UPDATED: O2 promises built-in HSDPA for its Samsung NC10 "Mini Laptop"

We've been on something of a phone bashing trek these past few days, trying to squeeze out of O2 exactly what it meant when it put in its press release that its new O2 Mini Laptop (aka the Samsung NC10 ) would have built-in HSDPA - just "not at launch".

We already know an HSDPA equipped version of the NC10 that does away with bothersome USB dongles for its mobile broadband is on the way next month. That makes it just ever so slightly too late for O2's 27 February launch of its new laptop range. So what's the score? UPDATE: We've just had word back. See end note.

Well, here's the table we're talking about:

Does the table mean O2 will soon be offering the HSDPA-toting "3G" version of the NC10 to all but its first wave of laptop customers? A quick call to O2's press office has only muddied the waters. At first we were told  "The NC10 will use an O2 USB modem. It won't have HSDPA built-in." - That we already knew, at launch, but what about later down the line? What about that comment in the table stating the Mini Laptop would eventually have HSDPA (or HSPA, as the table puts it)? No one in the press office could tell us. Instead - a few days on from our first call - we've been sent a fresh press release with this amended table, removing the HSDPA line.

So read into that what you will. The press office is still valiantly trying to find out for us if and when O2 will be offering the long-awaited built-in HSDPA version of the NC10 - and whether there'll be any premium to pay for it over the "free on contract" standard model. Till then you'll have to make do with an O2 dongle sticking out the side of your netbook if you want to get a free NC10 with your mobile broadband.

UPDATE: We've just had confirmation that O2 will offer the NC10 with HSDPA built-in - it just doesn't know when. "It will be later this year," O2 told us, "but we can’t say at this point if it will be by March [when Samsung's HSDPA NC10 launches]." Fingers crossed it's sooner rather than later.

[ O2]