However, over the past few hours, evidence of the header gaffe has disappeared, suggesting someone at O2 has flicked the right switch to deactivate the inadvertent privacy breach. The relatively swift action may not be sufficient to save the carrier from censure, though.

The UK Information Commissioners Office (ICO) told paidContent that, while revealing a number in itself does not officially count as a data breach, revealing that plus other personally-identifiable information would do. The government organization said it would be discussing the matter with O2:

“Keeping people’s personal information secure is a fundamental principle that sits at the heart of the Data Protection Act and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations. When people visit a website via their mobile phone they would not expect their number to be made available to that website. We will now speak to O2 to remind them of their data breach notification obligations, and to better understand what has happened, before we decide how to proceed” ICO

There are indications, however, that O2 has been using mobile numbers to help sites identify users surfing on their handset. Last night, the company tweeted whistleblower Lewis Peckover with the explanation that “the mobile number in the HTML is linked to how the site determines that your browsing from a mobile device.”

Update: O2 has responded to the issue with an apology and the following Q&A. The carrier blames “technical changes” made as part of “routine maintenance” that accidentally shared users’ phone numbers with not only “trusted partners who work with us on age verification, premium content billing, such as for downloads, and O2′s own services” but all sites.

Q: What’s happened with O2 mobile numbers when I browse the internet on my mobile?

A: Every time you browse a website (via mobile or desktop), certain technical information about the machine you are using, is passed to website owners. This happens across the internet, and enables website owners to optimise the site you see. When you browse from an O2 mobile, we add the user’s mobile number to this technical information, but only with certain trusted partners. This is standard industry practice. We share mobile numbers with selected trusted partners for 3 reasons: 1) to manage age verification, which manages access to adult content, 2) to enable third party content partners to bill for premium content such as downloads or ring tones that the customer has purchased 3) to identify customers using O2 services, such as My O2 and Priority Moments. This only happens over 3G and WAP data services, not WiFi.

Q: How long has this been happening?

A: In between the 10th of January and 1400 Wednesday 25th of January, in addition to the usual trusted partners, there has been the potential for disclosure of customers’ mobile phone numbers to further website owners.

Q: Has it been fixed?

A: Yes. It was fixed as of 1400 on Wednesday 25th January 2012.

Q: Which of my information can website owners access?

A: The only information websites had access to is your mobile number, which could not have been linked to any other identifying information we have about customers.

Q: Why did this happen?

A: Technical changes we implemented as part of routine maintenance had the unintended effect of making it possible in certain circumstances for website owners to see the mobile numbers of those browsing their site.

Q: Which customers were affected?

A: It affected customers accessing the internet via their mobile phone on 3G or WAP services, but not WIFI, between 10th of January and 1400 on Wednesday the 25th of January.

Q: Which websites do you normally share my mobile number with?

A: Only where absolutely required by trusted partners who work with us on age verification, premium content billing, such as for downloads, and O2′s own services, have access to these mobile numbers.

Q: The Information Commissioner said he is investigating – what are you doing as part of this?

A: We are in contact with the Information Commissioner’s office, and we will be co-operating fully. We have also contacted OFCOM.

We visited the site on a Galaxy Nexus using an O2 SIM and the carrier’s 3G network, and saw no evidence of the number registered to the account. The screenshot above shows exactly what data is being received by Peckover’s site.

Where his testing identified a line in the headers called “x-up-calling-line-id:” with the mobile number in international format, though, ours did not. A quick check of Twitter indicates we’re not the only one to see it too. O2 says, via Twitter, that “we’re checking this out with our internal teams as we speak. Once we’ve got an update, we’ll let everyone know.”

Some giffgaff subscribers – an MVNO using O2′s network – also report seeing their own number show up in the headers. Even inconsistent across users, though, the issue could be potentially very damaging to O2′s reputation; we’ll update when we know more.

Update: TNW is reporting that its own testing – using an iPhone on O2 – showed the account’s phone number in the header data.

Update 2: Pocket-lint has suggested a temporary workaround, which involves using an alternative APN for O2. Changing to the following settings seemingly prevents your number from being shared:

APN: mobile.o2.co.uk

Username: bypass

Password: password

[via Matt Parker]

The first plan will get you the iPhone 4S in 16GB guise with 750 minutes monthly for the life of your lease, unlimited text messaging, 500MB of monthly data, 20 UK picture messages, and unlimited access to O2 WiFi hotspots and insurance to protect the phone. That plan will cost users £55 monthly. You can upgrade to 1GB of data and 50 UK picture messages for another £4 monthly.

If that 16GB device isn’t enough storage space for you, the 32GB iPhone with the same monthly allowances will set you back £65 monthly. You can pay the same £4 upgrade fee to get yourself the 1GB of storage as the other plan along with the 50 picture messages. It’s worth noting that the 750 minute monthly plan for the life of the lease is a limited time offer, the normal allotment is 600 minutes.

Meanwhile, UK carriers have also piped up to plead their innocence. Vodafone UK has confirmed it is not collecting Carrier IQ information through handsets it sells, while O2 UK told mocoNews that it too “doesn’t collect” user data. According to the O2 spokesperson, any data collection would be the purview of handset manufacturers, not carriers, though Carrier IQ is known to have inked deals with operators as well.

The new denials join those of Nokia from earlier today, along with the insistence from a “trusted source” that none of Google’s official Nexus devices – the original Nexus One, follow-up Nexus S, or the most recent Galaxy Nexus – have Carrier IQ software loaded. The Motorola XOOM is also said to be clear.

The same can’t be said for the iPhone, however, with digging through iOS 3, 4 and 5 turning up evidence of partial monitoring abilities. However, it can apparently be turned off with a simple settings toggle, one which is set to ensure privacy by default.

Expect more announcements as carriers and manufacturers attempt to explain where, exactly, the extent of their involvement with Carrier IQ ends.

Instead, O2 is targeting businesses and entertainment venues, such as retailer John Lewis and the O2 Arena. They’ll give performance and usability feedback to the carrier, which will be used to shape O2′s bid for spectrum when the UK bands are put up for license in 2012.

The trial will use the temporarily licensed 2.6GHz frequency, which O2 claims is capable of supporting up to 150Mbps downloads. Samsung’s B3730 is O2′s modem of choice for the test run, a USB stick which also supports 2100MHz WCDMA and dualband GPRS/EDGE for when users are outside of LTE coverage.

“The time to download a 500MB file could be as fast as under one minute,” O2 boasts, “compared to over 5 minutes on 3G,” with around 1,000 participants expected to get their hands on the coveted modems. Coverage will span key areas from London’s Hyde Park to the O2 Arena, with Canary Wharf, Soho, Westminster, South Bank and Kings Cross all highlighted as getting LTE.

If you didn’t get in on the pre-order action before, the iPhone 4S available for purchase online direct from Apple. The company is only offering the unlocked, SIM-free (and thus unsubsidized) versions itself, priced at £499 for the 16GB, £599 for the 32GB and $699 for the 64GB. If you’d prefer a contract, Vodafone, Orange, Three and T-Mobile are all offering the handset, while O2 is initially limiting sales to existing subscribers.

To get up to speed on the whole iPhone 4S experience, check out our full review of the handset and then turn to our full iOS 5 review, complete with video demos of Apple’s Siri voice control system. We’re not the only ones who were impressed, either: our review roundup has all the key opinions from around the web.

[poll id="21"]

The Rhyme itself has a 3.7-inch WVGA touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash and a front-facing VGA camera. There’s also HSDPA, WiFi and Bluetooth, along with GPS. An arm-band for sports use is included, along with a matching purple wired headset that, despite recent phones like the HTC Sensation XE, isn’t Beats Audio branded.

Pricing for the Euro Rhyme is yet to be confirmed, though it will be offered at $199.99 with a new, two-year agreement on Verizon in the US. We’re guessing it will be free with a new contract in the UK, probably around the £26-35 per month mark.

HTC Rhyme hands-on

That, the quartet reckons, will mean faster deployment and easier business for retail, banking and ad partners. Like the Orange Quick Tap NFC payments system we tried out last month, the joint venture will be pushing a combination secure SIM and NFC phone setup; that should allow users to swap their SIM between any carrier’s device and, as long as it’s NFC-enabled, continue making mobile payments without any hurdles.

Obviously there’ll also be a promotional side, with the JV pushing targeted coupons, discounts and loyalty schemes. The exact nature of the payments system will vary between carriers too: the JV will provide the underlying platform infrastructure, which the carriers themselves will top with their own branding and services.

Assuming nobody complains about anti-competition, the carriers hope to have the JV up and running before the end of 2011. Google is kicking off a similar scheme, Google Wallet, in the US.

Press Release:

Everything Everywhere, Telefonica UK and Vodafone UK to form mobile marketing and payments joint venture

Posted 16 June 2011 / Corporate

Ground breaking venture promises to accelerate the development of innovative mobile services for consumers and business customers

Creation of a single ecosystem for m-commerce helping advertisers, retailers and banks to reach consumers through their mobile phones
Consumers will be able to replace their physical wallet with a secure mobile wallet using Near Field Communications (NFC) technology to pay for goods and services
Consumers will also benefit from relevant offers and coupons, delivered direct to their phone
Everything Everywhere, Telefónica UK and Vodafone UK to provide start-up investment
Everything Everywhere, Telefónica UK and Vodafone UK today announce plans to create a standalone m-commerce joint venture (JV). The new entity, the first of its kind in the UK, will bring together the expertise and technology of the UK’s leading mobile operators, enabling the rapid development and delivery of new mobile marketing and payment services.

The JV will provide a single contact for advertisers, marketing partners, retailers and banks making it far easier to create m-commerce products and services. The JV will be open and available to all industry participants, maximising benefits to consumers.

The JV is subject to competition clearance and is aiming to launch before the end of the year.

Enabling mobile payments

The JV will deliver the technology required for the speedy adoption of mobile wallet and payments. This will enable consumers to transfer their entire physical wallet into a new secure, SIM-based wallet regardless of which NFC enabled mobile device, or mobile network they are using.

Companies and organisations that provide anything from credit, debit and loyalty cards to membership cards and transport tickets will be able to create secure mobile versions of their products. Consumers will be able to use their mobiles to pay for goods, services and travel using contactless technology (NFC) with one touch of their phone, or online via mobile or PC.

Enabling brands to reach consumers on the move

The new business will also provide a single contact point for advertisers, media agencies and retailers looking to reach consumers on their mobile phones. The JV will enable them to book advertising space and create campaigns as well as provide offers, coupons and loyalty cards which can be stored on the phone and redeemed in shops. For consumers, the JV means that they will be able to receive discounts and offers from brands that are relevant to them and that they want to receive.

Everything Everywhere, Telefónica UK and Vodafone UK will continue to develop their own competing products and services tailored to their own customers, which will be based on the open platform infrastructure provided by the JV.

Tom Alexander, CEO of Everything Everywhere, commented: “This groundbreaking new business will unlock the true potential of commerce in the wire-free world.

“The benefits will be felt across the whole industry, allowing people to manage their money and make payments using their handsets, helping advertisers reach their customers on the move, and helping banks provide their clients with an easy and convenient way of making payments.

“And for partners operating in these industries, having a one-stop shop to deal with will make things quicker, easier and more efficient. This Joint Venture will further reinforce mobile as the essential 21st century device at the heart of people’s daily lives.”

Ronan Dunne, Chief Executive Officer of Telefónica UK, said: “We are seeing an explosion in the m-commerce market. Mobile advertising spend alone has more than doubled in two years as consumers embrace marketing on their handsets because it is now relevant to them and provides a great customer experience.

“The mobile marketing and payments market is extremely fragmented. By creating this new business we will underpin this nascent market, providing real size and scale, allowing consumers to benefit from new and innovative services, like the mobile wallet, and giving them more of the things they value, through offers and deals that are truly relevant to them. At the same time business customers will reach a vastly increased audience, utilising a single platform for sales, delivery and payment.

“This is not just something that is unique in the UK, but a JV that will create a model that many countries around the world could follow.”

Guy Laurence, Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone UK, said: “Since Vodafone made the first ever call just 26 years ago, mobile phones have transformed people’s lives. Along the way, the mobile phone has become the one item people really cannot be without. It is the first thing they reach for in the morning and the last thing they check at night. Over recent years it has integrated new gadgets such as digital cameras and music players as they have become popular. The new generation of smartphones is even taking on desktop PC by providing internet on the move and removing the need to be in the home or office.

“Currently people take their mobile, wallet and keys when they leave home. In the near future, people will now start leaving their wallet at home, and in the mid term their keys may also be integrated into their mobile as NFC allows the mobile to act as a digital access card. The joint venture is the next phase in realising that ambition.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1 Customer data will not be provided to external companies, retailers, merchants or advertisers, and will only be used where customers have given their consent

Still, it does imply that other versions of the Pre Plus on different O2 country carriers will likely see a 2.1.0 update of their own. There’s a lengthy pdf (in German) detailing the changes, and the homebrew community is already tinkering with the ROM to see if they can make something more generic out of it.

[via webOS Roundup]

R3 Media Network

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White Nexus S Live Photo Captured

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Gingerbread for x86 released: Android 2.3 for your PC
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Nokia CEO shuffle manipulated by investors claims Finnish paper
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Texas Instruments WiFi adapter adds wireless to fancy calculators
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F-1 converter lets Xbox 360 gamers use Logitech racing wheels
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Razer Ferox mobile gaming speakers now shipping
Rupert Murdoch’s The Daily iPad newspaper to launch in next 14 days
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ID8 announces Mogo Talk XD2 for Verizon and AT&T iPhone 4
iBUYPOWER crams new NVIDIA GTX 560 Ti into gaming rigs
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Apple updated but still no white iPhone 4
tyPad Hands On: Quality Does Matter [FEATURED]

To see more Daily Slash posts, click here: [The Daily Slash] or here: [SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up]

First up is replacing its existing 450 Cloud hotspots and starting the process of automatically registering O2 subscribers to the O2 WiFi service; that should be done by the end of 2011. Everyone else (or impatient O2 users) will be able to register for access separately.

While the move is obviously going to cost O2 some money, it seems they have their own network’s needs in mind as well. According to their sums, only 20-percent of O2 subscribers with inclusive hotspot access and a WiFi-enabled device actually make use of it; if the carrier can offload some of them onto WiFi from the 3G network, that should hopefully open up a little headroom and reduce overall load.

Press Release:

O2 redefines Wi-Fi landscape with launch of O2 Wifi

O2 outlines plans to offer seamless, fast and free internet for all, in venues across the country

O2 today announces its plans to deploy a market-changing public Wi-Fi platform in the UK, with the launch of O2 Wifi. O2’s premium hotspots will be managed through partnerships with key venue owners and will be open for all customers to access for free, no matter which mobile or broadband provider they are with.

O2 is aiming to create a scaled Wi-Fi platform that will be at least double the number of premium hotspots currently offered by BT Openzone and The Cloud combined by 2013. It will begin rollout immediately by replacing its existing 450 Cloud hotspots in its retail and office estate. It will continue to extend the reach and scale of O2 Wifi through partnerships with strategic venues, to include shops, restaurants, retail outlets and outdoor and indoor locations across the UK.

The O2 Wifi service will address the many shortcomings of current public Wi-Fi offerings by being genuinely free to customers, simple, fast and secure. O2’s mobile expertise and insight, allied with an enhanced quality of network connectivity and strong venue partnerships will now deliver a significantly enhanced user experience. O2 Wifi will introduce a new level of customer engagement, driving increased value for both the Wi-Fi hosting venue and the user by bringing together O2 Wifi with the capabilities of O2 Media and O2 Money to offer the potential to deliver relevant timely content that customers want in a format that suits them.

Access to the hotspots will be through a simple sign-up process and will be free to both O2 and non-O2 mobile customers, providing seamless connectivity to a high quality network. The sign up process will be auto provisioned for all O2 customers with Wi-Fi devices by the end of the year. All hotspots will be premium public hotspots, as opposed to using residential connections with limited bandwidth.

O2 has long been a market-leader in provision of public Wi-Fi services across mobile devices, introducing unlimited Wi-Fi access included in iPhone tariffs over three years ago. Through O2’s partnerships with BT Openzone and The Cloud, adoption and growth of Wi-Fi services has been significant with customers seeing real usage benefits.

O2’s New Business Development Director Tim Sefton said: “Building networks is a core capability. We have pioneered the explosion of mobile data over the last three years and know better than anyone where people are accessing data. O2 Wifi hotspots will bring high quality public Wi-fi access to the majority of mobile users.

“Only 20% of people who have access to free public Wi-Fi on O2 tariffs actively use it despite the majority of devices being Wi-Fi enabled. We know that Wi-Fi as a technology has great potential and can be a very fast service, however customers are discouraged by barriers which include complexity in activation, uncertainty of where Wi-Fi is free and the variable quality of the current experience.

“O2 is integrating new layers of technology into the existing network to enable a seamless and sustained customer experience. We are technology-agnostic and driven entirely by our customers’ needs. We believe that services should be delivered in the best possible way, across multiple networks, supported by different technologies.”

In addition, O2 is increasing investment in its mobile network by 25% in 2011. These investments will allow O2 to offer customers access to a suite of layered technologies, including 2G, EDGE, 3G, 4G, HSPA+ and Wi-Fi, seamlessly, simply and at speed. These technologies will enable customers to access a new range of ‘smarter’ services and experiences.

Your money gets you the same 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 5-megapixel camera as on other HTC WP7 handsets, along with a 3.6-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen and a slide-out physical QWERTY keyboard for easier text entry. The HTC 7 Pro is expected to launch in the US sometime in the first half of 2011 as a CDMA device; more details on the smartphone in our hands-on.

[via phoneseven]

Also World War III may have just started in North and South Korea. No biggie.

SlashAGGRESSION
News from Rueters at approximately 1:22am EST today (November 23, 2010) was that North Korean artillery had hit a South Korean island setting on fire buildings and bringing about return fire from South Korea. This information came to Rueters via Seoul’s YTN television. Reportedly there appeared to be 60 or 70 houses on fire, and the military (it’s unclear whose, probably S.Korea) confirmed the exchange of firing without further details. This story was reported by Seoul bureau for Rueters, Writing by Yoo Choonsik; Editing by Jeremy Laurence. I provide for you here all these people’s names incase this story proves to be massively important or a figment of someone’s imagination. This story comes from Rueters (link below), I’d like you also to take a peek at this screenshot from the Rueters website, paying special attention to the story title in the lower right hand corner.

[Via Rueters]

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To see more Daily Slash posts, click here: [The Daily Slash] or here: [SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up]

The slate will cost you £599 ($954) and then you can choose from O2′s range of pay-as-you-go mobile broadband plans.  Alternatively, the carrier is offering various pre-pay and pay monthly voice & data tariffs, for those wanting to use the Tab as a phone as well.  Meanwhile Amazon has it listed for £529.99; we know which we’d choose.

[via Android Community]

The HD7 features all of the same features as any Windows Phone 7 device, like Xbox LIVE gaming, and you’ll be able to enjoy it thanks to the 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen display. More information about the device wasn’t revealed by the site, but considering the presence of the device, we’re hoping that Microsoft spends some extra time with it on stage, as they rally off their announcements. So, stay tuned.

[via O2]

The carrier is asking for an initial €99 deposit, after which you’re tied into 24 monthly payments of €27.50 each.  It’s worth noting that those figures don’t actually include any wireless service, so if you want to take advantage of the Galaxy Tab’s 3G/UMTS voice or data abilities you’ll have to either sign up to a separate plan or slot in a pre-paid SIM.  O2 Germany reckon the Galaxy Tab will arrive later this month.

[via Android Community]

That’s despite the original information O2 released about their iPad data plans making no mention of promotional rates.  It seems the carrier changed its mind the following month, and updated its packages to reflect the promotional nature of the allowances, but it failed to contact any of the original subscribers to inform them of the different conditions.

The loophole is that, with the agreement being a 30-day rolling contract, just as subscribers are free to ditch O2 with a month’s notice, the carrier itself is able to change the conditions of the contract each month too.  Not telling users until now, though, seems like poor customer service from O2, though the carrier is unrepentant:

“When we announced new data pricing in June we aligned all tariffs to make them clear and transparent for all our customers. Since then, previous allowances have been shown as a promotion on our website. The vast majority of iPad customers are using under 2 GB per month and will not be affected by this change. Those who are can purchase more data if they wish.” O2 statement

[via The Register]

Meanwhile O2 are saying the HTC Desire HD will be available on their network via Carphone Warehouse stores, again with no sign of any pricing.  Orange and Three are yet to make any public announcement, though we heard at yesterday’s press event that they would indeed be offering the devices.

Less clear is availability for the HTC Desire Z.  No carrier is saying anything quite yet, but Amazon UK have listed the QWERTY smartphone for £499.99, unlocked and SIM-free, with an October 18th release date.

HTC Desire HD live:

HTC Desire Z live:

O2 points out that any data not stored on an SD card will be erased during the update. Apps will have to be downloaded again from the Downloads tab in the Android Market says O2. The carrier also suggests downloading an app for the Android Market that can back up your SMS messages, contacts and other important items on the phone.

The update can be started manually via settings, about phone, system update on the Streak. The first page of the update process reminds again that data will be deleted with the update. Once the update is downloaded, the user will be promoted to start the install, which takes about 15 minutes.

What’s still unclear is how long it will be before we see Froyo reach the Streak, together with when we can expect an Android 2.x update for the US version of the tablet.  Currently owners of the AT&T version are using Android 1.6, with no public comment from Dell as to when they might see that change.

[via Android Community]

The carrier is working with a sustainability advisory group to put the ranking system together. It’s called the Forum for the Future, and it rates everything you might expect, and how it impacts the environment. Rating things like packaging, manufacturing, whether it can be recycled or not, and energy efficiency, among other things. Devices are scored in a zero to 5 system, and there are 63 questions that are “asked” when each device is being ranked.

As you might expect, other major manufacturers are jumping on board. Companies like Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson have already provided handsets for the ranking system. And O2 is actually making a good start, as 93 percent of their handsets currently available for purchase should be covered in the ranking system soon enough. Which is exactly why it’s strange that the iPhone isn’t included in the list. Another manufacturer that’s not present currently is the Canada-based Research in Motion, which manufactures BlackBerry handsets. However, RIM has stated that they will allow their devices to be ranked by early 2011.

In a move that may or may not be surprising for most people, when Apple was asked about their position on the new environmental ranking system, the spokesperson said nothing about it directly. Instead, they would rather you look at their own environmental tests, which they publicly release on their website. Apple suggests that the iPhone has a very minimal footprint on the environment. Organizations like Greenpeace have scolded Apple in the past for not being transparent enough in this regard, so this probably won’t help that picture at all.

[via The Guardian]

Updated with O2 news after the cut

If you’re not going with Orange – though we expect the other carriers to offer the iPhone 4 will follow in their footsteps and bundle an adapter – or you want to use an existing SIM with the new handset, there are numerous guides online.  Meanwhile Expansys are selling an adapter plus a cutting tool for £5.49.

Update: CoolSmartphones‘ Dan has seemingly acquired some similar adapters from O2, so we’re guessing Orange won’t be the only carrier supplying them to new iPhone 4 microSIM users.

Of course, as has rightly been pointed out, “unlimited” data packages were seldom truly so; instead the “fair use” limits and the penalty for exceeding such were buried in the terms & conditions. How often they were actually applied was more the stuff of urban legend then fact: I don’t know of anyone whose data service was actually cut off mid-month, and if the networks throttle you back, well, how certain can you be that it’s not merely poor coverage or local overloading?

Still, the difference now is that the carriers are being far more upfront about their limits and what will happen should you go past them. AT&T, for instance, have attached a dollars-per-gigabyte price, leaving little room for confusion over what will happen to your monthly bill should you get mobile download happy.

I certainly don’t begrudge them that, and there’s plenty to be said for greater transparency in billing. My frustration is at the arguments we’ve seen so far for justifying, not only the caps, but the figures at which they’ve been set. Frequently rolled out – on both sides of the Atlantic – is 500MB, a number, we’re informed, that ninety-something percent of subscribers don’t exceed in a regular month. That remaining scant percent is, the carriers either imply or – in the case of O2 – publicly declare, Spoiling It For Everyone Else. We can’t all be trusted to use our data sensibly, and so the networks must step in and slap away the greedy hands, like nanny with the candy jar.

I’ve heard many people agree that they use less than 500MB, that it’s certainly a realistic figure, and that the complaints over stricter limits are in effect gluttony for its own sake. Many saying that are the sort of so-called power users that you would well expect to consume the most data. Personally, though, I can’t escape the feeling that carriers are doing themselves – and us – a disservice by myopically looking at the past and telling us “this is enough”. To use a lazy metaphor, it’s a little like a parent looking at their one-year-old and saying “we’ve spent $x on food this past year for him, so let’s budget the same again for the next,” without acknowledging that appetites increase. Ninety-odd percent of mobile users may indeed use less than 500MB at the moment, but how have those figures changed over the past quarter, the past year? Although it’s easy to assume that carriers don’t give a thought to network provisioning when you’re facing a scant bar or two and have a desperate call to make, in reality you can bet they’re each looking closely at not just past trends of data consumption but the predicted curves for the next twelve months, two years and beyond.

Consider this: you’re about to sign up to what’s likely a two-year agreement for your next phone, more than likely – if you’re reading sites like this one – a smartphone which offers you the full Internet as a mobile experience. The impending iPhone 4 is a good, timely example. AT&T, O2 and the others would like you to know that you’ve used less than half a gig of data each month up until now; the subtext is “don’t worry, what we’re giving you is plenty.” Why, though, aren’t we hearing the predictions for monthly use a year from now (still, remember, only halfway through that new agreement you’ve committed to)? O2 tell us they’re spending millions a month on strengthening their network; they’ve obviously crunched the figures, else how would they know where to target that investment?

My feeling is that they’re not telling us those predictions because, from their perspective, it makes for uncomfortable reading. The networks know that mobile data use is only going to climb higher, and yet they’re asking us to make contract decisions based on the wrong side of the curve; a snapshot of history presented as a reassurance that we’re not really losing out as tariffs change because, well, we never used it in the first place. I’m not arguing that true unlimited data should be the expectation; it’s obvious that the free-for-all of wireless consumption would come up against a wall one day. I’m even open to the idea of tiered service: perhaps pay a surcharge for data priority if mobile use is so essential to you, rather than merely a way to catch up with some streamed TV while you wait for a bus.

No, what rankles is being fed one lone figure, having it dressed up as justification for sweeping changes that could well affect your bank balance over the next twenty-four months, while all the time being told that, if you expect more – more gigabytes or more information – then you’re being unrealistic or naive. It’s not naive to think that, as mobile devices, services and appetites mature, my data needs of tomorrow will outpace the needs I had yesterday, any more than it is to assume a two-year-old will eat more than they did twelve months before. Carriers need to give us all the information – and the data package flexibility – we need, rather than hoping to blindside us with pacifiers.

In addition, the iPhone 4 will not be available through the O2 online store until “at least the end of July”; instead would-be buyers will have to head down to their nearest O2 shop or a Carphone Warehouse, Best Buy, Phones4U or Apple store.  You’ll have to have had an O2 account of some sort – mobile, mobile broadband, home broadband and home phone customers – since at least May 24th to be eligible to pick up an iPhone 4 from the carrier before August 1st. Full pricing for the carrier is here.

iPhone 4 hands-on:

As with rival Orange, the only free iPhone 4 handset will be the 16GB model on the most expensive monthly contract, at £60 for a two-year agreement or £65 for an 18-month agreement.  Full details on all the packages in the table below.

In fact you need to sign up to the most expensive monthly package – £65 ($96) including 3,000 voice minutes and unlimited SMS messages – in order to get the iPhone 4 handset “free”.  That’s on a 24-month agreement; if you opt for an 18-month contract you’re looking at £5 more per month on each tariff.

Over the course of a two-year agreement, then, you’re looking at £880 ($1,296) on the cheapest monthly tariff; in contrast, you can buy the iPhone 4 16GB SIM-free and unlocked from Apple direct, for £499 ($735).  That leaves a fair chunk to spend on a SIM-only tariff, so it’s worth doing the sums before you commit.  The iPhone 4 will begin shipping on June 24th.

iPhone 4 hands-on:

Perhaps the question most asked of us was “is it a phone?” Dell are at pains to insist that the Streak is an Android-powered tablet with voice capabilities – we’re guessing it’s easier to position your new device when you’ve basically got the segment to yourself – but in reality it’s more difficult to classify. Contrary to expectations it’s surprisingly pocket-friendly; its 220g heft will make your jacket hang unusually if you opt for the inside pocket, but we dropped it into our front jeans pocket with room to spare. If you prefer your trousers to look sprayed-on then you may have issues (not just with the Streak but with blood circulation), but the narrow 9.98mm thickness makes a big difference.

Of course, as slim as the Streak is, it’s still bigger face-on than your average Android smartphone. That’s to accommodate the 5-inch WVGA 800 x 480 capacitive touchscreen, and after a short while you won’t begrudge the dimensions; the display is bright and crisp, and the touchscreen responsive. Physical controls are limited to power, volume and the camera shortcut along the top edge, together with three touch-sensitive keys running down the right-hand bezel for back, menu and home. The 3.5mm headphone socket is annoyingly placed on the top edge, while on the bottom there’s an even more frustrating proprietary connector used for recharging and synching the Streak.

When the upcoming HDMI Dock for the Streak – which will allow it to be easily hooked up to an HDTV for media playback – goes on sale that proprietary connector will carry both power and video. We wish, though, that Dell had picked regular micro-HDMI and microUSB ports, like on the HTC EVO 4G; as the HDMI docking station for that handset shows, it’s still possible to make an easy dock without bypassing standardised connectors.

Dell Streak unboxing & hands-on walkthrough:

That’s our main hardware complaint, though, the rest of the Streak being pretty impressive. At its heart is the 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon you can find in so many smartphones of late, here paired with 512MB of RAM and 512MB of RAM. There’s 2GB of system/application storage and a microSD slot (happy with up to 32GB cards) together with quadband GSM/EDGE and dualband 900/2100 UMTS/HSPA (up to 7.2Mbps downlink and 5.76Mbps uplink, network depending). You also get the usual WiFi b/g, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and GPS, along with a digital compass, accelerometer, ambient light sensor and proximity sensor.

On the back there’s a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with a dual-LED flash, while a front-facing VGA camera promises support for video calls (at least, if there was software to take advantage of it). The 1,530mAh battery is rated for up to 9.8hrs talktime or 400hrs standby.

Turn on, and you’re faced with a mildly re-skinned version of the Android desktop, and here’s the first big software frustration. As we’ve seen on customised HTC and Motorola devices before, changing Android from its basic UI generally leaves users stuck with an older version of the platform, since manufacturers have to spend engineering time getting their enhancements to play nicely with updated OS builds. Dell ships the Streak, then, with Android 1.6, a few steps behind the current Android 2.2 Froyo, and in the process users miss out on several features.

For instance, there’s no Live Wallpaper, no MiFi-style 3G connection sharing over WiFi and no support for multiple Google accounts. More frustrating, 1.6′s support for Exchange servers is hopeless; Dell preload a 30-day trial of Touchdown, which promises contacts, calendar and mail sync, but we do think they should’ve stumped up for a full version. Still, you do get Google Maps Navigation – complete with turn-by-turn spoken directions – and the newer version of the Android Market with app screenshot support.

On the plus side, Dell have committed to pushing out an Android 2.2 update in the next few months, and their UI tweaks do a reasonable job of papering over what cracks there are. Since you predominantly use the Streak in landscape orientation, most noticeable is the segmented notification bar. From left to right there’s the app menu shortcut (which opens a single line quick-launch bar for your most-used software; a More button reveals the rest), network and homescreen pane indicator, the notifications section (a tap of which opens up details on new messages, software updates and the like), system status (including network activity, signal strength and battery) and then date and time.

Three homescreen panes are loaded by default, though you can create new panels if you need extra space. As usual with Android devices there are various shortcuts and widgets, for instance Google search (with a voice-control button), and Dell preinstall a Facebook widget and a Twitter widget. The homescreen is pretty much the only place where there’s no portrait orientation support; once you’re into apps, flipping the phone upright automatically rotates the display.

It was in the first half hour of using the Streak that we realised how well trained the iPad had us. Yet to set up WiFi and sitting in a patch of London’s GPRS-only coverage we stared, waiting, for a webpage to load for thirty seconds, until we realised we could navigate elsewhere, play with something else, and leave it loading in the background

This is the true meaning of multitasking, it dawned on us; not easily switching between apps “frozen” in state, but hopping from one function to another knowing that something is still churning away in the background. Apple does a great job of presenting the negative aspects of this – that churning is always blamed for using up battery life and CPU cycles – but has conceded only grudgingly, with the introduction of streaming music app background support, that there are positive qualities to it as well.

Palm’s webOS is perhaps the best mobile example of all this: when you zoom out to see the running “cards” on the Pre, each is not just a snapshot of the app but a real, functioning window on what’s going on. Video can keep playing, webpages loading, emails drop into the inbox. There’s no mistaking that multiple things are taking place, that the system is still serving you even if your eyes can’t be everywhere at the same time. Android may lack the intuitive visuals, but the core functionality is the same, and when you’re trying to squeeze five tasks into the grabbed couple of minutes at a bus stop, in-between meetings or in the hallway, anything that lets you maximise that time is a godsend.

That, then, is the Streak’s real strength: its brilliant web browsing experience coupled to some slick multitasking support. We quickly had the Spotify for Android app downloaded and streaming – audio quality is great, and even the standard wired headset is surprisingly good quality; of course you can also use your own or pair up some stereo Bluetooth headphones – while surfing through the Webkit-based browser. That supports multitouch for pinch-zooming, though bizarrely it doesn’t respond to double-taps to automatically zoom in on blocks of text or images. Still, thanks to the broad display there’s no problem reading text-heavy sites; we were able to zoom out to show the full width of the SlashGear homepage and still read individual articles. There’s no Flash 10.1 support; Adobe have announced that the official release client for Android will arrive later this month, though the Streak will need its Android update before it can make use of it.

Text entry, meanwhile, is via a custom Dell on-screen keyboard, and that’s somewhat less successful. In contrast to the iPad’s ‘board, which doesn’t even fit a number row onto the main screen, Dell have squeezed a full, separate numeric keypad on the right-hand side of the regular landscape QWERTY layout. That’s handy for punching in numbers, certainly, but it means the letters are significantly offset to the left for general typing; considering the natural inclination is to hold the Streak in both hands, like a PSP, and thumb-type, it’s less than ergonomic. As for the portrait-orientation ‘board, that shifts the numbers up above the top row of letters, as is more usual. Although our Streak arrived with predictive text and auto-correct switched off, they can be easily turned on through the settings page.

As well as browsing, the Streak’s sizeable display is ideally suited to media playback. Unfortunately, Android’s regular video capabilities haven’t been boosted in the way we’d like to have seen; the Streak will play H.263, H.264, 3GP, MPEG4 and WMV content, but there’s no native DivX or Xvid support. That makes dropping in new media a little less streamlined than it could be (plug in via USB and the Streak can be mounted like a regular external drive). Still, once you’ve got a file the tablet can handle, we didn’t notice any issues with blurring during fast-moving scenes. Similarly, YouTube plays back full-screen and – as long as the original source is decent quality – looks good. A kick-stand would make for an ideal addition, and we’re guessing we’ll see at least a few aftermarket cases offering some way of propping the Streak up for hands-free viewing.

Videos – like photos – are navigated through a non-standard Android UI, in this case courtesy of ArcSoft’s Mobile Media Gallery app. That can mix both types of content in the same view, separate them out, and sort them along the timeline that they were shot or loaded. As for the Streak’s own camera, the 5-megapixel autofocus shooter has reasonable color balance though tends toward over-saturating images, and the shutter shows a little lag. The dual-LED flash is, like most of its ilk, mediocre, with a narrow sweet-spot in terms of range that, outside of which, photos are invariably hopelessly dark or washed out. Unlike many of the more recent handsets we’re seeing, the Streak lacks 720p HD video recording, and instead maxes out at 640 x 480 VGA resolution. Clips are, again, reasonable in their quality, but they won’t replace a dedicated Flip-style budget camcorder.

Elsewhere it’s all pretty much Android as you might expect. Google Maps looks great on the 5-inch display, though there’s no multitouch support, and the Streak’s speaker is loud enough to make us wish Dell had included a windscreen mount for using the tablet as an in-car PND. Again, that seems something third-party accessory companies may jump in on. Voice call quality proved patchy, with callers sounding muffled at times, though that could be in part due to the Streak being slightly unwieldy when held up to your ear. You don’t look as entirely foolish as you might expect, but we found it took a little while before we were proficient at lining up the tiny speaker aperture to our ear by the start of the call.

Still, Dell would have it that this is an Android tablet first and a phone later, and indeed O2 in the UK are offering it with data-only plans alongside their regular voice/data packages. Packing both the Streak and your current cellphone into a pocket seems a little like overkill to us, but if you’re concerned about battery life of one or the other then doubling up would at least allow you to save your phone for calls and your Streak for browsing. Speaking of battery, we were impressed with the Streak’s longevity. With heavy use – Exchange sync using Touchdown, 3G turned on, and a mixture of media playback, camera use and a few calls – the tablet lasted through a full day. As with most modern smartphones you’ll be recharging the Streak nightly, but you should hopefully be able to avoid that early-evening top-up that is the shameful secret of some of the more power-hungry handsets we’ve encountered.

While Dell would probably rather you not compare them, as two big-name tablets on the market it’s inevitable that the Streak and the iPad would be pitted against each other. The simple difference in scale makes them very different propositions, however: the Streak is, certainly, pocketable, while the iPad requires a bag of some sort. We found ourselves reaching for the iPad while browsing at home – just for the extra expanse of display – but when we went out it was the Dell that came with us. The Android Market obviously lacks the variety of the App Store, and titles for the iPad are better suited to its size than regular Android apps are to the Streak, but we’ve a feeling that, as tablets using the Google OS begin to reach the market, developers will re-evaluate their wares to perhaps make better use of what display real-estate is on offer.

One point where the iPad does move ahead of the Streak is in its 3G support: the iPad WiFi + 3G has a quadband UMTS modem, while the Streak only has dual-band. A second, triband UMTS version suited for North America is on the cards for as early as a July release, but the short answer is that those wishing to take advantage of high-speed connectivity on both sides of the Atlantic will likely be disappointed. Of course, you can still use EDGE and WiFi – we’d have liked to have seen 802.11n support, rather than just b/g – and voice calls will work.

If you’re content being Europe-bound, of course, the 3G issue won’t affect you, and the costs of international data roaming probably mean that – unless you had a local SIM for your cross-Atlantic destination – the price of browsing would be prohibitive anyway. Our hesitation about the Streak lies more on its business functionality; as a media player it’s a strong performer, but the reliance on third-party software for Exchange integration and the absence of multiple Google account support make it feel underwhelming compared to, say, a Nexus One running 2.2. Dell’s UI is nicely done, but it falls short of complete Twitter and Facebook integration with contacts, for instance. The knowledge that such features are in the pipeline makes us wonder whether the sensible buyer wouldn’t wait until the Android 2.2 Froyo update is, at the very least, dated for its release or – more sensible again – preloaded onto the Streak out of the box.

Still, there’s much to like about the Dell Streak even at this stage. By ensuring Google compliance, Dell has delivered much of what’s great about an Android smartphone – apps like Gmail and YouTube, together with access to the Android Market – with the extra usability of a bigger, MID-style display. Going from browsing on the Streak back to a 3.7- or even 4.3-inch display feels unduly restrictive, even if those handsets make more sense for voice calls. Like any tablet, the Streak is destined to be a niche product; those who fall within that niche, though, will find themselves using a device with plenty of promise and plenty to recommend it.

Note: This review was carried out on a pre-release Streak running the latest available firmware. We’ll be looking at a store-version Streak as soon as one is available, and will update should any of our findings be different from this review.

No official details of the Orange data package changes have been released, but we’re guessing the carrier will follow rival O2′s pattern.  They announced three new bands of inclusive data for monthly contract customers, ranging from 500MB to 1GB, with 500MB and 1GB of extra data per month being billed at £5 and £10 respectively.

The carrier announced earlier this month that they would be one of several UK networks offering Apple’s new iPhone 4.  Meanwhile Orange are apparently also looking at introducing tiered mobile data services that would prioritise network access for premium customers, although van Gaver has said that would initially only be for business subscribers.

[Thanks Jonathan!]

The O2 iPhone 4 will be offered from £25 ($36) on an 24-month agreement, which gets subscribers 100 minutes, unlimited SMS messages, inclusive visual voicemail and 500MB of bundled data.  If you want 750MB of data then you’ll need to be on a £40 24-month contract (or £45 18-month contract), while 1GB of data comes with the top £60 24-month contract (or £65 18-month contract).  500MB of extra data is £5, while 1GB is £10.

It remains to be seen what other carriers will be offering for the iPhone 4 – Orange, Vodafone, T-Mobile and Three have all announced they will be offering the handset, but are yet to confirm pricing – and whether they’ll follow O2 in reducing their inclusive data allowances.  We’re interested in hearing your thoughts on the new bundled data amounts: are we complaining over nothing, or do the new figures turn you off O2 too?  Let us know in the comments.

iPhone 4 hands-on:

New and upgrading customers get unlimited plans until October 1st 2010, at which point they’ll transfer onto the limited bundles.  Text messages will update subscribers on how much data they’ve used and how close to their limits they are.  O2 reckons 500MB is more than enough for 97-percent of their current subscribers, and also point to their inclusive WiFI at The Cloud and BT Openzone hostpots.

The move to capped data – as opposed to more nebulous “fair use” policies – is being partly blamed on the iPhone’s success and the increased likelihood of mobile users accessing full websites and streaming media on their devices.  O2 announced earlier this week that it would be offering the iPhone 4 from June 24th.

Press Release:

O2 introduces new mobile data pricing model

O2 today announced plans for data pricing for new and upgrading mobile customers which gives customers a more transparent pricing model tied to usage.

CEO Ronan Dunne said: “We know that customers are looking for clarity in pricing as too many offers have clauses and catches which are not easy to understand. With the wide range of Internet based services now available on mobile devices we’re providing customers with generous clear data bundles that give customers freedom. This enables us to provide a better overall experience for the vast majority of customers and to better manage demand.”

Based on current usage patterns, 97% of O2 smartphone customers would not need to buy additional data allowances, as the lowest bundle (500MB) provides at least 2.5 times the average O2 customer’s current use.

From 24 June, O2 will introduce three inclusive data bundles for new and upgrading smartphone customers.

New and upgrading customers will continue to receive unlimited data as a promotion until 1 October. From that date, they will be able to buy additional data Bolt Ons which include 500MB for £5 or 1GB for £10 and O2 will ensure customers have the ability to easily monitor their use by sending them regular text messages.

All O2 customers will continue to receive unlimited Wi-Fi through The Cloud and BT Openzone hotspots.
Existing customers will continue under their present terms, unlimited data usage with an Excessive Use Policy.
Ronan Dunne concluded “By doing this, we are laying the foundation for a sustainable data experience for all customers and the huge possibilities that technology will create over the coming years.”

Alternatively you can transfer to pay-as-you-go and buy an iPhone 4 that way, though you’ll obviously need to continue paying off your monthly agreement.  Finally, there are early upgrade bonuses depending on where you are in O2′s “Priority List” (which depends on monthly spend and loyalty); that can grant you up to a six month early upgrade.

There’s an O2 early upgrade calculator here which works out how much you’ll be paying depending on how close to your contract renewal date you are.  Of course, with Vodafone, Orange and T-Mobile all planning to offer the iPhone 4 in the UK, there’s likely to be plenty of competition for your business.

Apple iPhone 4 hands-on:

None of the three are giving anything away when it comes to pricing, though O2 are taking pre-registrations as are Vodafone.  Orange simply say they will announce more details closer to the smartphone’s launch.

In the US, the iPhone 4 will be priced at $199 for the 16GB model and $299 for the 32GB model.  Meanwhile an 8GB iPhone 3GS will be on sale at $99.  AT&T have confirmed that anybody with a contract renewal date in the remainder of 2010 will be eligible for an early upgrade to the iPhone 4, though international carriers are yet to announce anything similar themselves.

iPhone 4 hands-on:

The Android 1.6 browser may not have Flash support, but otherwise pages load just as they would on the desktop.  Navigation is swift, thanks to the 1GHz processor, and pinch-zooming is as effortless as it is on the iPad.  Held next to the Google Nexus One the difference is impressive: you can see much more on-screen at any one time with the Streak, with the text still at a readable size.

The Dell Streak is available in O2 UK stores and online today; it’s expected to go on sale in the US sometime next month.  More pricing details here.  We’ll be putting the Streak through its paces over the next few days, before the full SlashGear review; until then, enjoy the hands-on gallery and the unboxing/demo video!

Dell Streak unboxing:

Dell are promising an update to Android 2.2 later in 2010, but they’ve slapped on a few UI enhancements of their own to tide you over.  The Streak comes with a rather nifty desktop HDMI dock, too, which allows you to easily hook up the MID to your HDTV for video playback.

Full pricing details are in the gallery below, and O2 are offering the Streak off-contract together with anything from 30-day agreements through to 24-months.  Anyone planning on picking one of these up today?

Dell Streak hands-on:

Full tariff details after the cut

Both 18- and 24-month regular voice agreements are available, with the cheapest being 24-months for £30/month; however then you’ll be paying £149 for the 16GB Streak or £249 for the 32GB version.  O2 also offer “Simplicity” tariffs, with either 30-day or 12-month contracts, though then you’re looking at £349 or £399 for the 16GB and 32GB models respectively.

The Dell Streak has a 5-inch WVGA touchscreen, Android 1.6 with Dell’s own UI – and an upgrade to Android 2.2 promised for later in the year – together with dualband 3G/UMTS, WiFi, GPS and a 5-megapixel autofocus camera.  More details in our hands on.

[Thanks Rhys & Simon!]

Dell Streak hands-on:

Unfortunately there’s no indication of what sort of agreement length that will require, though we’re guessing it’s a 24-month contract rather than something shorter.  Would-be Streak buyers in North America thinking of jumping the queue – the 3G-enabled tablet should launch there later in 2010 – would do well to bear in mind that the European version only has dualband UMTS (900/2100); the model that eventually arrives in the US will have AT&T-friendly 3G instead.

More details on the Streak in our hands-on report.

[via Engadget]

Press Release:

The Dell Streak Tablet arrives at The Carphone Warehouse

The Carphone Warehouse is today announcing that it will be the exclusive independent retailer of the Dell Streak Tablet at launch in the UK from June 4 2010. Available on O2, the Android-based tablet offers power and portability to enable people to watch, surf, connect, listen and play on the move.

The Dell Streak leverages Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon mobile processor to combine the functionality, performance, and benefits of a laptop in a pocket-friendly size. The spacious 5-inch screen is ideal when browsing the internet, enabling users to view web pages as they were intended. Plus, the Streak will be able to support future internet plug-ins, such as Flash 10.1 and video chat applications through over-the-air updates.

There’s built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G connectivity, enabling easy access to download music, update social networking status’ in real-time, and stay connected to friends and family through e-mail, text, IM, and voice calls. The integrated Google Maps provides turn-by-turn navigation and street and satellite views, while additional widgets, games and applications can also be downloaded from the 30,000 plus offered in the Google Android Market.

Andrew Harrison, UK CEO of The Carphone Warehouse said, “The Dell Streak represents the start of a very exciting technological advancement. The move into tablets means we can offer our customers the functionality of laptops combined with the portability of mobile phones, creating an entirely new range of products that will allow our customers to stay connected on the go. As development progresses, we look forward to increasing this range, so customers can be sure they are getting the very latest models on the market.”

Ron Garriques, president, Dell Communication Solutions Group said “The Dell Streak hits the sweet spot between traditional smartphones and larger-screen tablets. Its unique size provides people new ways to enjoy, connect, and navigate their lives.”

Notes to Editors

The Dell Streak will be available from 4 June in selected stores of The Carphone Warehouse. The tablet will be available for free on a £25 a month contract with mobile broadband, for free on a £35 a month contract with voice and unlimited data or for a standalone price of £429

The Streak has a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 3G HSPA, WiFi and Bluetooth, along with GPS and a 5-megapixel autofocus camera.  There’s also a front-facing camera for video calls.  Although it will run Android 1.6 at launch, Dell are planning to push out an Android 2.2 Froyo update later in 2010.

O2 are yet to confirm pricing and tariffs for the Streak, but we’re guessing this might not be a free-on-contract device, sadly.  For more on the Streak, check out our hands-on report.

[Thanks Rhys!]

Dell Streak hands-on:

The Palm Pre Plus has 16GB of internal storage, a slide-out QWERTY thumbboard, WiFi b/g, Bluetooth and GPS, together with Palm’s own webOS operating system and Synergy email, calendar and social network integration.  The Pixi Plus, meanwhile, has much the same functionality but half the internal storage, a candybar form-factor and a slightly smaller screen.

Both will be supplied complete with the Touchstone back panel, though the inductive charger itself will be offered separately.  They’ll go on sale May 28th online and in O2 stores.

Press Release:

Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus Available Soon for O2 Customers in the UK

LONDON, England, 19 May, 2010 – Palm, Inc. (NASDAQ: PALM) today announced that the Palm® Pre™ Plus and Palm Pixi™ Plus phones will be available in the UK on O2 from 28 May. They will be available from free, depending on tariff, in all O2 stores and online at www.o2.co.uk.

“We are excited to bring Pre Plus and Pixi Plus to the market for O2 customers,” said Jon Rubinstein, Palm chairman and chief executive officer. “With the choice of these two new Palm webOS phones, customers across the UK can stay connected, so they never miss a thing.”

With a slider keyboard, a larger touchscreen and a high-performance processor, Pre Plus is Palm’s full-featured Palm webOS™ phone. It’s designed for people who want an easy-to-use phone with advanced features to help manage the different aspects of their lives, both personal and professional. The keyboard makes for quick and easy typing, while the unique gesture area provides a sleek look and intuitive navigation. Customers also get 16GB(1) of storage (~15GB user available) for applications and media. Pre Plus comes with the Palm Touchstone™ Back Cover, so it’s compatible out of the box with the revolutionary inductive Touchstone Charging Dock (sold separately).

As Palm’s thinnest phone to date, Pixi Plus fits easily in your hand or pocket and offers a host of powerful features. It’s great for social communicators and first-time smartphone buyers who want an affordable phone with a full QWERTY keyboard instantly accessible for messaging and web content. With the color Palm Pixi Touchstone Back Covers and the Palm Pixi Artist Series Back Covers, which are compatible with the Touchstone Charging Dock, you can easily switch covers to suit your mood and style (all will be sold separately at www.palm.com/uk).

Pre Plus and Pixi Plus showcase the defining features of Palm webOS, including the ability to run multiple applications simultaneously and easily move between them; the power of Palm Synergy™, which brings customers’ information from the many places it resides into a single, more comprehensive view; unobtrusive notifications; and universal search.(2) Palm webOS also has a unique model of over-the-air software updates that delivers new features and performance improvements directly to a user’s phone. Past updates have included support for 3D games on Pre Plus and video recording, allowing webOS customers to use their phones in fun, new ways.

A significant advantage of Palm webOS applications is that they can be integrated into the core webOS experience, including linked contacts, layered calendars, notifications and GPS, providing a rich catalog of innovative and unique offerings for Palm webOS users. The growing Palm App Catalog offers some of the best apps in the market, such as rich 3D games like “Need for Speed™ Undercover” and “James Cameron’s Avatar™.” E-commerce is available for the Palm App Catalog for Europe, allowing end users to purchase applications using a credit or debit card.

Pre Plus and Pixi Plus include the following features and specifications:

Palm Synergy, a key feature of Palm webOS that brings your information from all the places it resides – including Outlook(3), Google, Facebook, Yahoo! and LinkedIn – into one logical view that links your contacts and calendars, so accessing them is easier than ever
The ability to run multiple applications simultaneously and easily move between them
Unobtrusive notifications
Universal search
Over-the-air software updates delivered directly to a user’s phone
High-quality applications from the Palm App Catalog
High-speed connectivity
Gesture area, which enables simple, intuitive gestures for navigation
Full QWERTY keyboard
High-performance, desktop-class web browser
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
Integrated GPS(4)
Robust messaging support (combining IM, SMS and MMS capabilities)
Multimedia options, including music, photos, video recording and playback, a camera with LED flash and a standard 3.5mm headset jack
Email, including EAS (for access to corporate Microsoft Exchange servers) and personal email support (Google Mail push, Yahoo!, POP3, IMAP)
Bluetooth® 2.1 + EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support
USB mass storage mode
Charger/microUSB connector with USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
Proximity sensor, which automatically disables the touchscreen and turns off the display whenever you put the phone up to your ear
Light sensor, which reduces power usage by dimming the display if the ambient light is dark
Accelerometer, which automatically orients web pages and photos to your perspective
Ringer switch, which easily silences the device with one touch
Removable, rechargeable battery

A complete list of features and specifications for each phone is available at www.palm.com/uk

Availability and Pricing

The Pre Plus and Pixi Plus will be available from May 28 on O2’s range of smartphone tariffs which all offer unlimited data(5), unlimited public Wi-Fi at The Cloud and BT Openzone and unlimited texts as well as a range of included minutes to suit every pocket.

The Telefonica news – which will see the Dell Streak arrive in Europe before it launches in the US – confirms our speculation last month that the carrier had clinched a deal with Dell for an O2 Streak exclusive.  Still to be announced is pricing and specific availability of the Dell Streak, together with which of the countries Telefonica serve – which includes the UK, Germany and Ireland – will get the MID first.

The Dell Streak has a 5-inch capacitive touchscreen, UMTS/HSPA modem with voice-call functionality and a 5-megapixel camera.  Running the Android OS – version as yet unconfirmed – with several Dell UI tweaks, the company have previously positioned it as a “voice-enabled tablet” rather than an oversized smartphone.

Dell Streak/Mini 5 demo:

[via Android Community]

As well as the daily option, O2 offer 1GB of mobile data per month for £10 or 3GB for £15 (the latter being the same as Orange’s plan).  Meanwhile Vodafone UK more closely follow AT&T’s iPad 3G plans in the US, offering 250MB per month for £10 or 5GB (not unlimited) per month for £25.

A MicroSIM card for one of the three carriers can be added to an iPad WiFi + 3G pre-order for £0.20.  Interestingly, while with Orange and Vodafone users have to call the carrier to pick a data plan and start their 3G service, those with an O2 MicroSIM can select the data plan from the iPad itself, and needn’t call the carrier at all.

[Thanks Ian!]