Powered by the Intel Atom Z2460 processor clocked at 1.6Ghz, the Santa Clara features a 4 inch 1024×600 display, 8 megapixel camera that shoots HD video and can take 10 pictures in under a second, a 1.3 megapixel shooter up front, 16GB of internal memory storage, microSD card slot, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1.

There’s no word on which version of Android it will be running at launch, nor any information about pricing, although it is said to be affordable.

Full Press Release:

Orange first to deliver exclusive new smartphone to Europe, powered by Intel technology

• Orange celebrates the tenth year of its successful portfolio of own-brandeddevices by extending its range to include a new high-performance smartphone, powered by the Intel®   Atom™ processor, which will be offered exclusively to Orange’s customers in the UK and France
• Orange is the first operator in Europe to launch this new smartphone offering the customer high-performance capabilities with a rich user experience and at an affordable price
• This first Intel-powered Orange smartphone will feature a number of locally-relevant and unique Orange services including Orange TV, Dailymotion, Deezer, Orange Wednesdays,  Your Orange and Orange Gestures

Today, Orange announces that it will launch a new high-performance Android smartphone in Europe this summer. Powered by Intel® technology, the device currently codenamed ‘Orange Santa Clara,’ will deliver the latest in smartphone capabilities and rich entertainment experiences to more customers. The phone will first be available exclusively to Orange customers in the UK and France, where its commercial name will be unveiled at launch.

The launch of this smartphone marks a significant development in Orange’s long-standing and successful strategy to deliver phones under its own brand. Now in its tenth year, it has helped drive new device partnerships and support Orange’s customer and mobile multimedia growth by introducing more affordable feature phones and smartphones to its whole customer base. These phones are differentiated by being customised with simple and relevant Orange applications and services. Customer demand has led to the doubling of Orange’s own-branded portfolio in 2011, increasing volume from 7 per cent to 15 per cent of its total device portfolio. Orange aims to increase the volume of its own-branded device portfolio to 20 per cent in 2012 to better meet its customers’ needs, making innovative features, services and technologies more widely accessible.

Today, Orange is broadening its own-branded device portfolio with a new mobile partner, Intel, a world leader in silicon processor technology and computing innovation. At launch, the Orange smartphone will run Android’s Gingerbread platform with a planned upgrade to Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich platform shortly thereafter. The new Orange smartphone is based on Intel’s smartphone reference design and is powered by the Intel® Atom™ processor Z2460 and supports HSPA+ with the Intel® XMM™ 6260 Platform. Together, these Intel solutions deliver leading performance and energy efficiency while facilitating fast browsing and a responsive user experience. The phone has a 4.03” display, slender dimensions at 123mm x 63 x 9.99, 16 Gb of memory and weighs in at 117g.

In addition, high-definition (HD) video will support a rich entertainment offering together with mobile HD voice for outstanding audio quality. It also boasts a camera that can take 10 pictures in under a second with 8-megapixel quality to ensure customers capture all the action so they can choose the very best pictures to keep and share. Also pre-loaded will be a number of services unique to Orange, including Orange TV, Dailymotion, Deezer (France only), Orange Wednesdays Your Orange and Orange Gestures. 

“The proliferation of smartphones has brought a wealth of new experiences. At Orange we firmly believe that all our customers should benefit from the smartphone revolution, and we remain committed to delivering innovative content and services across a wide range ofdevices to help customers stay connected and get more from their phone,” said Yves Maitre, Senior Vice President of Mobile Multimedia and Devices, Orange. “For ten years, Orange has pioneered a successful own-branded approach to delivering to its customers high quality, affordable handsets in all price ranges, packed with locally relevant and unique services and features. We are delighted to be partnering with Intel to add such an exceptional device to our portfolio.” 

Today’s announcement builds on Orange’s long-standing and close relationship with Intel across its PC and tablet portfolio, and Orange continues to support Intel’s innovation and development on convergent platforms.

“The Orange device is a fantastic example of the innovation happening on Intel’s smartphone reference design,” said Mike Bell, Intel Vice President and General Manager of the company’s Mobile and Communications Group. “We are pleased to extend our close collaboration with Orange to Intel-based smartphones. Orange has a long and successful track record of innovation which has produced great mobile products and services for their customers. By combining Orange’s unique applications and services with an attractive high-performance Intel-based smartphone, Orange is once again demonstrating its wireless leadership while providing more value and customer choice.”   

Francisco Jeronimo, Research Manager European Mobile Devices, IDC, commented: ”This announcement is a bold move from Orange. In today’s smartphone environment it is extremely difficult to differentiate without compromising costs. This device pushes the boundaries of innovation and provides consumers with premium experiences at affordable prices.” 

Having already announced it was coming, Orange UK has announce pricing and availability information for the dual-core Motorola Atrix. The handset will be available in early May, only a few weeks away. And pricing will be free with with a two year contract with plans £35 per month (600 minutes, 750 MB data allowance, unlimited texts, 50 MMS) and higher.

They also announced some accessory pricing, such as their Work and Play Kit which includes a remote control, mouse, HD multimedia dock and keyboard for only £49.99, regular price £129.99 as well as reduced pricing on the laptop dock with certain plans.

Customers can preregister for more information here.

Full Press Release:

Orange Unveils Pricing And Availability For Motorola ATRIX™ The World’s Most Powerful Smartphone

Motorola ATRIX™ will be available to purchase exclusively from Orange in early May
Customers can reserve their handset now through Orange retail shops and Orange telesales

As Motorola’s exclusive UK launch partner, Orange today announced pricing and availability for Motorola ATRIX™ – the world’s most powerful smartphone. From today, consumers will be able to register their interest online or reserve their device from Orange retail shops and Orange telesales ahead of launch in early May.

Tipped to be one of the biggest device releases in 2011, Motorola ATRIX is the true epitome of mobile computing. The handset features a dual core processor which delivers up to two GHz of processing power. As a result, Motorola ATRIX is capable of opening web pages twice as fast as most other smartphones, and it has been designed to become a user’s primary digital hub to create and edit media content on the go. It also features a biometric fingerprint reader for easily unlocking the phone.

Running the Android operating system, Motorola ATRIX also offers Motorola’s revolutionary webtop application which runs a full Mozilla Firefox 3.6 browser and supports Adobe® Flash® Player for rich graphics, animation and video.

To support the device, Motorola has developed two companion accessory docks for purchase separately:

* The Motorola HD Multimedia Dock, which has three USB ports and an HDMI port enabling connections to a keyboard, mouse, speakers and HDMI-compatible monitor for working at your desk, or connecting to an HDMI-compatible television and home theatre audio system for enjoying video, music, games and more

* The Motorola Lapdock™, which has an incredibly thin design with an 11.6-inch screen, 36Wh three-cell battery that delivers up to eight hours of battery life, full keyboard, stereo speakers, and weighs just 1.1 kilograms. Users simply dock their Motorola ATRIX into the back for true mobility at work, at home and playing on the go in a form factor that’s lighter and smaller than most laptops on the market

Motorola ATRIX will launch exclusively on Orange and will be free on a £35 per month, 24 month contract, which includes 600 minutes, 750 MB data allowance, unlimited texts, 50 MMS and unlimited wi-fi (subject to fair usage) per month.

Those who purchase Motorola ATRIX from Orange will also be able to take the Work and Play Kit which includes a remote control, mouse, HD multimedia dock and keyboard for only £49.99 (standard retail price £129.99), and to celebrate the launch, existing Orange pay monthly customers who upgrade to Motorola ATRIX during the month of May this year will receive the Work and Play Kit for free.

Customers will also be able to purchase the Motorola Lapdock from Orange, normally priced at £299.99, at reduced price points on select tariffs. A unique price plan is also being introduced which includes free tethering** allowing customers to connect to the internet on the move using the Motorola Lapdock – the new Panther Extra 60 plan*** also includes 3,000 minutes, 1GB data allowance, unlimited texts and unlimited wi-fi (subject to fair usage) per month.

Business customers can also get Motorola ATRIX and the Motorola Lapdock bundle free of charge on Solo 55 and existing customers will get a great deal when re-signing with Motorola ATRIX.

Simeon Bird, Director of Propositions, Orange UK said: “We’re pleased to be bringing Motorola ATRIX to our customers as it’s one of the most innovative handsets we’ve seen this year and it supports our passion for innovation. With its intelligent support accessories, the handset not only stands out from the rest of the pack, but the overall experience takes mobile computing to the next level.”

Andrew Morley, vice president marketing, international markets, Motorola Mobility said: “The award winning Motorola ATRIX ushers in a new era in mobile computing. We are excited to be bringing this highly anticipated smartphone to the UK with Orange.”

For more information on Motorola ATRIX, accessories, and to register interest in the device, go to www.orange.co.uk/motorolaatrix or to reserve a handset, please visit Orange retail shops or call Orange telesales.

Motorola and Orange announced this week they’re bringing the Motorola Atrix to the UK. The dual-core smartphone is expected to be available some time this summer.

“We are finding that consumers are increasingly using smartphones as their primary digital screens. Motorola ATRIX ushers in a new era in mobile computing and has the power to deliver on its promise to empower individuals as it comes loaded with the Motorola webtop application, which enables consumers to enhance the capabilities of their smartphones and simultaneously reduce their need for additional mobile computing screens.”

A quick recap of specs for the Atrix:

• nVidia’s dual-core Tegra 2 processor
• 1 GB RAM
• 4.0 inch QHD display with 24 bit color graphics
• 1930 mAh battery, which is significantly greater than the 1500 mAh battery that comes with most of the smartphones today
• Fingerprint recognition reader
• Two browsers: Android’s default and Firefox 3.6
• Android 2.2 with Motoblur
• 16 GB internal memory with CD Card slot which supports up to 32 GB. That puts the maximum capacity to up to 48 GB
• Measurement: 2.5 × 4.6 × 0.4 inches
• Weight: 4.8 ounces

PRESS RELEASE
Motorola Mobility and Orange UK Announce Motorola ATRIX™, the Future of Mobile Computing

The world’s most powerful smartphone packs the power and capabilities of a PC in your pocket through Motorola’s revolutionary webtop application

Jan. 06, 2011

Basingstoke, U.K. – Jan. 6, 2011 – Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI), and Orange UK today announced Motorola ATRIX™, which unleashes the power of the smartphone like never before. Motorola’s revolutionary webtop application makes Motorola ATRIX the only smartphone to carry the power of mobile computing inside your pocket. Designed to bring unprecedented computing capabilities to your smartphone, Motorola’s webtop application runs a full Mozilla Firefox 3.6 browser and supports Adobe® Flash® Player to open up all the rich graphics, animations and video on the web. Motorola ATRIX includes a dual core processor with each core running at 1 GHz, delivering up to two GHz of processing power, and 1 GB of RAM. Put simply, Motorola ATRIX is the world’s most powerful smartphone.

“We want to empower individuals, giving them new ways to stay connected, informed and entertained at home, on the job and anywhere in between,” said Andrew Morley, vice president of marketing for Motorola Mobility, EMARA. “We are finding that consumers are increasingly using smartphones as their primary digital screens. Motorola ATRIX ushers in a new era in mobile computing and has the power to deliver on its promise to empower individuals as it comes loaded with the Motorola webtop application, which enables consumers to enhance the capabilities of their smartphones and simultaneously reduce their need for additional mobile computing screens.”

“We are proud to be the UK launch partner for Motorola ATRIX, a ground-breaking product that delivers on our ongoing commitment to offer customers the latest multimedia devices,” said Phil Roberson, director of Devices, Everything Everywhere, the company that runs Orange UK. “Motorola ATRIX offers our customers a new and exciting way to stay in touch with the people who matter the most to them.”

Motorola ATRIX is designed to essentially become a user’s primary digital hub to create, edit and enjoy documents, media and content. This is facilitated by Motorola’s webtop application and by the optional Motorola HD Multimedia Dock and Motorola Laptop Dock that provide users with a larger screen, keyboard and trackpad – enabling an enhanced and more interactive experience with their devices.

While in webtop, users are given a window into the smartphone that enables access to all of the device’s functionality within Android. Calls continue uninterrupted if Motorola ATRIX is removed from a dock. Plus, the new Entertainment Centre feature lets you show all of the photos, music and videos you already enjoy on-the-go on a big screen in your living room.

Motorola ATRIX provides consumers with instantaneous access to all their emails, files and media. While using the webtop application, business customers will benefit from the Citrix Receiver application for complete access to commercial desktop-licensed software. In addition to the full suite of office productivity and email applications, users can also access a great number of web applications such as Salesforce.com, Google Docs, and any HTML application or service from a full desktop browser.

Motorola ATRIX runs Android™ 2.2 with access to more than 100,000 apps and games in the Android Market™.

Motorola is highlighting two industry-leading companion docks for ATRIX:

* The Motorola HD Multimedia Dock as three USB ports and an HDMI port enabling connections to a keyboard, mouse, speakers and HDMI-compatible monitor for working at your desk, or connecting to an HDMI-compatible television and home theater audio system for enjoying video, music, games and more.
* The Motorola Laptop Dock has an incredibly thin design with an 11.6-inch screen, 36Wh three-cell battery that delivers up to eight hours of battery life, full keyboard, stereo speakers, and weighs just 1.1 kilograms. Users simply dock their Motorola ATRIX into the back for true mobility at work, at home and playing on the go in a form factor that’s lighter and smaller than most laptops on the market.

Key features and specifications:

* A dual core processor capable of opening web pages twice as fast as most other smartphones, rendering games faster and displaying HD video on big-screen TVs
* A full 1 GB of RAM for twice the RAM of most smartphones to deliver effortless multi-tasking, such as watching a movie while receiving and responding to email
* The world’s first qHD display for a smartphone, offering high resolution and 24-bit color, making it easier to read indoors and outdoors
* Front- and rear-facing cameras for video chat and the ability to record in HD
* Up to 48GB of storage (16GB internal and optional 32GB MicroSD card) – enough to store thousands of songs, photos and movies
* Optional 3G Mobile Hotspot service for connecting up to four additional Wi-Fi-enabled devices
* Biometric fingerprint reader for easily unlocking your phone while providing extra security
* Under 11mm thin with an extra large 1930 mAh battery for extended standby and talk time
* Two microphones employing noise-reduction technology so your calls will be heard loud and clear in even the noisiest environments

Availability

Motorola ATRIX is expected to be available to Orange UK customers in Q2 2011. For more information on Motorola ATRIX, click here and for Motorola ATRIX accessories click here
About Motorola Mobility
Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE:MMI) fuses innovative technology with human insights to create experiences that simplify, connect and enrich people’s lives. Our portfolio includes converged mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; wireless accessories; end-to-end video and data delivery; and management solutions, including set-tops and data-access devices. For more information, visit motorola.com/mobility.

Certain features, services and applications are network dependent and may not be available in all areas; additional terms, conditions and/or charges may apply. Contact your service provider for details. All features, functionality and other product specifications are subject to change without notice or obligation.

MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2011 Motorola Mobility, Inc. All rights reserved.

Last week it was O2 that announced they found bugs in the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play and they would be delaying the scheduled launch of April 1st. Sony Ericsson was quick to chime in and say that all the other carriers were still on track for launch. Today that changed.

Both Vodafone and Three have announced they won’t be able to make tomorrow’s launch date due to “shipping issues”. Ok. Timeframes range from Three’s “early next week” to Vodafones “early next week”. Orange is the only carrier that is still on track for the intended launch date. T-Mobile UK is still saying “mid-April” for availability.

If you’re still anxious to get your hands on the Play, look no further than third party retailers such as Carphone Warehouse, Clove and Expansys. All of them are waving their hands yelling “Hey, we’ve got plenty of phones to sell”.

[via Engadget]

Pocket-Lint was able to confirm that Vodafone will be carrying the Xperia Play, although they don’t have details as to when it might launch. Later, they reported that Orange and T-Mobile UK have also signed up to get the device.

Meanwhile O2 confirmed via Twitter that they also will be carrying the Playstation phone.

This is shaping up to look like almost every major carrier in the UK will have their own version of the phone, not unlike the Galaxy S here in the US.

“We apologise for the delay in Orange Hero customers receiving their Éclair update. Testing the update across European markets took longer than anticipated. However, we hope to receive final approval by the end of the week and Orange handsets should start updating from next week.”

Does that mean we should still keep our fingers crossed? Let’s hope not.

[Orange via Phandroid]

Francois Mahieu, Director of Devices, said “We’re really pleased to be exclusively offering the DEXT to UK consumers. The device builds on our commitment to bring the latest innovative multimedia handsets to market and fits perfectly with our existing portfolio of products and services – allowing consumers to make the most from their social networks on the mobile”.

You can score the DEXT free on plans from £34.26 per month, on a 2 year contract. Which includes 900 minutes, unlimited texts, unlimited data and unlimited Orange Maps. The DEXT will be available from Orange in early October.

[read Press Release]

The update will speed things up a bit for a snappier experience and touch-to-focus for the your 5MP camera. And unlike other software upgrades for Android phones, you will need a Windows PC to install the update, sorry Mac and Linux users.
[thanks to @burrom for the tip]

Here’s the T-Mobile offering:

And from Orange:

Another little interesting tidbit is this pink HTC Hero that has poped up on mobiles.co.uk as an exclusive. Not quite as vulgar as the bright magenta from the first time we saw the Hero in the leaked HTC roadmap from so long ago. Available for £79.99 with a qualifying new contract on Orange UK, well not quite as nice as free, it’s still reasonable. Although the phone is unlocked, it does not appear that you can order it without signing a contract.

Although not yet available for preorder yet, the HTC Hero has appeared on the Orange UK website. Sporting the sexy graphite, which I think looks better than the white. According to their earlier statement, it should be available within a week or two, with prices starting from FREE with qualifying plans and contract.

[Orange UK]