Just because the data costs come at a premium doesn’t mean the accompanying 4G-ready mobile hardware has to, too. It appears EE is looking to use this principle to attract further customers to its super-fast network, with Engadget reporting that the network has its own cheap-as-chips LTE handset waiting in the wings. The site has got hold of an image reportedly of the EE smartphone, revealing it to be an Android device with a light EE-reskin theme laid over standard Android.
We assumed Vodafone would be the first UK network to launch an own-brand LTE handset when a US regulatory filing, of all things, hinted as such. Nothing’s come of that as yet, but it looks instead like competitor EE’s going to give it a shot with the device you see above. Details about the handset itself are scarce, although we know it’ll be Cat 4 and thus take advantage of the theoretical max speeds available on the operator’s “double-speed” plans. From the picture, though, we can see a moderately EE-themed Android skin, three standard soft keys below the display, and what appears to be a polycarbonate band on the bottom edge. Oh, and the silvery back plate with EE logo over to the right.