Cincinnati Bell, the regional carrier that recently got attention for helping its customers root and flash an upgrade rather than wait for Motorola, is now selling the HTC Panache 4G, also known as the MyTouch 4G. It may not be as cutting edge anymore, but could be a pretty good alternative to getting a contract with one of the national carriers if Cincinnati Bell covers you.
The Panache packs a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, 5 MP rear and VGA front cameras,3.8″ WVGA screen and, according to Cincinnati Bell’s site Android 2.3. The phone is listed as 4G, however the specs only list it as capable of HSDPA 7.2, which is the only spec difference from T-Mobile’s MyTouch 4G (which has HSDPA 14.4). Naturally the MyTouch apps and the “genius button” which grace the T-Mobile version are absent, with the standard search hardware button reclaiming its place.
If the Panache does indeed have Gingerbread as the web page claims it will be getting Android 2.3 before the original MyTouch 4G. We’re a bit skeptical due to some other spelling erors currently on the site (“bQualcomm Snapdragon” and 13,400 mAh Battery the most prominent). My guess is that it will end up being more similar to the MyTouch, granted its running stock Sense 2 over whatever version of Android it has rather than the MyTouch version.
The phone is available now for either $499.99 or $199.99 with a 2-year contract and $50 mail-in rebate. If this sounds like your cup of tea remember to make sure Cincinnati Bell does have coverage in your area, as they are a regional carrier.
[via Cincinnati Bell]
