Although we have little further details yet, T-Mobile will today be launching their third Android device, which will be called the T-Mobile Pulse.  This is a Huawei device (not HTC), and features a 3.5″ touchscreen, and 6 home screens which can be customised.  Beyond that, we have no further information as yet.

As this information came from T-Mobile UK, we can at least assume the device will be available in the next month or two…

This is a picture of the new 3UK Mobile Wi-Fi device from Huawei, which is going to be available on 3UK soon.  Given the removal of the Huawei-specific D100 Router from the 3Store, and the move back to ZTE USB Mobile Broadband modems, we did wonder whether 3UK might be planning such a device.  It’s only 86 x 45 x 10mm (smaller than many mobile phones) and will allow “several” devices to connect to the 3G connection via Wi-Fi.  We understand “several” means 5 devices, although whether 5 all actively connecting at once will overload the 3G connection is another matter.

It can also be connected via USB directly to a computer, but early Huawei branded versions did not allow simultaneous connection via USB and Wi-Fi, so when connected via USB, these devices no longer shared the connection; we are not aware of whether or not this issue has been resolved.  You do, however, get access to an up to 7.2mbps down, 5.6mbps up connection when directly connected via USB.

Unlike the D100 Router, this device does have a built in 1500 mAh battery, and will recharge via USB, with up to 5 hours access.

We’ve seen this unit referred to as a MiFi device, which is actually a product brand name of a competitor, and not a generic name for these devices, but nonetheless, it looks very interesting, and we’re hoping to get a review unit soon.

After we covered some options for sharing your 3G connection a couple of weeks back (here), Solwise have informed us they have another device available which can also act as a 3G WiFi router; the Aztech 3.5G 11n Router.  This device brings together 802.11N WiFi technology with 3G (not this device does not seem to act as an ADSL router like the previous device we featured, but can be added into an existing wired network).

At only £53.66 this is a nice cheap device for sharing your 3G USB Modem with other users, and it seems to support the majority of USB Modems in use today (with support for various Huawei, Option and ZTE devices).  An interesting device for when away from home and looking to provide multiple devices with internet access.

More details available direct from Solwise here.

Although we update the UK Gadgeteer Offers page most weeks with new deals we have found / agreed with companies, we thought we would draw your attention to the last update, which added a couple of exclusive 3UK offers.  Both offers include a white USB Mobile Broadband Dongle, which are currently very rare on 3UK, to the extent that if you head off to the 3Store website, you will only be offered the black ZTE modem.  However, we can provide you access to the white Huawei modem with two options; either a 24month 15GB contract for just the USB dongle or with an Acer laptop.  Head off to the UK Gadgeteer Offers page to see these two offers and links to the offers direct at 3UK.

Please note these are time limited offers, and will be removed once they are no longer available from 3UK.

We try to provide access to deals such as these (ie not available to the general public) as often as possible; if this deal does not interest you, please keep an eye on the UK Gadgeteer Offers page in case something else catches your fancy.

We first covered the Huawei D100 Router as sold by 3UK earlier this year, but we now see it’s been removed from the 3Store (most likely due to 3UK concentrating on the ZTE USB Modem right now, which is not compatible with the Huawei).  Well, courtesy of Hot UK Deals, we’ve been informed that Carphone Warehouse are currently selling their stock of the 3 branded device at half price, which is £34.25.  That’s a very good price for the device, although it is limited to only working with 3UK, and, as already stated, needs a Huawei 3UK USB Modem to work.  However, once you have that, it will offer you the ability to share your 3UK Mobile Broadband connection with upto 4 other devices via Wi-Fi as long as you have access to a power socket.

Given that this does have these limitations, what are the options for others?  Well, the Solwise 3G Router may help out; although it’s designed as an ADSL router, it has a 3G failback capability (ie when the ADSL line is down, it will use a 3G USB Modem instead).  Now, because this isn’t being sold by any particular network, it’s not limited to one mobile network, and also supports a whole range of USB Modems, including a number of ZTE models as well.  It can even support some mobile phones being connected via USB if you have one lying around spare.

As the Solwise has both an ethernet port and Wi-Fi capability, it can act as a nice portable connection sharing device too. The Solwise is a little more expensive at £60 though (although for another few pounds you can get a Euro plug adaptor for the same device given you the ability to use it across Europe; although use a local SIM or be prepared for some horrendous data roaming charges!).

Both these devices still have one problem; the USB Mobile Broadband Dongle has to be physically located close to the main unit (and hence a power socket); if this location does not have the best 3G signal, then you should head over to Mobile Fun, who sell external aerials and signal boosters for the majority of USB Modems on the market (and have some generic ones for those without external antenna sockets).  Finally, it’s not clear if Carphone Warehouse are selilng the Black or White variant (or if you get a choice when ordering online), so it may be prudent to go to your local store if you are looking for a particular colour.

We should say that T-Mobile have a similar unit, but it’s only available with a new Mobile Broadband contract, so if you already have a device, there’s no wasy way of purchasing one…

Huawei, best known of late for their Mobile Broadband modems, have stated they will be branching out and developing handsets from next year.  Even more interesting, they have stated they will be using both Symbian and Android Operating Systems for these devices.

The 3 Mobile Broadband Starter Kits are good value for money, offering, for example, a USB dongle modem and 12GB of data (valid for up to 12 months from purchase) for £150.  However, right now, Maplin are selling that same deal for just £99.99 (available here), which seems a very good price.  If you bought the PAYG modem from the 3Store, you would pay £50, and then £10 each month for 1Gb of data.  Overall, that’s going to cost you a lot more than the Maplin deal.  Conversely, if you committed to an 18 month contract, you would still pay £10 per month for that same 1GB of data (with little or no upfront cost).

If you plan to use Mobile Broadband on a fairly regular basis, but don’t intend to use it too much, then you may well find this Maplin deal is good value for money.  It appears the Maplin offer is limited to the Huawei E160G modem, which can’t run as fast as the new E169, but should still be fast enough for most users.

Maplin have reduced the price of the Maplin minibook between now and 24th December. Instead of the RRP of £169.99, it’s now just £139.99. Maplin have offered discounts on this small netbook before, but this is the largest discount we’re aware of. Also available from that webpage is a downloadable Wi-Fi patch for the device to deal with wireless connectivity problems. From that webpage there is also a link to CnM Lifestyle, from where you can download system restore tools, a few extra applications and games, and even a driver for the Huawei E220 USB Modem for 3G access.

This may not be as feature rich as the Asus Eee PC units, but price wise it certainly may serve as a device for kids to have internet access.

3UK have kindly provided us with more technical details behind the D100 Router. This is made by Huawei, and we understand it will work with any Huawei USB Mobile Broadband modem, including the original 3 USB Modem, as well as the more recent dongle versions. It won’t, however, work with every USB modem 3 have sold, eg the black and green ZTE modem will not work (by virtue of being made by ZTE, and not Huawei).

As a passing comment, the ZTE modem has now been dropped by 3UK due to limited remaining stock, and the overall move to USB dongles, although it’s still available as one of the 3 Mobile Broadband Starter Kits if you really must have a green and black modem!

After the ethernet port we mentioned last week, the key feature the D100 router has is a built in Li-Ion battery. It’s 950mAh, which is equivalent to many mobile phones, so we would expect this is capable of powering the device for a few hours; this may seem shorter than a mobile phone, but remember it’s got to power the USB modem as well as provide a constant Wi-Fi signal. However, the inclusion of a battery will allow the device to function whilst out and about without necessarily needing a power socket, which has to be a good feature.

The tech specs are:

• Weight : 200g
• Size : 110 x 90 x 27
• Battery : 950mAh (LiP) BST-38
• Speed : Dependent on modem being connected.
• WLAN: IEEE 802.11b/g
• UMTS Signal Indication
• Lion Battery and power indication
• DC connector and external DC power supply
• Connector for external USB device (ie the USB Modem)
• Up to 32 user connected through Wi-Fi
• Networks : GPRS 900/1800/1900/UMTS 2100

Colours

• White
• Black

Other Features

• 1 RJ45 port

3UK have also confirmed it will retail for £69.99 (when buying a new contract), and is available today from the 3Store. It’s half price with the offers we mentioned last week; as well as those taking a new phone *and* Mobile Broadband contract, it appears it will be half price for existing Mobile Broadband customers, although you may need to ring up to get this offer.

We should also state, it is tied to 3, so will not work with Huawei dongles on other networks.

3 are stating this is capable of replacing a home broadband service, and certainly for occasional internet users that is a very possible situation. For those that travel with multiple devices, or even small offices, it could also offer an attractive option.

Update: It appears the tech specs from 3UK themselves may be wrong, and it may not include a battery after all. We’re seeking confirmation from 3UK on this point…

Update: 3UK have confirmed this was an error in the initial technical specs that were sent out, it does not contain a battery and that the tech specs on the 3 website are now correct.  3UK have apologised for the confusion this has caused.

Although we first announced it a couple of weeks ago, today 3 finally reduce the price of the ZTE and Huawei E220 USB Modems to £49.99. The new USB Modem Stick (E169) remains at a higher price though. Go and buy your PAYG USB Modem here.

Well, a week after we first mentioned it, we have one of the new 3 USB Stick Modems here. As with some other people, the first laptop we tried wouldn’t accept that the device was there, but on a second laptop it worked just fine (some software conflict that Huawei really need to find and resolve, or at least offer advice on).

In terms of speed, we’ve mainly seen connections at 3.6mbps, which is faster than our broadband. As well as offering a data connection, the software allows you to send and receive SMS text messages.

For those times when you are on the train, or have limited room for the stick modem to point straight out, it also comes with a short USB extension lead, but for most uses, it’s a straight plug in and work setup. The device also features built in storage where the software and drivers are stored, meaning you don’t even need to carry around an install CD.

As part of the launch of this new modem, 3 are offering some innovative pricing deals: for a start, if you are an existing customer, you can get the Mobile Broadband service for half price. Also, they have recently announced some very competitive tariffs, where you can get a free phone, pay a fairly reasonable monthly cost, and get a fair few minutes included as standard, yet also get unlimited texts.

Now, that means if you took the free phone, and then applied for mobile broadband, for a combined monthly cost of just £32.50 would get you a free phone, 500 minutes, unlimited texts, and mobile broadband with a 3Gb a month allowance. Note: the phone contract may be only 12 months (a bit of a rarity nowadays), but the mobile broadband contract has to be at least 18 months to benefit from the half price deal, although you still get the choice of all the USB modems (although the new USB Stick Modem will come with a one off charge to purchase unless you take a 24 month Broadband contract). This offer is only valid until the 31st May, so worth thinking through these options right now.

Although we’ve yet to try it, if you are roaming onto one of the 3 networks around the world, you still get the same deals and benefits – which means mobile broadband at no additional roaming costs.

Head over to the 3 Store now to look and order all these offers for unlimited texts and USB Modems.

Huawei, a name becoming more familiar in the UK and Europe, is considering entering the mobile phone market in 2008. They are, apparently, considering entering into talks with Qualcomm (whose BREW system underpins the 3 SkypePhone), Symbian, and are already in talks with Microsoft over which interface to put into the phone (or phones).

Huawei have some experience in the mobile phone arena, as they have already developed a number of data devices, including the 3 USB Modem. In fact, in Europe, Huawei have adopted a business model of having their devices branding by the network operator.

Having said all that, including the fact they already produce GSM devices, it’s likely their initial mobile phone offering will be CDMA based, and hence of no use in Europe.

Thanks to CBR.