Android's always in need of a better browser. Hell, every mobile platform is -- yes, even your precious Pres and iPhones can always stand to eke out a little more speed, a little more rendering capability, and a little more functionality (yeah, that's right, Flash), and Opera Mobile has always been at or near the top of the game. Version 10 -- which is currently in public beta for Windows Mobile and Symbian -- has now been turned loose on Android, but the catch is that it's only available to carriers and manufacturers of devices right now. The reason? Opera claims that these versions "present limitations that hinder mass consumer distribution" without elaborating -- and if you ask us, Android's built-in browser has plenty of "limitations" in its own right, so seriously, Opera, go ahead and turn it loose. We won't judge. Okay, maybe we will, but we'll go easy.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

We like cheery, pink-hued pics as much as the next guy, but let's be honest: when you're snapping a candid shot from your phone, you want that cherished memory to be preserved in color that's as accurate as possible. Fortunately, HTC has cut an update for its afflicted HD2 that solves the camera issues it's been having -- which is especially good news considering the dreadful theories that it might be a hardware issue -- and we've never seen language as flowery as this to describe a bugfix:

"This update for HTC HD2 delivers clear digital picture quality like never before. Living up to the name of "HD" this phone and its twin LED flash will take beautiful pictures for you to cherish your memories. Displayed in brilliant vibrant colors on its 4.3 inch screen, HTC HD2 camera will delight you."

Indeed, HTC. Indeed.

[Thanks, Mikey]

Motorola's European version of the Droid -- the Milestone -- is on the verge of release in the UK, so it's not surprising to see ads starting to pop up. This is the first we've seen, and we'll say that the approach is... interesting. In contrast to the over the top, explosive (literally -- did you see that banana?!) Verizon Droid ads, the Milestone ad is all about information, delivered in a soothing, sophisticated tone. "Intelligence and versatility converge" here, and we have to say we much prefer this approach over the it's a "frickin' robot" one taken by Verizon. Decide for yourself -- the video is after the break.

Here's an interesting one. Vodafone, which is one of the few carriers in the world right now with access to HTC's HD2, is reportedly not going to stock the handset any longer once its current supply evaporates. The reason? Why, that's a fantastic question! According to a company spokesperson, there has been a "massive amount of interest" in the big-screen mobile, with initial stock "selling out quickly and subsequent deliveries used to fulfill backorders." Call us crazy, but it seems a wee bit foolish to can a product that's selling well -- unless, of course, Voda has a certain amount of iPhones that it'll be required to sell just a few months from now (or else buy 'em itself). Whatever the case, we're told that the operator "will not [be] re-stocking the HTC HD2 for general consumer sales once current stock runs out," so if you're jonesing for one, ten minutes ago would've been a great time to buy.

Update: Here's the latest from Vodafone: "We haven't recalled or stopped selling it, at the moment we have simply ran out of stock. When our next batch of stock arrives, this will be used to fulfill our outstanding back orders but we won't be taking any additional orders via Telesales."

And no, we're not talking about Skype Lite, either -- a real, legitimate, native-code version of Skype has just hit beta for S60 3.1 and 3.2-based devices. Right now, 17 phones ranging from the E51 up to the N96 are supported -- all Nokias -- but more are promised by the time they get around to releasing a gold build. The app supports free Skype-to-Skype calling over 3G or WiFi, instant messaging, and file transfers, but one thing that it doesn't support is video calling, which makes Fring's recent release all that much more interesting. It can be installed over the air, so go ahead and grab it now -- unless you're using an i8910, in which case you can go sob quietly to yourself.

In the event that Sidekickgate didn't scare you right out of using anything involving Danger, you've got a bit of good news this week -- if you've got an LX 2009 model, anyhow -- on news that a new firmware has been pushed out over-the-air. Details are thin, but it looks like the biggies here are support for backing up contacts to T-Mobile's Mobile Backup service (independently of the normal sync that happens to Danger's servers) and a host of bug fixes, which are always a pleasant thing for improving the user experience in the field. It's hard to say how many LX 2009s are still in active use and how many more are realistically gonna be sold, but yeah -- if we had to guess, the writing's on the wall for Sidekick as we know it, so at this point, cherish every FOTA like it's your last.

You've heard of Twitter, right? What about Eldar Murtazin, heard of him? He's editor in chief of Mobile Review and the ultimate insider when it come to all things mobile. So when we see a Tweet like this:

"Foxconn received order for next generation iphone"

We're inclined to believe it's true and certainly give Eldar's statement more weight than a random analyst note. Besides, if Apple's going to keep up the mid-year iPhone refresh cycle then the timing's just about right, eh?

Extraordinarily well-connected mobile blogger Eldar Murtazin -- who just happens to be Russian -- has made the fascinating observation that the Samsung Diva S5150 looks strikingly similar to the kind of Christmas decoration that you'd find in a Soviet home circa, oh, 1986. Coincidence? Probably, but what do we know -- the Diva is a fashion phone, after all, and maybe Cold War-era communism is super trendy right now.

The marriage of a high-priced smartphone to a value-minded department store was always going to be interesting and Tesco has not disappointed. Having just announced that availability of the latest and greatest iPhone is coming on December 14, the company has also detailed some unique -- for the UK at least -- price plans to go with it. Most notable is the unlimited (subject to fair use policy) 3G web and BT Openzone WiFi access on offer, which will be free for a year to Pay As You Go and one-year contract customers or for two years if you're on a 24-month agreement. Tesco's also bringing the minimum monthly outlay down to £20 ($32) on its one-year contract, but that only gets you a £60 ($98) calls and texts allowance and you'd have to pony up £320 ($520) for the 16GB handset. On the other hand, you could go nuts and get the unlimited calls and texts plan for £60 a month, which isn't too bad value for the incessant chatterboxes out there. Finally, there's also half-price calling to your favorite five numbers, which isn't going to matter much to people on the all-you-can-eat price plan, but is a nice extra.

[Thanks Tony H. and everyone who sent this in]

The iPod touch (and technically the iPhone as well) may well be "the funnest iPod ever," but it can also be the most awkward device to hold for prolonged gaming sessions, nor have previous attempts made things any better. The iHandstick might just do the job -- while we can't credit them for originality, this hollow cousin of the Playstation controller may satisfy owners of iPod touch 2G / 3G and iPhone 3G / 3GS. Remember, it should give a similar grip enjoyed by millions of Playstation gamers over the last 15 years. The only doubt left is whether our thumbs can easily reach the virtual buttons on the screen. Wanna give this a shot? $16.99 plus shipping and it's all yours.

As a general rule of thumb, we'd say that whenever you hear rumors of an Android-powered candybar with a numeric keypad, it's probably going to end in tears. Such might be the case with Sony Ericsson's codename "Susan," a device originally thought to accompany the X10 in the company's brand-spanking-new Android line but now apparently thought to be a simpler QVGA dumbphone coming to market as the J10 with WiFi and a 5 megapixel cam with flash. Not as exciting, no -- but the good news is that the phone should come in as a member of the GreenHeart line, meaning that it'll probably be made of eco-friendly materials and get packed in with an ultra-low or zero-power draw charger (when there's no phone attached, anyway). No word on pricing or release just yet.

[Image via androidin.net]

Sorry, no Android 2.0 here (yet), but Verizon's version of the HTC Hero is now getting its first over-the-air update. Known by its affection title of Droid Eris ROM:1.16.605.1, the patch is more or less the usual minor tweaks and improvements, although those who like to dramatically hang up on someone should be advised that the phone goes into screensaver while on call, and two presses of the End key will be required to exit the mode and then conclude said conversation. The week-long rollout starts at midnight ET tonight, but as usual, it could take up to a week to hit your system. Full patch notes after the break.

We can't confirm the details here, but we've received some pretty in-depth information about the Motorola Motus' possible launch on AT&T that would seem to largely corroborate what we've been hearing so far:

• Sure enough, the keyboard flips backwards so that it's facing out when the phone is "closed." When it's open, the underside of the keyboard has a trackpad that allows you to scroll the screen while typing with your thumbs (it's unclear how well this'll actually work in practice). There's also a third hinge position that keeps the phone upright -- perfect for use as a video display or alarm clock.
• There's a 5 megapixel cam and LED flash mounted on the keyboard (notice that white spot in the lower left?) designed to be used as a webcam, but we don't know whether this'll function as a traditional 3G video call (we'd doubt it) or over some other service.
• It runs Blur. If you like Blur, congrats; if you hate it, our condolences.
• The keys are backlit and said to be "domed" -- that's not really conveyed in this spy shot we've seen, but it's hard to say for sure.
• It's said to be about three-quarters of an inch thick, "enough to be bulky in your pocket."
• Our tipster says he thinks he was told it runs Snapdragon, which would run counter to our current intel that has it running the CLIQ's 528MHz MSM7201A. At any rate, he says it "seemed very responsive," which is a good sign.

Now here's the bummer: apparently our guy was told that it wouldn't be ready until April or May of 2010, which would truly suck if AT&T really intends this to be in its first batch of Android devices. He couldn't get a market name out of his contact, but we're guessing "Motus" isn't going to stick. At least, we hope it isn't.

The Acer Liquid A1 just started shipping in the UK, and right on cue we've got a video unboxing. Turns out the box housing the 1GHz Snapdragon-powered Android set is fairly interesting itself, with a magnetic hinged design that opens to reveal the charger, manuals, and bundled 2GB SanDisk microSD card and SD adapter. As for the phone, don't hold out for an Android 2.0 surprise -- it's running Android 1.6 with Acer's custom Spinlets UI skin on top, which equals a frowny-face from us. Hopefully Acer manages to update things if this guy ever comes to the States, but for now we'll just let you head past the break and check the video for yourselves -- we're sorry about the terrible Owl City soundtrack, but we had nothing to do with it.

[Thanks, Shreedhan]

No surprises here, but Nokia has confirmed a Nokia Experts report today that the company will be shutting down its North American flagship stores in New York and Chicago, leaning on big boxes and carriers to handle the in-store experiences going forward. Considering the fractional market presence Nokia has in the States compared to the UK -- where it's closing its Regent Street location -- the move comes as no shock, but it's still a shame to see these really attractive, high-tech hero locations close down. The way we saw it, these stores were never about sales; they were about exposing Nokia to the public and vice versa in a cool, hip environment, and regardless of how you feel about the company's handsets, they'd effectively accomplished that with the flagship strategy. Here's Nokia's official statement, which confirms our opinion but takes the questionable stance that the stores have outlived their function now that "consumer awareness in the US has grown substantially":

"In North America, over 90 percent of consumer purchases are made through carriers - Nokia continues to support our relationship with carriers in this market, as well as the continued expansion of our retail partner network with the likes of Amazon and Best Buy (for example), in line with our strategy. As we continue to expand our services and solutions offerings across these various channels, we have decided to close the NY and Chicago stores to allow more concentration on our other channels.

The Flagship stores were originally conceived to inspire and educate consumers to the benefits of mobility through an innovative retail experience, and to broaden the appeal of the Nokia brand. Since opening the stores in NY and Chicago (2006), consumer awareness in the U.S. has grown substantially. Weighing those dynamics with Nokia's clear strategy in North America, and our well-established retail channel with third parties, we will close these two stores (New York and Chicago) in early 2010.

This decision was made to create clear alignment with our local market strategy and, in addition, as part of a global realignment of our retail strategy in overall."

If you've been following mainstream news today, then it's likely you've seen the story doing the rounds on new Apple tablet rumors, spurred by a note sent to clients from Oppenheimer analyst Yair Reiner. Never heard of him? That's not surprising, since he has no real connection to Apple, and his job mainly consists of telling people how to move their money around -- a Master of the Universe gear-cranker, you might say. Anyhow, Yair is sure that Apple will be releasing its 10.1-inch, multitouch tablet around March or April, with a ramp-up on production sometime in February. He also notes that the device will sell for $1,000 (so far we've heard rumored price points from $699 all the way up to $2,000), but ultimately Reiner seems most concerned with how it will impact Amazon, the Kindle, and book and media publishers.

According to the note, Apple has been in talks with publishers concerning a "very attractive proposal" in which the company will split revenue with publishing houses 70 / 30, as they do with iTunes and App Store sales (just as we speculated in our post on the Time Inc. digimag). What's most disconcerting about the report is that it seems more interested in disrupting or dismissing what Amazon is doing (particularly noteworthy as the company is in the midst of its biggest season for Kindle sales ever). When financial analysts start squawking in this manner, we like to approach with caution. As of right now, we have zero solid evidence that Apple is even producing a tablet, let alone ready to drop one for a G come March. We have heard plenty of other rumors that corroborate much of this, but if the above is the plan, you can expect a big reveal from Cupertino around the time of Macworld or CES, so you won't have to wait long to know the truth. For now, keep your BS detectors set to "stun."

P.S.: See what we mean? Now a Piper Jaffray analyst is 70 percent certain (70 percent!) that Apple will introduce an iPhone for Verizon in 2010. Hold onto your hats folks, we've only just begun.

It's not the first time we've seen the iPhone used as an experimental means of education, but a London school's recent announcement of its plans has caught our attention. The Gumley House Convent School -- a small, Christian School for girls ages 11 to 18 -- in London has laid out its plan to use give Apple's smartphone to a select group of 30 students as a test educational measure. Previous efforts we've seen to rope the iPhone into modern education have been mostly at the collegiate level, but Gumley's plan is still a bit vague. The girls will have free access to all of the phone's features with the exception of actual calls, and the trial will last until the end of the school year. Like we said -- the school's not given out details as to what the actual rules of use will be -- but we have a feeling this will all end in some wild bout of texting overload.