Motorola Atrix coming to Orange in May

Orange has announced that the business-centric Motorola Atrix Android-based smartphone will ship in May, and will be free on a two-year £35 per month contract.

The £35 per month tariff includes 600 minutes, 750MB of data, unlimited texts, 50 MMS and unlimited Wi-Fi, subject to a fair use policy.

Orange also plans on introducing the Panther Extra 60 plan in May. This will   come with 3,000 minutes, 1GB of data allowance, unlimited texts and unlimited Wi-Fi as well as 250MB of free tethering.

Customers will also be able to purchase a 'Work and Play Kit' which includes a remote control, mouse, HD multimedia dock and keyboard for £49.99.

This usually retails for £129.99, and existing Orange pay-monthly customers who upgrade to the Atrix during May will receive the Work and Play Kit for free.

The Android 2.2 smartphone comes with a 1GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, 1GB of memory, 16GB of built-in storage and support for removable micro-SD storage.

The key feature is the ability to plug the device into a Lapdock and turn it into a netbook running Motorola's own Webtop operating system. Standard pricing for the Lapdock will start at £299, but Orange customers will be able offered a discount which is tariff dependent.

The 11.6in screen comes with a full keyboard and stereo speakers, and weighs 1.1kg. The Atrix will also ship with the Citrix Receiver application to access back-end enterprise systems.

Business customers can get the Atrix with the Lapdock on a Solo 55 tariff, which costs £55 per month and comes with unlimited calls, texts and internet use.

"We're pleased to bring the Motorola Atrix to our customers as it's one of the most innovative handsets we've seen this year and it supports our passion for innovation," said Simeon Bird, director of propositions at Orange UK.

"With its intelligent support accessories, the handset stands out from the rest of the pack, and the overall experience takes mobile computing to the next level."