The new name is not as tech-heavy of geektastic as Droid, but we can see the point. From here on out, things are going to be different (hopes Verizon/Motorola).

The image comes from the O2 web site, where the Droid is masquerading about as the Milestone for a presumably contract-free price of about $595. Launch day is November 9, a mere three days after we Yanks get the coveted handset here in the States. No word on whether or not O2 scored an exclusive here or what, as there's no mention of the phone popping up on other carriers' web sites. [Slashgear]

The Pre will first be available in the UK, Ireland and Germany where it will be carried exclusively by O2. Then in Spain, the awesomely-named Movistar will pick up the handset by this holiday season.

Of course, this means that you'll probably be able to import a Pre to run on AT&T. But chances are, if you're suffering through AT&T's lousy service already, it's only because you sold your soul for an iPhone. [Palm via Engadget]

It'll play every file you throw at it: on the audio front, we've got (take a deep breath) MP3, WMA, AAC, AC3, FLAC, OGG, Monkey Audio, and a bunch of others I've barely heard of. For video, which is the real draw of the O2, we've got AVI, WMV, MP4, MKV, H.264, DivX and XviD, and again, way more. It'll play videos up to 1,280x720 resolution at 30 FPS. What does that dictionary of acronyms mean? No more converting videos. Ever.

The GUI looks a little dated, awfully similar to my aging D2, but very functional all the same. The O2 has Cowon's vaunted stellar sound quality, but battery life isn't all that hot: 8 hours of video, which is great, but only 18 hours of audio, which is below average these days. Still, this looks to be right at the top of the heap of portable video players, if only because it'll actually play your videos without making you transcode first. The Cowon O2 goes on sale tomorrow (the 25th) in black or white, direct from the manufacturer. [CNET]

After being herded like cattle (a common metaphor, yes, but never so true) to your gate's waiting area which has no seating, bare overhead fluorescent bulbs and a stench not amenable to life, and then after fighting for an unassigned seat and buying your hair-of-the-dog Bloody Mary for $9 US, you can call home and tell everyone how much fun you're having. All for $4 per minute on service provided by Euro carriers O2 and 3. What a wonderful world. [The Register via Gadget Lab, Image: jon gos]

The total cost for the O2 18-month plan is $1,591, which every month gets you:

• 1,200 minutes of voice calls.
• 500 text messages.
• Unlimited data transfer in both 3G and Wi-Fi networks (at The Cloud and BT OpenZone Wi-Fi spots.)
• Reduced roaming rates.

Sure, having 24 months will get your total price to $2,121. But the fact is that, after 18 months, you are free to get elsewhere, and you are getting almost three times the voice call minutes, and 2.5 times the amount of text messages.

Compare that to the $1,975 iPhone 3G plan in AT&T:

• 450 minutes.
• 200 messages.
• Unlimited data transfer in 3G networks.

[O2 and Telefonica press release]

Depending on the function that is required, certain LEDs will illuminate, whilst others are switched off. This only gives rise to basic patterns, so you would not be sending any MMS messages using this phone, but the styling certainly earns it plus points. The device would be powered by two AAA batteries, which could be recharged by the chic USB dock. The LED Cellphone reminds us of O2's Cocoon, and as that has already made it to the production line, we know this concept would not pose too many obstacles to a manufacturer. We can hear our slut Macbook making adulterous noises right now—it would trade its iPhone partner for a pretty bimbo without a second thought. Macbook, you should be ashamed. [Gizmo Watch]

OQO's O2 model, previously released Stateside, is compatible with EV-DO 3G networks. If you are desperate for a speed boost up to 3.6Mbps, why not try hacking your $1,300+ machine? Bear in mind, importing the new e2 will not serve you well, as the HSDPA module is not compatible with US HSDPA bands. So, what did we make of the new(ish) UMPC?

Having had our grubby paws all over the e2, we can say it is as sexy as ever. It has the same solid weighty feel we love, and the screen is 5.6" of utter glory. The 1.6Ghz VIA processor and 1GB RAM seemed to hold up Vista well enough; the automatic network configuration, with Wi-Fi support for 802.11 a/b/g and backward compatibility for GPRS, is a welcomed feature. Bluetooth 2.0 also makes an appearance on the spec sheet, but is all this enough? With a battery life of less than 2.5 hours, a cramped keyboard and a price point above £1099 ($2,240), the viability of such a device is still questionable. Asus Eee, anyone? [Product Page]

The only uncertainty is whether we'll see a stylus to navigate WM6 Pro. Slider+stylus=evidence that smartphones are getting way more/less geeky every day.

REVEALED: O2 Helen [via newlaunches]