The Nokia Music Store was launched on 29th August, offering customers an alternative to Apple's iTunes store. Tracks can be bought and downloaded to PCs or directly to Nokia's newest music phones. [Source: Nokia press release]. However, The Independent reports that Orange - which has its own online music store - isn't happy with the move and has threatened not to stock the new Nokia N81.

Nokia also announced Ovi on the same day. Ovi, which means 'door' in Finnish, is described as the gateway to Nokia's internet services, including the Nokia Music Store, Nokia Maps, and N-Gage games. It is due to 'go live' later this year.

India's Business Standard newspaper says that Google will announce its own branded mobile phone by mid-September. It predicts a simultaneous launch in the US and Europe as soon as soon as US regulators approve the product. Inevitably, Google has said it doesn't comment on rumours and has nothing to announce at the moment. [Additional background information at The Times online]

Vodafone UK has announced that it's upgrading its mobile broadband network to support download speeds of up to 7.2Mbps in some areas. This will allows customers to download a 5MB file in around seven seconds, up to 14 times faster than a standard 3G connection. Upload speeds are also increasing, thanks to HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access), which will let customers upload at up to 1.44Mbps: up to 10 times faster than 3G. Customers will need to buy a compatible HSDPA/HSUPA data card to enjoy the faster data speed. [Source: Press release]

Belfast-based UniquePhones has postponed its plans to sell software that can open the Apple iPhone to other networks, according to the BBC. The company says it has cracked the software code that locks the phone to AT&T in the United States - but it has subsequently been warned by AT&T's lawyers that its actions could constitute copyright infringement. UniquePhones is now taking legal advice.

British-based Symbian, which develops operating systems for mobile phones, has announced that its shipments in the second quarter of this year were up 52% compared to the same period last year. It produced 18.7 million units during the three-month period, with revenue increasing by 7% despite the company cutting its prices. There are now 122 Symbian-powered smart phones on the market. (Symbian is owned by six mobile phone companies, with Nokia holding the largest share).