UK-based cellphone retail chain The Carphone Warehouse said on Friday that it will be the first to offer the LG GD900 Crystal when it is released sometime in mid-May. The handset, shown off at the CTIA show earlier this month, come free of charge when users agree to a contract, though no details, including the partnering carrier, have been revealed. The phone will also be offered on a pay-as-you-go plan but hasn't been given a price.

The GD900 is unique in offering a see-through tempered glass keypad. The keypad doubles as a laptop-like touchpad for navigation and web browsing. It also has handwriting recognition. Gestures such as tracing the shape of an M across the keypad will launch the music application, while swirling a finger clockwise or counter-clockwise will fast-forward or rewind tracks. Other features of the GD900 include a 3-inch capacitive touchscreen with haptic feedback, an 8-megapixel camera and the same S-Class 3D interface as for the KM900 Arena. [via Pocket-lint]