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White Samsung Galaxy spotted in the wild
We just caught a glimpse of a white / silver Samsung Galaxy yesterday, but it looks like any doubts about its realness have now been put to rest, as the very same Android-based phone has now been spotted in the wild. As you might expect, however, there's apparently no other differences compared to the standard black Galaxy we've been seeing all along and, just like the black model, this one will reportedly be available first on O2 Germany before rolling out to other carriers in Europe. And, no, there's still no word of a release 'round here.
Toshiba's potent TG01 back on sale through O2 Germany
Well, that was snappy. Just days after O2 Germany abruptly halted the sales of Toshiba's 1GHz TG01 smartphone due to an unexplained virus outbreak among new units, it seems as if things are back in gear. Online, anyway. As of this moment, web shoppers can order the Snapdragon / WinMo-powered from the carrier once more, though there's no word on if retail shops are still keeping their stock in quarantine. Either way, we'd don a mask before waltzing in to inquire.[Thanks, Fab]
O2 Germany's TG01 handset, now with virus!
It's bad enough picking up a virus because you've made an uncharacteristic (to you at least) illegal software acquisition, but bringing one home when you're just minding your own business, trying to enjoy your legitimate and hard-earned purchase, is totally uncool. Case in point: according to Inside-Handy.de, a few unlucky customers of O2 in Germany have purchased the TG01 handset only to discover a virus present on the device. While Toshiba tries to determine the impact and the cause of the infection, O2 has halted sales of the smartphone, though there's no word on when sales will resume nor if this infection has spread to other European nations.[Via Unwired View]
Samsung Galaxy GT-I7500 unboxed, "Google Experience" distinction now clear as mud
The HTC Hero and T-Mobile myTouch 3G aren't the only Android phones making waves this week: the Samsung Galaxy GT-I7500 also launched on O2 Germany, and this is the first unboxing we've seen. Continuing the confusion over what handsets actually get the full Google blessing, this version of the I7500 runs pretty much bone-stock Android, but isn't a "Google Experience" phone, which in this case apparently means that firmware updates have to be loaded manually over USB instead of being pushed over the air. If you're keeping track, that's now a third axis of differentiation between Google-branded Android handsets and everything else, and we're starting to think no one really knows what all the rules and differences actually are -- hey, Eric, maybe you could set down that BlackBerry for a minute and sort all this out?
O2 Germany boosts HSPA speeds to 7.2 Mbps
Seems like only yesterday we were sitting about the campfire, chit chatting about the wonders of O2's EDGE update. Now, just a couple years later, the baby's all grown up, and rocking speeds in the 7.2 / 2.0 down and up range for some rather fortunate parts of Germany. Apparently all Huawei-based sites in the south and most other sites are technically able to offer the giddy up, though, there's a far stretch between being able and actually seeing this in the real world, right Rogers? Happy times Germany, no go forth and max your bandwidth caps!
Samsung Galaxy now available from O2 Germany
The big Android news today is all out of London and New York today, but if we move a bit eastward, there's some cool stuff going on in Deutschland, too: Samsung's i7500 Galaxy is now available. The beastly smartphone immediately becomes the highest-end Android device to date and will have a little while to enjoy the top of the hill until the Hero drops, thanks in no small part to its 5 megapixel cam, support for 7.2Mbps HSDPA, 8GB of internal storage, and a 3.2-inch AMOLED display. Looks like it's yours for €69.99 (about $98) on contract, so count us in -- and how about some time on the Nürburgring while we're at it?[Thanks, Jon]
Samsung's Android-equipped i7500 confirmed for O2
We don't know everywhere that the i7500's going to land yet -- the presence of AWS 3G is still giving us loads of hope that it'll come to T-Mobile USA eventually -- but one place we're quite sure of is Germany, where O2's local outpost has now said that it'll launch in "the next couple of months." That lines up nicely with what we'd been expecting prior to the phone's announcement -- so now we just need, oh, say, about 20 more announcements around the world and we'll be good to go. Any time now, Sammy.
Toshiba's TG01 brings glck to Germany with O2 exclusivity
Toshiba's TG01 and its surprisingly awesome color bar-centric UI will soon be saying "guten tag" to its German friends. O2's announced that it'll be the exclusive carrier for the phone in Deutschland and will launch it sometime this summer, with mum being the word currently on price. So far it's the only TG01 launch we've heard about on this or any other planet, but we'd reckon a few more carriers will be chiming in soon to pick up the device for their respective countries.[Via SlashGear]
O2 Germany to launch up to eight Android phones this year?
Look, this quote is one that could easily be blown way, way out of proportion, but here's the story for you to interpret in any way you see fit. Over in Munich at Innovation Days 2009, an O2 product manager was quoted as saying that "by the end of 2009," it wanted to have "six to eight" Android-powered mobiles out. 'Course, we've already heard that Google-based phones would be trekking to Nordic regions in the not too distant future, so we wouldn't be shocked to see a few filter down to Germany as well. But seriously -- six to eight? Most likely, this fellow was speaking in terms of what he would love to see happen and less about what he knew was coming down the pike. But hey, we'd absolutely love to be wrong about that.[Via TalkAndroid]
O2 Germany introduces Xda Guide smartphone
Well, it looks like O2 customers in Germany now have yet another exclusive handset at their disposal, with the carrier today unveiling its new Xda Guide, which will apparently replace the equally exclusive Xda Orbit 2. As you can see above, this one doesn't stray too far from its HTC-built predecessor, although it does up the connectivity options a bit with both GSM / GPRS / EDGE and UMTS / HSDPA / HSUPA, plus some Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, and GPS for good measure. Otherwise, you can expect the same 2.8-inch touchscreen and 3-megapixel camera as before, along with 256MB RAM, 512MB ROM, and a microSD card slot for some further expansion. No word on a price just yet, but you'll apparently be able to pick one up sometime in February.
HTC's Touch HD gets official for O2 Germany
That didn't take long, we only got wind of this set a couple weeks ago and it's already landed in exclusive-style at the O2 Germany's feet. Arne over at the::unwired had a chance to play with the device -- sans branding -- and while nothing is divulged as to date and pricing, we're betting on pricey. Interesting to note that the Touch HD won't be branded as an XDA device, this is apparently a first for O2 and its smartphone line. Of course we're sure our mail will balloon with news as we get closer to the yet-unknown release date, so please, do check back.
Vodafone, O2 to launch the XPERIA X1 in UK and Germany
Sony Ericsson finally came clean with that September 30 launch date for the XPERIA X1 this morning, and now the carrier situation is starting to resolve itself -- as previously hinted, Vodafone will launch the sleek WinMo slider in the UK, and both Voda and O2 will have it in Germany. O2 UK hasn't confirmed anything yet, and we still haven't heard from any carriers in the third launch country of Sweden, but we'll keep you posted over on Engadget Mobile as soon as we hear anything.
O2 Germany's turns HTC Touch Dual into "Xda star"
Didn't take long at all following HTC's official announcement of the Touch Dual for carriers to start getting on board. First up is O2 German with the "Xda star," continuing O2's longstanding tradition of appending somewhat random words onto "Xda" to come up with names for its smartphone hardware. The Xda star's design differs slightly from the Touch Dual reference design -- note the retooled button layout below the screen -- but specs are otherwise unchanged. It'll be available in the SureType-esque 20-key layout only when it launches next month for just shy of €30 (about $43) on a two-year contract. Man, can we get it for $43 on contract, please?
O2 Germany getting Xda Atom Life as "Xda comet"
O2 has a track record of running largely different product lineups between its European and Asian operations, but German subscribers might be delighted to hear that they're getting a particularly strong import from their cousins on the other end of the globe. This here device, sold in the Asia Pacific region as the Xda Atom Life, is getting rebranded as the "Xda comet" (yes, lower case "c," as annoying as that is) -- and it's picking up an upgrade to Windows Mobile 6 as part of its transcontinental transformation (though Atom Life owners have access to an official upgrade now too). The handset holds its own with 3.6Mbps HSDPA, Bluetooth, WiFi, a healthy 624 megahertz of XScale action, 2 megapixel cam, and a full 1GB of storage onboard; the lack of a slide-out keyboard might be a deal breaker for some, but otherwise, looks like HTC's got a solid bit of Bavarian competition on its hands. Look for it to hit in October for a yet-to-be-announced price. [Warning: PDF link][Via the::unwired]
O2 Germany spices up Xda trion with WM6 upgrade
Germans on O2, relish in this moment, for you are much of the world's envy. After promising a Windows Mobile 6 upgrade path for the Xda trion (that's the HTC Hermes / TyTn for lay folk) not long ago, the carrier has now made good by rolling out the package. Walk, don't run -- it'll wipe your data -- but we figure it's more than worth the hassle nonetheless.[Via the::unwired]
O2 Germany announces new HTCs as Xda "terra" and "nova"
Though O2 spends plenty of time getting cozy with Quanta for its Windows Mobile needs, that doesn't mean they've thrown HTC to the curb. The latest two HTCs to get the O2 treatment -- in Germany, anyway -- will be the Herald and Elf, released as the Xda "terra" and "nova" respectively. As you might recall, the Herald is the facelifted Wizard, replacing O2's own Xda mini S and offering all the same slide-out QWERTY action in a 17 millimeter shell; 3G data is sadly missing, though O2 is going to one-up the competition here by rolling out Windows Mobile 6 Professional on this bad boy out of the gate -- expect it in May for €150 (about $200). Meanwhile, the Xda nova (also a 2.5G device) brings Windows Mobile to the masses with a relatively low price point -- €100, about $130 -- while still managing to pack 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0, microSD expansion, and version six of Microsoft's ubiquitous platform. Look for it a month after its Xda terra stablemate in June.Read - O2 Xda terraRead - O2 Xda nova
