Jun 13, 2011 07:46 GMT  ·  By

After introducing the sequel to the popular Rio feature-phone, the Rio II, Orange UK is about to debut another own branded handset, the Orange Barcelona.

However, the Barcelona is an Android-powered phone, which seems to follow the same line of entry-level smartphones as the Orange San Francisco, also known as ZTE Blade.

On the positive side, Orange Barcelona comes with Android 2.2 (Froyo) on board, unlike the ZTE Blade which was introduced last year with Android 2.1 (Eclair) out-of-the-box.

In addition, users will be able to access Android Market, as well as the carrier's Orange App Store for third-party apps.

Apart from the update software, Orange Barcelona offers users both worlds, as it comes with a full portrait QWERTY keyboard, as well as 2.6-inch touchscreen display.

To make it look more like a BlackBerry handset, the manufacturer also added a roller ball, which is specific to RIM's smartphones.

In terms of connectivity, Orange Barcelona offers users HSDPA, integrated GPS with A-GPS support and Orange Maps, as well as Wi-Fi.

The phone is remarkably sleek with only 9.9mm thickness and measures 115 x 63 mm. It weighs 115g (battery included), which puts it in the middle-weight category.

According to the carrier, Orange Barcelona embeds HD Voice technology, which makes phone calls a better, more natural experience.

Thanks to the new technology, users will be able to have conversations in noisy environments because HD Voice makes it easier to hear and be heard. HD Voice phones also reduce background noise too.

Furthermore, Orange Barcelona sports a mediocre 3.2-megapixel camera with video recording capabilities, as well as FM radio.

The smartphone's battery should provide up to 7 hours of talk time or up to 12 days of standby time.

The phone is now listed as 'Coming Soon', but it will be available for free on select plans or for an unknown price on PAYG (pay as you go).