The scheme requires you to pay £55 per month (or £65 per month for a 32 GB device) for those 12 months. For that amount of dough, alongside the smartphone, you’ll also get 750 minutes, unlimited texts, and 500 MB of data each month. The smartphone will also be insured, and that is included in the aforementioned cost. Needless to say, you won’t be paying anything upfront.

O2 Lease (which is the intuitive name the operator has chosen for this programme) will first be available in stores and via telesales. O2 Lease can be taken advantage of by new or existing O2 customers. Small businesses can also benefit from O2 Lease, on a range of business tariffs.

This is an interesting idea, although with smartphones usually being offered for free upfront with 18-month or 24-month contracts in the UK, basically the main appeal here is the lower length of the commitment, alongside the integrated insurance. If this becomes a success (even remotely), then expect all the other major UK operators to offer something similar very soon.

Via Android UK News etc.

• O2 UK intros cheaper 24 month iPhone 3G tariffs
• O2 to offer free iPhone 3G in UK
• HTC Sensation XE now available at Three UK, free from £30 per month
• Vodafone UK now has the HTC Desire Z and Nokia C7
• Nokia 700 now available at Vodafone UK, free from £26 per month

This is no smartphone, let that be clear. In fact, it’s probably the perfect device for those searching for a ‘classic’ non-touch candybar-style phone. Those still remembering the Nokia 3210 in their life, if you will. Or just someone who doesn’t use a phone for more than calling and texting.

The Orange Dallas should be dirt cheap. Orange hasn’t announced pricing yet, but after you read through the specs, you’ll understand that this needs to be very cheap to do well sales-wise.

The Orange Dallas comes with an MP3 player, FM radio, calculator, Bluetooth support, a VGA camera, microSD card support, and a flashlight. The Orange Dallas is rated at 5 hours talk time and 10 days standby time, which should be plenty.

The Orange Dallas will be available soon from Orange on Pay as you go. The operator hasn’t listed a specific date when the Dallas will go on sale, so stay tuned.

• Orange Lisbon and Orange Rio to be launched in the UK on PAYG
• PocketDevice Mphone Radio Number One Mp3 player/mobile phone
• Nokia X1-00 music phone announced, costs just €34
• Orange Vegas launched in the UK for only £48.50
• UK: Orange Rio II is a touchscreen + QWERTY candybar that costs £69.99 on Pay as you go

Unlike previous efforts such as the INQ Cloud Touch, the HTC Salsa or HTC ChaCha though, this isn’t a smartphone. It’s an featurephone built by Alcatel, and it runs a proprietary Vodafone operating system that has been built from the ground up with Facebook integration in mind.

If all the other Facebook-oriented devices are interesting experiments, this will be the Facebook phone for the masses. At least if those masses use Vodafone. The price is expected to be cheaper than that of the Vodafone Smart, which currently goes for just £75 in the UK on Pay as you go. The rumored price point for the 555 Blue is around £60.

The Vodafone 555 Blue will become available in August, presumably in many of the markets where Vodafone has a presence.

The phone has a 2.4-inch QVGA (320×240) landscape display (not a touchscreen), a full physical QWERTY keyboard (including a dedicated Facebook key), it lacks any 3G support having just dual-band EDGE on board, and it’s got a 200 MHz MediaTek processor (is the Taiwanese company finally making inroads into developed markets?).

The Vodafone 555 Blue also comes with a 2 MP camera with flash, a 3.5 mm headset jack, 40 MB of integrated storage expandable via microSD cards, Bluetooth 2.1, an FM radio, and a 1000 mAh battery.

Software-wise, aside from the Facebook integration, you’ll also find an IM client, an email client with POP3 and IMAP support, a music player, and Opera Mini for Web browsing.

For now, Vodafone has put up a page for the device, so if you need more information you can go there and get it.

Via Recombu

• Vodafone’s Blue Facebook phone launched in India
• UK: Vodafone 555 Facebook phone now available for £62.50
• Facebook 1.5 for BlackBerry previewed
• Nokia 6730 classic announced for Vodafone
• Sony Ericsson W715, a Vodafone exclusive

Micromax now has a new phone in its portfolio, the Q80. This is (of course) a dual-SIM offering, and one that has a candybar form factor as well as a full physical QWERTY keyboard. The Q80 is 3G enabled and even has its very own push email service and a special shortcut key for email.

The Micromax Q80 has a 2.4-inch QVGA (320×240) display, an optical trackpad, a 3 MP rear camera with face and smile detection, a 0.3 MP secondary front-facing camera, FM radio, music player, stereo speakers, video player, video recording capability, 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 68 MB internal storage space expandable via microSD cards, and a 1200 mAh battery. It’s 13 mm thick and weighs 113 grams.

The Micromax Q80 comes with preinstalled applications such as Opera Mini, Snaptu, Bloomberg UTV, ngpay, Burnout, Newshunt, Facebook, and Nimbuzz (for IM).

The Micromax Q80 is now available across India for Rs. 4,999, which is approximately $112 or €79. Not a bad price at all considering the features you’re getting.

Via FoneArena

• LG Optimus 2X and Huawei U6150 now available from Wind in Canada
• AT&T announces the Sony Ericsson C905a and W518a
• S60-powered Samsung i8510 Innov8 makes an appearance in NYC
• Samsung INNOV8 (a.k.a. 8510) announced, gets release date
• CDMA Samsung Corby Speed, Mpower Muzik 219 and Duos 259 announced in India

So here’s another one of ‘those’ devices, the Maxx Vista MS502 which has been launched in India. It comes from Maxx Mobiles, a phone maker that last week I said we get to rarely talk about – yet here we are, two posts in four days, so that may not be the case anymore.

The Maxx Vista MS502 is pink (or orange), has the required blingy look, but also has a very interesting (and not that common) form factor. It’s, as you can see, a portrait slider having a full physical QWERTY keyboard, a la the Palm Pre line.

But that’s not all. It’s also a dual-SIM phone. Interested? Then you should know it also has a 3.2 MP camera, a 3.5 mm headset jack, Bluetooth, video player, FM radio, a 1000 mAh battery, and dedicated keys for the music player and Facebook. The Vista even comes with its own ‘PC suite’ type software for syncing data to your computer.

The Maxx Vista MS502 is priced at Rs. 4,242 (which amounts to approximately $95 or €65). It will be available in Mumbai at first, followed by other Indian cities in the future at retailers such as Planet M, Tata Croma, Hyper City, Star Bazar, Mobile & Gadgets, Indian Naval Canteen, Kings Electronics, Hotspot, Reliance Web World and Next Electronics.

Via FoneArena

• India: Maxx Mobiles launches MX372 and MQ368, two new cheap dual-SIM phones
• Hands on with Orange UK’s New York at Mobile Asia Congress 2008
• Nokia X3-02 Touch and Type coming to Orange UK on PAYG
• Nokia Ovi Player launched; Nokia PC Suite supports Windows 7
• Nokia Ovi Suite 2.0 now out of beta

Maxx Mobiles has launched two new dual-SIM phones, the MX372 and MQ368, the latter having a full physical QWERTY keyboard fitted. The MX372 has a ‘normal’ T9 phone keypad, and both phones come quite cheap.

The Maxx MX372 has a 2-inch display, an optical trackpad, a 2 MP camera, a dedicated music button, and weighs just 61 grams. It comes with Java app support and Facebook and eBuddy IM preinstalled.

The MX372 comes in white, pink, purple, and wine red, and goes for Rs. 2524.

The MQ368 also has a 2-inch display, only this time it’s in landscape. It’s also got a 2 MP camera and optical trackpad. The MQ368 has a 1000 mAh battery, and even has special buttons for accessing Facebook (a la HTC ChaCha, no doubt) and MSN. The Maxx MQ368 costs Rs. 2636.

Both phones will be available only in Mumbai at first, then slowly reaching the rest of the country through retail outlets such as Planet M, Tata Croma, Hyper City, Star Bazar, Mobile & Gadgets, Indian Naval Canteen, Kings Electronics, Hotspot, Reliance Web World and Next electronics.

Via FoneArena

• India: Maxx Vista MS502 is a dual-SIM QWERTY portrait slider aimed at women
• HTC ChaCha price unveiled: €319 (in Germany)
• HTC ChaCha now available at T-Mobile UK, free from £20.42 per month
• #MWC11: HTC’s Facebook phones, Salsa and ChaCha, in live photos
• Facebook-centric HTC ChaCha now available in the UK

The Orange Atlanta is cheap indeed, at just £39.99 on Pay as you go. However, unlike any other phone we’ve ever seen on PAYG in the UK, if you want to get one, you’ll have to also buy a massive £50 initial top-up. Now requiring initial top-ups is pretty much the norm in the UK, but so is their value - £10. 50 quid, though? That seems a bit much.

Anyway, if somehow you’re still interested in this phone, let’s quickly go through its specs. It has a 2 MP camera with video capture support, an MP3 player, video messaging, POP3/IMAP email support, WAP, dual-band GSM, a microSD card slot, Bluetooth, and it comes with built-in games.

If you’d like to buy one, just go to Orange right now and place your order.

• Orange Dallas is a cheap candybar coming soon on PAYG
• Interesting Philips C600 and W186 unveiled
• Orange Vegas touchscreen phone to be launched for only €69 on PAYG
• Orange Lisbon and Orange Rio to be launched in the UK on PAYG
• UK: Orange Rio II is a touchscreen + QWERTY candybar that costs £69.99 on Pay as you go

From the start, you should know that this device isn’t for you if you’re more interested in how many apps a phone can run than in whether you can run it over with a car and it would still work afterwards. This is one for the professional who lives and/or works in tough conditions, who needs to have a phone he or she can depend on no matter what. Or it’s for those who simply don’t view their phone as a delicate electronic device, and are known to jump with it into pools, oceans, and so on.

In other words, this isn’t a phone for everyone. But those of you looking for a phone that can withstand almost anything will need to look no further. Rogers will give you a Sonim XP1300 Core for $149.99 if you agree to sign a new three-year contract, $199.99 with a two-year agreement, and $249.99 if you’d rather only commit for one year. If however you don’t want to have to do any contract signing whatsoever, the device can be yours for $299.99.

The Sonim XP1300 Core is built to withstand drops, shocks, vibrations, and rain, and it operates in temperatures ranging from -20 C to 55 C. It has a Gorilla Glass scratch resistant screen, and comes with noise cancelling tech and an extra loud speaker for easy communication no matter how loud the environment.  It’s also Bluetooth-capable.

Via MobileSyrup

• Motorola Extreme VA76r released in Canada, via Rogers
• Sonim XP3 launched in the UK – Vodafone to give it for free before Christmas
• Sonim XP1300 Core rugged phone (IP68 certified) to be announced next month
• Rugged, IP-68 rated Sonim XP1300 Core officially announced, costs $399
• Samsung Rugby and ZTE Rock F165 prepared by Rogers

For the ‘back to basics’ crowd, the Emporia RL1 is perfect. Oh, and because it doesn’t do much, it’s also cheap. You can get it for £60 on Pay as you go, and it’s free on contracts that cost £24.38 per month or more. That £24.38 per month gets you 600 minutes and unlimited texts, so you can put the Emporia’s main features to good use.

The Emporia RL1 is easy to use, it has larger than average keys, and up to 8 days standby time (and 3 hours talk time). It comes with and charges in the ‘dock’ thingie you see above. It’s got 100 entries in its phonebook memory, 8 MB of internal memory, and the display is a 1.8-inch OLED affair. Speaking of that, text size can be adjusted, the ringing volume can be boosted, and there’s even ‘extra powerful’ vibration.

The Emporia RL1 has an alarm clock, calculator, and birthday reminder tool, but no camera, no internet access whatsoever, and no MP3 player either.

It’s pretty clear who this phone is aimed at – and that’s fine. Those who think Androids are (just) humanoid robots need mobile phones too.

To buy an Emporia RL1, head on over to Vodafone.

Via SoMobile

• New Philips Xenium 9x9s clamshell. 30 days on stand-by too
• Cheap flip Samsung Chrono now available from Cricket
• BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 available for pre-order in the UK
• Vodafone 845 to be cheap, come with Android 2.1
• Vodafone UK announces the Sony Ericsson Vivaz, Qik mobile video service

But probably the best thing about the Orange Rio II is its price - £69.99 on Pay as you go. You have to get a £10 top-up when you buy the handset too. The Orange Rio II is available both in white and black (seen in the image below), and it has a 2.4-inch 320×240 resistive touchscreen, HSDPA, a 3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, FM radio, microSD card support (a 2 GB card comes in the box), and a 3.5 mm headset jack.

The phone comes with a Web browser, social networking integration, an email client, MP3 player, as well as a bunch of Orange apps such as Maps, Messenger, and Widgets.

If you’d rather get the Rio II on contract, you can do that too. It’s free on 24-month contracts that cost £20 per month or more.

If you’re interested in this texting-focused phone, head on over to Orange now and order one.

Via SoMobile

• Samsung C3300 Champ and Monte Slider E2550 coming to Orange UK on PAYG
• Unannounced LG Town C300 unveiled by Orange UK
• Nokia X3-02 Touch and Type, Sony Ericsson Yendo coming to T-Mobile UK
• Rugged Samsung Xcover B2710 launched in Russia. Orange UK will offer it, too
• Samsung Star II headed to Orange UK as Samsung Tocco Icon

The innovative new design represents a major advancement in transistor structure, which has used two-dimensional structures for nearly 50 years.

The 3D design, dubbed Tri-Gate, differs from a traditional transistor that transports electrons with flat, or “planar” movement; the new transistors now have a three-sided structure that allows conduction of electrons on three surfaces rather than just one.

Having three sides, the company says, enables as much transistor current flowing as possible when “on,” as little as possible when “off,” and super-fast switching between the two. Intel says this “fin” shaped design will allow the chips to operate at lower power with less leakage.

The vertical nature of the design also allows the transistors to be packed closer together, and allows designers to build upwards. This crucial new design element enables engineers to increase the height of the “fins” in future generations of chips to further increase performance and efficiency.

The chip-making behemoth plans to implement the technology into all of their product lines, ranging from powerful servers to low-power processors for mobile devices. The new 22nm chips have been codenamed “Ivy Bridge,” and are expected to see a 37 percent increase in performance at low power. In addition to environmental benefits, notebook chips can expect to run at lower power consumption with the same clock speed, greatly benefitting battery life.

Intel via PC Mag

• Otellini: No Intel-driven smartphones until at least 2012
• Apple Buys P.A. Semi CPU Designers
• ARM unveils Cortex-A15 MPCore architecture, 2.5 GHz mobile processors coming soon
• Apple selects Qualcomm baseband chip for iPhone 5, ditches Infineon/Intel?
• Samsung announces single chip capacitive touchscreen controller

What’s noteworthy about the Altek A14 Leo is that it has a 14MP autofocus camera with Xenon flash and 3x optical zoom – it’s the first Android handset with such a camera.

The Leo also features a 3.2 inch WVGA multi-touch capacitive display, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, HSDPA, GPS, an 800MHz processor, and MicroSD card support. Unfortunately, the handset runs Android 2.1 Éclair.

Starting this month, the Altek A14 Leo will be available in Taiwan and China. Russia and India should get it in the second quarter of the year.

Below you have some photos of the Altek A14 Leo, as well as a video preview (in Chinese), all found at sogi.com.tw – where you can also see the quality of photos shot with the phone.

According to DigiTimes, Altek plans top release another Android handset before the year’s end, which will be based on Android 2.2 or 2.3. There’s no word on what camera this handset will feature.

• Motorola Quench XT3 with Android launched in India
• Android G3: HTC’s third Android handset already in development?
• HTC readying a 16MP Windows Phone 7 handset?
• New Nokia N8 clone runs Android 2.1
• Sony Ericsson W8 (the first Android Walkman handset) is a disappointment

The new device is the ViewSonic V350, an Android 2.2 smartphone with dual SIM capabilities – a rare thing, isn’t it?

The V350 (see below) also features a 3.5 inch HVGA capacitive touchscreen display, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1, 5MP autofocus camera, and MicroSD card support.

The V350 dual-SIM Android phone will be showcased at MWC starting February 14, alongside a new dual-boot (Windows 7 – Android 2.2) ViewPad 10Pro tablet. ViewSonic didn’t say when the V350 and the 10Pro would be launched, but we’ll let you know if we find out more about this in Barcelona.

Via Press release

• ViewSonic ViewPad 7 announced as the “world’s first 7 inch Android 2.2 Froyo tablet with phone functionality”
• ViewSonic ViewPad 7e Android tablet launching in North America this month for $199
• Android-based ViewSonic ViewPad 4 phone announced
• ViewSonic’s ViewPad 4 and V350 (dual SIM) Android phones to be launched in India
• ViewSonic ViewPad 7x may be the world’s first 7-inch tablet to run Android Honeycomb

Well, the two phones are now official, and they’re called INQ Cloud Touch (just like we told you before), and INQ Cloud Q. Both handsets run Android 2.2 and should provide an “all-new Facebook mobile experience,” being the first to come with “the Facebook social graph API.”

The new phones’ homescreens will act as visual Facebook feeds that feature one-touch links to Facebook Chat, Messages, Friends, Notifications, and Wall.

The INQ Cloud Touch (pictured below) features a 3.5 inch HVGA display, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS, 3.5mm headset jack, Spotify music player, 5MP camera, 600MHz processor, and a 4GB MicroSD card preinstalled. The handset will be available in April in the UK (via Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy) for an unknown price.

The INQ Cloud Q features a 2.6 inch QVGA display and a full QWERTY keyboard, and should be available starting the third quarter of the year.

“The INQ Cloud Touch and INQ Cloud Q bring Facebook to people with a single touch while they are mobile and demonstrate the power of socially aware devices. INQ has built an innovative and easy to use set of features that enable people to use common Facebook interactions such as viewing photos and videos, chat, message, and check-in to their favorite businesses all from the home screen,” declared Henri Moissinac, Head of Mobile Business for Facebook.

Recently, there have been rumors about a Facebook-branded HTC phone, but Facebook quickly denied them – so it seems that the Cloud Touch and Cloud Q are the closest things to a Facebook phone we’ll get this year. Is anyone eager to Like these two handsets?

Via Press release (PDF file)

• INQ Cloud Touch Android phone with “Facebook built into its core” coming
• Facebook-centric INQ Cloud Touch available in the UK
• INQ Cloud Touch Android Facebook phone on pre-order in the UK for £299.95 SIM-free, ships on April 6
• INQ’s Cloud Q Facebook Android phone cancelled
• INQ Cloud Touch will be available at Telus and Koodo Mobile in Canada on July 13

The Facebook phone will have location-aware coupons. You pick some main categories of interest, and then, when you’re near any store that fits in any of those categories, coupons are automatically pushed to your phone.

An always-on GPS service will run in the background and automatically check you into locations, allowing you (or, this being Facebook, perhaps outright imposing on you) to share these with your friends.

The phone will have very little local storage space, relying almost exclusively on ‘the cloud’ for everything. Contacts, media, data – all will be always synced with the cloud.

The phone will have a camera, and all the pictures you take will be automatically uploaded to the cloud (presumably to Facebook if this is a Facebook phone).

The Facebook phone will also have a news ticker-style notification system that will show you message content as it’s delivered, regardless of message type. All the messages (presumably text messages, Facebook messages, IMs, etc.) will make it into one inbox, where they will be sortable by type, but initially unfiltered.

The Facebook phone is starting to look like the successor, in the mobile rumor world, to the Apple phone (finally confirmed after years of speculation), and the Google phone (that resulted in an OS also years after the first rumor surfaced). Let’s hope the Facebook phone gets to market sooner than those previous things did. If not, we’ll just have to feed your Facebook phone appetite with rumor after rumor. We’ll see.

• Facebook-centric INQ Cloud Touch and Cloud Q Android phones announced
• INQ’s Cloud Q Facebook Android phone cancelled
• INQ Cloud Touch Android Facebook phone on pre-order in the UK for £299.95 SIM-free, ships on April 6
• TextBuyIt: Shop on Amazon With Text Messaging
• NEC’s “Bubble Talk” service enables voice message sending on the fly

Today’s contender comes from Akai, and is the Trio. Obviously named after its most important feature, the Trio has a 2-inch display, 1.3-megapixel camera, FM radio, audio and video player, Bluetooth, WAP, GPRS, a flashlight/torch, a memory card slot, and support for blacklisting. The battery has a capacity of 1100 mAh. And, naturally, the Akai Trio has three SIM card slots.

It’s available for Rs.3295. It will be interesting to see if it manages to capture some of the dual-SIM market for itself.

Via FoneArena

• Samsung D980/D988 – DuoS with touchscreen
• LG A155 (with dual SIM) and LG A120 unveiled
• Triple SIM phone makes an appearance
• BlackBerry Torch 9860 launches in India, priced at Rs. 28,490
• Samsung Anycall SCH-W619 GSM/CDMA Dual network phone

The handset is called Alcatel OT-355 (just like another Alcatel phone released in 2004) and is a QWERTY candybar with a really small display and no 3G.

Other features include: MP3 player, FM radio with RDS, VGA photo camera, MicroSD card support (up to 4GB), and a battery that can provide a talk-time of up to 9 hours, or a standby time of up to 7 days.

Orange will offer the Alcatel OT-355 only to Pay As You Go customers – you can see the phone here. There’s no word on price yet, but I’d say it will be under £50.

• Orange Lisbon and Orange Rio to be launched in the UK on PAYG
• Orange Dallas is a cheap candybar coming soon on PAYG
• Alcatel OT-707 and OT-800 – cheap touchscreen and QWERTY phones
• Sporty Alcatel OT-I650 comes with a G-sensor and an affordable price tag
• New Samsung E2230 offers long battery life

So, starting this Friday, and all the way up until Christmas Eve, you can get any phone or smartphone in US Cellular’s lineup for free. But that’s not all.

If you choose a smartphone, not only will you get the device for free, but US Cellular will also give you $100 free credit for your new bill. This applies to new customers as well as existing customers adding a smartphone line.

Smartphones that are in US Cellular’s lineup, and are therefore in the promo, include the Android-powered HTC Desire, Samsung Mesmerize (their version of the Galaxy S), and LG Optimus U (their version of the Optimus One). Also available are the BlackBerry Bold and Curve, along with featurephones such as the Motorola Grasp and LG Mistique.

You’ll need to sign a 2-year contract, but US Cellular’s “no contract after the first” policy is a lot more humane than those of other carriers. And let’s not forget that a Consumer Reports survey has recently shown that US Cellular is the best US carrier for contract service, so there’s that too.

Via US Cellular

Update: US Cellular customers who have signed up for a Belief Plan and are already eligible to get a phone upgrade will be able to get free phones without signing a new contract, as part of US Cellular’s “no contract after the first” policy.

Thanks to US Cellular’s Steve Carlson for getting in touch and making the clarification.

• Motorola WX345 now available for free from Consumer Cellular
• US Cellular has a buy one, get five free promotion for Android smartphones
• LG Optimus U with Android Froyo arriving at U.S. Cellular next week
• Consumer Reports survey shows AT&T is the worst carrier in the US
• Best Buy offering free Android phones this month, Droid Incredible, LG Optimus S and T included

The phone is called Sanyo Taho and is a clamshell that can be yours for $99.99 on contract. It is available right away online and in Sprint retail stores.

The Taho meets Military Specifications 810G, withstanding shock, vibration, dust, and moisture. It can also be submerged in water for up to half an hour.

Other features: 2 inch QVGA internal display, 1 inch external monochrome display, Ev-Do connectivity, Sprint Navigation, Sprint Family Locator, Music player, stereo Bluetooth, email, Web browser, 2MP camera, and MicroSD card support (up to 32GB).

Sprint is currently selling five other Sanyo phones, including the Sanyo Innuendo and the Android-based Sanyo Zio – reviewed by us here.

Via Sprint

• Kyocera Sanyo Innuendo QWERTY phone launched by Sprint
• Boost Mobile launches Sanyo Innuendo, $129.99
• Sanyo SCP-2700 and LG Lotus in red announced by Sprint
• Sprint launches Sanyo Katana Eclipse X, basically an Eclipse with One Click UI
• Sanyo Katana Eclipse slices way through FCC

The Kyocera Rio has a 2.8-inch QVGA (240×320) touchscreen, a 1.3 megapixel camera, microSD card slot (cards up to 16 GB are supported), 3.5 mm headset jack, stereo Bluetooth support, and, rather unexpectedly for this price range – an optical trackpad.

The Kyocera Rio is now available at Cricket for $109.99.

Via Engadget

• Cricket MSGM8 II launched, Kyocera Rio E3100 coming soon
• Sprint Kyocera Milano to be just $29.99 starting on October 2
• Kyocera Zio M6000 with Android announced
• Huawei Mercury (Honor) with Android launched by Cricket
• Sprint intros Kyocera Milano with Android Gingerbread and Kyocera Brio

The QT-95 has a candybar form factor, the aforementioned full physical QWERTY keyboard, a 220×176 display, an optical trackpad, video calling support, a 3.2 MP camera, 48 MB internal memory, two microSD card slots, an FM radio with FM recording and scheduled recording support, 3G, EDGE and GPRS support, Bluetooth 2.1. The Spice QT-95 comes with Facebook, Snaptu, Yahoo and Nimbuzz IM pre-installed. It weighs only 68 grams and has a 1000 mAh battery.

The phone’s recommended retail price is Rs. 5,499 – that’s approximately $122 for those keeping track. Quite affordable indeed, and it’s presumably already available in shops. More information here.

Via Cellpassion

• India: Tata Indicom launches Fly Mobile CG 588, a dual-network (CDMA+GSM) capable QWERTY phone
• Looking for a Yahoo phone? Check out the Alcatel One Touch Net
• India: Micromax Q80 is a dual-SIM QWERTY candybar with its own push email service
• Spice Mobile ltd. launches Spice X-1 gaming phone
• Alcatel OT-707 and OT-800 – cheap touchscreen and QWERTY phones

Reuters has it that the first Android handsets made by Panasonic will be released in Japan, sometime early next year.

Starting 2012, the company will also introduce Android devices outside its home country – Europe and the US are likely two of the markets it’s aiming at.

In Japan, Panasonic’s Androids will compete with Samsung’s Galaxy S, as well as with Apple’s iPhone.

Panasonic can certainly make interesting hardware (see the 13MP P-03C Lumix phone above), so let’s hope its Android devices won’t disappoint.

• Panasonic reconfirms plans to sell Android phones in Europe, North America
• Panasonic plans an Android phone for outside Japan
• Panasonic unveils 4.3 inch qHD Android smartphone for Europe
• Panasonic P706ie headed for NTT DoCoMo in Japan
• NEC to re-launch phones outside Japan, probably in Europe

The TXTM8 3G is Cricket’s first device “with high-speed EVDO capabilities” priced at under $100 – not well under $100, of course, since it costs $99.99.

The new phone features a full QWERTY keyboard, QVGA display, stereo Bluetooth, “real time web browsing”, “one key access to schedule”, email, 2MP camera with video recording, and MicroSD card support.

The TXTM8 3G is available online, in Cricket branded retail stores, and at select dealers. If you buy the handset online, you’ll pay only $79.99 for it (Cricket offers a web-only discount).

Via Press release

• ZTE Chorus with Android and Muve Music launched by Cricket
• ZTE Memo cheap QWERTY candybar featurephone now available at Cricket
• Samsung Transfix R730 with Android Gingerbread launched by Cricket
• Samsung Comment QWERTY candybar now available at Cricket for $89.99
• Cheap Kyocera S1300 and Cricket A100 launched in the US

Manufactured by ZTE (which makes handsets for lots of companies these days), the Vibe is offered only on Pay As You Go and is really cheap: £39.99 (about €47 or $65).

The new phone features a 2.8 inch QVGA touchscreen display, sliding QWERTY keyboard, social networking integration, MP3 player, FM radio, stereo Bluetooth, 2MP camera with video recording, and a 2GB memory card pre-installed.

You can buy the Vibe online at T-Mobile UK’s website, in black (here) and pink (here). No word yet if T-Mobile plans to launch the Vibe in other countries.

Via Press release

• Sprint’s BlackBerry Style 9670 (Oxford) gets official: $99.99 starting October 31
• Affordable Cricket TXTM8 3G messaging phone launched in the US
• Boost Mobile announces the flip-QWERTY Motorola Rambler and the flip Motorola Bali
• Free of contract T-Mobile Pulse launched in the UK
• Sprint intros HTC Evo Design 4G and ZTE Warp (for Boost) Android phones

The most interesting of them is the JCB Tradesman, which has received the “world’s first floating phone” title from the Guinness Book of Records.

The Tradesman is IP67 certified (waterproof and dustproof) and features a 1.44 inch CSTN color display, tri-band GSM connectivity (900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz), Bluetooth 2.0, FM radio, MicroUSB, and built-in torch. JCB presents it as being “ideal for everyone from white van man to seafarers, plumbers to kids.”

(live photos via Pocket-lint)

The JCB Tradesman costs £74.99 (€85 or $122). The other three new rugged phones are more expensive: £114.99 (Toughphone Sitemaster), £244.99 (Toughphone Pro), £254.99 (Toughphone Pro-Talk).

You can check out any of the new JCB phones online here. They will be available for purchase starting mid-November (not sure if customers based outside the UK will be able to get them).

• HTC Surround and Samsung Focus will both hit AT&T on November 8. White and red BlackBerry Torch coming a day earlier
• T-Mobile BlackBerry Torch 9810 now up for pre-order, shipping November 9
• White BlackBerry Torch coming soon to Vodafone UK
• White BlackBerry Torch available at Rogers. Telus’ LG Optimus One to cost $200 off contract
• Samsung Guru 2120, 2130 and 1160 launched in India

Meet the Fly Mobile CG 588. This isn’t a dual SIM phone, since Tata Indicom’s network is CDMA. Instead, it’s a dual-network type phone, able to operate both on Tata Indicom’s CDMA network and another GSM network at the same time.

It’s also a phone that packs a physical QWERTY keyboard, and as such should appeal to heavy texters. The CG 588 also comes with Fly Buzz, an application that is described as being a combination of Nimbuzz and Snaptu, allowing its users to connect to IM networks as well as social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

The Fly Mobile CG 588 has a QVGA (320×240) display, a 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, microSD card support (a 2GB card is included in the sales package), FM radio, 3.5 mm headset jack and a big 1500 mAh battery that should comfortably last a couple of days at least even with very heavy use.

The phone costs Rs.4795 (or approximately $108) and that may be a very decent price for what it offers.

Via IntoMobile

• CDMA Samsung Corby S3650 coming to India?
• Samsung Anycall SCH-W619 GSM/CDMA Dual network phone
• LG Cookie Zip arrives in India (for CDMA markets)
• CDMA Samsung Corby Speed, Mpower Muzik 219 and Duos 259 announced in India
• HTC ChaCha launches in India, will cost Rs. 15,990

Aside from the 3D display, the two other interesting features of the M-67 are the fact that it’s dual SIM and it has remote wipe capability.

Other than that, this phone is pretty low-end. Even the display, while 3D, is only 2.4 inches diagonally and has a resolution of only 240×320. The camera is 2 MP, there’s Bluetooth, but no Wi-Fi or 3G (for either SIM slot). The phone supports microSD cards up to 16 GB, has a dedicated key that will switch the display from 2D mode to 3D, an FM radio, 3.5 mm headset jack and MP3 player.

Perhaps the most important feature of all in this case is the M-67′s price: that’s Rs. 4,299 or approximately $97 at the moment. That’s a pretty sweet deal for a 3D display-touting, dual SIM phone with remote wipe built-in. If, of course, 3D on a phone makes any sense to you at all.

The Spice M-67 3D will be sold through more than 50,000 retail outlets, including 750 Spice HotSpot stores.

Via Cellpassion and Techtree

• Nokia X2-02 announced: new dual-SIM music phone
• Spice Mobile ltd. launches Spice X-1 gaming phone
• Dual SIM Nokia C1-00 and C2 launched in India
• Cheap Dual-SIM Samsung Guru E2152 launches in India
• LG A155 (with dual SIM) and LG A120 unveiled

Reportedly recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world’s lightest touch phone, the modu T is a Brew-based handset with a 2.2 inch screen and other features like: GPS, social networking integration, web access, Google Search, YouTube, music player, FM radio, 2GB of internal memory, and MicroSD card support (up to 32GB).

The modu T can be connected to several additional “fy” devices, which enhance its functionality. Apparently, you can:

• camerafy your modu T phone with a “compact and intuitive” 5MP camera
• boostify the phone for enjoying “hands-free calls, your favorite songs & intuitive single key operations, all while staying connected”
• sportfy the handset and “turn it into your exercise companion”
• textify the phone by adding “a full QWERTY keyboard makeover” (which also included a 5MP camera)

The modu T “is expected to be launched soon in various countries.” The phone’s price has not been announced.

After launching the modu T, modu will introduce the modu W – a similar handset, but running Android and featuring Wi-Fi. I don’t understand why modu isn’t going all-Android and complicates things with a Brew device,  but… that’s actually the company’s problem (if it’s a problem at all).

Via Press release

• Maker of world’s lightest cellphone sets up branch in Korea
• Modu 2 phone to feature touchscreen and HSDPA
• Modu finally launches its first cell phone
• HTC Touch HD with full QWERTY keyboard to be named HTC Touch HD Pro?
• IFA 2007 Report. Samsung i620 Windows Mobile Slider

The handset comes in a “dual injected shell” that includes hardened rubber and fiberglass, and meets US MIL-810G certification for humidity, fog, salt, thermal shock and transport shock.

Other features:

• 2 inch scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass display with “high-resolution” (probably not higher than QVGA).
• Withstands 2 meter drops onto concrete
• Noise-cancelling microphone
• MP3 and video players
• Up to 18 hours of talk time
• Up to 800 hours of standby time
• Can work in temperatures ranging from -20 degrees C to +55 degrees C
• 3-Year comprehensive warranty

Sonim says the XP1300 Core will be available worldwide starting November. In the US, the phone will cost $399 unlocked.

Via Press release (registration needed)

• Sonim XP1300 Core rugged phone (IP68 certified) to be announced next month
• Canada: Sonim XP1300 Core launched by Rogers
• Sonim XP3 launched in the UK – Vodafone to give it for free before Christmas
• #CES 2010: Sonim XP3.2 Quest Pro announced for the US (AT&T, T-Mobile compatible)
• Land Rover S1 and Land Rover S2 G4 rugged phones announced by Sonim

The new handsets (Samsung Transform, LG Optimus S and Kyocera Sanyo Zio) are Android-based and come with Sprint ID, which “allows users to quickly download ID packs that deliver a predefined experience, including applications, widgets, ringtones and wallpapers, all at once. Packs are designed to meet customers’ interests – for instance, whether they are a sports fan, fitness fanatic or auto enthusiast.”

The Transform is pretty much a smaller Samsung Epic 4G (sans 4G and without too many high-end features). It has a sliding QWERTY keyboard, a 3.5 inch HVGA touchscreen display, Wi-Fi, GPS, 256MB RAM, 512MB ROM, 800MHz processor, front-facing VGA camera for video chat, and a 3.2MP photo camera on the back.

The Samsung Transform runs Android 2.1, but it will be upgraded to 2.2 Froyo later this year. Sprint will sell the smartphone starting October 10 for $149.99 on contract (after a $100 mail-in rebate).

Also available starting October 10, the Sanyo Zio will cost $99.99 on contract, coming with Android 2.1, a 3.5 inch WVGA display, GPS, Wi-Fi,and 3.2MP autofocus camera.

Like T-Mobile’s Optimus T, Sprint’s LG Optimus S is a modified Optimus One. Hence, it features Android 2.2 Froyo (thumbs up to LG for that), 3.2 inch HVGA display, virtual QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi, GPS, and 3.2MP camera.

The Optimus S will be available at Sprint starting October 30 for $49.99 on contract (after a $100 mail-in rebate).

Via Sprint

• Samsung Transform Ultra coming to Sprint
• Samsung Moment and Sanyo SCP-3810 now available at Sprint
• LG Optimus S with Android Froyo available at Sprint this Sunday
• LG Optimus U with Android Froyo arriving at U.S. Cellular next week
• LG Marquee and Samsung Transform Ultra now free at Sprint

Like the Kyocera Zio (released by Cricket in August), the Ascend is a low-cost Android handset. Available starting mid-October, the handset will cost only $149.99 free of contract.

The new Huawei phone runs Android 2.1 and features a 3.5 inch HVGA touchscreen display, Wi-Fi, music player, and 3.2MP camera, and MicroSD card support.

Engadget has some live photos and a hands-on video of the Ascend:

Cricket says that the new phone will be offered on its “all-inclusive $55 Android plan, which provides users with unlimited talk, text, 411 information, navigation, international text, unlimited and video picture messages, and unlimited data services.”

You can now buy the  Huawei Ascend on Cricket contract-free for $139.99.

Via Press release

• Cricket intros the Huawei Ascend II, a Gingerbread smartphone for $129.99 sans contract
• Cheap Huawei Ascend with Android launched by MetroPCS
• Huawei Ascend II will be available at US Cellular next week for free (with contract)
• Samsung Indulge now available at Cricket, $329.99 without contract
• Cheap flip Samsung Chrono now available from Cricket

AT&T’s new handset is the LG Neon II (GW370), which obviously comes to replace the old Neon GT365.

The Neon II features a 2.4 inch QVGA touchscreen display, 4-row QWERTY keyboard, social networking integration, 3G, voice-guided GPS, web browser, 2MP camera, and MicroSD card support (up to 16GB).

The handset can be yours in three color versions: blue, red or orange. It costs $29.99 on contract, or $179.99 without any agreement, and can be bought online here.

Sprint’s new phone is the Sanyo Vero, and entry-level clamshell that costs just $9.99 with a new 2-yr agreement (or $209.99 without).

The Vero features a 2.4 inch QVGA internal display, smaller external OLED screen, “easy-to-use keypad”, Bluetooth, web browser, Google Search, and 1.3MP camera. Buy it online here.

Via Phone Arena

• Samsung Moment and Sanyo SCP-3810 now available at Sprint
• Alcatel OT-808, a phone with a “netbook look”
• Sprint launches new rugged Sanyo Taho phone
• LG UX280 Wine launched by U.S. Cellular
• LG LX290, Inferno BlackBerry Curve 8330 launched by Sprint

As the third member of the Casio G’zOne range, the Ravine brings a new form-factor to the rugged phone world: the clamshell.

This phone is, as expected, dust-, water- and shock-resistant, and can withstand the most brutal environments. Whether you’re a fan of surfing, skiing, hiking, climbing, hunting, fishing or other outdoorsy adventures, this is one device that will be able to take whatever you throw at it.

Aside from resisting water, dust and shock, the Ravine is also immune to vibration, humidity, altitude, salt fog, solar radiation, and high and low temperatures. It conforms to MIL-STD-810G and comes with three sensors – for direction, acceleration and temperature.

Specs that are also commonly found in other, non-rugged devices include a 3.2 megapixel camera with video capture capabilities and LED flash, Clear Talk noise cancellation, Text-to-Speech and voice dictation, GPS, compass, Bluetooth, Push-to-talk and a microSD card slot.

The Casio G’zOne Ravine will be available soon from Verizon for $149.99 (after a $50 mail-in rebate) with a new 2-year service agreement.

Via Verizon

• Verizon announces the rugged Casio G’zOne Ravine 2, out on November 17 for $149.99
• Verizon’s Casio G’zOne Brigade C741 now officially available
• Verizon announces the rugged Casio G’zOne Rock
• Rugged, Android-powered Casio G’zOne Commando unveiled by Verizon, launches on April 28 for $199.99
• Verizon Casio G’Zone Commando Android 2.3 Gingerbread update now rolling out

The Sharp-manufactured Kin One and Kin Two phones were overpriced, offered by Verizon in the US on expensive data plans, and reviewers were quick to point out the lack of required features (for a “social device”) like Instant Messaging, calendar, or Microsoft Outlook sync.

Anyway, Microsoft has hastily abandoned Kin, and thus the planned European release will never take place.

But if you still want to get a Kin phone, a Chinese manufacturer is here to help. Meet the X5-01 Haina G22, a Microsoft Kin One copycat that features a 2.2 inch QVGA screen, dual SIM capabilities, 1.3MP photo camera, and VGA front-facing camera for video-calling.

The X5-01 (which, as you may have noticed, has the same name as that Nokia QWERTY slider announced in Singapore this summer) is not yet available, but it should be, soon (probably only in China). The handset’s price is not known at the moment.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is hard at work to deliver Windows Phone 7 on time (next month). I wonder how long it will take until we see WP7 clones… Not too long, I assume.

Via Shanzhaiji, ClonedinChina

• Nokia E7 finally arrives in (some) stores. New Nokia E6 shows up in photos
• RIM PlayBook with 4G (WiMax) announced for Sprint
• Vizio Via Android phone and tablet announced – Nokia specialists developed them
• Nokia’s Asha 300 and Asha 200 S40 phones launched in India
• Asus Eee Pad Slider finally available in the UK for £429.99

According to PortableGear, Sonim has a new rugged phone that’s called Sonim XP1300 Core and should be announced at the beginning of October.

The XP1300 Core is IP68 certified (the previous model, Sonim XP3.2 Quest Pro, was only IP67 certified). This means it provides complete protection against dust, and can be submerged in water at depths greater than 1 meter.

The new phone features GPRS/EDGE connectivity, Bluetooth, media player, and web browsing.

The price of Sonim XP1300 Core is not known yet – it should be around $500, since the XP3.2 Quest Pro costs that much (unlocked, of course).

• #CES 2010: Sonim XP3.2 Quest Pro announced for the US (AT&T, T-Mobile compatible)
• Land Rover S1 and Land Rover S2 G4 rugged phones announced by Sonim
• Sonim XP3 launched in the UK – Vodafone to give it for free before Christmas
• Rugged, IP-68 rated Sonim XP1300 Core officially announced, costs $399
• Rugged Samsung E2370 X-treme launched in Germany, costs €129

Plus, this isn’t a satellite-only phone. It will work just fine as any other cellular device on AT&T. However, when AT&T’s coverage fails you, the satellites are there to provide the much-needed signal.

This phone is not cheap, at $799. Also, to benefit from its satellite connectivity, you have to pony up an additional $25 per month on top of whatever AT&T plan you already have. And on top of that, each minute of satellite calls costs $0.65/minute, each SMS is $0.40 and data is $5/MB.

But perhaps most intriguingly, this is a satphone that won’t work anywhere in the world, because its satellite operation is limited to just the US, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and US territorial waters. Rather strange. And it’s what makes this phone suitable mostly for those who travel or work in remote locations in the US, where cell signal has yet to exist.

A niche if I ever saw one. But AT&T do say that this device is aimed at “enterprise, government and small business customers”.

Anyway, the Genus is powered by Windows Mobile 6.5.3 and has a very usable-looking full QWERTY keyboard.

It’s one unique device, that’s for sure, and I’m sure that quite a few people will find it interesting enough to purchase.

Via Press release

• AT&T announces TerreStar Genus cellular / satellite smartphone
• FCC Considers Banning Signal Boosters
• #CTIA09: Elektrobit Hybrid Cellular-Satellite Phone
• Obama Administration Bans Fed Employees From Texting-and-Driving
• Chrysler adds optional in-car Wi-Fi to 2009 models

Like the Sanyo Incognito (currently available at Sprint for free on contract), the Innuendo has two displays – a small, OLED external one, and a 2.8 inch WQVGA internal one.

The phone also comes with a full QWERTY keyboard, external alphanumeric keypad, GPS, proximity sensor, stereo Bluetooth, MP3 player, Sprint One Click carousel (with dedicated Twitter, Facebook and MySpace apps), 3.2MP camera, and MicroSD card support (1GB card included).

Sprint sell the Sanyo Innuendo for $49.99 with a 2-yr agreement, or $249.99 without contract. You can buy the phone online here.

Via Sprint

• Sprint launches new rugged Sanyo Taho phone
• Boost Mobile launches Sanyo Innuendo, $129.99
• Sprint launches Sanyo Katana Eclipse X, basically an Eclipse with One Click UI
• Motorola i890 iDEN clamshell now available at Sprint
• AT&T LG Neon II GW370 and Sprint Sanyo Vero available now

The Ideos U8150 (pictured below) is not a high-end device, but Huawei is not aiming at this market segment anyway.

The phone comes with a 2.8 inch touchscreen display, HSDPA, GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11n, 3.2MP camera, and a 528MHz processor.

Huawei says the price of the Ideos will be “very attractive.” The handset will likely be available starting next month.

As a reminder, IFA Berlin is also the place where Samsung will finally present its first Android tablet, the Galaxy Tab. Other new mobile devices could also be announced there, so it’s looking to be a really interesting show.

Via PC World, AndroidOS.in

• Huawei Ideos X5, X2 and Ideos Chat bring more Android to India
• Huawei S7 Slim Android tablet and Ideos X3 Android smartphone coming at MWC
• UK: Huawei Ideos can now be yours for only £139.99 SIM-free
• Huawei Ideos S7 Android tablet on pre-order at Best Buy alongside Samsung’s Galaxy Tab (for Verizon and Sprint)
• Android 2.3 Gingerbread for Huawei U8800 Ideos X5 Pro now available for download

Also known as Samsung Champ, the Libre C3300 is a tiny touch-only handset. It features a 2.4 inch QVGA screen, TouchWiz Lite UI, accelerometer, Bluetooth, 3.5mm headset jack, 1.3MP camera, and MicroSD card support (up to 8GB).

You can buy the Samsung Libre here at Orange – it costs only £49 on PAYG.

The Orange Amsterdam is actually a rebranded Alcatel One Touch Xtra.

The Amsterdam also has a 2.4 inch QVGA touchscreen display, but it features a sliding QWERTY keyboard, too. Like the Samsung Libre, the Orange Amsterdam costs only £49 on PAYG. You can buy it online here.

• Orange Lisbon and Orange Rio to be launched in the UK on PAYG
• AT&T LG Neon II GW370 and Sprint Sanyo Vero available now
• Orange Stockholm (with Android) and Orange Sydney coming soon to the UK
• Unannounced LG Town C300 unveiled by Orange UK
• Nokia C3 available on PAYG at AT&T. T-Mobile’s Nuron soon on pre-pay, too

The MSGM8 II is a candybar with a full QWERTY keypad and a 220 x 176 pixels landscape display. It also features “one touch Web access via MyHomeScreen”, voice recognition, Bluetooth, microUSB, and a 1.3MP camera.

You can buy the Cricket MSGM8 II here – it costs only $80.

Another phone that Cricket will launch soon is the Brew-based Kyocera Rio E3100.

As you can see in the image above, the Rio is a touchscreen device. It features a 2.8 inch QVGA display, A-GPS, stereo Bluetooth, 3.5mm headset jack, WAP 2.0 browser, threaded messaging, 1.3MP camera, and MicroSD card support (up to 16GB).

Cricket may want to launch the Rio E3100 at the same time with the Android-based Kyocera Zio, namely on August 15. We’ll see.

Via PhoneScoop

• Cricket to launch Samsung r710, r631, Kyocera Zio, BlackBerry 8530 and more
• Kyocera Rio now available from Cricket for $130 sans contract
• Android 1.6-running Kyocera Zio will be launched by Cricket on August 15
• Kyocera X-tc and JAX introduced by Virgin Mobile
• Kyocera Zio M6000 with Android announced

The U8300 features a QVGA landscape display, full QWERTY keypad, Wi-Fi, stereo Bluetooth, 3.2MP camera, MicroSD card support, and an unknown version of Android (possibly 1.6).

The Huawei U8300 will be available in a variety of paint jobs, including the electric green one seen below:

Huawei U8500 is a full-touch device with a 3.2 inch screen, optical trackpad and 3G. No word yet on which version of Android it’s running.

The other two handsets are the Brew-based Huawei U9130 and Huawei C5600. The first one (U9130) is a BlackBerry-styled phone with a QWERTY keypad and social networking integration, while the second one (C5600) is a CDMA candybar. They’re both aimed at young customers.

All four Huawei phones should be available in India starting August 1 through carriers like Airtel, Reliance and Tata.

Update: CellPassion has more details and some live photos. It looks like there will be a total of 20 Huawei phones coming to India starting August. Most of the Android ones will run Android 2.1 at launch. Prices will be between 8,000 INR and 15,000 INR ($170 – $320).

Huawei has chosen to bring its phones to India in an important moment: Indian carriers are getting ready to launch 3G services in key cities. In China, when 3G was launched, smartphone sales soared, so this will probably happen in India, too.

• NTT DoCoMo and Tata launch new GSM brand in India
• Nokia to sell CDMA phones to fewer carriers, Verizon and China Mobile included
• LG Cookie Zip arrives in India (for CDMA markets)
• RIM intros the BlackBerry Bold 9700 in India
• New Countries Confirm August iPhone Launch

The Tag Heuer Meridiist Black Diamond is PVD-coated and is made out of 316L stainless steel, 18-carat pink gold, lizard leather, and 1.34-carat diamonds.

The Tag Heuer Meridiist Stainless steel & Rose Gold is also dressed in 18-carat pink gold, stainless steel and leather (alligator), but it doesn’t have diamonds.

The Meridiist Python Gold Dust brings back the diamonds (1.3 carats) and mixes them with gold, East African green garnet, and python leather.

Like the older models, all new Meridiist phones come with 1.9 inch QVGA sapphire crystal displays, secondary OLED displays at the top, 2MP cameras and 2GB of internal memory.

Details on availability and pricing have not been disclosed.

Via Mobile-review

• Luxury Mobile Phone Named: Tag Heuer Meridiist
• TAG Heuer MERIDIIST Lamborghini luxury phone announced
• TAG Heuer Fuchsia MERIDIIST GMT luxury phone unveiled
• Gresso Avangarde Sol and Luna. Lot’s of gold and hardwood
• Pics, specs of new Tag Heuer Meridiist

An Alpha keyboard is presented as a “a path-breaking innovation” and it has its keys arranged alphabetically, instead of in the QWERTY way.

Lava says that these phones are made for those who don’t have a PC – “a large segment of mobile users who are not familiar or comfortable with QWERTY or Multi-tap keypads.”

The Lava B5 costs 4,399 INR ($95) and features a 2.2 inch QVGA display, dual SIM capabilities, email, Opera mini, Nimbuzz, MSN, Skype, FM radio, Bluetooth, Media player, 3.5mm headset jack, and memory card support. The Lava B2 is slightly cheaper, although its features are about the same.

I’d probably get used to typing on an Alpha keyboard eventually, although my first attempts to write, say, “hello world” would definitely come out as “pcssi bidsm.”

The B2 and B5 also have QWERTY versions – you can see them at Lava’s official website (where the Alpha-key versions should have been listed, too, but they’re not – yet).

Via Unwire India

• Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro to hit the UK on April 13
• INQ Chat 3G and Mini 3G – Twitter phones with iTunes syncing
• Cheap Nokia X2 QWERTY phone launched by T-Mobile USA
• Opera Mini 5 and Opera Mobile 10 now out of beta
• INQ Chat 3G available in the UK, £99.99 on PAYG

The phone is an “ultra slim”, highly customizable candybar: you can choose from brushed steel, polished silver, 24K yellow gold, or 18K rose gold finishes. Also, 125 genuine leather options are available (including black buffalo, brown lizard, red shark and pink crocodile).

Some specs:

• Quad-band GSM and tri-band HSPA (900/1900/2100) connectivity
• 2.2 inch QVGA display with 16 million colors (protected with sapphire crystal)
• Accelerometer
• GPS navigation
• Stereo Bluetooth
• FM radio
• Noise cancellation
• Email, Web browser, Outlook synchronization
• 5MP autofocus camera with LED flash, VGA video recording
• 111 x 45 x 11.2 mm

Judging by what we’re seeing in the press photos, Bellperre hopes to sell its new phone to businessmen and businesswomen. I wouldn’t buy the handset – even though Bellperre says it’s “affordable” – but then again, I’m not a businessman.

Customers can find out more about the new phone at Bellperre’s official website.

Via Press release (registration required)

• Bellperre Finest Woods luxury phone series launched
• Mobiado Classic 712ZAF – new luxury phone announced
• Mobiado Professional 105GMT Gold: a mechanical watch mobile phone
• Mobiado Unveils Professional 105GMT White Luxury Watchphone
• INCRUDO Phantom luxury handset, more like a dinosaur than a phantom

Right now, it’s said that the Desire will hit Telus’ shelves before the end of this month (July).

There’s still no word on pricing, but I’ve been looking through Telus’ smartphone offering and I think the Desire will cost less than $200 with a 3-yr contract (the Motorola Milestone, for example, costs $149.99).

Another new phone that’s coming to Telus is the INQ Chat 3G:

It doesn’t run Android (although INQ plans to launch Android devices), but it comes with a full QWERTY keypad, 2.2 inch QVGA display, 3G, GPS, Facebook, Skype and Twitter apps integrated, and a 3.2MP camera. The INQ Chat 3G should be available starting the coming months.

Via Mobile Syrup, Mobile Syrup

• HTC Desire coming to Telus Canada as Triumph?
• HTC Desire HD to be launched in Canada by Telus?
• Telus’ HTC Desire HD priced, could be launched next month
• INQ Chat 3G and INQ Mini 3G coming to India via Aircel
• HTC Desire officially announced by Telus

The new handset is “the evolution” in Mobiado’s wood series, being made out of exotic wood, sapphire crystal and aluminum. The exotic wood pieces (which are “inlayed into an anodized aluminum frame and connected to a solid wood top, to create a dramatic flowing effect”) remind me of kitchen tables rather than of something rare or dramatic, but anyway.

Like most Mobiado phones, the Classic 712EM features quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900) and tri-band WCDMA (2100/1900/900) connectivity, 2.2 inch QVGA display, built-in GPS, music player, email, web browser, and a 5MP camera with flash and video recording.

The Mobiado Classic 712EM seems to be available now in four color versions (Ebony, Cocobolo, Burl Black and Burl White. All phones are unlocked and come for unannounced (but surely high) prices. You can find more details at Mobiado’s official website.

• Mobiado intros Classic 712 ZAF phones in dream colors
• Mobiado Classic 712GCB luxury phone announced
• Mobiado Classic 712ZAF – new luxury phone announced
• Mobiado’s Classic 712MG Mokume Gane phone rediscovers old Japanese traditon
• Mobiado Classic 712 Stealth is the latest luxury phone in town

Designed in collaboration with Japan-based Sharp and Access, the First Else was supposed to be a super phone running Else Intuition – a new mobile OS based on Linux – and featuring a 480 x 854 pixels touchscreen display, GPS, 5MP camera, and 16GB of internal memory.

So why did Emblaze cancelled the handset?

Well, here’s the company’s statement:

In November 2009, ELSE first unveiled the First ELSE mobile device, which was designed to showcase the capabilities and advantages of ELSE Intuition, its new Linux based mobile platform.ELSE’s products attracted excitement and interest from potential partners, as well as the media and mobile analysts, for
its unique innovation and user experience.

ELSE’s management have since invested considerable time and effort to secure a partnership for the sale of the First ELSE mobile devices. While there was encouraging interest in the device by potential partners, management was not able to confirm a deal on terms acceptable to Emblaze to proceed to the
production of the device.

Due to critical delays in deliveries and the current status of the project, the board has now decided to cease any further investment towards manufacturing of the First ELSE mobile device and to concentrate efforts only on licensing the ELSE Intuition platform and technology in order to realize its potential
upside.

This decision will drastically reduce the Company’s operational and development costs and will positively contribute to its route to profitability.

So there it is. It’s obviously hard to be a new player in the smartphone market if you don’t have enough support (financially mainly). Google (with its quickly-growing Android) is one of the few successful examples in this case. But Google is a huge and unique company, not some shady start-up.

Now let’s see if there’ll be any phone makers willing to take the risk of using the “ELSE Intuition platform and technology” for their own products.

Via Engadget

• #CES 2010: Emblaze Mobile Shows Off Else Intuition, New Linux OS
• Emblaze Mobile’s first Else Intuition vaporware on the way become Gizmondo #2
• iPhone-fighter Emblaze Edelweiss to come with a 480 x 854 pixels display
• Qualcomm: 30 Snapdragon based devices coming in 2009
• SK Telecom joins other tech companies to speed up Linux platform development for mobile phones

Manufactured by TCT Mobile, the Alcatel One Touch Net is a BlackBerry-like candybar with a full QWERTY keyboard and a “special optical trackpad.“ The new phone also features a 2.4 inch display, EDGE connectivity, stereo Bluetooth, Music player, FM radio, 2MP camera, and 80MB of internal memory.

The Yahoo services preinstalled on the One Touch Net include: Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Messenger, Yahoo! Search, Yahoo! Homepage, Yahoo! Social Pulse, Yahoo! Address Book and Calendar, and Flickr.

Alcatel One Touch Net will cost under $100. It will be available in India starting July. Later this year, the handset will be launched in other Southeast Asian markets, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Via Press release, Cnet

• Samsung Android and Bada phones will have pre-loaded Yahoo services
• T-Mobile USA ditches Yahoo mobile search for Google
• Yahoo intros new Yahoo! Mobile app, teams up with Opera
• Alcatel One Touch 918 with Android Gingerbread, and dual-SIM Alcatel 318D coming soon
• Alcatel One Touch XTRA announced in the UK (for Orange)

For example, PosteMobile, an Italian MVNO that uses Vodafone’s network, is selling the Puma Phone for €299 ($360).

The sporty handset is offered by PosteMobile with an attractive promotion that allows users to win up to €500 in “telephone traffic.” You can find out more about the promotion here.

The Sagem Puma Phone is a small and unique touchscreen handset that features a 2.8 inch QVGA display, GPS, HSDPA, pedometer, sports applications, 3.2MP camera, and a solar panel on the back. Other European carriers will probably offer the phone soon, although we don’t know which ones yet.

If you don’t like the first Puma Phone, you should know that a Puma Phone 2 is in the making – this will run Android and it should be out in 2011, when Android will probably be the second most popular smartphone platform after Symbian.

Via HDblog.it

• The Puma Phone gets pictured, will be launched next week
• #MWC10: Sagem Puma Phone officially unveiled
• Sagem Puma 2 and Sagem Netribe to run Android
• Sagem to launch Puma phone ahead of 2010 FIFA World Cup
• Verizon wireless to introduce “cash”-for-clunkers promotion

Mobile Syrup reports that the carrier is readying the release of a Garmin nufivone – but it’s not clear yet if this is the same device that AT&T launched in the US in the autumn of 2009. Hopefully, it isn’t, because AT&T’s nuvifone was nothing short of a disaster when it comes to sales (being too expensive and offering a rather unpleasant user experience).

Reportedly, the Telus-bound nuvifone has a 3.5 inch touchscreen display, Wi-Fi, Garmin GPS navigation, 3MP camera, and MicroSD card support. These features resemble the ones of AT&T’s nuvifone G60 (seen below), but also the ones of T-Mobile’s Android-based Garmin smartphone.

It’s said that Telus plans to introduce its Garmin phone in early June, so we’ll find out more about it then.

• #MWC09: Garmin Asus Nuvifone G60 hands-on review and video
• Garmin-Asus nuvifone A50 (Android) and M10 (Windows Mobile) announced
• Garmin Nuvifone hands on preview at Communicasia 2008
• Garmin-Asus Nuvifone M10 gets official, Windows Mobile 6.5.3 confirmed
• HTC Desire coming to Telus Canada as Triumph?