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Three UK lists white iPhone 4 early, delivery on April 20
UK mobile provider Three has jumped the gun a bit and listed the white iPhone 4 for sale already on its website. You can't actually order the much-delayed device from them at this time, as the page appears to be a placeholder for now. Three UK lists an "earliest delivery" date as April 20th, which is this Wednesday and almost a full week ahead of the rumored April 26th launch of the white iPhone 4 in Italy. There's been no official release date from Apple yet, but the company has confirmed that the white iPhone 4 will ship this spring. While no one can seem to agree on an exact release date, the Three leak, combined with the Italy reports and the Verizon inventory shots all point to a "very soon" shipping date. Perhaps we'll find out exactly when during Apple's financial conference call tomorrow.
White iPhone 4 appears to be ready to order at Three UK (update: gone!)
Looks like somebody pulled the trigger on an order page for the mythical white iPhone 4 a little early over at Three UK. The phone that had previously been listed on the carrier's site for a long, long time (sans any ability to actually order it) has now sprouted up a page all its own with the magical option to "buy now." We managed to get all the way through to an order confirmation page, so if it's a mistake it's a very thoroughgoing one. Calling up Three's telephone ordering line and PR personnel brought us no closer to finding out the truth, but this particular order page was discovered via a tweet by a Three affiliate -- whose tweets have since gone private -- suggesting it was dug up from someone in the know. Our suspicion is that Apple's finally about ready to dish this phone up to the people and Three has been caught testing out its order page ahead of the inevitable onslaught of white iPhone orders. Hit the source link to see the premature revelation for yourself. Update: Three finally wised up to the fact nobody else was yet offering the pale phone for sale and has pulled the page. For now. Update 2: Three's official statement on the matter: "This page is not live at the moment, it was built at the same time as the iPhone black page so that we have it ready when and should the time come to launch white. For now, it's a hidden page that's inactive."
HTC Sensation confirmed for all UK carriers, ready for summer fiesta
As you've probably gathered from our HTC Sensation preview, Vodafone managed to nab a two-week head start (plus a cheeky premature leak) with this dual-core Android across Europe in mid-May. Unsurprisingly, fellow UK carriers were quick to announce that they'll also be picking up said phone afterwards. In fact, this time round all the big players are involved, with Everything Everywhere (Orange and T-Mobile UK) promising a June launch, Three mentioning a vague "summer" release, and O2 only saying it'll sell the Sensation at some point. Yes, you Brits better keep that kettle warm -- it'll be at least a few more weeks for you non-Vodafoners.
Nokia X7 with Symbian 'Anna' now official on Three UK (Updated)
So, it's official. The Nokia X7, unfit for a US launch, has finally found a home with Three in the UK. The heavily leaked stainless steel handset runs an updated Symbian^3 "Anna" (aka, PR2) OS that finally introduces a vastly improved browser and portrait QWERTY with split-view data entry among its 50 new enhancements. Rounding out the specs are an 8 megapixel cam with dual-LED flash, 4-inch OLED ClearBlack display, HD video recording, and 256MB RAM / 1GB ROM with an 8GB memory card tossed in the box. You'll find the press release, video, and more pic after the break. Update: Nokia tells us that the X7 features 720p video recording, and a 680MHz CPU -- presumably the same old (and we mean old) ARM 11 proc and found in the N8 and E7. Oh, and it's the same Broadcom BCM2727 GPU and 8 megapixel EDoF camera we reviewed in the E7. The X7 will be available in Q2 with a price set at €380 before taxes and subsidies. %Gallery-120918% [Thanks, Will B.]
New Symbian UI stars in pulled promo vid, takes Three UK for a dizzying spin
Something's going on in Espoo, and YouTube just gave us a very good idea of what it might be -- with only two days remaining before Nokia's London announcement, a new Symbian UI is popping up in promotional videos alongside the sleek X7 and stylish E6. Unfortunately, all three such videos are listed as private now, but we managed to nab one right before it got canned, demoing an improved Symbian with smooth scrolling that follows one's finger, a browser purportedly three times faster and a portrait QWERTY keyboard -- yes -- all courtesy of a Three UK representative. Find the remaining two (currently inactive) videos after the break, and let us know if you see them wake from cryo-sleep, please!
Gingerbread update for Samsung Galaxy S to start rolling out in mid-April
Official word from Samsung's Finnish site informs us that local owners of its Galaxy S smartphone will be receiving their Gingerbread fix around the middle of this month. Less direct, but still pretty reliable, confirmation of this comes from UK carrier Three, who promises the same OS version will be arriving to its users of the handset "in a couple of weeks." Considering an Android 2.3.2 build for the Galaxy S already leaked out way back in February, few should be surprised at the timing of this release, but prior experience still urges us to be wary when it comes to Samsung and its software update schedules. [Thanks, Juho]
Xperia Play meets shipping delays in UK, Vodafone and Three bump launch to next week
Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play isn't having the best of starts in the world, having been delayed by UK carrier O2 due to "software issues," and it's now missing its targeted launch date of April 1st with two more of the local operators, Vodafone and Three. Both have today announced that, due to shipping issues, they won't be able to meet tomorrow's launch date -- leaving only Orange on track to release it on time. T-Mobile, Orange's partner in Everything Everywhere, says it'll have the Xperia Play in "mid-April." Still, the wait isn't that much longer as Three hopes to sell you a Play "early next week" and Vodafone, a bit more cautiously, is shooting for availability "as soon as possible."
Samsung Galaxy S II Mini leaks out for Three, plus Nokia X7, Flyer and PlayBook release dates in UK
No, not the Galaxy Mini, that low-end Android sprout -- this looks like Samsung's smaller alternative to the upcoming Galaxy S II superphone. We just got handed UK carrier Three's entire spring-summer lineup, and the Android 2.3 handset certainly stands out, pretending to be miniature in spite of a 3.7-inch screen (think Droid), a 1.4GHz processor (think Pre 3) and 21Mbps HSPA+ connectivity. But that's the tip of the iceberg compared to what's in store for Three -- it looks like the Nokia X7 is alive, well, and tracking for a June release (not to mention the LG Optimus 3D), and tablets will drop too, with May bringing the HTC Flyer and the WiFi-only BlackBerry PlayBook launching in June. See specs and slated launch windows in our gallery below, and join us in hoping these documents portend a rapid US release. [Thanks, Anonymous]
Samsung Galaxy Pro combines 2.8-inch touchscreen with a portrait QWERTY keyboard, modest specs
Samsung has just taken the veils off yet another Android handset in its rapidly expanding portfolio, this one targeting those BlackBerry-addicted portrait QWERTY keyboard lovers. The Galaxy Pro squeezes a four-row button array beneath a set of Android keys and a 2.8-inch touchscreen, while its insides are filled with an 800MHz processor of an unspecified variety and a 3 megapixel cam with autofocus skills. UK carrier Three has already confirmed it'll be offering this Froyo handset -- via an unlisted YouTube video we've embedded for you after the break -- and others should soon be coming out with their own announcements and, eventually, pricing. Update: Samsung has sent along its official press release and a full spec sheet. See them after the break. [Thanks, GeForce]
Three's The One Plan serves up all-you-can-eat data in the UK
Unlimited data. No, for real this time. While US carriers are tripping over each other to claim the death of uncapped data allowances, the UK's 3G-only network operator is bringing them back like a pair of retro sneakers. Three's grandly titled The One Plan takes all limits and fair usage gotchas away and just lets you suckle bandwidth to your heart's content. And that explicitly includes tethering your phone to your laptop and using it as a 3G modem -- very classy. New and old customers will benefit from this, meaning that if you're already on this plan you're in line for a free upgrade. The offer's effective now and contracts start at £25 a month with a minimum term of one year. We'll be highly impressed if Three's network, never mind this deal, survives a full year of being bashed over the head by iPlayer streams and YouTube uploads, but here's hoping, eh?
UK carrier's roadmap points to October 21 release for Windows Phone 7, over 2,000 apps at launch
The whole world and his neighbor's dog may already know when Windows Phone 7 will be announced, but when are the actual phones going to hit actual shelves? If you're in the US, that time still looks to be a month away, but the UK release window has just been narrowed down from late October to a single, albeit still speculative, date: October 21. Our tipster forwards the above snapshot from a Three UK document showing a "Windows 7Phone" nestled in between the BlackBerry Torch and Samsung Europa. Its Super AMOLED display tells us we're definitely looking at a Samsung handset, while the 4-inch diagonal suggests it'll be the Cetus (SGH-i916/7). This sheet of revelation also finally gives us a hint as to the number of apps WP7 will start off with, enumerating them at "over 2,000 at launch." We don't know why Microsoft's been so shy about that number -- 2,000 good apps are more than enough.
iPhone 4 coming to Three UK, pre-orders starting June 15
And just like that, the UK has turned into a veritable treasure trove of carrier choice. Three has just announced that it too will be carrying Apple's latest iPhone starting from June 24, expanding on the options to be provided by O2, Orange, Vodafone and, most recently, T-Mobile. That's now the complete set of five UK networks all ready to take your name and credit card number on launch day, while Three is also the first to announce its pre-order start date -- which it places at June 15, the same time that Americans will be able to pre-order. Three's strategy in the UK has usually been to undercut the big dogs with alluring pricing, so next week should be a very interesting time for British iPhone lovers indeed. [Thanks, Yusuf]
3 UK promises free mobile Skype calls until the end of time
While most carriers are having quite a tift about Skype intruding on their territory, UK-based 3 is letting customers use unlimited Skype-to-Skype calls and messages without any extra fees. The new rules start May 1st for any compatible 3 headset, and later this summer it'll expand to every 3G phone on the network. The company says it sees the initiative as a win to everyone, not just the customers, as the hope is it'll lessen calls to people on other networks, which carries a hefty Mobile Termination Rate fee. Whatever the reasons, we're just happy to see at least one company embracing the VoIP service. We (and Nokia) can only hope this move is somehow contagious.[Via GigaOM]
