T-Mobile Pulse Mini does cheap, tiny, prepaid Android for Europe

In the US, the concept of a prepaid Android phone is about as foreign as the concept of an effective high-speed mass transit system, but abroad, T-Mobile is following up its Pulse with a cuter, smaller sibling in the Pulse Mini. Like the original the Pulse is sourced from China's Huawei and offers Euro HSDPA, but the similarities end there: the new model will run Android 2.1 out of the gate, step down from an HVGA to a QVGA display, and sport a Qualcomm MSM7225 core. Look for it to launch in the UK and Germany in April; pricing will vary by market, but Britons can look forward to shelling out £99.99 (about $155) contract-free.

[Fubukiii Posted Feb 22nd 2010 1:51PM]

Wow, very interesting ! Like the acer E110, but with a bigger screen resolution and a better hardware, i want it to come in France !

[Kaboof Posted Feb 22nd 2010 2:03PM]

nice phone but i dont get the point of prepaid phones... they cant really subsidize them but u get a locked phone with crap on it (like the webnwalk button)
So, why would i but it at tmobile and not just where i want? (And i think this phone or one very similar will be available soon without lock...)

[kadajawi Posted Feb 22nd 2010 7:24PM]

@Kaboof Well, no. You probably won't be able to get the phone without lock, anywhere (unless you import it).

[Kaboof Posted Feb 23rd 2010 1:27AM]

@kadajawi sorry, i forgot to mention im from Germany... here are things pretty different from what i read about american network carriers... so i think there is hope..

[Johanu Posted Feb 25th 2010 9:04PM]

@Kaboof At least here, the phones bought free of operator aren't subsidized. The ones bought through the operator have a discount usually between 50 to 100€ and are SIM locked to that operator.

[Yemble Posted Feb 22nd 2010 2:04PM]

Oh dear. No GPS no deal. Getting closer though!

[Gerusz Posted Feb 22nd 2010 2:08PM]

Hungarian pricing: HUF 20.000 (~$100) with 2 years contract. I'd rather take a Nexus One though... if it was available. :-(

[chewbie Posted Feb 22nd 2010 4:36PM]

hungary: 1gB of data = 3000 forints = 15USD = 11EUR - You can use it up in one month (on Vodafone)

500MB on T-Mobile = 2000forints = 10 USD = 7,4EUR and if you go over that:

1 forint for 10kB or 1,98 mB for 1 USD or 2,7mB for 1 EUROs

On my G1 I never passed the 500mB marker even with watching Youtube videos sometimes and doing a lot of Google Reader/ Maps

Basically mobileNet is cheap in Hungary ( Eastern Europe ) especially compared to the U.S or Canada

[l3reakmanx Posted Feb 22nd 2010 4:36PM]

That is freakin' fantastic, I've been waiting for an Android device like this. This is one of the great advantages of Android. Devices like this... free on contract in US?

[kadajawi Posted Feb 22nd 2010 4:43PM]

Uh, Engadget? It seems as if higher model number doesn't mean better/newer. The 7225 seems to be even older than the 7201, it seems to be a downgraded version (no GPS e.g.).
http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=cpu&id=a7225&c=qualcomm_msm7225
http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=cpu&id=a7201&c=qualcomm_msm7201

[Chris Ziegler Posted Feb 22nd 2010 4:56PM]

@kadajawi Indeed, mistook it for the 7227. Updated - thanks!

[Dale P Posted Feb 22nd 2010 6:05PM]

So I am English and have a UK credit card. I've been wiring money back to it to pay it off, and accidentally went overboard to the tune of about £130. More than enough to buy one of these bad boys and get it shipped by my mum. WIN!

[Lexen Posted Feb 22nd 2010 6:27PM]

ITS WORTH GETTING IT HAS WI-FI!
idk about GPS, but if it dose not then that means you cant be tracked and in a world ware all phones have gps this is awesome!

http://www.thesearethedroids.com/2010/02/22/t-mobile-pulse-mini-for-europe-april-2010/