The HTC Merge has been MIA for a while after starring in a multitude of leaks last year, but now we may have an explanation for its absence. The folks over at Droid-Life have heard that the Merge has been undergoing testing for Alltel and could be made available to the carrier's customers within the next month or so. It sounds like the Merge won't be the only new Android phone joining Alltel's lineup in the near future, though, as the site has also been told that the DROID X will be coming "very soon."

I have a feeling that a lot of users have been wondering exactly what happened to the Merge lately, especially since so many customers were waiting for another QWERTY-fied Android phone for Verizon. As disappointing as this news is for Big Red subscribers, though, it's pretty exciting for Alltel's remaining customers. The carrier's current Android lineup consists only of the HTC Wildfire, Desire, and Hero, so I'm glad that they're getting some up-to-date devices onto their shelves. So, Verizon users, are you going to be disappointed if you never get your hands on a Merge?

Via Droid-Life