The Intel-designed and -powered Orange Santa Clara will arrive in the UK on June 6th, under the official name of Orange San Diego. The two key Intel components inside it are the 1.6GHz Atom Z2460 system-on-chip (codenamed Medfield) and the XMM 6260 HSPA+ (21.1Mbps) modem for wireless connectivity. Those sit alongside an 8-megapixel camera that can record 1080p video and output via HDMI. The 4-inch display has a 1024 x 600 resolution, there's 16GB of onboard storage, NFC for contactless transfers and payments, and HD Voice. Intel is touting a 14-day standby time as a big selling point, while also reiterating that it has worked very closely with Google on making sure all Android apps run smoothly and correctly on the x86-based San Diego.
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Orange will start selling the San Diego in the UK on June 6th, at an introductory price of £199.99 when bought with £10 of pay-as-you-go credit. With a two-year contract, the phone will be free on tariffs of £15.50 per month and above.
Though we found the Santa Clara / San Diego to be a delightfully quick and snappy phone in our time with it at MWC, it's regrettable to still see it launching with only Android 2.3 Gingerbread on board. Intel and Orange promise they'll upgrade it to Ice Cream Sandwich as soon as possible, but the fact is that even at an appealing price point, this handset is immediately behind the curve relative to the latest and greatest Android user experience.
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