Samsung has taken it up its alley to release new phones every fortnight. The new Ace 2 and Mini 2 are two very suitable revisions to popular and successful first versions. Ace 2 specs include a dual-core 800MHz processor, HSDPA 14.4 connectivity, GPS/GLONASS, 1,500mAh battery and 4GB of internal storage and a 3.8-inch WVGA screen. The mini 2 on the other hand has HSDPA 7.2Mbps connectivity, an 800MHz CPU, 1,300mAh battery and 3.27-inch HVGA screen.

Both phones will come with Gingerbread - Andro 2.3 along with Sammy's TouchWiz UI. Expect them in Europe in March and in India early summer.

For the full spec list and features read the PR below

Samsung introduces the new GALAXY Ace 2 and GALAXY mini 2

February 21, 2012

Welcome to Samsung's AndroidTM experience with the two new members of GALAXY smartphones

SEOUL, Korea – February 21, 2012 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced two new additions to the GALAXY smartphone range: GALAXY Ace 2, which will be available in UK from April, and GALAXY mini 2, which will be available in France from March before being rolled out globally.

Building on the market success of GALAXY Ace and GALAXY mini since their release last year, GALAXY Ace 2 and GALAXY mini 2 are ideal devices for users with active lifestyles who value individuality and style without compromising on performance or affordability.

"Launched in 2011, GALAXY Ace and GALAXY mini have been a huge success in the global market. Today, we introduce GALAXY Ace 2 and GALAXY mini 2 with upgraded features and services," said JK Shin, President of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. "Our goal remains the same-to continue to create new and improved mobile experiences that deliver something suitable for everyone. This is the hallmark of Samsung's GALAXY range and what has made the GALAXY brand such a runaway hit with consumers around the world."

Double-Engine Power, GALAXY Ace 2

GALAXY Ace 2 delivers efficient multitasking, lightning-fast screen transitions and high-quality graphics for even the most demanding applications and games. HSPA 14.4 connectivity provides an enhanced browsing experience and fast content downloads with minimal lag-times. Additionally, 4GB of internal storage ensures that films, photos and a whole array of personal multimedia content can be easily stored and taken out and about; a 1,500mAh battery adds to GALAXY Ace 2's on-the-go performance for active, demanding use.

Enhanced Samsung Hubs and ChatON services ensure that users are never far from the content or social connections they care about. Music Hub allows one-step access to over 17million tracks at anytime; Game Hub offers users the very latest gaming titles; Social Hub allows users to view their instant messages, social network and email communications all in one single inbox. Samsung's ChatON service connects users with other phone users – across any platform – into a single community, providing easy multi-format instant messaging and group chatting.

Compact and Trendy for more fun, GALAXY mini 2

GALAXY mini 2 packs a real performance punch into its slim and colorful 11.9mm-thick casing. The 3.27" HVGA touch-screen enables high-quality multimedia viewing while maintaining the device's portability. The compact GALAXY mini 2 ensures comfortable Web browsing and easily handles the demands of the most resource-intensive applications.

An improved 1,300mAh battery capacity also guarantees extended multimedia usage and longer chat sessions. 4GB of storage allows users to comfortably store videos, music and images.

Like GALAXY Ace 2, GALAXY mini 2 keeps users connected through ChatON and Social Hub, while Music Hub allows one-step access to over 17million tracks at any time.

For multimedia content and more detailed information, please visit www.samsungmobilepress.com.

Note to Editors:

Samsung GALAXY Ace 2 Product Specifications:

Network


HSDPA 14.4Mbps 900/2100

EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900

Process


800MHz Dual-Core Processor

Display


3.8" WVGA(480x800) PLS TFT

OS


Android 2.3(Gingerbread)

Camera


Main(Rear): 5 Megapixel Auto Focus Camera with Flash

Sub(Front): VGA Camera

Video


Codec: MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV, VC-1, VP8

Playback/ Recording: 720p

Audio


Codec: MP3, AAC, AAC?, eAAC?, WMA, FLAC, Vorbis

Music Player with SoundAlive

3.5mm Ear Jack, Stereo FM Radio with RDS

Value-added Features&

Services


Samsung TouchWiz / Samsung L!ve Panel UX

Samsung Apps

Samsung Kies / Samsung Kies air

Samsung Hub

- Social Hub

Integrated Messaging(Email, SNS), Contacts, Calendar Sync

- Music Hub

- Game Hub

Samsung Hub Widget

- Music Hub/ Game Hub

Samsung ChatON mobile communication service

Polaris

GPS/ Glonass

Connectivity


Bluetooth® technology v 3.0

USB 2.0

Wi-Fi b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct

Sensor


Accelerometer, Digital compass, Proximity, NFC (optional)

Memory


4GB User memory ? 768MB (RAM)

microSD (up to 32GB)

Dimension


62.2 x 118.3 x 10.5 mm, 122g

Battery


Standard battery, Li-ion 1,500 mAh

? All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.


Samsung GALAXY mini 2 Product Specifications

Network


HSDPA 7.2Mbps 900/2100

EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900

Process


800MHz Processor

Display


3.27" HVGA(320x480) TFT

OS


Android 2.3(Gingerbread)

Camera


Main(Rear): 3 Megapixel Fixed Focus Camera

Video


Codec: MPEG4, H.263, H.264

Playback: WVGA@30fps

Recording: VGA@25fps

Audio


Codec: MP3, Vorbis(OGG), AAC, AAC?, eAAC?, AMR-NB/WB, WAV, MIDI, WMA, FLAC

Music Player with SoundAlive

3.5mm Ear Jack, Stereo FM Radio with RDS

Value-added Features&

Services



Samsung TouchWiz/ Samsung L!ve Panel UX

Samsung Apps

Samsung Kies / Samsung Kies air

Social Hub

- Integrated Messaging(Email, SNS), Contacts, Calendar Sync

Music Hub (Downloadable via Samsung Apps)

Samsung ChatON mobile communication service

GoogleTM Mobile Services

- Android Market™, Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Search™, Google Maps™,

Syncing with Google Calendar™

ThinkFree (Downloadable via Samsung Apps)

A-GPS

Connectivity


Bluetooth® technology v 3.0

USB 2.0

Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA

Sensor


Accelerometer, Digital compass, Proximity, NFC (optional)

Memory


4GB User memory ? 512MB (RAM)

microSD (up to 32GB)

Dimension


58.6 x 109.4 x 11.9 mm, 106.8 g (NFC)

58.6 x 109.4 x 11.6 mm, 105.3 g (Non-NFC)

Battery


Standard battery, Li-ion 1,300 mAh

All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.


About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.


Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2011 consolidated sales of US$143.1 billion. Employing approximately 222,000 people in 205 offices across 71 countries, the company operates two separate organizations to coordinate its nine independent business units: Digital Media & Communications, comprising Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, and Digital Imaging; and Device Solutions, consisting of Memory, System LSI and LCD. Recognized for its industry-leading performance across a range of economic, environmental and social criteria, Samsung Electronics was named the world's most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.


Android, Google, Android Market, Google Maps, YouTube, Gmail, Google Talk, and Google Search are trademarks of Google Inc.

LG has launched three new L series phones ahead of MWC 2012, the L3, L5 and L7. Identical to the LG Prada phone, the L series are essentially based on that particular device. The L3 is a budget device whereas the L5 and L7 feature 4-inch and 4.3-inch displays respectively. All three devices are supposedly very thin,or so claims LG. No real specs or pricing has been outed for the three.

Read the full Release below.

LG'S NEW DESIGN STRATEGY FOR MOBILE DEVICES TO BE REVEALED AT 2012 MWC
LG Takes Design Philosophy to the Next Level
with Line-up of Stylish Smartphones

SEOUL, Feb. 21, 2012 – LG Electronics (LG) makes its boldest move yet in its strategy to attain smartphone leadership with the launch of its new design identity, L-Style, at the 2012 Mobile World Congress (MWC).

The core essence of L-Style involves a timeless design with finer details that further differentiate LG's mobile devices from the competition. LG's design leadership has been well established in the past with a successful track-record that includes the Black Label Series phones such as the Chocolate and Shine.

"Design is consistently the top or second most important factor for customers when choosing a mobile phone," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Mobile Communications Company. "With smartphones, we sometimes took a more functional approach to design but with L-Style we're going back to our roots as a company focused on how our products fit into the lifestyle of our customers."

L-Style's design philosophy is comprised of five aesthetic elements: Modern Square Style for a comfortable grip, Floating Mass Technology for a slimmer look, Seamless Layout for a more intuitive arrangement of keys, Harmonized Design Contrast utilizing metallic accents and Sensuous Slim Shape that naturally draws one's attention.

Three new smartphones to be unveiled at MWC will initially feature the L-Style look. The Optimus L3, with a 3.2-inch display, will first launch in Europe this March. This smartphone will be followed by two other devices in the first half of the year running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich: Optimus L5 with a 4.0-inch display and Optimus L7 featuring a 4.3-inch screen.

Market availability and additional hardware specifications of all three models will be announced at a future date.

So the Blackberry Playbook has finally started getting 2.0 update for its OS. Check for updates via Settings on your tablet and you should see it. The update includes improvements like native email, calendar and contacts, integration with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn,  new Bridge functions, and access to the Android apps in BB App World. 

We will soon have a hands on video, stay tuned.

BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 Available Today

New OS delivers an enriched user experience for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet users

Waterloo, ON - Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) announced that the new BlackBerry® PlayBook™ OS 2.0 will be released for download today. BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 delivers an enhanced tablet experience and allows you to use the BlackBerry PlayBook in new ways throughout the day - at work and at play. "Building on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet's proven web browsing, multimedia and multitasking strengths, the new BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 introduces a range of new communications and productivity enhancements as well as expanded app and content support," said David J. Smith, SVP Mobile Computing, Research In Motion.

New BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 features include:

• Integrated email client with a powerful unified inbox: With BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 you have the option to use a unified inbox that consolidates all messages in one place, including messages from Facebook®, LinkedIn® and Twitter®, as well as personal and work email accounts.

• Social Integration with Calendar and Contacts apps: The built-in calendar harnesses information from social networks and makes it available where and when users need it. Contact cards are also dynamically populated with updated information from Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to create a consolidated view of contacts.

• Updated BlackBerry Bridge app: BlackBerry® Bridge™ is a unique app that provides a Bluetooth® connection between your BlackBerry PlayBook and core apps on your BlackBerry® smartphone (including BBM™, Email, Contacts, Calendar and Browser) in order to let you view the content on the larger tablet display. With BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, it's easier and quicker than ever to take documents, web pages, emails and photos that appear on your BlackBerry smartphone and display them on your BlackBerry PlayBook for an optimized viewing and editing experience. The updated BlackBerry Bridge app also provides a new remote control feature that allows a BlackBerry smartphone to be used as a wireless keyboard and mouse for a BlackBerry PlayBook.

• Improved mobile productivity: Updated document editing functions, the new Print To Go app, and increased control and manageability of corporate data with BlackBerry® Balance ™ allow you to get more out of your BlackBerry PlayBook every day. Plus, an updated virtual keyboard with auto correction and predictive next word completion learns how you type to enable faster, more accurate typing.

• New apps and content: Thousands of new apps are being added to BlackBerry App World™ today (including a range of Android® apps that will run on the BlackBerry PlayBook). A new BlackBerry Video Store1 is launching today. Enhanced web browsing capabilities are also available with BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0.

In conjunction with the release of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, RIM is making available an initial release of BlackBerry® Mobile Fusion that will include support for managing BlackBerry PlayBook tablets and BlackBerry smartphones2 in an enterprise. The full release of BlackBerry Mobile Fusion (with mobile device management capabilities for iOS and Android devices) is planned for general availability in late March 2012. For more information about BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, please visit www.blackberry.com/mobilefusion. Availability The BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 software update is now available as a free download for all BlackBerry PlayBook tablets.

Apple's endless patent applications have yet another addition. A new water damage sensor, that will help Apple avoid being misused for their warranties. A new patent application uncovered by AppleInsider imagines an Apple portable device that detects water damage using a sensor covered in water soluble conductive glue that, when dissolved, allows the sensor to detect its absence and log damage. Currently all iDevices use soluble stickers that turn color when wet. Apple hopes to install several of these inside your iDevice to ensure accurate water damage sensing.

No more pool parties with your iDevices.

Qualcomm's next SoC is about to hit devices soon, but the company is already trying to spark buyer interest by benchmarking the bad boy. They sent the SoC to AnandTech and those guys ran a solid benchmark that clearly shows that the chip may actually be a great next upgrade for devices.  A dual-core 1.5GHz MSM8960-powered device scored a near 240 percent result on the CPU benchmarks. The SoC has a advanced GPU which allows the Adreno 225 GPU to run at up to 400MHz.

Nokia and Siemens  HSPA+ Multiflow may offer some relief for those pesky tower to tower transitions during transit. delivering double the data speed and up to 50 percent faster response compared to existing HSPA+ networks, says Nokia Siemens.

Multiflow allows compatible devices on the edge of a cell to connect to two sites simultaneously, letting your device send and receive data between two base stations at once. The technology need not be changed, infact Multiflow will be available as a software update for Single RAN systems, as soon as Nokia Siemens pushes it in the second half of 2013

Sony's first handset, after their major split with counterpart Ericsson, might be rolling into the Mobile domain. the Sony Xperia U "Kumquat" might just have shown itself before purported launch at MWC 2012 next week. Specs include

• 3.5-inch FWVGA (854 x 480) Reality Display
• 1GHz dual-core CPU
• 8 MP Exmor R sensor with 720p video capture 
• 1,290mAh battery
• Android 2.3.7

While the battery is replaceable, the OS is rumored. This phone could possibly be placed at a lower bracket compared to exiting SE phones. Oh the wonders of a new breakup.

Its been 2 years since Steve Jobs got up on stage with a device that would change the way we look at portable computing forever. Since it launch, the iPad has held the crown as the most loved Tablet, with multimillion units sold each quarter. Now with the iPad 3, around the corner one can only wonder if Apple will continue to hold the lead over the competition. A kind of competition that never hindered them, there has been no real problem for Apple except the launch of the Amazon Kindle, but thats a story for another day. 

Lets look at why we feel the iPad 3, if keeps up with claims, will be another tablet of the year.

Build and Form Factor

Since the beginning the iPad has been the only tablet in a unibody aluminum shell, the sheer feel of the tablet exudes to the effect of a premium device. Slim and well weighted the tablet is robust in construction and not easily destroyed, especially if you take care of the 9.7 inch display in front which can be extremely fragile. 

The iPad was a wonderful device to hold in the hand, typing was easy - better in portrait and possible in landscape, it was not the most comfortable device to hold single handedly. The iPad 2 changed that completely, with a newer design that fit better, was lighter and had improvements to software which also made single hand operation easy ( gestures).

The iPad 3 is supposedly going to be built on the same platform as the iPad 2 with a small thickness increase, something that will not bother the buyer.

OS and Apps

When the original iPad was launched people called it an oversized iPod touch, possibly because the iOS was the same iOS as on an iPhone or iPod touch. Things have changed since then and Apple has added a bucket load of goodies to make the OS more a powerhouse for the best selling tablet. The OS is streamlined to make the iPad a pseudo-personal computer, with iCloud - data handling and synchronization has never been easier. 

iOS for iPad also has better custom apps including professional creative apps from companies like Adobe, including Photoshop, Office apps from Apple themselves: iWork with pages, keynote and numbers for easy as pie office documentation. 

Customizations to the OS, like a split keyboard and gesture navigation, make it really easy to use the tablet and no other company has been able to replicate the process in an easy streamlined manner.

The iOS platform also has the largest number of Apps on a mobile OS platform, with mostly all apps compatible with the iPad the entertainment and quality of games on the iPad still remains unmatched.

The iPad 3 is said to feature a major OS upgrades for the tablet including a main feature that is Siri on the iPad, which is already possible if you own a jailbroken iPad, but an official version will be well accepted and appreciated.

Hardware 

The new iPad 3 is supposedly coming with a bumped up processor(A6 or the rumored A5X), which is supposedly carrying a new quad core processor with an advanced GPU, which will -or should improve performance by atleast 10 times. The new display will be a retina display (246 ppi : not true retina) with a double resolution ( 2048 x 1536 px) compared to the existing iPad /iPad 2, which will not only improve the media quality on the iPad, but also make it an excellent Book Reader, especially considering the new iBooks upgrade. 

There are also claims of a network capability boost in the iPad 3, where some rumors point to a 4G/ LTE equipped iPad chipset, others claim that it will be a unified global device capable of CDMA/GSM network capabilities in the same device.

Apart from the above obvious upgrades, speculations of more ram and upgraded camera optics along with better speakers are also in the mix. So expect HD FaceTime and better speakers for your iPad 3s. 

Games and Apps will perform better and open faster, seamless integration with iCloud will sync all your devices and keep them up to date. Apple may also bump to storage capacities to a possible 128 GB iPad.

Availability 

The industry is buzzing with news of the iPad 3s release date, almost everyone claims that its going to be announced on the 7th of March 2012 with availability within 2 weeks.

Conclusion

Arguably, the iPad is not the best tablet in thee market, but truly its the only one that has sold units in numbers close to PC sales. The Apple ecosystem developed by iOS - iCloud and Mac OS make it an Apple owners delight, somethings are just better on the iPad. Agreed Android offers more flexibility but the platform is still very fragmented. Even with ICS, android is laggy and the overall interface is not nearly as smooth as iOS.  

If Amazon does come out with a 10 inch tablet, you can expect it to eat heavily into Apple's share of the profit pie, only because Amazon will price it aggressively. Windows 8 / Windows Phone Apollo Tabs could also be another factor ( if ever released) . 

Unless something truly unique is outed by manufacturers ( possibly a 10 inch Galaxy Note) no one will be able to bother Apple iPad sales, and the new iPad 3 will continue to lead the way through 2012.

What do you think?

Exclusive news coming in for iGyaan, As per various sources including some top level executives at Samsung, we have been able to confirm that the much awaited Galaxy Nexus will not be coming to India in January. Although confirmed reports of the handsets being available in warehouses of the company. For some reason Samsung is not selling the devices just as yet.

The Galaxy Nexus is expected  to be launched on Feb 20th 2012, availability should follow soon after. The Galaxy Nexus is the first phone to officially get ICS out of the box, but is the last phone to arrive to India in the recent times.

The phone features a impressive spec list, plus excellent features including Android Beam, Face unlock, Siri type voice dictation. The Nexus has a 720 x 1280 pixels, 4.65 inch curved Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen. 

The device has been more than well awaited, so much so, that it may actually be too late for the device to hit India. With the rumors of a Galaxy S3 abound MWC 2012, we can only hope the Indian consumer still wants a 6 month old phone. The pricing on this phone rumored to hit Rs. 30,000 during launch, although we have personally seen packaged boxes with a price of Rs. 27,000/- . It is said that these phones were brought in the initial lot, before pricing was revised.

The booking form for registration, has been up on google.co.in/nexus for some time, hopefully not for much longer.

Stay tuned for updates.

Update :

The news of the Galaxy Nexus launch has been bothersome to a lot of people, especially those looking forward to buying one. There are several claims for the Nexus and we are unable to get a official quote from the company as to why its taking so long.

According to our sources, the company has got the stocks of the Nexus, but is speculating even placing the product in the market due to forex fluctuations. It could be possible that Samsung never launches the Galaxy Nexus in India (oh the disappointment), on the flip side : first week of March also seems like a probability. 

We will get an update by the end of the week.

Intel plans on releasing Haswell architecture-based microprocessors, sometime in 2013, these chipsets will replace the existing Sandy Bridge lineup. The upcoming chipset plans have been leaked courtesy a chinese website. The new platform will be based on a new socket the LGA 1150 that will replace the existing LGA 1155 socket. Existing coolers will be compatible with the socket however the pin count will be different. The chipset will now handle only analog video signals, whereas the digital signals, like DisplayPort is moved to the CPU.

The chipset will support six USB 3.0 ports as well as power and performance optimizations for Rapid Storage Technology driver and vPro enhancements. The new design will cause less power consumption and hence less heat.

Intel has not confirmed any of these tidbits, so its safe to say that they can be had with a pick of salt and a late glass of soda to gulp it down, till the official announcement is made.