O2 to launch Stella/Stellar in December
Carrier doesn't know Rs from elbows?
UK network operator O2 has announced that its latest XDA smartphone will be available next month - even though the company is unable to decide on the handset's name.
O2: is it 'Stellar' or is it 'Stella'
The 3G handset, which appears to be based on HTC's TyTN II design - reviewed here - is referred to as both the Stella and Stellar on its website.
However, the device runs on Windows Mobile 6 and has a 2.8in touchscreen. It’s also a quad-band GSM and 3G phone, with Wi-Fi connectivity and GPS navigation.
A three-megapixel camera and FM radio are built-in too. O2 hasn't said much else about the handset’s features, but if it's truly based on the TyTN II handset then it’ll incorporate Bluetooth 2.0 and a Micro SD card slot.
O2 hasn't given a price for the Stella handset yet either. But, it’s worth noting that a very similar looking rebranded HTC TyTN II is already available on T-Mobile as the MDA Vario III.
COMMENTS
@Anonymous Coward
Why is rebranding HTC phones as O2 "just plain stupid"? HTC has virtually no brand equity here in the UK, whereas all the mobile operators are trying to generate some genuine loyalty by offering their customers something tangible (i.e. a decent handset), rather than just a pure service offering.
BT-branded home phones are a good example of where this has worked well in a similar industry.
@Bloggs, Joe
I was under the impression that xda-developers had been forced to remove all the ROM's they had available to download? They had a sizeable donation from me for providing me with the o2 rom for my Orange-branded Himalaya handset.
If they're still going, i'll start checking back again! Wonder if the ftp password is still the same... ;)
Thanks for your info all; maybe i'll arrange for the 5.0 rom to come into my ownership... :D
@Ash
Have a look here...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?s=3242b1d802cc49cd8c56f94c49703edd&f=378
Haven't ready anything here but if there is a vinalla ROM for this then it will be here.
@Ash
After you've done the initial setup after you've lost power (i.e. screen alignment and all that), just hit soft reset immediately to bypass all the O2 crap getting installed.
Anyway, Microsoft finally sorted out the annoying lose-power-lose-all-your-data situation with Windows Mobile 5.
Stellar, I expect.
To avoid confusion with a certain lager AKA Wife beater.
