Despite an earlier leak that made a May announcement seem increasingly likely, Samsung is apparently still considering an April launch for its highly anticipated Galaxy S III smartphone, South Korean news site MK reports. Samsung president for the China region Kim Young-ha is quoted as having said that the company is still pushing for an April launch. ”In order to increase sales of the Galaxy S3 as well as the Galaxy Note which is already very popular in China, the company is considering rescheduling the rollout of the Galaxy S3 from May to April,” Kim reportedly said Wednesday while speaking at the Samsung Forum 2012. An earlier report suggested that the flagship smartphone is currently slated for a May 22nd announcement, as tipped on the home screen of a leaked product render. With HTC’s One-series smartphones set to launch next month, the South Korea-based vendor is undoubtedly under pressure to push up its Galaxy S III release, though carriers could stand in the way here in the United States. BGR exclusively reported that the Galaxy S III will feature a 4.8-inch display with 1080p HD resolution, a quad-core Exynos processor, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and a remarkably slim case made of ceramic.

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Apple will unveil its next-generation iPad on Wednesday during a press conference in San Francisco. While the Cupertino, California-based company may have a few surprises in store for us, Apple’s supply chain has been leaking like a sieve over the past few months. The result is what should be a relatively complete picture of the “iPad 3″ — or “iPad HD,” as it may be named — that has come together as follows:

• High-definition display — Apple’s next-generation iPad will sport a Retina-like HD display that packs four times the pixels (2,048 x 1,536) in the same 9.7-inch size. The result should be absolutely gorgeous.
• 4G LTE — The rumor mill has gone back and forth about 4G, but our exclusive report from last month made embedded 4G LTE connectivity a very likely possibility.
• Quad-core — The new iPad is expected to feature a quad-core Apple A6 processor to make this the smoothest iPad yet. Rumors of an enhanced dual-core A5X chip surfaced recently, but many speculate that the new dual-core chip may be destined for other devices rather than the next iPad.
• Slightly thicker case — That amazing new display is going to need some more juice to ensure battery life isn’t compromised, and the new iPad is expected to be about 1 millimeter thicker than the current iPad 2.
• Better battery — Early reports suggested the new iPad would feature double the battery life of the iPad 2, but those rumors have become a bit foggy in light of the new iPad’s HD display. It’s possible that the bigger battery Apple is using in its upcoming iPad is merely intended to compensate for the new screen.
• Better camera — Leaked images of the new iPad’s case show a bigger camera lens, but megapixel count is still a mystery. Rumors have ranged from 3 megapixels up to the same 8-megapixel unit in Apple’s iPhone 4S.
• iOS 5.1 — Developers have had their hands on iOS 5.1 for quite some time now, and the new iPad will be the first device to launch with the new build pre-installed.
• Brand new iPad, same old pricing — Despite earlier rumors, expect six versions of Apple’s new tablet, with three Wi-Fi-only models priced at $499, $599 and $699, and cellular connectivity available for each at a $130 premium. Apple may also sell a new version of its iPad 2 with less internal storage for $399 alongside its next-generation iPads.

The BlackBerry Curve 9370 and the LG Spectrum are now available from Verizon Wireless. The LG Spectrum was unveiled during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week. It runs Android Gingerbread, has a sharp 4.5-inch True HD IPS display, a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, an 8-megapixel camera capable of recording 1080p video and support for Verizon’s 4G LTE network. The Spectrum is priced at $199.99 with a new two-year Verizon contract. Also joining Verizon’s smartphone lineup on Thursday is RIM’s BlackBerry Curve 9370. The Curve 9370 is the slimmest Curve ever and offers GPS and Wi-Fi support, a 5-megapixel cameras and runs RIM’s BlackBerry 7 operating system. The new Curve is priced at $99.99 with a new two-year contract after a $50 mail-in rebate.

Still wondering whether Apple will indeed launch a new iPad in the near future with an HD Retina Display? Well, thanks to a tipster, we were able to locate double-resolution iPad images in the latest iBooks app for the iPad. Apple’s next-generation iPad 3 is rumored to feature a high-definition 1,536 x 2,048-pixel display along with a quad-core Apple A6 processor, 4G LTE support and twice the battery life of the iPad 2.

UPDATE: Looks like images like these have been in the iBooks app for quite some time. Maybe Apple just isn’t bothering to remove them since they’ll have to add them right back in March?

UPDATE 2: It seems that a few of these Retina Display-sized iPad images are indeed new, scattered amongst the old files.

Thanks, Brendan!

Apple has reportedly already started production of its next-generation iPad 3 tablet. Bloomberg broke the news on Twitter on Friday afternoon, though it did not immediately provide any further details. The iPad 3 is expected to feature a slightly thicker case, twice the battery life of the current iPad 2 model, and a 1,536 x 2,048-pixel HD display. The most recent rumors have suggested that Apple will release the new tablet in March.

UPDATE: Bloomberg flushed out its preliminary report, claiming that the iPad 3 will support 4G LTE. The site also claims to have confirmed that the new iPad will feature a new HD display and a faster quad-core processor, in line with numerous earlier reports. Factories are also said to be running 24 hours a day in an effort to create as much stock as possible before launch.

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Toshiba had a ton of products on display this year at the annual Consumer Electronics Show. The booth was chocked full of stunning new technology and we were blown away by several of the 3D products on display. Toshiba had its new line of Qosmio laptops with glasses-free 3D screens, glasses-free 3D TVs that were more impressive than the models we saw last year, and its Thrive and Excite X10 tablets were on display as well. We even had a chance to play a 3D game on a huge HDTV that was hooked up to a Qosmio laptop, which was a ton of fun. Check out all the highlights from Toshiba’s booth in our gallery below.

Sony had a big presence at the Consumer Electronics Show this year but we were expecting a more impressive showing from the technology giant. The company had a handful of exciting prototypes on hand including its vision of the tablet of the future, but we were expecting more in the way of innovation where TVs are concerned, especially when companies like Samsung and LG really pushing into new territory this year. Sony did unveil next-generation Google TV-equipped HDTVs with motion control and voice recognition capabilities, but its integration of these new features weren’t quite as impressive as similar offerings from some of its competitors, namely Samsung. Sony had some new phones on hand of course, including the Xperia S and Xperia ion, and there where plenty of other gadgets to gawk at in the company’s booth. CES is especially crowded this year with more than 140,000 attendees, but those of you who couldn’t make the show should check out our tour of Sony’s monstrous booth, which follows in the gallery below.

An image of an unannounced Android smartphone from Sony Ericsson code-named “Nozomi” has been published on a Chinese forum along with limited preliminary details. The smartphone reportedly features a 720p HD display and a dual-core processor, but additional specs remain a mystery. From the image, it looks like the phone features a display sized above 4 inches, and we can also see a unique lighting feature near the bottom of the device. The Nozomi is currently being tested by a carrier in Hong Kong according the forum user who posted the image, though a release could still be several months away. Earlier reports suggested that the Nozomi features a 4.3-inch 720p HD display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread.

[Via Engadget]

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AT&T announced on Monday that it will offer the LG Nitro HD, a 4G LTE Android phone, on December 4th for $250. The Nitro HD is equipped with a 4.5-inch “True HD” IH-IPS display with a 1280 x 720-pixel resolution, an 8-megapixel camera capable of recording HD video, 4GB of on-board storage, a 16GB microSD card and a dual-core 1.5GHz processor. AT&T says the phone’s 500 nit display should allow for true-to-life color rendering and easy viewing even in direct sunlight. The LG Nitro HD will be available on December 4th online and in AT&T stores for $249.99 with a new two-year contract. The full press release follows after the break.

 LG Nitro HD Delivers First True High-Definition Experience for AT&T Customers

Exclusive to AT&T Customers, Android-Powered LG Nitro HD Provides High-Definition Display, Lightning-Fast Processing Speeds and AT&T 4G LTE Capabilities

Dallas, Texas, November 28, 2011

Key Facts

• LG Nitro™ HD, the first smartphone in the AT&T* portfolio with a true high definition screen becomes the third 4G LTE smartphone for AT&T customers.
• Available in AT&T stores and online Dec. 4 for $249.99 with a two-year commitment.
• Dual-core 1.5 GHz processor and access to AT&T’s 4G LTE makes Nitro HD the ultimate high-performance super phone.
• AT&T 4G LTE recently expanded to 15 markets. AT&T plans to reach 70 million Americans with 4G LTE by year-end 2011.

LG Nitro HD

The LG Nitro™ HD, featuring a 4.5-inch True HD AH-IPS display, will be available exclusively to AT&T customers beginning Dec. 4 in company owned stores and online. Setting a new standard for a mobile device, LG Nitro HD comes equipped with a stunning true high-definition touchscreen display, a dual-core 1.5 GHz processor and access to AT&T’s 4G LTE where available, making it the ultimate high-performance superphone. Not only is LG Nitro HD powerful and incredibly fast, it also features multitasking abilities and offers the latest evolution in mobile device display technology for higher image resolutions and text readability.

Taking advantage of LG’s new proprietary True HD technology, LG Nitro HD’s 4.5-inch AH-IPS (Advanced High-Performance In-Plane Switching) display supports resolutions up to 1280 X 720 pixels and offers unrivaled color accuracy, brightness, battery efficiency and performance. LG Nitro HD’s 500 nit display luminance allows for clear viewing in direct sunlight and RGB stripe pixels deliver incredibly accurate true-to-life color rendering.

LG Nitro HD offers incredibly quick speed, power and efficiency in a slim design (5.27” X 2.67” X 0.41”) making it easy to view, create and share in HD. LG Nitro HD multitasks seamlessly and with AT&T 4G LTE and HSPA+ where available, it easily browses even the most content-heavy websites and runs HD games with ease, including HD gaming from the Gameloft HD game store and Zynga Poker HD.

An 8-megapixel HD camera and 20 GB of total memory (4 GB on-board plus 16 GB via In-box microSD) allows users to capture and view crystal-clear True HD images and video. Wi-Fi Direct™ technology and DLNA® features offer wireless HD content streaming options, making it easier and faster than ever to share HD content with the people and networks that matter the most.

AT&T is the only U.S. carrier providing 4G using both HSPA+ and LTE technologies. HSPA+, when combined with enhanced backhaul, provides customers with compatible devices 4G speeds, meaning customers get a faster and more consistent 4G experience, even when outside of an AT&T 4G LTE area.

Pricing and Availability

Be one of the first to experience the phenomenon of LG Nitro HD on Dec. 4, available exclusively in AT&T company owned stores and online for just $249.99 after a two-year contract.

Robino Films has posted a video which compares 1080p HD video samples captured by both the iPhone 4S and the Canon 5D Mark II side-by-side. The videographer said the iPhone 4S and Canon EOS-5D Mark II were set so that the frame rate, picture style, exposure and shutter speed were “as close as possible.” The Canon 5D Mark II was equipped with a 50mm lens, ISO was set to 160 ~ 640, shutter speed was set to 1/60th, auto-white balance was activated and the camera was set to record at 30 frames per second at 1080p. The iPhone 4S was simply set to AE/AF locked. The results are quite impressive and aside from some changes in color, the videos actually look quite similar. The Canon 5D Mark II with average lens runs around $3,000 and up. Be sure to catch the video after the break below.

The iPhone 4S is Apple’s top of the line smartphone, but is it just a small upgrade over the iPhone 4 or something entirely different? It looks the same, but does it act the same? New in the iPhone 4S is Siri, Apple’s virtual personal assistant, along with an upgraded camera, twice the speed as far as processing and downloads are concerned, and a redesigned antenna system that also supports global roaming for Verizon and Sprint users. Are these new features enough to upgrade your iPhone 4, though? What about iPhone 3GS owners or maybe even those of you who are stuck using some other smartphone you bought because the salesperson said it was just good as that iPhone your carrier didn’t offer at the time? Read on to find out.

Hardware / Design

The iPhone 4S combines some of the best materials with what is arguably the finest smartphone design on the planet — you don’t even need to see or hold one to know that. Why? Because it’s basically identical to the original iPhone 4 that launched last year in June.

While the iPhone 4S external hardware doesn’t greatly differ from the iPhone 4, there are some subtle and welcome changes. For starters, the iPhone 4S incorporates the updated external antenna design found on the Verizon iPhone 4. Instead of three breaks in the stainless steel middle band that surrounds the handset, there are now four symmetrically placed breaks.

I like this layout better because while Apple’s “Antennagate” issues were exaggerated, it was still a problem at times if you happened to hold the phone in a way that completely smothered the bottom-left corner of the phone. After over a year of consciously and then subconsciously avoiding that spot with my grip, this new antenna design makes me feel a bit more at ease. In fact, I haven’t noticed an issue at all even when purposely applying the death grip across one, two or even all four seams this time around.

There are also a few physical hardware changes like a redesigned home button (mostly from the inside) that should fix reliability issues. While not touted by Apple, I can also tell that there has been a big change with the microphone and speakerphone, but I’ll go into that a little bit later.

The big upgrades with the iPhone 4S are internal. The iPhone 4 wasn’t a slow device by any means; in fact, it performed and felt faster than most other smartphones that had much faster processors thanks to Apple’s complete control over the OS from top to bottom, including the user interface. The iPhone 4S though, is much faster than the iPhone 4 with most tasks, and it offers up seven times the graphics performance of the iPhone 4. Apps open instantly now, there’s no lag whatsoever, web browsing (which was already arguably better than it is on any other mobile device) is even faster now, and gaming on the 4S most certainly has a notable performance increase.

This device, Apple touts, is the first smartphone to incorporate two antennas that is able to switch between them even while on a phone call, offering a superior phone calling experience. This is in addition to being a true world phone for Verizon and newcomer Sprint, who for the first time is offering the iPhone 4S and the previous-generation iPhone 4. In short: Apple made the best smartphone, from a hardware and design perspective, even better.

iOS 5

Apple released iOS 5 as a free upgrade for all iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad, iPad 2, and third and fourth-generation iPod touch owners. It also ships with the iPhone 4S. The new operating system brings some much needed features and enhancements to the iOS platform to play catch up with competitors, while also leaping beyond other platforms in other areas.

A major pain point in previous versions of iOS, for example, was the notifications system. They were obtrusive, they we’re obstructive, they were so old school. Thankfully iOS 5 brings Notification Center, a new pull-down drawer that features all of your notifications from each and every app you’d like in addition the local weather and stocks courtesy of Apple widgets. Instead of a pop-up making you either dismiss it or read the message, new alerts simply drop down at the very top of your screen, allowing you to continue going about your business while of course letting you go into that specific alert if you’d like. It’s a system we’ve seen before, of course, but it’s better in a lot of ways.

Also new in iOS 5 is iMessage. Apple has finally introduced a messaging service that not only eliminates the need for many text messaging packages and saves you money, but also lets you communicate with any other iOS 5 device including iPad and iPod touch devices without a cellular connection. It’s Apple’s version of BlackBerry Messenger, and while it doesn’t offer the ability to request / deny buddies, or offer advanced features like group calendar sharing, it’s an excellent alternative that seamlessly integrates into the Messages app. By default, Apple will use iMessage, signified by a blue chat bubble as opposed to a green one, allowing you to bypass your carrier’s text message service in order to use Apple’s free one instead. Messages also show if they were delivered or read by the recipient, and you can share photos, videos, your location, contacts, and more over iMessage.

Another big addition to the iOS experience that comes alongside iOS 5 is iCloud, which works hand in hand with the brand new iPhone 4S.

With iCloud, you’re able to stop worrying about syncing your content and let Apple push it instantly to all of your computers and mobile devices. For instance, you can start working on a document in iWork on your computer, pick up your iPad when you’re on the sofa and pick up right where you left off, all without saving, emailing, uploading, or anything. The same thing goes with your media and content. Purchase a song from iTunes or download an app from the App Store and it’s immediately available on your other iOS devices and even in your iTunes library on your computer. iCloud works across third party apps as well so you can put down a game you’re playing on your iPhone, pick up your iPad and resume from the level or place you paused at.

Another major iCloud feature is called Photo Stream. After testing this feature for the last few months, I’m completely in love with it. If you have more than one computer, it used to be difficult to manage an iOS device as data including photos could only be synced with one computer. With Photo Stream, Apple automatically pushes your photos to all of your computers and other iOS devices, and it stores up to 1,000 photos for 30 days. Just grab the photos you want, and drag them to an album on any computer or even make one right from the iPhone 4S itself, and you don’t ever have to worry about syncing your photos again.

Other notable iOS 5 additions include the ability to sync your device to iTunes over Wi-Fi instead of plugging it in, wireless nightly backups to iCloud, and important enhancements to the Mail app like the ability to flag your emails, search all content, mark all as read, and more. Lastly, iOS 5 enables you to use your smartphone or device completely PC-free. This means you don’t need to plug it into a computer to set it up — in fact, you don’t have to use a computer for anything if you don’t want. You can make email boxes on the fly, make photo albums, and even set up and manage your Apple wireless network right from your iOS device.

All in all, iOS 5 brings over 200 new features and changes to the iOS platform and they add up to a dramatic improvement over a user experience that was already phenomenal.

Siri

There are a few words I can think of that can accurately describe Siri: game-changing, mind-blowing, revolutionary, empowering. Is Siri really that big a deal? Yes, and here’s why:

In it’s current iteration as a sassy voice-driven personal assistant, Siri is incredible. It’s by far the best artificial intelligence solution that’s ever been offered to consumers (and I’m sure even to most non-consumers as well). Siri not only can respond to ordinary tasks but it also has the ability to extend beyond the device and pull in information from many sources of information like Wolfram Alpha, Yelp, Wikipedia, and more.

There are many people who won’t understand the fawning over Siri, and following the Apple event earlier this month, a part of me was initially skeptical of Siri’s usefulness beyond the initial novelty when I would play around with it and show it off to friends and family. Then I got in my car and drove somewhere. Texting and driving is terrible, but let’s be honest, most of us glance at our phones or worse when we’re in the car. Siri enabled me to get all of my new text messages and emails, reply to my text messages, check my calendar, move an appointment, create an appointment including inviting someone to the meeting, check the weather, play a specific song, find where a specific friend was in the world (using Apple’s Find My Friends app), and make a few phone calls. I didn’t look at my phone once. Now that’s a game changer.

Siri allows you to have a normal conversation with your phone, and it actually is a tad bit… unsettling at first. Asking your phone to move your 1:00 p.m. calendar appointment to 3:00 p.m., call your mother back, text your friend and tell him that the movie he recommended you see was horrendous, how much 1912 times 451 is, how do I get home, remind me to grab my sunglasses when I leave the office, and how the markets are doing is just ridiculous. I’ve asked Siri her age, what her favorite color is, where she is from, and other personal questions, and each time there’s a personal response, most of the time with slight snark.

Now, Siri does have a few hiccups. It relies on the network, so if you’re using something like Optimum’s Wi-Fi hotspots when you’re out and about, this can cause a little bit of an issue as you switch on and off of Wi-Fi access points since Siri won’t be able to connect to the server when you’re disconnecting. And the few times you’re on an EDGE or 1x network, Siri can take a while instead of coming back with a response almost instantly. There are also some times when Siri will mess up, but I have found that even if you don’t say a few words clearly enough, or Siri doesn’t detect them clearly enough, that most of the time the response will still turn out alright. When Siri misunderstands a word, you can also edit it with a simple tap to ensure an accurate response. Then of course there are the comical times Siri doesn’t get what you’re saying at all, but those luckily don’t happen too much.

In addition to Siri, the personal assistant that lives on your iPhone 4S, you’re also able to dictate text in any text field on the iPhone using the new microphone button on the virtual keyboard. This is very similar to a feature Android has had for years. Fortunately, this works way, way better.

It was rumored that Nuance is powering this feature (and parts of Siri), and I’d believe it as this performs just like the Dragon Dictation iPhone app, but being built-in changes everything. Even with background noise, Siri and voice dictation normally worked flawlessly thanks to the iPhone’s second microphone for noise cancellation. Again, while driving, I didn’t have to check my phone once and I could carry on a perfectly accurate text conversation with someone. It’s incredible. When you think that Apple has labeled this as a beta, and that the system will improve over time, this is going to be the next big revolution as far as computer and device input is concerned. We’re actually starting to live in a world where you can speak naturally to your device and it won’t only understand you, but it will give you a little bit of attitude as well. Imagine something like this in different aspects of technology… what about in your TV? Instead of fumbling for the remote and navigating through those terrible, terrible, cable box interfaces, just tell your TV to tune to ESPN, or record a specific show at a certain time, and it’s done. Think about how bad car navigation and voice control is, even in the best automobiles. This is the start of the next revolution in terms of interacting with a computer, just as a mouse was, just as touch was.

Siri works internationally with five languages and a few localizations, though there are some features that are limited to the U.S. for now. Apple will expand Siri to more regions and languages in 2012.

Camera / Video capture

The camera on the iPhone 4S is the best camera I have ever used on a mobile device.

I remember years ago buying a Sharp GX22 and then GX30 camera phone and being impressed at the quality of photos that the phones could take. The first was a VGA camera phone, but it had a better lens than any other phone on the market, and the second featured a 1-megapixel camera. It was the first time I realized that megapixels weren’t the only thing that mattered as far as photos were concerned.

That’s not to say 8-megapixels isn’t impressive on a smartphone, but it’s what those 8-megapixels can serve up that matters, and on the iPhone 4S, they are the best photos I have seen taken on a non-camera. In fact, the camera is good enough to where I have no longer need to bring an actual camera anywhere I go outside of a dSLR for specific purposes. With face detection (it supports up to 10 people in the same photo) exposure is properly set, with the ability to use the volume up button as a shutter button, you no longer have to go hunting around for the on-screen shutter button, and with new features like grid lines that help you compose a shot even better, the camera on the iPhone 4S is a winner.

That’s not even considering how amazing the iPhone 4s is in low-light situations, or how with the new camera button on the lock screen combined with the speed of the 4S and optics, you can take a photo in under 4 seconds from getting your phone out of your pocket — you won’t ever miss a shot again. Photos can now be taken in rapid succession, and with the ability to edit photos right on the device itself, including red eye removal, cropping, and an auto-enhance feature, the iPhone 4S offers the most compelling camera package on any smartphone or mobile device.

As far as the video camera goes on the iPhone 4S, it’s almost equally as impressive. Finally you’re able to capture full 1080p HD video right from your iPhone, and in addition to crystal clear, full-frame 1080p video, the iPhone 4S offers up something even better: brilliantly, using the gyro built into the device (it can sense the device’s orientation and position on three different axes), video captured with the iPhone 4S is automatically stabilized as it’s taken, eliminating almost all shakes and jagged video. Additionally, using the same noise cancellation techniques that the phone uses for voice calling and for interacting with Siri, audio taken with videos is almost always crisp and clear.

Phone / Speaker

Apple’s iPhones have not ever been excellent phones for voice calling. Blame the networks, blame the radios or blame whatever else you want — voice calls were almost never a good experience. I’m extremely happy that the iPhone 4S finally starts to break that mold.

In terms of radio performance, speed and call quality, I am incredibly impressed. I have more service in more places, fewer dropped calls (just about on par with a phone like a BlackBerry 9700, which runs very well on AT&T’s network) and better call quality. The reason for the change? Well, Apple’s new antenna system is surely a part of it as is the updated software on the device, but I think we have to give some credit to the Qualcomm radio that Apple has finally migrated to. Qualcomm is known for making class-topping chips, and this is a welcome change.

Finally, the speakerphone on the iPhone 4S improves on an already solid experience. It’s not only louder than it was on previous models, but it’s clearer as well, offering call and music audio that’s not distorted or choppy. This improvement most likely has to do with Siri in order to ensure the experience with Apple’s new personal assistant is top-notch and crystal clear, but the improvements trickle down into other areas of the device as well.

Battery

Apple notes that battery life on the iPhone 4S should be comparable to the iPhone 4 even though the smartphone features a dual-core processor with two times the speed and seven times the graphics performance over the previous model. The company also notes that the iPhone 4S will perform better in some key areas, like delivering an extra hour of talk time over 3G than its predecessor. It comes at the cost of one less hour of internet usage over Wi-Fi (10% less), and 33% less standby time. At first these sound like big changes, especially in standby time, but over the last few days I didn’t notice much of a difference in battery performance compared to the iPhone 4.

Conclusion

Apple didn’t introduce a brand new iPhone with a radical new case design, larger display, 4G, or the ability to make you a cup of espresso. What Apple did do is drastically improve upon the company’s most successful smartphone ever — and the most popular smartphone in the world — the iPhone 4.

The iPhone 4S is better in every way possible, including being up to two times faster as far as regular use is concerned. It also features the best camera and video camera on a smartphone ever, drastically improved voice calling performance, global support, downloads up to twice as fast, and Siri, a game-changing virtual personal assistant that is the start of a shift in how we interact with computers and mobile devices.

The iPhone 4S comes at a time when most iPhone 3GS users are coming up for their wireless service renewal. The iPhone 4S isn’t just impressive to an iPhone 3GS owner, it blows the doors off almost any Android alternative (I’d say all, but then I’d fear for my survival), and if you’re big on photography, an on-the-go person who might need an extra hand from your phone, or even require the ability to use your phone internationally if you’re on Verizon or Sprint, the iPhone 4S is a worthy upgrade from any smartphone. Whether it’s an iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4, a feature phone or a BlackBerry, this is the best phone Apple has ever made, and there isn’t another company in the world that could deliver all of these features in such a beautifully designed, tightly integrated, and enjoyable packages.

With the iPhone 4S starting at $199 from each of the three largest carriers in the U.S. (finally), Apple is also making the original iPhone 4 available at only $99 for the 8GB model. Make no mistake, this is the most formidable smartphone tag team that exists on the planet, and while you can’t go wrong with either device, the iPhone 4S really pushes what we can do with mobile devices even further into the future.

LG officially announced the Optimus LTE on Tuesday. The phone will make its debut in South Korea and offers a large 4.5-inch display with a “True HD IPS Display” that has an incredibly sharp 1280 x 720-pixel resolution. It is also loaded with 20GB of storage, a dual-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz, 1GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel camera, a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video chat and a 1,830 mAh battery. The Optimus LTE runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and is available in black. “Our goal is to be a leading player in LTE devices by continuously offering best-in-class products based on our LTE patents and knowhow,” LG CEO and President Dr. Jong-seok Park said. Read on for the full press release. 

LG LAUNCHES OPTIMUS LTE, FIRST 4G HD SMARTPHONE IN KOREAN MARKET

SEOUL, Oct. 4, 2011 – LG Electronics (LG) today announced the Korean market
launch of LG Optimus LTE, the first mobile device in the country to offer 4G
connectivity with the highest resolution IPS display available on a smartphone.
Developed in close collaboration with sister company LG Display, Optimus LTE
features a striking 4.5–inch “True HD IPS” display which offers advanced resolution,
brightness and clarity and shows colors in their most natural tones, as they were meant
to be seen.

Optimus LTE also delivers enhanced performance with 1.5 GHz dual-core processor,
running on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS platform. With a large 1,830 mAh battery,
Optimus LTE is perfectly suited for multimedia usage. In addition, the device enables
content sharing seamlessly through HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) and
DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance).

“LG Optimus LTE is the first smartphone in Korea to offer vivid and clear HD content
on a 4G network,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics
Mobile Communications Company. “Our goal is to be a leading player in LTE devices
by continuously offering best-in-class products based on our LTE patents and knowhow.”
According to a recent report by Jefferies & Company, LG was listed as the global leader
in LTE patents with ownership of 23 percent of approximately 1,400 LTE patents filed
worldwide, with a financial value of almost USD 8 billion. LG demonstrated the
world’s first LTE technology in 2007 and developed the world’s first LTE modem
chipset in 2008. LG introduced the world’s fastest LTE technology in 2010 and

LG-SU640 / LU6200 SPECIFICATIONS

Network LTE & HSPA+(SKT) / Rev.A (LGU+)
Chipset 1.5GHz Dual-Core
Memory
20GB (Internal 4GB, Micro SD 16GB),
1GB RAM
Micro SD (up to 32GB)
Display
4.5 inches True HD IPS Display (1280 x 720)
Camera (Main / Front) 8.0 MP AF with LED flash / 1.3 MP
SW Spec (OS) Android 2.3 Gingerbread

Features

Battery 1830 mAh
Connectivity HDMI, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct
Multimedia TDMB
Size Width x Height x Thickness 132.9 x 67.9 x 10.4 mm
Weight 135g
Color Black

Samsung announced is Exynos 4212 processor on Thursday, a new dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 chip. Samsung said the 4212 offers a 25% increase in processing power, 50% higher 3D performance and “double the logic density and a 30% lower power-level over the previous process generation” chip, which currently powers most of its Galaxy S II smartphones. The Eynos 4212 will be used in both tablets and smartphones; currently, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 8.9 run dual-core Tegra 2 chips from NVIDIA. The Exynos 4212 processor also supports 1080p HD video recording and playback. Samsung expects to begin sampling the Exynos 4212 during the fourth quarter of this year. The company also announced a new 16-megapixel CMOS image sensor for tablets and smartphones, as well as a 1.2-megapixel HD video module that will be included in future device for video chat. Read on for the full Exynos press release from Samsung.

Samsung Unveils its Next High-Performance Application Processor for Smartphone and Tablet Devices

Samsung Mobile Solutions Forum 2011

TAIPEI, Taiwan–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a world leader in advanced semiconductor solutions, today introduced the latest addition to its Exynos product family – the Exynos 4212 – a dual core ARM Cortex™-A9 application processor, designed on Samsung’s advanced 32nm High-K Metal Gate (HKMG) low-power process. With best-in-class performance, the dual-core Exynos 4212 offers mobile device systems architects a new solution designed to support a high-quality user-experience and energy-efficient requirements of smartphones and tablet devices. Samsung’s new Exynos application processor is displayed at the eighth annual Samsung Mobile Solutions Forum held at the Westin Taipei.

“As innovative technologies appear on the mobile landscape, the market continues to embrace further developments and performance acceleration in mobile computing”

“As innovative technologies appear on the mobile landscape, the market continues to embrace further developments and performance acceleration in mobile computing,” said Seh-Woong Jeong, executive vice president of System LSI sales & marketing, Device Solutions, Samsung Electronics. “Samsung is addressing this trend with its powerful low-power Exynos family of processors based on its proven design technology and cutting-edge process technology for performance and power improvements at the system level.”

Leveraging its deep sub-micron expertise in high-performance/low-power technology, Samsung designed the Exynos 4212 on its 32nm low-power HKMG logic process technology with dual Cortex-A9 cores. Samsung’s 32nm HKMG process node is specifically tuned to offer a competitive, cutting-edge platform with double the logic density and a 30 percent lower power-level over the previous process generation.

In addition to the 25 percent increase in processing power, the new processor features an enhanced graphics processing unit (GPU) that is capable of delivering 50 percent higher 3D graphics performance over the previous processor generation from Samsung.

The Exynos 4212 incorporates a rich portfolio of advanced codec accelerators that support digital still images, video recording and play-back at 1080p full-HD resolution, an image signal processor and an on-chip HDMI 1.4 interface.

Samsung’s new Exynos 4212 application processor will be sampling to select customers in Q4 2011.

Samsung also launched a new website dedicated to its Exynos family of application processors. Designed to facilitate easy communication with industry partners and end users, the new micro site offers detailed product and event information as well as user experiences. More information can be found at www.samsung.com/exynos.

Samsung on Monday unveiled three new smartphones in South Korea, the GALAXY S II LTE and GALAXY S II HD LTE Android phones, and the Windows Phone 7.5 Mango-powered Omnia W. The GALAXY S II HD LTE is Samsung’s first GALAXY-branded smartphone to feature a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED HD display, with a pixel count coming in at 1280 x 720 equal to 316 ppi. It also features a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 16GB of memory, an 8-megapixel camera with support for 1080p HD video capture, Android 2.3 Gingerbread and, as its mouthful of a name might suggest, 4G LTE support. Read on for more.

The Samsung GALAXY S II LTE features specs that are nearly identical to the S II HD LTE, but the giant Super AMOLED HD display has been replaced by a nearly-as-giant 4.5-inch WVGA Super AMOLED Plus panel. The result will likely be a slightly less expensive price point but no real benefit in terms of pocketability.

Last up from South Korea Monday morning, Samsung took the wraps off the Omnia W, the international version of the Samsung Focus Flash headed to AT&T. The Omnia W features a 3.7-inch WVGA Super AMOLED display, a 1.4GHz processor, a 5-megapixel camera, 8GB of internal storage and Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.5 Mango operating system.

The just-announced GALAXY phones will launch in South Korea ahead of other markets and the Omnia W will launch as the Focus Flash on AT&T this fall. No other pricing or availability details have been made available.

Read [GALAXY phones] Read [Omnia W]

Images and preliminary specifications for the upcoming Motorola DROID HD have reportedly been revealed. Engadget received photos and details from an anonymous source, and the DROID HD certainly looks and sounds like a future blockbuster. Spec highlights include the Gingerbread OS, a massive 4.5-inch display likely equipped with either qHD or even 1280 x 720-pixel resolution, an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video recording capability, a front-facing camera for video chat and an HDMI-out port. The phone also appears to be extremely thin — Engadget estimates its depth to be between 8.5mm and 9mm. Hit the break for a few more images of this imminent flagship phone lined up next to Verizon Wireless’ upcoming DROID BIONIC.

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