MyPhone (www.MyPhone.pl) is about to release an Android device called the A230. The A230 is actually a re-branded YuhuaTel X2.
SOME HISTORY
The X2 is famous for being the first Dual-SIM device to support Android. It was re-branded and sold as General Mobile’s only Android device, the DSTL1. The DSTL1 included a few more goodies than its simpler counterpart: N21 of SciPhone. SciPhone did win some sales with the price point but eventually discontinued the device. General Mobile is currently the only large distributor of Yuhua’s X2.
Gripes against SciPhone were about long international deliveries and the need to honor warranty and fixes of N21 devices probably compounded this issue.
THE BOTTOM LINE
MyPhone sells in the Czech Republic (CPA), Slovakia (CPA), Hungary (SpeedShop), Bulgaria (Western), Estonia (Telemark), Germany, (talksky), Romania (TelForceOne), Slovenia (GSMAparati), Slovakia (Mars Mobile), and Lithuania (Viltanika).
People in those regions could get a much better deal on the re-branded X2’s if the Android version was updated to Android 2.2 (Froyo). If they show enough interest and demand only the best: Froyo + GPS + front camera, maybe YuhuaTel will do something about it.
YuhuaTel has long since been dragging its heels about updating the OS on this pretty cool Dual-Sim wielding entry level Android device and currently only supports Android 1.6 (Donut). So why aren’t they working to upgrade the device if it’s about to hit a completely new market in Europe? Sounds like it’s purely a financial decision and they think they can squeeze more life from the old OS without having to invest any effort. They surely have to realize that upgrading to Android 2.2 (Froyo) could greatly increase the life span of this device and keep its users happy for a couple more years.
If you live in one of the European countries that sells this device, be sure to check out the version of Android shipping on the device and pressure your resellers into giving you the latest updates. Enough pressure on the resellers (that they might then pass on to YuhuaTel) may spur them to make some more investments.
