We're live in London, where Orange UK has announced (and unveiled) its new San Diego smartphone, the first phone in the UK to use Intel's new Medfield chips. It's a 4-inch device with a tasty 1024x600 display, running Android 2.3 Gingerbread with Orange's custom UI layer. It's also an incredibly speedy performer, as you'll see in our first hands-on video.
Join us after the break for our video walkthrough of the UK's first Intel Android smartphone, along with more photos.
Reader comments
Orange San Diego hands-on video and gallery
Orange maps are terrible and everyone knows it, lets hope they don't use it to advertise this. I think Orange UK and wherever else the French originated company is, need to realise that the colour orange looks horrible as a main colour focus on a phone. Blue is far nicer, even gingerbread green is far nicer.
As someone who regularly uses Holo orange I disagree. Oh look, my opinion cancels yours out.
Maybe you should realize that there are other people on the planet besides you and, shocker, they might have a different opinion than you.
From certain angles, it looks like it could be the next iPhone.
Not sure what angles you are looking from. The iPhone does not look cheap from any angle.
I think it looks a lot like an iPhone from many angles. The bottom dual speakers and port, the front aside from the buttons, the wrap around silver...likely not iPhone build quality, but how in the heck would Apple not slap a lawsuit on this one too, just for good measure?
Maybe from about 50ft away.
Why does this feel like just another Android phone? I would like to see this on better design hardware. It does not look that fast but I'm sure its a screamer. -- Anyways, the battery life is what I am more interested in.
I agree with XavierMatt i thought it would have a blue design for intel inside but it dose look and feel like a normal device, but im curious to know how it preforms against new snapdragon, qualcom and tegra 2/3 devices also what about battery life?
I understand that Orange markets their own branded smartphones, but I doubt they have a cell phone factory, so I need to know who made it.
By the way, external stereo speakers (I'm assuming) are cool.
It's made by Gigabyte -- fwiw
Intel inside? Intel.. I quite frankly.. Am shocked. I thought you wanted to come to the Cellular Party pushing and shoving LG,HTC,Moto and even Samsung..( Well just a little on Samsung..) out of the way and force yourself into a seat at the party! You put the world fastest processor out of the box @ 1.6 gigs in such an UNREMARKABLE phone? Where is the at least 4.7 inch HD display? The fancy body? When people hear INTEL is coming to the party they expect the very best.. Its like you showed up in a shirt and tie ( The Processor..) and wore dirty work jeans and worn over combat boots on the bottom! ( The rest of the phone..) I thought you could hit a lot harder than this... Really.
LOL! Let's see how high this phone goes up the "Must Have It" List.. I'm sure it's a cute little telephone.. But if this is how intel plans to make inroads into our wallets I don't see them getting very far... When you can get the HTC 4G, OneX, for $149.00 - $199.00 the Lumna900 for $99.00.. The 4S 199.00 please tell me the *Gingerbread* running Orange fits in... Not many pockets & purses that for sure..
It's £199 off contract. So no two year deal. On a 2 year deal it's free like pretty much every phone in the UK. It probably won't be a must have, but everyone has to start somewhere. If they came in on an SGS3 spec phone and totally messed it all up then they'd look ridiculous. If they can get high end performance from low-mid range devices, then they look much better technically. Without OEM's wanting to use the technology, how can they put out the sort of devices that people who read this site want? Need to prove themselves first :)
If it a "UK" phone then so be it.. I have no idea what goes on there.. My Bad.. But, If its to compete here in the U.S.A. sorry... This falls way short and a year behind the times ( Read Gingerbread 2.3 when you had more than enough lead time to go Ice Cream Sandwhich. Along with a small 4.0 screen) Only an Intel *Loyalist* would buy this..I am sure SOMEONE here in the U.S.A. that needs a touchscreen Android phone bad enough I am sure would take it for "Free" or $99.00 on contract as well.. But you hit the nail on the head.. "THE PEOPLE HERE"( at A.C.) from the U.S.A. that come here to get the latest news on the greatest Android Smartphones are enthusiast.. Not casuals users. And unless you are coming from a "Dumbphone" to a "Smartphone" or have very little hands.. I cannot see this phone on Anyones "Gotta Have It" list here in America.. Again, unless you get it on the cheap or just want to say you had the 1st Intel Smartphone. We are taking the 1st steps right now to phones finally coming out of the box with 4.0.4 software as they should being 6 months from Jellybean's arrival, and Intel Drops a 4 inch screen Gingerbread 2.3 running phone on the market...Really? There's an old saying here in the good old U.S.of A. " If You Can't Run With The Big Dogs Then Stay On The Front Porch" Intel just wagged its tail and watched the Big Dogs run by......
Got too Love it
Because.. They are the "Big Brother" of the House.. Not Moto.. Borrow your partner's RazrMaxx battery for starters... And Gingerbread is so 2011.. Really Intel? Really??
Gingerbread buttons....maybe next year Intel.
well it is running Gingerbread...
YAY Hardware buttons!
Software buttons need to die. They are an awful idea and completely unnecessary, unless the entire front of your phone is the display (which none of them are).
Looks small next to the One X. That's not a bad thing, though. The screen has a nice high resolution.
But Gingerbread? Really? Wonder how long it'll be before ICS makes its way to this phone.
And I hope the box the phone comes in isn't that big. That box is HUGE! :P
Hearing september for ICS, but no-one I spoke to there could confirm or deny.
I'm buying one, so when i know, everyone will know ;-)
Holy
H
Holy crappy sound Batman!