HTC Sensation

Many were expecting HTC’s first dual core smartphone to be sensational, so it is no surprise that the Sensation does its best to live up to its name.

Powered by a 1.2GHz processor, it does more than many other dual core mobiles to actually leverage more of its power. This is indicated by the new 3D effects visible when you scroll through the homescreens, along with the implementation of app launching from the lock screen and improved multitasking. Its unibody metal design is stylish without being as overwhelmingly impressive as the super-sleek Samsung Galaxy SII.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini

The original Xperia Mini and its Pro variant were surprise hits for Sony Ericsson, so a hardware and software update was inevitable.

The latest Mini and Mini Pro get larger 3 inch displays, 1GHz processors and the latest version of Android onboard, complete with more comprehensive integration for Facebook services. In addition they both boast 720p HD video capture, an unprecedented capability in devices of this size.

Motorola Droid 3

Recent leaks have given away vast swathes of information about the Droid 3, Motorola`s second dual core mobile after the formidable multifunctional Atrix. Full HD 1080p video capture is allegedly onboard, while the high res touchscreen from previous models is thought to be a sustained feature, alongside its slide-out QWERTY keypad for precision of typing. While the form factor is not changing drastically, the Droid 3`s popularity is perhaps best sustained by sticking to the winning formula of its predecessors.

BlackBerry Torch 2

The original BlackBerry Torch proved that Research in Motion (RIM) could get touchscreen handsets right and the Torch 2 has appeared in a number of snaps online showing that the manufacturer is committed to expanding this range. A 1.2 GHz processor is promised, giving it much more poke than the precursor, while version 7 of the BlackBerry operating system is likely to bring plenty of new features to the table.

Sony Ericsson Urshi

While the rest of the mobiles mentioned above have been high-end powerhouses, the details about the Sony Ericsson Urshi suggest that it will be a much more modest affair. A high res 3.2 inch display will be your window onto Android 2.3 and a single core 1GHz processor will allow it to remain competitive.

It should be clear that Android mobile phones are quickly dominating the market at all areas, with previous top dogs like the iPhone range faltering under Google`s constant assault. Of course with Nokia planning its first batch of Windows Phone 7 devices and with Apple getting ready to launch the fifth generation of the iPhone this could all change, but for now Android is the king of the smartphone world.

Phones seems to be targeting teenagers, who spend half of their time on Facebook and other half texting or chatting with their mates.

Here are main specifications that might be interesting:

Processor: 800 Mhz

OS: Android Gingerbread

RAM: 512MB

ROM: 512MB

Screen: touchscreen, 2.6 inch

Camera: 5 megapixel color camera with auto focus and LED flash. VGA front camera

Battery: 1250 mAh, talktime up to 450 minutes, standby up to 660 hours

Connectivity: Wi Fi, Bluetooth, internal GPS antenna

Network:

HSPA/WCDMA: Europe/Asia: 900/2100 MHz

Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

Other: 3.5mm headset jack, G-Sensor, Digital Compass, microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)

Phone is available on Vodafone and Orange networks, on 18 and 24 months contracts. Phone cost is free on all tariffs.

So has Nokia really made a mistake? Only time will tell, but if you look at it, biggest phone manufacturer and biggest software company could be a good partnership. They have access to large resources, technical, human, financial you name it, so potentially they can come up with pretty good products.

Stephen Elop, Nokia’s chief executive, said last week that its use of Windows Phone would ensure there was a mass-market alternative to the operating systems by Apple and Google.

Nokia is only likely to make large volumes of smartphones based on Windows Phone in 2012, while Android, released in late 2008, is enjoying hyper growth.

Mr Schmidt said 300,000 Android-based handsets were getting connected to mobile phone networks every day.

He added there were 170 Android handsets by 27 manufacturers in the market, spread across 69 countries.

So here you go, we now have 3 major operating systems battling on smartphone front:

• iOS by Apple
• Android by Google
• Blackberry OS by RIM

Cheapest 18 months contract is £15 a month, you have to contribute £164 and you will also get 100 minutes and 100 texts.

All plans with this phone include unlimited internet.

Here is a list of specifications for this phone:

Network Type: GSM Quad-band phone capable of global roaming (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
UMTS dual-band European/Asian 3G (2100/900 MHz)
Data: EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA 7.2 Mbit/s/HSUPA 2.0 Mbit/s

Dimensions: 4.69 x 2.36 x 0.47 inches (119 x 60 x 11.9 mm)
Weight: 4.76 oz (135 g)
Battery Type: Li – Ion, 1400 mAh
Talk Time: 6.66 hours (400 mins)
Standby: 340 hours (14 days)
Display Resolution: 480 x 800 pixels, 16 777 216 colors, AMOLED
Display Size: 3.70 inches
Touch Screen: Capacitive, Multi-touch
Camera: 5 megapixels Resolution
Camera Features: Flash LED; Auto focus, Face detection, Geo tagging
Multimedia Video Playback: MPEG4, WMV, 3GP, 3G2
Music Player: MP3, AAC, WMA, WAV, M4A (Apple lossless), AMR, OGG, MIDI
FM Radio
Memory Slot: microSD/microSDHC
Software: Android 2.1
Processor: Snapdragon, 1000 MHz
Memory: 576 MB RAM / 512 MB ROM
Input: Predictive Text Input
microUSB
WiFi: 802.11b/802.11g
Bluetooth: 2.1, Stereo Bluetooth
Headphones connector: 3.5mm
Other Features:
PhoneBook, Capacity depends on system memory; Ring ID, Picture ID, Search by both first and last name, Multiple numbers per contact, Caller groups
PIM, Alarm, Calendar, To-Do / Tasks, Calculator, World Clock
Voice Recording, Speaker Phone, Email
GPS: A-GPS, GPS

If you place an order now, you will probably wait for a week for it to arrive.

Following is from Samsung press release:

Enhanced User Experienced
The Galaxy Spica becomes a highly intuitive communications device offering users the option to personalise no less than nine side-scrolling screens. Users can really let their imaginations run wild, creating different home screens according to different personal interests or requirements.

The handset now features augmented reality technology that displays real-time digital information of your surroundings over the view-finder of the Galaxy Spica’s 3 megapixel camera. The Galaxy Spica also features Samsung widgets, Visual bookmark and PC Sync support to enable users to synchronise their devices quickly.

Enhanced Multimedia and Messaging Functionality
The handset now comes with a number of enhanced multimedia features which transform the Galaxy Spica into a personal entertainment device. Media browser allows you to browse through your media collection with ease. The camera has been upgraded to offer enhanced picture options and viewing functionality.

Improved messaging functionality means that it is much easier to attach files to MMS and email that users can easily add contacts to messages direct from the phonebook. Improved contact management enables users to find a necessary contact very easily through the alphabetical index.

The upgrade will be available from March 2010 in Germany and gradually rolled out to other European markets, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Asia, Africa and rest of the world.

The upgrade will be available through PC Studio 7, Samsung’s sync software

Here is a quick spec list:

Processor: Qualcomm® MSM7200A^TM, 528 MHz
Operating System: Android^TM
Memory ROM: 512 MB
RAM: 288 MB
Dimensions (LxWxT) 112 x 56.2 x 14.35 mm ( 4.41 x 2.21 x 0.57 inches)
Weight 135 grams ( 4.76 ounces) with battery
Display 3.2-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with 320×480 HVGA resolution
Network HSPA/WCDMA:

* 900/2100 MHz
* Up to 2 Mbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds

Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE:

* 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

(Band frequency and data speed are operator dependent.)
Device Control Trackball with Enter button
GPS Internal GPS antenna
Connectivity Bluetooth® 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate and A2DP for wireless stereo headsets
Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g
HTC ExtUSB^TM (11-pin mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one)
3.5 mm audio jack
Camera 5.0 megapixel color camera with auto focus
Audio supported formats MP3, AAC(AAC, AAC+, AAC-LC), AMR-NB, WAV, MIDI and Windows Media® Audio 9
Video supported formats MPEG-4, H.263, H.264 and Windows Media® Video 9
Battery Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
Capacity: 1350 mAh
Talk time:

* Up to 420 minutes for WCDMA
* Up to 470 minutes for GSM

Standby time:

* Up to 750 hours for WCDMA
* Up to 440 hours for GSM

(The above are subject to network and phone usage.)
Expansion Slot microSD^TM memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
AC Adapter Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240V AC, 50/60 Hz
DC output: 5V and 1A
Special Features G-sensor
Digital Compass

There are already 2 phones being sold which run on Android operating system: T-Mobile’s G1 and Vodafone’s Magic. Both devices made by HTC. Mr. Rubin did not mention which manufacturers will bring new devices to the market but it seems that they will appear in Europe first.

Indeed, the ramp-up of Android phones intensifies a battle among some of the world’s biggest software companies to create the operating system for the world’s phones (of which there are now 4 billion). Android goes up against a coming-soon new version of Microsoft’s mobile version of Windows (Windows Mobile 7), Apple’s proprietary iPhone system, the Blackberry platform, a new Palm OS for its Pre called WebOS, Symbian (mostly proferred by Nokia) and a host of Linux-based systems.

On the question of apps, Mr. Rubin reinforced Google’s position that Android is an “open” platform, though, critically, that concept has some nuance to it. It goes like this: there are three flavors of Android. Each is free. But the versions place different requirements on the handset manufacturers and wireless carriers. The differing versions – and the way they’re being adopted – gives an insight both into Google’s goals and to the way the market is receiving those goals.

1. The obligation-free option: device manufacturers can download a free version of Android, load onto their devices and provide access to as many or as few apps as they want. But the manufacturers cannot preload popular Google applications, like Gmail or Google calendar.

2. The small strings option: Same as Option 1, except that manufacturers sign a distribution agreement to include on the phone Google applications. Of the 18 to 20 phones coming out this year, Mr. Rubin said, 12 to 14 subscribe to this option.

3. The bigger strings option or the no-censorship version: These phones Google calls “The Google Experience.” They are physically distinguishable by the “Google” logo on the phone. They include a range of Google applications that the carrier and handset maker agree not to remove from the phone. The carrier and handset maker also agree not to censor access to the Android market. Meaning: if some developer comes up with an application that some people find distasteful, or that gets bad press, it must nevertheless remain available to consumers. Of the phones coming out this year, 5 to 6 belong to this category, Mr. Rubin said.

The third category provides risk and reward opportunities. The openness of the store could be a hit with consumers, but could also lead to poorly constructed applications or ones, like the baby shaking app for the iPhone, that could give Google a taint (however temporary and press driven).

When it comes to apps, Mr. Rubin said: “We want to abide by the law, but not rule with an open fist.”

Source: NY Times

T-Mobile confirmed that it will be issuing the Cupcake update over the air. As many owners eager to get the update will already know, among other things, Cupcake will bring a full touchscreen keyboard and video capture with the phone’s camera.

The update is “live” now, and will be a phased roll-out, so the May timescale quoted is when all G1 owners should get the refresh by, but presumably could be from now on.

Update is about 44MB in size. It includes important additions such as virtual keyboard, which would be absolutely necessary for new Android driven handsets which do not have hardware keyboard. Vodafone has started selling second Android phone Magic, which is full touch screen phone.

Phone is said to be available from April. See below summary of this phone’s features:

Processor: Qualcomm® MSM7201a^TM, 528 MHz
Operating System: Android
Memory ROM: 512 MB
RAM: 192 MB
Dimensions: 113 x 55 x 13.65 mm ( 4.45 x 2.17 x 0.54 inches)
Weight: 118.5 grams ( 4.18 ounces) with battery
Display: 3.2-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 320×480 HVGA resolution
Network: HSDPA/WCDMA:

*900/2100 MHz
*Up to 2 Mbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds

Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE:

*850/900/1800/1900 MHz

(Band frequency and data speed are operator dependent.)
Device Control: Trackball with Enter button
GPS: Internal GPS antenna
Connectivity: Bluetooth® 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate
Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 b/g
Camera: 3.2 megapixel color camera with auto focus
Audio supported formats:  AAC, AAC+, AMR-NB, MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC-LC, MIDI, OGG
Video supported formats: MP4, 3GP
Battery: Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
Capacity: 1340 mAh
Talk time:

*Up to 400 minutes for WCDMA
*Up to 450 minutes for GSM

Standby time:

*Up to 660 hours for WCDMA
*Up to 420 hours for GSM

(The above are subject to network and phone usage.)
Expansion Slot: microSD^TM memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
Special Features: G-sensor, Digital Compass

First generation G1 phones were sold exclusively by T-Mobile in UK and so far failed to attract large number of customers.

The second generation Google phone, apparently called the HTC Magic, reportedly boasts a 3.2 megapixel camera, WiFi, and a built-in GPS receiver, which already present in G1.

Other handset manufacturers are rumoured to be working on their own Android driven handset, but we have not heard any firm dates on releases so far. Android presense on Mobile World Congress this week has been weak as well.

Samsung had been expected to launch an Android-based phone in Barcelona this week, but executives have conceded that the phone will be delayed until later this year.

The exclusive deal to supply the G2 will provide a significant boost to Vodafone as it battles Apple’s dominance of the smartphone market.