When you're talking about the world's slimmest smartphones, which names come to mind? How about Apple's iPhone at 9.3mm thin, or the Galaxy S II at 8.45mm thin? Slimmer again is the Motorola RAZR at 7.1mm thin.

Well, they've all been given their super-slim marching orders from a manufacturer little known in the west. Introducing the Finder from Chinese brand Oppo, an Android smartphone just 6.65mm thin.

It's not just it's svelte frame set to impress either, as the Finder has a pretty nifty spec sheet too.

The Oppo Finder will be powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage. A 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display sits up front with a 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video capture, and a 1.3-megapixel cam up front that records at 720p rounding off the catwalk-friendly phone.

Up for pre-order for 3,999 yuan ($632) from June 6th, it's unlikely to get a UK release. But we can hope, right?

For a side-by-side size comparison video with what appears to be (correct us if we're wrong!) the iPhone 4S, Galaxy S II and Motorola RAZR, scroll down:

Apple have filed a patent for a number of potential stylus accessories to be used with iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad.

The first application is for an optical stylus, using a camera embedded in its tip to track pixels and markings on screen in order to interact with iOS content.

The second focusses on haptic feedback, using a haptic actuator and short-range wireless receiver to generate vibrations from the slate device's bezel.

"An input device capable of generating haptic feedback may help a user navigate content displayed on the screen, and may further serve to enhance the content of various applications by creating a more appealing and realistic user interface," explains the filing.

Though the late Steve Jobs had begun fairly anti-stylus once the iPhone had launched, Apple had previously offered the stylus-packing Apple Newton MessagePad, and more recently in 2010 filed a patent for a pressure sensitive stylus for low-resolution touch sensitive displays.

It remains unlikely however that the next iPad or iPhone 5 will exclusively need stylus input. While it's possible that Apple may introduce their own stylus accessory in the future, this is more likely a patent land-grab in order to block out moves by the competition. The oversized Samsung Galaxy Note for instance has proved that stylus input is still welcomed by many tech consumers, and Apple may be looking to hamstring any future developments by its rivals into stylus technology.

Via: Apple Insider

Tech Digest's recent partnership with mobile phone company O2 has resulted in a donation of £500 to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

The campaign saw Shiny Media staff members, friends and readers donate their old phones and electronic items to O2 as part of the company's recycling campaign.

The donation will go to Great Ormond Street's Kiss It Better Fund for research into the causes and treatment of childhood cancer.

And if you are interested in finding out more about recent cancer breakthroughs go here.

Pictured above is Shiny Media's Managing Director Chris Price presenting the cheque to Great Ormond Street Hospital. If you would like to donate to Great Ormond Street Hospital directly you can go here. And if you have old mobile phones to sell there is more information on O2's website here.

...or so say sources over at the Taipei Times, who state that Sony have been providing components for a next-generation mobile for Apple. Could that device be the iPhone 5?

Speaking to Stone Wu, senior analyst at IHS Displaybank, the publication is claiming that Sony has been working in partnership with Apple on in-cell touch panels, with an aim to ramp up production by May to prepare for an October launch of the sixth generation iPhone.

According to Wu, Sony will be joined by three other display manufacturers in order to meet the massive expected demand.

In-cell touch panel technology allows for thinner-frame smartphone devices, so if the rumour proves true expect to see a super-slim iPhone 5, despite whispers of a larger 4-inch screen.

Via: Apple Insider

Name: HTC One X

Type: Android Smartphone

Specifications: Click here for full specs

Price as reviewed: £29 a month (with £29 upfront cost) from Three

HTC have promised a "quality over quantity" approach to their Android smartphone line-up this year, and the HTC One X represents the pick of their pile. Have HTC made good on the claim, and can the HTC One X do enough to fend off stiff competition from the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5? Read on to find out!

Design

The HTC One X continues in the fine design tradition that HTC established once they'd purchased sharp design firm One & Co. Whether in black or white, the unibody build here is a corker, if perhaps a little big for some tastes.

Measuring up at 134.36 x 69.9 x 8.9 mm and weighing 130 grams, the slightly-curved handset may be a stretch to use for those with smaller hands. But once you set eyes on the One X's gigantic screen, you'll agree it's a fair trade. A 4.7 inch 720p HD resolution display, using Super IPS LCD 2 technology, dominates the front of the smartphone, with vivid, lifelike colours and a pixel density that's a pin-sharp rival for Apple's iPhone and iPad Retina displays.

Around the edges it's a fairly sparse list of buttons and features, and all the better for it in our opinion. The front lower edge of the screen houses three touch-sensitive buttons (something we're still keen on over the Galaxy Nexus's context-sensitive software buttons), while a 1.3MP camera with 720p video calling sits at the top end of the front. A volume rocker sits on the right hand edge, with a power button and 3.5mm headphone jack on the top edge. On the left is a microUSB slot which also acts as a Mobile High-Definition Link to hook up to a HDTV. The One X has had its looks previously described as "minimalist", and we'd agree with that observation.

Flip the phone over and you'll find an 8MP camera, which protrudes a fair bit from the back. It's not too much of an issue though, as the curved design of the phone helps hide the bulge somewhat. You'll also find the microSIM slot on the rear of the phone, which will cause annoyance thanks to needing a small key to access, as well as being a pain in the neck for those upgrading from a regular SIM size. It's part and parcel thought of keeping the device a trim 8.9mm thick though we suppose.

Under the hood, specs are impressive. A quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, clocked at 1.5GHz, means that even console-bothering 3D games will play smoothly, as well as high def video files. 1GB of RAM is a fair amount too, and you're unlikely to experience too much bottlenecking while multitasking with the One X.

As well as standard connectivity options like Wi-Fi and 3G, you'll also find Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC technology tucked away in here. While neither are very useful right now (Bluetooth 4.0 accessories are just coming to market, while the NFC usage is limited to just Android Beam at the moment on the One X), it's some solid future-proofing by HTC. Sadly though, there's no expandable memory over microSD. The built-in 32GB of storage is acceptable, but not expansive.

In terms of battery life, the HTC One X houses an 1800mAh battery. With that stonking screen and the NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor running at full pelt, you're unlikely to get a full 9-to-5 working day's use out of the battery. This is with Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity both on, the screen at maximum brightness, and a few calls and gaming app sessions thrown in. However, a solid low-battery management system means that when the juice is running low, you'll likely be able to keep the device ticking over until you're back within reach of a charger. Standby battery drain is solid too, meaning you'll likely get two whole days with the screen off before the device conks out entirely. Those looking to get intensive use out of the HTC One X will find their hopes further hindered by a sealed battery compartment; they'll be now battery pack hot-swapping halfway through the day with this one.

Interface and apps

The HTC One X fuses the stock Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS from Google with the company's much-loved and ever-evolving HTC Sense UI, this time being version 4.0. It's a snazzy re-skinning of Android, that uses 3D designs and a rotating set of seven homescreens to house your most used widgets and apps.

While regular Sense features like the exploded "helicopter" view of homescreens (accessed with a pinch on any of the 7 main screens) returns, Sense 4.0 also tweaks some interface elements. For instance, settings are now accessed from the drag-down notifications bar instead of having a dedicated key, while notifications themselves are larger and can be individually swiped away. The apps menu now scrolls left to right rather than vertically, and the lock screen now lets you drag and unlock notifications and messages as well as quick-launching apps like the phone dialler and camera.

Slightly less successful is the dedicated multi-tasking key, which throws up a 3D scrolling list of apps currently in use. Though pretty, it's the one notable culprit for causing lag on the device, with multi-tasking likely be the time you're trying to avoid time wasting the most. Overall though Sense 4.0 is a great success, and as with any version of Android, can be easily customised to your liking by long-pressing and dragging about onscreen elements.

In terms of pre-installed apps, the HTC One X has a fine array popped in to get you started. As well as all the standard Google products (and the Google Play store for grabbing more apps), Facebook and Twitter, you get a premium version of Dropbox for cloud-syncing a giant 25GB of files and media, the superb EverNote note taking app that syncs images, text, audio and web clippings across all your EverNote-using devices, and HTC's own Note app that ties your scribbles and audio notes to appointment and calendar details. We're less keen on 7Digital as the default MP3 store, and the Movie Editor is cumbersome, but on the whole it's a strong offering.

Web browsing is mostly excellent too. While page rendering speeds are surprisingly slow considering the quad-core processor onboard, navigation and legibility are superb. The screen comes into its own when displaying image-heavy sites, and you'll happily be able to browse with the One X at length. HTC still does the best text-reflowing on mobiles, and you'll be able to zoom into a size tailored for you and see text intelligently shuffle into a readable column. A new "Reader" function, pulling out the text and key images away from the advertising and formatting chaff of websites also helps deliver a great browsing experience. Flash is onboard too, meaning that any websites using the divisive format will be displayed in full.

Calling and Messaging

Contacts integration is as strong as ever from HTC with the One X. Long have HTC been way ahead of the curve when it comes to tying in social networking pals to the address book, and HTC have fine tuned the system once again. Quickly populating the address book with details and images from your Facebook and Twitter pals, you'll instantly have all the contact information you need once you've signed into the big two social networking sites for the first time. Large contact photos make browsing the book easy too, with images prioritised automatically from the ones your contacts pick as their Facebook profile snaps.

From a contact's listing you can quickly send SMS messages, social networking updates and emails, as well as making calls, as well as offering the option to consolidate contacts that are doubled due to conflicting listings (handy for when your pals use silly Twitter handles that don't match up with their real-world personas). From the contact's listing you can see messages sent by them to you too. You can even group together contacts for quick group messages, making a widget of the gang for easy access from a homescreen. It's all intuitive and highly flexible.
Calling is well delivered too. A Smart Dialler lets you search for a contact through the dialler with both letters and numbers, and overall call quality was excellent, with a smart noise cancelling system really making a significant difference. There were a few signalling issues, but overall it's a very reliable blower.

HTC's email client is well designed too. While you get the superb stock Gmail app as part of Android (synced along with webmail and exchange accounts upon the devices initial set-up), HTC's offers threaded messages, flagged messaging and also smartly identifies web links and phone numbers. Whether you're using email, webmail, SMS, MMS, Google Talk or an IM+ app, the software QWERTY on here delivers a comfortable tap-typing experience. HTC have built a really nice sized keyboard, and when paired with a clever predictive text system, you'll quickly be tapping out lengthy messages without any fuss.

Media playback

If you intend to use the HTC One X as your primary music-playing device, you're in for a treat. Not only do you get Beats Audio sonic enhancements to practically every major music playing app on the Android market, but you've also got a really nifty stock Music Player from HTC. As well as being very visual, with high-resolution artwork supported as well as homescreen widgets, it has masterful integration with the SoundHound app, putting artist information such as lyrics, bio and gig listings just a tap away while listening to tracks. AAC, AMR, OGG, M4A, MID, MP3, WAV and WMA formats are all supported. There's an FM radio built in too once you're sick of your own catalogue of tunes.

It's a shame the video library isn't presented as nicely. Bunged into the Gallery app along with your photos, the only cataloguing system offered is for those that can be bothered to pop videos into folders. Otherwise, you simply get a collage of small thumbnails of videos with no descriptive data to work with. If you've got, say, a series of TV shows that all open in the same way, you'll find it tough to differentiate between them. Grab a third party app for this functionality as soon as you fire up the phone if you decide to grab one.

Actually watching videos is much better though, with crisp, high definition video delivered without a stutter. Pushing content to a big screen is easy too thanks to DLNA compatibility, but you may struggle when playing certain file types. MP4 and 3GP files play without a hitch, but we could rarely find AVI's that work, a pity considering they're among the most commonly downloaded.

Gaming, somewhat surprisingly, may prove one of the biggest draws to the HTC One X. The NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, when paired with Tegra-optimised games, delivers some of the best handheld gaming currently on the market, iPhone-be-damned. Jet Ski game RipTide for instance looked phenomenal, with nifty water effects and wave-bobbing physics. Gaming of this intensity will be a big drain on the battery, but it's great while it lasts.

Of course, when it comes to media and gaming, a large drawback of the HTC One X will be the lack of expandable storage. 32GB is a fair amount, but once you're drawn into what the phone can pull off with HD video and 3D gaming, you're going to see that space fill up very quickly indeed.

Still Camera and Video

HTC have made some great strides with the rear stills camera on the One X compared to their previous efforts. An 8MP snapper with LED flash, it's pairing enhanced optics with the souped-up NVIDIA processor to great effect.

Firstly, there's the cracking shutter speed. The One X can take as many as 10 shots per second, with often excellent results. Dial the option back a bit to the standard capture speed and you're looking at around three seconds between photos; not class-leading, but hardly a bad mark against the phone's name. There's no dedicated shutter hardware button, but when paired with the lock-screen camera launch ability, we think you'll hardly miss a key moment as a result of its absence.

Secondly, there's plenty of scene selection options and filters. From bold, colourful options to more tasteful, muted reworkings of your images, there is plenty to play about with. High Dynamic Range mode, while tending to blur more than Apple's offering does, tends to work well too, evening out contrast levels based on optimal lighting in an image. You've got a reliable Macro mode and an easy-to-use Panorama mode (with onscreen instructions) on offer here too.

Lastly, you're given a wide range of image settings to play with, giving you control over saturation, sharpness, exposure settings and more. It's a comprehensive camera delivered by HTC here, and one that will please those looking to flog their aging compact camera on eBay.

Video recording (at a maximum of 1080p Full HD resolution) offered just as impressive an amount of options. You can shoot slow motion video, take photos while recording HD video at 30fps, and even capture stills from a video you've shot and are playing back at a later date. Videos shot on the camera look great when played back on the phone's onscreen, but the results are a little patchy when blown up to a big screen, with a slight grain covering captured video and lacklustre audio clarity captured by the dual microphones.

Verdict:

The HTC One X is the best phone HTC have put out in years. Beautifully designed and powerful to boot, it has an intuitive, attractive interface, and one of the best still camera systems money can buy inside a smartphone. However, a few failings (namely battery life, video capture quality and the way HTC have presented the video library) drag things down a little. It's still probably the best smartphone on the market right now, but with the Galaxy S3 hitting stores in just a matter of days, and a new iPhone expected before the year is out, we wonder how long it can hold onto that lofty title for.

The ROM for Samsung's soon-to-be-released Galaxy S3 Android wonderphone has been leaked online, meaning that those with a penchant for fiddling about under the bonnet of their Google-powered handsets can pop it into their phones and give it a test run.

Those who have rooted their Android phones can use the ROM to add new Samsung Galaxy S3 functionality like S Voice, Pop-up Play and Smart Stay on their devices.

Pop-up Play allows you to drag a floating, pop-out video across any other app you may be using simultaneously, while Smart Stay manages the auto-time out of your screen by tracking your eyes and switching off when you're not engaged with the device.

S-Voice (available as a separate download from the full ROM) is Samsung's answer to Siri. It's a voice activated personal assistant that lets you search the web, set reminders and take notes, just by speaking to the phone.

A few notes before starting though. Firstly, the full ROM download is a hefty one at 800MB, so make sure you're grabbing it over Wi-Fi with some storage space clear on your device. Secondly, you're likely going to have to wait for a custom ROM to be released for your device before getting it to work properly. Older Galaxy handsets should work fine right now, and eventually all Ice Cream Sandwich-powered Android devices should work.

For our full first impressions of the Samsung Galaxy S3, click here.

Via: Android Police

The LG Eclipse 4G LTE has had its dignity violated by BriefMobile, who've yet again exposed the undressed innards of LG's forthcoming quad-core smartphone.

The Eclipse, also known at the LG LS970, is now said to boast new features including NFC technology and a 2100 mAh removable battery, alongside the previously revealed 13MP camera, 4.67-inch HD display, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory and 1.5GHz quad-core processor.

UK fans shouldn't hold their breath though; the Eclipse is rumoured to be a US Sprint network exclusive, making it unlikely to reach our shores.

As for release timings, LG's other quad-core offering, the LG Optimus 4X HD, is due in June, so we'd expect this to fall a little further down the line so as not to cannibalise both phone's sales.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is proving quite the popular handset, according to a new report on the pre-order numbers for the Android smartphone.

Though not hitting stores until May 30th, there have already been a giant 9 million pre-orders for the Ice Cream Sandwich quad-core device. The Korean Economic Newspaper published the figures, also stating that the manufacturer's South Korean production plant is having to hit orders of 5 million units a month in order to meet the expected demand.

It's been a strong start to the year for Samsung, who posted superb financial results despite the downturn in the Asian electronics industry, which saw them overtake Nokia for the first time to become the world's largest mobile manufacturer.

For our initial thoughts on the Samsung Galaxy S3, click here, and check this post to see how it shapes up against the iPhone 4S.

LG's first quad-core smartphone device, the Optimus 4X HD, has been given a June release date.

First revealed back in February at MWC 2012, it's also LG's first Android Ice Cream Sandwich handset. Packing in a NVIDIA 1.5GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor, a 4.7 inch True HD IPS display, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, it's an impressive feature list from LG's latest.

An 8MP camera sensor sits on the rear, capable of full HD video recording, while a 2,150mAh battery gives even the capacious offering found in the Samsung Galaxy S3 a talking down.

However, despite currently having flagship status over at LG, the Optimus 4X HD already looks ready to be superseded. The LG G, AKA the LG Eclipse 4G LTE has already been leaked online, and offers a spec sheet even more lustworthy.

No exact release date or pricing details are available at present, though some may now feel it more worthwhile holding back for the LG G instead.

Name: Sony Xperia S

Type: Android Smartphone

Specifications: Click here for full specs

Price as reviewed: £379.98 from Amazon, SIM-free

Sony's first own-branded smartphone, and the company's first flagship handset since the split from Ericsson, there's a lot riding on the Xperia S. With a stylish design and a top-notch specs list, does it do enough right to deserve a reception any better than the lukewarm response to the Sony/Ericsson lines that have preceded it? Read on to find out!

Design

Sony's Xperia S sets itself apart from the Android-touting crowd with a keen eye for design, at least aesthetically. A glossy black front with a matte-black backing, the phone has a thin see through strip on the lower half housing the antenna. It's a good looking smartphone, and worthy of Sony's flagship status.

Most eye-catching of all is the 4.3 inch touchscreen up front. Using Sony's Bravia HD technology, it's running at a high 1280x720 pixels resolution. Pin-sharp, the Xperia S's display is vibrant and bright, and you'll have no problem staring at its screens for extended periods of time. It's a beauty, up there with Apple's Retina display.

Curving on the back, it's a fairly big handset though. Measuring up at 128 x 64 x 10.6mm and 144g, a bottom-heavy plastic design means that it can be a little uncomfortable in the hand, sliding if not held carefully.

On the top you'll find the power button and 3.5mm jack, with little of note on the bottom edge. On the right hand side you'll find a mini-HDMI out port and volume rocker, as well as a dedicated camera shutter button which is always nice to see. The left hand side has a covered charging port, while a 1.3MP camera sits on the front next to the earpiece, with a 12MP camera sitting on the rear.

1GB of RAM and 1.5Ghz dual-core processor keeps things ticking along nicely, with 32GB of built-in storage space, though there's no room for microSD expansion. Wi-Fi, HSDPA, Bluetooth and NFC connectivity also feature.

There are a few strange design choices here though. Firstly, the rear has a small Sony Ericsson emblem on the bottom, unusual considering the two companies have now parted ways. Also, the charging port cap is a little unnecessary, and a real pain to pop back on when you're finished charging the phone. Most annoyingly though are the three touch buttons sitting above the antenna strip. Though their icons are actually etched into the clear plastic line, tapping them does nothing. Instead you have to push three small dots just above each icon, themselves being annoyingly unresponsive.

In terms of battery life, Sony estimate 8:30 hrs of talk time and 420hrs standby. With all the connectivity options switched on and the screen running at full brightness, we'd say that's an optimistic estimate at best. You'll squeeze a working-day's worth of juice out of the 1750mAh battery, so long as you're using the phone frugally. To make matters worse, the battery is sealed into the device, meaning no hot-swapping if you've got a spare handy, and no replacing it after a few years if it gets a bit knackered.

Interface and apps

The Xperia S comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread as its OS. That's fine, being perhaps Android's most well-trodden version to date, but it's a disappointment considering how many handsets are now opting for the 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich build instead. The Xperia S will undoubtedly get the update (the latest rumour points to a June release), but you'll have to wait a while yet.

Sony's TimeScape UI sits on top of the stock Android offering, and looks the part on this striking display with Live wallpapers and a clever assortment of widgets spread across 5 homescreens. From social networking aggregators to image-heavy contact shortcuts, it's probably the best version of TimeScape yet. As with all Android devices, everything can be dragged, dropped and customised to your liking too.

Browsing the internet on the Xperia S is a joy thanks to the stunning screen, with clearly legible text no matter what the zoom level. The browser's accurate text-reflow system makes reading longer passages simple, while full Flash support means you're getting a full-fat web browsing experience.

With access to the full Google Play app store, you'll be easily able to grab anything else you may need, but the pre-installed app list on the Xperia S is fairly generous. As well as the stock Google Mail, Calendar, Maps, YouTube, Voice Search and Navigation, Sony throw in a few treats of their own.

Firstly, there's the Media Remote. It's only of use if you've got a compatible Sony television, but it's handy if you do, turning your handset into a touchscreen remote control.

Sony are also showing off their other media partnerships with the Xperia S. There's a free Xperia Football Downloads app which has content from the UEFA Champions League, and a Lets Start PS store offering PlayStation content.

There are also portals to Sony's Music/Video Unlimited subscription services if you're looking to get new music or movies onto your device, as well as a lite read-only version of OfficeSuite for document viewing and Wisepilot GPS guidance if you're not a fan of Google's Navigation.

Calling and Messaging

The Xperia S uses the stock Android address book, but gives plenty of options as to how to populate your contacts list. You can quickly fill your address book up by syncing the phone with a computer Facebook. WhatsApp, Exchange Active Sync, SyncML and Google, filling up the phone with addresses, numbers, email addresses and web links. Facebook integration also uses the "Facebook Inside Xperia" function to pull in calendar and gallery content too, which is a nice touch, though not as fully featured as, say, HTC's Sense UI or the Windows Phone user experience. Big images sit alongside favourite people in the address book, alongside the phone and contact tabs.

Call quality was uniformly excellent, with clear voices sounding naturally bass-y, with noise reduction tech built in working well.

Messaging is of the high standard we've come to expect from Android, with notifications of emails and messages easily accessed by a pull-down top drawer. Emails are handled either by the superb Gmail app, or Sony's own app, which is equally good, though there's no universal inbox on offer.

A strong software QWERTY keyboard with Swype-style functionality also makes tapping out lengthy messages a piece of cake, with a dependable auto-correct offering onboard. Messages can be sent either directly from a contact listing in the address book, or from any of the individual messaging apps themselves.

Media playback

The gorgeous display on the Xperia S lends itself well to media playback, as does the dual-core processor. HD videos play without a hitch, with extensive support for all the usual file-format suspects. There's also wide-ranging audio format support, including; MP3, 3GPP, MP4, SMF, WAV, OTA,and Ogg vorbis. There's an FM radio built in here too.

Sony take few chances with the library player app for video content, giving thumbnail screenshots of the videos alongside some brief details of the clip. The music player app is more exciting though, with large album artwork, Gracenote integration, and links to artist info via Wikipedia and karaoke versions of your songs thanks to the wonders of YouTube . Whether you're watching video or listening to an album, you'll want a pair of headphone handy; the loudspeaker here is lacking any bottom-end depth, and sounds particularly tinny.

DLNA compatibility means it's easy to share content wirelessly from the phone, particularly if you've got other Sony products like a compatible TV or PS3 console as part of your entertainment system. Our test stream to a PlayStation 3 worked perfectly, with not a stutter to be seen, and video scaling nicely on the 37-inch display. If you've got no way of using the DLNA features, there's also a handy HDMI-cable included in the box.

With such a beautiful screen and superb media capabilities, it's a shame there's no microSD card support. Though 32GB is a generous amount of storage, we'd expect many users will want a whole library of HD video squeezed into the phone, which may be a struggle due to the omission. Likewise, the lack of support for Mac users will be seen as a giant oversight by Sony; Apple fans will struggle to side load media onto the phone.

Still Camera and Video

Sony's still camera on the Xperia S is a very impressive one, but that 12MP sensor comes with a concession. When shooting at the highest resolution, you're locked into a 4:3 image ratio, rather than the 16:9 fit for the display. Drop the sensor down to 9MP and you get that 16:9 ratio at the expense for a tiny drop in pixel density, near invisible to the naked eye, but it's worth mentioning for those looking to shoot at the maximum resolution.

Regardless, it's a very impressive still shooting offering. Images are very sharp with superb colour reproduction, firing away quickly from the dedicated shutter button thanks to the speed of the processor. It's a shame there's no tap-to focus, though the phone does well to pick up key details, with both a face detection and macro modes. A strong LED flash illuminates even pitch-black scenes, giving a warm glow to shots, though obviously lacking the detail of a dedicated camera in this regard.

There's also a decent selection of scene settings, as well as a good Panorama mode and a 3D Panorama mode which overlays images shot at slightly different angles for viewing on a 3D-capable TV screen.

Video capture, at a max Full HD 1080p resolution, was equally impressive. Though the image stabilisation option (on by default) gave results too choppy for our liking, the sensor reacted well to quickly changing light sources, leading to colourful, sharp clips. Again, there are plenty of scene setting options onboard.

Verdict:

Despite a few design hiccups, the Xperia S handset is Sony's best phone in a long time. It looks great, with a HD screen that really shines. Sony's re-skinning of parts of Android is sensibly handled and almost always useful, while the camera is among the best we've seen. It's a little uncomfortable in the hand, and the lack of a microSD slot is annoying, while Mac users should give the handset a wide berth altogether. Despite these failings though, impressive media playback mean Sony are back in the smartphone race.

What appears to be an official spec sheet and an image of the final build of the HTC Desire C Android smartphone have appeared online. And, as previously reported, it looks to be a budget friendly offering from the Taiwanese handset manufacturers.

Also rumoured to be called the HTC Golf and Wildfire C, the latest image and details on the phone appeared in a Portuguese Vodafone catalogue for May, giving added credibility to what follows.

Positioned as a low-end HTC phone, it'll come complete with a 3.5-inch (320x480) display, 600MHz processor, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, 4GB internal storage, 5MP rear facing camera and Beats Audio technology.

Pricing looks competitive, with a €200 (around £160 / $250) tag making it well placed to take on the LG L3 and recently-revealed BlackBerry Curve 9320.

Appearing in the May catalogue in Portugal, we'd expect a launch fairly imminently for the phone, just as our sources suggested.

Via: GSM Arena

Showing they're not just all about high0end Android phones, Samsung have today lifted the lid on their latest Windows Phone 7.5 Mango handset, the Omnia M.

Featuring a 4 inch Super AMOLED screen powered by a 1GHz processor, the 10.5 mm thick handset has a 5MP camera with auto-focus and flash on the back, with a front-facing VGA camera for video calling, as well as Wi-Fi and HSDPA connectivity. Just 4GB of storage space is onboard (with no sign of microSD expansion) and when paired with just 384MB RAM it's not looking an incredibly exciting handset in terms of hardware.

But it's the software side of things Samsung are hoping will catch the casual smartphone fans eye. As well as standard Windows Phone features like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Windows Live feed aggregation through the Windows Phone's People Hub and 25GB of cloud based SkyDrive storage, there are a handful of bespoke Samsung apps inside too.

The Samsung ChatON app lets users send instant messages freely to Windows, Android, iOS or BlackBerry users, and has the capacity for group chat too. Samsung AllShare lets users stream films, music and gaming apps to compatible TVs, while Family Story allows for the quick sharing of media files across multiple Samsung devices.

No firm pricing or release date info yet, but European smartphone buyers are confirmed to be the first to get a chance of grabbing the handset.

LG's next quad-core smartphone has leaked online, and it's a bit "street".

Codenamed the "LG G",this gangsta handset will likely ship with the name Eclipse 4G LTE, with a product code of LG LS970.

Under the hood, it's said to be packing a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor with a generous 2GB of RAM, making it (by the numbers at least) a more powerful hadnset than even the HTC One X or Samsung Galaxy S3.

On the rear will sit a 13MP camera, with a 1.3MP one on the front, alongside a 4.67-inch WXGA (1280x768) LCD display and 16GB of internal storage, all squeezed into an 8.6mm chassis. All in all, it's looking not too shabby.

Spare a thought however for LG's Optimus 4X HD. The company's first quad-core smartphone, revealed back at Mobile World Congress 2012, we're still waiting for it to hit stores. It looks now that it's already lost its flagship status, before it was even given a chance to strut its stuff.

Via: Brief Mobile

Reports are coming in from across Europe that the Samsung Galaxy Note is finally getting the long-awaited Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS update.

As well as all of the standard Android 4.0 benefits the update brings, Samsung have popped a few tweaks of their own into the new software.

The TouchWiz UI 4.0 skin gets a few performance tweaks, while the S-Pen applications S Note and My Story, allowing for a mix combinations of notes and digital content and the creation of personalised digital e-cards respectively, are also included.

However, Samsung have been a little more coy as to when the update will hit UK handsets. "Samsung UK will confirm details regarding the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for Galaxy Note in due course," is the current official line.

Still, at least the roll-out is now underway, so we expect it shouldn't be too long before UK Note owners get the update too.

Not to be outdone by Samsung's announcement that the Galaxy S3 is to be the official handheld of this summer's London Olympics, HTC have announced that their CEO Peter Chou will be among the runners in the Olympic torch relay.

Chou will carry the Olympic flame on July 6th, three weeks before the opening ceremony in Stratford

Chou has been given the opportunity for his contribution to the mobile industry and economy of Taiwan.

Here's hoping his own organic batteries last a bit longer than the average smartphone does...

Via: Taiwan News

...or so say the tech taddle-tales over at Digitimes. As per usual, the website is citing supply chain sources who are claiming that Pegatron has landed orders for the iPhone 5 that correspond with a September launch window, and Foxconn having received the same for a 7-inch iPad that would ship in August.

Digitimes aren't always spot on with their predictions though, and these latest Apple rumours have a fishy smell too.

If we're going on an annual release cycle for the iPhone, October 2012 would be the more believable launch date, being a year round from the iPhone 4S. And while there is no precedent for a Mini iPad, an August launch feels awfully soon after the (new) iPad 3 launch. Apple have a tendency to launch their tablets in the Spring, though may be aiming at an impulse buyers market in the run up to Christmas, with a smaller device commanding a lower price.

Looking to verify their claims, Digitimes also point out that Pegatron is currently restructuring its workforce to better cater to the demands of Apple. They're said to be shrinking their SI motherboard department in light of smaller orders from ASUS, redirecting resources towards Apple products instead.

HTC are planning an assault on the budget handset market, with a new Desire-branded smartphone to be revealed in the next few weeks.

A reliable industry source has told Tech Digest that HTC have plans to launch a new Desire handset "in the next few weeks", with all evidence pointing towards that launch being that of the HTC Desire C.

The Desire C (apparently seen leaked in the picture above, courtesy of Pocket Now) has been previously thought to be the HTC Golf, or Wildfire C, but now seems to be known as the HTC Desire C.

This is an interesting naming decision, as the Desire brand has normally represented HTC's top-tier offerings, with previous entries having been the Desire S and Desire HD, with the Wildfire range being HTC's budget line.

But, with the recent launch of HTC's high-end One Series, perhaps the Desire line is now being repositioned as HTC's budget smartphone offerings.

Having said that, the rumoured specs are not to be sniffed at, with a 3.5-inch VGA display, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, Android Ice Cream Sandwich with Sense 4.0, 5MP camera, Beats Audio and a microSD slot all tipped for inclusion. With specs like that, it's not that far off of the HTC One V.

More news on this story as we get.

After a brief leaked look at the handset last month, RIM have finally unveiled the BlackBerry Curve 9320, their latest QWERTY-packing phone aimed squarely at the budget market.

The most obvious differentiating feature of the Curve 9320 over previous models in the Curve range is a dedicated BBM button, jumping you straight into RIM's popular free instant messaging application. The app also now integrates Twitter an Facebook, making it a one-stop shop when it comes to messaging your mates.

Above the full QWERTY keyboard sits a 2.44 inch non touch screen, with a low qHD resolution. However, the small touch-less screen helps push battery levels dramatically higher than your average smartphone, with its 1450mAh battery powering up to 18 days of standby time.

512MB of storage is built in, which can be boosted by a microSD card, while 3G, Wi-Fi and an FM radio are all onboard (relative novelties in RIM's cheaper handsets).

Though the spec sheet isn't all that inspiring, the pricing of the Curve 9320 is. You're looking at a mere £139.99 on PAYG for the handset when it launches on May 14th, with the Three network already touting contract deals of £15.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 handset will be the official phone of the London 2012 Olympics, sponsors Visa and Samsung have confirmed.

A limited edition version of the smartphone will be prepared especially for the games, and will include Visa Europe's Visa PayWave NFC contactless payment application. Those with the phone will be able to use the app to pay for items with a simple wave of the phone at over 140,000 pay points in the UK.

"Mobile payment services enabled by NFC technology are gaining momentum around the world," said DJ Lee, executive vice president and head of the Sales and Marketing team of Samsung's Mobile Communications Business.

"The Samsung Galaxy S III has been created with our human needs and capabilities in mind and is the ideal device to showcase the ease and convenience of Visa's mobile payment application at the London 2012 Olympic Games."

"The future is mobile and cash usage will only continue to decline as people use their mobile devices to manage their money, shop and pay," added Sandra Alzetta, senior vice president of Mobile at Visa Europe.

"This summer our partnership with Samsung will showcase all the advantages of the future of payments: security, convenience, speed and flexibility being forefront among them."

However, the limited edition showcase handsets will not be available to buy in stores, as they are for athletes and selected partners only.

In other words, keep an eye on eBay after the games to see these changing hands for astronomical prices.

RELATED | PREVIEW: Samsung Galaxy S3 hands-on

Lenovo are to make a big push into the smartphone market this year after investing £495 million ($800 million) in a new manufacturing plant in Wuhan, China.

Generating an extra 10,000 jobs for a company already established as the world's second largest PC manufacturers, the plant is also expected to deliver tablet devices too.

"As an industry leader, we are aggressively moving forward into the PC Plus era, and with our Mobile Internet Digital Home group actively engaged, we are accelerating development in smart phones, tablets, and other mobile Internet terminal markets," said Yang Yuanqing, Lenovo Group chairman and CEO.

"We're determined to firmly seize the tremendous opportunities for innovation in this market, so that Lenovo's customers have even more opportunities to own our award-winning products, from PCs to mobile Internet devices."

Lenovo are expected to release their first Android handset, the K800, later this month, with what could potentially be the world's first Windows 8 tablet following in October.