A tipster told us that the talks between Virgin Mobile and SK Telecom/Helio are going nowhere, with Virgin backing out unless there’s some sort of bankruptcy declaration or huge liquidation. Our tipster says that Helio’s corporate stores and kiosks will be closing very soon, which is backed up by similar info from Engadget. They say that there’s no merger between Helio and Virgin, and that customers might just be moved over to Virgin’s network.
Engadget got their hands on a Helio Ocean 2 shot, and it looks quite similar to the sketch we saw on the FCC site a while back. If this is it, it’s still rounded and dual-sliding like the first, but supposedly has various upgrades like a 3-megapixel camera, 1GB internal storage, 30FPS video recording and a touch-sensitive D-Pad. We’re not sure how we feel about that touch sensitive part—most TS D-Pads we’ve used have been kinda awful—but we can’t wait for the final version. [Engadget Mobile]
Even though SK Telecom denied being in talks with Virgin Mobile to merge it and the Helio brands, Virgin Mobile is having none of it. VM said that they were in the “early stages” of discussions, but there aren’t any “assurances that any transaction will result.” Sounds like someone at Virgin is using the press as a weapon in their discussions. [Marketwatch]
Despite mocoNews’ and WSJ’s reports last week that SK Telecom and Virgin Mobile were set to merge the Helio and Virgin Mobile USA brands, SK Telecom denies these rumours and says its fully committed to Helio. Dow Jones quoted SK Telecom spokesperson Mina Ryu as saying the all stock transaction merger was “groundless” While SK Telelcom did say they were actively pursuing opportunities for expansion in the U.S., they clearly stated they weren’t in “any sort of talks” with Virgin Mobile. [mocoNews]
mocoNews reports talks are going on between Helio and Virgin Mobile USA about a possible merger between the two wireless phone carriers. Helio has had some financial issues over the past year, and it’s owner, SK Telecom, has been looking to make a splash in US markets. Current talks include SK Telecom buying out Virgin Mobile USA, infusing it with cash, and having Virgin Mobile buy out the Helio via stock purchase. Seeing as both carriers operate on Sprint’s network, technical logistics won’t be a huge hurdle, which leaves financials to deal with. But this is still very much in the early stages. [mocoNews via Phone Scoop]
If you are the proud owner of a Helio Ocean, Fin or Mysto, you have the honour of being the first to enjoy push Gmail on your mobile phone. Using the “ultimate inbox” feature, simply set up your Gmail account and press Menu > Send/Receive. Then you will be prompted to enable new mail notification. It’s just that easy, baby.
The FCC has just leaked this image of Helio’s Ocean 2. How do we know that? Well, it’s carrying an OZ2 model and OZ was the alternative moniker of the original Helio Ocean. We can’t tell much else from the drawing, such as whether the Mark 2 Ocean will have the dual slider of its older brother, but we can see the body design will remain true to the original. However, having been overly impressed by the original, we’re sure this baby is going to kick arse whenever it does land. [FCC via Crunch Gear]
The previously NYC and Santa Monica-only Helio Mysto has finally expanded to a nationwide release, meaning you can grab one online or at your local meatspace Helio store. Here’s one bit of info we haven’t mentioned before: the Mysto’s web browser is “location aware”, meaning you can have location data for certain web-based applications. Neat stuff. [Helio]
Here’s a weird move by Helio: its launching its new phone, the Mysto, quietly today. Why quietly? Well, it’s only releasing the Korean-language version of the new slider. Soon enough, the English version will follow, but apparently because of its ties to Korea’s SK Telecom only the Korean version is available for now. If you really want an English version, a few will be available at the Helio stores in NYC and Santa Monica on December 26th before a full launch in late January.
YouTube and Helio aren’t strangers in the least, but compared to the iPhone’s gorgeous implementation, Helio’s first version was found to be a little lacking. No more. The latest release, available today, bumps Helio up onto the same tier as Apple’s offering. Here’s what we think.
