ZTE Tania with Windows Phone will be available in the UK in mid-February for �249.99

ZTE announced the Tania back in September of 2011 as its first foray into the Windows Phone space. Since then, we've seen it become available in France, and now it's finally on its way to the UK. Well known online retailer Clove has announced today that it's taking orders for the ZTE Tania. The first stock is due in the week commencing on February 13. The price being asked is £249.99, VAT included. That certainly makes this one of the more affordable Windows Phones to date. The ZTE Tania has a 1 GHz single-core processor, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of built-in storage space, a 4.3-inch 480×800 touchscreen, Wi-Fi b/g/n, HSPA, Bluetooth, a 3.2 MP autofocus camera with LED flash, a 3.5 mm headset jack, and a 1,400 mAh battery. It runs Windows Phone 7.5 Mango.

White Galaxy Nexus coming up next month, 32GB version in tow

Samsung blessed most of its smartphone portfolio with shiny white dresses for the holiday season, but it seemed to have forgotten about its most important product. Well, rest assured - the Galaxy Nexus is getting the same treatment soon. According to some UK retailers the white Galaxy Nexus units should start arriving sometime next month. Dates vary, but are generally in the first two weeks of the month. Pricing for the white version is identical to that of its black sibling. Pre-orders for the 32GB version of the Galaxy Nexus also started, but there is no exact launch date for that one yet. Its £599.99 price tag sure sounds scary, but given that there's no microSD card slot on that one, this is your only option of getting a bit of extra space for all those apps and multimedia files. So, are you getting a white Samsung Galaxy Nexus? Or did you just start saving for the extra storage version? Share with us in the comments section below. Note: the image above is a just quick mockup of ours and does not depict the actual product. Source | Via

Motorola announces stylish MOTOLUXE and rugged DEFY MINI

Motorola made its first two announcements for 2012, unveiling the stylish MOTOLUXE and the rugged DEFY MINI smartphones. The two mid-range handsets run Android Gingerbread aim to deliver solid smartphone experience without breaking the bank. Actually, we've already met the Motorola MOTOLUXE, which has been available in China for some time now, under the name XT615. Coming with a 4" LCD of FWVGA resolution (854 x 480 pixels) and an 800 MHz Scorpion CPU, this one will hardly top any benchmark leaderboards, but its Snapdragon chipset should allow it to run all productive applications easily. Motorola XT615 MOTOLUXE is expected to come to Europe and Latin America starting in February, but there's no information about its pricing just yet. The other new Motorola smartphone is called Motorola DEFY MINI and, as the name suggest is a more compact version of the popular Motorola DEFY. It comes with a 3.2" HVGA display, sitting under a sheet of Gorilla Glass and offers water and dust resistance. Motorola DEFY MINI is expected to be available in China under the name Motorola XT320 and in select countries in Europe and Latin America starting in February. Once again there's no information about pricing. Source

Samsung Epic 4G Touch in White Coming January 8 to Sprint

Am I having déjà vu? Another Samsung device has been announced to receive a treatment in white this morning. Following news of an all-white Galaxy nexus headed to the UK, Samsung has announced that a similarly pale version of the Samsung Epic 4G Touch will land at Sprint on January 8th. The only difference between the new release and the original is its color scheme. You get the same Galaxy S II handset as before priced at $199 on a new two-year contract. Accessorize Your Winter Style With a snowy winter sky in the forecast, Sprint and Samsung are getting ready to offer two new devices to keep tech-savvy enthusiasts warm: Samsung Galaxy S™ II, Epic™ 4G Touch in Frost White and M370 by Samsung in Pewter Gray. Both devices will make their debut in all Sprint retail channels, including Web Sales (www.sprint.com) and Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) on Sunday, Jan. 8. Samsung Epic 4G Touch in Frost White will be available for $199.99 with a new two-year service agreement or eligible upgrade. Decked out from head-to-toe, Samsung Epic 4G Touch will complement your style while providing all the must-have wireless features including: · Dual-mode 3G/4G device - dependable 3G nationwide coverage and turbo-charged Sprint 4G speeds where available · Dual Camera: 8MP rear-facing camera/camcorder with auto-focus and flash that records HD video 1080p HD high profile and 2MP front-facing camera ideal for self-portraits or video chat · Samsung Exynos™ 1.2 GHz dual-core processor · Super AMOLED Plus 4.52-inch touchscreen (800×480 WVGA) · Android™ 2.3 · 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot capable, supporting up to eight Wi-Fi® enabled devices on the Sprint 3G or 4G networks · Visual Voicemail

Nokia Lumia 900 Ace and Lumia 710 to be launched in Canada

Already announced as Nokia's first Windows Phone handset for the US market, the Lumia 710 is reportedly also going to be the company's first WP product to reach Canada. According to Mobile Syrup, after the Lumia 710, Nokia will release the still unannounced Lumia 900 Ace in Canada as well - so the company is following a strategy similar to the one for the US (where AT&T should introduce the Ace pretty soon).

T-Mobile's Nokia Lumia 710 can be pre-ordered for $0 at Wirefly

T-Mobile USA will launch the Nokia Lumia 710 next week, on January 11, for $49 on contract. That's definitely not a bad price, considering the fact that the Lumia 710 comes with Microsoft's latest Windows phone Mango OS, plus decent specs (including a 1.4GHz processor). But if you want to get the handset for even less, Wirefly is the place to get it from. The retailer lets customers pre-order the Lumia 710 for $0 on contract, or $359 without contract. You can go here to order the black 710, or here for the white version. The Lumia 710 is Nokia's first Windows Phone device to be released via a US mobile carrier. The second one will most likely be the Nokia Ace 900, which should be introduced by AT&T pretty soon.

SwiftKey X Gets a Small Bug Fixing Update

In other aftermarket keyboard news today, SwiftKey X has received an update that addresses several issues. DROID Bionic users will enjoy the fact that they've made improvements to voice input for that device. We also have fixes for force close issues, a better way of the app handling low memory situations and more. Make no delay in heading to the Android market for your update. [via Android Central]

Nokia Lumia 710 pre-orders start in the UK for �318, expected release in late February

The Nokia Lumia 710 can now be pre-ordered in the UK, in SIM-free and unlocked form. This comes on the same day that pre-orders have started for the same device in the US (although there it's on contract with T-Mobile). The price you'll have to pay in order to become one of the first individuals in the UK to get your mitts on the Lumia 710 is £318, VAT included. As for when the device will arrive in your arms, although this isn't officially confirmed yet, expect that to happen sometime in late February. If you're interested in Nokia's first midrange Windows Phone, just head over to Clove and pre-order one. We'll keep you posted on the actual release date.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus will arrive at Telus on January 13. Wind, SaskTel and Videotron will also have it

Today, four other Canadian mobile carriers have confirmed that they would release the Samsung Galaxy Nexus - this means customers will be able to find the smartphone pretty much anywhere. The most important carrier that confirmed the Galaxy Nexus is Telus, which will have it starting January 13. There are no pricing details for now, but you can go here at Telus for more info. Wind Mobile, SaskTel and Videotron have also said they'd offer the Ice Cream Sandwich handset soon, without providing exact launch dates.

New Samsung M370 basic phone introduced by Sprint

The white Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch isn't the only new handset that Sprint will launch on January 8. The third largest US carrier will also start selling the Samsung M370, a basic clamshell that comes as a successor to the M360 (released way back in November 2010). The Samsung M370 has a 2.4 inch QVGA internal display, a smaller external screen, 3G, GPS, Bluetooth, 3.5mm headset jack, speakerphone, speaker-independent voice dialing, 1.3MP camera, and a 1000 mAh battery (for up to 5.4 hours of talk time). Unsurprisingly, the Samsung M370 will be cheap on contract: only $19.99 (the same price that's currently asked for the M360).

Sprint Galaxy Nexus With LTE and 1.5GHz CPU Pops Up in CNET Ad; Is This Their CES Announcement?

Someone at CNET will be in a wee bit of trouble soon, it seems. An ad popped up on their site showing off the Galaxy Nexus, “the first 4G LTE phone from Sprint.” And there goes the beans. Not only do we know they’re bound to get it, we know that it’ll be the first phone available for an LTE network that will be up in four initial cities sometime in the middle of this year. It will also have a 1.5GHz dual-core chip – I wonder what that’s all about. Sprint has a big showing at CES this year and they were so close to keeping the lid on whatever announcement they were going to make. They still are, really. But there’s a high possibility that this could be the reason Sprint’s setting up in a big way in Las Vegas next Monday. The fact that CNET has advertising campaign materials ready does lead us to believe that any announcement will be made sooner rather than later but that’s all just speculation. As for you AT&T and T-Mobile users, we’re sure something will come along in due time. Hang in there, k? [via Engadget]

LG Spectrum to be an LG Optimus LTE for Verizon; Said to Come January 19th

The LG Optimus LTE looks to be on its way to Big Red as Droid-Life today leaked tons of its details and specs as well as a press shot of the device. According to the material we’re getting a 4.5 inch 720p device that has a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, an 8 megapixel camera with 1080p video recording, a 1.3 megapixel front camera, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage +  a 16GB microSD card preinstalled, Android 2.3, Bluetooth 3.0 and more. As for a date the leak mentions we’ll be seeing it January 19th but you know we do things around here when it comes to Verizon and rumored dates – grain of salt, meet the hand that’s taking you.

Sprint To Launch Samsung M370 Clamshell Phone

A new clamshell phone from Samsung is about to be launched by Sprint. Called the Samsung M370, this fashionable yet affordable handset packs a 2.4-inch QVGA internal display, a small external screen, a 1.3MP camera, a speakerphone, speaker-independent voice dialing function, GPS, 3G, Bluetooth, a 3.5mm headset jack and a 1000mAh battery. The M370 will become available from January 8th for just $19.99 on contract. [Sprint]

ZiiLabs Shows Off New “100-Core” Processor Optimized Specifically For Android 4.0 Devices

Just when you added quadQuad-cores are soooooo 2011. Okay — well, maybe they're still the future. ZiiLabs made a splash today when they announced their “100-core” ZMS-40 processor optimized specifically for Android Ice Cream Sandwich. You can pick your jaw up off the floor, little Timmy because despite ZiiLabs claims, is ZMS-40 is still very much a quad-core processor but with a little more oomph. The company backs up their claims of “100-cores” by combining 96 StemCell Media Processing cores that operate right alongside the main 1.5GHz ARM Cortex-A9 quad-core processor. What does all this mean? Well, I honestly have no clue but besides sounding rather impressive, ZiiLabs is promising double the performance at only half the power consumption of their previous ZMS-20 processor and that's something I can jive with. The ZMS-40 is designed specifically to take advantage of devices running on Android 4.0 and we should see a few of tablets powered by one of these bad boys at next weeks CES. If you're into impressive sounding specs, check out the full press release below. ZiiLABS Unveils 100-Core ZMS-40 Processor: Double the Performance, Half the Power Consumption Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A9 and 96 StemCell Media Processing Cores Enhance Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) Performance and Battery Life Singapore - ZiiLABS, a pioneering media processor and platforms company (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Creative Technology Ltd), today unveiled its ground-breaking 100-core ZMS-40 StemCell Media processor optimized for Android. The ZMS-40 combines 96 of ZiiLABS' StemCell media processing cores with four 1.5GHz ARM Cortex-A9 CPUs to deliver stunning multi-tasking application and media processing performance. By doubling the number of StemCell Media processors compared to the previous ZMS-20, the ZMS-40 delivers twice the peak media performance, while running the larger array at lower clock speeds to achieve the same performance leads to greater energy efficiency and a reduction in power consumption of up to 50 percent. With 2X the performance and 2X the power efficiency, the ZMS-40 delivers ground-breaking media capabilities to handheld devices such as tablets, including ultra-high-resolution H.264 HP decoding of up to 3840×1080 for true 1080p 3D stereo, a rich and interactive desktop browsing experience, 2560×1600 (WQXGA) display resolution support, higher-quality video encoding and immersive OpenGL ES graphics and future support for High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC). The up-and-coming HEVC standard (also known as H.265), besides other qualitative benefits, can also increase data compression ratio by up to 2X as compared to H.264. These technology wizardries are achieved by requiring many more times the computational complexity. HEVC claims to target the next generation Hi-Def TV market which can support scalable resolutions from 320×240 to 1080p with improved picture quality in terms of noise level, color and dynamic range, and all the way up to an incredible resolution of 7680×4320. Being fully programmable and with their massive parallelism, the 96 cores of StemCell Media processors can easily handle the onerous computational requirements of this new CODEC and support higher resolutions that are beyond today's display systems. The latest ZiiLABS MandelMark data highlights how the increase in size of the StemCell array can result in a 2X increase in performance or a 50% reduction in power consumption. MandelMark is ZiiLABS' OpenGL ES 2.0 shader implementation of the Mandelbrot algorithm and is designed to test the computing performance of modern GPUs. Additional information on MandelMark can be found at: www.ziilabs.com/mandelmark The ZMS-40 supports ZiiLABS' enhanced Android 4.0 implementation that complements the standard Android offering with a rich suite of software to exploit the massive computing power of the ZMS processor and includes support for: ZiiPhoto for intelligent photo browsing, 3D slide show and special photo effects, ZiiCamera for real-time preview and capturing of photos with 3D effects; live ultra high resolution 40 megapixel Panoramic photo capture in one sweep; and high dynamic range images, ZiiVideo for advanced video playback including 1080p WebM (VP8) support and trick modes (such as reverse play, frame-by-frame advance and reverse, multi-speed play and more), and skip to any part of a movie by browsing a timeline with thumbnails, Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi's Crystalizer and CMSS-3D audio effects. ZiiLABS' enhanced Android supports not just cloning of the device display onto a TV but also APIs to enable dual independent displays, where the TV is showing a different screen from the device. For example, a user could be browsing the web for information while watching an HD video on the TV all at the same time. This usage model has a tremendous range of applications, and is only made possible due to the power of the ZMS-40. “The ZMS-40 continues our strategy to deliver ground breaking processors, hardware platforms and software solutions that enable our partners to differentiate and win market share in the Android tablet space,” said Hock Leow, President of ZiiLABS. “Our customers demand innovation and ready-for-market solutions and with ZMS-40, JAGUAR and the latest Android software we continue to deliver phenomenal performance, features and value.” “We are already working through the draft specifications of High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) and expect the flexibility and performance of the ZMS-40 to meet the challenging computation complexity of this emerging CODEC in order to deliver higher-quality and lower bandwidth.” said Tim Lewis, Director of Marketing at ZiiLABS. “The tablet market for China is going to explode, especially with China's recent emphasis on digital textbooks, digital school bags and digital classrooms for all of its students. We have gained tremendous momentum by working with various partners in this vertical segment of the market alone during the past year,” said Sim Wong Hoo, Chairman and CEO of Creative Technology Ltd. “The ZMS-40 further allows us to design and develop a breath-taking 4th generation Android tablet aimed squarely at the Chinese market. Leveraging on the vast Chinese computing technologies and educational content expertise we have mustered over the decades, we have developed a beautiful, ultra-slim, ultralight Chinese tablet with Chinese characteristics and unprecedented performance based on the ZMS-40 and Android 4.0 with our very own Chinese platform.” “We are now forging ahead to form a Chinese Tablet Alliance with several major Chinese partners both in the horizontal and vertical market segments to further develop, build and market this timely tablet, ” added Sim. “Details of this Chinese tablet and the alliance will be unveiled soon.” Android 4.0 (ICS) tablets and associated design-kits based on the ZMS-40 will be showcased at the ZiiLABS suite (Venetian) in Las Vegas between 10 - 13 Jan at the CES 2012 tradeshow. ZMS-40 Differentiating Features Quad 1.5 GHz ARM Cortex-A9 MP Cores 96x fully-programmable StemCell Media Processing cores 58 GFlops StemCell compute power Wide range of accelerated video codecs including HEVC, H.264, VC1 and WebM (VP8) True 1920x1080p 3D stereo playback (3840×1080) Double the CPU performance for enhanced multi-tasking Double the Graphics and Media performance i Half the power consumption for longer battery life ii Support for ZiiLABS enhanced Android 4.0 implementation 2560×1600 (WQXGA) resolution support for next-generation LCDs and Displays ZMS-40 Key Features High-Definition, low-latency video conferencing Optimised OpenGL ES 2.0 for robust 3D graphics acceleration Accelerated OpenCL 1.1 (desktop profile) integrated into Android NDK High Dynamic Range (HDR) Image Processing High-quality Text-to-Speech and Voice Recognition Integrated HDMI 1.4 with 3D stereo support 2GB addressable memory DDR2x3 at 533 MHz for low-cost LPDDR2 for maximum memory bandwidth and low-power 64-bit wide memory bus Quad independent video controllers supporting 24-bit displays and cameras 3V3 and 1V8 I/O's reduce peripheral power consumption Dual USB 2.0 HS OTG (Host/Peripheral) controllers with PHY for low system cost Three independent SDIO/MMC controllers Extended battery life with robust Dynamic Power Management and Instantaneous On Enhanced Security: 256-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) and TrustZone Availability and Specifications The ZiiLABS ZMS-40 is sampling to select customers based on the JAGUAR tablets running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). About ZiiLABS ZiiLABS is a leader in media-rich application processors, hardware platforms and advanced middleware. Its products enable OEMs, ODMs, System Integrators and Software Developers to deliver industry-leading devices across a broad range of consumer electronics and embedded markets. Originally founded in 1994 as 3DLABS, the company re-branded and joined with the Personal Digital Entertainment group of Creative Technology to form ZiiLABS in January 2009. ZiiLABS has invested US$1 billion and 10,000 man-years in media processing solutions and has offices in the UK, China, USA and Singapore. Learn more about ZiiLABS at: www.ziilabs.com

Motorola XT535 – another new rugged Defy?

It looks like Motorola has yet another new rugged Android Gingerbread smartphone, besides the Defy Mini XT320 that was officially announced yesterday. Meet the Motorola XT535, recently spotted in China, and looking almost like the above-mentioned Defy Mini. The XT535 is bigger, though (measuring 115.0x58.0x11.9 mm), and has a FWVGA (854 x 480) display, not an HVGA one. Also, the unannounced handset has a 5MP rear camera instead of a 3.2MP one, and a Qualcomm MSM7227A processor - possibly clocked at 800MHz (the Defy Mini only has a 600MHz CPU). Unfortunately, for now we don't know what Motorola's plans regarding the XT535 are. It could announce it as a new member of the Defy family, of course. We'll let you know when we hear more on this.

Sprint intros the Samsung M370 and a frost white Epic 4G Touch

Samsung and Sprint announced the upcoming availability of two new devices - the Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch in frost white and the cheap gray clamshell - M370. The Galaxy S II for Sprint is called Epic 4G Touch and it's been available for quite some time now. If you haven't got this one yet, you will be happy to know Sprint launches a beautiful frost white version. The specs remain the same, the difference is just in the color. The droid will become available through all Sprint channels this Sunday, January 8, for $200 with a two-year contract. The other new phone is the clamshell M370 - it has a 2.4" QVGA display, a 1.3MP snapper, a 1000mAh battery and a small external screen. The M370 will also be launched this Sunday on $20 price with a two-year contract.

White Galaxy Nexus Coming in February

Many devices have seen a white variant hit shelves a few months after the release of a typically black or grey version, but Google's Nexus brand has not been among them. Leave it to Samsung, a company that can't seem to go a single device without doing a bit of whitewashing, to break the trend. A white Galaxy Nexus is hitting several retailers in the UK next month, including Clove and MobileFun. It's an all-vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich this time around, but pricing remains the same as the original flavor. Clove has the 16GB version for £498.00 starting February 6th while MobileFun has it a few days earlier on the 2nd with the price set at £519.95 for the same configuration.

White Samsung Galaxy Nexus gets official, should be out next month

With all the white versions of Samsung's various Galaxy handsets seen lately, a white Galaxy Nexus was probably expected. And here it is, appearing over in the UK, where retailer MobileFun says it should be released on February 6. For now, only a 16GB edition of the white Galaxy Nexus exists, and it costs £519.95 in the UK (the black one is a bit cheaper: £509.95). Update: Clove is asking only £498 for the white Nexus. In the improbable case you don't know yet, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the world's first device to run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. It features a 4.65 inch Super AMOLED display with 1280 x 720 pixels, NFC, barometer, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 5MP rear camera with 1080p video recording, and 1.3MP front-facing camera.

Samsung Replenish Comes to Boost Mobile January 16th

The eco-friendly Samsung Replenish is making the jump from parent-carrier Sprint to prepaid subsidiary Boost Mobile. The phone, which is made with recycled plastics and shipped in earth-friendly packaging, will be the carrier’s first Android phone to be priced below $100 (though only by a penny). The Replenish features a 2.8-inch touchscreen, QWERTY keyboard, and 2MP camera. The Android 2.3 handset will be available January 16th for $99.99 and will have the benefit of Boost’s $55 Android MonthlyUnlimited plan with shrinking payments. The New Year means Time to "Replenish" Your Wireless Service and Get a New Android at an Affordable Price from Boost Mobile and Samsung Boost Mobile gives consumers the opportunity to save even more money with the launch of new Buyback Program IRVINE, Calif. - Boost Mobile, ranked Highest in Customer Service Performance and Purchase Experience among Non-Contract Wireless Providers by J.D. Power and Associates1, starts off the New Year with a new eco-friendly Android™ smartphone, Samsung Replenish™. An Android touch/QWERTY smartphone enabled with Mobile ID, Samsung Replenish will be available Jan. 16 and is Boost Mobile’s first Android priced less than $100. Samsung Replenish, Boost Mobile’s first eco-friendly2 Android smartphone, is partially built with recycled plastics3 and is the ideal choice for the environmentally conscious consumer who wants the latest technology with a no-contract offer on a dependable nationwide network. Boost Customers can get additional "green benefit" by simply trading in their old device as part of Boost Mobile’s new Buyback program or by simply making on-time payments with Boost Mobile’s $55 Android Monthly Unlimited plan with Shrinkage. For every six on-time payments, a Boost Mobile customer’s monthly cost will shrink by $5, eventually getting down to as low as $40 a month for unlimited nationwide talk, text, Web, email, and calls to 411. Payments do not need to be consecutive to qualify for these savings milestones. "Consumers are smarter about where and how their money is being spent, and Boost Mobile offers a considerable value," said Andre Smith, vice president-Boost Mobile. "We offer first-class affordable Android smartphones, like the Samsung Replenish, on a reliable network with a no-contract offer that has payments that shrink over time." The full-featured Samsung Replenish includes: • Android 2.3 with access to Android Market™ • 2.8-inch touchscreen and QWERTY keypad • 2MP camera with video • GPS-enabled • Stereo Bluetooth® technology • Easy Access to Gmail™ and Google Talk™ • Wireless Web Enabled Samsung Replenish will be available Jan. 16 for $99.99 (excluding taxes) at Boost Mobile’s exclusive retail stores, select independent wireless dealer locations across the country, and at www.boostmobile.com with free shipping. Samsung Replenish will be available in additional national retailers by the end of the February. Buyback Program Customers can save even more money with Boost Mobile’s new Buyback Program, which allows customers to trade in an old device in exchange for an account credit. Ineligible devices can still be sent back for proper recycling. For details and a full list of devices and their values, visit http://buyback.boostmobile.com. Mobile ID and Boost Zone Samsung Replenish also comes preloaded with Mobile ID, an exclusive service from Boost that allows customers to download and install "ID packs." The packs deliver a complete mobile experience, including applications, widgets, ringtones and wallpapers, in a few simple clicks. ID packs are designed to meet a customer’s individual lifestyle or interests, such as sports, entertainment, fitness and music. ID packs that can be loaded on the device include MTV Music Pack, E!, Socially Connected, Professional, Entertainment, Lo2Yo Latino, Lo2Yo Mujer and Lo2Yo Futbol. Additionally, Samsung Replenish features Boost Zone, a centralized place on the device where Boost Mobile customers can access their account, pay their bill, get assistance with their phone, and stay up-to-date on Boost Mobile’s products and services. Boost Zone will be coming soon to all Boost Mobile CDMA Android devices.

New Simple Cellphones for Kids or Seniors who don't Like Galaxy Nexus!

Do you think all people around the world love the high-end touchscreen smartphones? Think again! emporia has already thought about it. And they come to us in the US, Canada and Latin America with its two new simple mobile phone that kids and senior will benefit. The phones are emporiaCLICK and emporiaSOLIDplus. Why kids or seniors need a very simple mobile phone? my 4 years little brother loves my iPhone badly, he likes to play Ultraman on YouTube or plays Angry Bird game. And my 60 years old mother loves her Galaxy Y, she plays it every day. But it doesn't mean they really need it. emporiaSOLIDplus comes with different design, no flip but stronger and simpler. This durable phone is suitable for outdoor use. Made with military standard in mind, emporiaSOLIDplus is splash and drop resistant, and is able to oprate in extreme condition. Give it to your kid, and you don't need to worry they will break it! You can see both devices at CES 2012 trade show in Vegas next week. Regarding availability, there are no details yet from the manufacturer. In the meantime you can browse Amazon.com for related products, you will find it!

Samsung's New Ace Plus Looks Curiously Familiar

I'm sure I've seen this somewhere before... Picture this: You're in charge of Samsung's phone and tablet divisions. You're feeling stung by the recent law-room battles which have been keeping your products out of stores because they look exactly like Apple's iPhone and iPad. You desperately need a new product. What to do? Maybe you should copy the iPhone 3G. After all, Apple mightn't mind you ripping of a years-old phone, right? Surely the design must be in the public domain by now? Take a look at the Galaxy Ace Plus, a touch-screen Android phone with a 3.65-inch screen, a centrally-placed home button and a curved, glossy black rear panel. Look familiar? Even the OS version is in keeping with the last-gen design it mimics: The Ace Plus runs Gingerbread. That's two major versions back from the current 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Inside, there's a 1GHz processor, 512MB RAM, 3GB storage and Samsung's iOS-a-like TouchWiz interface. Fittingly, the handset will roll out most extensively in regions of the world far from the courtroom battles of the Netherlands and Australia. The Ace Plus will be heading to Russia, India, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and India. Samsung introduces the Galaxy Ace Plus [Samsung via Cult of Mac]

Samsung Intros Galaxy Ace Plus Android Smartphone

Ah, I always “fall in love” with the Android device. Samsung has a new Android-powered smartphone in the form of the GALAXY Ace Plus. Being the successor of Galaxy Ace, the Ace Plus is powered by a 1GHz processor, along with 512MB RAM, 3GB of on-board storage but equips microSD/SDHC for expansion (supports up to 32GB). Other features include a 3.65-inch 320x480 touchscreen, a 5 Megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash, FM tuner, accelerometer, digital compass and proximity sensor, Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS, Wi-Fi, and supports dual-band HSDPA/3G as well as quad-band GSM/EDGE networks. The Galaxy Ace Plus runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS with Samsung's TouchWiz UI and you'll also enjoy some pre-installed apps, such as Samsung's Social Hub and ThinkFree Office. There are no words about the Ace Plus future price, or exact release date. [ Samsung's Press Release ]

Samsung Offers Dead Space For Free On Galaxy S II Devices [Download]

I’ve had my eye on EA’s Dead Space for quite sometime now. Wishing… waiting… Well, the time to jump on the game is now. Samsung and EA are currently teaming up to offer the mobile version of the hit console title for free — but only inside Samsung Apps store for Galaxy S II devices. If you’re anything like me, you rushed into your app drawer only to realize that Samsung forgot to include this bloatware on your GS2 device. While “Samsung Apps” comes preloaded in Galaxy S II devices overseas, sadly users here in the states have been left out. But don’t fret, folks! I happened upon the extracted app where it can be easily sideloaded onto your GSII. Once installed, perform a quick search inside Samsung Apps to find Dead Space and download it for absolutely free. Have at it, boys and girls! Samsung Apps For Galaxy S II Devices Link Samsung Apps has featured quite a few paid apps for free in the past, so you might want to leave it on your device for the time being. We’ll keep you updated if we hear about any more great deals. Cheers!

Simple phones from emporia Telecom

[CES 2012] emporia Telecom of Austria, a leading mobile device manufacturer whose main focus is on simplified communication, has just announced their intention to expand to North and Latin America this year in order to grow from the current 30 countries that they have a foot in at the moment. This spring will see a bunch of easy-to-use phones arrive in the US, Canada and Latin America, including the emporiaCLICK and emporiaSOLIDplus. Most of emporia's handsets will come with a unique, one-touch Call for Care button that is symbolized by an encircled heart, where it will dial family, caregivers or emergency services in a jiffy when pressed. Not only that, each emporia phone will also come with large, easy-to-use buttons, an extra loud speakerphone, and a simple interface so that you need not deal with fancy, smooth-scrolling user interfaces as well as a customized interactive wallpaper. The older folks will understand, as all that they want is a phone that just works without the bells and whistles. The clamshell emporiaCLICK will boast of a piano lacquer finish and a stainless steel clasp, and it even comes with an integrated camera so that you can always shoot wherever you are, albeit do not expect stunning image quality. Nice to see there is no virtual button to grapple with, since there is a side key that functions as the shutter button. As for the emporiaSOLIDplus, this is a rugged and dependable phone which meets strict military specifications, making it dust, shock and vibration-resistant, and is able to last in heavy rain, under high levels of humidity, altitude and extreme temperatures. [Press Release]

Nokia Lumia 710 Review

Nokia and T-Mobile have just introduced the Lumia 710 on the T-Mobile network. This is an important launch for Nokia because part of the company's future depends on how it is able to "reset" its relationship with U.S carriers that are The key players in the world's largest wireless market. The Lumia 710 has been designed from the ground up to appeal to "first-time smartphone users", a segment of the population that Nokia intends to win over. Overall, users will very much get the same user experience than they would on the high-end Nokia Lumia 800, but they won't get the awesome Lumia 800 industrial design, the faster HSPA+ network, or the slightly larger battery capacity. Instead, T-Mobile users will get a noticeably lower price on the handset, which is always a classic trade-off. So, how does it feel to use the Nokia Lumia 710 on the T-Mobile network? Let's take a look. Technical highlights 3.7" display (800×480 pixels) Single-Core, 1.4GHz Qualcomm MSM8255, 512MB RAM 5 Megapixel camera 2.46×4.69×0.49", 4.4oz Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 HSDPA 14.4Mbps 1300 mAh battery Context We all use smartphones differently, so it's important that I tell you what I do with my smartphone: I typically check my email often with the built-in email app (via Microsoft Exchange), and I reply moderately because the virtual keyboard is slow, even on large displays. I browse the web several times a day to check on news sites, but I rarely watch movies or play music. I don't call much - maybe 10mn a day, if at all. On the "apps" side, I have a couple of social networks, a receipts manager, but I rarely play games or do something super-intensive. This usage pattern will affect battery life and the perception of what features are useful. Industrial Design The Nokia Lumia 710 is a smartphone that has a design that can be easily attributed to Nokia, at least, much more than the Lumia 800. The Lumia 710 design is plain and feels "uncomplicated", which is a great thing given that Nokia wants to position this phone as a mid-range or entry-level smartphone for users who mainly care about fundamental (basic) smartphone functionality. Yet, despite not being a high-end phone, the Lumia 710 has an edge-to-edge glass surface, which gives it that classy touch that high-end phones have. When you hold it in the hand, the glass is pretty much the only thing that is clearly visible. This is the right side of the phone The phone is best held with the left hand, as it is the side where there are no buttons that can be pressed accidentally. On the right side, you will find the volume controls and the camera shutter button, which also serves as an optional the camera app launcher. At the top, there is a discrete Power button, a micro-USB port and a 3.5mm audio connector. Finally, at the bottom, there are classic physical buttons for the Windows Phone "back", "home" and "search" functions. The plastic back cover is nicely painted with "soft touch" paint, which gives a leathery feel. It also reduces the odds of accidental slippage. It's very easy to take the cover off and the battery out. I also really like how Nokia made it easy to push the micro-SIM card out of its slot. I regularly have to use tools for that with other handsets. No problem here. Display: although relatively “low-resolution” by today's standards, the 800×480 pixels display offers a very good image quality. There are no visible pixel patterns, and the colors are very well reproduced. The contrast is good too, which is a great surprise for a mainstream smartphone. Nokia's procurement department has done a nice job on this one. Overall, Nokia has done a good job with its design language. The phone is well designed to serve its intended market segment: it does not look technologically intimidating to the first-time smartphone users that Nokia is after. Performance overview The Lumia 710 is not a "raw performance" monster. It actually scores modestly in Javascripts benchmarks and on Microsoft's own IE9 "Fish Tank" web graphics performance test. The numbers speak for themselves when you compare it to other phones that are known for their "muscles". However, the synthetic benchmarks don't tell the whole story: the Lumia 710 and its Windows Phone 7.5 operating system bring one of the smoothest user experience available in handsets. The user interface scrolling is always impeccable, and background tasks are managed in a way that doesn't slow things down with my particular usage pattern. For virtually every productivity tasks, the response-time is very good. That said, it is clear that the raw processing power may become a limiting factor in power-hungry applications such as 3D games and photo processing. In the end, when you do that type of things, there are no real replacement for more cores and higher processor frequencies. Imaging (very good, auto-focus needs work) Image shot with the Nokia Lumia 710 A photo in difficult conditions. It's too bad that the focus didn't perform better: it could use some sharpness In terms of photography, things are a bit mixed: on one hand, I found the Nokia Lumia 710 to have good colors and automatic settings, but getting the camera to focus properly is more work that it should be. It seems that the camera software does not seem to know where to focus, and I often have to tap on the screen to help it, even though I simply wanted it to focus on the subject in the middle of the screen. Once you're ready to shoot, the Lumia 710 does it fast and the shutter speed lag is low. Videos are better than photos, mainly because the auto-focus isn't as capricious, even if it "jumps" here and there – things mostly work rather well. I would say the video quality is good, but it's not as good as "excellent" imaging phones like the Galaxy S2, and the iPhone 4S -both of which are high-end phone. But for a mainstream camera, I feel like the photo/video quality ranks among the best in that particular segment of the market. Windows Phone 7.5 highlights Multitasking: Windows Phone 7.5 is multi-task capable. It is possible to switch from one app to the next. It is closer to iOS than it is to Android: purists will prefer Android's multi-tasking, which is closer to what a PC would have, but while iOS and WP7 are a bit more limited, but they may also limit the power that background apps can consume. Voice to text SMS: you can dictate SMS messages using your voice, and there's also some level of voice commands. For instance, while you're on a Bluetooth headset, you get notified of new messages by a synthesized voice, and can use your own voice to command the phone to read them for you, or to reply. I wish that the voice-to-text dictation was pervasive and always available whenever the keyboard is up, like it is on Android, and with Apple's Siri. However, that's not the case yet. Twitter and LinkedIn: those two social networks are now integrated into the OS itself, and it's great because you can share updates across several networks at the same, without having to download yet another app for that purpose. It also makes it possible to follow your friends' updates (on those networks) in the People HUB. Live tiles: the application tiles on the home page are now animated and can display information without requiring you to launch the app - think of those as widgets, although of very small size. That's a few more drops of productivity right there. Multiple Calendars: you can display calendars from Outlook, Facebook and other locations at once. Usually, this is really useful for people who have a personal+work calendar, and on top of that you can add the Facebook calendar as well. These are some of the most important new Windows Phone 7.5 features, but if you want more details, hop to the official "what's new" web page on the Windows Phone site. Software On the software side, the Nokia Lumia 710 is very close – if not similar – to the Nokia Lumia 800, and I have yet to bump into any significant difference between the two. In many ways, the association of Windows Phone 7.5 (aka Mango) and some Nokia-specific touches make this phone one of the best Windows Phone in terms of functionality, even if the hardware itself isn't as attractive as the beautiful Lumia 800. Email (excellent): the email support is top notch in my opinion. It's true that you don't have things like the Blackberry shortcuts, but the Exchange Server support is great, the setup is extremely easy: I basically just had to enter my email and password. On Android and iOS I have to enter 5 or 6 long strings of information with the server URL, etc... The font used in Windows Phone and the ultra-clean design makes emails very readable. Overall, I love the WP7 email experience. I'll take the WP7 email experience over iOS or Android any day. Only Blackberry remains the king of the hill on that one. Navigation (very good): Fortunately, for driving around, there is Nokia Drive a true personal navigation application that is great for many reasons: For one, the maps are stored locally on the phone itself, so the phone does not need to download the maps in real-time, which is great for speed and battery life. The map is also a bit better in terms of street names readability. The best part is that it's free - and you can download maps for almost every countries in the world. Web Browsing (good): The new Windows Phone browser is now using the Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) rendering engine, which is much better than the IE7 engine used previously, but still attempts to modify web pages to “make them better” (sometime). This time, I have not seen any site compatibility issues, and overall, things work fairly well, but this phone won't break any performance record in terms of JavaScript performance. No Flash support: Going forward, Flash will not be supported on any smartphone or tablet, but if that matters to you today, you must know that this phone does not run Flash in a browser. Basics Dialing and contacts: Dialing with the virtual keypad is very simple, and finding contacts is too. There are two ways of doing it: 1/ go in the People HUB and search for a specific person. 2/ add a contact directly on the start page as a Tile. With this second option, a call/SMS to a contact is only 2 taps away. Voice commands: Windows Phone supports a small number of voice commands like "call", "text", "Redial", etc... if it doesn't understands a comment, it will default to a search. Obviously, this seems a bit archaic when compared to Apple's Siri, but it can be handy when driving etc. Android also has this kind of capability. To activate it, press and hold the "Windows" button. HSDPA 14.4Mbps: Interestingly, the T-Mobile Lumia 710 is going to be a 3G phone (or 3.5G, depending on T-Mobile's definition) while the leading "4G" can use the faster HSPA+ protocol, which has a theoretical speed of 42Mbps. Battery Life The battery is relatively small, so this is something that I wanted to look into. I've been running all kinds of tests, and have not used the phone in a normal way (at all!) at the moment. Right now, I don't see an alarming battery depletion rate, which is a good sign, but I will need to stop all these apps, or capturing HD movies, before I can truly see what the battery life looks like for my particular usage pattern. Conclusion Given that you can get the Lumia 710 for free (at select retailers like Wirefly, for example) with a new contract, this phone does what exactly what Nokia designed it for: deliver a great basic smartphone user experience, in an affordable package. And don't forget that T-Mobile is usually very competitive on the data plan pricing, including their contract-free plans. But choosing a Lumia 710 is first and foremost choosing between Windows Phone and Android. The experience is different, and in my opinion, Windows Phone offers a great, and often superior user experience for the basics (interface, email, facebook, virtual keyboard, contacts, calendar). However, Android has more apps, and tends to evolve faster (not that it matters if your Android phone does not get the OS upgrade…) With that in mind, it is only fair that I mention the Lumia 710's greatest competitor: the HTC Radar 4G which runs Windows Phone 7.5 as well, is priced similarly and features a front-camera – but it has a slower processor and a lower-quality display. The experience is very similar on both phones, so it will come down to personal preferences – even if I give the Lumia 710 an edge for Nokia Drive, the better display and the faster processor. Keep in mind that for $99 more, you could get a dual-core Android phone which uses the faster HSPA+ network, but again we're back to Windows vs. Android territory. If you have more questions, please drop a comment and I will try to answer them while I still have the phone. Note that we are going to CES next week, so I may reply when I get back from Las Vegas.

Samsung Galaxy S II gets new ICS ROM, offers Kies to the kingdom of impatient fans

New year, new you ROMs. Yep, the Galaxy S II is getting even more attention, with a duo of Ice Cream Sandwich versions landing on that capacious 4.3-inch screen. They consist of an early Android 4.0.1 build made on December 20th and version 4.0.3 crafted just ten days later. The interesting part is that, according to YouMobile, both of these will arrive through Kies, Samsung's Android connectivity software. The mobile news site also suspects that these are close (but still buggy) approximations of what we'll see on our as-yet un-tinkered Galaxy S IIs in the very near future. These Kies-capable builds also have a few cosmetic differences to the build leaked earlier, like a distinct lack of Tron hues adorning the notification bar at the top. While we await a release through the official channels,

UK: SIM-free Nokia N9 now starts at £349.99

The Nokia N9 is now cheaper than ever in the UK. A SIM-free and unlocked unit can be had at Expansys for as little as £349.99. Which, granted, isn't that cheap, but do consider that Nokia has always marketed this as a high-end device. Also keep in mind that other retailers such as Amazon charge at least £100 more for it. The Nokia N9 is the first and last MeeGo smartphone (even though its UI is Nokia-specific, and not generic MeeGo code). It comes with an interesting swipe-based user experience paradigm, and is just gorgeous. And that probably concludes all the possible reasons for someone to buy it. You certainly won't purchase one for its specsheet, or for the number of apps available for it, or for the ‘geek cool' factor, or because all of your friends have one.

Samsung Wave Y S5380 Bada Smartphone Hits India

Samsung has just announced the availability of their new Bada smartphone ‘Wave Y S5380′ in India. The handset is currently being sold for Rs. 7,950 (about $150). In case you didn't know, the handset offers a 3.2-inch HVGA touchscreen display, a 832MHz processor, a 2GB memory card pre-installed, a 2MP rear camera, TouchWiz UI, Samsung ChatOn, GPS, WiFi, WiFi hotspot capability, Bluetooth 3.0, HSDPA, a 3.5mm headset jack and runs on Bada 2.0 OS. [FoneArena]

Rumor: HTC Introducing Tegra 3 Smartphones This February

While this course of evolution of chipsets inside Android handsets isn't all that surprising, we're still shocked that phones will be getting quad-core SoCs so soon. One manufacturer said to be at least announcing quad-core phones is HTC. DigiTimes says that they will be snapping up some Tegra 3 chips and will push their own MSM 8906 to be in smartphones that will be shown as early as February this year. That places us at Mobile World Congress, a historically busy event for HTC. We'll be front row and center for that showing if it does indeed go down there.

Samsung Wave Y with Bada 2.0 launched in India

The Wave Y S5380, one of Samsung's three smartphones that were introduced last year running Bada 2.0 OS, is now available in India. According to FoneArena, Indian customers can buy the Samsung Wave Y for 7,950 INR (about $150) - that's about the same price you have to pay for the Android-based Samsung Galaxy Y. If you get the new handset with a SIM card from Airtel (India's largest mobile carrier), you also get 500MB of data for 1 month, and 100MB of data for 1 year on 3G.

AT&T Nokia Ace (Lumia 900) will get $100 million marketing campaign

It's a new day, so we have some new information regarding the upcoming Nokia Ace (or Lumia 900). Yesterday we told you about its specs and gave you a rough mockup of the device, and today we have some intel surrounding the phone's launch. First of all, it will happen in ‘late March'. That bodes nicely with a past rumor claiming that the superphone will be in stores on March 18. Nothing as specific today, but it's pretty clear that the Ace will be released in March. Apparently, the Ace will be a ‘hero' device on AT&T, meaning that the carrier itself will be actively promoting the phone through ads and retail channels. Nokia Lumia 900 (Ace) mockup (left) alongside the Nokia Lumia 800 (right) Image via PocketNow But that's not all. To ensure that the Lumia 900 will be a success in the US, Nokia, Microsoft, and AT&T will pour a staggering total of $100 million into the phone's marketing campaign throughout the second quarter of this year (so April to June). We don't know exactly how that sum will be split between Nokia, Microsoft, and AT&T, yet we're willing to bet that Microsoft will be the main financial contributor to this campaign. After all, it's in desperate need of a ‘hero' device for the entire Windows Phone platform, especially in the US, and the Lumia 900 might just be it. So far, Windows Phone has a smartphone market share of just 5.4% in the US, so something clearly needs to be done. This campaign and the Nokia Ace's launch will undoubtedly also impact future similar endeavors for Windows Phones in the US. If the Nokia Ace is successful, then expect many more similar (and similarly-priced) marketing blitzes to follow. If not, then… well, we'll see. Microsoft certainly has the money to keep throwing at the Windows Phone ‘problem', so it's not clear that it would give up so soon. One way or another, Nokia's big splashy re-entrance in the US market is about to happen very soon. Brace yourselves.

Motorola DROID 4 demo unit surfaces

Despite being unannounced, the Motorola DROID 4 has been surfacing a lot recently, with the latest spotting being in a Best Buy promotional image. Today, the folks over at Techno Buffalo managed to get their hands on a DROID 4 demo unit. While it's not the same thing as having the real phone, it is good enough to give us a better idea about how the phone looks and feels. Judging by the photographs of the phone, it looks like the DROID keyboard has been given a major facelift and LTE connectivity. The DROID 4 will feature a 4″ (960x540) display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, microSD slot, an 8-megapixel rear camera (1080p video capable), a HD front facing camera, HDMI output, and a 1,785mAh battery. Still no word on an official release date - but is this the DROID you've been looking for?

Avior Dual SIM Android Smartphone

Here comes another dual SIM Android smartphone from Chinavasion, the Avior. Priced at just $101.21 fully unlocked, the handset offers a 3.2-inch 400 x 240 touchscreen display, a 406MHz processor, a 256MB RAM, a 512MB of internal memory, a microSD card slot (up to 32GB), dual GSM SIM card slots, dual cameras, an FM radio, WiFi, Bluetooth, a 3.5mm headset jack, a 1500mAh battery and runs on Android 2.2 Froyo OS. [Product Page]

Nokia Ace/Lumia 900 headed to AT&T

The Nokia Ace has been rumored about for quite some time now, and we now have some clear images of the phone thanks to the folks over at pocketnow.com. They've managed to get their hands on pictures of the alleged Nokia Ace Windows Phone device. Apparently the phone is also called the Lumia 900, which has also been rumored about recently, so that's one more phone to cross off the rumor list. From the photographs we can see what appears to be a front facing camera, the AT&T logo, as well as 4G connectivity in the status bar of the phone. The Nokia Ace/Lumia 900 is said to be one of the three LTE Windows Phone devices that will launch early this year, together with the HTC Radiant and Samsung Mandel. Anybody looking forward to a Windows Phone and LTE combo?

LG Connect 4G Will Be Metro's Next LTE Phone, Could be Headed for Sprint and Verizon

Our friends at PocketNow have uncovered another unannounced phone. It's said to be named the LG Connect 4G and is headed to regional carrier MetroPCS's LTE network. It's a shame that their network isn't everywhere because we're sure more than a few people wouldn't mind having a powerful 4G phone for a cheap monthly cost. PocketNow describes it as mid-range but we're not so sure that's the case. It'll supposedly be boasting 1GB of RAM, a dual-core processor, a 4 inch WVGA Nova display, 4GB of internal storage, a 5 megapixel rear camera, a front-facing camera and more. they speculate it could be headed for both Sprint and Verizon, though we're not sure where their estimation comes from.

MetroPCS To launch LG Connect 4G MS840 Android Smartphone

MetroPCS is reportedly preparing to launch another Android smartphone from LG namely the LG Connect 4G MS840. This LTE-capable handset is said to feature a 4.0-inch WVGA Nova display, a dual-core processor, a 1GB RAM, a 4GB of storage, a microSD card slot, a 5MP rear-facing camera and a VGA front-facing camera. Pricing and release date are still unknown at the moment. [PocketNow]

Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus unveiled

Samsung has posted up on its official site, the specs of a new phone called the Galaxy Ace Plus. Touted as a successor to the original Galaxy Ace, it features entry-level specs that will probably leave power-users wanting more. But for those of you who are just looking to dip their toes into the world Android, the Galaxy Ace Plus could be the phone you are looking for. The Galaxy Ace Plus has a 1GHz single core processor, a 3.65″ (320 x 480) touchscreen display, Android 2.3 Gingerbread (with TouchWiz), a rear 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, 3GB of internal storage, 512MB of RAM, a microSD slot (up to 32GB), and a 1,300mAh battery. No word on pricing or a release date at this point in time.

Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus with 1GHz CPU unveiled

Samsung has just announced the successor of its highly popular Galaxy Ace Android smartphone. The successor of the mid-range device is dubbed Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus and improves several key aspects of its hardware. The Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus comes with a faster, 1GHz, CPU, 3GB storage and more RAM than its predecessor - 512MB. The Ace Plus also sports a marginally larger HVGA LCD - it measures 3.65" in diagonal compared to the 3.5" of the original Galaxy Ace. The exterior of the smartphone also got redesigned and it's now made of glossy rather than matte plastic. The internal storage is expandable through the microSD card slot, while the Bluetooth version is 3.0. Unfortunately, there's no information about the Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus pricing and availability at this stage. Source

US HTC Flyer (WiFi, 3G) Getting Android 3.2 Update

It looks like the US versions of the HTC Flyer are finally getting the upgrade to Android 3.2. Previously on Gingerbread, HTC promised we'd eventually be seeing Honeycomb for the 7 inch tablet later down the line. Of course, they had to customize the OS to add support for their scribe technology and their custom user interface so don't be too mad that it took so long. We've seen two different reports (one in our inbox and one over at AndroidForums.com) of people receiving the upgrade and Engadget says that the 3G version is getting it. No word on the EVO View 4G at this time but we can't imagine it will be too far behind. Be sure to check for the update within your settings menu and let us know if you were able to pull it down! [Thanks Logan!]

HTC Flyer Android 3.2 Honeycomb update starts rolling out in the US for both Wi-Fi and 3G units

The update to Android 3.2 Honeycomb for the HTC Flyer is now rolling out across the USA. Previously, this update was made available to HTC Flyer owners in Europe last month. This comes after the Taiwanese company had promised that Honeycomb would arrive on its first tablet shortly after launch. That didn't happen, but here we are and at least if you own a Flyer you can now run a tablet-optimized version of the operating system. The update is apparently going out to both Wi-Fi-only as well as 3G-enabled versions of the tablet in the States. The update comes over-the-air so your tablet will notify you once it's reached it and it's ready for downloading and installing. So you won't need a computer to perform the update. If you can't wait, you can always try manually checking for the update by going into your tablet's settings. And don't forget to enjoy this update as much as you can, for it's uncertain that HTC will update the Flyer to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich as well. Or at least the manufacturer hasn't said anything about that yet.

LG Optimus 2 Uncovered on Official Site

The LG Optimus lineup found its way to nearly every corner of the globe last year, and it looks like its predecessor is already on tap. The LG Optimus 2 has surfaced on the manufacturer's website showing a 3.2MP camera, 3.2-inch display, and 800 MHz processor. The handset will run Android 2.3 out of the box and is listed with a CDMA/EVDO Rev. A configuration as well as other connectivity including Bluetooth 3.0 and WiFi. We expect we will be hearing a bit more about the new device at CES next week.

Samsung Launches Galaxy Ace Plus

Samsung has finally released the new Galaxy Ace Plus in Russia. As a successor to the original Galaxy Ace, the smartphone features a 3.65-inch touchscreen display with a 320 x 480 pixel resolution, a 1GHz single core processor, a 512MB of RAM, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, A-GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, a 1,300mAh battery and a 5-megapixel rear-facing digital camera with a LED flash. The handset offers a 3GB of internal storage space, which is upgradeable up to 32GB via a microSD card slot. The new Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus runs on the Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS with Samsung's TouchWiz. [SammyHub]

LG Optimus 2 shows up with CDMA support, already listed at CellCom

LG has launched many would-be successors to the hugely popular Optimus One over the past few months. So many, in fact, that we thought we'd never see an Optimus Two. And while the Optimus 2 isn't an Optimus Two, it's close enough. Don't expect much, though. This isn't that big of an update compared to its predecessor. It's also got CDMA support, so at least for now it's off limits for most of the world. However, that means it will probably be launched by a few CDMA carriers in the US (most well known of which are Verizon and Sprint). In fact, CellCom already lists the LG Optimus 2 for $0.95 with a new two-year contract. The LG Optimus 2 was first spotted at LG's website, sitting calmly and extolling its virtues – picture gallery included. As you can see, its design is nothing to write home about. And neither are the specs. Speaking of which, the LG Optimus 2 has an 800 MHz processor, a 3.2-inch 320×480 touchscreen, a 3.2 MP autofocus camera with video capture support, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi, GPS, a 1,500 mAh battery, 179 MB of built-in storage space, and microSD card support. It runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread.