Not exactly the iPhone look-alike as previewed at the recent Mobile World Congress is Huaweis first official Google Android smartphone, the company showed during this week's CommunicAsia in Singapore, June 16, 2009. The Android-powered U8230 allows users to switch between full and half QWERTY keyboards and features a 3.5" LCD touchscreen. Huawei's U8230 uses the Google's Webkit-based Internet browser in addition to a variety of Google applications such as Google Map, Google Search and Google Talk. It is fitted with a 1500 mAh battery. As with Huawei's C8000, it's not yet clear which radio technology will be supported but Huawei announced it plans to launch a series of touchscreen handsets that support WCDMA, CDMA, and TD-SCDMA standards:

While the Huawei U8230 doesn't reminds on an Apple iPhone anymore, now it reminds on a HTC Touch 3G.

As with the Huawei C8000, it's unlikely that the U8230 will go on sale under Huawei's brand name but it's most likely that it will be manufactured for partners like carriers, most likely T-Mobile as unveiled earlier this year. A release can be expected for the 2nd half of 2009.

Cheers ~ Arne