Amidst the fanfare at the Samsung Mobile Unpacked 2012 in London and much prolonged speculation, the Samsung Galaxy S III has finally made its way to our labs. Both its Galaxy S predecessors made headlines when they were launched, gathering many accolades (such as the S II that won in our Tech Awards 2012) for their performance, extended battery life, above-average imaging quality and AMOLED displays; as such, the Galaxy S III comes in with its shoulders heavy with expectations.

To cut the chase: Will the Galaxy S III keep these in its stride and emerge champion once again, in a sea of emerging quad-core Android devices? When we first heard of what the device had to offer software-wise, we were frankly quite bowled over by its long list of features, including S Voice, Direct Call, Best Photo & Burst Shot, Social Tag and so forth. It is necessary to understand that a smartphone isn't governed only by its hardware specs; much of the user experience is enhanced by its ecosystem and software additions (we will go into more details below) - one valid example would be Apple's iPhone devices. Needless to say, high-end hardware specs also lay the framework for smooth inner operations.

So all this talk bring us back to the same question: Will the Galaxy S III once again rule the roost of the Android world? At a glance, its spec sheet reads like an Android fan's wet dream, one that's almost identical to its closest rival, the HTC One X, which we will be comparing against closely:

The near-retail set that we have at hand comes with 16GB of onboard storage (11.35GB user accessible to be exact) but is fortunately equipped with microSD card expandability that allows for a further 64GB of storage. Comparatively, the HTC One X comes with 32GB onboard storage with no microSD card option. As such, the Galaxy S III seems one step ahead of the HTC One X in the storage and expansion department.

The Galaxy S III also comes in 32GB and 64GB built-in storage configurations. However, there's no confirmation as to whether these variants will make an appearance locally. Samsung representatives have mentioned this information will be released closer to the launch date - which is thankfully, not too far away - so keep your eyes peeled for updates on HardwareZone.com.

If you need even more storage, the Galaxy S III will also come with a whopping 50GB of free Dropbox storage that will last for two years. This is twice of what HTC is offering in its One series.

Nature-Inspired Design

When we first handled the device in London, we were puzzled by Samsung's choice to move away from the Galaxy S series' signature design. Instead of the squarish form factor that was showcased on the Samsung Galaxy S I and Galaxy S II, the Galaxy S III takes on a more curvaceous shape quite like the Galaxy Nexus (or some might even say it resembles the iPhone 3GS). This certainly doesn't put a dent in its usability however - the rounded edges made it easier for users to handle and hold in their palms. At 8.6mm thin, the Galaxy S III compensates with a pencil-like waist and a lightweight body (133g) which makes its 4.8-inch screen a tad easier on the hands too.

With the Galaxy S III completely encased in plastic, it certainly lacks the finesse that the similarly plastic polycarbonate-protected HTC One X has achieved. Throw in a questionable glossy finish and the phone screams "tacky" - well at least, that should have been the case. We can attest to the fact that the Galaxy S III doesn't look as bad as it sounds on paper or looks on your web browser screen (it's a classic case of "you have to see it to believe it"). There's a good reason for the glossiness and Samsung reassures you with their patented-Hyperglaze coating on the phone which is supposed to make the design of the phone look seamless and organic. In terms of practicality, it helps mask some of our fingerprints and keep a tight grip on the phone. To top it off, its 4.8-inch screen is protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass 2.

The similarities with its Galaxy Nexus cousin doesn't just stop at its well-rounded body; in fact, physical buttons are also almost identical in position and appearance. Thankfully, its thin buttons provide tactile feedback, making it extremely easy for us to unlock the phone's screen or adjust the volume. What it does retain from its predecessor is a lone home button and its two accompanying Menu and Back capacitive touch buttons instead of the virtual, on-screen Back, Home and Task switcher button format that the other Android 4.0 smartphones currently rely on. Not that we are complaining either, as this will probably be easier to adapt for those transiting from earlier Android smartphones. Otherwise, we were pretty impressed with the smartphone overall, with every part of the puzzle contributing to an overall positive handling experience.

Features
As we mentioned earlier, tech specs are important but ultimately, the key to winning the consumers' hearts is to provide a user experience that is fluid and intuitive. This is why Samsung strives to provide an 'organic' experience that responds naturally to your needs and thankfully, there's plenty of exciting new software improvements on the S III. If you have been following us closely during our coverage on the Galaxy S III, you would have already visually sampled some of what the device can do, most of which are not natively available on other Android smartphones and some of which can be replicated by installing third-party apps off Google Play. Flipboard for Android, for instance, was initially exclusive on the Galaxy S III but became unofficially available within days when a XDA forum user Valcho who managed to get his hands on the Galaxy S III and extracted the .apk for all to download and install (we personally tried it on the Samsung Galaxy Note and HTC One X as well).

The open-source nature of the Android platform certainly has its pros and cons, which makes it even more exciting for manufacturers as they compete to innovate their products. In this sense, we say Samsung and its close competitor, HTC with its Sense UI, have emerged on top.

Source : www.hardwarezone.com.sg

The LG Viper 4G LTE smartphone will officially land at Sprint stores on April 22. This smartphone will be among the first smartphones that will operate on Sprint's upcoming 4G LTE Network. The Viper is expected to sell for $99.99 with a new two-year service agreement and a $50 mail-in rebate. If you're anxious to get your hands on this phone, you can preorder it starting today. Customers who preorder the Viper may receive the phone as early as April 20—two days before the device becomes available in stores. The LG Viper runs on Android 2.3 and has a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 4G of ROM. It also comes with a 4GB microSD card.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., & SAN DIEGO (BUSINESS WIRE), April 12, 2012 - Sprint (NYSE: S) and LG Mobile today announced Sunday, April 22, as the availability date for the highly anticipated LG Viper™ 4G LTE, one of the first smartphones to be available on the upcoming 4G LTE Network from Sprint. LG Viper will be available in Sprint sales channels, including www.sprint.com and 1-800-SPRINT1, for $99.99 with a new two-year service agreement and $50 mail-in rebate via reward card1 (excludes taxes and surcharges).


Additional apps and features include:

• Google Play™ offers more than 450,000 useful applications, widgets and games.
• Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, which allows the device to read information from everyday objects, such as stickers and posters embedded with NFC chips. Google Wallet™, another NFC component, allows the smartphone to be used like a wallet to make safe, secure purchases at NFC-enabled merchants nationwide
• Sprint ID allows users to cut through the clutter of thousands of apps by selecting from a variety of mobile ID packs. Sprint ID packs include ringers, wallpapers and widgets.
• Consumers can download Box on the LG Viper and receive 50GB of free cloud storage and sharing directly from LG, an estimated value of $240 per year, so users don’t have to stress about storing all of their favorite music, files, photos and other memories. The 50GB of free storage is exclusive to LG devices until July 22.
• “Life’s Good Fairytales” app, a customizable storyboard that allows parents and children to bond over the creation and sharing of unique fairy tales through their device.2

Additionally, LG Viper is Sprint’s first 4G LTE device to feature eco-friendly attributes, including ULE Platinum Certification, the highest level of environmental performance recognized by sustainable requirements established by UL Environment and Sprint, a casing made of 50 percent recycled plastics, and packaging that is 100 percent recyclable.

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The Samsung Galaxy S Plus has been released in order to continue what the Samsung Galaxy S started. The Samsung Galaxy S was in fact one of the most talked about smartphones of this season so we can only imagine the Samsung Galaxy S Plus to be even more anticipated in 2011.
The name certainly suggests that the Samsung Galaxy S Plus will offer all that the Samsung Galaxy S offers and just that little bit more. With this handset, the creators behind the original have taken into consideration what could be improved and in turn have produced a similar handset to that of the original, with even more to boast about.

The all-new Galaxy S Plus is said to have some new and exciting features along with all the pre-existing Galaxy S features.
The Samsung Galaxy S Plus comes with a faster 1.4 GHz processor, which allows users to download content and load webpages faster than ever before. All the usual great looking features of the original phone have stayed intact and the handset will still be hitting the shop shelves with an impressive 4 inches of AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display. However, there is one adjustment to this and that comes in the shape of a gorilla glass display.
Most importantly however, is the software and the Samsung Galaxy S Plus certainly doesn’t fall down there and the handset has Android 2.3 as its OS.
Another great incentive to invest in the all-new Samsung Galaxy S Plus is that all the prominent network service carriers have presented this particular handset with a series of extremely attractive mobile phone deals.
Users should look into providers that offer free texts, free talk time and free line rental in a contract. This is possibly the best way to get your hands on this particular handset as otherwise you would have to buy the Samsung Galaxy S Plus outright.

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Nokia N8 the excellent touchscreen phone by Nokia with reasonable Price in India. Nokia N8 HD-quality video recording. Nokia N8 the very ellegent and slim design phone introduces a 12 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and Xenon flash which helps you take amazing photos and videos, resolution supported is 4000*3000 pixels. With this excellent phone you can connect to your favourite social networks and be entertained with the latest Web TV programs and Ovi Store apps, also it provides film editing software and Dolby surround sound.

Nokia N8 Special Features include Audio Playback with MP3,MP4 Audio Formats, MP3 Ring tones, Streaming, Video Playback with MPEG-4, Real Video, DivX Formats, 3G, FM Radio, 3.5mm Headphone Jack etc.

This phone lets you store your important data in a very large storage capacity with 16GB internal and up to 32 GB expandable memory capacity via Micro SD memory card Slot. It Provide many connectivity options as well eg. EDR Blue tooth, USB, GPS and Wi-Fi (802.11b) and Data Modes supported are GPRS, EDGE, 3G, WCDMA, HSDPA 3.6 and Internet Browsing (2.0), HTML etc.See Nokia N8

LG has announced its smallest and slimmest full touchscreen phone, the LG Mini.

The phone looks great with its eye-catching sleek 3.2 inch touchscreen which extends to to the edge of the phone. Textured metal accents on the sides and a smooth button free face add to its elegant and strong design, whilst being the slimmest touchscreen on the market it can easily slide into a pocket or handbag.

This small phone manages to pack in a lot of features including fast web browsing and push email expected on today's smart touchscreen phones, a 5 megapixel camera with advanced face detection, a music and video player, an FM radio, GPS and Wifi. And if you're a social networker the phone includes on-board applications that will give you fast and easy access to networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

LG says it developed the LG Mini in response to specific requests from actual consumers who were unhappy with current full touchscreen phones that are too bulky, too clunky and too expensive adding that the easily pocketable LG Mini delivers great looks at a reasonable price, along with the trendy features that people want.

The LG Mini will be available in Europe in March, with other countries to follow.

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Computerworld - Sony Ericsson unveiled the Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro smartphones in London on Thursday, each running Android 2.3 and powered by 1 GHz Snapdragon processors.

Sony Ericsson said in a blog post that the main goal with the Xperia family of phones "is to offer the most entertaining smartphones, and to do that with choice," calling attention to the high-definition video recording capabilities of both phones.

Both are GSM phones and will be available globally in select markets starting in July, Sony Ericsson said. AT&T has sold a related device, the Xperia X10, in the U.S. since last summer, although AT&T did not divulge whether it plans to sell either of the new Xperia devices. Pricing has not been disclosed.

Both new phones have a 3-in. touchscreen, but the Pro has a slide-out keyboard, similar to the one on the earlier Xperia Pro device. The Xperia Mini Pro comes pre-loaded with the Microsoft Office suite and McAfee antivirus software, and supports Exchange email and Web mail.

Sony Ericsson said it has integrated Facebook in both devices, making the social networking site immediately accessible from the most-used areas of the phone, such as the picture gallery, music player, phonebook and calendar.
Xperia mini

When closed, the Xperia Mini Pro, at 3.6 x 2.1 x 0.7 inches, and weighing 4.8 ounces, is slightly larger than the Xperia Mini.

Both phones have a 5-megapixel camera with HD video recording. As such, the Xperia Mini is the world's smallest HD video recording smartphone, Sony Ericsson said.

Both ship with a 2GB micro SD card, with support for up to 32GB.



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The HTC Sensation measures 126.1 x 65.4 x 11.3 mm, it weights 148 grams, features an aluminum unibody, and runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). A new version of the Sense UI is also pre-loaded and it brings a customizable active lockscreen, plus sharper graphics, vibrant animations and new widgets.

HTC Sensation Smartphone packs a 4.3-inch qHD (540 x 960) SLCD touchscreen toughened with Gorilla Glass, a 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM 8260 processor, 768MB of RAM, an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus and dual-LED flash (for 1080p video recording), a front VGA camera, a microSD slot (8GB card included), GPS, a G-sensor, a proximity sensor, a digital compass, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, a micro USB connector, and a 1520 mAh battery.

Sony Ericsson has launched its Sony Ericsson W8 walkmen featured phone. The Sony Ericsson runs on Android 2.1 Eclair OS and powered by 600 MHz of processor. Sony Ericsson W8 include 3.2 MP camera with geo tagging, FM Radio with RDS, 3D Games, Video player, Walkman player with Track ID Recognition, GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, 3G, HSUPA, HSDPA, WiFi, microUSB 2.0, GPS with AGPS and 3.5mm audio jack.


Sony Ericsson W8 Features and Specifications

* Network Frequency: 2G- GSM 900/ 1800/ 1900
* Display:1.9 inches TFT display(176 x 220 pixels resolution) 256K color
* Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3, AAC ringtones, composer
* Memory: 20 MB internal memory
* Storage: expandable memory up to 4GB, 512 MB card included
* DATA: GPRS, EDGE, 3G HSDPA 3.6 Mbps
* Connectivity: Bluetooth v2.0, USB, Infrared Port
* Camera: 2 MP, 1632×1224 pixels, autofocus, LED flash with video Recording
* SMS, MMS, Email
* Browsers: WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML (NetFront)
* Stereo FM radio with RDS
* Java: MIDP 2.1
* Audio Format: MP3/AAC+
* Video player: MP4/H.263
* Dimension: 100 x 46 x 19.5 mm
* Weight: 99 g
* Battery: Standard battery, Li-Po 900 mAh (BST-37)
* Standby time: Up to 350 h
* Talk time: Up to 8 h

LG Thrive is a 3.2-inch large device which is equipped with a 3.2-megapixel camera plus autofocus. The handset sports Wi-Fi connectivity, HSDPA and 160 MB of memory which can be expanded up to 32 GB using SD memory cards. The device is powered by Android 2.2, and even as it cannot rival with the top Android phones like the Motorola Atrix or Samsung Galaxy S, it is still the most powerful device on the GoPhone plan.

INQ Cloud Touch is a new phone dedicated to the new Facebook Android and announced shortly before the MWC 2011. For the lazy features include 3.5 inch screen 480 x 320, 600 MHz processor, GPS, WiFi, HSDPA, microSD, radio, 5 megapixel camera and Android 2.2 interface Facebook friendly.
If you hurry to buy in the UK can be found from April 6. INQ Cloud Touch, in fact, is pre-ordered in the UK at just under € 350 without a contract.

LG has offers Optimus C smartphone, it comes with finest design and features. It is equipped with a capacitive 3.2-inch HVGA display, a 600MHz processor, 3.2 megapixel camera and Android 2.2 with some minor LG customizations.The smartphone comes with astonishingly snappy and solid for such an attractive price. It is a 3G handset, built in advance technology.

You can play video, music player, it comes with Android operating system. The phone has awesome features and design, I m sure you will love to buy this latest smartphone. Touchscreen of this phone is superb.It is a cricket phone perfect for cricket crazier. The LG Optimus C smartphone comes with the price tag of $130 off-contract.
The phone has slim and sleek design with white color. It arrives with high quality battery features.

Sony Ericsson's long-awaited PlayStation Phone finally becomes a reality - we go hands-on to see if it can live up to the hype, and if it's a viable challenger to the iPhone's overwhelming dominance.

PlayStation Phone. Those words just roll off the tongue, don't they? The idea of fusing one of the world's most iconic gaming brands with mobile connectivity is practically a no-brainer, which makes it all the more puzzling that Sony Ericsson has waited this long to fulfil the tantalising promise. Sure, we've had devices that have alluded to the notion -- the PS3-linked Aino, for example -- but the Xperia Play is the real deal, even if it doesn't actually bear the PlayStation name anywhere on its glossy black casing.


Xperia Play as a phone

Despite the gaming focus and the vast amount of cash being spent on promoting the Xperia Play's unique controls, Sony Ericsson is keen to stress that it's a telecommunications device first and foremost, with the entertainment element being a large, juicy bonus.

The problem with this approach is that when compared to other Android-based handsets hitting store shelves right now, the Xperia Play is merely good rather than great. It's running Android 2.3 (AKA Gingerbread) so it's up to date at least, but it lacks several key features that are becoming commonplace in other Google Phones. There's no dual-core processor, HDMI-out or 720p video recording, and the 4-inch LED backlit screen is markedly inferior to the gorgeous Super AMOLED effort sported by the Nexus S and Samsung Galaxy S II.

The Xperia Play is also quite a dumpy little beast, with a girth of 16mm at its thickest point. It sags in the pocket thanks to its 175 gram weightb -- making it nearly 40 grams more dense than the already-weighty iPhone 4.


Xperia Play as a gaming device

The first thing you're likely to think of when you slide open the Xperia Play's gaming controls is 'PSPgo'. Sony's download-dependant hardware experiment from 2009 may have been beset by a multitude of faults, but its interface wasn't one of them. The same ultra-responsive D-pad and button configuration is replicated here, with the added bonus of twin touch-senstive pads which pay homage to the dual shock setup seen on Sony's home consoles.

Only the L and R shoulder triggers spoil the good impression, being too flimsy to offer truly instinctive control. Their position on the side of the phone also makes me slightly uneasy -- one accidental drop is likely to be all that's required to separate them from their housings.

Still, you need only hold the Xperia Play in your hands for a few seconds to realise that Sony Ericsson has totally nailed the control interface. This is certainly no Nokia N-Gage -- with the exception of the shoulder triggers, everything about the phone's gaming controls is fantastic. It's genuinely amazing to have such a precise and responsive degree of command on what is essentially a mobile phone, and you'll wonder how you ever managed to play Snake on a cramped alphanumeric keypad all those years ago.


The games

Of course, interface is just one part of the equation -- without solid software to play, such refined controls are about as much use as a chocolate teapot. Here, the picture is slightly less clear, but that's not to say that the Xperia Play hasn't gotten off to a positive start.

On paper at least, the launch has been a success. Sixty titles are available that support the Xperia Play's control system, and in terms of raw numbers that makes this one of the most well-stocked hardware launches in gaming history. However, further examination reveals that the stats are slightly misleading. The overwhelming majority of those games are already available on Android's app store, and have merely been optimised for use on Sony Ericsson's new device.

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Sony Ericsson Xperia Halon is a new smartphone in the series of Xperia, equipped with the Android 2.3 Gingerbread also known as Sony Ericsson Vivaz 2. The Sony Ericsson Xperia Halon equipped with Qualcomm MSM7630 processor will offer a clocked at 1Ghz Snapdragon coupled to the GPU Adreno 205, 512 Mb RAM memory, touch screen with a resolution of 480 x 854 pixels and an apparatus 8-megapixel digital camera can record videos in 720p.


Characteristics almost similar to the Sony Ericsson Xperia X12 aka Arc. We also find on the smartphone Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a microSD slot, a 3.5mm jack, microUSB an outlet and a battery of 1500 mAh. The Sony Ericsson Xperia Halon will be marketed around April 2011 for a price ranging from 300 € to 350 € without subscription.

Nokia unveiled a new mobile phone for music lovers, Nokia X1-00 is priced starting at € 35 and offers maximum value for money. The phone has a 3.5 mm audio jack, MicroSD card slot for up to 16 GB and an integrated radio receiver. The battery can endure in time mode to 61 days.

Nokia X1-00 features five phone books. Nokia think this is a phone that can be shared among members of the family. The phone also has a music player, calendar, clock, calculator and preloaded games. But this still is not a smartphone. Its dimensions are 112.2 x 47.3 x 16 mm and weighs 91 grams.

Nokia X1-00 will be available on the market in early April. As its price, excluding fees and expenses of operators would be priced around 34 euros.