For those who have the cash "59 will buy you a Huawei Ideos Android phone unlocked and with 2.2 the stock OS. Bargain. Crazy Johns and Aust Post have em. DSE too not sure on the cost there though.
The spec are: Android 2.2 2.8-inch capacitive touchscreen 3.2-megapixel camera Qualcomm 528 Mhz SoC FM Radio 256 MB RAM GPS Wireless 802.11 b/g/n HSDPA with up to 7.2Mbps
It will also come with a 4GB micro SDHC card (expandable to 32 GB), and apparently Crazy John will give you 300 MB data with every recharge.
Buying a phone is the cheapest part, so its not a factor in any of my buying decisions. Instead what is important to me is the use of the Optus or Telstra network. This includes the plan's they have on offer. To me, the phone cost is irrelevant, and doing it alone is far more expensive.
Yeah you're right, dufus on Whirlpool said it was, I didn't look far enough into the tread to see ppl pick him up on it. If you're on Telstra already you could use it I suppose but then again its only 3G on Telstra not Next G. Still for "59 somethings got to be missing from the package.
Edit - Reading even further into the whirlpool thread it seems the units have left the factory unlocked. Aust post is selling them and lots of people are putting their SIMs in no problem, Telstra, 3, TPG etc.
Telstra have released a phone for its Next G ppl's AND its only $99 !!! with free delivery from Dick Smith to boot.
Telstra Smart Touch Android? Pre-Paid Mobile | Dick Smith Online Shopping
Smartphone craze goes Pre-Paid: Telstra ups value & unveils first $99 smartphone
This sucker has the Lot, GPS, FM Radio, WiFi, 3.2MB camera, Bluetooth etc. As far as I can tell the only downsides (that really cannot be considered downsides given the price) are Resistive screen and no EDGE or GPRS. This baby is full NextG only.
Ordered mine. DSE have a promotion which apparently runs til the 23rd, enter code "JDNWTACH" to get "5 off when spending "00 or more online (Thanks Whirlpool). I added a "0 flash drive to the cart and hooray for $94 delivered for both phone and flash drive.
This should indeed tell me if I need to spend the dollars on a "real deal" android phone later.
I had a bit of a play with a display model in a Telstra shop yesterday afternoon, and I didn't mind the way if felt to use so far, but there's obviously limited things you can try out without having the ability to install apps etc.
Interestingly now I see that they can get the Omnia Icon (Samsung POS I was talked in to previously) to run android instead of Windows Mobile 6.1 - so I might get my hands dirty playing with that - otherwise it's sitting in a box doing nothing anyway so if I brick it then it's no great loss.