Helio's Ocean 2 could set sail next month

Right in line with reports we heard earlier, it looks like Helio's second iteration of the Ocean could be going on sale as early as next month. Silicon Alley Insider has it that the Ocean 2 could be loosed in America "sometime this quarter," though sooner rather than later is looking mighty promising. It's still unclear how much Helio plans on charging for this long, long, long awaited handset, but we'd say it'll have to lowball pretty hard if it plans to distract anyone already focused intently on a G1, iPhone or Palm Pre.

[Via UnwiredView]

[Wyatt @ Jan 18th 2009 2:58AM]

Give me a price, and if its lower than every other phone, I would look into it.

I feel like otherwise, this is just another smart phone

[Chaos Theory @ Jan 18th 2009 2:58AM]

first, sleep is overrated

[nerdtalker @ Jan 18th 2009 3:14AM]

Being first is overrated.

[Elijah @ Jan 18th 2009 3:22AM]

Well, it is a three day weekend. Screw sleep.

[AlDeezy @ Jan 18th 2009 3:24AM]

@nerdtalker, well it depends really depends on the situation, however on forums it really doesn't matter.

[Like_A_Glove @ Jan 18th 2009 3:20AM]

Diving mask with a hole

[Surfaced @ Jan 18th 2009 3:27AM]

GET OUT OF MY HEAD, CHARLES!

[superhobo @ Jan 18th 2009 3:33AM]

$50 seems right.

[Tim @ Jan 18th 2009 3:41AM]

Free with a 1 day contract extension seems right.

[Carl E. Reid @ Jan 18th 2009 3:50AM]

Thanx for the update Darren. The jury still seems to be ou on Helio 2t. Until next month we'll have to see what really happens.

Carl E. Reid, CSI
Developer of Career Management Swiss Army Knife w/Smart Radar

[ko87ns @ Jan 18th 2009 5:27AM]

Will this work with a Virgin Mobile or just Helio?

[nk019 @ Jan 18th 2009 9:19PM]

just helio

[Rob Conway @ Jan 18th 2009 7:57AM]

I remember being so hype for the first overpriced Helio. But at the time there wasn't anything around to compare really. Then I started reading Engadget everyday, found myself a clue and couldn't care less about the Helio 2. Does anyone even remember anything about the specs on this? Or has the two years since it was supposed to come out erased it from your memory like me?

[ack154 @ Jan 18th 2009 12:18PM]

It's the Ocean. The Ocean, man. Not the Helio. Helio is the carrier. The Ocean is the phone.

[The Number 1 Cubs Fan @ Jan 18th 2009 8:56AM]

I thought Helio went under...

[Clasifyd @ Jan 18th 2009 1:42PM]

I was about to say the same thing... This story strikes me as odd.

[shugg @ Jan 18th 2009 11:21AM]

helio??do they even exist in the usa.,?i thought they filed for chapter 11.helio coined the word "iphonekiller" in one of their ads in sept of 2007...

[TJ @ Jan 18th 2009 1:04PM]

I've got Helio service still, 3 lines worth. The customer service, plans, and coverage (Sprint's network, w/Verizon as backup roaming) have all been top notch. But they're going to have to do an awful lot on the handset side between now and my contract experation in October to keep me on. The Ocean has been good to me, but like others have mentioned, it's starting to get a little stale.

For reference, when I dropped Verizon to go to Helio, they tried to keep me with the then-upcoming Venus.

If there's any Virgin/Helio reps looking in on this, Sprint service with a shiny new Pre is looking VERY attractive right now. Oh, and the Fin has the most uncomfortable keypad known to man. My wife still hasn't forgiven me for that one.

[trunksy @ Jan 18th 2009 1:48PM]

I'm assuming everything you said was a joke. Helio is an American company started by a co-founder of Earthlink and only serves the US market. Helio never filed for Chapter 11. They were acquired by Virgin Group. Helio never coined the word, "iPhonekiller". Far from it, they tried to stay as far away from it as possible since the Ocean came out before the iPhone existed. In fact, their slogan was not to call it anything near a phone.

One thing I do have to note about the iPhone and phones like the T-Mobile G1 are that both the iPhone and Google Android phones have applications that can be built by third parties that work with the phone and sold in their marketplace. Many of Helio's applications require servers to provide a lot of functionality for their phones that make their phones incompatible with the other carriers since the other carriers don't have the same server integration. Things like saving your contacts online are pluses but only work best on the Ocean.

For example, the Helio Fin doesn't allow for online presence in the contact list. In fact, you can't even record someone's IM username in the contact list like the Ocean. Then again, I guess there would be no point since the contact list doesn't detect IM presence.

[letstakeawalk @ Jan 18th 2009 2:13PM]

I've been a Helio customer since January 2007. I bought a Drift, which was pretty awesome at the time, and still manages to impress people - especially the built in GPS. I've never had any complaints about my service, but I have been waiting for any news of new devices.

The Ocean 2 has been delayed what, 2 years now? Helio always had great potential, I'd like to see them get back into the game now that they're under Mr. Branson's wing.

[SiXiam @ Jan 18th 2009 1:05PM]

I bought the G1, because they took to long to release the Ocean 2...

...Call me a sucker for a sliding keyboard!

[Tim @ Jan 18th 2009 2:23PM]

SiXiam, you're a sucker for a sliding keyboard.

[TJ @ Jan 18th 2009 3:51PM]

Sliding keyboard, or sliding screen? Yeah, just wrap your mind around that cunundrum.

[therealmusashi @ Jan 18th 2009 4:40PM]

Ocean 1 was a pretty good feature phone, and there's still a pretty large market for those.

[Valicore @ Jan 18th 2009 4:46PM]

I remember the Ocean 2, vaguely. Wasn't it supposed to be released in like 2005？ This is one of the most delayed products ever.

[Nick @ Jan 18th 2009 7:29PM]

Ugh, a little late too late to the game with that. I jumped ship after my Ocean stopped working correctly and calls to customer service did nothing to remedy the situation. I can't believe that's going to be their next flagship device, it already looks dated. Oh, and did I mention Sprint's network blows?

[ajfarson @ Jan 18th 2009 7:35PM]

I could have sworn engadget said Helio was finished a few months back... maybe it was another carrier?

[Chris @ Jan 18th 2009 9:15PM]

Good luck to anyone investing in this phone, I had the first Ocean for a year and Helio didn't provide one software update that fixed anything... I bet this will be littered with bugs as well and they won't do anything to fix it. They did release exchange support in the time frame I was with them but come on, the email client on the phone sucks anyway.

[nk019 @ Jan 18th 2009 9:21PM]

It's an entirely different market, actually, being prepaid. So it will garner more attention than just being another smartphone. There are very few smartphones (3 i think?) available to prepaid customers.

[xboxdruggie @ Jan 19th 2009 12:25AM]

I have one account now with 2 Oceans on the plan, I like the service but come May when my contract is up I am looking toward getting 2 iPhones...

Either this phone better be near similar or damn well priced ;)

[Sticky26 @ Jan 21st 2009 12:55PM]

i have been with helio since aug 06 and i enjoyed my Kickflip then my Drift until i was on number 2 then my Ocean oh the beloved ocean...first it is a great device(remember its not a phone) but it lacks plain and simple. Rite now i am on Ocean number 7 between me and the wife the first one with in the first 6 hrs had a bug then my second lasted for oh i think 6 months until it decided to call anyone it wanted to and stop letting my text go thru and the best one i got text and vmail notices 7-10 days after they were sent. After fighting with csr after csr and tech support i finally got a new ocean which again doesnt work and after owning this thing i want nothing to do with them Helio cant compete with the other carriers anymore i kno i have their service and yes my contract is up but Ocean is a Ocean take the big silver slider out the middle make it a lil rounder and BAM same damn phone. FYI Helio By Virgin Mobile if u are reading this your customers are not happy we will like to be on the cutting edge also not 2 years behind. Let me know when u can compete with Storm or Iphone or the Pre.