Pocket-lint are reporting that Vodafone UK have confirmed they’ll be carrying the Samsung F490, the keyboard-free version of the F700v that’s already exclusive to the network.  With HSDPA, a 3.2-inch 240 x 432 touchscreen and 5-megapixel camera with flash, the F490 has been hailed as a significant iPhone rival (although reviews have suggested it fares poorly in a comparison with the Apple handset’s multimedia, while the camera lacks the autofocus of other competitor, LG’s Viewty). 

Nonetheless, Vodafone’s high-speed HSDPA network in the UK has been praised as one of the most comprehensive, and F490 users will undoubtedly put that 16:9 widescreen display to good use browsing the web and watching streaming media.  The handset is just 11.8mm thick and has Bluetooth and haptic feedback, together with a microSD card slot to augment the 130MB of onboard memory.  It’ll be the first touchscreen Samsung cellphone in the UK to feature the new, TouchWiz GUI.

No release date has been suggested, but the pricing is believed to be from free depending on contract.