A prototype of the Android powered HTC Wildfire was stolen and ended up being sold on a Netherlands auction site. Because the unit had a trackball vs. an optical trackpad for the final version of the model, the actual phone stolen is believed to be a unit that was not for public sale. The starting bid for the device was 300EUR ($368US) with the winning bid coming in at 350EUR. Unless the buyer felt he had a collector’s item in his hand, he severely overpaid for the HTC Wildfire which is expected to go on sale for 259EUR.
source: Phandroid

The Apple iPad surely has the market all to itself for right now as we’ve seen them report some stellar sales a couple of days ago. However, their tight grasp in the tablet market may soon be challenged by Google’s upcoming army of Android powered devices looking to creep up on the venerable iPad that’s been making some waves since its launch. The Dell Streak could potentially start up the war for Android as it has been revealed to sport a £429 ($622) price point with its relatively more compact dimensions. The sleek looking device may not be as large as the iPad, but it boasts some equally impressive specs such as a 5” touchscreen, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, Wi-Fi, GPS, HDMI output, and 3G connectivity. Sure it may not be packing the latest build of Android, but it’s customized interface running on top of Android 1.6 will surely please users until it receives the Android 2.2 Froyo update. We’ll see if the Dell Streak can manage to gain some ground on the iPad as it catapults Android into the tablet arena.
via FoneHome

Remember the $25,000 Pyramid T.V. game show? To win the big bucks at the end of the game, a celebrity would list a number of things and you had to guess the connection amongst them. For example, if we were to say ,”Radio Shack, Sprint, Best Buy, HTC and Wirefly,” what would be the connection? All of these places will be offering the HTC EVO 4G on the June 4th launch date. Wirefly has just been added to the list. Andy Zeinfeld, CEO of Wirefly parent Simplexity said, “At Wirefly, we pride ourselves on being among the first retailers to offer the newest cell phones as soon as they hit the U.S market – HTC EVO 4G being no exception. We are excited to offer this highly-touted device from Sprint to our millions of valued customers on the official June 4 launch.” Orders will be accepted starting at 12:01 am, a few hours before the brick and mortar stores unlock their doors. With the heavy demand expected for the nation’s first 4G enabled phone, you might want to keep a list of all of your options as we wouldn’t be surprised to see a number of channels sell out of the handset quickly. Check out our new review on the EVO 4G, hot off the presses!
source: PhonesReview

Maybe it doesn’t matter on an Android model like the Droid Incredible which gives you seven home screens to work with. But getting the opportunity to add two more icons to your home screen might seem more important on a Motorola DROID which gives you only three screens to fill up. You see, besides all of the wonderful things that Android 2.2 brings to the table including a huge bump in speed, the upgrade adds icons for the phone dialer and the browser on the left and right side (respectively) of the launcher icon. This allows you to open up a couple of spaces on your home screen where you can place a couple of short cut icons for those 3rd party apps that you’re always using. You probably already know which two apps you are going to fill the space with.
source: AndroidCentral

Not necessarily that this latest round of news surprises us, especially when plentiful amounts of HTC EVO 4G units are running around pre-release, but the Android powered handset was recently torn apart meticulously piece by piece to get down and dirty with its innards. ifixit is no stranger in this seemingly normal process dished out onto upcoming big-time phones as there are some things uncovered regarding the handset before it’s officially released to the masses. After taking the handset apart, it is revealed that it packs a Broadcom BCM4329 chip-set which essentially supports Wi-Fi b/g/n. It’s interesting to say the least especially when Sprint fully acknowledges that the handset presents b/g connectivity – however the the Wi-Fi n connection is glaringly omitted. Nonetheless, the rest of the tear down process reveals pretty much what we’ve all been expecting without any major surprises.
source: iFixit via SlashGear

Being graced with the Ferrari branding is quite an impressive feat in itself, but the Acer Liquid E Ferrari Edition is going to be the first Android powered handset to get the ubiquitous title of being first.  The aptly named device may have an affinity for the need for speed, but its hardware specs under the hood is somewhat unchanged from the regular Acer Liquid E – it features a WVGA touchscreen, Snapdragon processor, Wi-Fi, GPS, and a 5-megapixel shooter. However, the slick red paint job can quickly be associated to Ferrari while the bold logo found on the back solidifies its stature as a smartphone that can possess the branding. In addition, it’ll pack on exclusive content which includes things like wallpapers, videos, and some ringtones that “allows you to personalize your phone with the inimitable sweet music of the Ferrari engine.” As we’d expect that there are going to be some die-hard enthusiasts looking forward to this Ferrari branded Android phone, there is no word yet on its pricing, but it’s expected to be launched some time soon.
source: Acer via Unwired View

It was just this Friday when a brain hemorrhage claimed the life of Gary Coleman, the pint-sized actor who made it big on television’s “Different Strokes”. Fans of Coleman can install a tribute app from the Android Market. You can run through about 20 snapshots that cover much of the actor’s life starting from his days portraying Arnold Jackson-a little boy who gets transported from Harlem to Park Avenue along with his brother, when his cleaning lady mom dies. The show was a huge hit and Coleman became the face of NBC for a few years. Personally, he had nephritis-a congenital kidney disease that required dialysis and which stunted his growth. His $17 million fortune evaporated as his parents allegedly misused the funds forcing Coleman to sue his Mom and Dad. After the show was canceled, there was no place for the actor on prime-time and he ended up broke, working on a movie set-as a security guard. For those who wish to remember Gary Coleman, you can download the app and remember him as Arnold, saying his trademark line, “Wachoo talking about Willis?”
source: Gizmodo

Naturally being late to the party may not be such a bad thing, especially when you’ve got two high-end devices splashing down to spread its presence further on a global scale. South Korea may get a lot of love from domestic handset manufacturers Samsung and LG, but the HTC Nexus One and Nokia X6 are about to embark on winning over some consumers with their glaring presence. The Nokia X6 is expected to make its arrival on KT this summer in June for 595,000 won which equates to approximately $495. On the other hand, the HTC Nexus One is teaming up with rival mobile carrier SKT near the end of June for a yet to be disclosed price. Symbian and Android are getting more face time with customers who are starved from experiencing top tiered handsets that are known fully on a worldwide scale and not to mention that it’s better late than never.
source: Telecoms Korea & Reuters via Engadget

Nowhere close in meeting the specs of some of its brothers and sisters, such as the Nexus One, the Huawei Pulse for T-Mobile Hungary of all Android handsets is surprisingly receiving an update for Android 2.1. Those lucky enough to sport the handset probably thought that they were going to have to live with Android 1.5, especially when it’s garnered by many as an entry-level Android device, but owners can check out the Hungarian-language set of directions to bring it up to Android 2.1. However, there is a translated English version for those who aren’t adept in the Hungarian language. In addition, it should be noted that users will also have the option to downgrade back to 1.5 – we’d assume performance may become too much of an issue for some out there; hence the option to revert back. Nonetheless, Huawei Pulse owners should feel proud knowing that the handset is still receiving some love – not all Android phones out there are getting the same treatment.
via IntoMobile

Two compact looking smartphones are looking to arrive this summer for T-Mobile UK which may not be all about the supreme high-end devices out there. First up is the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mini pro that shrinks down the dimensions while retaining most of the looks of its bigger brother – the Xperia X10. The Android 1.6 device, which is looking to be upgraded to 2.1 some time in Q4, is expected to come in during the middle summer month of July. That’s according to its T-Mobile UK web page where future owners can sign up for email updates regarding the handset. If Android isn’t your kind of platform and prefer the business centric platform of the BlackBerry OS, then you may want to check out the BlackBerry Pearl 3G with its slim and updated new looks. This handset will be making its arrival a bit sooner with a launch expected to happen in June. Both devices will surely add to T-Mobile UK’s lineup for this summer, but there is no word yet surrounding pricing for either handsets.
T-Mobile UK (X10 mini pro & Pearl 3G) via Unwired View