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UK’s ‘worst’ broadband exposed – is your provider bottom of the list?

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The latest stats are in and they show one broadband provider is falling behind the rest of the pack. UK telecoms regulator Ofcom’s newest report has revealed Vodafone is the most complained about broadband company, with 24 complaints per 100,000 customers countrywide.

The stats cover from April to June this year, with Voda ahead of TalkTalk as the second most complained about internet service provider (ISP) with 18 complaints per 100,000, followed by Virgin Media with 15.

Ofcom described the rise in moans about Vodafone as “substantial”, with 39% of all grievances against the telco relating to faults, service, and getting services connected.

“We work alongside providers to help make sure they improve their performance and acknowledge Vodafone is taking steps to identify and address the increased volume of complaints during this period,” Ofcom said.

Vodafone fared a little better with complaints about its landline services, only racking up 8 per 100,000 – second to the joint most-complained about landline providers TalkTalk, Shell Energy, and Virgin Media, which each received 10 complaints per 100,000.

Popular ISP Sky was happy to see it be recorded as the least complained about company in the report for both broadband and landlines, with just five and two complaints per 100,000 respectively.

“To record the lowest level of complaints in broadband, landline, mobile and pay-TV is an impressive achievement and one which Sky should be proud of,” said industry analyst Kester Mann, CCS Insight. “It reflects its continued strong levels of investment and focus on customer care, which is emerging as an important differentiator for providers in the mature and competitive UK market.”

“We are proud of our customer service teams – it is thanks to their high standards and hard work we have achieved this yet again,” said Stephen van Rooyen, CEO, Sky UK & Ireland.

Ofcom said complaint levels were about the same as the previous three months, but up on the same time last year. 

Here are the full results for broadband complaints per 100,000 to Ofcom from April to June 2023:

  • Vodafone – 24
  • TalkTalk – 18
  • Virgin Media – 15
  • Shell Energy – 13
  • BT – 13
  • NOW Broadband – 13
  • Plusnet – 11
  • EE – 7
  • Sky 5

Here are the full results for landline complaints per 100,000 to Ofcom from April to June 2023:

  • TalkTalk – 10
  • Shell Energy – 10
  • Virgin Media – 10
  • Vodafone – 8
  • NOW Broadband – 7
  • BT – 7
  • Plusnet – 7
  • EE – 6
  • Sky – 2

Meanwhile the report also detailed complaints about pay monthly mobile providers and pay TV services. BT won’t be happy with the results, as BT Mobile was the most complained about mobile provider with eight complaints per 100,000, while 10 per 100,000 official grumbles were directed at BT’s TV service.

Sky will be popping some bottles, as it yet again came out on top with only two complaints per 100,000 for both mobile and TV.



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Samsung just made it easier to buy an affordable Galaxy phone in the UK

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If you wanted to buy a secondhand or refurbished Samsung phone in the UK, you couldn’t go straight to the source – until now. Samsung has announced it is selling “certified re-newed” Galaxy smartphones for British buyers, following launches in the US and South Korea.

This new program sees Samsung take “top-grade returned” products and recondition them fit to be sold on, according to the firm. The inspection and refurbishment process sees devices cleaned and checked with “more than 100 quality tests” by in-house Samsung experts before stock is put up for sale.

All repairs use genuine Samsung parts, examples of which the firm lists as (screen, camera, speakers, sensor, NFC and antenna.

“During the restoration process, all devices are reset to delete personal data and ensure they are sold in a condition equivalent to that of a brand-new device,” Samsung said, though a footnote says: “The product may have slight external blemishes, which do not impact its functionality or performance.”

“We’re excited to expand our Certified Re-Newed program in European markets to provide customers with more options for purchasing flagship devices,” said Jun Kim, EVP and Head of Galaxy Value Innovation Team, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics. “While contributing to the circular economy, we hope more customers can experience our latest innovations, including Galaxy AI.”

The phones are packaged in new recyclable boxes and include the same accessories you would get with a new phone, though for many Samsung phones in 2026 that will be just a USB-C cable.

If you have been mulling a new smartphone and want to save a bit of cash, this could be an option for you, though at launch Samsung is only ranging the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus and S25 Ultra, the latest Galaxy S flagship phones from the firm that launched in early 2025.

The online store is now live, though at the time of writing only the Galaxy S25 Ultra was in stock, the 512GB model listed for £1,153. Brand new, it cost £1,349.

It’s surprising that Samsung has not opted to range older Galaxy S phones, or any phones from its mid-range Galaxy A series. Samsung just made it easier to buy an affordable Galaxy phone in the UK.

But finally being able to go to Samsung for officially refurbished handsets is good for consumers as the popularity of secondhand devices rises.

Third-party retailers for smartphones such as Backmarket have become widely used in recent months as people look to save money on their next phone. But such sites often sell phones with damage, which, even if advertised, is not ideal, and makes shopping for an adequate phone a bit of a lucky dip.

Hopefully Samsung’s officially refurbished phones will prove a more trustworthy source of used phones, though it remains to be seen if more devices will be added to the range, and if prices are competitive with the existing secondhand market.



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Samsung just made it easier to buy an affordable Galaxy phone in the UK

CHANNEL TODAY BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Published

on


If you wanted to buy a secondhand or refurbished Samsung phone in the UK, you couldn’t go straight to the source – until now. Samsung has announced it is selling “certified re-newed” Galaxy smartphones for British buyers, following launches in the US and South Korea.

This new program sees Samsung take “top-grade returned” products and recondition them fit to be sold on, according to the firm. The inspection and refurbishment process sees devices cleaned and checked with “more than 100 quality tests” by in-house Samsung experts before stock is put up for sale.

All repairs use genuine Samsung parts, examples of which the firm lists as (screen, camera, speakers, sensor, NFC and antenna.

“During the restoration process, all devices are reset to delete personal data and ensure they are sold in a condition equivalent to that of a brand-new device,” Samsung said, though a footnote says: “The product may have slight external blemishes, which do not impact its functionality or performance.”

“We’re excited to expand our Certified Re-Newed program in European markets to provide customers with more options for purchasing flagship devices,” said Jun Kim, EVP and Head of Galaxy Value Innovation Team, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics. “While contributing to the circular economy, we hope more customers can experience our latest innovations, including Galaxy AI.”

The phones are packaged in new recyclable boxes and include the same accessories you would get with a new phone, though for many Samsung phones in 2026 that will be just a USB-C cable.

If you have been mulling a new smartphone and want to save a bit of cash, this could be an option for you, though at launch Samsung is only ranging the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus and S25 Ultra, the latest Galaxy S flagship phones from the firm that launched in early 2025.

The online store is now live, though at the time of writing only the Galaxy S25 Ultra was in stock, the 512GB model listed for £1,153. Brand new, it cost £1,349.

It’s surprising that Samsung has not opted to range older Galaxy S phones, or any phones from its mid-range Galaxy A series. Samsung just made it easier to buy an affordable Galaxy phone in the UK.

But finally being able to go to Samsung for officially refurbished handsets is good for consumers as the popularity of secondhand devices rises.

Third-party retailers for smartphones such as Backmarket have become widely used in recent months as people look to save money on their next phone. But such sites often sell phones with damage, which, even if advertised, is not ideal, and makes shopping for an adequate phone a bit of a lucky dip.

Hopefully Samsung’s officially refurbished phones will prove a more trustworthy source of used phones, though it remains to be seen if more devices will be added to the range, and if prices are competitive with the existing secondhand market.



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Forget your boring printer, this new release from Epson looks way more fun

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Epson might be famed for its desktop printers and home office scanners, but the firm’s latest release looks way more fun. It’s called The Lifestudio Grand EH-LS970, and it’s a new 4K ultra-short-throw projector that will beam a pin-sharp and super-bright image onto any wall in your home. Clever AI has even been baked in to make sure the picture is perfectly optimised for any interior, with Epson promising that this device has been engineered for film lovers. Thanks to its smart design and short throw technology, this new projector can be placed right next to walls rather than taking up space in the middle of living rooms.

Once powered up, it will eclipse TV screens with it fully capable of projecting movies, sports, boxsets and entertainment up to 150 inches in size.

To enhance the experience, it also features a Bose-engineered sound system within its compact shell, along with immersive Dolby Audio.

Another bonus is full internet connectivity, along with Google TV built in. That means there’s instant access to apps such as Netflix and Disney+ without the need for additional streaming devices.

“EH‑LS970 raises the bar for shared cinematic experiences at home,” said Kiran Sanghera, Epson Europe. “You get real 4K detail, 4,000 lumens brightness and Bose‑engineered sound in a system that’s easy to live with, all with Google TV built in, intelligent setup and whisper-quiet operation.”

The Lifestudio Grand will be available from April 2026, prices should be announced soon.

Along with Samsung, LG is also launching new TVs that look like picture frames, and there’s a Wallpaper screen, which is a super thing and ditches the need for cables.

All of these updates will be arriving later this year, so watch this space.



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