waterford impassivity: Is Orange UK going to launch an own-label Intel smartphone?

What we have here folks is a good old spoonful of rumor. Simon Hardy, a reader over at Coolsmartphone found himself presented with this image for completing a market research survey for Orange UK.

The story goes that today said reader was asked to complete a survey on a phone the network will be introducing in the future known as the Orange London. Following on from such devices as the Tahiti, San Francisco and Monte Carlo, the name certainly fits the bill.

What sets this apart from previous Orange efforts are the specs. Fast Intel processor, 16GB internal storage, 8MP camera with HD capabilities and the "best ever" phone camera stabilizer. Gorilla Glass over a 4-inch screen and what appears to be a front facing camera completes the spec list. One thing that is missing though is any mention of an OS, something which Hardy made a point of noting in his survey responses.

Looking at this render, it looks pretty much like we're not expecting any surprises -- any none Android surprises that is. The four traditional Android capacitive buttons are all present, but that's about all we have to go on. It isn't a bad looking device though, somewhat reminiscent of the LG Optimus 2X.

There are some bold claims being made in the descriptions too, notably the "highest browsing speeds vs any other phone in the world." After the Intel keynote as CES though even this isn't too far fetched. Remember the comparision with the competitor product?

Another question that springs to mind is just who would be making such a device on their behalf? Previous smartphone efforts have been produced by ZTE, and the Tahiti is a re-badged Huawei Mediapad. Could it be possible that a new alliance has been formed with Lenovo? With MWC around the corner though it's just as possible that more Intel partners will start to emerge.

Of course this could all just be a giant hoax. As with every render we see leaked across the web, until we actually get our hands on something real, it might not be real. If it is though, Orange might just be about to raise their game.

Source: Coolsmartphone