Our readers in both Europe and Asia have reason to smile this morning, as HTC has at long last announced that the highly anticipated successor to the Touch HD has finally begun shipping. Citizens in Europeans will be able to pick up the HD2 in the next few days while our Asian brothers and sisters will see a gradual rollout staring in a weeks time. As for the majority of our readers, Americans, HTC has formally confirmed what we reported one month ago when the device was first announced — the HD2 will be making its way to “a major US carrier” in early 2010. The only mystery is which carrier could HTC possibly be referring to. Hmm…

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Good news for Android 2.0 hungry Europeans this early afternoon as Motorola has officially announced the European (read: GSM/UMTS) version of the DROID. Dubbed the Motorola MILESTONE, the two handsets appear to be identical spec wise save for the obvious differences in cellular radios. Oddly enough, the MILESTONE will feature one thing on every DROID lovers wish list — multitouch. The reason why the MILESTONE has multitouch while its American cousin does not isn’t clear, but the general feeling is this is directly related to some intellectual property that Apple might or might not own. If any American’s are feeling a bit snookered by this, they can take comfort knowing that they still have the market cornered on Google Maps Navigation as the MILESTONE will instead come pre-loaded with MOTONAV in its place. Italy and Germany will be the first European nations to get the Motorola MILESTONE, with the handset being available from The Phone House, O2 and Vodafone in the latter country starting November 9th.Read

Let’s be clear right off the bat: this is no rumor. The Motorola DROID is steaming towards a release on O2 Germany under the name MILESTONE. The news of this came from a German blog which leaked a photo of a business guide (pic after the jump) as well as an official O2 device price list which shows the MILESTONE coming in at 404.20€ or $594.93 USD before taxes (and subsidies). If that isn’t proof enough, we pulled the image above from from O2’s site after a simple Google query. No doubt there will be some people Stateside that refuse to go over to Verizon to get the DROID (we get a huge kick out of network fanboyism), so how many of you would be willing to import one of these Android 2.0 behemoths even if it lacks US 3G?

Thanks, Schreifels!

Read – Business Guide

Read – O2 Price List [PDF link]

Read – MILESTONE on O2’s website

A mere two days after its release, Android 2.0 SDK has already been ripped from the womb and ported over to a T-Mobile G1. Currently in the most crude state possible, the cooked ROM runs as quickly as Babe Ruth did at his heaviest (and drunkest).The mere fact it’s able to run without melting the G1 and its 192MB of RAM, though, should give hope that the fine folks over at XDA-Developers will be able iron out enough wrinkles to make it usable as a daily driver. The only question is will G1/Dream and myTouch 3G/Magic users be treated to some delicious Eclairs like Hero users, or will they be stuck stuffing their faces with Donuts? We’re thinking the latter. Hit the jump for a video.

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Remember what we said about T-Mobile’s Project Dark this morning? Well, as is the typical BGR fashion, our word essentially turned into gold as one of our T-Mobile connects just hit us up with a ton of Project Dark documents. While we’re still waiting on information when it comes to handsets and the rapid expansion of its AWS 3G network, Project Dark does indeed included unlimited services, although things like data and texts look as if they come in the form of add-ons. The Even More and Even More Plus plans we talked about are also real. Even More does require a 2-year contract commitment which allows for handset subsidies, whereas Even More Plus plans does not require a contract and does not include subsidies. However, that’s where the new FlexPay system comes into play, and boy is this going to be big. Customers will be able to walk away with the handset of their dreams and pay for it in monthly installments just like they would for that big leather couch they can’t really afford but really, really want. Goodies are after the jump.

With the BlackBerry Storm2 getting nice and official over night, we here at BGR thought that it would be nice for us to take a moment and focus on just what its launch means for our loyal readers that aren’t living in The New World. Earlier this week, UK-based The Guardian proclaimed that the Storm2 would be announced by both RIM and Vodafone this week. Clearly this was the case as we now know it will be arriving on or around the 26th of October, but its report missed out on one huge revelation — Vodafone’s exclusivity on the device will only last “a few weeks”. This of course paves the way for other carriers such as O2, Orange and T-Mobile to get in on the Storm action. While all of the aforementioned Storm2 candidate carriers have remained mom mum on the matter, The Guardian is hedging its bets on Orange carrying the Storm2 in time for Christmas. What does this all mean for the UK? Well, when one considers that every major carrier is going to be offering the iPhone 3GS and has the option of picking up the Storm2, it looks as if a major price war is about to erupt in time for the holidays.

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Oh look, yet another BlackBerry has shown up on a carriers website before its existence has been officially acknowledged. This time the honor falls upon T-Mobile Germany and the BlackBerry Bold 9700. Listed without a price but as available in November, T-Mobile is positioning the 9700 as the “Bold the size of a Curve,” something easily confirmed by on quick glance at the accompanying spec sheet. Listed as 109mm x 60mm x 14mm, the 9700 shares identical dimensions with the Curve 8900 save for the fact the former is 0.5mm thicker. Standby time is rated at nearly 21 days while talk time clocks in at 5 hours, a far cry better than the current Bold’s 13.5 days of standby and 4.5 hours of talk time despite the fact that both devices operate on the same 1500 mAh battery. Of course all of this has been covered in our hands-on review pre-release review of the 9700, but we’re sure most of you know that already, right?

Thanks, Julius!

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While it’s certainly not much to go on, The Guardian is reporting that the BlackBerry Storm 9520 aka Storm2 will be announced this week by Vodafone UK. Specifics are scarce and it is not entirely clear as to when consumers will actually be able to actually purchase the next-gen Storm, but at the moment we’re more interested in another matter. You see, The Guardian seems to think that Vodafone subs will be able to walk away with a new Storm for free on all tariffs over  £30 ($47.40 USD). Now, whether or not these contracts are for the standard 18 months or painfully long (for the UK) 24 month affair might be an issue for some, but the fact remains that Vodafone seems to be clearly targeting O2 and its much more expensive Palm Pre.

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Believe it or not, Christmas is but 11 weeks away which means that every single tech company on the planet is going to be lighting up our inboxes with press releases about their holiday offerings. The first company to do this for 2009 is T-Mobile. Apart from another chance to get us bloggers talking about the Behold II and the Motorola CLIQ, T-Mobile took the opportunity to introduce two new handsets and a limited edition collaboration piece. The first new handset is the Nokia 3711, a 3G clamshell affair with a 2 megapixel camera, GPS by Telenav, and stereo Bluetooth. The second is the T-Mobile Tap. Presumably made by HTC based upon its appearance, the Tap is an “affordable and attractive” full-touchscreen featurephone that, like the 3711 has 3G, a 2 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth and GPS by Telenav. New in another sense of the word is the myTouch 3G Fender Limited Edition. With only 10,000 to be offered sometime this winter, the Fender myTouch 3G sports a “guitar-inspired wood-grain finish”, 16GB microSD card filled with a bunch of music and videos not a soul alive won’t delete, and *gasp* a 3.5mm headphone jack. What do we think, people?

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Orange UK customers eager to get their hands on Motorola’s first Android offering can saunter over to the Orange Multimedia Store in Milton Keynes today and walk out with more MOTOBLUR than they can stand. Folks not outside the Milton Keynes will have to wait until tomorrow for the DEXT to land at all Orange retail stores or October 8th at all Phones 4U stores. The DEXT will be free for customers with a 24 month tariff of £34.26 per month which includes 900 any network call minutes, unlimited texts, Orange Maps and inclusive anytime Internet browsing. Any UK readers out there with a DEXT already in hand? Hit us up in the comments with your first impressions.

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The walls of exclusivity are crumbling in the UK. Less than 24 hours after Orange UK announced that it will be getting the iPhone, Vodafone UK and Vodafone Ireland have jumped on the Apple bandwagon as well. Voda’s “coming soon” pages are now live for the iPhone 3GS and interested parties can sign up for updates. No pricing or tariff details are available but rumors place the launch in early 2010. The best part of course, is with three major carriers soon to be promoting the iPhone in the UK, prices on the handset and its accompanying tariffs are expected to fall. Competition? iPhone? Hell must be getting pretty chilly. Oh and one last thing, before you start asking: the answer is “no” — Vodafone getting the iPhone does not necessarily mean that Verizon Wireless is next.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

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After its early debut on LG’s developer website last week, the New Chocolate BL20 has been officially announced by LG. A full product page, flickr slideset and an official press release all serve to confirm the existence of this handset, though we pretty much already knew all there was to know about this little guy. For those on the other side of the Atlantic, the sexy slider with a distinctive red keypad is expected to land at O2 UK in Q4 for €269 ($394USD). As for the rest of us, it’s still a waiting game we’re afraid. Hit the jump for the press release.

LG’s newest Chocolate flavour slides to market

Berkshire, September 28, 2009 – LG Electronics a global leader and technology innovator in mobile communications, today announces its second New Chocolate phone, BL20, featuring a sliding keypad. The newest addition to the Chocolate series follows the launch of the stylish New LG Chocolate phone (BL40) at the start of September.

Available in the UK in Q4 at O2, the BL20 features a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and flash in a slim casing measuring just 12.3mm in depth.

The handset also features touch-sensitive controls which are discretely concealed on the sides of the phone. Users can instinctively feel their way around functions such as volume control and camera zoom for quick adjustments.

Widget Hotkeys enable users to personalise the phone to directly access favourite features for weather, news or personal updates. A new feature includes Clear Memo Capture which captures text, handwritten notes and drawings with maximum clarity, offering a different way to record information.

Jeremy Newing, head of marketing, LG Mobile UK and Ireland says, “Boasting advanced new features such as Widget Hotkeys and Clear Memo Capture, the BL20 offers consumers a design alternative to the already successful BL40 with its widescreen display.”

The New LG Chocolate BL20 is referencing the original Chocolate’s design characteristics such as glossy black surface accentuated with red highlights but reinterpreted them in a sliding keypad handset. Notably, the handset has refined its red navigation keys – part of LG’s overall design language – which are revealed when the phone slides open. It has evolved from the iconic design of its predecessors combining enhanced interactive features with a sleek minimalist look aimed at style-conscientious consumers.

“Standing proudly alongside the BL40, the BL20 expands the Chocolate series with a beautiful but practical slider option reflecting our leadership in design,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “The New LG Chocolate BL20 offers consumers another way to experience the luxurious style and high performance that is symbolic of the LG Chocolate series but at a more affordable price.”

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It looks like some of the oft talked about and much maligned iPhone exclusivity deals are finally starting to fizzle out — Orange UK has announced that it will be offering both the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS to its customers “later this year.” As it currently stands, O2 has the sole rights to sell the iPhone in the UK. As many of you might recall however, T-Mobile was recently caught selling unlocked iPhones to its highest paying and most disgruntled customers, so perhaps it too will get in on the action in the near future. But back to Orange. The carrier has not yet released much in the way of specifics, having simply stated that “pricing, tariffs and availability dates will be released in due course.” Ordinarily we’d start to think what sort of implications this has for the American marketplace, but alas only one carrier has the appropriate bands and network technology to run the iPhone. *sigh*

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The recent resurrection of rumors that Sprint is working with Samsung on a WiMAX-enabled phone may have just been trumped by news from Korea earlier today. According to a report from The Korea Herald, KT is planning to offer a tri-mode Windows Phone built by Samsung that will operate on the KT’s WiMAX network. The most interesting part — KT supposedly claims it will be releasing this handset before 2009 is through. Dubbed the Samsung Prism, the phone will be a triple threat, operating on WCDMA, Wi-Fi and WiMAX networks. On the far less interest-piquing side of things, KT is reportedly also prepping the 3G-ready LG Lilac. Super. So what does all this mean for us here in the US? News that Samsung is partnering with a carrier to develop a WiMAX-enabled phone that comes straight from a carrier is far more interesting than previous guesses from analysts. Of course logic suggests dictates that Samsung will be among the first manufacturers to build handsets for KT’s WiMAX network, but the time frame is what interests us. A Korean release in 2009 could mean comparable handsets might reach our shores as early as 1H 2010.

[Via WMPowerUser]

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As if Vodafone’s 360 H1 and 360 M1 announcement (which we’ve now dubbed the H1M1 LiMo flu) wasn’t enough smartphone excitement for a nation in a single day, Palm and O2 UK have finally gotten around to revealing that the Palm Pre will launch next month in three markets — specifically, on October 13th in Germany and October 16th in the UK and Ireland. Of course we have been expecting the Pre to drop on O2 for a very long time and for the wait, neither company seems apologetic. Perhaps the pricing structure will be enough to smooth things over: The Pre from O2 UK starts at £0 with a 24-month contract or an 18-month contract with tariffs starting at £44.05 ($71.45 USD). As happy as we are to see that our friends across the pond will be finally be able to get the Pre, we can’t help but feel frustrated that there’s been nary a peep from Palm about a North American UMTS/HSPA webOS handset. Alas — importers, start your engines.

UPDATE: It looks like the GSM Pre will support UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900/2100 MHz. Pending a more local announcement, Pre hopefuls will indeed be able to rock the handset on AT&T or Rogers 3G should they choose to pay big bucks for an imported, unlocked version. Begin the celebration… Now.

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Remember that mysterious LiMo-powered smartphone we exclusively showed you a week back? Well today it was made official alongside another handset as well as a new internet service, Vodafone 360. The two devices, manufactured by Samsung, have been dubbed the 360 H1 (the device we showed you) and 360 M1. The 360 H1 looks to be an all around solid device with a 3.5-inch OLED touchscreen display, 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and flash, 16GB of internal memory, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and HSDPA. The 360 M1, on the other hand, leaves a little bit to be desired but still packs a bit of a punch with a 3.2-inch touchscreen display,  1GB of internal memory (expandable by microSD), GPS, Bluetooth 2.0 and HSDPA. As for Vodafone 360 platform, what we previously told you was correct in that it incorporates more or less the same sort of social media approach as webOS and MOTOBLUR, but with a slightly stronger emphasis placed upon games, apps and music. Nothing too crazy, but it’s something we think every smartphone should have as we draw nearer to a new decade. Of note, Voda’s 360 services will also work on dozens of Nokia and Sony Ericsson handsets so if this new dynamic duo isn’t your thing, rest easy. Oh, and just one more thing… The H1 and the M1? H1 and M1? H1M1? A bit too close for comfort.

Read (360 H1)
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Windows Mobile fans take note — 30 new handsets powered by your mobile OS of choice will supposedly be debuting before you again sing a drunken version of Auld Lang Syne. Benjamin Tan, senior director of the GCR Mobile Team Unit at Microsoft China, let loose the rumor that an avalanche of new Windows Mobile 6.5 handsets from HTC, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson, Acer, Toshiba, HP and more will be released in the waning months of 2009. Carriers who have jumped on board this Window Mobile bonanza include AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone, NTT DoCoMO, Softbank Mobile,  SKT, Telstra and Telus. Bottom line: no matter where you are located or what you prefer in a smartphone, there will apparently be a Windows Phone to suit your needs in 2009.

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If you’re a glutton for the punishment that Windows XP on a mobile phone likely is, then ITG has exactly what you need. The “world’s first mobile phone that runs Windows XP” is now available for pre-order from ITG’s English website. Looking rather big and boxy (is this a new trend?), the xpPhone packs some impressive specs inside its brushed aluminum frame:

• AMD Mobile CPU
• 4.8-inch, 800×480 pixel touchscreen display
• QWERTY keyboard
• 512Mb/1GB memory
• Dual hard drives: SSD (8/16/32/64GB) and HDD (30/60/80/120GB)
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
• Bluetooth
• GPS
• WiMAX (optional)
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE/WCDMA (HSDPA/HSUPA), CDMA/CDMA2000, CMDA 1X/EV-DO, TD-SCDMA, TD-HSDPA
• 7 hours of continuous use with standard battery, 12 hours with extended battery
• Windows XP OS

The substantially-sized slider supports nearly all major 3G networks and can be configured from the ordering page to be compatible with AT&T, Vodafone or Orange. No word on pricing details or launch date for the time being, but is anyone out there thinking about taking the plunge?

[Via Pocketables]

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In a move that doesn’t exactly come as a surprise, Orange UK has officially announced that it will be carrying the Motorola DEXT, the European version of the CLIQ, as its second Android smartphone. The DEXT will be offered in early October for as little as £0 to those who opt for a 2-year contract with a monthly tariff of £34.26. It’s not exactly cheap, all things considered, but it’s also not as if you can find many plans Stateside that offer 900 minutes, unlimited texts, data and use of Orange Maps for around $56.50 per month.

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We’re not at the final OS build (haven’t even updated this to latest available OS) and that’s always something to take into consideration. With that said, however, the Storm 2 really makes SurePress a viable touchscreen mechanism that people will enjoy using. This obviously should have been done the first go around, and there’s big bad all-touch-screen smartphones to battle, but we like where RIM has gone with it and we’re eagerly awaiting an official announcement. More photos after the break!

Thanks, Mark!t

UPDATE: Had a chance to load a more recent OS on here (5.0.0.224) and it’s improved the screen feel immensely. Any wonkiness and erroneous screen taps seem to have gone away. Plus, you know… there’s threaded SMS now.

Now that the excitement of the Motorola Android event has died down and the company’s first Android offering has been unveiled, we can take our focus off of what will be released and concentrate on when it will be released. The first rumor out the door comes from merry old England where Orange UK is said to be launching the Motorola DEXT in early October. Pre-orders are expected to begin September 22nd, though no specific release date has been specified. No pricing information is available yet either, but you know Europe — with the proper tariff nearly any phone can be had for free.

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The leaky online retailer eXpansys UK has potentially outed yet another release date for an upcoming handset. This time around it is the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2. According to the product page, the X2 is expected to arrive on January 11th, 2010 — a tad bit later than its announced Q4 2009 release. Pricing, well, is a ridiculous £604.99 ($1,010 USD) for an unlocked version from eXpansys. Expect the price to fall prior to launch of course, as a price that high would effectively kill any chance of success for this Windows Mobile handset. Sony Ericsson may be on a downward slide lately but it can’t be that self-destructive. Even with a price drop, is anyone excited by this phone or is it just another offering in a long line of Windows Mobile phones, soon to be overshadowed by the Android-powered XPERIA X3?

[Via Pocketnow]

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Vodafone subscribers, Samsung fans and mobile enthusiasts in general — we hope you’re sitting down. Behold: Exclusive live shots of a previously unheard of Samsung handset supposedly due to be announced soon by Vodafone. Details for the time being are a bit limited — we don’t even have a name for you yet (UPDATE: as a commenter points out below, this may be the Samsung Riedel l8305 that recently received Wi-Fi certification) — but our ninja managed to score some extremely solid images and a handful of specs that are definitely noteworthy. First things first: We’re apparently looking at a Samsung-built Vodafone exclusive here that is powered by Voda’s own LIMO-based OS (Linux mobile). Beyond the brushed steel case sits a nice big OLED touchscreen display complete with haptic feedback. We’re also told the handset will sport an 8 megapixel camera and it will launch alongside the upcoming “Vodafone People” service. Details in that department are scarce as well but rumor has it the service involves Voda’s acquisition of Zyb last year; active contacts, location information, status updates, various integration with other social networks like Twitter and Facebook, etc. You can get a pretty good idea of what’s in store from the images below but basically, it’s what Google should have done on Android with Jaiku. Last but not least, we’re not sure exactly when Vodafone plans to make this guy official, though we’re hearing rumors of a special event that may be held in London on September 24th. Hit the jump for more shots and if you live in Vodafone land, get ready for what really could be a game-changing handset/service combo.

Our pals across the pond are going to be facing some changes in the coming months as Deutsch Telekom and France Telecom are planning a massive merger in the UK. The companies are reportedly preparing to combine T-Mobile UK and Orange to form what will become the largest telco on the island, assuming the joint venture is approved by antitrust regulators. The deal is expected to be inked toward the end of October, giving the parties involved plenty of time to iron out details in the interim. The bright side for consumers, we suppose, is expanded network coverage — the downside of course being the fact that the two carriers will no longer be competing for business. So, what do our UK friends think?

Thanks, Roger A!

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Samsung’s partnership with fashion designer Armani continues with the appearance of the rumored Armani W820/8200. The gold-trimmed slider features a 3.1-inch WVGA AMOLED touchscreen display, HSDPA, T-DMB, Bluetooth, 5 megapixel primary camera and a secondary front facing camera for video calling. The phone will reportedly launch in Korea some time in the near future, though timing and pricing are both unknown for the time being. We’re sure pricing will be nice and elevated but truth be told, this could be a sweet little phone. Let’s hope Samsung issues a version without the gold trim — you know, for those of us with self respect.

[Via Unwired View]

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It looks like Vodafone subscribers may be among the first to get their hands on LG’s virgin Android offering as the handset has reportedly just made its first official public appearance. Spotted at a Vodafone booth at the IFA trade show in Germany, the Etna appears to be a decently-spec’d Android phone, though all we have so far is a sliding QWERTY, 3-inch touchscreen display, Bluetooth and a 5 megapixel camera. This all strikes us as odd of course, considering “Etna” was the codename for AT&T’s LG Neon feature phone when it was first explored back in February. Maybe LG liked the name so much, it decided to reuse it as the launch name on its Android phone? We imagine the details will all be ironed out soon enough but in the meantime, let’s all just keep our finger’s crossed that LG’s Android phone finds its way to the US sooner rather than later — we could certainly use the variety.

[Via Phandroid]

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In case you were wondering, yes, the flood gates are open. Windows Phones — or handsets running Windows Mobile 6.5, for the marketing impaired — are raining down left and right since Microsoft’s official announcement that Windows Mobile 6.5 is set for takeoff on October 6th. LG promised three Windows Phones right off the bat with 10 more to come in the near future, and now the second piece of the puzzle has fallen into place. If the GW550 wasn’t your cup of tea, perhaps we can interest you in a slightly stronger brew dubbed the GM750. This full touchscreen handset features WinMo 6.5 of course, along with LG’s S Class UI, a 3-inch display, 5 megapixel camera, GPS, Wi-Fi and an accelerometer. While pricing hasn’t yet been made available, the GM750 will launch on October 6th in seven Vodafone markets (Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and the UK).

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To all of the companies with intentions to pump out cheap and readily available devices: It’s time to get a move on because Huawei has just schooled you. Announced today is the T-Mobile Pulse, a prepaid-capable Android smartphone that utilizes a UI overlay known as Canvas. In terms of specs, the Pulse is quite capable with a 3.5-inch HVGA display, 3.2 megapixel camera, 2GB internal memory, 528MHz along with HSDPA, Wi-Fi and GPS radios. There are two features notably absent however; a flash for the camera and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Both T-Mobile and Huawei insist that their exclusion was necessary to keep the Pulse’s dimensions slim and trim at 160mm x 62.5mm x 13.5mm. Like it or not, the 3.5mm-less and flash-less Pulse will be as cheap as chips when it goes on sale this October: £179.99 ($293 USD) — or as low as 4.95€ in Germany with a 2-year agreement.

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It’s finally official — China Unicom will be carrying not one but two models of the iPhone sometime in Q4, having inked a three-year deal with Apple. Unceremoniously announced during a fiscal report, China Unicom hasn’t yet specified which iPhone models it will be offering or at what price points. The smart money is likely on a custom Wi-Fi-free version of the 3GS and the tried and true 3G. China Unicom will begin hawking iPhones sometime in Q4 and odds are pretty good that it’ll sell like hotcakes. Interestingly, it is being reported that the China Unicom deal is not exclusive, meaning this plot could get a whole lot thicker in the near future.

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We love useless gadgets as much as the next person, but this whole Dick Tracy-like obsession with the LG GD910 touchscreen watch phone is completely lost on us. Sure it can compose text messages and place video calls, but is it really worth running that the risk that your unkempt nose hair might offend a key business client? If so and you happen to live in the UK, then pack a blanket and a snack and get ready to camp outside the Orange’s Bond Station Stop on the night of the 26th/27th — as soon as the store opens in the morning, the GD910 can be all yours for £500 ($828 USD). Orange won’t have many units on hand so in the event you can’t get the time off work/have a prior commitment, more will be made available online in mid-September. As for that 899€ the French are being asked to pay for the GD910, well, that’s what you get for being French. Heyo!

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