Mobile Phone News

Hate or love their software, their usability, or their distribution model, it’s hard to argue that Sony Ericsson (and Ericsson before it) hasn’t usually had a keen eye for design. Ed Hardy, on the other hand… well, that’s open to debate — but like it or not, the two world are colliding thanks to Carphone Warehouse division mobiles.co.uk over in the UK. It seems the retailer has an exclusive on an Ed Hardied version of the W595 slider that’s currently on pre-order, offering the same specs as its more buttoned-up sister — QVGA display, 3.2 megapixel cam, HSDPA — but the shell’s been traded out for a truly unforgettable mishmash of artistry that’s sure to leave an impression on anyone who sees the phone glued to your face. It’s no more wild than the Bob Sinclar W508, really, so pick your poison.

it seems like Canada’s Rogers will be among the first carriers in the world to offer LG’s first Android device, the GW620 Eve — and for North Americans, this is particularly notable since it means there’s a version of the device at retail that’ll theoretically work on Bell, Telus, and AT&T in addition to Rogers proper. We have no indication that AT&T’s about to actually pull the trigger on this thing (or on any Android device for that matter), though, so if you’re into the 5 megapixel AF cam, full QWERTY slide, and 7.2Mbps HSDPA capability, we’d recommend putting your unlockin’ pants on. For Rogers customers, we’re not seeing a release date just yet, but it seems like you’ll be paying a downright reasonable CAD $49.99 (about $47) on a three-year deal when it launches.

By all accounts, the GW620 seems to be a pretty timid first entry into the Android fray for LG — it’s a pretty plain-vanilla set with nary a software customization to be found — but there’s definitely a market for that sort of thing, so it’s good to see that they’re making nice progress toward retail availability with an FCC filing in this place. Of course, as with far too many phones, FCC approval has precisely zero bearing on whether it’ll actually be offered in the New World; these guys are just dotting their I’s and crossing their T’s as they prepare for a proper launch in key markets around the globe where travel to the US seems like a possibility. The particular version we’ve got in this place is the GW620F variant, rocking quadband GSM / EDGE plus WCDMA Band V which offers up 850MHz 3G. If we had to guess, there’s also 2100 in there, which would make it likely bound for Australia. With DROID Fever still in full effect, of course, it could launch in Antarctica and we’re not sure the Android community would be paying too much mind.

Filed under: Handsets, LG, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS, Android