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We’ve got a hold of what is said to be Apple’s iOS 5.1 GM, the version that will be released to the public on or around March 9th, and we can now confirm an earlier report detailing two new changes. The lock screen in iOS 5.1 has a fixed camera button located next to the slide to unlock button, and instead of tapping on it to launch the camera, you simply drag the entire unlock section up to reveal the camera finder. This makes photo-taking instantly fast when you’re getting the phone out of your pocket or bag. Siri has indeed learned Japanese as well, and we’ve been able to confirm that in Settings. We’re told there are no roadblocks as of now in this release candidate, so we’d expect the version we have to be the version released in the coming weeks. Another photo can be seen after the break.

AT&T is increasing the fee charged when subscribers upgrade to new handsets on contract beginning this Sunday. BGR has been informed by multiple readers via email that AT&T has sent them notices regarding the increased fee, which had previously been $18. ”Because the overall costs associated with upgrading to a new device have increased, effective Sunday, February 12, 2012, AT&T will change its upgrade fee from $18 to $36,” AT&T said in a note to dealers obtained by BGR. An AT&T spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A portion of the memo follows below.

UPDATE: AT&T has confirmed the change. “Wireless devices today are more sophisticated than ever before. And because of that, the costs associated with upgrading to a new device have increased and is reflected in our new upgrade fee,” an AT&T spokesperson told BGR via email. “This fee isn’t unique to AT&T and this is the first time we’re changing it in nearly 10 years.”

Information has been appearing in dribs and drabs about Nokia’s last Symbian smartphone, the Nokia 803, but a trusted source of ours has come through with some details that vary a bit from earlier reports. For starters, the Nokia 803 will run Symbian Belle and serve it up on a 4-inch AMOLED display instead of the smaller 3.5-inch screen that had been reported. An HDMI-out port, microSIM support and NFC are all a go as well. We have also been told that the Nokia 803 will feature one of the largest camera sensors — if not the largest camera sensor — ever seen on a mobile phone. The Nokia 803 is currently expected to be released in the May timeframe.

A source claiming to be in possession of an iPad 3 prototype provided BGR with images containing details about Apple’s highly anticipated third-generation tablet. From the data in the photos, which contain the output from an iPad 3 using a development and debug tool called iBoot, we can infer plenty of information about the upcoming iPad 3. For starters, the model numbers are J1 and J2 (iPad3,1 and iPad3,2), and while DigiTimes reported this a few weeks ago, these two models are not different devices, just a single iPad available in two versions — one with Wi-Fi only and one with Wi-Fi and embedded GSM/CDMA/LTE for all carriers. Also included in the photos is, for the first time, confirmation of which processor Apple will be using in the iPad 3: an A6 processor with model number S5L8945X. For reference, the Apple A4 model was S5L8930X and the A5 is S5L8940X. The new processor will also apparently be a quad-core model, making the upcoming iPad 3 the fastest iOS device ever, we have been told. More screenshots are included in our gallery below.

We reported on RIM’s 2012 release schedule earlier this week and now we’re back to paint a more complete picture with RIM’s full 2012 roadmap, which is loaded with information. The deck provides details on everything from the company’s upcoming BlackBerry PlayBook with built-in 3G, to the new Curve lineup including the BlackBerry Curve 9220 and BlackBerry Curve 9320, to new features like Wi-Fi media server sharing and more. From the calendar in the document, it looks like the first BlackBerry 10 smartphone, codenamed London, is currently scheduled for release in late September, but could be pushed to October based on the roadmap, which is a long way off considering we’re looking a a relatively slow three quarters leading up to BlackBerry 10. We’ve dropped 15 slides from this massive deck into a gallery, so check out all of the images below!

While AT&T’s Nokia Lumia 900 could be an excellent option for someone in the market for a 4G LTE Windows Phone, there’s also the HTC Titan II — which we exclusively revealed — that will soon be available as well. AT&T is currently planning to launch the HTC Titan II for $199.99 with a two-year agreement on March 18th. The carrier is also getting ready to launch a Sony tablet for $409.99 called the Crystal, though it will feature HSPA+ and not 4G LTE. Rounding things out for the latter part of the first quarter is the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD, the Samsung Exhilarate and Sony Xperia ion, though pricing and availability are still unknown.

In addition to news that AT&T is planning to launch the Nokia Lumia 900 at an earth-shattering sub-$100 price point, we have street dates for another highly anticipated smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Note, along with two unannounced Android devices AT&T is currently prepping. AT&T’s phablet is set to hit store shelves on February 18th for $299.99. The Samsung Rugby Smart, which appears to be a entry-level Android smartphone with HSPA+, and the AT&T Fusion will both launch on February 18th as well for  $99.99 and $124.99, respectively. The nation’s No.2 carrier has a big first quarter planned, and while Nokia’s Lumia 900 is shaping up to be the star of the show, Android fans will still have plenty of new options over the next few months.

We just received a portion of AT&T’s 2012 roadmap from a trusted source, and it looks like AT&T isn’t playing around this year. There are some heavy hitters lined up for the first quarter of 2012, and one of the biggest smartphone launches of the quarter is currently scheduled to take place in mid-March. According to our source, the Nokia Lumia 900 is set to launch on March 18th, which has been rumored before. The phone hasn’t yet received technical acceptance however, so that date could change. The bigger news is the phone’s price: AT&T and Nokia are planning to launch this flagship smartphone at just $99.99 on a two-year contract. That price point would make this sleek smartphone an absolute game-changer for Windows Phone, and it makes sense when you think about how much money Nokia and Microsoft are planning to spend promoting the launch. We took a hands-on look at the Lumia 900 during CES earlier this month and Nokia could easily have a hit on its hands when this handset launches later this quarter.

We’ve been gathering info on what exactly Research In Motion is planning to release over the next year and even into early 2013, and we now have a solid picture to share with you. While BlackBerry smartphones and devices will run on BlackBerry 10 starting in the fall, the company is still planning to launch BlackBerry 7 legacy devices in emerging and global markets leading up to the first BlackBerry 10 handset launch later this year. Let’s go through what we’re looking at from RIM over the next 15 months:

• RIM plans to introduce two new Curve smartphones within the next few months: the BlackBerry Curve 9230 and the BlackBerry Curve 9320. The 9230 will be an EDGE smartphone and the Curve 9320 will be an HSPA device.
• While we don’t have confirmation on the size, we have heard that RIM will introduce a new PlayBook tablet with 1.5GHz processor, built-in HSPA+ 42Mbps cellular data support and NFC around May or June.
• RIM’s BlackBerry London is still on track for a September launch.
• There is now another BlackBerry 10 smartphone in the works that will launch as part of RIM’s Bold series. The phone features a touchscreen display and QWERTY keyboard, and it is planned for a December release.
• A QWERTY slider running BlackBerry 10 has been talked about for the first quarter of 2013.

There could obviously be some minor updates to existing products like the Curve series down the road, for instance, but this looks should be a pretty complete view of what the company is working on right now. And for once, there aren’t 18 different product SKUs to worry about.

Research In Motion is currently weighing every single option it can think of in an effort to reverse a negative trend that is approaching a boiling point for investors. Reports that RIM is currently in talks to license its software to other vendors are accurate according to our trusted sources, though we have been told that RIM is most likely leaning toward an outright sale of one or more divisions, or even the whole company. The front runner, we have been told by a trusted source with knowledge of the situation, is Samsung, which might be interested in RIM for a number of reasons.

The most popular and successful multi-device communication platform is without question WhatsApp. More of a text messaging replacement than straight BlackBerry Messenger competitor, WhatsApp has been the number one service people rely on to communicate across iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone devices. We were sent a preview copy of the new version of WhatsApp for BlackBerry smartphones, our exclusive first look is after the break.

Thanks to one of our sources, we have information on what will be one of AT&T’s many announcements ahead of CES this year — a year that’s sure to be packed with 4G LTE devices. The Pantech Element is currently slated to hit AT&T on January 8th for $299.99 with a two-year agreement, or $449.99 off contract. It features an 8-inch display, a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, Android 3.2 Honeycomb, 16GB of internal storage, advanced “Piezo Motor” haptic feedback, a 5-megapixel rear camera with 1080p HD video capture support and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for 720p video calling, and the entire package is “waterproof for real life” according to AT&T’s documentation. The actual waterproof rating is IP57, which basically means the tablet is splash resistant as long as all ports are closed. AT&T is being particularly clear during internal training in conveying that the tablet is not actually waterproof and it cannot be submerged. Let’s recap: Pantech, Android 3.2 Honeycomb, waterproof but not waterproof, 4G LTE, 8-inch display… $299.99. Any takers?

BGR has learned a number of details surrounding Apple’s next-generation iPhone from a close source. For starters, we can now confidently say that Apple’s next iPhone will launch in the fall next year, around the same time that this year’s iPhone 4S launched. We have also learned that Apple is planning to use a rubber or plastic material — similar to the material used in the company’s bumper cases — that will be built into the new iPhone case. In all likelihood, this material will be used as a bezel surrounding the front edge of the phone (like the iPhone 3GS bezel) and it will serve two purposes. First, it will join the glass iPhone face with a new aluminum back plate. It will also cover a redesigned antenna system that surrounds the device, allowing Apple to build the rear case out of aluminum without having to use a large plastic insert above the antennas as the company does on its iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G. Earlier reports suggested that Apple’s next-generation iPhone will feature an aluminum case similar to the one found on the iPad 2, as well as a larger display around 4 inches.

Bad products, horrible software and no cohesive vision have seemingly turned Research In Motion into a company without motion at this point. Throw in a huge delay before BlackBerry 10 smartphones start shipping, and it’s clear why people are losing, or have lost, faith in a company that played a tremendous role in making the smartphone industry what it is today. Thanks to one of our most trusted sources, BGR now has new information on what’s going on inside Research In Motion, and the picture it paints isn’t a pretty one.