By Since Mobile World Congress we’ve been hearing about the Huawei U8230 which has gone through the rumor mill several times, each time passing with a different final rumored outcome. Most recently we had heard it could be the T-mobile G3… but now the rumor waters are getting muddier (and yummier)!
The Wi-Fi Alliance has just passed a Huawei phone listed as model number U8220 through their certification process with the product listed as “T-Mobile Pulse”. Notice the model number difference between the originally rumored Android – U8230/U8220? Could this just be a regional version of the same phone or are the T-Mobile Pulse and whatever the Huawei U8230 ends up being totally different products?
The folks at Gizmodo Brazil (translated to English) claim to have snagged a little picture of the phone:
And how does this picture compare to the ones we’ve seen of the U8230?
Obviously different but very, very close. The U8220 is a render and the U8230 is a photo… they could still be the same phone at different points in the beta hardware or they could be two different phones entirely. But one thing is for sure… a T-Mobile Pulse will be coming through T-Mo at some point and it will probably have Android. Not only that, but Gizmodo Brazil is claiming it will pack the following specs:
- 3.5-inch touchscreen
- Wi-Fi (duh)
- Bluetooth
- 3MP camera
- 256MB of built-in memory
- MicroSD up to 16GB
Let the speculation begin continue!
[Via Wi-Fi.org]
or this.. or that.. or .. or..
nothing very definitive in this article.
If I told you something definitive when there is no definitive evidence, I would be criticized for misleading. I use the word speculation for a reason…
Now THAT is a good looking phone!
Goodbye iPhone, hello THIS!
Nice reporting Rob! This is the phone I’ve been waiting for ever since first hearing of it at MWC. The HERO made me forget about it but since the Hero may not be coming to the USA then this looks like the next phone I’m getting!
Currently a JF Rooted G1 user.
Am I the only person who still remembers the original promise of Google’s Android mobile OS? and that was to make cell phones dirt cheep given that OS would be for fee. For now it appears the Android phones are more expensive than their Windows Mobile cousins. Even though i absolutely hate windows mobile I don’t think I’ll be buying any Android phones any time soon either.
The Hero is expected to land in the US on Sprint (a company notorious for their crap customer service). I’m sure Rob covered it, if not, it definitely isnt hard to google.
Now, two things…
1. Is there any reason to get excited about this phone? I mean, I really want to, but I’ve only seen mention of T-Mobile UK or Europe, & Brazil, etc. And Some of us may have learned the hard way, that this does not automatically translate into T-Mobile USA (ie. HTC Hero). If there is any mention of T-Mobile USA, please put my mind at ease.
2. In either case, is it safe to assume that it will LIKELY run on a 528 MHz processor like all the other android phones currently available? And if so, is it even a contender for the Hero (which is reported to be laggy and thus behind the Pre & iPhone 3GS in performance).
Again, I’d love to love this phone. The hardware is really sexy, but I’m afraid we may be a bit disappointed. Alas, my heart lays w/ Sony’s Rachael/Xepria X3… and no one knows yet if that one will ever see the light of day in the US.
Rob, I’m curious about what you think. Also thanks for the article. I’m glad to hear more about this phone in either case, since it all but disappeared a few months ago.
I just really need this to have an above average processor. No more 528Mhz Qualcomms. I want 620Mhz or better with that good ole 256MB of RAM to back it up. Come on!
And to Peter…it what flagship WinMo phone is cheaper than Android? The Touch Pro 2 (flagship) is selling for $399. I dont see Android being more expensive than that =|
And they are starting to manufacture low end phones now. They can not make a high end phone and sell it at a low end price.
@StephenSaurusRex – are you tied to a specific carrier? There are so many hot Android Phones rumored right now that I would be reluctant to even put this in my Top 5 based just on surface info.
Xperia X3, Sholes and Morrison right off the bat although the latter of those has a more kidish look (specs definitely aren’t kiddish).
I would love to carry this phone around with me. That steel finish or whatnot looks real nice. But please, please, lets start putting some serious memory in these devices. It would push android over the top. Also, and most importantly… bring them to the states… and cheap.
@RobJackson – Verizon & TMO are my top choices if only b/c of unlimited friends/fam or fav5 minutes versus Sprints terrible customer service & AT&T’s horrible 3G in NYC. By the way, TMO & VZW tied w/ alltel in JDPower’s top customer service survey again. ( http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/Verizon-T-Mobile-ranked-leaders-in-customer-care-by-J.D.-Power-and-Associates-article-a_6414.html )
Yeah, I’m eying the Sony X3 also. As for the Sholes, I haven’t heard anything about its processor speed. Do you know it’s specs? Also, I thought the Morrison was a 528 MHz phone (which i guess isn’t bad for a low ender). Maybe by the nature of their relationship (Morrison = Low end, Sholes = High End) we can assume Sholes would be a force to reckon w/?
Nice talking to you Rob! Thanks for the response!
Hm… Still think the iPhone exceeds this design.
@Stephen – yeah if you’re considering Verizon I would wait to see what the Sholes and Morrison are all about and see if Verizon somehow gimps them. This holiday season is gonna be big on Android so no sense jumping into something early… if you can wait a little bit you’ll have a lot more goodies to choose from.
i have a question….is 528 MHz really that bad, judging from the way everyone talks on msgbrds? for a dedicated OS and hardware, seems like that processor speed should be pretty good. probably won’t be zippy, but you won’t be tapping your foot either, unless you’re suuuuper inpatient. what do people think…because as it is right now, i’m taking the sholes or morrison, whichever comes first…would it really make that much of a difference based solely on processor speeds?
just gimme UMA please.
It’s a looker, in either form. And at 3.5″, the screen is finally big enough. Having a large enough screen is one of the things that has been keeping me from getting serious about an Android phone up to now. I hope this thing shows up at a reasonable price and a reasonable plan.
@idavey the Touch Pro 2 (flagship) is selling for $349, not 399, and the price is expected to drop to $249 or $299 within days when it drops on sprint and verizon.