The purported iPhone challenger, the Google Android-based Motorola Milestone - which is called the Motorola Droid in the US – will reportedly hit the UK market on December 7!

The first shipment of the Milestone, which is being pushed by online retailer Expansys, instead of any telecom operator, will reach Expansys on December 4; and the smartphone will be made available to the public about three days later.

The cost of the Milestone, which has already marked its appearance on Motorola’s UK site, will £449.99 off-contract; however, with Expansys offering a £35 monthly contract with T-Mobile, the handset’s cost will be £49.99.

Other than online retailer Expansys, the Milestone will also be available on Superetrader for a comparatively same price, though the phone has been removed from the site of another online retailer, Clove.

The most notable features of the Milestone include Google’s Android 2.0 operating system; a slide-out QWERTY keyboard; 5-megapixel camera with a dual LED flash; and a capacitive touchscreen.

In addition, the Milestone also boasts a slide-out QWERTY keyboard; an 8GB microSD card, which is expandable up to 32GB; and a 3.7-inch multi-touch screen displaying at 265 DPI. The phone will also come with a 60 day free trial of MOTONAV - a turn-by-turn Sat Nav using Google Maps.