By Cincinnati Bell’s commitment to Android keeps on moving with their launch of the Samsung Behold II today. We couldn’t confirm many details outside of pricing, but that should do just as well to get your eyes squared on the device. Here’s the skinny on how much you’ll have to throw down for this one: For $129.99 (after a two-year equipment agreement and a $100 mail-in rebate) you can walk away from your local Cincinnati Bell store with the device today, or you can buy it outright for $229.99 (after a $100 mail-in rebate) if you’re a new customer with the carrier.
We can at least confirm that this phone will not come with any of that dreadful bloatware (and that includes that TouchWiz interface that everyone hates) that’s become such a fad these days: this is completely stock Android, folks. Cincinnati Bell got their Android ball rolling when they first introduced the Blaze (a device so popular with customers that they can’t keep it in stock!). Furthermore, the upcoming Motorola Milestone XT720 that we’ve been hearing about for so long is a major device that will help strengthen their lineup when it eventually launches, and the addition of the Samsung Behold II today re-enforces their continued (and very serious) effort to make Android the de facto operating system to provide their users with.
The Behold II can be found in retail locations starting today and is also available for purchase on Cincinnati Bell’s website where you can also find more information on the device.
WHY would anyone want a behold 2?!?!??!?!?!?
I didn’t understand why anyone would want a behold 2 when it was first announced
@ari-free it was the best offerings in TMOs lineup at the time. Samsung had promised a 2.x update and spec-wise, every other android device was inferior. Of course we didn’t know then what we now, that Samsung would refuse to support it.
Luckily I won mine during the giveaway.
Actually, this might not be a bad thing since it doesn’t include touchwiz
@Stephen Because.. um.. they’re creationists?
As a Cincinnati resident, I can assure you that the only reason the Blaze sells so well is because all their other phones absolutely suck. Except for their Blackberries…
Didn’t Samsung say that this phone would NOT be receiving any android updates? Or does that only count when their UI is on the phone?
@Jeff. I think that’s just for the UI. Cincy Bell has a history of doing their own thing. I had corporate devices flashed with WinMo6.5 before it was officially released to the public.
shawn when I first saw that UI I thought “there’s no way that anyone who reads phandroid will get that thing.”
So maybe someone can “leak” the Straight Android Flash for this puppy ??? Give the Devs something fresh and clean on the market to build on top of ? Hmmmmm ??
this is good for all behold II users. we could get a stock rom with a vorking vibrate and for new people they are lucky because no shitty touch wiz crap for them
behold 2 = fail
i’m sure they have heard all of the complaints about this phone, and is why it is being released without the touchwiz interface. however, how many cincinnati bell customers do you think are going to look at the forums for the behold 2/tmobile? most of them won’t even know what problems people have had with this phone!
I feel their just trying to get rid of that leftover stock that didn’t sell through tmo.
FAIL
LOL @ Behold II.
I remember when I was trying to win one of those in the contest last year, lolz.
I agree with the previous comments. Wait for Motoroi later this summer
http://www.unwiredview.com/2010/05/27/cincinnati-bell-first-to-launch-the-motorola-motoroi-in-the-us/
wouldn’t it be funny if it came with 2.1?
I just went to the store in the lobby where Bell is headquartered. The demo unit had a broken screen and 1.6.
Wow! They Ripped off my Rom with Minor changes to it..
FAIL!!
Lol @ BH_Man
Hopefully it does come with 2.1 I would love to have an android 2.1 device finally but I am still getting the vibrant.
I checked one out in-store. It was running 1.6 stock. Kernel ver. 2.6.26 – Much more responsive than the Tmo version.
eugene373, what do you mean they ripped off your ROM?
Someone needs to get us T-Mo Behold II users an image of this stock 1.6 ROM. It sure sounds a lot better (updated Kernel, no bloatware) than the 1.6 update we got.
Anyone…?? please ??