A plethora of future Sony handsets with strange codenames were leaked since Q4 2011 and these handsets are slowly becoming reality as their rumored release dates draw closer. Many of these leaks are intentional and Sony simply seeks for feedbacks during the development process to help them to come up with products that are better received by the public.

The Nozomi was an early name for the Xperia S and the phone was revealed recently in the CES 2012; finally, it is now Nyphon’s turn. Months ago we see leaked images of an unknown phone that carried Sony badging and it appeared to be a recent prototype.

It has an interesting design with a mix between old and new styles, with the phone, Sony may intentionally borrow some design elements from earlier Sony Ericsson phones (such as the Xperia Arc S) and the Sony Xperia S. The specification suggested that the phone is less advanced than the Xperia S, although it features an interesting detail, an entirely new screen technology.

A new display called Whitemagic is claimed to provide much better energy efficiency than the current display technologies. Despite its lower power consumption, the phone is expected to have a brightness value of 1000 nits, which is significantly higher than LG’s NOVA display with 700 nits. It means, the phone can be used more comfortably by those who stay outdoor often.

The high brightness value is achieved through an innovative rendering technique, which adds white on the standard color sets (red, green and blue). If implemented correctly, the Nyphon can deliver exceptional brightness without sacrificing vividness on a 4” qHD display, which equals to 275 ppi.

Other than the Whitemagic display, the handset offers pretty ordinary specification details.

The phone will be powered by a fast dual-core processor, which is supported by 1GB of RAM. It still uses an 8Mp rear-facing camera and the 16GB of internal storage can be supplemented by up to 32GB of microSD card.

The phone may come preloaded with Gingerbread (Android 2.3.x), with an Android 4.0 update later on. If Sony can finally make inroads on current display technologies, such as LG Nova and Samsung’s Super-AMOLED Plus, the Nyphon can be considered as another milestone in the smartphone industry.

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The Prada 3.0, the handset uses a 1GHz dual-core processor and runs the Gingerbread (Android 2.3), which will be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) on Q2 2012.

The phone is adorned with the famous fashion label’s logo and a Saffiano pattern is found on the back cover. The phone comes equipped with a 4.3” WVGA display (800 x 480 pixels), which utilizes the NOVA technology. Just like Nova display used in LG’s other handsets, it is a 700 nits IPS LCD screen, compared to 305 nits on an AMOLED screen.

The display technology was introduced in CES 2011 and when compared to Samsung’s AMOLED display, LG’s solution seems to have better brightness and contrast ratio. Other LG’s claim on the display are lower energy consumption, for example, NOVA display is 50 percent more efficient than regular LCD and it consumes 50 percent less energy compared to AMOLED display when producing white areas on the screen.

Like its two predecessors, Prada 1.0 and Prada 2.0, the new phone sports a slim form factor and classic black finish.

The phone is also accompanied by a number of exquisite accessories, such as Prada branded cradle, Bluetooth ear set, several designer pouches and others.

The phone is a vast improvement to the Prada 2.0, which was released 2008. The Prada 3.0 is features an 8Mp rear-facing camera, which includes autofocus and LED flash. The camera can record 1080p videos at 30fps, while the 1.3Mp front-facing camera is suitable for making standard video calls. The phone has 8GB of internal storage, which can be supplemented by up to 32GB microSD card; it allows users to store a large number of media files. Just like many high-end Android handsets, the Prada 3.0 is equipped with 1GB of RAM, which allows the phone to multitask dozens of apps and games at once. The phone uses a 1540 mAh battery, which enables users to have a talk time of 5 hours and a standby time of 330 hours.

Overall, the phone should be capable of satisfying both geeks and fans of the famous fashion label. The powerful processor and the PowerVR SGX 540 GPU can deliver sharp graphics on the stunningly bright display.

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Motorola Motoluxe is mid-range handset and it isn’t intended for US consumers. Subscribers in Latin America can get an unlocked Motoluxe for $400. Unlike Motorola’s dual-core beasts like the Droid Bionic and the super slim Droid RAZR Maxx, the Motoluxe simply offers more pedestrian features and hardware specifications. Even so, the phone has an elegant design, which is pleasing to look at. Weighing at 123 grams and measuring at 117.7×60.5×9.9 mm, the phone feels compact and easy to handle.

It comes with a 4” FWVGA (480 x 854 pixels) display, which is not the highest resolution used in smartphones today, but the pixel density of 245 ppi promises smooth graphics. Overall, the 800 MHz processor and the Adreno 200 GPU can still render text and images crisply. The phone is supported by 512 MB of RAM, which allows users to conveniently multitask a few apps or games on the go. The Motorola Motuluxe features a VGA (0.3 Mp) shooter at the front and an 8Mp rear-facing camera. The phone is powered by Gingerbread or specifically Android 2.3.7.

The phone has 1GB of internal storage, which may significantly put a limit on the amount of apps and games you can install, because there are still many apps that can’t be installed to the microSD card. Luckily, the phone supports up to 32GB of microSD card. The handset doesn’t support LTE, however the 7.2 Mbps HSDPA data connection is usually enough for users of mid-range handsets. Available connectivity options are Wi-Fi, DLNA, tethering, Bluetooth 4.0 (A2DP + EDR) and MicroUSB 2.0
The Motorola Motoluxe comes preloaded wit a customized social widget that can help users to keep in touch with friends, co-workers or relatives.

The dynamic widget will be populated with thumbnails of people you communicate to most, which can help to communicate faster. A custom UI, called MotoSwitch is placed on top of the stock Android interface. Another interesting addition is a notification light, which is located at the lower-left corner.

The phone has a 1400 mAh Li-ion battery, with stand by time of 400 hours and talk time of 4 hours 40 minutes.

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ZTE may not be the most recognizable manufacturer in the industry, but it has deployed a number of affordable Android devices, that were well-accepted in a number of regions, especially Asia. The ZTE Tania features a 4.3” display and it runs Windows Phone 7.5 “Mango”, which deliver the well-known Microsoft operating system goodness. It is interesting to note that ZTE managed to significantly undercut its competitors in terms of price.
Definitely, the ZTE Tania isn’t something that can blow us away, but some might say that it is reminiscent of a previous game changer, the HTC Touch HD, which was released in 2008. Comparison of the sleek Mango to an archaic Windows Mobile may not be what ZTE had in mind, but Tania’s overall design show that the Chinese phone maker have worked hard to compete with major manufacturers.

Still, the ZTE Tania is a highly functional device and the handset feels solid in the hand. Inside, you’ll find a 1GHz processor, which is supported by 512MB of RAM. Available connectivity options are triband GPRS/EDGE, dualband UMTS/HSDPA (14.4 Mbps), Bluetooth 2.1 and Wi-Fi. It also incorporates common types of sensors, such as proximity sensor, accelerometer, ambient light sensor and digital compass. Unfortunately, the phone comes with a mere 4GB of internal storage and only 2.5GB shows up as user-accessible. Since the phone doesn’t have a microSD slot, multimedia junkies will run out of space rather quickly.
Unfortunately, you may find the 4.3” WVGA display a let down, at this moment the Windows Phone 7.5 only supports WVGA resolution and compared to other LCD screen the image quality is rather unimpressive. Never mind the Super-AMOLED options used on high-end handsets, the viewing angle is rather shallow and the backlighting bleed somewhat.

Its 5Mp rear-facing sensor is fast being left behind by consumers of high-end devices, but it is still acceptable in mid-range handsets. Of course, there is a lot more than the pixel count and Tania’s camera does a good job all-round. The Tania has a 1400 mAh battery, which provides 4 hours of talk time and 200 of standby time.

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Major carriers seem to be set on attracting potential buyers by releasing new high-end devices, which are just slight upgrades to the earlier models. The Skyrocket HD is another variant of the Samsung Galaxy S2 family and a direct successor to the original Samsung Skyrocket. Compared to its predecessor, the phone offers overall the same design, with four capacitive buttons, huge display, standard slate design, brushed metal cover and a rear-facing camera. However, the Skyrocket HD is slightly thinner at just 0.4 inches, while the new 4.65” Super-AMOLED 720p display simply looks amazing – the contrast and brightness are excellent, while the colors are vivid, The Super-AMOLED technology allows wide viewing angle and not to mention high visibility under direct sunlight.

Aside from these upgrades, the Skyrocket HD is pretty much equal to the original phone. Performance wise, you won’t find any issues with the 1.5GHz Snapdragon dual core processor that can run today’s most demanding Android games and apps.

The 1GB RAM guarantees a lag-free performance, when running multiple apps at once. Skyrocket HD is a perfect match to the Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), which promises to deliver excellent multitasking environment.

Unfortunately, the phone will be released with the Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread), even so an update to Android 4.0 will arrive soon over-the-air, so it won’t be a big issue. Also, whether you like it or not, the Skyrocket HD will also come with the usual TouchWiz UI.
Other features remain the same, there is the usual Bluetooth, GPS adapters, WiFi, MicroUSB, HDMI, NFC, 3.5mm audio jack, a wide array of sensors and of course the LTE (4G) data connection; they still allow you to perform any kind of tasks. Although the 1850 mAh battery may not compare with the 3300 mAh monster that lurks inside the Droid RAZR Maxx, users can still get a day’s worth of usage.
The Samsung Skyrocket HD will be available only for AT&T and it is a worthy device for any type of user.

The handset will be released before summer 2012 and it will eventually supersede the Skyrocket, which is currently the best phone on AT&T’s stores.

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Among the best features of Samsung’s high-end features are the Super-AMOLED display and finally it is now available on a mid-range device, the Samsung Galaxy M. The phone is a good alternative for those who can’t afford Samsung Galaxy SII or Galaxy Nexus, but still want to have a phone with impressive display. The Galaxy M features a 4” Super-AMOLED display at 720p full-HD resolution, which is usually used on high-end devices.

The letter “M” on the phone supposedly means “magical” as the phone is reasonably-priced, but provides acceptable performance. Samsung is now using a new name standard for its Galaxy line, with letters that denote distinctive seriesm which equals to magical values.
Since the phone is aimed to be more affordable than high-end devices, it won’t carry too many new surprises. The phone reportedly features a 1GHz processor, however Samsung hasn’t revealed the type of GPU used and the amount of RAM available. But it is likely that the GPU won’t be more advanced than Adreno 205 and the amount of RAM would be 1GB or less. The phone is equipped with a 4GB internal storage and users can use up to 32GB of MicroSD card. Unfortunately, the 3Mp rear-facing camera is way below the 8Mp models used on more advanced Android devices and the phone will be powered with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).

The Samsung Galaxy M Style has an ultra-thin design, which is covered by metal layers, that offers elegance and comfortable grip. An unlocked Samsung Galaxy M carries a price tag of about $500, which is $200 cheaper than the unlocked Galaxy Nexus. The phone comes with interesting color options such as platinum silver, blue black and lavender pink. The phone uses a 1650 mAh battery, which means it can still be usable for an entire day under normal usage.
Overall, the Samsung Galaxy M Style is a phone with a supreme outer shell and can easily satisfy users, who only need decent performance level and don’t want to pay excessively for a smartphone. The brilliant Super-AMOLED display may also attract many people.

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LTE technology is on a rise throughout the world, while in the United States, MetroPCS will include one more 4G handset to strengthen its LTE lineup, which can encourage people to subscribe to its fast network. The device would be included in the company’s regulatory- and tax-free service plans that would be available from $50 per month. The phone is powered by a 1GHz processor, which is already considered as mid-range in 2012. Overall, the phone is already powerful enough to run everything Gingerbread (Android 2.3) has to offer. The phone flaunts a decent 3Mp rear-facing camera, which is equipped with LED flash for capturing images and videos in low-light areas, while the 1.3Mp display allows users to make video calls. To complement the front-facing snapper, the Attain 4G comes preloaded with the Google Talk app, which allows users to perform face-to-face chats. Additionally, users can access hundreds of thousands of paid and free apps, tools and games on the Android Market. The phone uses 3.5” HVGA display, which also used by earlier Samsung devices, particularly the Galaxy Ace.
To survive in the competitive market, phone makers and carriers need to deliver devices that fit users’ requirements and reliable communication services. Although, the Attain 4G isn’t exactly a superphone, it fills a sweet spot in the MetroPCS’s network, by delivering LTE connectivity from a decent, affordable device. The Attain 4G packs all essential Android features that subscribers have come to expect, which allow them to get improved productivity and enhanced entertainment values. As a CDMA device, the Attain 4G supports Rev. A (up to 3.1 Mbps), instead of HSPA.
Subscribers with additional entertainment interest should get the $60 plan, to obtain unlimited text messages, voice calls and browsing, also they have the opportunity to access the Rhapsody Unlimited Music service, which contains more than 12 million songs. Other features are Video on Demand, which provides sports, news, TV shows and others on the go. After a $50 mail in rebate, the unlocked Samsung Galaxy Attain 4G can be purchased for $199 and it would available for a limited period of time only, online and through MetroPCS stores

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LG unveiled on of its latest handset, the Spectrum at the CES 2012 and the phone shares plenty of similarities with the LG Optimus LTE, it is a tad heavier than the latter, even so at 141.5 gram the device is still easy to handle. The phone sports a huge 4.5” IPS LCD display with 1280 x 720 pixels resolution, offering the same pixel density with the iPhone 4S; 326 ppi. The display is perfected with the True HD Graphics Engine and protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass.

Just like the Optimus LTE, the phone is powered by a fast 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM and Adreno 220 GPU, which offer the phone an ability to smoothly run any app and game. The Spectrum doubles the internal storage to 4GB and Verizon users can get a free 16GB of microSD card. For video calls, the phone sports a 1.3Mp front-facing camera, while the 8Mp rear-facing camera has LED flash and autofocus. The camera is powerful enough to record 1080 videos fluently. The device also comes with face detection, image stabilization and geotagging.

LG avails ESPN and Netflix apps in its upcoming device and they can help users to watch sporting events and movies on the go. The device also offers SNS, active noise cancellation, predictive text input, organizer document editor and True HD movie editor.
Verizon is considered by some as the best 4G service provider in the country and coupled with the Spectrum’s advanced technology; the phone can become a top-of-the-line product.

The phone will be available on January 2012 and Verizon will sell it for $200, with 2-year contract. There is still no announcement about an upgrade to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), but for $200, users already can get a powerful device with very fast data connection. To sum up, the LG Spectrum is one of the best smartphones in the CES 2012 and it definitely has better capabilities and features than many Android handsets. Even so, it is still not known whether the Spectrum can compete effectively with Galaxy Nexus and latest Galaxy SII variants.

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Motorola Defy Mini is an overall sturdy device, which can fit our rough-handling habits. Because such devices are readily available in many stores, travelers need to consider the Motorola Defy as the reliable smartphone can effectively solidify their communication life. This compact device comes with a small 3.2” HVGA display (320 x 280 pixels), while not exactly spacious, it can still provide good usability. The phone is protected with the Corning Gorilla Glass to prevent accidental scratches and shield the display from typical daily abuses.

The phone has a somewhat underpowered 600 MHz processor, which is supported by 512 MB of RAM. The processor has been used to run many low-end Android devices in early 2011 and Motorola needs to answer why they still use the processor for its new device in 2012. However, experiences with earlier cheap Android handsets showed that, users can still effectively run many apps, although the low resolution display and slow-performance processor prevented the use of resource-intensive HD games.

Camera aficionados have nothing to adore about the phone, as the 3Mp rear-facing camera won’t please all the longings of even an amateur photographer. However, early evaluations showed that the camera can produce much better pictures than other 3Mp phone cameras. The Defy Mini uses Gingerbread or Android 2.3.6, which is starting to get outdated, but it is doubtful if the phone can handle the Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with higher hardware requirements.

The handset is a reasonably priced device; however it doesn’t imply reduced connectivity options. Connectivity features such as HSDPA, HSUPA and DLNA can make users feel they are using a decent product. The rugged built of the device liberates people from worrying about the device, users can handle the Defy Mini in any way they wish. The phone uses the 1650 mAh battery with talk time of 10 hours and stand by time of 500 hours. With sensible usage, the phone could stay usable for one or two days with a single charge.

The phone will be released officially on March 2012 and if compared to other low-end devices the unlocked version may cost less than $200.

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The CES (Consumer Electronic Show) 2012 did nothing short of satisfying tech junkies around the world, for example we saw that another Samsung device is coming its way to the T-Mobile network.

The Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G is among the most capable smartphones on the planet and it supports the 42Mbps LTE network. It is one of the newest Galaxy SIII variants and it will join fifteen other Samsung handsets in the T-Mobile’s stores.

Unfortunately, some of the specifications details are still up in the air; even so it could have the 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor and a 4.52” Super-AMOLED display. It has an overall rounded design that looks amazing and the four capacitive buttons add useful basic functionality. Other than the glass display, the prototype seemed to be constructed almost entirely of plastic, although it is not officially confirmed by Samsung.

It is likely that the Blaze 4G will hit the shelves before Q3 2012 and many are comparing the Blaze 4G with the Galaxy Nexus and even the Galaxy S3.

T-Mobile took time at the event to reveal how they expanded their LTE network and also the Bobsled messaging services. Bobsled messaging allows T-Mobile subscribers to send and receive text messages through data networks for free. Also with Bobsled client app, people can create long messages from a computer and sync them to the phone, which can be sent across other devices and platforms. An iOS version of the app is still in development, which allows Android and iOS users to communicate with each other using the service.

The service is being upgraded continuously and soon users can place voice calls directly to Facebook friends and landlines.
T-Mobile’s 42 Mbps 4G network is expected to cover more than 180 millions Americans and further expansion is planned after AT&T pays up for the failed buyout attempt a few months ago..

Overall the Blaze 4G is a nice phone, but compared with other Galaxy SII variants, the phone is definitely not the most advanced. For example, the Galaxy SII Skyrocket HD uses 1280 x 720 pixels resolution, while the Blaze 4G still uses the WVGA 480 x 800 pixels resolution.

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