Mobile Phones Ireland
Irish firms have taken a lead in the development of future mobile phone technology and in 2008, it was predicted that the market would generate €260million in revenue from exporting software and hardware for the worldwide market. Ireland is also recognised as a centre of excellence by the industry, with major manufacturers offices including Nokia based in the country.
As a consumer, Ireland has stood alongside the UK in providing the very latest technology and distributed and maintained its service using network providers Three, Meteor, Vodafone and O2. The number of people with a mobile phone in Ireland is continuing to rise and over 84% of households own one compared to just over 40% five years prior and in total there are 5.1million subscriptions currently active. Ireland can also boast to having the highest mobile phone usage in Europe per head of population.
In the past, Vodafone and O2 dominated the Irish market at one point accounting for over 90% of the market. Over the last few years, the market has become more competitive thanks to the introduction of two new networks Three and Meteor (which is owned by Eircom). Eircom are Ireland`s incumbent supplier of home telephone and broadband communication and their presence ensures all inclusive packages including mobile phones can be offered to the public, reducing call charges lower than its competitors when calling from Eircom to Meteor handsets.
Each network provider can differentiate themselves from each other by offering different call packages that match certain individuals` mobile phone habits providing both advantages and disadvantages in most cases. Although pay monthly contract deals are commonplace, pay as you go is the most popular way to own a mobile phone in Ireland.
There are a number of handsets available on Vodafone, O2, Meteor and Three. You can visit phone reviews for a definitive guide however here are a few examples to get you started:
- INQ1 by Three is a small and light handset specifically designed for users of social networking sites. You can chat in realtime using your facebook, myspace and bebo accounts but also simultaneously use Windows Live Messenger. The handset also acts as a modem, so once plugged in to a laptop or desktop, you can surf the internet using your tariff.
- The Sony Ericsson C905 boasts an 8 mega-pixel camera and a sleek and stylish design. The phone offers great connectivity making great use of it HDSPA for mobile downloading. The phone also has a GPS locator ideal for directions and map guidance, and 160MB of built in memory storage. Available on Vodafone and Three
- The definitive Nokia 8600 Luna is a top of the range slider encased in stainless steel. The handset is Quadband enabling the user to roam worldwide using the same phone. The battery life is outstanding offering 240 hours per single charge. Available on 02, this handset also provides a 2MP camera and Bluetooth capability
Irish Mobile Phone Web Only Offers
Prepay Phones Ireland
iPhone 3G Deals
iPhone accessories
iPod Ireland