Upon first glance, we almost flipped a lid at the mere mention of "high-definition mobile TV." Turns out, that's probably a misconstrued way of saying "high-resolution," or, "a higher quality than usual." At any rate, Orange is making the final touches on its mobile TV service, which will deliver 60 channels (20 with unlimited access) on the company's 3G+ UMA platform. Reportedly, the first handset to take advantage will be the LG Secret KF757, which will be the first mobile to boast the Orange TV Player -- an application that enables users to "flick from one channel to another and to consult a guide to programs showing on each channel." Sounds pretty sweet, but be sure and give us a call when you really have high-def content to share and a phone to take advantage.

[Image courtesy of DirectNews]

There are exclusives, and then there are exclusives -- and a Touch HD exclusive definitely falls into the latter category. HTC's undisputed WinMo heavyweight of the moment will be found only on Orange (well, as a locked device, anyway) in the UK through the end of the year for £79.99 (about $127) on a standard 18-month contract, launching delightfully soon in early November. Follow-on launches on Orange's French and Romanian networks are expected soon thereafter.

You can never be too sure about these things, but unless our eyes are deceiving us badly, Sony Ericsson has performed a successful round of CPR on its once-thought-to-be-canned W595s. The music-lovin' handset will reportedly be available exclusively on Orange and come initially in Dusty Blue. We're told that it boasts a 3.2-megapixel camera, front-panel music control buttons, built-in FM tuner, Bluetooth, an M2 memory card slot and an availability date of "now" in Romania. Keep an eye out at your local Orange store to see if this really is being exhumed en masse -- just make sure to dust off the soil before using it.

[Via SEMC Blog]

If you're wondering why you don't have an AT&T-branded BlackBerry Bold in your hand at this very second, the answer might lie a couple thousand miles away where Orange has allegedly pulled all units off the shelves to hammer out some "software issues" that have plagued early devices in subscribers' hands. The whole situation leaves us to wonder whether carriers jumped the gun on validating early builds of the Bold's firmware in an effort to get it out into the market in a non-ridiculous amount of time, while AT&T may have chosen to play it safe with a longer, more excruciating battery of tests -- leading to RIM's swipe that the October 2 miss was all AT&T's fault. It's just a theory, and probably a pretty meaningless one since this Orange fiasco should apparently take a couple weeks to clear up at most, and we're still hearing occasional whispers out of the AT&T camp that they're still pushing for an October release over there. Chop chop, guys.

[Via Mobile Tech Addicts]

Folks, be honest with us here -- did you really expect Orange and / or Apple to say anything other than this? Amidst reports that iPhone 3G line sitters at Polish Orange stores were actually paid to be there, the carrier has shot back in order to defend its dignity. In an e-mail reply to an Ad Age inquiry on the matter, a spokeswoman proclaimed that as "part of the excitement around the launch of the iPhone, some of [Orange's] team has been joining customers outside [of the] shops." She also noted that "sales were strong" and that Orange "was happy," though actual numbers were not revealed. So there you have it, now make of it what you will.

[Image courtesy of AppleBlog]

The iPhone 3G hits 20 more countries tomorrow, and while we doubt the hype will match the craziness of launch day, that's not stopping Orange from trying to re-create the madness in Poland -- it's hiring "dozens" of actors to line up at 20 stores around the country to "drum up interest." Yeah, that's just sad -- especially since there aren't any real customers in line at Polish T-Mobile stores, which is also carrying the phone. Good luck selling phones to your own actors, fools -- when will these companies ever learn?

PS.- That's a pic from launch day in Chicago -- any Polish readers have a shot of the actors for us? Send 'em in!

Update: Yep, there they are, from appleblog.pl -- and check a video after the break from Gazeta.

[Thanks to GreenToad and Yorick_Rise]

Without much fanfare, the Samsung i800 was canned at the tail end of last month. When asked why, Orange simply noted that it was pulled in order to "prepare a more competitive Linux mobile." A recent writeup at Ostatic takes a hard look at whether this simple withdrawal is really a sign of things to come, and it suggests that ALP could see support fade as the major players in Linux (and maybe even Nokia) step to the plate. One analyst was even quoted as saying that "having Google's brand behind Symbian could very well mean 'game over' for mobile Linux in the mobile phone market," and we honestly can't disagree too vehemently with that assertion. Of course, the LiMo Foundation has stated its intentions to not back down from the mighty Google, but sometimes, even the best intentions fall through. Guess time will tell, huh?

[Via jkOnTheRun]

Though it won't have the pleasure of being the first carrier on planet Earth to offer up the BlackBerry Bold, Orange will be the first provider in the UK to do so. Reportedly, the handset will be available for purchase on August 16th, a few weeks earlier than T-Mobile's purported September launch. We're told that the unit will likely be free on contract, but buyers will be politely forced to sign an 18-month agreement and hand over £45 per month (for unlimited data?). Just a few more long, painful days to wait.

The BIC phone has very little to do with famed pen / razor / etc. maker BIC outside of the branding agreement, but we suppose the disposable nature of dried-up writing utensils and this curious cellphone is somewhat similar. Granted, the official word from Orange is that this handset is "not a throw-away product," but unless users mail off a registration form to the carrier and wait for the phone to be activated, the mobile (and the hour of calls it comes with) will be rendered useless in two months. The selling point here is the unpack-and-talk nature, not to mention the €49 ($77) price, but those hoping to grab a low-cost phone, hack it and use it elsewhere may be heartbroken to find that this one does nothing more than talk, text and tune into FM radio. Check it out soon (if you're so inclined) in French convenience stores.

[Via The Red Ferret Journal]

Read - Orange press release
Read - More details

Following a rather unceremonious rejection of a $41 billion offer earlier in the month, rumors are swirling that France Telecom is adding some extra cash onto its bid for TeliaSonera, a juggernaut carrier and ISP serving Nordic and Baltic countries. France Telecom's flagship brand is Orange, and if some sort of deal does go through, it could theoretically lead to Orange becoming one of the dominant carriers in the world with control over a huge swath of European spectrum. The talks, which are apparently still underway, are said to be extremely fragile -- they could end in tears of joy or sadness at any moment -- and France Telecom would like to get a deal done by Monday or Tuesday at the latest. More on this one as it develops.

Update: The bid is dead -- again. Something tells us this isn't the last time we're going to hear about this.

For those fortunate enough to be planning a trip to this year's Glastonbury, you can rest assured that forgetting your mobile charger won't be the worst thing that could possibly happen. Reportedly, Orange will erect a seven-meter high recharge Pod tent in which patrons can stop by and reinvigorate their winded handset. Said tent will boast 500-watt solar panels and a 500-watt wind turbine in order to generate electricity for the lifeless phones, and Orange is hoping to juice up 100 devices per hour. If only such conveniences were everywhere...

[Thanks, Adam]

Slowly but surely, Nokia's winning over even the most skittish critics of its push into the content space, and the latest win might be the most symbolically satisfying for them of all. France Telecom, parent of Orange -- an early dissenter of the Ovi plan -- has announced that it has entered into a broad agreement with Nokia to co-brand its services with Espoo's own, much the same way T-Mobile Germany and others have done. The three-year deal will see music sales coming from Orange's stores and search and mapping solutions coming from Nokia, while both companies will offer video games. Despite the massive investment, it's starting to look like that 2010 payoff date Nokia has planned might not be unreasonable in the least.

[Via textually.org]

We'll make this brief. Orange spokesperson Therese Wenger told the SDA news agency that it has secured rights to release the iPhone (3G version, presumably) in Switzerland and more than 10 other countries -- take that Swisscom! Other countries include Austria, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, and Romania. And France of course where it's already on sale. See, that was quick and leaves room for a dozen or so other iPhone related announcements today.

Update: Official Orange press release now out.

[Via 20minuten, thanks Pascal M. and Pae]