We heard earlier this morning that the GSM Pre was set for a UK launch, and now it sounds like things are coming together: The Guardian says the Palm's baby will launch on O2. That makes perfect sense, O2 owner Telefonica reportedly secured broad global rights to the Pre back in March. Of course, this is all yet to be official, but with actual GSM handsets floating around out there and an announcement expected next week, we're guessing we don't have too much longer to wait.

We heard way back at CES that a GSM Pre was in the works, but not until now have we heard who exactly in the world would be using it. According to confirmation received by T3, Palm is gearing up to disclose the whos, whats and wheres behind the UK launch next week, meaning that we've got seven days (give or take) to twiddle our thumbs until we know which carrier (O2 or Vodafone, most likely), how much and when it'll be available for purchase. We know it's agonizing, but at least you've a time frame to circle in your Trapper Keeper now, right?

It's already out in Japan and a few select countries in Europe, now Toshiba's skinny TG01 is hitting London on Thursday, July 9th. Presumably the invite will be met with an official UK launch of Tosh's deftly skinned Snapdragon handset with a Windows Mobile 6.1 core. Then again, it could be a lot of tech reporters eating mini triangular sandwiches slathered with pickle spread discussing the HTC Hero for four hours. We'll let you know next week.

The HTC Hero has made its first appearance on a UK carrier's website, but finds itself burdened with a teasing "coming soon" badge. Having talked to Orange, we can confirm previous reports that the device will be available for free on some, as yet undetermined but surely eye-gouging, price plans. The company said they are still testing the device and should have pricing information by tomorrow. Expect T-Mobile to quickly follow suit and unveil their Hero by another name (G1 Touch?), also fully subsidized. Both carriers will be offering the graphite edition of the phone, so if you have your heart set on the white Teflon-coated goodness, you may have to go the SIM-free route.

We doubt the July 15 delivery date is set in stone, but UK residents itching to get a little Hero in their lives are now able to pre-order HTC's latest for £429 ($708). That's pretty much what we'd expect for an unlocked set, but Orange is planning to offer the Hero free on contract, so we'd be inclined to hang on just a teensy bit longer. Video after the break.

[Via Phandroid]

Unless the box art's been scrapped at the last minute, we're still expecting T-Mobile USA to use the myTouch 3G branding for its version of the HTC Magic in the US -- but over in the UK, the local division just dropped some knowledge that its second Android device will be known as the G1 Touch. We already had a hint of this from a Dutch rumor, so it doesn't come as much of a surprise; problem is, we still don't know what the G1 Touch is. We're thinking it's likely not the Magic since Vodafone already stole its thunder there -- T-Mobile's going to be looking for some attention with this one -- and this lines up nicely with the fact that there's a big HTC event in London next week. A totally new HTC set running Android on T-Mobile? Count us in.

[Via SlashGear]

Most of us have our sights squarely fixed on the iPhone 3G S launch today, but in the UK, there are a couple of other heavyweights that are finally hitting retail: the N86 8MP and the N97. All About Symbian is covering the launch live, though it looks like there isn't much chaos and bedlam outside the Regent Street store -- maybe it has something to do with that other flagship store reflected in the window?

What a difference 18 months makes, eh? The relative short line for today's iPhone 3G S launch at Apple's flagship Regent Street store in London could be attributed to any number of factors: the economy, the steep cost of upgrade for iPhone 3G owners, or the fact that Apple allowed for advanced iPhone 3G S orders with home delivery. Or maybe people just aren't willing to wait in line for a bump in speed, improved graphics, and video recording. We wouldn't call it apathy but the iPhone halo doesn't seem as shiny beneath a spotlight now shared with Android and the new Pre. Regardless, the iPhone 3G S is now on sale in the UK and a few more European countries with North America up next after a few degrees of the Earth's rotation.

Update: According to O2, sales for the 3G S have already surpassed numbers for the iPhone 3G during last year's launch. Looks like pre-orders were in full effect here.

[images courtesy of Richard Lai and mrgeoffb]

Didja hear the news? There's a new iPhone coming out tomorrow! Okay, snark aside, we know there's still a good number of you who want to brave the weather and grab yourself a brand spanking new 3G S, but for whatever reason didn't pre-order ahead of time. Not to worry, we're here to help!

United States

If you pre-ordered the phone in-store from AT&T, you can pick it up tomorrow at 7:00AM from that same retail outlet. Everyone else will have to wait until the normal business hours, and from there it's first come, first serve. If you're wanting to head to an Apple store, be sure to set your alarms for the right time: each one is opening at 7:00AM local time. Apple's online site has a field to let you complete pre-authorization ahead of time, but that won't guarantee you availability so still plan on waiting outside before sunrise. You can also try your luck at Best Buy and Walmart, which should be receiving some stock for each store. As for online pre-orders from either AT&T or Apple, well, just go with whatever the shipping date currently says.

United Kingdom

O2 customers can get their 3G S starting at 8:02AM -- yes, that's the official time, and not a minute sooner, we suspect -- from O2, Apple, and Carphone Warehouse stores. Prices vary based on a variety of 18 and 24 month plans, as well as Pay & Go plans.

Canada

Unsurprisingly, Rogers and subsidiary Fido will be handling your iPhone fix. Also, for the first time, you can also drop by an Apple retail store, which should open around 8:00AM local time. From what we can tell, the Rogers / Fido stores aren't opening early, but just to be safe, you might wanna call tonight or plan on showing up an hour before the usual time.

Obviously, there's more than a few countries we're not covering here, so hit up the read link to check out Apple's official site for details by region, and feel free to share your own tips in the comments below!

It'd originally been available to a random, totally select group of elite individuals, but availability of the HTC Touch Pro2 on Vodafone UK has now opened up to pretty much anyone who wants it. As is virtually always the case with European carriers, you can get this monster for as little as absolutely nothing depending on the contract and plan that you choose, so dive in and sign your life away for a couple years, won't you?

[Via CoolSmartPhone]

It'd take a really acutely developed talent for shutting oneself off from news to not know how much the iPhone 3G S is going to run on AT&T -- $199 and $299 for the 16GB and 32GB models on contract, just in case you've forgotten -- but what about some of the other countries that are destined to be launching the new model alongside the US on the same day? Up north, we've been told by a company spokesman that Apple partner Rogers will be pricing them at CAD $199 and $299 on three-year contracts, which works out to about $177 and $266; the old 3G, meanwhile, will be sold for (you guessed it) CAD $99. Tethering will be available and there will be no-contract pricing, but details haven't yet been announced there. Meanwhile, O2 over in the UK has dropped details on its site that put both the 3G S 16GB and 32GB as cheap as free if you sign up for a rich-enough two-year deal. Must be nice, eh?

[Thanks to everyone who sent these in]

We already know that Nokia is sending N97s far and wide this month, but now we have an exact date for its UK debut. Turns out that the company's Regent Street flagship store in London will get first dibs, hawking unlocked, unbranded N97s to all comers on June 18 for £499 (about $821) -- a princely sum that easily blows past the US MSRP of $699. Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile, and 3 all follow a week later on June 26, ensuring that the ultra-early adopters will be paying through the nose for a few days before the subsidized sets show up. What the 19th date means for availability in other countries is unclear, but as you can imagine, we'll be pounding on the doors of the US flagships until we get some answers.

Word on the street has been that Deutsche Telekom is being given the full-court press to do something with its unprofitable British operations, and the obvious choice would be to sell it off to one of its competitors -- Vodafone, Orange, O2, or 3. Apparently, though, Orange went ahead and made an offer just in the past few months, only to be turned down -- a sign that the French company either lowballed or that DT has very different plans on its mind. Rumors are circulating now that a restructuring will be announced as soon as this week that could give T-Mobile UK some time to turn its red ink around, but if that falls through, it's said that Voda might be interested in swapping its Turkish division for it -- so hang tough, DT, you've got options on the table.

Since its sneaky, silent unveiling at February's Mobile World Congress, the GSM version of the Pre has been a total no-show -- good for Sprint publicity-wise, probably, but bad for virtually every other carrier and potential customer in the world. If we had to guess, the silence can be attributed to heated negotiations between Palm and dozens of potential networks; the company knows it has a probable winner on its hands, and it has every reason to play hardball to get the best exclusivity deal that it possibly can. The Guardian is now reporting that O2 has fended off competing offers from Vodafone and Orange to nab the Pre in the UK, meaning that the carrier -- Britain's largest by subscriber count -- would be launching the device alongside the iPhone 3G, though rumors only have it pegged for pre-Christmas availability meaning it'd actually be doing with whatever new device Apple intends to bring to the table this summer. Whether it can hold its own against a renewed Cupertino onslaught in the holiday season remains to be seen, but in the spirit of competition and awesome smartphones, we certainly hope so.

Quite a bit has gone down in the cellular realm since Barcelona opened its beautiful doors to host Mobile World Congress 2009, but how could we ever forget this gem? Samsung's M7600 Beat DJ is about as close as we'll ever come to a real live Pilotfish Ondo, and after months of waiting, it's finally on sale across the pond. Available for purchase right now at O2 UK, the Bang & Olufsen-infused handset packs a 2.6-inch OLED panel, perfect for mixing, scratching and texting your mum when you stay out too late. It's all yours for between £0.00 and £146.80 ($233) depending on your choice of contract, and if any of you kind, gentle Britons feel like importing a few for the deprived Yanks over here, drop us a note in comments.

[Thanks, Todd]