Well now, that XDA Venn on the O2 Web site sure looks familiar. Ahhhhh. It's the ol' Pantech Matrix Pro, which we're familiar with on AT&T in these parts.

Here are the O2 specs, in case you've forgotten:

• Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard.
• Qualcomm 7201A processor.
• 2.4-inch 320x240 screen.
• 256MB ROM/128MB RAM.
• Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR.
• 2.0MP camera (fixed focus).
• 1320 mAh battery.
• Dimensions: 51x106x21.6mm.
• Weight: 151 grams.
• 5 hours talk time/250 hours standby.
• GPS.

Via coolsmartphone

We're not likely to see this in the U.S. anytime soon, but the HTC Iolite is headed to O₂ in Germany as the XDA Guide, with a pretty big focus on navigation (natch), but no major surprises.

What's under the Diamond-esque hood:

• Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional.
• Qualcomm 7225 processor at 528 MHz.
• Quad-band EDGE/dual-band HSPA.
• Bluetooth 2.0 w/EDR.
• WiFi b/g.
• aGPS.
• 256MB RAM/512MB ROM.
• MicroSD.

Missing from the OS is TouchFLO 3D, with the phone instead sporting the less intensive TouchFLO 2D. Making up for that, however, is the "Footprints" button, which lets you take photos directly from the TouchFLO interface. If GPS is available, location information can be tagged to the photo, as can some comments. TomTom navigation software also is on board and has a dedicated hardware button.

Peep a bunch more pictures over at the::unwired. [via]

The U.K. company O₂ has officially picked up the HTC Advantage for their network. Sporting a 5-inch high-resolution VGA display with a detachable (yes, detachable) QWERTY keyboard, the XDA Flint isn’t your typical Windows Mobile phone. Specs on the inside are the same as we've seen before as well: 16GB of flash storage, GGSM/GPRS/EDGE compatibility, WiFi, Bluetooth, dual cameras (3mp and VGA), video output, an ATI graphics chip, 624 mhz processor, 256mb ROM / 128mb RAM. GPS, dual speakers and, (huff huff huff) yes, a 3.5mm audio jack.

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We're pleased to see the Advantage get some more love, even at this late date. If only the Advantage (or, dare to dream, the Shift) would get similar love from carriers state-side. Sure, it's a non-standard sort of gadget, but we're non-standard sorts of people.

Read: WindowsforDevices

PocketPC Thoughts has the skinny on the upcoming (for the UK, anyway) XDA Flame for O2. Kitchen sink is about the only thing this smartphone doesn't include - but since it's coming out in 2007 I suppose that's a possibility. The thing has a separate graphics card that runs its gigantic VGA display, for Pete's sake. TV-Out, USB On-the-Go. It's making my laptop envious. Or it will in 2007, assuming they're not just yanking our collective chains.

You begged for a large 3.6" VGA display? You got it. An NVIDIA GoForce 5500 GPU for next-generation mobile graphics? Sure, why not? And how about an Intel XScale PXA270 520MHz CPU, 2GB ROM, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, USB On-The-Go, a 2.0-megapixel camera, SRS Mobile HD surround sound support, and TV-out support - all thrown in for good measure? Yes, O2 has some hot stuff planned for 2007!

Read: Pocket PC Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

So earlier today I complained that the HTC Artemis/Orbit/MDAIII has different features for different countries. Now that we see the T-Mobile MDAIII has been announced, here's the rundown on the differences:

O2 Germany's HTC Artemis: GPS with onboard navigation. no W-LAN
O2 UK's HTC Orbit: GPS with onbaord navigation, W-LAN included
T-Mobile Germany's MDA-III: GPS, but you have to use your data plan to get directions, no W-LAN

All of the above have a TI OMAP processor, MicroSD, and a 2 megapixel camera. Looks like the Brits get the best version, though.

Unlike O2 Germany and HTC, T-Mobile isn't giving an onboard navigation solution with the MDA compact III but is offering navigation via T-Mobile's own NaviGate offboard solution only.
This means that for every route calculation, the device connects via GPRS or EDGE with T-Mobile's NaviGate server to get the route calculated on the server, which transfer the route back to the device after calculation.
NaviGate is able to calculate routes for 18 European countries, a single route calculation for German costs 99 Cent (including GPRS/EDGE traffic charges).

Read: the::unwired - ANNOUNCED: T-Mobile Germany announced the MDA compact III aka HTC Artemis

Ok, so it's not enough that every single carrier that releases a PocketPC phone made by HTC rebrands the dang thing with a different name, now we have feature differentiation as well. Not minor feature differentiation, either. The XDA Orbit is O2 UK's version of O2 Germany's HTC Artemis (AKA the T-Mobile MDA III - though we should say THAT version has slightly different features too, SIGH.). The Orbit and the Artemis share features like GPS and an FM radio for traffic info. Where the Artemis is just an EDGE phone, the Orbit has W-LAN b/g. What, Germans don't like WiFi?

In any case, theunwired.net has some photos for you to ogle and a few more details about the device. Credit for the photo goes to them, too.

Following O2 Germany's earlier announcement to release the HTC Artemis during this fall as the O2 Xda orbit and O2 UK's outlook to launch it in November as well, here we go with some preview photos of the O2 Xda orbit which looks slightly different to the standard HTC Artemis.

Read: the::unwired - PHOTOVIEW: O2 Xda orbit GPS Pocket PC Phone Edition