kids, make sure that there is no suspicious activity around your house or see if anything has changed in an elderly relative’s home then Wemo Net Cam is the appcessory for you. The Wemo net cam keeps you in the know about what happens in your home whilst you’re away at work or on holidays, by simply logging in through the app or over the internet. The app allows you to live stream and record footage, what’s more the camera is fitted with night vision capabilities affirming this product as the perfect home security partner.
Epsom AirPrint/Wifi Printer XP-405 The Epsom XP-405 is the printer for the new generation. It allows users to print high quality pictures directly from their smartphone or tablet. Despite it’s compact nature this little printer loses none of the functionality of a larger printer as it still supports printing, copying and scanning. It’s designed for those who have limited space and don’t want the hassle of having to fiddle constantly with annoying cables. What’s more, this printer can be accessed remotely though Wi-Fi, meaning anyone working off-site still has access. The XP-405 is a welcome addition to any small office or home.
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Fónua Social Launch Our retail executive team recently visited all stores with little bundles of crème eggs for staff to enjoy while working. Our promotion coincided with the launch of our Facebook page ‘Fónua Social’. Fónua Social was set up so that store staff can communicate directly with Fónua and the retail executive team. The page features lots of different content including: industry news, new product launches, training videos and much more! The promotion went down very well and the stores were delighted with the little treats!
Like us today to keep up to date!
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Retail Achievements
Well done!
Well done!
To the guys in Vodafone Athlone, they recently won the Vodafone store of the quarter award!
To the guys in Carphone Warehouse Portlaoise, who recently won the CPW store of the year award!
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Jayd Adio from Carphone Warehouse Edenderry who recently became a dad to baby Kalvin!
It’s a boy..
Congratulations to Laura Kinsella in Carphone Warehouse Portlaoise who recently had a baby boy, Tiernan!
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Competition
Win a Huawei Ascend P6 The HUAWEI Ascend P6 is the embodiment of elegance with an edge. The device is ultra slim at 6.18mm and weighs just 120g. While it is small enough to slip into the tiniest of pockets or clutch bags, the stylish HUAWEI Ascend P6 is designed to be seen and coveted! It features a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, Android 4.2.2 operating system, 2000mAh battery, 4.7-inch HD in-cell LCD screen technology, 8MP camera and ‘MagicTouch’ for enhanced screen responsiveness even when wearing gloves. As the flagship smartphone of the Huawei Ascend P series, the HUAWEI Ascend P6 embodies a cutting edge design for the fashion conscious. The smartphone’s brushed metallic look with a naturally curved base is both elegant and intuitive. Impossibly beautiful, the Ascend P6 balances fashionable features and user-friendly functions.
Huawei and Fónua have teamed up to offer two lucky readers the chance to win a Huawei Ascend P6. Simply answer the following question: Q: T rue or False – The Huawei Ascend P6 has an 8MP camera Email your answers to editor@fonua.com
Nokia Lumia 520 Winners
Congratulations Fern Wedlock (right) from Carphone Warehouse, Monaghan and Denise Murphy (left) from The Phone Stores, Mitchelstown – both ladies won a Nokia Lumia 820 from our previous competition!
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Plantronics Promotion Plantronics Brand Blitz
Our retail executives recently commenced a Plantronics brand blitz, sharing their Plantronics knowledge and providing product training and demonstrations within the retail stores. The promotion was a great success and the executives got some really great feedback around the Plantronics product range!
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Accessory Focus Samsung Galaxy S4 Genuine Accessories
1. Samsung Galaxy S4 View Case View selected information from the screen of your Galaxy S4 while it's still protected behind the cover.
3. Samsung Wireless Charging Kit
2. Samsung Galaxy S4 S-Band
For wireless charging use this back cover in place of your battery and start charging wirelessly on a charging base. No cables, and no extra weight.
The band allows you to record your steps, calories burned, distance and sleep efficiency. With the 10m waterproof design you can wear it anywhere, anytime.
4. Samsung Heart-Rate Monitor Great for runners and sport enthusiasts who want to fully record their heart rate in realtime and wire the statistics to the Galaxy S4. The perfect partner for health devotees!
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5. Samsung Galaxy S4 HD TV Adaptor Connect your Galaxy S4 with any standard HDMI video cable so you can share and enjoy what’s on your S4's screen with any other HDMI enabled visual equipment.
Sony Promotion Sony Brand Blitz Our retail executives were busy causing tidal waves with the recent Sony Brand blitz. Using the Sony Xperia flagship devices, our team touched base with the retail stores to demonstrate just what was so special about the newest Sony portfolio. The campaign was a huge success, here are some images of you guys during the recent promotion.
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2013 Tradeshows so far
2013 so far proved to be very exciting in the Mobile Trade Show calendar with the Mobile World Congress and CeBit Tradeshow. The Fónua product department were of course in attendance at both! This year’s Mobile World Congress, was hosted once again in Barcelona at the outstanding Fira Gran Via. More than 72,000 people from 200 countries attended and were treated to a show nothing short of technologically spectacular. For me, Barcelona was all about the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 and Samsung’s presence at Mobile World Congress this year was considerable. It was hard not to be bowled over by the South Korean technology giants and their enormous main stand showcasing their new hero “phablet”. If you ever thought people looked ridiculous using something as large as a Galaxy Note II as a phone, just wait until someone walks past you with a Galaxy Note 8.0 at their ear. Why Samsung decided to include an ear-speaker on a device of this size is
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beyond me! But what a device it is, I will definitely be adding the Note 8.0 to my Christmas wish-list for 2013! CeBit on the other hand was more about discovering new and exciting accessory vendors. For five days, more than 4,000 companies from over 70 countries showcased the latest innovations from the high-tech sector in Hannover, Germany. Apart from established European companies, CeBit 2013 also attracted exhibitors from other continents. China had a massive presence along with Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the US who were all showcasing previously undiscovered innovative companies and brands. Highlights of the show for me were: - iShieldz Scratch Proof Dryseal Screen Protectors : What sets these premium screen protectors apart from its competitors is the patented application tray & roller which auto aligns the screen protector to your phone for a precision installation, something even the most seasoned screen protector users can struggle with. Manufactured in the US from the same material used by the military to protect helicopter rotor blades, iShieldz is tough enough to defend your Smartphone against all sorts of scrapes and scratches. - NFC Portable Speakers: Say hello to NFC (near field communication)
technology, the quickest, simplest and hassle free way to connect your handset to a speaker device. With the launch of so many NFC enabled hero handsets by top manufacturers this year, there was no end to the number of vendors showcasing these amazing speakers. For those of us who perhaps struggle at times with Bluetooth speakers, NFC technology now allows users to share their sounds with just one touch. Simply tap your phone off the speaker and hey presto, you’re connected! - Trexta “taking accessories to a new level”: I was really impressed with this brand at Cebit. Based in Turkey, Trextra’s accessory range covers Apple, Blackberry, HTC and Samsung products in beautifully designed protective cases manufactured from premium leathers, fabrics, metals, wood & plastic. They also are the producers of the exclusive Orla Kiely range currently on sale in O2. Each case comes with a Lifetime Limited Warranty and the plastic casing around each cover is unbreakable (the reps from Trexta were more than happy to prove this by jumping up & down on several cases at the show!) All in all we found lots of really interesting and innovative products at the tradeshows and came across some very exciting new suppliers!
Store of the Quarter Congratulations Western Cellular, Tuam Road Hi Fónua, I would like to nominate Western Cellular, Tuam Road for your ‘Store of the Quarter’award. All the staff have put a massive effort in over the past 3 months and thanks to their hard work we have seen a big increase in accessory sales over the quarter! The staff have become experts in attaching accessory sales with phone sales. King Regards, Ollie
If you would like to see your store receive the award next quarter please send in your nomination. Winners are chosen on the nomination supplied so please include as much information as possible. Please send the nomination to editor@fonua.com
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SamsungMobileIreland