Apple is in “crunch mode” to line up apps that will be used for on-stage demonstrations during the company’s iPad 3 launch event, which is said to be scheduled for early next month, TheNextWeb reports. The Cupertino-based company is now looking for apps that will show off the stunning quality of the iPad 3′s high-resolution Retina Display. Apple works with partners to hand-pick apps that highlight the capabilities of new devices during major announcements, and the selection process for Apple’s iPad 3 is now said to be nearing its final phase.

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The Motorola DROID 4 is now available from Verizon Wireless for $199.99 on contract. The sleek QWERTY slider features a 4-inch qHD display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 4G LTE connectivity, 1GB of RAM and an 8-megapixel rear camera, and it is being billed as the “thinnest and most powerful 4G QWERTY smartphone.” Thanks to upcoming network enhancements, the DROID 4 will also be able to roam overseas, making it Verizon’s first 4G LTE device with global roaming capabilities. The handset is also eligible for double data, offering subscribers 4GB of data each month for $30.

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Apple is once again rumored to be going against the wishes of late co-founder Steve Jobs as it prepares to launch a 7-inch version of its popular iPad tablet. While speaking with Computerworld, Technology Business Research analyst Ezra Gottheil said that Apple may be preparing to launch two new products following the imminent release of the iPad 3. One is a case accessory that includes an integrated wireless keyboard, and the second is the oft-rumored iPad mini, which the analyst says will launch later this year. “I believe that’s always been in the plan” Gottheil said. “Actually that’s a good form factor for some users, and although they will also charge a premium above other similar-sized tablets, they want to protect that price flank.” Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs openly opposed the idea of a 7-inch tablet, noting that the smaller screen size inevitably mars the user experience. Even still, this would not be the first time a device would launch that contradicts Apple’s earlier claims. Earlier reports suggested the smaller iPad model will launch in the third-quarter this year.

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All Things D is reporting that Apple is going to hold its annual iPad introduction event during the first week of March. Going one step further, the blog reiterates what the rumor mill (and BGR) has been reporting — faster processor, Retina Display, same basic size and shape, with possibly a dash and sprinkle of 4G LTE. The iPad 3 is expected to be available by the second or third week in March, and iOS 5.1 may be released even sooner.

More details surrounding the design of Apple’s upcoming iPad 3 have been revealed as images of a variety of internal components have been published online along with new images of the tablet’s rear shell and possibly Apple’s new Retina Display as well. Following reports on Wednesday that emerged surrounding a purported image of the iPad 3′s rear case, Cult of Mac has published higher-quality images of the same component along with a number of additional internal parts. While the various components pictured in the new leak show significant differences in many instances compared to their counterparts in the iPad 2, the external design of the upcoming iPad 3 looks like it will only offer a few minor differences compared to the current model, in line with earlier reports. Read on for more.

Separately, Japanese blog Macotakara has published an image of a 9.7-inch display panel with 2,048 x 1,536-pixel resolution. The panel is not confirmed to be destined for the iPad, the size, timing and alignment with earlier rumors certainly suggest this is the case. Apple’s next-generation iPad 3 is expected to launch early next month. Rumors suggest the new tablet will be an incremental upgrade that features a quad-core A6 processor, a new high-definition Retina Display and an upgraded camera. Additional images follow below.

Read [Cult Of Mac] Read [Macotakara]

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.

Verizon Wireless on Tuesday finally confirmed launch details for the latest addition to its popular DROID family of Android smartphones, the Motorola DROID 4. The sleek QWERTY slider will become available later this week on February 10th for $199.99 on contract, as BGR reported earlier on Tuesday. The DROID 4 features a dual-core 1.2GHz processor and is being billed as the “thinnest and most powerful 4G QWERTY smartphone.” Other highlights include Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, an 8-megapixel camera, a 4-inch qHD display and the promise of an upgrade to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The DROID 4 is essentially an updated version of the DROID RAZR, with its QWERTY keyboard seen as only notable difference between the two devices. This makes the DROID 4 the third iteration of the device in as many months, following the recent release of the DROID RAZR Maxx. Verizon Wireless’s press release follows below.

DROID 4 BY MOTOROLA READY TO WORK AND PLAY ON THE VERIZON WIRELESS 4G LTE NETWORK

Power, Speed and Reliability Get the Job Done

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – The award winning DROID 4 by Motorola will be available to handle even the most demanding lifestyles starting Feb. 10 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com.  Introduced at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the DROID 4 is the thinnest and most powerful 4G QWERTY smartphone measuring at less than half an inch thin.   DROID 4 not only features a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, but also a five-row QWERTY keyboard with a PC-like layout and edge-lit keys for fast, precise typing, even in the dark.  Powered by America’s fastest, most reliable 4G network, DROID 4 customers will have access to 4G LTE coverage in 195 markets covering more than 200 million people.

Additional features

• Verizon Wireless 4G LTE – Customers can expect fast download speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage areas
• Android^™ 2.3.5 Gingerbread, to be upgraded to Android^™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• 4.0-inch qHD display with scratch and scrape resistant glass
• Government-grade encryption (FIPS 140-2) for email, calendar and contacts; preloaded with Citrix^® Receiver^™ for Android (available in webtop) for desktop virtualization and access
• 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capture
• Front-facing camera for video chat
• 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot supporting up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices

Business Ready

DROID 4 is designed to help customers get more done.  Business professionals can impress their audience by presenting to a conference room full of potential customers in a snap by plugging the DROID 4 into an HDTV and presenting directly from the phone.  Professionals can also combine the DROID 4 with the Lapdock 500 and its 14-inch display to create a full-featured mobile office.  They can download documents, make edits using Lapdock’s full keyboard and email the updated documents to colleagues or customers.  The Lapdock even features a built-in webcam so customers can attend virtual meetings and manage their business face-to-face.

The Smart Actions app on the DROID 4 helps automate everyday tasks and optimizes battery efficiency by letting customers create rules, such as automatically setting the phone to vibrate during work hours or dimming the display at a specific battery level.

Business professionals can leave their laptops behind and use the MotoCast^™ app to remotely stream documents, videos, music and pictures from their work or home computers to their handset.  The remote access of MotoCast eliminates the need to store documents on the handset as everything is stored on their office laptop.

Pricing and availability

·         DROID 4 by Motorola will be available on Feb. 10 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.

·         The Lapdock 500 is available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online for $299.97.

·         Customers that purchase a DROID 4 will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.

For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. Follow @VZWnews on Twitter for the latest news on Verizon Wireless.

Samsung’s next-generation Galaxy S III will reportedly be one of the thinnest smartphones in the world when it is unveiled in the coming months. South Korea’s Electronic Times News on Monday cited unnamed sources in claiming Samsung’s upcoming flagship superphone will pack impressive specs into a case that is just 7 millimeters thick; the thinnest version of Samsung’s current flagship, the Galaxy S II, features a case that is 8.49 millimeters thick. The site also states that the Galaxy S III will feature an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front camera, a Super AMOLED Plus display and the Android 4.0 operating system. An earlier report claimed the Galaxy S III could launch as soon as April, but Electronic Times News claims the handset will hit store shelves in May. Recent rumors suggest Samsung’s Galaxy S III will feature a quad-core processor, a Super AMOLED Plus HD display, 4G LTE connectivity, 2GB of RAM and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

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Apple has been widely rumored to be readying a Siri-enabled television for release this year, but a new report claims component availability issues will prevent the highly anticipated “iTV” from launching in the first half. Citing unnamed sources within Apple’s supply chain, DigiTimes on Friday reports that Sharp, rumored to have been contracted to supply display panels for Apple’s debut HDTV, is not yet ready to ship the indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) panels Apple will use in its iTV. According to the site’s sources, upcoming HDTV models from Samsung and LG will occupy much of the OLED panel capacity during the first half, so Apple has chosen to instead utilize IGZO panels. Sharp is reportedly not yet ready to mass produce its latest IGZO panels, however, and Apple’s iTV launch may have been pushed to the second half as a result. Apple’s iOS-powered iTV will reportedly support apps and feature voice controls powered by Siri as well as access to on-demand content through iTunes.

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Samsung may launch the successor to its wildly popular Galaxy S II smartphone this coming April according to a new claim. Following the leak of an image depicting what will likely be the first Galaxy-branded smartphone to carry Samsung’s custom user interface atop Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, industry insider Eldar Murtazin noted on Thursday that he believes the Galaxy S III will launch in April. Murtazin has a proven track record and the time frame lines up with earlier reports claiming the Galaxy S III will be unveiled at a press conference some time after Mobile World Congress, which takes place in Barcelona, Spain from February 27th through March 1st. Samsung’s Galaxy S III will reportedly feature a quad-core Exynos processor, a Super AMOLED Plus 720p display, 4G LTE connectivity, 2GB of RAM and Android 4.0 when it launches later this year.

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Following the fall launch of its wildly popular iPhone 4S last year, Apple reportedly plans to return to its summer launch schedule and unveil the next-generation iPhone 5 during its annual Worldwide Developer Conference in June. DigiTimes relayed the claim, which cited a Daiwa Securities analyst when it first appeared in Chinese-language newspaper Commercial Times on Thursday. The continued use of glass-to-glass touch panel technology in the iPhone 5 is the only other detail noted in the report. Apple’s next-generation iPhone is expected to feature a completely redesigned case that utilizes a unibody aluminum architecture much like Apple’s iPad. The handset will also supposedly feature a larger display that measures approximately 4 inches diagonally. BGR reported in December that the new iPhone would feature a new aluminum case and a redesigned antenna system, but our source indicated that a launch would not take place until the fall.

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Apple is planning to unveil its next-generation iPad 3 at a media event in early March and it will launch the new tablet later that month, Japanese blog Macotakara reported on Thursday. Prior to that press conference, however, Apple is said to be planning a separate “unusual” media event in early February. The subject of Apple’s supposed February event is unknown, however Macotakara states that it will not be product-focused. The iPad 3 is widely expected to feature a slightly thicker case than its predecessor to accommodate an upgraded high-definition display and a larger battery pack that will reportedly double the battery life of the iPad 2. BGR published evidence on Wednesday that Apple’s next-generation iPad will also feature a quad-core A6 processor and embedded 4G LTE connectivity.

UPDATE: Loop Insight has refuted claims that Apple will hold a media event later this month. The claim that Apple might unveil its iPad 3 at an event in early March was not addressed in The Loop’s report.

[Via MacRumors]

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Samsung reportedly confirmed on Wednesday that it will not be unveiling the Galaxy S III during the Mobile World Congress trade show next month. The news is partially in line with earlier rumors. Instead, TechRadar reports that the firm has plans to announce the highly anticipated smartphone at a separate press conference later in the first half of 2012. “Samsung is looking forward to introducing and demonstrating exciting new mobile products at Mobile World Congress 2012,” a Samsung spokesperson reportedly said. “The successor to the Galaxy S2 smartphone will be unveiled at a separate Samsung-hosted event in the first half of the year, closer to commercial availability of the product. Samsung stays committed to providing the best possible mobile experiences for customers around the world.” BGR exclusively reported last month that Samsung has plans to unveil a new high-end tablet with a high-definition display at Mobile World Congress, and this device is expected to be the highlight of the company’s announcements in Barcelona, Spain next month.

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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!

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.