Back before there was Helio, there was Earthlink, South Korea's SKT, and a dream. Heliocity managed to score some shots of just what that dream looked like in the early days, a similar -- yet decidedly different -- vision than what the MVNO ended up bringing to market. Not only are the prerelease versions of Helio's first two models to market (the Kickflip and Hero) "SK Earthlink" branded, but check out that super trippy Kickflip proto, complete with aerial antenna and secondary LCD for self-portraits. The Ocean obviously came along further down the road, and while we like the all-black finish Helio decided on, we think the two-tone action here would've made for an interesting second choice. Read on for all the visuals.

In the aftermath of VK Mobile's implosion, it stands to reason that Helio might be on the lookout for new (slightly less bankrupt) hardware partners. Telecoms Korea is reporting that Samsung will be added to the mix -- something we've reported previously -- while Pantech will stay on board to follow up the Hero. All future handsets are said to be running XCE's Java-based platform, a move that makes sense considering Helio's mantra of a uniform user experience across all its devices. All this seems to play in nicely with the VK sourced Kickflip having now gone "out of stock" on Helio's website -- so if you want to get your hands on that white, spring-loaded, addictive pivotphone and you find one in-store, we might recommend you grab it while you still can.

Would-be Kickflip owners, Helio employees, rejoice: VK's back in the ring for another round. After a July 7 scare that had the Korean manufacturer facing liquidation, a bankruptcy court has ruled that they can conveniently forget their debts and obligations, freeing up cash for things like -- oh, you know -- manufacturing of phones. It'll apparently take the court a couple months yet to decide exactly if and how VK will be allowed to continue its turnaround, a decision that will be based largely on how the defunct company fares in the interim. If they agree to cut it out with the SLVR knockoffs, we're all for a complete recovery.

It looks like Amp'd and ESPN Mobile aren't the only MVNOs discovering that their business models may not be getting them where they want to be. An unconfirmed report out of Telecoms Korea is brewing that Helio -- chic Kickflip and all -- has managed to sign up 100 (yes, that's one hundred) subscribers since launching a couple months back. SK Telecom, which teamed up with Earthlink to form Helio, is denying the reports and insisting the true number is in the thousands, but either way they've fallen well short of projections. It looks like we now have an explanation for Helio's shockingly generous gadget trade-in program. SKT also looks to shore up Helio's lineup with as many as five new models by year end, but we have to wonder -- if 100 subs is an accurate count, is there any hope for a turnaround?

UPDATE: We just got an official response from Helio about this: "This morning's report by Telecoms Korea is wholly inaccurate and does not represent Helio's membership figures." They wouldn't tell us any more than that, but they're adamant that the figures reported aren't correct.

We've managed to stop opening and closing our Kickflip just long enough to put together a compilation of Helio reviews for you to sift through. Helio is looking to outfit beautiful people with beautiful phones -- or, at least, one beautiful phone and one atrocious phone -- and they appear to be off to a strong start if their freshman effort is any indication. The Kickflip and its homely step-sister, the Hero, are not the most feature-rich phones on the market, but Helio is bringing an interesting hodgepodge of extras to the table to appeal to a certain demographic, as MVNOs tend to do. Tight MySpace integration on Helio's network should give you a good idea of who they're shooting for. Without further ado, here's a list of reviews to get you started -- please contribute more in the comments as you find them.

Read - Kickflip, PC Magazine
Read - Hero, PC Magazine
Read - Hero, hel.io
Read - Kickflip, Phone Scoop

Well, Helio sent us our Kickflip in the mail today, and we can't really stop playing with it. The EV-DO is the usual walled garden media business; H.O.T. isn't bad, but won't let you add feeds; generally the apps work well and are easy on the eyes, even if they aren't always incredibly flexible. We'll go more into the software later (anything you want to know?) though, it's the hardware where the Kickflip really shines. We freaking can't stop flipping the thing open. It's like tactile crack, and we have to put it away under some papers to free our hands and get any work done, instead of engaging in the idle addictive sensation of nudging the screen and flipping it open, then closing it again with that little click. Not that it'll do it justice, but if you want to peep a video of the Kickflip's opening mechanism in action, check out the link below. Otherwise click on for a bunch of hands on pics of the device.

Watch [19.5MB Quicktime]

Alright kids, it's the moment we've all been waiting for (and by we, we mean the MVNO nerds). SK Telecom's and Earthlink's joint-venture Helio is officially lighting up today with their first two devices -- the Hero and Kickflip. We're all pretty well briefed to date on the capabilities and general offerings the service was supposed to have, so let's get to the plans and pricing, of which there are two types: the All-In Membership, which includes unlimited data, video, MMS, texting, nights and weekends, roaming, and long distance with the plan; and the A La Carte plan which is as the name implies. The All-In buys you 1,000 anytime minutes for $85, 1,500 for $100, or 2,500 minutes for $135 (which we think is a pretty good value, considering what some are charging for that many minutes and unlimited phone data); the A La Carte gets you a 500 minute $40 monthly plan straight up. Oh, and the devices now have prices, too: the Hero will set you back $275, and the Kickflip will ding you for $250. We have a sneaking feeling we know which will outsell the other. So if you're not ready to wait until the end of the month for their retail rollout to switch carriers (or join Helio as your first), fortunately you can just order direct and cut the middle man.