O2 UK Releases LG Optimus Net

O2 UK has just announced the availability of the new LG Optimus Net on their network. The handset can be yours for free on monthly plans starting at 10.50 GBP (about $16) or for 129.99 GBP (about $204) on Pay As You Go. To refresh your memory, the Optimus Net packs a 3.2-inch 320 x 480 capacitive touchscreen display, an 800MHz processor, a 512MB RAM, a microSD card slot (2GB card included), a VGA front-facing camera, a 3.15MP rear-facing camera, GPS, 3G, WiFi and runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS. [O2]

Motorola Atrix receives new update

Motorola Atrix owners should keep a look out for an update notification on their phones starting today. While it's not Ice Cream Sandwich, the update is said to bring some noticeable improvements to the phone. The update brings the Atrix build number up to 4.5.141 and implements the latest Google Android security fixes, improvements to memory function as it relates to media applications and ability to prevent need for rebooting when phone is impacted by heavy loading or high temperatures (improved stability). It also lets you launch voice commands from a Bluetooth headset when the phone is asleep, improvements to WiFi settings and easier setup for Mobile Hotspot, improvements to text messaging, and all phone book contacts are kept after the upgrade. If you intend to install the update today, as usual - remember to backup all your important data. Bear in mind that the update is also said to break root access. Hit Settings > About Phone > System Updates to pull the update manually.

HTC Velocity 4G

It will surely benefit newer devices to try and catch up with what technology comes along the way. And now that 4G LTE may be considered as the next step in wireless mobile access into the Internet, smartphones may truly benefit as one of the initial adapters of this new technology. For HTC they are coming up with their own version of the 4G LTE smartphone in the HTC Velocity 4G. The HTC Velocity 4G is an Android smartphone that provides support for the new and upcoming 4G LTE connectivity. This will provide the smartphone with the ability to access the Web at vastly faster speeds than before. It comes with a 1.5GHz dual core processor, 1GB RAM, and up to 13GB of internal storage. It also comes with an 8MP rear camera that offers instant capture technology and a front camera for making video calls. The camera also has a 4.5 inch S-LCD touch screen and is also able to record and playback video in 1080p HD quality. Currently, the HTC Velocity 4G is available exclusively in Australia.  It is similar to HTC Vivid in the US which goes for around US$199 at AT&T.

iFixit pries apart the Droid 4, strips slider to see its silicon insides

Verizon's Droid 4 was officially released last week, so naturally, iFixit spent the weekend pulling the phone apart for all to see. Among the nuggets of knowledge uncovered during the teardown is the discovery that the fourth iteration breaks from Droid tradition in a couple of not-so-positive ways. First off, Motorola decided to integrate the keyboard into the motherboard, meaning if one of your keys quits working, you'll have to replace the motherboard, too. Not only that, but the Droid 4′s battery is purportedly no longer user-replaceable, though iFixit's deft disembodied hands were able to pry it loose with some effort. It's not all bad, as the teardown did confirm that the handset does, in fact, pack the promised 16GB of onboard storage. Don't take our word for it, though, there's a bevy of pics of the flayed phone for your perusal at the source link below, so hop on over for the full monty.

Gigabyte GSmart G1355 Dual-SIM Android Smartphone

Gigabyte has unveiled its new dual-SIM Android smartphone namely the GSmart G1355. Powered by the Google Android 2.3 OS, this GSM phone features an 800MHz Snapdragon single-core processor, a 4.3-inch (480×800) touchscreen display, HSPA-based 3G and a 5-megapixel digital camera. Its battery provides enough juice for up to 6-hour of talk time. [Androinica]

32GB GSM Galaxy Nexus cancelled, Google hopes 16GB will be enough for you

This probably won't matter too much to our American readers, but the 32GB version of the GSM Galaxy Nexus has been canceled according to Expansys and Negri Electronics. Initially the latest Nexus device was supposed to be sold in both 32 and 16 gigabyte varieties. But, for whatever reason, the larger capacity model never made it to market. Now, word is that it may never happen. A couple of importers are saying they've been notified by Samsung that handset has been discontinued, which is particularly bad news since the Gnex (as the cool kids in the forums are calling it) doesn't have a microSD slot. We hope you like streaming all your media.

Motorola outs Android 4.0 upgrade schedule, adds Atrix 4G, Photon 4G and others to the ICS party list

Ever since the debut of Ice Cream Sandwich, the masses of Motorola owners have yearned to discover when (if?) their devices would receive Android's latest and greatest. Well, Moto's finally let the cat out of the bag, setting out domestic and global timelines for its tablets and phones to get Android 4.0. Xoom WiFi owners here in the states have been enjoying ICS for a month, and Family Edition owners can expect the same tasty treat in Q2 of this year. Folks with RAZRs (including the Chinese MT917 variant) or XT928 (the Chinese evolution of the Droid X) in areas outside the US will be getting ICS in Q2 as well. Atrix 4G, Atrix 2, and Photon 4G owners around the world will have to wait until Q3 of 2012 for theirs, as will Xoom 2 and Xyboard owners. Motorola's blog, Inside Motorola, states that the Bionic, Droid 4, RAZR Maxx, and Electrify will be getting in on the action, too, but its engineers have yet to set a date for their upgrades. Head on down to the source links below to take a gander at the good news yourself.

HTC One S and One V rumored to join One X at Mobile World Congress

HTC could be rethinking their entire device naming scheme, choosing to go with the name/modifier motif deployed by other manufacturers such as Samsung and LG. Yesterday we learned that the HTC Endeavor could launch as the HTC One X, and new sources claim there will be an HTC One S and HTC One V at Mobile World Congress as well. The One S is said to be the device leaked as the HTC Ville, while the One V will be a 3.7-inch handset not unlike an HTC Rhyme with Beats Audio and Android 4.0. As was suggested previously, the letter designation is said to appear as a superscript to the ‘One.’ It sounds like HTC is trying to conjure up their own version of “Galaxy” or “Optimus,” which means we could still see these phones under other names on specific carriers, especially in the US. A push towards simplifying naming procedures should  not only help unify HTC’s Android lineup.

Alcatel OT-915 Android smartphone is headed to the UK

Alcatel may have been known back in the day for their feature phones (although they probably weren't considered feature phones back then), but it looks like the manufacturer may be trying their hand (again) at the smartphone market with the OT-915 Android smartphone that will be making its way into the UK. The company tried their hands at an Android smartphone last year during MWC with the Alcatel OT-990, but it looks like they might be back again at MWC with the OT-915 (pictured above) which supposedly managed to get its photo leaked on the way to the UK. However if you were expecting a high-end Android handset, you might be disappointed although we're guessing its Blackberry-esque keyboard might be of interest to those who prefer physical keys. The OT-915 will sport a 2.8" display with a resolution of 240×320, a 5MP rear-facing camera, WiFi connectivity with support for FM radios and unfortunately it will come with Android 2.3 Gingerbread on board. If we had to guess, it seems unlikely that Alcatel will be pushing Android 4.0 out to the OT-915. Pricing has yet to be confirmed, but the Alcatel OT-915 is expected to be made available in the UK before the end of the year – rather vague if you ask me.

Android 4.0 ROM leaks for the Samsung Galaxy Note

An Ice Cream Sandwich build for the Galaxy note has surfaced on a Chinese forum, marking one of the first chances for Note users to get their hands on an early build of Android 4.0. The particular build is geared towards a Chinese variant of the Note, the GT-I9220, and is not directly compatible with other models. The build is said to be an alpha or early beta with many features still lacking. Bluetooth and camera support are present, however. Recent rumors have the Note and Galaxy S II receiving ICS in March, but from the looks of the build it could still be a bit of time before we see the new OS on the 5.3-inch screen of the Note (assuming the leak isn't outdated). There is already an XDA thread for those interested in following development of the build.

Google Maps for Android 6.3 is now available

For those of you who rely on Google Maps on your Android-powered smartphone as your primary means of finding your way around, here is some good news – Google has recently released Google Maps for Android 6.3 to the masses, where it will deliver a bunch of bug fixes as well as an improved battery life, which will be most noticeable if you happen to be one of the few who rely on the Latitude and location history often. After all, to get a grip on where the other 1,000 friends of yours are across town, it would definitely require a whole lot of processing power – and that eats into your phone's battery life. For those who have already updated their Google Maps for Android to version 6.3, how do you find it so far? Has it performed up to your expectations, and are there any other bugs or discrepancies that you have discovered on your own along the way?

AT&T Motorola ATRIX 4.5.141 Update Now Rolling Out

AT&T and Motorola have issued an upgrade to the original Motorola ATRIX, one of the first Tegra 2 devices. It's not Ice Cream Sandwich, of course, but we do get the normal round of security, stability and enhancement improvements for a number of different things. Take a look at the full slate of changes below: Everyone should be seeing this update on their phones right away. To check for it, go to Settings > About Phone > System Updates. A notification will pop up asking you to download it. Do that, and then install when prompted. You might want to have more than 30% of battery life and be connected to a WiFi network throughout all of this. [Thanks Joe!, Motorola]

HTC One V details leaked

Just when you thought HTC had enough phones with the name “One”, here comes some new rumors about another HTC One phone. This time it's the HTC One V, and it's said to be “a music-focused Beats Audio device and will be the Yin to the HTC Rhyme's Yang.” According to Pocket-lint's report, the phone will pack a 3.7″ display, a 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, a 5-megapixel rear camera capable of 720p recording and Android Ice Cream Sandwich. There was no mention if the phone would be single or dual-core but a single-core Android phone in this day and age seems unlikely (unless HTC is aiming for the entry-level market with this device). In addition to the One V, there's apparently another HTC phone called the One XL, however, details about it are scarce at the moment and nothing is known besides its name. I guess we'll just have to wait and see when and if these phones are unveiled at MWC 2012.

Samsung Galaxy S II v2 with TI processor now on pre-order in Germany for €469.90, ships on March 15

There's a new Samsung Galaxy S II around the corner, though it's not the previously rumored Galaxy S II Plus. It's (quite unintuitively) called the Galaxy S II v2, or at least that's what one retailer chose to call it. There's absolutely no difference between this unit and the ‘vanilla' Galaxy S II, save for the fact that the processor of the new version is manufactured by Texas Instruments, and not Samsung. It's still clocked at 1.2 GHz, and it's still a dual-core unit. It's just a TI part (unknown number, but it's safe to assume that it's the same as that found in the Samsung Galaxy Nexus). Cyberport, a German retailer, has already started taking pre-orders for this new Galaxy S II, which it priced at €469.90. Shipping is expected to begin on March 15. The probable reason for this launch is that Samsung simply can't make enough of its own Exynos processors to fit in all the Galaxy S II units it expects to sell in the near future. So it's decided to also have a version with a third-party processor. And it's probably not chosen TI as the supplier at random – the fact that Samsung already makes an Android smartphone (the Galaxy Nexus) with the same processor had to count. Anyway, if you're in Germany and want to pre-order a Samsung Galaxy S II with a TI processor, head over to Cyberport right now.

More HTC Endeavor/One X details leaked

The HTC Endeavor aka HTC One X has been talked about recently, and today the folks over at MoDaCo managed to get their hands on more details about the phone. According to their tipster, the phone is going to be extremely thin though no measurements were provided. It won't have any hardware buttons besides the power button and volume rocker, like the Galaxy Nexus, but the standard Android buttons will be on the phone itself (like the leaked render). The phone will also feature a microSIM slot, and will ship with a 1,800mAh battery (not mentioned if it was removable). The Tegra 3 processor on the device has been confirmed as a “nVidia AP33 1.5GHz / XMM6260″ device, and it will have 1GB of RAM. The phone will also pack a 4.7″ 720 x 1280 Super LCD display. As for the phone's radios, it will be a quad-band HSPA radio (HSDPA 3GPP Release 7 compliant with 21Mbps peak rate and HSUPA with 5.76Mbps peak rate). The HTC Endeavor will have an 8-megapixel rear camera with a backlit sensor, LED flash, 1080p video recording, stereo mics (also used for noise reduction) and a 1.3-megapixel front facing camera for HD video calls. It will also be running on Android Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC Sense 4.0. It won't have a multi-colored notification LED, instead it will only light up in green or amber. It will also feature Beats Audio and will ship with Beats earphones as well. It has a 5-pogo-pin setup for a speaker dock that is likely to be Beats branded as well. The HTC Endeavor is said to have no MicroSD slot as well, but will have 32GB of onboard memory as standard and support for mass storage mode. The phone will also feature Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi (2.4GHz/5Ghz). The standard sensors are all there- A-GPS, motion sensor, digital compass, proximity sensor, light sensor, gyroscope, and features like FM Radio, and NFC are expected. Sounds like a pretty exciting phone, and it could be HTC's flagship device for this year. We can't wait to find out more about the phone, stay tuned for more info from MWC 2012.

LG's Tegra 3 phone specifications leak, benchmark tests cower in fear

LG's got a leak and it's revealing some intriguing details on another flagship smartphone — even backing them up with some screenshots. According to MoDaCo's mole, it will brandish a 4.7 inch (720 x 1280) display, powered by LG's first Tegra 3 quad-core setup. Processor speeds for the LG X3 are pegged at around 1.5GHz on a single core, dropping to 1.4GHz during multi-core use. Hopefully, the 2,000mAh battery will withstand all that thinking power, while Ice Cream Sandwich should help push those multitasking chops to its limit. Camera-wise, you can expect an increasingly standard eight-megapixel sensor, with a 1.3-megapixel camera on the front. There also appears to be some NFC hardware inside, identified by that circular logo at the top of these tantalizing screengrabs — something we saw on LG's Prada phone 3.0.

Sharp AQUOS Phone SH-06D

When it comes to devices, the Japanese market is still one of those that try to introduce new technologies and features earlier than the rest of the world. In fact, the Japanese are now introducing technology features that allow TV signals to directly be transmitted to portable devices like smart phones and tablets. One of the recently introduced among such smartphones is the Sharp AQUOS SH-06D smartphone. The Sharp AQUOS Phone SH-06D is a new smartphone that is designed to receive signals from the newly established NOTTV channel in Japan which is expected to begin transmission n sometime in April. The smartphone features include having a 1.2GHz dual core processor and a 4.5 inch glassless HD 3D display. It also comes with a tabletop holder with a built-in antenna that allows users to watch multimedia NOTTV broadcasts and charge up the smartphone at the same time. The smartphone is also compatible with DOCOMO's mobile wallet services as well as receive the current 1seg mobile TV. And oh yes, this smartphone is also waterproof. The Sharp AQUOS Phone SH-06D is expected to be available in Japan sometime in March for NTT DOCOMO. Pricing details for this new smart phone have not been provided yet.

Samsung cancells 32GB GSM Galaxy Nexus

Samsung has discontinued its 32 gig GSM variant of the Galaxy Nexus. This information is based on online retailer Expansys's web page and a tip from "Corey" in the XDA developers blog. Expansys's product page of the Galaxy Nexus 32 GB HSDPA+ lists the device as discontinued and suggests the 16 GB variant instead. The Galaxy Nexus is at a disadvantage by not offering additional storage options and lacks mass storage mode. So the only way to have the device with north-of-16 GB storage was to buy the 32 GB version. In other news the 16 GB Galaxy Nexus for Verizon could be coming in White to the US carrier. Pricing is rumored to be around $199 on a two-year commitment. The device has already graced the UK shores. Source | Via | Via

HTC EVO 3D receives early alpha CM9 build

HTC EVO 3D owners, if you're wondering what Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich will look like in glasses-free 3D, you're in luck as an early alpha build of CyanogenMod 9 is available for download. It should be noted that this build is not an official CyanogenMod 9 build and it has its fair share of bugs and what not, but if you're curious as to what Android 4.0 could look like on your phone, then maybe you could give it a spin. At the moment, its developer has listed several bugs that come with the ROM. This includes issues with the camera in video mode, 3D, etc, 4G WiMax connectivity, SDCard mount to PC and In Call mute. We're sure that there might be more bugs than this but this is what he has discovered so far. Given its early alpha stage, you will probably not want to use this build as your daily driver, but if curiosity is getting the better of you, or if you feel that you'd like to give the developer some feedback, head on over to the XDA forums for the download and instructions. Once again, please do a bit of your homework before proceeding, especially if you're new to this as we cannot be held liable for any bricked devices!

Gigabyte GSmart G1355 dual-SIM Android phone launching end of the month

If you've always wanted to get your hands on a dual-SIM capable Android smartphone, Gigabyte might have something in store for you in the GSmart G1355 dual-SIM Android smartphone. As far as its specs are concerned, the Gigabyte GSmart G1355 will sport a 4.3" WVGA display, but beyond its large screen, the rest of its specs seems to indicate that it will most likely be launched as a low-end Android handset, which means that its accompanying price tag should be wallet friendly. Underneath the hood, the GSmart G1355 will feature a 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7227T processor with 512MB of RAM and an Adreno 200 GPU. It will also come with a 5MP rear-facing camera, a microSD card slot and will run on Android 2.3 Gingerbread. No word on pricing but the handset is expected to launch at the end of the month, which means there is a good chance we could be seeing the Gigabyte GSmart G1355 make an appearance at MWC 2012.

After All of This Time… the Samsung Continuum Receives Android 2.2 (Yes, .2)

Well, I almost completely forgot that this phone existed. The Galaxy S Phone with a pointless secondary display may have bowed out of the market unwanted, but that doesn’t stop Samsung and Verizon from supporting it with updates. The device has finally gotten an update to a new major version of Android and that version is Android 2.2. That’s not a typo. Sure, it launched on 2.1 and never did get its Gingerbread update like its “fascinating” cousin, but it’s 2012. Froyo has a lot of nice features over Eclair, but again – it’s 2012. And even though the phone was seen as DOA, it’s no less capable than the Samsung Fascinate. This might not be the last update, though, so we can’t say for sure if they will be done after this. Just give your lungs a break and don’t hold your breath. Do any of our readers even own this phone? [Verizon via Droid-Life]

Sony Xperia S will be offered with �30 worth of free accessories in the UK

Expected to be released in the UK in early March, the Sony Xperia S will be cheaper than initially reported. Retailer Clove is currently asking £429.60 including VAT (about $676) for the new handset, letting you choose between the black and the white versions. What's more, if you buy the Xperia S you get £30 worth of free accessories: 4 Xperia NFC SmartTags (valued at £20), and a £10 voucher for any other Xperia accessory. Clove says the new Xperia is due to arrive in the week commencing March 5.

Motorola Defy Mini will be launched in the UK in late March

Motorola has officially announced that its rugged Defy Mini Android smartphone would be released in the UK starting late March (contradicting previous reports, which had it that the handset would arrive in early March). The Motorola Defy Mini runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and is dust and water-proof. It features a 3.2 inch HVGA Gorilla Glass display, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS, 3.5mm headset jack, stereo FM radio with RDS, VGA front-facing camera, 3MP rear camera, 512MB of RAM, 600MHz processor, and MicroSD card support (up to 32GB). Unlocked, the Defy Mini will cost about £175. Some British retailers, including Clove, are already taking pre-orders for the new handset. To celebrate the launch of the Defy Mini, Motorola has teamed up with Snowbombing for "an exclusive UK event in March, called the Urban Mountain Disco." UK residents can win tickets to the event - more details are available here at Motorola's Facebook page.

Alcatel OT-915 with Android and QWERTY keyboard gets leaked on its way to the UK

Alcatel is still trying. Still trying to make a name for itself in the very competitive smartphone world. Last year during MWC, it showcased the OT-990, which only got a limited release a long time after. This year, the company's back, apparently, and will have a new phone to show us at MWC once again. This time, it's going to be the OT-915. This has a touchscreen, like the OT-990, but it also comes with a portrait QWERTY keyboard sitting nicely right underneath that screen, BlackBerry-style. The touchscreen will be a 2.8-inch unit, and its resolution will be 240×320, clearly establishing the OT-915′s place in the ‘affordable smartphone' category. It will be 11.9 mm thick, and will run Android 2.3 Gingerbread – a largely unskinned install, though it is a pity that Alcatel chose to ignore the newer Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 Hits FCC in Time for MWC

The Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 has been in the rumor mill as of late and it’s just as real as you’d expect. The device has hit the FCC recently and it looks like it’ll be able to strut its stuff all over the floors of Mobile World Congress. There’s no guarantee it’ll be there, of course, especially with Samsung cancelling their press conference. They don’t usually announce these small guys at press conferences, though, so there’s still a chance that it will be made official before the event and put on the show floor for all to gawk at. It’s an entry level device but should do the job for most people who don’t need an over powerful smartphone. We’re expecting it to have an 800MHz processor, a 3.3 inch display, 3GB of internal storage, Android 2.3 and more. While fanfare for this device will be scarce, some people will end up cheering when they find out how cheap it is to own. [via Wireless Goodness]

Vonage Mobile VoIP Calling App Review

We are receiving compensation for posting this review. A couple of days ago, we told you about the new Vonage Mobile apps for Android and iOS phones that let you make free texts or calls around the world to other Vonage Mobile users or paid calls to most any other number using VoIP.  I've had a few days trying out the Vonage Mobile app on my iPhone 4.  Let's see how it worked for me. As a refresher, allow me to quote myself: “Vonage has been in the business of providing VoIPservice for home and business phones for years, and now they are entering the mobile calling market with new Vonage Mobile applications for Android and Apple iOS devices.  Using the new mobile apps with the latest innovations in VoiP technology, you can make app-to-app calls to other Vonage Mobile users with "high-definition" audio quality for free, worldwide.  App-to-app texting is free, and you'll be able to make free calls to any Vonage home number, too.  You can also call any phone number in over 200 countries for the lowest international calling rates available - 30% lower than Skype's rates to the top 50 ILD countries and 70% less than most major mobile carriers.” The first step is to download Vonage Mobile to your Android smartphone or iPhone.  The apps are free to download, and you can find links to them in the iTunes store or Android Market at the Vonage download page.  Once the app was installed on my iPhone, I had to agree to the terms of service. Unlike Skype, Vonage Mobile uses your smartphone's address book.  You don't have to reinvent the wheel and load up all your contacts in a separate, app-specific address list.  You can see the Mobile app asked permission to access my address book. You'll need to enter your mobile phone number and a working email address to set up your Vonage Mobile account.  Even though you'll be making VoIP calls, Vonage will use your mobile number as your caller ID so everyone will know it's you calling.  The email address must be a valid address because an activation code will be emailed to you.  My code came very quickly, and my account activated immediately upon entering the code into the app.  My husband, Butch, also installed Vonage Mobile on his iPhone sometime after I did.  He didn't receive a code, but it was very easy to request another.  A code came after his second request, and his account also immediately activated upon entering the code. Please excuse the gray boxes on many of the following images.  I've obscured names and phone numbers from these screen shots. My address book was immediately imported, and the app scanned my contacts and found one user that I could call for free.  My husband and I share contacts, and one of his coworkers was immediately identified as someone I could call for free.  Turns out Raj has Vonage VoIP service as his home service.  Free-call contacts are identified with the circular orange Vonage logo. None of my other contacts had Vonage home service nor Vonage Mobile apps installed.  The Mobile app makes it very easy to invite people to join you at Vonage.  By clicking on the orange +Invite button at the top of the screen, I can invite everyone (or a selected subset of people) in my address book, or I can select an individual and send a text or SMS message to them.  It's not a personal invite that requires a response, like a Facebook friend request.  It's simply a message telling your contact about the new Vonage Mobile app and suggesting they download it to their smartphone.  If your friend does download and setup the Vonage Mobile app on their phone, they'll show up as someone you can call for free the next time you start up your Vonage Mobile app. Over the next few hours, Julie and Ian from The Gadgeteer and Butch created Vonage Mobile accounts and showed up in my contacts as people I can call or text for free.  By clicking on the blue Free Calls button at the top of the screen, I can see a list of just the other Vonage Mobile or Vonage home service people. When I select a Vonage user from my contacts within my Vonage Mobile app, I'm given the option of calling or texting them for free if they have the Mobile app; I can only make free calls to Vonage home VoIP users.  With Butch's contact entry, I have both a mobile number (which I can call/text for free) and his office number (which I can't call for free).  If I tap his office number, the app pops up a warning to let me know that I can use my normal mobile service to call that number, or I can call it from the Vonage Mobile app using credits I've already purchased. It's very easy to purchase calling credits.  You don't have to exit the Mobile app or go to a webpage and enter a credit card to purchase credits.  You can easily buy $4.99 or $9.99 in credits directly in the Vonage Mobile app from your iTunes or Android Market account.  I chose the amount I wanted to purchase, then I was asked to enter my iTunes account password.  I do have a credit card associated with my iTunes account, but I always keep an iTunes card balance in my account because I don't like to have a lot of little charges hitting my credit card when I decide to buy something from iTunes.  I wasn't sure if the Vonage credits purchase would use my iTunes card balance or if it would be charged to the credit card on record.  I wasn't required to enter the security code for my credit card, and my iTunes card balance was $4.99 lower after my Vonage credits purchase. If you like to be sure you have plenty of credits on hand for those extra-long calls, you can top off your credits balance at $50. As in incentive, Vonage is allowing you to make free calls to non-Vonage users – mobile or landline – in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico for a limited time (limit of 3000 minutes per month).  Even though I've made some calls to other non-Vonage users, I haven't had to use my Vonage credits yet.  I'll have them ready for when the introductory offer ends. Vonage Mobile rates are much cheaper than other carriers.  The above chart is a sampling of Vonage calling rates to landlines or mobile phones and Skype rates to the same countries, for comparison.  You can call any phone number in over 200 countries for the lowest international calling rates available - averaging 30% lower than Skype's rates to the top 50 ILD countries and 70% less than most major mobile carriers.  There are no charges on your credit card and no bill arriving in the mail.  Everything is handled within the Vonage Mobile app. If you don't see the calling rates for the country you need, you can check calling rates to a specified number from within the Vonage Mobile app.  You can see how much your call will cost, then check your credits balance to be sure you have enough for the call before dialing. There's a keypad so you can dial numbers directly without first having to create a contact. You can text other Vonage Mobile app users for free.  The screen looks very much like the Messages app that came on my iPhone, but it uses the Vonage colors.  It worked quickly and easily. The setup option in the Vonage Mobile app is a central location for buying credits or checking your balance and for inviting friends to download the Vonage Mobile app for free calling.  You can also check rates for a phone number here, get help, or review the terms of service.  “Setup” lets you update your account, or deactivate it if you decide you no longer want to enjoy free or low-cost local and international long distance calling and texting. Vonage Mobile works on WiFi or 3G/4G worldwide.  Although you make free or low-cost calls with the Vonage app, you need to remember that there may be data charges when using these connections. I got down to the business of making calls and sending texts.  It was easy sending texts to Butch and Julie.  The “Chats” option worked just as quickly and easily as did the Messages program on my iPhone.  By the way, both Julie and Butch are using iPhones, too.  I was also able to text with Ian Lim in Australia with no problems.  Ian has an Android phone, I believe. I've tried making local calls in a variety of ways.  I've called Butch's office from my Vonage Mobile app while connected via my home's WiFi connection.  This call was to a landline, and it will incur a small charge after Vonage's introductory free-calling offer is over.  The call sounded great.  It was no differences calling his office with the Vonage Mobile app than when calling using my normal Verizon mobile service.  (I don't have a landline, so all my calls are made from my iPhone, always using my Verizon mobile plan before I got the Vonage Mobile app.)  The call connected immediately and was clear and noise-free. A special note about app-to-app calling:  Using the new mobile apps with the latest innovations in VoIP technology, you can make app-to-app calls to other Vonage Mobile users with "high-definition" audio quality for free, worldwide. The Vonage Mobile app has a call-quality symbol it displays next to your caller's name.  This call to Butch had a good connection and good sound quality. I tried making app-to-app calls by calling Butch as he was at work and around town.  Sometimes he was connected via WiFi and sometimes he was using 3G with the Vonage Mobile app.  I was able to connect calls with him where ever he was, except for one coffee shop with questionable WiFi quality.  When he was there, I just couldn't get the calls to go through.  I'd hear ringing and ringing, and he heard nothing.  When he was on WiFi at other places, the calls connected quickly and were clear.  When he was on 3G at a couple of different places, the calls would take a second or two to complete a “hand-shake” after he answered.  During that brief time, I sometimes heard an echo or a slight delay.  The calls quickly settled in, and the calls were extremely quiet and clear.  His voice sounded very sharp and was very understandable.  The iPhone doesn't have any noise cancelling circuitry – not so far as I've noticed, anyway – so I could hear background noise sometimes.  He was standing near a speaker at a Starbucks during one call, and I could clearly hear the music.  It didn't interfere with understanding his voice, though.  There did seem to be a difference in sound when I was calling his mobile phone and when I called his office.  I'm not sure how to describe it, but it did seem his voice sounded more “front and center” when calling app-to-app. A big feature of the Vonage Mobile is the free app-to-app international long-distance calling, so I had to try that out for the review to be complete.  Ian Lim, another Gadgeteer writer who lives in Australia, very kindly agreed to download the Vonage Mobile app to his Android phone and participated in several calls with me.  (Thanks for your help, Ian!)  We tried calling with me on WiFi and him on 3G, both of us on WiFi, and both of us on 3G.  I had a bit more difficulty calling Ian than calling Butch.  Our first attempt (me on WiFi, him on 3G) was static-y and quickly dropped.  We tried calling again, and we were able to establish a call.  Just like with some of the local calls to my husband, there was a few seconds while the connection was made where we heard some echos and experienced some lag in the calls.  It seemed that once the connection settled in, the calls were clear and there wasn't so much echo and talking over each other as we experienced at the beginning of the call.  Every call wasn't perfect, but they were more than acceptable – especially considering I was calling the other side of the world for free! Because Vonage Mobile compares itself to Skype, Ian and I also tried out Skype in the same configurations we used for the Vonage Mobile calls.  There didn't seem to be the “hand-shake” period with the Skype calls, but the established calls weren't that much different from the established Vonage Mobile calls in sound quality.  I found both the Vonage Mobile and the Skype calls were very acceptible, sound-wise. I thought the Vonage Mobile app was superior in some ways to Skype.  I already had Ian in my contacts, so I didn't have to do anything (but correct his phone number that I had entered incorrectly in my address book) to put him in my Vonage Mobile calling list.  He, just like the other people I know who have installed the Vonage app, simply showed up in my contacts list as someone I can call or text for free.  With Skype, I had to hunt Ian down in the list of Skype users and request he add me as a contact before I could call him.  I also couldn't purchase credits within the Skype app – or it was hidden from me, if I could purchase in-app. I like the Vonage Mobile app.  I did have a few problems, but I think perhaps they were sometimes caused by WiFi quality.  I also think some of them will disappear as a few kinks are worked out of the system.  I can use Vonage to call the people who aren't on my call-anytime-for-free-and-without-using-calling-plan-minutes Verizon Friends list.  If I use it at home on my WiFi, there won't be any possiblity of data plan overages, and the small charges I might incur in the Vonage Mobile app are much smaller than minutes overages at Verizon.  I don't do a lot of international calling, but I can see that Vonage Mobile will be a boon to those who do.  You should give it a try.  The app is free, you can always call other app users for free, and you have a free introductory period where you can call within the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico for free.  You have nothing to lose and cheaper (or free) calls and texts to gain.

Sprint working on an official Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for Samsung Epic 4G Touch

Since the Samsung Galaxy S II is going to be updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich starting next month, its various versions introduced around the world should be updated, too, at some point. In the US, it looks like Sprint is already testing Android 4.0 for its Samsung Epic 4G Touch SPH-D710. A user over at the XDA Forum has discovered an RDF page on Sprint's website, which suggests an Android 4.0.3 build is currently being tested on the Epic 4G Touch. Unfortunately, there's no way of telling when Sprint and Samsung plan to officially release the update. Sprint is currently selling the Samsung Epic 4G Touch for $199.99 on contract, in either black or white. Later this year, the carrier is going to launch the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which will run Android 4.0 from day one.

UK: Nokia Asha 201 now available on O2, Orange and T-Mobile

Launched in the UK by Vodafone last week, the Nokia Asha 201 is now available from Phones4U, too, which allows customers to buy it with SIMs from O2, Orange or T-Mobile. The British retailer is asking £59.95 for the new handset - price available only with a £10 top-up. It's worth noting that Vodafone is selling the phone for just £45, but if you want it on another network, Phones4U's offer is the best you've got for now. The Asha 201 is one of Nokia's latest S40 phones. It features a full QWERTY keyboard, 2.4 inch QVGA landscape display, GSM / EDGE connectivity, 3.5mm headset jack, Bluetooth 2.1, 2MP rear camera, and MicroSD card support. Nokia is expected to officially announce three new S40 handsets at MWC 2012 later this month: the Asha 202, Asha 203, and Asha 302.

HTC Speak: a Siri competitor?

The HTC Endeavor's RUU (ROM Upgrade Utility) leaked recently, which gave us more details about the smartphone. Unsatisfied with just finding out its specs, people have continued digging around and in the process uncovered some interesting information about the phone. Apparently, HTC might have some sort of Siri competitor up its sleeves. An app called HTC Speak has been discovered as part of Sense 4.0, and it features “microphone” and “listening” images. Judging by what we know about existing voice control apps, it does look like HTC Speak might be turn out to be HTC's own offering. However, since there's no way to test this HTC Speak app yet, we'll keep it as speculation at the moment. HTC will be unveiling some new devices at MWC 2012 in a couple of weeks, as well as show off HTC Speak if they do

UK: HTC Evo 3D can now be yours for just �229

The HTC Evo 3D went from being one of the most expensive Android phones ever launched to becoming a very affordable offering in just a few months, at least in the UK. We don't know whether these successive price drops that keep going on and on have anything to do with how well it is (or rather, isn't) selling, but we can only welcome slashed prices. Last we saw it being sold unlocked and SIM-free in the UK, the Evo 3D was going for a very reasonable £249.99. Yet if even that was too much for you to pay for this smartphone, good news! It's seen a further price reduction, and can now be had for as little as £229. Again, SIM-free, and unlocked. That's quite a deal. ASDA is the place where you can take advantage of it. And remember, when it was launched, the Evo 3D was priced at £534. You do the math.

HTC PlayStation certified devices coming in 2012

HTC will be the first third party manufacturer to launch PlayStation Certified devices, Pocket-Lint reports. Sony opened the certification initiative over a year ago when it announced PlayStation Vita. But until now, none of the the other smartphone makers were interested. PlayStation Certified smartphones and tablets have the ability to download and run PSOne and other Sony developed content, even when they lack physical keys of a traditional gaming console. They do it via PlayStation Suite - a gaming framework that can be installed on Android devices, and emulates hardware gaming controls on a touchscreen. The only requirements for Android smartphone or tablet to be PlayStation Certified is to run Android 2.3 Gingerbread or higher, and to have the adequate hardware. Minimum of which probably is 1GHz single-core CPU, 512 MB of RAM and Adreno 205 level GPU found on Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. It might give you hope that most of current mid to high end HTC phones, including all the Desires and Sensations could become PlayStation Certified sometime. Unfortunately, I can not see a single business reason for HTC to do so. Expect PS compatibility in smartphones announced at Mobile World Congress, at best.

The limited edition Droid RAZR you can never have

Verizon employees are being given the opportunity to own a smartphone that most will never get their hands on, a limited edition Motorola Droid RAZR. The phone not only comes in an exclusive red and black deco and a free dock, but it is being offered for only $99. Verizon is also providing employees with the chance to purchase a limited edition 32GB Droid RAZR MAXX  for $199. Both special handsets come engraved with “Limited Edition” and a number designation. We’re sure a few will become available via sites such as eBay and Craigslist, but the savings most certainly won’t be passed along to the common man. Anyone out there going to try to track one of these down?

Motorola Defy Mini To Hit UK In Late March

Motorola has made a new announcement today that their latest Android smartphone ‘Defy Mini' will hit UK in late March. The handset will retail for about 175 GBP (about $275) unlocked. To refresh your memory, the Defy Mini packs a 3.2-inch 480 x 320 scratch proof Corning Gorilla Glass touchscreen display, a 600MHz processor, a 512MB RAM, a microSD card slot (up to 32GB), a VGA front-facing camera, a 3.0MP rear-facing camera, HSPA, WiFi, Bluetooth, a micro USB port, a 3.5mm headset jack, a 1650mAh battery and runs on Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread OS. [Press Release]

Nokia Lumia 800 sports two new colors in a commercial

It looks like more colors are on the way for Nokia Lumia 800, following closely the white version, which we got to spend time with. The Windows Phone device showed up in red and green in a commercial for the Nokia BH-220 Bluetooth headset. The colors are yet to be confirmed by Nokia, as the video cannot be found in the company's official YouTube channel. Check it out below. In case the music in the video sounds familiar, you are right. It is the Nokia Tune Dubstep Edition, which we told you about back in October. Source | Via

Docomo announces Cloud-based Translator Phone

DOCOMO's ability to deliver highly valued-added smart-pipe services via the cloud is about to take on a whole new meaning when it launches an on-demand translator-phone service! Using this unique mobile cloud service, a customer will simply speak into their phone and the other receiver will hear the message interpreted promptly into the language of their choice. Trials have shown that the average processing time takes just about two seconds, fast enough for a reasonably natural conversation under the most unnatural of conditions, i.e., two people conversing easily without understanding each other's language! DOCOMO and some 400 monitors are testing the service in Japan now through March 2012. Tourist facilities, retail companies and hospitals also are participating. The trial system, which interprets Japanese and English, has about 90 percent accuracy in understanding what users say in Japanese. Accuracy for English is about 80 percent at present. If all goes well, a commercial service will be offered to customers after fiscal 2012. Chinese and Korean services are already available to customers, and other languages will be introduced sequentially. Potential applications are envisioned in fields such as tourism, retail, health care and education.

Minecraft Pocket Edition update brings survival mode and more

Minecraft players know that the pocket edition is by no means as fun as the full (PC) game. But if you have been waiting for this game to become a bit more like the desktop version, the update will be to your liking. Version 0.2.0 includes survival mode, adding a little bit of violence and adventure to your building fun. In Survival mode, you will be able to go out and look for materials raise your buildings. Hunting for food and running away from flesh-eating zombies is also part of the new additions. Not to mention the fact that you can now fly in Creativity Mode. Those dying to try out the new features can simply update or purchase the app via the Android Market. The game still goes for $6.99, but you can also check out the free demo if you are willing to give up a substantial portion of the materials, as well as single-player world-saving and multi-player environments.

Oppo Find 3 Android-powered Smartphone

The new Oppo Find 3 Android smartphone is now available for pre-order. Priced at around $500, the smartphone is powered by a dual-core Qualcomm MSM8260 processor, a 1GB of RAM, a 4-inch WVGA IPS touchscreen display with an 800 x 480 pixel resolution, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash, a 2-megapixel front-facing digital camera, up to 16GB of storage space and the Google Android Gingerbread operating system with a customized UI. The Oppo Find 3 will be released on February 18th, 2012. [Geeky-gadgets]

HTC Endeavor RUU leaked, breakthrough for custom ICS ROMs?

For years custom ROMs such as CyanogenMod have been saviors for us users. They have helped us receive the latest version of our beloved OS long before the manufacturers push it out (and in many cases, even when they didn’t). Yet the move from Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich has proved to be extremely frustrating – primarily because of the degree of changes made to the source code. As an HTC user, I’ve been keeping a keen eye on the progress of the ROMs available on XDA for quite some time. Unfortunately, nobody has been able to get together even a beta-worthy version, with the main problem proving to be the camera. The reason is that the development teams have no access to the required drivers, which usually is a problem solved using a ROM available for another device. With no HTC phone on ICS yet, all their efforts have so far proved futile. But yesterday, an RUU for the HTC Endeavor was leaked to XDA-Developers, which could help solve the problem the devs have been facing. It’ll take a lot of work, though. Especially considering the HTC Endeavor's shift to a quadcore Nvidia Tegra 3 processor and 720p resolution, posing as a set of obstacles. Anyone out there on a decently functional custom ROM for HTC? Do point us in the right direction, please, I’m so tired of waiting!

LG Fantasy E740/Miracle photo leaked

No idea on whether this is intentional or not, but we do know that the unannounced LG Fantasy E740 has already appeared on a Romanian online trading site. Needless to say, these photos were removed shortly after they debuted on the Internet, but as the Internet has a memory these days, doing so did not result in any good as those images started to spread far and wide. The LG Fantasy E740 clearly resembles a prototype, thanks to the rather noticeable “Not for sale” label that is located on it, and even though it is a prototype, it still works just as fine. A couple of apps on the Fantasy E740 were also spotted – ScanSearch and SmartShare, where they were exclusive to the Optimus 7. The LG Fantasy E740 might seem familiar to you, and that is because it is the same LG Miracle which was spotted some time back. LG Fantasy E740 seems to resemble more of a retail name, although I am quite sure that calling it Miracle would have it sell just as well. Just to refresh your memory, some of the specifications which appeared on the trading site were a 4″ WVGA NOVA display, a 1GHz Scorpion processor, a 5-megapixel main camera and a VGA front-facing camera, and NFC support. A Q1 2012 announcement for the LG Fantasy E740/Miracle is expected, so stay tuned!

Achernar Dual SIM Android Smartphone

Chinavasion offers you their newest dual SIM Android smartphone, the Achernar. This affordable handset packs a 3.5-inch 480 x 320 resistive touchscreen display, a 480MHz processor, a 271MB RAM, a 256MB of internal memory, a microSD card slot (up to 16GB), dual GSM SIM card slots, a 0.3MP front-facing camera, a 1.9MP rear-facing camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, a 3.5mm headset jack, a 1,000mAh battery and runs on Android 2.3 OS. The Achernar can be yours for just $94.92 fully unlocked. [Product Page]

HTC Endeavor specifications confirmed

The HTC Endeavor which is said to be announced at Mobile World Congress 2012, and here is the first leaked RUU (ROM Update Utility) for the handset. The folks over at XDA-Developers have managed to extract the build.prop file from the RUU, where the name ‘Endeavor' has been confirmed, and here are some of the details that we already know. The build.prop file shows off DropBox integration, HTC Sense 4.0, Skydrive, 900x1800x1900x850 MHz bands that make it compatible with European and AT&T 3G networks, a Tegra chip, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, NFC support, a 4.7″ 720p display, an 8-megapixel camera at the back and a 1.3-megapixel camera in front for video calls. We thought that the HTC Endeavor will be introduced worldwide, but the build.prop on this test RUU points toward an HTC Europe device – hopefully there will be variants released Stateside. Perhaps the US market will get it with a renamed version. Not only that, the HTC Endeavor system image has also been released, lock, stock and barrel.