Motorola Gleam retro flip phone flogged for £50 at Carphone Warehouse

The Motorola Gleam has landed. First spotted at Mobile World Congress in February, Carphone Warehouse is now flogging the retro flip phone on a pay as you go deal for £49.95. 

That could be music to your lugholes if you yearn for the simple life and just can't be doing with all that smart-phone malarkey -- the Gleam is just a straightforward handset with a ludicrously shiny cover. It's essentially an homage to its beloved ancestor, the Razr.

Besides its cover, the phone sports some other pleasing visual touches. For example, incoming calls cause a glowing light to be emitted from the phone's transparent base, while a matrix of LEDs on the back can be used to display 'important upcoming events and information'. In other words, it displays your text messages. 

Other features also hark back to simpler days. Forget 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity -- the Gleam has a WAP-based browser, so Web surfing is likely to be pretty laborious. There's basic email software, a 2-megapixel camera with video-capture capability, Bluetooth 2.1 and a 2.4-inch display.

The Gleam will take microSD cards of up to 16GB, and has a basic music player, FM radio and standard 3.5mm headphone jack, so you can use it as an MP3 player, as well as a phone. Charging and data syncing is accomplished via a micro-USB cable.

Check out our full preview for more details and then let us know whether the Gleam makes you dribble with desire in the comments section below, or on our Facebook wall.