Taking into account that the desirable HTC Desire S just recently went on sale towards the end of last month, O2 UK’s recent price drop for the impressive device is interesting in itself to say the least.

Although a variety of wireless carriers now lay claim to the high-end Android powered smartphone, O2 UK is going one step further by aggressively pricing the device’s no term commitment option. Currently available, O2 UK customers can snag the HTC Desire S on a pay-as-you-go plan for a mere £329.99 ($539); VAT included. Again, that’s pretty nice just because of the relatively still new freshness of the handset’s arrival on the market.

Granted that you can probably purchase one for fee with select 2-year commitments, it’s nice nonetheless to see a competitive no-contract pricing on the smartphone.

source: O2 UK via Unwired View

Spring is undoubtedly on the minds of most people, especially after one tumultuous winter season, but for the many O2 UK customers out there, the onset of spring brings forth the arrival of one highly regarded device.

On O2 UK’s web site, we now find the date of April 1st as being the launch date for the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY. Aside from the usual set of Android users out there buzzing to get their hands on this device, gamers will seemingly gravitate towards this device as well. Now that there is a concrete release date associated with this gaming oriented Android 2.3 Gingerbread smartphone, the only thing left to know is its pricing.

With February almost winding down and March looming very shortly, the time should pass by relatively quickly, and before you know it, April 1st will be right around the corner.

source: O2 UK via Mobileburn

Regretfully, all our fears about the Samsung Galaxy Tab might be coming true after O2 Germany recently became one of the first carriers to announce pricing on the highly anticipated Android powered tablet. Previously, we reported on how retail insiders hinted to an exorbitant price for a SIM-free and no-contract required Galaxy Tab, but now the realization that this thing is going to be costly no matter what is starting to hit everyone.

O2 Germany is planning to sell the Tab for €759 ($1,047) and for right now, looks to be fetched through their My Handy payment plan which essentially cuts up the price of the Tab over the course of a 24 month period – and that doesn’t include service. Initially, they require a €99 deposit which would then tie customers into 24 monthly payments of €27.50 each.

It’s almost unfathomable to even think that this thing will be priced higher than the Apple iPad, so it’s hard to say if Samsung has any control at this point with pricing. Now that we’re getting a small taste of what to expect, it’ll be interesting to see if other mobile carriers around the world adopt a similar pricing for their specific version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab. So now that O2 Germany spilled the beans regarding it, does it make you want to buy one still?
source: O2 Germany via SlashGear

UK owners holding dearly to O2’s version of the HTC Desire were probably exuberant to see the Android 2.2 Froyo update finally rolling out recently, however, the good times were apparently short lived. Soon after releasing the much wanted update, there were owners reporting some issues that they were experiencing upon its installation. Without much hesitation, O2 UK decided to pull the plug on its deployment after hearing about some of these technical difficulties hampering owners.

Unfortunately, O2 UK didn’t provide a time frame at this point regarding when they’ll resume with Froyo’s roll out. However, some owner are reporting that the update installed correctly and isn’t causing any problems with their handsets. Just to play it safe and preventing any additional problems from arising, O2 UK is going to indefinitely keep things at a standstill until they get to the bottom of it all.
source: TechRadar

Those newly minted Dell Streak owners over on AT&T surely must be gleaming at our friends over the big pond as O2 UK announced the availability of Android 2.1 for the device. The massive Android powered slate handset being sported by owners in the UK have been living with the already behind the curve version of Android 1.6 – just like those brand spanking new AT&T owners.

The update is ready for the taking for UK customers and can be fetched by simply clicking on System Updates in the Settings Menu. However, you’ll need to have at least 50 percent or more of battery life and be connected to Wi-Fi in order to download the update. Once that’s all done, these Dell Streak owners can now experience all of the modern offerings associated with Android 2.1 Eclair and lessen the platform’s constant fragmentation issue.
via Mobileburn

Motorola confirmed the anticipated European version of the DROID 2 today, under the MILESTONE 2 title. It does 3G only at the 2100MHz band, so it is calling Europe home, and will be available there in the fourth quarter. It is basically a rebadged version of the Motorola DROID 2, thus the same 1GHz OMAP3 chipset running Froyo is present in the MILESTONE 2.

Of course, there is nowhere to hide from MOTOBLUR, as Motorola has decided to leave the UI on the European version, along with its resizable widgets. It can tether wireless internet to five devices at once, but it depends on the carrier whether the feature will be allowed.

The major difference is that the MILESTONE 2 will shoot 720p HD video when it ships, so hopes are up a firmware upgrade or a cooked ROM will unlock this feature for the DROID 2 as well, since the shooter is absolutely the same. Motorola will ship it with an 8GB microSD card, and the internal memory is listed as “up to 8GB”. Have a look at the promo video below, very Flash-y.

Dare to guess the difference in keyboards? MILESTONE 2 has the € sign up left.
source: Motorola

Sure US consumers are getting into the 4G game with the HTC EVO 4G being released into the wild starting tomorrow, but UK consumers are also getting comfy with another highly prized Android powered device very soon. We’ve already reported on how O2 UK will be the first to deliver the Dell Streak, but it won’t be long now until customers can claim the device as it’s set to become available starting tomorrow. Deciding between the 16GB and 32GB versions may be the biggest hurdle to overcome for some people, but we’re sure that it’s going to put a big smile on the faces of many as it brings a behemoth sized Android device into the market. Depending on which plan you go with, the price of the Dell Streak will range from free all the way to $500 for a reported unlocked version. The wait shouldn’t be long for US consumers as it’s heard that the device will make its way to the country some time in July. In the mean time, the HTC EVO 4G can claim to be the Android handset with the largest sized display, but the Dell Streak will soon supplant it.
source: O2 UK Blog via Unwired View

It looks like Dell CEO Michael Dell has officially announced during the Citrix Synergy conference that the company will launch the 5-inch Dell Streak (aka Mini 5) through AT&T this summer, thus confirming what was previously heard. The handset will spread its Android love with O2 Telefonica in Europe as soon as next month.

This is very good news for the mobile community, since the Dell Streak is a pretty interesting device by itself. It is the first of its kind, being a tablet-like Android device with a built-in GSM module with 3G support (similarly to the Nokia N900), as well as 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, Wi-Fi and 3.5mm jack. Still, we wonder what’s going on with those incredibly hot smartphones, the Dell Lightning, Thunder, Flash and Smoke…
source: eWeek via Engadget

The spotty 3G connection issue has been plaguing the Google Nexus One since the very launch of the handset and even though there were some suggestions, it has never been really fixed. Of course, users have been hoping for a software fix all along, but such has not been released by neither Google, nor T-Mobile, and it now seems that Google has finally spoken on the matter… for one last time. Judging by a post in Google’s support forum, the company is no longer investigating this issue and advices users to try changing their location or the orientation of the phone. Yeah, thank you Google, we could figure that out ourselves and judging by the numerous complains – it doesn’t work.

Okay, let’s try it one more time, just in case. Switching the Nexus One’s orientation… nope… going to the other room… nope, still no solid 3G signal. Well, it doesn’t work.

Here’s the complete post by the Google employee – don’t hate the messenger, he’s just doing his job:

“Hey guys,

I’ve seen some recent speculation on this thread about an OTA to improve 3G connectivity and I want to give you an update on the situation.

While we are continuing to monitor user feedback regarding the 3G performance on the Nexus One, we are no longer investigating further engineering improvements at this time.

If you are still experiencing 3G issues, we recommend that you try changing your location or even the orientation of your phone, as this may help in areas with weaker coverage.

-Ry Guy”

source: Google Support Forums
Thanks, mrbill!

The story about the Motorola DROID coming to Europe as the MILESTONE has turned out true, as Motorola has now announced the upcoming availability of the first Android 2.0 powered smartphone for Europe. First countries to get it will be Italy and Germany, although the manufacturer hasn’t been that kind to mention the exact dates. As this will be the EU version of the DROID (offered in the States by Verizon), it will pack almost identical features. Maybe the most important difference will be the addition of multi-touch pinch zooming to the browser, which we hope will be utilized well. Another, this time sad difference, is the omission of Google’s free turn-by-turn voice navigation service, Google Maps Navigation. The screen remains 3.7-inch with a resolution of 480×854 pixels and the camera is again 5MP. For more information on the phone’s feel and specs, you can check our review of the Motorola DROID for the U.S.
Pricing details haven’t been announced yet, but according to the latest unofficial info, O2 will launch it at EUR 404.20.
source: Motorola