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A study by leading independent UK mobile pricing analyst Pure Pricing yesterday revealed that 3 of the UK's new Business tariffs top all of their business Monthly Indicators. The 3 Business packages take number one position in all six user scenarios, which are designed to independently analyse operator offerings to businesses.

Additionally, the research shows that for the first time ever the new Business Mix and Match tariffs allow people making 400 monthly minutes of calls to pay less for 18 months of use than for 12. The lowest cost for a user making 400 minutes of calls per month on a 12 month contract is GBP306 on 3 Business 600; however, on an 18 month 3 Business Mix & Match 300 contract the total cost is GBP230, a 25% cost saving.

3's new Business Mix and Match tariffs also mean that an individual using 400 minutes per month over a 24 month life can save GBP205, or 40%, on the nearest competitor.

The Pure Pricing Monthly Indicator research is calculated for six different business user scenarios which vary the number of users on the account, total usage and the customer life. The research takes into account a single person using 400 minutes per month and five people using 2000 minutes.

Jo Lynch, director of Pure Pricing said, "Our Monthly Indicators try to provide as independent as possible overview of the market, allowing for a simple breakdown of what each operator is offering UK consumers. Recently we have seen an increase in pricing activity from the UK operators within the business segment, which is generally leading to both increased value and price reductions for small businesses. 3's new business tariffs are a good example of this."

MVNO Virgin Mobile will start offering a new $79.99 unlimited voice plan on July 1st. The new plan requires no annual contract and can be paid for with cash, credit, or a debit card. Unlimited messaging can be added to the mix for an additional $10 per month. As a virtual network, Virgin Mobile runs atop of Sprint's network. Sprint also offers its own branded $89.99 unlimited text and voice plan, though only with a contract.

Yesterday Palm announced that it is offering its own unlocked version of the GSM Palm Centro direct to consumers. The new Centro will be white with gray accents and will sell for US$299. Palm also announced that a new version of Google Maps is available for the Centro platform. This update to Google Maps includes the popular My Location functionality seen on most other version of the mapping software.

Apple has announced MobileMe -- similar to Exchange, it's a service that allows email, contact and calendar items to be pushed over mobile networks. This means you don't have to manually check for new emails.

It won't just operate over-the-air, but it'll also be synced between iPhone, PC and Mac. So if someone sends you an email while you're out at a show or at a restaurant, it'll also be waiting for you at home on your home computer.

The app will work with Outlook on Windows, and with Mail, iCal and Address Book on OS X. An online counterpart was also announced -- Me.com -- that provides a Web 2.0-esque, "desktop-like environment", within a Web browser, encompassing services such as email, address books and photo albums, to which photos can be added over the air.

NTT DoCoMo announced it is working alongside LG to develop the new Prada phone.

The device won't come with something new, asside from the 7.2Mbps HSDPA support and unannounced features like WiFi support.

The new Prada phone will be realeased by DoCoMo in June.

Wibree, known now as ULP (Ultra Low Power) Bluetooth, is the next-generation Bluetooth standard. Unfortunately, ULP isn't compatible with current Bluetooth standards. ULP Bluetooth is a complementary Bluetooth technology that can be used to transfer data sets between compact devices and is expected to be able to run for up to ten years on one button cell battery.

When ULP Bluetooth is used, in a wireless heart rate monitor for example, the monitor simply 'advertises' itself to the control/reader using three frequencies (could be a mobile phone or watch) that then connects sends its very short burst of data and then switches off again. This allows ULP Bluetooth to achieve data transfer 50-times faster than standard Bluetooth; less time spent transferring data means the ULP radio spends less time active.

Through a partnership with Telmap, a navigation and mobile mapping company, Vodafone UK is now offering navigation solutions to its users. Vodafone Sat Nav is the first mobile navigation system offered by Vodafone on its cell phones in the UK.

The Vodafone Sat Nav service provides a full 3D map view of your route that turns, scrolls, and stops in unison with the driver or pedestrian. The software also provides instant live traffic alerts and points-of-interest such as restaurants, hotels, and major attractions.

The G710 can thought of as blend of Samsung's Blackjack and RIM's BlackBerry models. This candybar shaped smartphone sports a trackball for navigation and a full QWERTY keyboard for easy messaging on the go. This Windows Mobile 6 smartphone supports global quad-band GSM/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900MHz) for connectivity, as well as Bluetooth v1.2 with A2DP stereo.

The G710 offers a sharp 65k color TFT QVGA (240x320 pixel) display to view documents and photos shot with its 2 megapixel camera. Photos, music, and video can be stored in the internal 128MB of memory, or on a microSD card. The G710 hosts a wide range of messaging solutions with support for IMAP/POP/SMTP and Microsoft's Direct Push, as well as typical text and picture messaging. Other features of note include Microsoft Office Mobile, a built-in GPS, and a speakerphone.

The Portege G710 smartphone from Toshiba should provide up to 3 hours of talk time and 8 days of standby from its battery. Toshiba expects the G710 will be available this quarter across Europe.

AT&T announced the launch of the Samsung SGH-a137, the first prepaid cell phone on AT&T to offer a built-in A-GPS module. The phone comes with on board Bluetooth support, a 2" internal displayith 262k colors and measures only 88.9mm x 45.7mm x 20.3mm (3.5" x 1.8" x .8").

The Samsung SGH-a137 is available now from AT&T as a prepaid GoPhone, priced at $39.99 before taxes.

Motorola and Sprint launched today the Motorola i365. The phone features an internal GPS receiver for easy navigation, a built-in Bluetooth and supports the Direct Connect walkie-talkie service.

The Motorola i365 uses Sprint's iDEN network and also supports Second Line Service, which allows you to use 2 phone numbers with one phone.

The Motorola i365 is available now from Sprint, priced at $89.99 with a 2-year commitment.