How do you know it is really Christmas? When there is an Android phone below the 100 Pound price mark!

T-Mobile is making many people merry during the holiday season by lowering the prices of all their pay-as-you-go mobile phones. This is probably a very limited holiday deal so interested buyers ought to go grab a phone of their liking as soon as possible.

With this offer, the T-Mobile Pulse stands as the cheapest Android device to date. The initial launch of the carrier-wide price-cut placed the Pulse at a few Pounds well over a hundred. The latest price cut set the price all the way down to 91.32 Pounds.

This 92 Pound device is the most price-efficient Android phone available in terms of specs per price. As we just said, it’s the cheapest Android ever.

So what do you get for the nice cheap deal? This pay-as-you-go Android phone boasts of a nice, big touch screen that is 3.5 inches wide. Pretty graphics with a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels, it also delivers some of the best resolutions for this price range. The device comes at a nice, easy to handle size of 116 x 63 x 14 mm, that’s small and slim –perfect to slip into a pocket or bag sleeve without getting in the way.

The 5 mega pixel camera is impressive for having high resolution (2592 x 1944 pixels –very printable even at 300 dpi) and autofocus capabilities; the only thing missing is LED flash.

This 3G phone supports UMTS and GSM bandwidths. For internet, you can choose between wireless LAN, HSDPA, EDGE and GPRS capabilities. The phone uses the Android 1.5 Cupcake making for a smooth and efficient mobile experience.

For a price below 100 Pounds and specs that make it a decent mid-tier smart phone, the T-Mobile Pulse definitely has its place on any Android shopper’s holiday shopping list.

The T-Mobile Pulse is a simple smartphone that will not offer the same experience as that of a Blackberry or an Iphone but it does offer a decent touchscreen phone at a fraction of the price.

The Design

The design is not awe-inspiring; it looks more like a typical touchscreen phone with its 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen and tactile trackball. Its size is also pretty basic, with a body measuring 116.0 x 63.0 x 13.5 mm, and weighs 135 grams. The aforementioned touchscreen offers a pixel display of 320 x 480, with a multi-touch method of input method. In short, it is simple looking, offering nothing new or inspiring but acceptable nonetheless.

Its Functionality

As for the amount of applications it has, it lacks a significant amount functionality that is offered by other smartphones. It does run on the Android v1.5 system that connects it to a multitude of Google services like Google Maps and Google Mail. It also comes with the Media Center (for managing of media files), and MyCommunity services (for managing contacts) that add a little appeal. Aside from that, the rest of the features are mediocre at best. It comes with a standard 3.5mm audio jack, a microSD slot, some email and instant messaging support, GPS with A-GPS, Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity and a built-in 3.2 MP autofocus camera (pretty much a given in any mobile phone that considers itself as a smartphone).

The Verdict

As a whole, this offer from T-Mobile, as was initially mentioned, is simple and does not really offer anything new. What it does offer is a chance for a bargain because this touchscreen phone comes with a price tag that is lower than other mobile phones out there. It might not be the best smartphone out there but it does offer a good buy and for some, that is enough.

T-Mobile Pulse Links:

• T-Mobile Pulse Contracts
• T-Mobile Pulse Reviews

T Mobile is now selling an Android powered mobile phone, the Pulse, for less than £200 on pay as you go, attracting a lot of attention from those who have always wanted a handset running under Android but lacked the funds.

The mobile phone, which was designed with these users who wanted a budget Android handset in mind, is now able to be acquired from the T Mobile online store.

The exact price for the Pulse mobile phone is £176.16, which may not sound like an incredibly good price for a “budget” handset, but when you consider that a Sim free version of the Hero costs upward of £400 you may just start to see the true value. If you open the phone up you will find it is in fact a Huawei U8220; and it has specs that really are very respectable when placed side by side with other Android powered mobile phones.

The device has a 3.5 inch touch screen display, boasting a 320 x 480 pixel resolution, as well as supporting both HSPA and Wi Fi connectivity. There is also inbuilt GPS navigation and a 3.2 mega pixel camera.

Although the Pulse is planned as a pay as you go mobile phone, you will have the option of signing up to a £5 per month internet package that is well worth it if you want to truly appreciate the device as being Android powered, rather than just another mobile phone.

A very reasonably priced handset and available now, the Pulse is a great idea and the perfect phone for those of you wanting to see what all the Android related fuss is about.