Virgin has announced that it will be the very first in the UK to get the Alcatel VM202 – and that it will have it exclusively in ‘dazzle pink’. Consider yourself warned.

We’re not sure if the VM202 is going to cause iPhone style queues outside of Virgin Media stores, but you never know – especially as Virgin Media has described the handset as both “functional and entertaining”. Wow Virgin Media – you had us at “functional”.

The phone as you can see looks a tad old-school (well, very 2008), with a 320 x 240 screen, keypad and sliding QWERTY keyboard underneath. The press release states that this is the very first Alcatel phone to feature a MicroSD card slot, which we suppose is an achievement of some kind. Virgin will even be kind enough to furnish you with a 1GB memory card to fill it.

The phone keep up with all the latest fads, thanks to Facebook Twitter and Instant Messenger apps and Opera mini is on hand for web browsing. Other key features are an MP3 player with a nice and sensible 3.5mm jack, and FM radio, and a VGA – yes, VGA – camera.

While the phone is unlikely to set the heart of a gadget fiend all aflutter, it does cost a very reasonable £29.99 on a PAYG tariff and when bought with £10 airtime comes with 300 free texts. What more could you want? Well, maybe an iPhone.

Link: Virgin Media.