Smartphones are more affordable than ever.  And the HTC Explorer is about to join the bargain basement fray.

A compact touchscreen phone, it measures just 102.8mm x 57.2mm x 12.9 mm, making for a tiny device that should slide into your pocket without any trouble.  From what we can tell, this is HTC's official slaying of their bottom-end HTC Smart, since they appear to be positioning it as the cheapest smartphone in their roster.

Details of the HTC Explorer include a 3.20-inch capacitive touchscreen display (480 x 320 resolution), a 3.15 megapixel camera module, aGPS, 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, 90MB of internal storage, microSD card support (up to 32GB) and a 1230 mAh battery module (rated at over 7 hours of talk time).  Muscle is provided by a 600MHz Scorpion CPU, paired with 512MB of RAM.

It runs on Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, along with the usual Google Mobile services and  HTC Sense 3.5.  Surprisingly, it comes with full Flash support despite the underpowered processor.   Since this will be for budget-conscious users, it comes with apps designed for that set, like a data monitor that lets you track and manage data usage and allowance.

The HTC Explorer will come with interchangeable back covers, so you can customize the appearance a bit if you're up to it.  The phone is expected to hit  Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia at various points throughout the fourth quarter, although no pricing has been given.  Do note that this has similar specs to the Ideos X3 (sans the Flash support), so we're guessing it will be around the same $160 off-contract.

[via Engadget]

There are a handful of affordable Android phones out there.  One of the better ones in the bunch comes in the guise of the LG Optimus T.

Physically, it takes on a simple but functional styling.  You won't mistake it for anything high-end, but the rounded corners and coated curved back leaves it with a comfortable feel in hand.  Display is a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen with 320x480 resolution.  It has excellent color, sharp lines and very good touch response.

As a phone, the LG Optimus T made for clear calls, although it did allow for some  noticeable background noise.  Those on the other reported the same, including that hissing sound in the back.  Speakerphone was good and usable even in loud environments.  Battery is rated at 11 hours of talk time and actually ran for near two days on regular use.

It ships with Android 2.2, which is a definite upside, considering how many more expensive phones haven't even been updated to the latest OS version.  For text input, you get both the default Android keys and Swype.  While it isn't the fastest phone out there, the 600MHz CPU does zip through most tasks, rarely providing a sluggish experience (launching many apps and zooming into webpages does give the lack of power away).  The handset's 3G reception is also good, with most large pages loading in under 15 seconds and YouTube videos running smoothly after a short buffering period.

The Optimus T gets the standard smartphone voice calling features, including quad-band world compatibility, voice dialing and visual voice mail.  Phonebook can merge contact information from multiple email and social networking accounts, although you’re limited by the small available memory.  Messaging of all varieties is ably handled, as with all Android 2.2 devices.

Some extra features users will appreciate include tethering, WiFi hotspot support and even calling over WiFi, although the latter will be enabled as a firmware update down the line.  You also get the usual suite of Google apps, along with numerous preinstalled titles, including ThinkFreeOffice, DriveSmart and Twitter.

Despite Android 2.2 at the helm, Flash 10.1 is not available -- a direct consequence of the underpowered guts.  Multimedia features are standard Android, so there isn't much to separate it from the rest of the pack.  There's only 170MB of built-in storage, though, so you'll need an SD card to load your media files.  The 3.2 megapixel camera offers some editing options and takes decent outdoor shots.

Overall, the LG Optimus T is a heck of a value for a smartphone, retailing at $29.99 on a two-year agreement.  If you know where to look, you can even get it for under a buck on contract (really).  That's decent smartphone hardware running Android 2.2 -- absence of Flash 10.1 be damned, it’s a winner.

The Blackberry Curve 8530 is the CDMA version of the entry-level 8520.  While it comes with the same general design and feature set, it gets a leg up over its close sibling with a few additional talents.

Physically, the 8530 shares the exact design cues as its GSM counterpart.  If you remember our review of the Curve 8520, we praised it for its attractive profile, comfortable 3.4-inch display and handy size.  Our opinion extends to this newer version.

As a phone, it turns up mixed results when it came to call quality.  On our end, conversation sounded loud and clear, with just the slightest hint of interference.  Those on the other end, however, had plenty to complain about, especially once the speakerphone was used.  General handset performance was snappy, thanks to the speedy processor paired with fast 3G.  Battery life is rated at 4.5 hours of talk time, which amounted to a day or two of regular use for us.

Despite the entry-level tag (same as the 8520), this new Curve offers a good amount of options.  There are the usual Blackberry favors, from the souped-up messaging set (BlackBerry Internet Service, BlackBerry Exchange Server, threaded views) to the usual basic phone features.  Unlike the GSM version, though, the 8530 adds 3G, Wi-Fi and even aGPS to the mix, making it much more robust in terms of functionality.

It comes with some good productivity tools thrown in, including a good document viewer.  There's no native way to create Office docs, though, so you'll have to pay for a capable editor.  Music playback is surprisingly a strength, with expansive file support and excellent sound quality (even through the onboard speakers).  The camera module (2.0 megapixel) is a notable downside, taking rather disappointing photos.

Overall, the Blackberry Curve 8530 is a pleasant surprise.  While marketed (and priced) as an entry-level smartphone, it comes with all the necessary features that make it a complete handset (heck, many of Blackberry's more expensive phones don't even have Wi-Fi).  It also costs less than its GSM counterpart at only $99 on contract.

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Palm got a lot of people excited earlier in the year with the release of their Palm Pre touchscreen slider.  Now, they're following it up with a slimmer, more affordable smartphone, the Palm Pixi, which features the same exciting webOS that brought them back into everyone's consciousness.

Rather than a successor to the Pre, the new handset is actually a lower-tier release.  In fact, you can think of it as an entry-level version of the original webOS smartphone, bringing a few less features to the table.

Physically, the Pixi is smaller and lighter than the Pre, being Palm's slimmest handheld device to date.  Both build and feel in the hand are actually better than the Pre, a direct result of ditching both the sliding keyboard and the glossy finish.  Do note that Palm will be selling it with a number of custom back covers, such as in the above photo.

With a 2.63-inch capacitive touchscreen,  display real estate is an obvious tradeoff.  It's bright and sharp, but the screen can feel a little too cluttered at times.  It continues to support multi-touch and comes with an "invisible" gesture bar right below the screen.  The keyboard, surprisingly enough, is extremely comfortable to use, despite the decidedly tinier keys.

As a phone, the Pixi managed clear calls with plenty of volume.  Speakerphone conversations sounded a little hollow, but allowed for plenty of loudness.  System performance is slower than the Pre and, if you've used the previous device with any regularity, you'll notice the delays.  It's not half as bad as when working with a Windows Mobile handset though, so it's still great.  Battery has a rated life of over 5 hours, which should be good for at least a couple days or more of regular use.

The entire suite of webOS' functionality stays intact here, so you get the same social-friendly, multi-tasking environment as Pre users enjoy (for more on this, check out our Palm Pre review).  On the features end, you'll quickly notice two things: the lack of Wi-Fi and a less-powerful camera.  Since this is Palm's entry-level device, the camera can be forgiven.  But, Wi-Fi?  Come on.

It comes with the usual suite of webOS apps, including a read-only version of Documents To Go, a PDF reader and Sprint's bevy of streaming content services.  Support for App Catalog remains intact, although the 350-strong inventory doesn't really whet anyone's appetite all that much.

All the usual smartphone accoutrements come here, including various calling options, extensive messaging support, stereo Bluetooth and a GPS.  Multimedia capabilities remain the same as the Pre, with support for a respectable amount of audio and video formats, along with very good streaming movies (way better than 90% of smartphones around).  The smaller screen makes enjoying videos a little tough, though.  It comes with 8GB of internal storage with no expansion slot.  Performance for the 2.0 megapixel camera is about average for similarly-configured handsets, though editing options are virtually non-existent.

Overall, the Palm Pixi sounds like an exciting entry-level smartphone, with an attractive $99 price point (with a two-year contract).  Heavy messaging users will love the extensive support, along with the excellent QWERTY keyboard.  Multimedia actually remains a strength, despite the reduced screen size.

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You've probably heard the rumors about HTC's upcoming line of mid-priced touchscreen phones, which the company claimed will comprise the remainder of their new products for the year.  Two handsets have been prominently covered in the pre-release buzz, namely the HTC Mega and the HTC Click.

Today, a blog (link below) managed to get their hands on actual photos (real products, not renders) and specs of the Mega.  As earlier rumored, it's going to be HTC's mid-market Windows Mobile phone and will ship with the upcoming version 6.5 of Microsoft's OS.

Hardware details include a 2.8-inch touchscreen display (320 x 240 pixels), 3.2 megapixel optics (fixed focus with no LED flash), a 528MHz Qualcomm MSM7225 CPU, 256MB of RAM, an 1100mAh battery module and microSDHC expansion.  Connectivity suite seems pretty complete, with quad-band GSM, dual-band HSPA, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth with EDR.  It will feature the 2D version of HTC's TouchFlo UI.

Earlier in the month, the Click was revealed to be running Android 1.5, setting the two handsets up as the logical first releases for HTC's foray into entry-level smartphone territory.  Both devices are expected to hit retail stores within the next few months.  Price for both units are expected to be pegged at around $300.

[via Ai.Rs]

The Nokia Surge 6790 represents the Finnish company's latest attempt to capture the younger market of phone users in the US.  It's a worthy effort, too, bringing a full-fledged smartphone with plenty of features at an affordable price.

Touting a highly-unusual aesthetic that's more familiar to basic messaging handsets, the Surge  is probably the most odd-looking smartphone around.  While some will probably balk at what Nokia did with the creative design, I'm inclined to think that most folks will find it attractive.

It's a lot smaller than it looks in photos, measuring 3.8 x 2.2 x 0.6 inches, so it's actually very compact, despite how it may appear at first glance.  Build is largely plastic and a little flimsy, though, it handles well enough to withstand regular use.

Screen is a  2.4-inch LCD with 320 x 240 resolution.   With plenty of empty bezel on the front panel, Nokia could have easily increased the screen size, though, pricing considerations may have forced the limited viewing real estate.  The full QWERTY keyboard provides a good typing experience.

Like we said, the phone is heavy on features.  It boasts a full suite of messaging talents (including Exchange support), comes with a good set of bundled productivity tools (e.g. QuickOffice) and supports Nokia's Ovi Store, which allows it to extend its functionality even further.  Geared towards younger users, the bulk of the apps that come with the phone consists of social media, IM and entertainment software.

Camera is a 2.0 megapixel unit that offers average-quality shots.  It comes with a good number of settings and a decent camcorder option.  The phone supports 3G and full HTML browsing (with Flash Lite), putting it up a notch over many entry-level smartphones.  There's no Wi-Fi, though, so you'll need the data plan to stay connected.

It's heavy on the multimedia, packing in every audio and video nicety you can imagine. Details include support for a wide variety of files (AAC, AAC+ v1, AAC+ v2, WAV, MP3, WMA 9, and RealAudio), an FM tuner, XM radio, MobiTV and support for AT&T's range of streaming services.  Other features include aGPS, Bluetooth and microSDHC expansion.

Overall, the Nokia Surge 6790 is an excellent choice for an entry-level smartphone.  Priced at $79.99 with a two-year tie-in, it's also highly affordable.  If the unusual, youth-oriented design doesn't put you off, the rich set of features should make it worth your while.

Nokia