O2 confirms PAYG 3G iPhone pricing while Nokia snaps up Symbian

It's been a mixed week on our sister site Pocket Picks, with few large announcements to speak of.

The week began with some worrying rumblings from the Google Android camp with Reuters claiming that many third party partners will not be ready to ship Google Android based handsets before 2009.

That was all the noise there was to be had out of the Google family, though some of our more regular news hogs were on hand to fill the pages. We are talking of course about the iPhone, which is apparently getting porn moguls the world over very excited indeed (about the money making potential obviously).

There was also some welcome news from O2 about the device, firstly with the revelation that along with the release of the iPhone 3G, existing 2G iPhone customers will be able to opt for a new Pay As You Go SIM card making it much easier for existing users that want to upgrade to the new model to hand their old handset down to a very lucky friend or family member.

Speaking of Pay As You Go, O2 also accidentally let fly solid details about how much it will cost to buy an iPhone 3G out of contract (apparently though we are inclined to view it as a subversive and carefully executed PR stunt). The 8GB version of the new device will cost just £299 while the 16GB version will go for a mere £360, which isn't too bad at all.

There was also a rumour doing the rounds about an AT&T memo that suggests that the iPhone 3G will finally bring MMS functionality to the device, something that is arguably the most glaring omission in the iPhone's feature set. Of course, if you're after functionality that regresses your device rather than advances it, then a forthcoming iPhone application, iRetroPhone should be just the ticket as it gives the iPhone a digital recreation of an old fashioned dial mechanism.

Speaking of retro phones (these segues are writing themselves today) early in the week we came across something deliciously retro and daft that will no doubt appeal to people who fall under the 'more money than sense' category. An online retailer called Retrobrick, is offering reconditioned mobile phones of yesteryear, and we are not talking about a Nokia 6210, we are talking about those breezeblock sized monoliths popular on Wall Street in the 80s.

From the old to the so new it doesn't even exist (and probably never will), T3 magazine let its imagination run riot with several Microsoft brands coming up with a Xbox 360/Zune/mobile hybrid that we would almost certainly buy.

Back in the real world, Motorola had an uncharacteristically busy week, first with concrete details about the long since leaked Kodak branded ZN5 handset and then with some interesting rumours about a supposed 8MP beast waiting in the wings.

Nokia went on a spending spree, first snapping up the location-based social networking site Plazes and then, more significantly, buying the remaining shares of Symbian it didn't already own, so that it can turn the Series 60 platform into a open source programme.

Which brings us around to some of the less significant happenings of the week. Samsung wheeled a dragon on a trailer around the UK, a Japanese company released a batch of ringtones aimed at dogs and a couple of very bored Swedes raced their handsets across a polished hardwood floor using nothing but condoms and lube (yes really).

Never a dull moment, as ever. Click 'Track It! to be sure to catch next week's update.