Aw, snap! Just what we've been waiting for! Forget that BlackBerry Storm. Overlook the Touch HD. The real iPhone killer has finally arrived in the Hop-on HOP1811. Taking off where the HOP1800 left off, this revamped "anti-iPhone" packs GSM connectivity, a Graffiti Wireless Airtime Plan, 4-hours of talk time (150-hours in standby), support for polyphonic ring tones and an almost unbelievable $13.99 price tag. And check out the bold words passed on by the outfit's CEO: "I challenge anyone to make a call faster than on the HOP1811." You hear that? That's a dare, son.

[Via Slashphone]

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

Details are pretty light on this one at the moment but, according to Telcoms.com, an unidentified European distributor has made a "test purchase" of no less than 10,000 disposable cellphones from Hop-On, which the company describes as a "a big step in introducing Hop-on to Europe." As before, the phone doesn't include a screen of any sort and costs a mere $20 with it employing a Texas Instruments chipset and operating on the 900/1800MHz band in this case. Needless to say, there's no word as to when or where the phones will actually be available, but that same unnamed distributor has apparently already made "multiple purchase orders" that are set to follow the initial test order, so it seems the phones should be landing in the hands of plenty of Europeans, however briefly, soon enough.

[Via textually.org]

Hoping to capitalize on Verizon's new come one, come all attitude, Hop-on's getting back into the game with its disposable CDMA handset, a concept it has been throwing around on and off for the past several years. Dubbed "The Graffiti," the phone (which isn't the least bit wasteful thanks to a recycling rebate from the manufacturer) will be distributed through Hop-on's Graffiti Wireless subsidiary for "under $50" contract-free, a price point that puts it head to head with far less disposable low-end handsets -- you know, handsets with actual "features" like displays. For what it's worth, Hop-on says that it's targeting The Graffiti at "kids, teens, seniors, tourist, vacationers, business travelers and people with credit challenges," and even though we're quite certain we won't personally be laying out the requisite cash, we're still delighted that Verizon's policy shift is making craziness like this possible.