You create, we print, we post.

ipostparcels is part of the UK Mail Group,  one of the leading parcels, mail and logistics company in the UK.  Joining us in the group is our sister brand, imail, a unique desktop to doormat mail delivery solution. 

imail history:

Launched in 2008 by UK Mail as the only alternative to the first class postal service and enables users to send letters and postcards with just a click of the mouse from as late as 3pm for next-day or 6pm for two-day delivery. imail has fast become the UKs leading print and mail solution.

imail services:

imail’s revolutionary service allows users to send letters and postcards from their desktop, avoiding, printing and stuffing envelopes,  trips to the post off office, cost of stamps and the long queues!

Here’s what you can do with imail:

Letters- send bulk letters such as invoices and appointment reminders or just the one letter.

Marketing postcards- bring your marketing campaigns to life with HD, glossy, marketing postcards sent directly to your customers.

imail data- Improve your marketing with targeted mailing lists and in turn increase your business. Buy data that’s tailored specifically to your marketing campaigns to help drive sales.

Postcards from Pete:

Good old Parcel Pete is also helping out the family buy delivering postcards for imail’s new app, ‘Postcards from Pete’. Send personalised postcards direct from your phone or tablet to anywhere in the world! You can download the app today for FREE, it’s the perfect holiday companion.

Keep an eye out on our blog for more info on the new Postcards from Pete app!

Apple have unveiled their latest, much anticipated iPad models and as most expected they’ve reinvented the iWheel yet have managed to make the familiar features we know and expect, desirable.  Here at ipostparcels.com we’ve got a low down of the key features for both iPads:

iPad Air

The new iPad air goes on release on 1st November and is a lot lighter, thinner and faster than its predecessor.  It has the same 9.7 inch retina display as the iPad 4 but the screen is bigger due to the bezels which are 43% thinner than the iPad 4.

Powered by the super a7 chip processor, iPad Air runs 72 times faster than the original iPad!

iPad 4 owners may be slightly disgruntled as their iPad hasn’t been on the market long but for those looking for  a new iPad, this one is definitely the way to go.

Missing: Fingerprint recognition is nowhere to be seen.

iPad mini

The second generation iPad mini has had a major boost in comparison to the first iPad mini. With its a7 chip processor, retina display and cheaper price point, the new iPad mini is a serious contender on the tablet battleground when it goes on sales late November.

Missing: Comes in various colours; white, black and space grey but not the gold we have come to know and love from the iPhone 5s.

Concluding Thoughts

No shocks here from Apple, however it’s clear to see they’re sticking by their conservative approach knowing not to disrupt their winning strategy and with Christmas around the corner, they’re sure to do well.

Remember, if you’re purchasing high value items such as iPad’s and are looking to send them on to a loved one, pack appropriately for delivery and ensure the correct level of cover is applied. Parcel Pete is a huge fan of these gadgets and wouldn’t want anything going wrong with yours.

Parcel Pete has starred in his very first video on YouTube, taking you through the ipostparcels service and all it has to offer. As it’s his first ever video we thought what better way to launch it than to have a competition for you to get involved in!

Competition

Fancy winning a brand new Samsung Digital Camera? 16.2 mega pixel with wi-fi connectivity so you can upload videos or pictures as soon as you take them!

It’s simple to enter and here’s how to:

- Like & Share our video posts on Facebook

- Retweet our video posts on Twitter

- Answer our poll on Facebook

- Subscribe to our YouTube channel

As part of the competition we want to know what you would like the next Parcel Pete video to be about. We’ve put together a poll on Facebook with four options, all you have to do is vote for whichever one you like and simply share your answer on Facebook and Twitter.

Closing Date

1 lucky winner will be drawn to win the digital camera and the video option with the most votes will be Parcel Pete's next big role!

so hurry and get entering, competition closes at 11.59pm on Wednesday 25th September. 

The more you enter, the more chances you have of winning!

Apple ran two simultaneous events in Beijing and California to launch two new iPhone models, iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. Here at ipostparcels.com we’ve been reading up about the revamped iPhone models and put together a little lowdown for you.

iPhone 5s:

The 5s has ramped up its security features and boasts fingerprint identity sensor, Touch ID.  This new convenient and highly secure method will also allow users approve purchases from iTunes Store and enrol other fingerprints whom the user trusts.

The iSight camera is now even better than before, you can take great pictures with new advanced features such as true tone flash and a 15% larger sensor.

Speed is of an essence with the 5s, it’s 40 times faster than the original iPhone with its new A7 chip, 2 times faster than the A6 chip.  The A7 chip and the M7 coprocessor are like a match made in heaven, the coprocessor monitors how you’re using your phone and will engage/switch off apps and features as necessary so less battery is used.

iPhone 5c:

The 5c has been branded as the ‘budget’ version of the iPhone models; but still promised to have the great technology customers love; however some will beg to differ with its £469 price tag.

The iPhone 5c is made from plastic to keep costs low and comes in a variety of vibrant colours with the ios7 interface deigned to complement with its lively interface.

Order:

You can start to place pre-orders for the new models on September 13th, we know Parcel Pete has his eye on one!

Shopping on your Mobile Device:

Over the past few years the way we shop has come on leaps and bounds. From traditional shopping, online shopping to now retailers having shopping apps available for use on smartphones & tablet devices.  Here at ipostparcels.com we’ve taken a look into this new trend to give you an overview.

Shopping on the go:

Couldn’t find your size in store? Don’t worry; buy it from your mobile device. Most retailers now all have mobile enabled websites. So if you go onto a retailer’s website on your smartphone/tablet device you will have noticed the layout differs from what you see on your PC or laptop. This now means you can browse, select items and even go through to payment all on your little screen.

ipostparcels.com on the go:

We understand the importance of getting your delivery to you or your recipient on time. We also understand that you may want to change your delivery around after you’ve placed your order. Did you know that you could manage your delivery from your mobile device? Well yes you can, the next time you send a parcel and need to make some changes; you can do so from your mobile device!

With all this talk of the new iPhone 5, here at ipostparcels.com we’ve taken a trip down memory lane to look back at the iPhone timeline. In just 5 years the Apple iPhone device has taken the mobile industry by storm.  We take a quick look back to how it started:

The first ever Apple iPhone:

The first iPhone certainly made its mark on the market; with its elegant design and touchscreen it definitely had the wow factor. However the lack of 3G, poor camera and no instant messaging made us all anticipate what would be next.

iPhone 3G:

When the iPhone 3G came out we were spoilt for choice with the limited edition white model and the App store worked a treat! It was essentially the same iPhone but with 3G speed. Although it still lacked a quality camera and MMS. Nevertheless we still couldn’t put it down.

iPhone 3Gs:

The faster processor on the iPhone 3GS was very noticeable when using the internet and applications. They also improved the camera but it still didn’t have a flash which makes it a little difficult to take pictures at night.

iPhone 4:

Apple upped the ante with the iPhone4, a new sleek design, all round improved functionality and HD video.  The phone did suffer problems with continuous signal loss but still remained popular with consumers.

iPhone 4s:

The highly anticipated 4s, many had thought this could be the new iPhone5 however it was not to be but Apple instead decided to wow us with Siri and cutting-edge OS software.

iPhone 5:

The latest addition to the family is thinner, lighter and faster than its predecessors. The screen resolution is impeccable along with the new camera functionalities. Boosting 4G technology, the long queues outside the Apple shop, which we have now been accustomed to, will be even longer.

Don’t forget if you are sending any valuable items for next day delivery; be sure to check out the range of cover options available with ipostparcels.com.

Mobile phones over the years have progressed at an alarming speed in the past few decades. Here at ipostparcels.com we’ve taken a look back to see some of the mobile phones that have made their mark and shaped the mobile phone industry.

The Classics:

A blog about classic phones would not be complete without bringing in the one that started it all the legendary Motorola DynaTAC, pioneered by Motorola's Martin Cooper.  With its ‘brick’ style design and rather large antenna, it was all the rage back in the 80’s.

Then of course we have the Motorola StarTAC released in 1996 it was the first ever clamshell mobile phone and very small relative to the competition. The StarTAC was the must-have gadget of its day and one of the first phones to feature a vibrating call alert.

Nokia:

Most people have owned a Nokia mobile phone in their lifetime with one of the most popular one being the Nokia3210. It’s small compact look and easy to use interface was a huge hit and sold by the boatload.

Blackberry:

The Blackberry 6210 released in in 2002 was the first Blackberry which allowed business users to send and receive emails and browse the net.  This then opened the doors to a new generation of mobile users and usage with smart phones now being the bestselling phones in the industry.

apple:

This leads us perfectly onto the juggernaut that is apple and the iphones. There’s no doubting that it is a highly influential device that has inspired competitors to come out with a raft of "me too" devices.

iphone 5:

A new slim line, lighter iphone 5 boats an array of features such as a larger display, a faster chip, the latest wireless technology, an 8MP iSight camera and more.

Don’t forget if you are sending a phone for next day delivery we offer insurance options that give you peace of mind.

Here at ipostparcels.com we like to keep up to date on the latest news and views so we’ve put together a short review on the Google Nexus 7 device.

When Google first announced they were making a tablet device not many of us jumped for joy as past Google devices haven’t really took the market by storm. However, Google played this one rather cleverly and decided not to pitch it directly against the giants that are apple but instead take on the Amazon and Kindle market.

Price Advantage

A 7” Android tablet retailing from £159 launched in July, has already been receiving some rave reviews, the price point being the start. With the cheapest Kindle coming in at £109 with less than half the features of the Google Nexus 7 it’s pretty easy to justify the extra £50 making it a great little seller for the likes of eBay.

Software Capabilities

The software is also one of the best from Google, by utilising Jelly Bean, Androids latest software, Google are aiming the device at media consumption. Play games, read books and watch videos, the marketing message clearly highlights Google’s advances over the Kindle Fire.  You’ll be sure to find all your much loved Google apps available on the device as well as Google Now which is a bit like apple’s Siri.

Nexus 7 also boasts a rather impressive 9 hour battery life as well as a high resolution screen topping those of regular Kindle devices.

Nifty Feature

Jelly Bean software takes into play face recognition and users are able to blink directly at the screen to unlock the device.

Down point

With the smaller 8GB device storage may be an issue for some and with no microSD card slot available to expand it, some users may be better off opting for the 16GB device.

There’s also just one front facing camera and no rear.

Overall

Google have surprised many critics with this new device, they may have been the late runners to jump onto the tablet market but have certainly come up trumps with a cleverly thought out design and marketing strategy. It will by no means be a direct competitor for the ipad, however it’s set to rival the sea of other tablet devices out there and is also great for booking your next day parcel deliveries.

Competition

Keep your eyes peeled as we’ll be running another one of our social media competitions very soon and you could be in with a chance of winning the Google Nexus 7.

The highly anticipated iPad 3 (officially known as ‘The New iPad’) has finally arrived. With the rumour mill boiling over and eager fans chewing down their nails in expectancy, Apple finally laid to rest all the gossips and put us out of our misery on March 7th 2012. The device was launched in the first week of March and was shipped across the world the very next week, including deliveries made here in the UK by our very own UK Mail. However, was it worth the wait? Has it lived up to our expectations?  Maybe not so…

Apple, known for its technical excellence and innovation have released what they believe is ‘resolutionary’. Don’t get me wrong the screen resolution is immense the 2048 x 1536 pixel Retina Display is bursting with colour, saturation and sharpness but is it an upgrade you can live without? I think so.  It’s not as if the iPad 2 had a bad display, not by any stretch. Most of the time you’re not close enough to your tablet's screen to pick up the pixels anyway.

The 5 megapixel iSight camera means you have a capable digital camera… the size of a magazine! Apple is pitching the new iPad as a photographer’s companion but that is unlikely to be true.  Whilst they’ve improved the lens of the iSight the front facing camera remains the same as the iPad 2.

Due to the bigger battery the new iPad is slightly thicker; this is probably the only difference in design compared to the iPad 2. Some have argued Apple is losing its innovation credibility; the opportunity for a competitor to crash the Apple party is now. And believe you and me, Android devices are fast becoming a force to be reckoned with.

Going back to my first question, what’s new about the new iPad? Well not much really. However it is the best on the market and remains at the top of the hill. If you don’t have an iPad, then get this one, if you do have an iPad 2 then stick to it and wait for number 4! Alternatively you could always sell it on eBay and go for the iPad 3.