T-Mobile in talks for sub-$200 Huawei Android phone
updated 06:25 pm EDT, Fri September 3, 2010
Huawei Ideos weeks away from T-Mobile USA
Huawei's Ideos is already in line for T-Mobile USA based on reports of talks [sub. required]. The American carrier hopes to have the budget Android 2.2 phone by the end of the year and could have a deal finished within four to six weeks, according to the WSJ, leading to a launch shortly afterwards. Pricing would be a key point, as the phone would cost under $200 even off-contract and could be as little as $50 with two years of service.
The Ideos would be the first Huawei smartphone in the US and should provide most of the core experience of Android without the $500-plus prices for contract-free smartphones common in the US. It has a small 2.8-inch screen, but it has typical smartphone features like GPS and Wi-Fi. The device supports Android 2.2's 3G mobile hotspot function and could be one of the cheapest ways to share access on T-Mobile.
