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MetroPCS officially intros Huawei M835 Android for $80 sans contract
If you've been vehemently opposed to purchasing a smartphone due to their high cost, you're running out of excuses. MetroPCS officially launched its latest Android device, the Huawei M835, for a promotional price of $80 without a contract (it'll normally retail for $130). The M835 -- also known as the Ideos -- is a petite handset that uses a 2.8-inch QVGA display, runs on Froyo and has a 3.2 megapixel camera with video capture. It also offers room for a 32GB microSD card, if needed. Obviously, we're not expecting the greatest performance here, but it's a viable option for first-time buyers and anyone who doesn't hunger for the latest and greatest phone specs. Between this and the Ascend II coming out this week, it's looking like the prepaid march is gaining serious steam.
Huawei IDEOS X3 hands-on (video)
Yesterday at MWC we got our hands on the Huawei IDEOS X3, an Android 2.3 phone slotted right between the IDEOS / Comet we reviewed recently and the X5 we saw at CES. While the original IDEOS took Android significantly downmarket, and the X5 is looking to bring high-end features to the mid-end, the X3 is aimed squarely at bread-and-butter devices like the LG Optimus T. Spec-wise, you'll find a 3.2-inch HVGA capacitive touchscreen, Qualcomm MSM7227 CPU (likely 600 MHz), 256MB of RAM, 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera, front-facing camera, WiFi b / g / n, and dualband HSPA plus quadband EDGE radios, all powered by a 1200mAh battery. Contrary to its siblings, the X3 is not a Google Experience device, and runs a custom skin on top of Gingerbread. See our pictures in the gallery below and jump the break for our first impressions and hands-on video. %Gallery-116895%
Huawei IDEOS S7 Slim tablet hands-on
We just got a hands-on with the Huawei IDEOS S7 Slim, a 7-inch Android tablet which will be priced at $300. Huawei was unable to provide us with any information beyond pricing, but here's what we've gathered. The 7-inch touchscreen is capacitive, unlike the model we played with before, and the tablet is running a slightly customized skin on top of Android 2.2. Build quality is solid and the device is satisfyingly thin and light. There are cameras front and back and a microSD card slot and a docking port on the bottom edge. We spied a SIM slot underneath the battery, so it's likely that the model we used features 3G. We hope to have more details for you soon -- in the meantime, feast your eyes on the gallery below. %Gallery-116524%
Huawei IDEOS X3 and IDEOS S7 Slim tablet revealed en route to MWC launch
Huawei, the company whose name rhymes with the typical response of "who are they," has uploaded a few images to its Flickr page teasing new hardware bound for this year's Mobile World Congress. First up is the IDEOS X3, an Android handset seemingly set to provide a more budget-oriented family mate to the X5. It has two cameras, one on the front and one on the back, three Android buttons, and at least four different color options (red, blue, silver and black). The Barcelona event will see it joined by an IDEOS S7 Slim tablet, also running Google's mobile OS, though our knowledge about that device doesn't extend any further than noting it too has a front-facing camera. Check it out after the break.
Huawei IDEOS X5 hands-on (video)
Huawei was right on cue here at CES today, announcing the US version of its IDEOS X5 mid-range Android smartphone. This device uses the same formula as the original IDEOS (also known as the Comet for T-Mobile) and aims to provide a decent product at a competitive price. Although we already knew the specs, this was our chance to play with the IDEOS X5 and gather more information. The phone looks elegant and feels solidly built, with a 3.8-inch WVGA capacitive display behind glass in front and 1500mAh battery behind soft-touch plastics in back, all wrapped in an 11.4mm-thin body. Take a look at the gallery below, and hit the break for additional details and our hands-on video. %Gallery-113133%
Huawei IDEOS X5 announced for Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and (eventually) the US
Of the manifold riches sure to unloaded by the fine folks at Huawei at this year's CES, be on the lookout for the IDEOS X5. The Android 2.2 smartphone that we first saw yesterday features a 3.8-inch multitouch screen, SWYPE input, a 5 megapixel camera with 720p video, FM radio, and Flash 10.1 -- all in a svelte 11.4mm thick package. Available in Singapore, Hong Kong and New Zealand beginning this month, with a U.S. carrier to be announced. Keep an eye on this space for news from the launch later today!
Huawei IDEOS X5 lands at CES tomorrow, Hong Kong in 2 weeks
Tomorrow at CES, Huawei will be introducing its new mid-range Android smartphone in the US -- the IDEOS X5. This device runs Froyo, and features an 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7230 CPU, a 3.8-inch 800 x 480 capacitive touchscreen, a 5 megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording, and a VGA front-facing camera. It also provides 4GB of internal storage, and includes the usual array of HSPA, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS radios, all powered by a 1500mAh battery. It also looks like Huawei, which has already announced the IDEOS X5 in Australia, will be releasing the phone in Hong Kong sometime between January 13th and 19th. Hit the gallery bellow for some pictures, and stay tuned for the launch tomorrow. We'll be there. %Gallery-112771%
Spriiing Smile Android phone hits Thailand by way of Sweden with China's help
Did a Thai company we've never heard of just make the best-looking portrait QWERTY Android phone to date? We might not jump the gun that quickly -- but it's definitely up there. Spriiing Design (yes, three i's) is launching its Smile model in Bangkok on January 18th and the rest of Thailand thereafter, featuring a 3 megapixel camera, 512MB of ROM, 256MB of RAM, microSD expansion to 16GB, and a 2.6-inch QVGA display along with 3G support on the 900 and 2100MHz bands paired to a 528MHz Qualcomm MSM7225 core atop Android 2.1. In other words... yeah, this pretty low end fare. More interestingly, though, the handset was apparently designed in Sweden and manufactured by Huawei -- in fact, it's got "In connection with Ideos" silkscreened on the back, and Ideos is the brand that Huawei's been pushing this year for its Android-powered gear. Small world, ain't it? Follow the break for Spriiing's video teaser. Update: Turns out this puppy is on sale in Australia, too, through Boost Mobile (yep, there's a Boost Mobile there). Thanks, Matt! %Gallery-112429%
T-Mobile Comet review
In 2010, does a phone need to have a 4.3-inch display, a gigahertz (or greater) processor, and a one-bazillion megapixel camera with xenon flash and continuous autofocus to be relevant? How about important? Or even -- dare we say it -- awesome? Is that even remotely possible? At a glance, T-Mobile's Comet from Huawei is a totally forgettable phone, just another anonymous ultra-low end handset that isn't going to impress anyone (except maybe your accountant). But let's consider the facts: at $9.99 on contract, it's an insane deal for a newly-introduced smartphone, and it's by far the lowest subsidized price for any Android device ever released in the US. In fact, it's within shouting distance of free. It runs stock Android 2.2. A regional variation of the Huawei Ideos, it was designed with help from Google. Oh, and yeah, it's one of the first T-Mobile devices to feature WiFi hotspot support. Is your interest sufficiently piqued? Read on. %Gallery-106779%
T-Mobile Comet sends $9.99 shot across the bow of dumbphones
The argument used to be that carriers' higher pricing for smartphone data plans were what kept them out of the low end, regardless of the upfront on-contract cost -- but now that T-Mobile has rolled out a 200MB / $10 package, phones like the Comet -- a T-Mobile branded version of the Huawei Ideos announced at IFA -- might actually pose a serious threat to the livelihoods of dumbphones everywhere. Why's that? Well, the carrier will be charging a ridiculously low $9.99 on contract after $50 rebate for it, featuring 7.2Mbps HSPA, FM radio, integrated Swype, microSD expansion up to 32GB, and 802.11b / g / n atop Froyo; in fact, the only immediately-obvious downside to it is that it's got just a 2.8-inch QVGA display. As you might recall, Huawei worked closely with Google to design the Ideos as an Android device for the masses, and we came away with a pretty positive impression with it when we checked it out at IFA -- so we're bullish that this thing is going to make some waves in its Comet guise. It launches on November 3 -- and you'll be able to get it in prepaid guise through some third-party retailers for "less than $200."
Droid 2 Global appears in Costco database for $199, T-Mobile Comet at $149
What happens when you punch the phrase "Droid" into a Costco sales terminal? If Boy Genius Report's sources are right, you see the Motorola Droid 2 Global ring up (in black and white!) for $199.99. Considering we're also seeing the 1.2GHz quad-band worldphone on a Verizon rebate sheet, it's a pretty safe bet the handset's coming out soon -- and if Verizon also lists the phone for that price, it could be the death knell for the A955. (We've gotten several tips today that the original Droid 2 has been marked for end-of-life at Best Buy.) There's also a T-Mobile Comet pictured above, also known as the Huawei Ideos, a low-budget Android smartphone whose $149.99 price will almost certainly be free of two-year contracts. Of course, in the spirit of Costco you probably won't get off that easily -- subliminal messaging will surely compel you to purchase the $24.99 Ewoks and Star Wars Droids Adventure Hour on DVD.
Huawei S7 gets Best Buy listing for $299.99, not shipping until November 7th
Huawei's Ideos S7. We loved it in June (resistive touchscreen notwithstanding), Expansys picked it up a few weeks later, and now Best Buy is also joining in on the phone. The 7-inch Android tablet -- with kickstand -- is now but a listing on the US retailer's website, "coming soon" for $299.99. Store pickup is coming soon, but shipping availability is November 7th... no matter how expedited you make the order. If it's any consolation, that's still before the Galaxy Tab.
Shocker: Huawei Ideos may be headed to T-Mobile
Huawei wants to bring Android to the masses, and it sounds like one cellular carrier may already be on board -- the Wall Street Journal reports that T-Mobile is presently in talks to offer the 2.8-inch, Android 2.2 smartphone and could begin selling it by Yuletide. Of course, considering China-based Huawei expects the reasonably-attractive device could cost as little as $100 off-contract, it's not terribly surprising that any carrier you'd care to name would be champing at the bit to grab one. "It's safe to assuming we're talking to all of the major carriers," a Huawei spokeswoman said.
Huawei Ideos hands-on
Chinese telecom giant Huawei -- which has been playing the Android game with major carriers around the world for some time now -- has selected IFA to debut the Ideos, a new entry-level model running Froyo in a variety of colors. Huawei's press release calls the Ideos "the world's first affordable smartphone" -- which seems like a bit of an overstatement (okay, a huge overstatement) to us -- but really underscores the fact that this thing is going to be launching for somewhere between $100 and $200 unsubsidized in Europe, Asia, and both North and Latin America. It's got 3G, WiFi, mobile hotspot capability for up to eight devices, and was apparently developed in direct partnership with Google, a sign that Mountain View is serious about taking Android 2.2 across the entire price spectrum. We checked out the Ideos today and were pretty impressed; clearly, you're not going to mistake it for an EVO, a Droid X, or a Defy, but Huawei has definitely put some effort into engineering this thing so that they were able to make it cheaply without making it feel like it would come apart in your hands. The company is quick to note that 2.8-inch capacitive displays aren't very common -- and though we could've definitely used HVGA instead of the Ideos' QVGA, we were pleased with the responsiveness, both from a processor performance perspective and a touch sensitivity one. Add in the support for 7.2Mbps HSDPA and the stylish colors (black, yellow, blue, and purple) and Huawei might just have a winner here. More on this one when launch carriers start to come out of the woodwork. Follow the break for the full press release. %Gallery-101247%
