Sony have revealed the Xperia S smartphone, set to be their debut own-branded handset since the £869 million acquisition of former partners Ericsson.

Powered by a 1.5Ghz dual-core processor, the phone opts for the Android 2.3 Gingerbread version of Google's OS, rather than the newer Ice Cream Sandwich offering, though an over-the-air upgrade is expected in Q2.

boasting a silky 4.3 inch HD screen, the Xperia S employs Sony's Mobile BRAVIA Engine, which uses some of the company's tech more usually seen in their HDTVs to deliver a smooth, noise-free image onscreen.

An impressive 12 MP camera sits on the phone's rear, using Sony's Exmor R technology for better performance in low lighting. A quick boot up and shutter means a snap can be taken just 1.5 seconds after being on standby, while a 1.3MP camera for video calling sits on the front.

PlayStation certified for access to Sony's catalogue of retro PSOne games, owners will also have access to the Sony Entertainment Network, offering films and tunes from Sony's Music Unlimited and Movies Unlimited apps.

Phones 4U have also announced that they will be exclusively selling a white-case variant of the Xperia S.

Due out in the UK in March, we'll pass on pricing and further availability news as we get it.

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

Sony's Xperia Ion handset cruised into the limelight at CES 2012 today, hitting the AT&T network in Q2 of this year.

Packing a large 4.6 inch display running at a HD resolution of 1280 x 720, the handset also delivers nifty photography skills thanks to a 12-megapixel Exmor R camera, also capable of recording 1080p. In a not-to-be-sniffed-at added bonus, the front facing camera can also record 720p, if you're looking to make some HD vanity videos.

Running Android Gingerbread, the smartphone is also PlayStation certified meaning that you'll get access to retro PS One games, with the device also offering HDMI output and DNLA streaming. A 1.5GHz dual core processor, LTE connectivity and 16GB of internal memory rounds off the spec sheet.

An impressive showing for one of the company's first phones to drop the Ericsson moniker since the two firms spilt, no word yet on pricing, UK release date, or any potential Ice Cream Sandwich Android updates.

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

If it's a QWERTY keyboard and 4G connectivity you're after, this may well be the Droid you're looking for. Motorola's Droid 4 is coming to the Verizon network in the US, as revealed today at CES 2012.

As well as the keyboard and superfast web-connectivity, the smartphone is also packing a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, an 8MP camera and the ability to record 1080p video.

Shipping with Android 2.3.5 (with the promise of Ice Cream Sandwich later down the line), the phone boasts a 4-inch qHD screen, with 16GB of built in storage. The MotoCast app (that featured in the Razr) which allows for streaming of photos, videos and music across devices, will also be pre-loaded.

Will the Droid 4 make it to the UK? It's hard to say. The original Droid, or Milestone as it was called over here, was favourably received, but the Droid3/Milestone 3 never hit our shores.

With the UK still lacking 4G connectivity in all but a few trial regions, it's unlikely we'll see this one either.

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

Star of AT&T's CES 2012 press conference was undoubtedly the HTC Titan 2 smartphone.

A whopping Windows Phone device, it's touting a ridiculously neat 16MP camera on the rear, that boasts a dual LED flash, BSI sensor for low-light, and 720p video capabilities.

Unveiled by HTC's CEO Peter Chou, he called the device a "true showcase", demoing its unique, Android-like widgets.

As well as the impressive camera on show, the phone will also be able to connect with AT&T's LTE network for faster download speeds.

Other specs include a 1.5 GHz processor, 4.7 inch WVGA display and 1.3 megapixel front facing camera.

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

All hail the new king of super-slim phones. Huawei have used CES 2012 as the platform to reveal their latest Android handset, the Ascend P1 S, which is the latest smartphone to claim the "world's thinnest" title at just 6.68mm thick at its thinnest point.

That matters little if what's under the hood is shoddy though, but Huawei seem to have managed to squeeze in some impressive kit despite the size.

Sitting under a luxuriously colourful 4.2inch AMOLED display is a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, based on the a TI Cortex A9 chip. Huawei, unlike many competitors, have pushed the boat out and popped the Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) OS onboard too.

That flash-looking screen is protected by Gorilla Glass, which will also help defend internal components like a GX 540 graphics processor and impressive 1800mAh battery from bumps and drops somewhat.

1GB of RAM should keep apps running smoothly, while snappers can shoot happily with an 8MP stills/720p video capture combo.

Despite an impressive spec sheet, Huawei are hoping to get this on shelves by the end of March for around £260 ($400). Not a bad looking deal in our books. Samsung's mobile offerings will have to work hard to top this at CES this year.

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

A short CES press conference from LG threw up few surprises (plenty of web-connected home appliances are on the way, as well as a few as-yet-nameless thin bezelled Cinema 3DTVs and that gorgeous 55-inch OLED), but one unexpected arrival was the LG Spectrum smartphone.

Looking set to hit the Verizon network in the US, it's an LTE capable handset, packing a 4.5-inch HD (1280 x 720) IPS display utilising RGB, notable for its low battery drain and great performance in direct sunlight.

Under the hood is a Qualcomm 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, with an 8MP camera on the rear and 1080p video capture capabilities. There's also a 1.3MP front facing camera on board, as well as the ability to play about with HDMI mirroring through MHL.

No Ice Cream Sandwich here; it's strictly Android Gingerbread for the time being. However, LG are throwing in a few software firsts, in the shape of ESPN ScoreCenter content in HD, as well as a SmartMovie HD app for on-the-go video editing.

Best of all is probably the price point. Launching at just $200, it looks like LTE phones are set to move into far more affordable territory in 2012.

No word on the release of a UK variant yet, but with Blighty dragging its 4G heels, it's unlikely we'll see this exact model hitting our shores.

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

Two brand new smartphones dashing out of Motorola's stable today, the svelte Motoluxe for fashion-concious mobile fans and the Defy Mini for hardy adventurers.

First off, the Motorola Motoluxe, shown off in the video above. Described as a "hip device [that's] perfect for writing emails, surfing the Web and watching movies", it features a 4-inch edge-to-edge touchscreen display, 8MP rear camera, VGA front-facing camera and a 1400mAh battery that offers 6.5 hours of talk time and 19 days standby.

Next is the Motorola Defy Mini, seen in the video directly above. It's dust and scratch resistant thanks to Corning Gorilla Glass used in the 3.2 inch touchscreen display. It also has a 3MP rear camera and VGA front facing one for video calling. The Defy Mini's 1650mAh battery is good for up to 10 hours of talk time and 21 days of standby time, while the phone's UI has an "Instrument Dashboard" for easy access to apps relating to outdoor pursuits.

Both handsets come packing Android version 2.3 Gingerbread, and feature the MotoSwitch user interface, which is said to adapt itself depending on how you use your phone, bringing your most called contacts, most read feeds and over favourite information to the fore.

Both devices are expected to be available in Greater China, Europe and Latin America starting this spring, though no pricing has been revealed. Both will also be on show at next week's CES event in Las Veags.

Shopping for Android on a budget? Then LG's latest low-priced smartphone, the newly-revealed LG Optimus 2, may fit the bill following post-Christmas bank balance blues.

Pretty stripped back in terms of specs, it's packing a 3.2 inch, 480x320 capacitive touchscreen, 800MHz chip, Android version 2.3 Gingerbread, a 3.2 MP camera and a 1500mAh battery good for 5 hours of talk time.

Swype texting software comes pre-installed, while you'll also get GPS and Bluetooth 3.0 capabilities. However, a paltry 179MB of internal storage is built into the phone, and while LG supply a 2GB microSD card, you'll likely want to upgrade that should you be planning on downloading many apps, videos or music files. It'll take microSD cards up to 32GB in size.

No word yet on a UK release date or pricing, though we're assuming it'll hit our shores shortly at around the £200/£250 price bracket. We'll keep you posted.

Samsung have just revealed the new Galaxy M Android smartphone, ahead of next week's massive consumer tech show, CES 2012 in Las Vegas.

The Samsung Galaxy M (where, according to Sammy's naming conventions, the "M" stands for "Magic") is described by the Korean tech giants as part of their range of "High-performance models at an economic price-point".

Specs wise, it's running Android version Gingerbread (Ice Cream Sandwich not "magical" enough it seems), a 1GHz processor, 3MP camera, 4GB of internal storage, Bluetooth 3.0 and a decent 1650mAh battery crammed into its 9.9mm thick "refined metal body".

No word on a UK release yet, but we'd expect a sub-£200 price tag where it ever to reach our shores.

Just yesterday, Samsung revealed the Galaxy Ace Plus, a revamped version of last year's Galaxy Ace handset.

Nokia look set to expand their Windows Phone 7 range with the Nokia Lumia 900 handset in the coming months. Long rumoured, Pocket Now have bagged the first official-ish looking spyshot, as well as some specs to go with it.

Also known as the Ace or Eloko, it's set to be the next Nokia flagship phone, boasting a larger screen and improved battery capacity.

A 4.3 inch screen, a tad larger than the Nokia Lumia 800 but with the same WVGA resolution, will feature, making for a slightly less defined screen in terms of ppi. An 8MP rear camera will be included alongside a video-calling front facing one, while the battery jumps up to 1830mAh. LTE connectivity for AT&T customers is also touted.

Despite the larger screen size, the phone will weigh just 16 grams more than the Nokia Lumia 800, and will retain the same sleek thickness as its predecessor at just 12 millimetres. However, it is expected to ship with the Mango, not Tango, version of Windows Phone 7.

A March release date, following a full unveiling at February's Mobile World Congress show, is expected.

Via: Pocket Now / Pocket Lint

Samsung have updated last years Galaxy Ace handset for a new model called the Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus.

Upping the specs of the first handset, the Galaxy Ace Plus features a 1GHz processor (up 200MHz over the original) and Android Gingerbread pre-installed. The screen size jumps up slightly from 3.5 inches to 3.65 inches, but with the resolution sticking at 320x480, you'll lose a little definition as a result.

Those thinking it'd be packing a slide-out QWERTY are getting their Samsung update names a bit skewed - "Plus" updates always deal with internal tweaks. You're after Samsung's "Pro" upgrades for the QWERTY features.

Elsewhere, it's business as usual for the handset, with a 5MP camera, Samsung's Social and Music Hubs, TouchWiz UI and the ChatON service.

Expect to see the Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus hit Russian stores first later this month, with European, Asian and American roll outs to follow. No pricing has been revealed yet.

They've taken their time getting their, but Intel's first steps into the mobile market look set to be firm and assured ones. They've just revealed the first smartphones and tablets powered by their Medfield system-on-a-chip, and they're already showing great potential.

Showing off two "reference designs" (built to tempt manufacturers into building products around the Intel tech) Technology Review were first to get a glimpse at what Intel-powered mobile devices will be capable of.

What they were shown looked looked very promising indeed.

Looking first at the smartphone, it was an Android Gingerbread handset, similar in size and shape to an iPhone 4S. It was capable of playing back Blu-ray quality video, and streaming that to a web-connected TV, proving itself quite the media powerhouse. Apps and web browsing were also said to be very snappy, with the Medfield chip itself built specifically with app and web browsing speed in mind.

Perhaps most impressive was the phone's still photography capabilities. Its camera featured a burst mode that captured 10 full-size 8MP snaps at a rate of 15 per second, and looks a true competitor to the stellar work Apple have put into their iPhone 4S camera system.

Moving on to the tablet, it too bore a resemblance to an Apple device, in this case the iPad 2. Though featuring a slightly larger screen, it was roughly the same weight and thickness as Apple's popular slate. Running Android Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest build of Google's OS, it is said to be far more responsive than the Android tablet offerings currently available from other manufacturers.

As it stands, Intel have yet to announce any consumer product releases with the Medfield chip inside, be that in smartphones or tablets. But Intel VP Stephen Smith did tell Technology Review that the company "expect products based on these [chips] to be announced in the first half of 2012."

With CES just around the corner in January, we wouldn't be surprised if these nifty looking devices didn't make an appearance.

Via: Technology Review

Following complaints from new owners of Nokia's Lumia 800 Windows Phone handsets, the Finnish mobile giants have confirmed that they too have now noted an issue with the smartphone's battery performance.

Speaking on the Nokia Support Discussions page, the company detailed the problem, and promised a fix was on the way.

"On Monday 12th December some of our customers started to comment in various social media that the preloaded diagnostics tool in some of the Nokia Lumia 800 phones was showing lower battery capacity than expected", wrote Nokia.

"We immediately started to investigate these reports and can now confirm that while the battery itself is fine, a software problem on certain variants is limiting the phone's ability to access the full battery capacity.

"The good news is that as this is a software problem it can be easily resolved. The planned software update in early 2012, as well as including many performance enhancements, will also include a fix that will enable the affected phones to access the total battery capacity."

With such a massively high profile launch for the flailing phone manufacturers, Nokia have been keen to seem on top of the situation as soon as possible. Driving home their commitment to their fledgling Windows Phone user base, Nokia have promised to replace the phone of anyone found affected by the problem, should the person not want to wait for the forthcoming software fix:

"For anyone who does not want to wait for the software update, Nokia can arrange for a replacement phone. Anyone who requires any further clarification should contact Nokia Care."

"Anyone who wants to know if their phone is affected can run the battery status test from the diagnostics tool already installed on their phone. (The tool is designed for service use and only displays approximate values.)

"Dialling ##634# opens the diagnostics tool. By accepting the disclaimer and then selecting 'Battery Status' from the list of options, anyone will be able to see their available battery charge capacity.

"If your full charge capacity reads less than 1000 mAh then your phone is affected with this specific issue and you may find it is necessary to charge your phone more frequently than normal. Once the software update has been applied, you should experience much better battery life."

Fair play to Nokia for putting their hands up and offering replacement units, which is certainly a costly pledge to make. Still, with their fortunes on the rocks and Windows Phone still only enjoying middling popularity, these sort of PR moves are a must if the partnership between Microsoft and Nokia is to blossom.

Adobe have revealed Flash 11.1, which brings with it an updated Flash Player for mobile devices, meaning that Ice Cream Sandwich handsets like the Galaxy Nexus will now be able to enjoy Flash content.

And that's set to be the final hurrah for Adobe's mobile Flash; aside from inevitable security updates, mobile Flash is no longer a concern for Adobe.

Adobe revealed back in November that they'd be laying mobile Flash to rest, instead focussing aiming to "aggressively contribute" to HTML 5.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus owners were disappointed to find that their handset, packing Android 4.0 Ice cream Sandwich, was not compatible with large chunks of Flash-based web. When Adobe announced that they were discontinuing the service back in November, many Galaxy Nexus owners were up in arms about their hamstrung handsets. But patience has proven that Adobe were just running a little behind on this final update.

Some parties are still urging Adobe to continue with mobile Flash, most notably Sony who feel their upcoming Vita handheld games console will suffer from a lack of Flash updates.

Nokia's Lumia 800 Windows Phone device (the first in what's set to be a long partnership based on Microsoft's latest mobile OS) is still fresh on the shelves, but may be superceded by a successor sooner than we thought!

Swiss telecoms giants Swisscom (inventive name! - ed.) let slip details of the Nokia Lumia 900 on their @swisscom_care Twitter account.

According to their tweet, the follow-up handset will launch in February.

While sharing a similar look to the earlier Lumia, the 900 will bump up the screen size from 3.7 inches to 4.3 inches, and will make use of a ClearBlack AMOLED display.

Perhaps more excitingly, the phone will come packed with the latest Windows Phone OS update, "Tango", expected to bring a raft of new functionality to the Windows Phone scene.

As far as rumours goes, this one looks legit, so expect to see this one pop up at either CES in Vegas next January, and almost certainly Mobile World Congress in Barcelona come February of next year.

Via: Engadget

Becca over at our pals Shiny Shiny has a real treat for Batman fans today. A real world Bat Phone from Nokia! Read on for her thoughts on the Dark Knight's new branded blower.

Today the prologue to the highly anticipated final instalment of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, was shown to a (very lucky) select few at IMAX cinemas across the nation.

According to online sources, the six minute prologue was impressive, action-packed and well worth the trip, despite some saying bad guy Bane's voice was a little muffled (but don't worry fans that should hopefully be rectified in the actual film).

But it's not just the prologue that got people talking today, but the fact that 40 of the lucky attendees also got their hands on a limited edition The Dark Knight Rises Nokia Lumia 800. Yes, really.

There's been no official word from Nokia or Warner Bros, but a few images of the phones are now online and from what we can see they're normal Nokia Lumia 800 black handsets with a bat logo etched into the back. Very nice.

Some online commentators have been criticising the design, suggesting the phone should be a little more unusual and the bat on the back is far too subtle, but we think the understated design actually makes it much more desirable, fitting with the dark scenes we've seen of the film so far and much more impressive than some all-singing-all-dancing, cheesy gimmick.

There's also Bane wallpaper on the phone too and an un-named source has confirmed to us that this is in actual fact an alert system to tell the owners of the fancy new Lumias when the next Dark Knight Rises activity is about to kick off. After all, remember this is only the start of the lead up to the film's release in summer 2012, we're expecting a lot of additional activity if The Dark Knight is anything to go by.

But don't get too excited just yet, you're not likely to ever get your hands on one because our source also told us that the 40 handed out today are all there is. Ever. Anyone else wishing they'd broken/blagged their way into the IMAX today too?

[Image via @jonchoo]

British Gas have begun trialing a new app service that will allow customers to remotely switch off appliances from a smartphone.

The service, designed to keep bills low by tighter control over appliances (as well as being an additional safety feature for those worried they may have left a cooker or boiler on whilst away) could be ready to be rolled out early in 2012.

A new Smart Meter, letting customers measure exactly how much energy they are consuming in real time, is also set to launch.

Jacqueline Epifanie, Head of British Gas Smart Homes, said: "We've all had that
sinking feeling when we think we've left the boiler on as we disappear on holiday. Our new
technology will mean people will be able to switch off their appliances when they are away
from home and thanks to new smart meters will also be able to control their energy use
when in the home as well."

According to British Gas's research, these tools cant come soon enough considering the penny-pinching times we live in. The average household wastes £150 a year by leaving a boiler on all year round, a loss of £1 billion nationally, with a further £740 million lost leaving tech gear on standby.

A further 30 million Brits suffer from "appliance anxiety"; a fear that they've left potentially dangerous items switched on and unattended before leaving the house.

Sony Ericsson's next major smartphone release, the Xperia Arc HD, has appeared online in a series of nice and clear spyshots, along with an updated rumoured spec sheet.

Previously codenamed the "Nozmoi", the handset is said to be sporting a 4.3-inch, 720p display, running on a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, and packing 1GB of RAM. Though the device itself won't play it back at full resolution, the Xperia Arc HD is said to be capable of recording full 1080p video too. A 12MP is also said to feature.

There does seem to be a few notable omissions on the device though. Those holding out for the latest build of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, will be disappointed to find that (at launch at least) only the Gingerbread build will be installed.

Also, there doesn't appear to be an SD card slot on the handset, with users instead having to rely on the built-in 16GB or 32GB of storage.

More on this in the run up to CES 2012, where the Xperia Arc HD is expected to make its official debut.

Via: GSM Arena

The BBC's iPlayer video-on-demand service is making its long-awaited debut on iPhone and iPod Touch devices.

The app lands with a string of new features that haven't yet been seen on previous versions. Most important of the list of new features is 3G streaming across all mobile networks, allowing for true on-the-go catch-up TV, providing you've got a data plan that makes this viable.

Live TV and radio channel switching is now included, which offers a more traditional TV viewing experience in a mobile format.

As well as a number of general UI improvements, radio playback now also allows for background listening, letting you tune into the BBC's radio network while carrying out other tasks like browsing the web or checking email.

"This has been a great year for BBC iPlayer on mobile with over 1.5 million installs on the Apple iPad and 1.2 million installs on Android devices since launch in February 2011," said Daniel Danker, BBC's General Manager, Programmes and On Demand.

"People love using BBC iPlayer on mobiles and tablets, and with 16.5 million programmes watched in October 2011 usage has more than doubled over the last year. With the new app audiences will enjoy catch up and live TV in a simple, easy-to-use mobile experience.

"Today's announcement also means more licence fee payers can enjoy a better experience when using BBC iPlayer on the move, and reflects our ambition to take BBC iPlayer beyond the desktop. We have worked closely with mobile operators to ensure that their networks are ready for iPlayer, and introduced 3G streaming to offer licence fee payers a truly mobile experience."

As well as the new iPhone and iPod apps, the readily-available iPad app will also be getting an update to allow for 3G streaming too.

Android owners feeling left out in the cold by the Beeb only have to hold out a little longer for the update. While iPlayer for Android isn't quite ready for 3 streaming, the functionality will be added in a new-year update, alongside improvements to the general video quality when using the app through Google's mobile OS.

Though not yet live on the App Store at the time of writing, the iPhone and iPod versions of the BBC iPlayer should land before the end of the day. It will be available for free.

RIM's line-up of next-gen BB10 packing BlackBerry phones (their new OS, formerly known as BBX) gets a new addition today, as the BlackBerry Milan makes its leaked debut online.

Similarly shaped to the Torch 9810, it features BlackBerry's famed full-QWERTY set-up in a slider that sits just underneath a full touchscreen.

The first leaked shot of the device, appearing over at CrackBerry, seems to show that RIM have dropped their often-derided optical trackpad, as well as the menu, call and back buttons.

Aside from the build, little is known on the inner specs of the device. However, the screen is said to feature a far denser pixel-density than previous BlackBerry touchscreen offerings.

More on the handset as its details trickle through.

via: CrackBerry