14 DAY TRIAL // The Zinc's release date has been pushed back and forth for several times, and we should've seen the phone starting shipping to shops a long time ago. Initially to come out in January, then in March and finally even sooner than March, it looks like the mobile operator has decided not to release it at all.
Maybe O2 got so confused on when to release it that they dropped the idea entirely? Apparently, there is a reason behind this. The handheld that was designed to be a powerful messaging PDA phone has failed to pass the operator's network tests according to an O2 spokeswoman.
According to Register Hardware O2 has in fact confirmed that the device will no longer be released. While there is no official information on whether there'll be a replacement for the Zinc, rumor has it that O2 is preparing another XDA handheld, dubbed the 'Trion' that is meant to be the Zinc's successor.
The Trion was described as a pocket-sized 3G PDA that comes with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, WiFi and Windows Mobile 5. The Trion, manufactured by HTC, is actually a re-brand of the TyTN. What's rather awkward is that O2 was said to have ditched HTC for other smartphone manufacturers.
As for the Zinc, the features it came with and we'll now be missing on included a 2.8 inch 65k color screen, 3G capabilities and an Intel Xscale PXA 270 processor running at 520 Mhz. Now that the Zinc will no longer make it into shops, we can but wait for the XDA Trion (or HTC TyTN) that brings quite an appealing set of features. According to rumors, the Trion should be officially announced later this month.