The Pantech brand name is usually associated with reasonably-priced smartphones and tablets, and the Pantech Burst, which AT&T just made official, is the latest one to join the party. Grabbing one is going to cost you a mere $50, assuming you are willing to commit to a 2-year contract. However, looking at its specs sheet makes you realize that this is no low-range Android smartphone. The Pantech Burst is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, and its front is occupied by a 4-inch Super AMOLED display with 480 by 800 pixels of resolution. The 5-megapixel camera on its back is backed up by an LED flash and can capture 720p video, while the 2-megapixel front-facing one will come in handy when you feel like having a video chat. You also get 16 gigs of on-board storage and a 1,650mAh battery. Oh and did we mention that the Pantech Burst has an LTE radio on board? Those of you who are on the hunt for a budget-friendly smartphone might want to check this one out. The Pantech Burst will be made available no later than January 22.

Geez, with all of these Androids and Windows Phones, we could hardly find time for this smart guy here - the RIM BlackBerry Curve 9370, which, as it seems, is going to launch with Verizon Wireless on January 19. What you'll get for the price of $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and your signature on a two-year contract is a 3G-enabled portrait QWERTY candybar, complete with global connectivity and support for NFC. The Curve 9370 also sports a modest 2.44" display and a 5MP camera. Yeah, we know... boooring. Launching with good-old BlackBerry OS 7.0 out of the box, an update to version 7.1 should come shortly after, bringing a number of new features, the most impressive of which seems to be Mobile Hotspot.

Last month, we reported that RIM’s BlackBerry Bold 9790 was expected to become available in the UK sometime in January, following its scheduled release in Indonesia and Singapore this month, but we’ve been in the dark on an exact date to that reality. Fortunately, UK consumers are now given a clear date of January 9th – that’s when the SIM-free version of the latest Bold handset is expected to become available for purchase in the good old UK. Interested in picking up this one? Well, retailer MobileFun will begin accepting orders for the smartphone on that date, where it’s given a price tag of £399.95 ($624). Indeed, it’s rather pricey to say the least, but considering it’s a SIM-free version, it’s the typical price we’re accustomed to seeing with fresh devices like this. BlackBerry Bold 9790 will be available as a SIM-free option in the UK starting on January 9 Just as a refresher, if you happened to forget about this one already, the BlackBerry Bold 9790 features a 2.4” touchscreen with a 360 x 480 resolution, iconic Bold portrait style keyboard, 1GHz single-core processor, 768MB of RAM, 5-megapixel camera, 8GB of internal storage, 3.5mm headset, NFC, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, and GPS.

As far back as last November, we knew that the BlackBerry Bold 9790 was bound for the UK sometime in January, and then last month, we were given some insights to the cost of a SIM-free version that’s set to become officially available starting on January 9th. Well, if you prefer a contract option, you’ll be glad to know that it’ll be coming, very soon that is. This time around, the BlackBerry Bold 9790 was featured on Three UK’s coming soon webpage, where it’s sitting alongside the Nokia Lumia 710 as well. Essentially, this affordable option to the flagship BlackBerry Bold 9900 is going to become available with the carrier towards the end of this month – giving some customers ample time to save up for the eventual purchase. Still, it would’ve been nice to get a sneak peek to its pricing right now, then again, it’ll probably become publicly known relatively soon. If you’ve forgotten about this one, which isn’t US-bound for the moment, it features a 2.4” touchscreen with a resolution of 480 x 360, iconic Bold keyboard, 5-megapixel camera, 1GHz single-core processor, 768MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, HSDPA, NFC, Wi-Fi, and BlackBerry OS 7. Obviously, it’s nice seeing this one coming to a wireless carrier as a contract option, but for those who simply can’t wait, the SIM-free version will go on sale starting on January 9th.

The BlackBerry Curve 9380 is now available from Canadian carrier TELUS. What sets this Curve model apart from others is the 3.2 inch touchscreen that adorns the front of the device. The phone has just recently been introduced by Canadian based RIM, and just because it has a touchscreen does not mean that it has top of the line specs. In fact, starting with the 360 x 480 resolution of the display, and the 800MHz single-core processor, the BlackBerry Curve 9380 has been very much designed for the budget conscious smartphone owner even though it does run on the new BlackBerry 7 OS. Sign a three-year contract with TELUS and the BlackBerry Curve 9380 is yours for just $49.99. With a two-year deal, the phone is priced at $269.99 which rises to $319.99 with a one year pact. With no contract, the device will cost you $369.99. While TELUS is offering the phone now, Stateside BlackBerry fans who have had their eye on this model should not fret. While RIM did not detail which carriers will get the model, there are expectations that the first touchscreen BlackBerry Curve will make it to the US.