, the British designer of the eponymous mobile internet/PDA/MP3 phone device, has at last secured a retail launch date from Carphone Warehouse, its exclusive high street partner. Pogo devices is on the shelves as of February 4( and not March 1) as we wrote earlier.

This is our review of a pre-release prototype, dating from November, so note that some 'features' will have been ironed out.

The Pogo costs £299 inc.VAT, plus a £30 connection charge for the One2One-operated, Carphone Warehouse-branded Fresh phone tariff. Calls are charged at 10p per minute. Finally, mobile internet internet access,supplied with email account, costs £7.99. This has been in the public domain since November, so no shocks here.

The Pogo has been shortlisted an award at the GSM Congress in Cannes this month. It is one of three finalists in the 'Best Wireless Handset/Terminal or Handheld Device' category, along with NTT DoCoMo's FOMA device and the Handspring Treo Communicator. Exalted company indeed.

But design plaudits won't pay the bills: this will require big budgets for distribution and marketing. In the absence of such a war-chest, a piggyback deal with Carphone Warehouse, Europe's biggest independent mobile phone retailer, makes good sense. For now. ®