14 DAY TRIAL // Cellular South is the second carrier that will retail the HTC Merge world phone starting next month. The smartphone is currently up for pre-orders at Alltel for $124.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year agreement.
Availability and pricing are yet to be announced, but the HTC Merge will require a two-year service contract and data agreement.
Cellular South's HTC Merge will be world's first smartphone to come pre-loaded with the new Amazon Appstore for Android. If this is correct, then the Alltel branded Merge will not be bundled with the said application.
The mid-budget handset is powered by an 800 MHz Qualcomm processor and features a 3.8-inch capacitive touchscreen with 16 million colors and 480 x 800 pixels resolution, as well as accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate and proximity sensor for auto turn-off.
“We’re excited to add our first Android world phone to Cellular South’s growing suite of Android smart phones and tablets as we continue to build on our promise to deliver the wireless industry’s best Android experience,” said Kevin Hankins, chief operating officer for Cellular South.
“Coupled with the new Amazon Appstore for Android, the HTC Merge is the perfect device for customers who are looking for a reliable mobile experience with the features and functionality of a smart phone, whether it’s at home or traveling around the world.”
Customers will be able to take advantage of the smartphone's full integration with Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, as well as quick and easy access to Flickr for sharing and viewing pictures.
In addition, the HTC Merge smartphone has a 5-megapixel camera with auto-focus, flash and HD video capturing capabilities.
The HTC Merge also comes with integrated GPS, Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, DLNA function, Stereo FM radio with RDS, and microSD card slot for memory expansion (up to 32GB).