Android, Huawei, T-Mobile and prepaid, a very interesting combination! T-Mobile has just announced in the UK and also in Germany that they will ship Huawei's first Android smartphone in October. That's interesting from a number of different angles and the press release contains a couple of other interesting points:
First, Huawei has tried for some time to enter the mobile phone business with very mixed results to say the least. With Android they are launching another attempt and have found a mighty ally in their quest, T-Mobile. Announced back in February 2009 at the Mobile World Congress, Huawei seems to have pretty much met their projected release date. With T-Mobile going public, that probably means that both hardware and software must be well on their way, otherwise T-Mobile wouldn't push it that strongly.
Second is the price point: T-Mobile UK has announced that it will sell it in a prepaid bundle (no strings attached, no monthly contract) for 179 pounds, which is around 215 euros at the current exchange rate. For a smartphone with large display and touch screen, that sounds like an ultra-competitive price. It even undercuts Nokias 5800 low price touch phone, which currently sells for around 290 euros. Let's see how processor speed, camera and other features work out at this price point. And that's only the initial price. I'd say it's quite likely the price will drop over time. Also interesting that T-Mobile UK announces the phone together with a prepaid offer. Definitely not targeted at the high-end market then.
Third is the data option: The post linked to above quotes the T-Mobile UK representative saying that an all you can eat data option for the device is 5 pounds a month. I guess they won't allow tethering but even without, the price is quite stunning and only a third of the current rate described here. 5 pounds a month on a prepaid SIM will probably make mobile Internet access interesting for even more people.