T-Mobile myTouch and myTouch Q review: two budget-friendly phones, one aging OS

More Info Leaked T-Mobile roadmap outlines Ice Cream Sandwich updates, new myTouch devices T-Mobile's next myTouch to come from Huawei? T-Mobile myTouch and myTouch Q coming August 8th for $50, we go hands-on

Gone are the days when $50 got you a flip phone that could make calls, send texts and shoot super-low-quality thumbnails. T-Mobile's myTouch offerings aim to provide all the functionality of a top-tier smartphone, coupled with the kind of hardware and software top-tier handsets were offering a year or two ago.

After letting HTC and LG have a go at the myTouch series, T-Mobile tapped Huawei to design its latest devices, the myTouch and myTouch Q, a garden-variety slab and a full QWERTY slider, respectively. This time around, the carrier chose phones with more expansive 4-inch, 800 x 480 displays, among other improvements to the design and internals. Unfortunately, software wasn't considered in the upgrade: both of these run the aging Android 2.3 OS. Suffice to say, skinned Gingerbread is likely to turn off some shoppers, but it's still worth asking if people on a budget might appreciate these devices when they go on sale Wednesday for $50, post-rebate. So are there any redeeming qualities to speak of, if not the software experience? Read on to find out.

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T-Mobile myTouch and myTouch Q review: two budget-friendly phones, one aging OS originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alvarez Electric Motors rolls out budget-friendly line of Eco vehicles

Sure, there's already a ton of electric rides out there, but some folks might not be interested in all those bells and whistles found in something like, say, that precious Tesla Model S or the upcoming Audi A3 e-tron. Luckily for them, there are indie companies like Alvarez Electric Motors trying to stir things up a bit in the EV market. The California company (with the help of Chinese OEM Liuzhou Wuling) has just announced three eco-friendly vehicles, starting with its Eco-E Commuter Car and followed by two larger ones, the EcoTruck and EcoVan -- all of which are priced at around $10,000, $17,000 and $18,000, respectively, though this isn't taking into consideration the tax credits and rebates that come with going the green route. Naturally, saving cash also means taking a couple of hits in key departments, and thus it shouldn't come as a surprise the EV trio is only expected to have a mild range of 30-40 miles, while top speeds are said to clock in at a mere 25 mph. You'll find more info on these at the source below, along with extra pictures for your kind viewing pleasure.

Filed under: Transportation

Alvarez Electric Motors rolls out budget-friendly line of Eco vehicles originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Aug 2012 00:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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