Called Samsung Galaxy Pop Plus S5570i, the new phone has appeared over at Indian retailer Flipkart, and it doesn’t look different from the original model. However, it comes with a more powerful processor (832MHz vs. 600MHz).

The weird part is that Flipkart says the Galaxy Pop Plus S5570i runs Android 2.2 Froyo – but this has to be a mistake, since the older S5570 has been already updated to Android 2.3 Gignerbread in some markets.

Flipkart is asking 8,330 INR (about $169) for the Samsung Galaxy Pop Plus S5570i, without saying when the device will be available. I guess it will happen soon anyway.

Via AndroidOS.in

• Samsung Galaxy Fit S5670 with Android 2.2 launched in India
• Samsung Galaxy S i9000 and Galaxy Tab P1000 won’t get Android Ice Cream Sandwich because of hardware limitations
• Samsung i9003 Galaxy SL will launch in Singapore this Saturday, March 12
• SFR says HTC Magic will get Android 2.2 Froyo, too
• Samsung i9001 Galaxy S Plus (Galaxy S 2011 Edition) will be launched in the UK too

DigiTimes is also saying that the Acer CloudMobile will be launched with Android 4.1 Ice Cream Sandwich on board, not 4.0 ICS as previously reported.

The new Acer CloudMobile should be less than 10mm thick, featuring a 4.3 inch HD (1280 x 720) display, 1.4GHz dual-core processor, HSPA+, Dolby Mobile sound, and AcerCloud services. Acer will unveil more details on the smartphone at MWC 2012 later this month. And we’ll be there to find them out.

• Acer CloudMobile with Android 4.0 and HD screen coming soon
• Acer Liquid Stream with Android 2.1 and AMOLED display officially announced (video)
• iPhone 5 Now Rumored to Feature a 4-inch Display, A5 Dual-Core Processor
• Acer Android tablet leaked alongside the Liquid Metal and another new smartphone?
• LG’s Prada K2 P940 Android phone hits the FCC

A ROM for the Endeavor has leaked and provided us with much needed confirmation for most of the superphone’s specs. The Endeavor will come with a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, a 4.7-inch 720p HD touchscreen, an 8 MP rear camera, a 1.3 MP front-facing camera, 1 GB of RAM, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, and NFC. It will run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC’s Sense UI 4.0 overlaid.

We’ve previously heard that the Endeavor would be in stores by March or April, and it seems pretty likely that it will be announced during HTC’s MWC event. The Endeavor has apparently secured slots in the lineups of more than 20 carriers worldwide, including heavyweights Vodafone and Orange.

Via PocketNow, HTC-Hub, DigiTimes

• Quad-core LG X3 leaks with 4.7-inch HD touchscreen
• HTC Ville shows off some Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich love on video
• Lenovo announces IdeaTab S2 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet to take on Asus Transformer Prime
• Telstra HTC Velocity 4G to get Android 4.0 ICS next month
• Quad-core Acer Iconia Tab A510 and 7 inch ZTE Android Ice Cream Sandwich tablets showcased at CES

Of course, the update is being rolled-out gradually, so you A200 might not have received it yet. But you can always check manually for it (go to Settings / About tablet / System update / Check now).

Already available in Europe and the US, the Acer Iconia Tab A200 features a 1.GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra processor, 1GB of RAM, 10.1 inch display with 1280 x 800 pixels, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with hotspot capability, 2MP front-facing camera, 8GB or 16GB of internal memory, and MicroSD card support.

Via Android Police

• Acer Iconia Tab A200 officially announced, will get Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in 2012
• Acer Iconia Tab 100 launched in Canada
• Quad-core Acer Iconia Tab A510 and 7 inch ZTE Android Ice Cream Sandwich tablets showcased at CES
• Quad-core Acer Iconia Tab A700 with Android ICS showcased at CES 2012
• Acer Iconia Tab A500 to cost just $400 and come with $50 gift card at Target starting on July 17

According to ET News, the new CX2 is 9.7mm thin, and has an IPS 3D display of unknown resolution (the rumored one is WVGA). Other rumored features include: 1.2GHz dual-core processor, HSPA (21 Mbps), NFC, Wi-Fi, DLNA, Bluetooth 3.0, and dual 5MP cameras.

Unfortunately, it’s said that the smartphone will not run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich at launch – however, it remains to be seen if this is true or not.

The LG CX2 Optimus 3D 2 should become available in South Korea before the end of this quarter, via SK Telecom. Most likely, a global launch will follow shortly.

Via Oled-display

• LG says it’s actually planning Android ICS updates for Optimus 2X and other phones
• Google Nexus Prime to bring Android Ice Cream Sandwich in October?
• LG’s upcoming Optimus 3D sequel, the CX2, could be sold as the 3D Max
• Android Ice Cream Sandwich not coming to the LG Optimus 2X
• Verizon’s Motorola Droid 4 gets its DLNA certification

Like the original Galaxy Tab P1000 and the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, the Galaxy Tab 2 has a 7 inch display with 1024 x 600 pixels. Measuring 193.7 x 122.4 x 10.5 mm and weighing 344 grams, the new device features:

• TouchWiz / L!ve Panel UX
• HSPA+ 21Mbps (850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz)
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct
• A-GPS
• Bluetooth v 3.0
• 3.5mm headset jack
• USB 2.0
• Samsung Hub
• Samsung ChatON
• S Suggest – a new service that provides “recommendations of apps suited to users’ tastes directly on a home screen”
• 3MP rear camera
• VGA front-facing camera
• 1GHz dual-core processor
• 1GB (RAM)
• 8 / 16 / 32GB user memory
• microSD (up to 32GB)
• 4,000 mAh battery

Samsung says the Galaxy Tab 2 will be available globally starting March (for an unknown price). Most likely, the new tablet is going to be showcased at MWC 2012 later this month – we’ll be there to check it out.

Via Press release

• Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 launched in India as Galaxy Tab 680
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus priced in Europe: €499
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 launching in Germany this month
• New Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 and Galaxy Tab 10.1 announced
• T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus officially announced

The Galaxy Tab 680 costs 33,600 INR (about $678), and should be available via major Indian retailer as of today.

The new tablet runs Android Honeycomb (upgradeable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich), and features a 7.7 inch Super AMOLED Plus display with 1280 x 800 pixels, 1.4GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, HSDPA, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, 3.2MP rear camera, 2MP front-facing camera, and a 5,100 mAh battery – all in a 7.9mm thin case.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 will also be released in the US (via Verizon, with 4G LTE connectivity), and in Canada (Wi-Fi-only version).

Via AndroidOS.in

• Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Wi-Fi headed to Canada
• Wi-Fi-only Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 now available in Canada for $499.99
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 launched in the UK, coming soon to Canada (with LTE)
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 announced by Cricket as its first tablet
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 with 4G LTE announced for Verizon

Since the Optimus Vu has a 5 inch display and the Galaxy Note has a 5.3 inch one, the latter is obviously the taller device among the two. The wider one, however, is the Optimus Vu, because its screen has a 4:3 aspect ratio (with 1024 x 768 pixels).

The Galaxy Note is 83mm wide, hence the Optimus Vu is probably around 90mm wide. And unless you have really big hands, one-handed operation is likely difficult on the Vu.

(image via helloadam100.blog.me)

Like the Galaxy Note, the LG Optimus Vu should feature LTE connectivity, a 1.5GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and an 8MP rear camera. We expect to see the Optimus Vu at LG’s booth during MWC 2012 later this month, and hopefully we’ll find out when, where and for how much it’s going to be released.

• Samsung Galaxy Note to be launched by Bell in Canada
• #MWC11: Samsung Galaxy Mini, Fit and Gio hands-on (video)
• Canada: LG Optimus LTE on its way to Telus too
• Bell’s LG Optimus LTE to be released on November 22
• Samsung Galaxy Note to be launched in November in the UK

Negri Electronics is the retailer where you can find the white Galaxy Nexus, but it’s an unlocked international model (i9250). However, because this SKU has pentaband 3G/HSPA, it will work on both AT&T and T-Mobile with HSPA+ connectivity (because it’s not an LTE device, it can’t connect to AT&T’s 4G LTE network, but will work just fine on that carrier’s HSPA 4G network). Working on T-Mobile is pretty rare for unlocked devices, so those of you who’ve chosen the magenta carrier over any other company should be happy.

Which is probably completely different from the feeling you’ll have once you find out the price you’ll have to pay for this white GNex: not one penny less than $659.50.

Crazy, right? On the other hand, you won’t be tied down by any long-term contracts, and you’ll be among the first people in North America to sport the white version of this superphone. If that makes you interested, go to Negri Electronics now and order yours.

• Unlocked Sony Xperia Ion can now be pre-ordered for $569.50
• Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Nexus now available in the US for $749.99
• Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus now just $229.99 at Wirefly, may not be in stock for long
• AT&T-compatible Nokia Lumia 800 now available in the US unlocked for $789.99
• Samsung Galaxy S II and HTC Amaze 4G now available at T-Mobile

And not ‘on its way’, mind. For this is not an over-the-air affair, unfortunately, so you’ll have to use a computer (running Windows, no less) to perform the update. This was the case for all Optimus One variants, but it still sucks to be forced to tether to a computer in the age of wireless everything.

Anyway, full instructions alongside the downloads you’ll need are available on LG’s special website here. Be very careful as the update will wipe your phone’s internal memory. Completely. So back up, back up, back up.

The instructions are very detailed, so we gather you won’t need additional hand holding. Happy updating!

Via Android Community

• LG GT540 Optimus gets upgraded to Android 2.1
• LG Optimus Black Android 2.3 Gingerbread update finally on its way in Europe and India
• T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S 4G Android 2.3 Gingerbread update now available
• Sprint LG Optimus S gets updated to Android Gingerbread too
• US Cellular Samsung Mesmerize gets a bug fixing update

Let’s start with the Xoom. This is the version that ships with 4G LTE built in, mind you. The update is only meant to fix one thing – data connectivity is now properly restored after disabling Airplane Mode. Surely a nice fix to get, but you’d hope that such an obvious action would have been tested before the tablet was released.

Anyway, the full details are buried in this PDF, and the update instructions for the Xoom are to be found in this PDF. The skinny is that it’s an over-the-air update, the tablet will notify you when it’s available, you then download and install it directly on your Xoom. Done.

It’s the same update mechanism for the Droid Bionic, of course. Its update comes with many more small improvements and enhancements though. The full list is in this PDF, but here are a few of the more important ones: text message alerts can now be received during voice calls without the call being interrupted,  device stability has been improved, battery life should also be better, data connectivity stability too, WAV files are now supported, and Amazon MP3 and VCAST Apps Store come preinstalled.

The update is about 56 MB in size. Update instructions for the Droid Bionic are in this PDF. After performing this update, your Droid Bionic will be on software version 5.9.902, as seen in the image above.

Via Droid Life and AndroidSPIN

• Verizon rolls out software updates for Motorola Droid Razr and Razr Maxx
• HTC Thunderbolt software update postponed by Verizon
• Verizon’s Motorola Droid Xyboard tablets get global roaming abilities via software update
• Motorola Droid Bionic software update rolling out now
• Verizon’s Motorola Droid Razr gets a software update

The new phones are: Samsung Galaxy Ace La Fleur, Samsung C3322 Duos La Fleur, and Samsung C3520 La Fleur. They’re all available now in Russia, and Samsung didn’t say if it plans to offer them in other markets.

The Galaxy Ace La Fleur is the most expensive among the three handsets, costing 9,990 rubles (about €252). It runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and has all the features the regular Galaxy Ace has.

The Samsung C3322 Duos La Fleur costs 3,990 rubles (about €100) and, as its name suggest, is a dual SIM phone. The Samsung C3520 La Fleur is a simple flip phone, and costs 3,490 rubles (about €88).

Via Press release (in Russian)

• Dual SIM Samsung Galaxy Y Duos and Galaxy Y Pro Duos officially announced
• Dual SIM Samsung Galaxy Y Pro coming soon?
• Samsung Galaxy Y Duos and Y Pro Duos now available in Europe
• Samsung launches new La Fleur collection in Russia: Wave 525 and 723, C3530, E2530 get flowered up
• Dual-SIM Samsung Star II Duos C6712 will be available in Russia in May

But that may all change in the near future. Acer is set to announce a new Android-powered smartphone during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona at the end of this month, and this will be the company’s flagship device for this year.

The Acer CloudMobile has apparently already won an iF design award, and we have to agree that it looks nice. The CloudMobile will be in stores in the third quarter of this year (so somewhere between July and September), and it will run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich thankfully.

The handset will also come with a 4.3-inch HD touchscreen, Dolby sound, and will be less than 10 mm thin. As its name certainly implies, this smartphone will come with AcerCloud tech which “enhances mobile productivity by providing seamless document management”. Yeah, that.

This is everything we know about the Acer CloudMobile so far. But if this does get announced at MWC, we’ll know a lot more then.

Via Pocket-lint

• Acer CloudMobile to be launched in North America with Android 4.1 ICS
• Quad-core Acer Iconia Tab A510 and 7 inch ZTE Android Ice Cream Sandwich tablets showcased at CES
• Acer Liquid Stream with Android 2.1 and AMOLED display officially announced (video)
• Quad-core Acer Iconia Tab A700 Android tablet shows up in photos, should debut at CES 2012
• Acer Android tablet leaked alongside the Liquid Metal and another new smartphone?

From the styling, it’s pretty obvious that this is meant to serve as a successor of sorts to the Droid Incredible 2 and Incredible S. It actually has that Incredible DNA, especially if you look at the back cover. Whether or not it will be called Incredible 3 is up for debate. Also note that the device pictured today probably isn’t a Droid, since there’s no Verizon branding whatsoever. That said, it does boot up with an LTE logo, so maybe it’s an internationally-selling LTE smartphone. Or Verizon simply hasn’t added its branding yet.

This phone will run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (with the new Sense UI 4 on top), and will come with an AMOLED touchscreen, a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, an 8 MP rear camera, and a VGA front-facing cam.

And that’s everything we know about it so far. We’ll let you know when we find out anything new.

Via Phone Arena

• Verizon Droid Incredible 2 shows up in new photos
• New HTC Android phones (including one for Verizon) in the wild
• Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 2 is a world phone
• Verizon makes the HTC Droid Incredible 2 $50 cheaper, but you can get it for free elsewhere
• Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 2 now just $0.01 at Amazon

According to GSM Arena, the pink Galaxy Note should be launched in a few weeks – although it’s not clear in what markets this will happen.

The Galaxy Note will be among Samsung’s first handsets to get an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (it should happen starting March 21). It features a large 5.3 inch Super AMOLED HD (1280 x 800) display, TouchWiz UI 4.0, S Pen technology, 1.4GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8MP rear camera with 1080p video recording, 2MP front-facing camera, and a 2,500 mAh battery.

In the US, AT&T will launch the Galaxy Note on February 19, for $299 on contract, in carbon blue and ceramic white.

• AT&T’s Galaxy Note will be featured in Samsung’s first Super Bowl commercial
• White Samsung Galaxy Note will be launched next week in the UK
• AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note press photos show up
• AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note will be available on February 19 for $299.99, pre-orders start on February 5
• Pink Samsung Galaxy S II can be pre-ordered now in the UK

The Motorola Droid 4 is Verizon’s second LTE handset to come with a sliding QWERTY keyboard (after the Samsung Stratosphere). It runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread (upgradeable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich), and features a 4 inch qHD Gorilla Glass display, 1GB of RAM, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 8MP rear camera with 1080p video recording, 1.3MP front-facing camera, 16GB of internal memory, and MicroSD card support.

You can go here at Verizon to buy the Droid 4.

Other LTE smartphones that are available at Verizon for $199 are: HTC Rezound, LG Spectrum, and Motorola Droid Razr 16GB (but these don’t have hardware keyboards).

• Droid 3 now $99 at Verizon. Motorola Droid 4 could be out really soon
• Verizon’s Motorola Droid RAZR goes on pre-order tomorrow for $299
• LG Spectrum with 4G LTE now available at Verizon for $199.99
• HTC Rezound now cheaper at Verizon: $199.99 on contract
• Motorola RAZR with Android Gingerbread launching in Canada (via Rogers), Europe and Asia next month

Called Galaxy Mini 2 S6500, the new handset is, unsurprisingly, an entry-level one. Its features include a 3.3 inch HVGA display, HSDPA, ChatON messaging service, 800MHz processor, 3MP camera, and 3GB of internal memory. Android 2.3 Gingerbread will run the show.

The exact price and launch date of the Galaxy Mini 2 aren’t known for now, but we might see the smartphone at Samsung’s booth at MWC 2012 later this month in Barcelona – we’ll let you know if it happens.

Via GSM Arena

• Samsung Galaxy S II to be available in India starting May
• Samsung Galaxy Ace S5830 and Galaxy Mini S5570 launching this month in Germany
• Samsung Galaxy Gio will be available at Bell in Canada in August
• Samsung Galaxy Note to be launched in November in the UK
• Samsung Galaxy Ace S5830 live pictures and hands-on video at #MWC11

According to Eldar Murtazin, Samsung has almost finished tweaking its own Android 4 Ice Cream Sandwich version and TouchWiz interface. And will start rolling out the updates for Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note on the first day of March. The handsets can be updated over the air or via Samsung’s Kies software.

Most of you probably won’t get ICS on your Galaxy that early, since it will be your mobile operator who decides when it is ready to deploy the update. It will take until May with many carriers, and, if history is any guide, may be even longer for U.S. Galaxy versions.

Still – if you have Samsung flagship smartphone, you should get Android 4 much earlier then your friends carrying phones from other brands.

Wonder how Samsung was able to leapfrog its rivals and get the Ice Cream Sandwich a month or more ahead of them? It’s because of the Galaxy Nexus.

When Google selects vendor to make Nexus with the next generation of Android, he gets the access to the operating system code under development. And can start tweaking it’s own branded device and customized apps in parallel. Everyone else has to wait until Google finishes its work, and makes the next generation Android available publicly.

The early access to Android code usually allows Nexus device maker to ship next generation OS updates, and next generation devices, weeks ahead of rivals. That’s how in 2010 HTC was able to release Desire, Droid Incredible and EVO Android 2.0 smartphones weeks before Samsung got its first Galaxy S ready. And that’s why this time HTC will start updating its smartphones about a month later then Sammy.

And that is why I think Samsung Galaxy S3 will be the first branded Android 4.0 smartphone to ship. Even if others will announce their own ICS smartphones first.

• Android Ice Cream Sandwich for Samsung Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note coming in Q1 2012
• Samsung confirms Android ICS updates for the Galaxy S II, Galaxy Note, and recent tablets
• Samsung Galaxy S i9000 and Galaxy Tab P1000 won’t get Android Ice Cream Sandwich because of hardware limitations
• Android 4 Ice Cream Sandwich launch musings. Samsung Verizon Droid Prime, Google Nexus, tablets and timing
• Samsung Google Nexus S musings. Why the heck did Google even bother to launch it?

It would be a rather minor affair, except for the fact that this update enables global roaming abilities for the two tablets. So if you like to travel overseas a lot (and take your Xyboard with you, of course), you should be quite happy about this. And you should apply this update as soon as possible.

After updating, your Xyboard will run software version 1.6.0M_279. Alongside the global roaming abilities, there are other enhancements as well. The browser should handle scrolling better, you should now be able to open links in emails without your tablet rebooting, the touch response is better, and The Daily app is preloaded. Finally, there should be seamless switching between Wi-Fi and 3G and 4G LTE connectivity.

The updates are approximately 83 MB in size, and should arrive over-the-air. When the update is ready to install, your tablet will prompt you to do so. Full installation instructions are available in this PDF for the Droid Xyboard 10.1 and in this PDF for the Droid Xyboard 8.2. Full details about the updates are over here in this PDF for the 8.2 inch tablet, and here in this PDF for its 10.1-inch sibling.

Via Droid Life

• Verizon’s Motorola Droid Bionic and 4G LTE Xoom get software updates
• Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 2 gets a software update too
• Verizon Motorola Droid 2 Global Android 2.3 Gingerbread update on its way again
• Verizon Motorola Droid 2 Global and Droid Pro Android 2.3 Gingerbread updates finally rolling out now
• Motorola Droid 4 caught in the wild alongside Verizon’s Xyboard tablets

Although one is a tablet and the other one is a smartphone, both will have about the same price when bought outright: $649.99 for the Galaxy Tab 8.9, and $629.99 for the Optimus LTE.

The price for the Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE on contract is not known for now. But we know how much the LG Optimus LTE will be on contract: $99.99 (3-yr), $529.99 (2-yr), or $579.99 (1-yr).

Starting February 14, Telus will offer yet another LTE Android device – the Samsung Galaxy Note (which should cost $249.99 with a new 3-y contract agreement).

Via Mobile Syrup

• Samsung Galaxy Ace headed to Telus Canada. Koodo Mobile is already selling it
• Samsung Galaxy Note launches in Canada on February 14 for $249.99, pre-orders now available
• AT&T’s Samsung Galaxy Note available for pre-order at Best Buy tomorrow, free flip cover case included
• Canada: LG Optimus LTE on its way to Telus too
• Samsung Galaxy Note to be launched in Canada in mid February

Previously, all we had to go by was an admission by HTC that they’re working on updates, and a short list of devices to be updated. Thankfully, that list has grown larger today, and we also get the rough time frame for the first updates from the Taiwanese company (which, unsurprisingly, will come quite close to the release of the white Sensation with ICS preinstalled).

So, the first HTC devices to taste some Ice Cream Sandwich will be the Sensation, Sensation 4G, and Sensation XE. Updates for all three should be out around the end of March (but for the internationally-selling Sensation and Sensation XE units expect the rollout to include devices sold unlocked first, as always).

At some point after that (which unfortunately HTC doesn’t go into more detail about), the Sensation XL, Rezound, Vivid, Amaze 4G, Evo 3D, Evo Design 4G, Incredible S, Desire S, and Desire HD will be updated too.

HTC also says we should expect more updates about the updates in the coming weeks. For now, owners of the original HTC Desire will have to make do with Gingerbread, as will those who carry around a Desire Z, even though it was announced at the same time as the Desire HD. Strange are the ways of phone makers sometimes. But hey, at least we now know a bit more. And you can be sure we’ll keep you posted on the matter.

• HTC Rezound, Amaze 4G, Sensation and others confirmed to get Android Ice Cream Sandwich
• 7 HTC smartphones to get Android 4.0 update in January, HTC Turkey says
• White HTC Sensation with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on board coming to the Netherlands on March 1
• HTC Sensation gains ’4G’ suffix on its way to T-Mobile USA
• Android 4.0 updates for Sony Ericsson Xperia phones to start in March or April

The new Gleam+ (pictured below) features a 2.8 inch internal display with 240 x 400 pixels, external LED matrix display, music player, FM radio, 3.5mm headset jack, 2MP camera, and microSD card support (up to 16GB).

The Motorola Gleam+ will be available in Germany first (starting March), for €99.

Other two Motorola handsets that will be released in Germany in March are the Defy Mini and the Motoluxe, both running Android Gingerbread. The Defi Mini is a dust and water-resistant 3.2 inch smartphone, while the Motoluxe is aimed at style-conscious users, coming with a 4 inch edge-to-edge display and a lanyard slot that lights up.

Via Motorola

• Motorola intros new Motoluxe and Defy Mini Android Gingerbread smartphones
• Motorola Motoluxe priced in the UK, could be launched next month
• Motorola Motoluxe announced for the UK, should be launched this month
• Motorola Defy Mini XT320 with Android Gingerbread shows up at the FCC
• Rugged Motorola Defy with Android 2.1 coming to Europe

Clove allows British customers to pre-order the white Sensation XE, asking £408 (about $646) for it. The handset should become available in the week starting February 20 – however, as always in these cases, things can change until then.

Just like the black Sensation XE, the white one runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread (upgradeable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich), and features a 4.3 inch qHD display, Sense UI, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 768MB of RAM, 8MP rear camera, and a Beats headset in the box.

• HTC Sensation XE and Sensation XL launched by Vodafone Australia
• HTC Sensation XE launched by O2 UK
• HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio headed to India
• HTC Rezound now cheaper at Verizon: $199.99 on contract
• HTC Sensation XL introduced in India

Targeted at “all British style gurus”, the Motoluxe comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and MotoSwitch UI, and “a lanyard slot that lights up, so you can see when you’ve missed a call, received a text or have an email waiting for you.”

Other features include: 4 inch edge-to-edge FWVGA display, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, 8MP rear camera, VGA front-facing camera, 512MB of RAM, and an 800MHz processor.

Motorola didn’t say how much the Motoluxe would cost in the UK. However, retailer Clove is taking pre-orders for the smartphone, asking £258 (about $408) for it.

Via Press release

• Motorola intros new Motoluxe and Defy Mini Android Gingerbread smartphones
• Motorola Motoluxe priced in the UK, could be launched next month
• Motorola XT615 announced – Moto’s newest Android Gingerbread phone
• Motorola announces the Gleam+ clamshell, intros Defy Mini and Motoluxe in Germany
• Huawei Mercury (Honor) with Android launched by Cricket

Called LG Optimus Vu (no real connection with the LG Vu and Vu Plus released by AT&T in the past), the new handset has appeared in an official teaser video that allows us to admire its thinness, its 5 inch screen with 1024 x 768 pixels (for an interesting 4:3 aspect ratio), and… not much else.

It’s said that the Optimus Vu features LTE connectivity, NFC, 8MP rear camera, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of internal memory.

Reportedly, the LG Optimus Vu will be launched with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, thus it’s likely that it is going to be out pretty soon. We’ll let you know when (and where) exactly.

Via The Verge

• LG Optimus Vu pictured next to Samsung Galaxy Note
• Acer intros new 4.8 inch Android smartphone, new tablets
• New LG Optimus Pad LTE shows up in Korea
• Bell’s LG Optimus LTE to be released on November 22
• LG Optimus Sol E730 with Ultra AMOLED screen and Android Gingerbread launched in India

The sale will take place this Saturday, February 11. Among the devices that will be offered for a $0 net down payment after rebates, we must mention: Samsung Galaxy S II, HTC Amaze 4G, HTC Sensation 4G, T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide, BlackBerry Bold 9900, HTC Amaze 4G, Nokia Lumia 710, and the T-Mobile SpringBoard tablet.

Remember that the sale will be available only throughout February 11, so it’s a Valentine’s Day Sale without actually taking place on Valentine’s Day. Anyway, more details about it can be found in this press release.

• T-Mobile’s HTC Amaze 4G, Sensation 4G, LG DoublePlay, myTouch, and myTouch Q approaching End-of-Life
• T-Mobile HTC Amaze 4G – new official photos
• T-Mobile myTouch2 / myTouch Slide (HTC Espresso) photos leaked
• T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide appears in clear photos
• T-Mobile myTouch Slide will have three color versions

Despite carrying the Prada name on its front fascia, the new LG-made smartphone isn’t as expensive as you’d expect, instead being priced in line with all current high-end handsets.

Unlocked Mobiles will give you one if you pay £424.98, and Clove is asking £429.99 for the same device. Both prices naturally include VAT, but you’ll have to pay for transport on top of those. Just a heads up.

The Prada Phone by LG 3.0 has a 4.3-inch 480×800 touchscreen, an 8 MP autofocus rear camera with LED flash and 1080p HD video recording, a front-facing 1.3 MP camera, a dual-core 1 GHz processor, 8 GB of built-in storage, 1 GB of RAM, HSPA, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, a 3.5 mm headset jack, and a 1,540 mAh battery. It runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread, complete with a Prada UI custom skin.

• Prada Phone 3.0 by LG pre-orders start in the UK for £429.99, shipping in early February
• LG Prada 3.0 priced at £500 in the UK
• LG Prada 3.0 launching tomorrow, but only in Korea
• LG shows off its Prada 3.0 Android phone, launches red Optimus LTE in Japan
• LG Prada 3.0 to be out in the UK in February

The Next Web is reporting that Samsung confirmed there will be “no new products” announced during the March 22 event. So the event will probably focus on showcasing existing devices.

This being said, the Galaxy S III will likely be announced in April, or even May.

The Samsung Galaxy S III should come with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a quad-core processor, a large Super AMOLED HD display, enhanced battery life, and a case that’s only 7mm thin.

• Samsung event scheduled for March 22. Galaxy S III could be announced then
• Samsung Galaxy S III may not be announced at MWC 2012
• Samsung still reviewing launch options for the new Galaxy S III
• New Samsung Galaxy S III possibly showcased in video
• Samsung Galaxy S III to be launched in March? New Galaxy S II Plus and Note S also in the rumors

The white Lumia 900 was spotted in a photo both at Nokia Conversations and at Nokia’s official Facebook page. However, Nokia pulled the photo mere hours after publishing it.

Luckily, Engadget has managed to save the image:

The Nokia Lumia 900 should be first released in the US by AT&T on March 18, for $99.99 on contract. Since AT&T announced that it would offer the 900 only in black and cyan, the white version of the handset may be destined for other markets (like Canada or Europe). We’ll let you know when we hear more on this.

• White Nokia Lumia 800 gets official, will be launched this month
• Nokia Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 announced for Canada (Telus, Rogers)
• AT&T’s Nokia Lumia 900 can be pre-ordered in Microsoft stores now
• Nokia Lumia 800 shows up in green and red in an ad
• AT&T Nokia Lumia 900 pre-orders no longer available in Microsoft stores

Both these things were predicted spot on by the latest leaked information. The release date is February 10, and the pricing is a pretty cool $199.99 with a new two-year contract.

So if you’d like to get a 4G LTE capable smartphone that comes with a full physical QWERTY keyboard, you’ll be able to do just that this Friday.

The Motorola Droid 4 has a 4-inch qHD (540×960) touchscreen, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, an 8 MP rear camera with autofocus, LED flash, and 1080p Full HD video recording, a 1.3 MP front-facing camera, 16 GB of built-in storage space, 1 GB of RAM, all the connectivity options you can think of, and a 1,785 mAh battery.

• Motorola Milestone 3 now available in Brazil, other South American countries by the end of September
• Verizon Motorola Droid 3 now just $149.99 with contract
• Motorola Droid 4 shows up at Verizon’s DroidDoes website
• Verizon Motorola Droid 4 official spec sheet breaks cover
• Motorola Pro will be available in the UK in July

The British retailer is offering the AT200 16GB for £399 (about $631), and the AT200 32GB for £449 (about $710). A bit pricey, I’d say. Anyway, you can buy the tablets only online (here) for now – but starting February 15 Carphone Warehouse’s physical shops will have it, too.

At just 7.7mm, the Toshiba AT200 is considered the thinnest tablet in the world. Its features include a 10.1 inch LED-backlit display with 1280 x 800 pixels, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, A-GPS, HDMI, 1.2GHz dual-core TI OMAP processor, 1GB of RAM, HDMI, 5MP rear camera with 720p video recording, and a 2MP front-facing camera.

Unfortunately, the A200 is running Android 3.2 Honeycomb. But an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich will be available at some point.

In the US, prices for the Toshiba AT200 / Excite 100 will start at $529.99.

Via The Verge

• Toshiba Excite AT200 with Android Honeycomb to be launched in Canada in February
• Toshiba Excite X10 (AT200) announced for the US, prices start at $529
• New 7-inch Toshiba Thrive Android Honeycomb tablet announced
• Toshiba Tablet with Android 3.1 Honeycomb launching in Canada in August
• Toshiba AT300 Android Honeycomb tablet launching in June (in Japan)

The ZTE Optik has a 7-inch touchscreen, a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of built-in storage space, a 5 MP rear camera, a 2 MP front-facing camera, microSD card support, Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth, GPS, and a 4,000 mAh battery. It runs Android 3.2 Honeycomb.

It can be yours for just $99.99 with a new two-year contract, or $349.99 without a contract. Both those price points make this one of the most affordable 3G-enabled tablets to date, so if you’re looking for something like that and don’t mind spending your money at Sprint, head over here and get yourself a ZTE Optik.

• Sprint announces the 7-inch ZTE Optik, in stores on February 5, yours for $99
• ZTE Optik (V55) Android tablet to be launched by Sprint on February 5
• Sprint Express is an Android-powered QWERTY candybar, out on November 18 for $19.99
• Verizon’s ZTE V66 LTE Android tablet pictured
• Sprint Samsung Galaxy Tab price to drop to $199.99 on April 3

The biggest one – management seems to understand they screwed up, admits it and is already taking action. They also hinted about two very interesting initiatives underway, that should result in much more competitive products sometime later this year.

One of them is creation of a new Studio – a group or department –  within HTC. It is tasked specifically with formulating and driving the new product strategy inside the company. The new Studio department is a “cross disciplinary group” comprised from engineering, designer and other teams, and reports directly to CEO Peter Chou.

Here’s HTC CFO Winston Yung talking about the new Studio during the earnings conference call:

“When we look back to the 4th quarter of last year, we simply dropped the ball on products. If we compare some of the products that we have launched,  (especially in the U.S., LTE products) with some of our competitors products, you’ll see thicker form factor for example. And LTE at this point also has some compromises, like battery life. So we simply need to do a better job on both the design, and also the internals and the components of products. And these are the various areas where we will be working on. From the design point of view, from the choice of components, having a lot more open mind as to what components we use, and using the most appropriate components for the phone. By having a more focused approach to our product strategy, and having the organization behind the product strategy to support it. I think I have told some people when talked about the creation of this Studio, which is a department within HTC that reports directly to Peter (Chou, HTC CEO). And this group of people comprise the team from design, the team from engineering and etc; working on a cross disciplinary approach, and reporting directly to Peter. It has a lot of focus, is spending a lot of time on the key products that we are going to launch this year. And I think from these various perspectives, organization more focused on strategy and having a more open mind on components, choosing the best components, will allow us to regain the edge in products. “

Another interesting development, stemming from HTC’s Q4 implosion, is clear signaling that they are now finally ready to move away from Qualcomm CPUs, for some of the products at least. Here’s what HTC CFO had to say about it:

“ … for most components there are multiple sources. And we actually want to and make sure that we do have multiple sources for a single component. So we have, I think, a very good range of suppliers to choose from on CPU, for example, or memory, for example. And I don’t think we are constrained in any way from a component point of view…”

This quote comes in the context of HTC’s newly found “open-mindedness” towards the components that go into the smartphone, which company execs couldn’t have mentioned more often then they did during the CC. As well as their desire to use the “best components“, and some veiled hints that some of the things they used last year, were at least partly to blame for the underperformance of Sensation flagship.

The only components that HTC was really stubborn about since very beginning, were Qualcomm chipsets, that went into almost every HTC device. Which makes it hard to interpret the above as not a snub at Qualcomm, and confirmation that HTC is now working with Nvidia or Texas Instruments to power the next flagship.

• HTC sales drop 52% in Jan. Plans 35% decline in Q1. R&D slashed by 60% in Q4, starts hiding unit volumes too
• HTC sold 1 million Magic phones; wants to concentrate on mid-end handsets
• HTC LTE devices confirmed for next year, should run Android and Windows Phone 7
• HTC expects to ship 1 million G1′s and 3 million Touch Diamonds
• HTC Windows Phone 7 Series device coming this year, says Peter Chou

It is, of course, identical to its black sibling. It looks like it will also come in two versions, one with 16 GB of built-in storage, the other with double that space. So for all intents and purposes, the only difference here is the color. And even that isn’t 100% new, since, as you can see from the image below, it’s not all-white unfortunately.

Still, it’s a lot whiter than the black Galaxy Nexus, and that alone will probably please many of you. The official release date is February 13, which is next Monday (one week from today) and conveniently the day before Valentine’s Day. So Samsung clearly expects many people to buy it for a loved one.

Via Phone Arena

• The real white Samsung Galaxy Nexus isn’t completely white
• White Samsung Galaxy S II will be available in Australia at Optus on September 9
• Samsung Galaxy S II LTE gets a white paint job too
• All-white Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus spotted in Vietnam, may be launching soon
• Confirmed: Sprint’s Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch to be out in white on January 8 for $199.99

They were already pretty bad in the last quarter of 2011, when HTC had to issue a profit warning and then reported 30% revenue decline compared to Q3.

Now this HTC sales slump is accelerating into 2012.

January revenues just came in at 16.6B $NT ($560M), and they are a whopping 52% lower compared to January 2011. In the guidance for the January-March quarter, HTC now expects to sell NT$65-70B ($2.19-2.36B) worth of smartphones, which is more then 35% decline from $NT 104.16B ($3.5B), HTC collected in Q1 2011.

And, with January numbers as they are – I’m not at all sure that in April HTC will be able to deliver the promised revenues.

The sales in February and March will have to be much better then they were in January, to get to $NT65B for a quarter. Maybe they will. The revenue guidance for Q1 2012 includes 2% decline in gross margin and 5% decline in operating margin – which means we should see a lot of price slashing on current HTC models, and that may help drive smartphone sales. When asked about January numbers and ability to deliver on guidance, HTC CFO Winston Yung was pretty sure that they will get there.

On the other hand, in late October 2011, HTC was pretty sure about its Q4 guidance too. But 3 weeks later came out with a profit warning, nonetheless. So an additional slash in revenue forecast sometime late February or early March is not out of the question.

Another bummer in HTC’s Q4 report was the their decision to stop sharing actual smartphone shipments and average selling prices. HTC cited “competitive reasons”, and, with Samsung hiding those numbers for 3 quarters already – there is some merit to that. But the choice to seriously limit performance disclosure just as your growth stalls and your sales start falling, raises a lot of questions. Even when there aren’t any funny things in the financial numbers you reported.

And there was one very interesting detail  in HTC’s financial report. From Q3 2011 to Q4 2011, in just 3 months, HTC somehow managed to reduce their R&D expenses by 60% – from $NT5.5B ($185M) to $NT 2.2B ($74M). With the bulk of R&D costs usually related to engineering/researcher salary expenses, such a dramatic drop in such a short period looks pretty strange. And does not bode well for future product development.

Maybe today’s HTC problems are just a blip. Company execs were pretty open about the reasons for current troubles. “We simply dropped the ball on products. In form factor, design, battery life” – HTC’s CFO said during earnings conference call. And HTC’s sales were hit particularly hard in the U.S. where their LTE devices were thicker, not as good looking and had worse battery performance then competition.

HTC CFO said that they have learned their lessons from 2011, and are working hard to get back on track. This includes:

• complete reevaluation of components that go into HTC phones to improve the performance
• creation of separate “Studio” unit, staffed with designers and engineers working on new models and reporting directly to CEO Peter Chou
• putting more efforts behind fewer products. Which means reduction in number models/SKUs, with bigger promotion and marketing budgets per model
• increased focus on LTE devices, especially on improving their battery life

We’ll have to wait and see if it works.

HTC is hoping that the new product portfolio, part of which will be announced during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and ship sometime in Q2, will help to turn things around.

Maybe it will. Right now smartphones are a hit business, after all. And HTC’s Sensation bet for 2011 simply didn’t pan out. If they took last year’s lessons to heart, and will be able to come up with a new hit model that can stand up to Samsung Galaxy S3 and later iPhone 5, HTC might get their turnaround this summer.

But if  their next flagship is another dud like Sensation – by the end of 2012 HTC might be following in the footsteps of Motorola and Sony Ericsson, losing piles of money, on the way to become a smartphone division of some bigger rival.

I’m looking forward to HTC Barcelona announcements to see what they will come up with.

• HTC sees weak Christmas ahead, blames iPhone and product transition for its troubles
• iPhone sales fell in Q3, Apple may lose the No.1 smartphone maker spot to Samsung or even Nokia
• Apple Q2 financial results: 8.75M iPhones for $5.75B, 131% growth. But iPhone U.S. sales growth may be slowing
• Samsung may have shipped 35M smartphones in Q4 2011, posts record profit. HTC’s profit down
• Apple sold more iOS devices in Q4 2011 than all Androids combined, reclaims No.1 smartphone maker spot

Now, according to Frandroid, Samsung has a mysterious event scheduled for March 22. There’s no way of telling what this is about, but it could very well be about the Galaxy S III. Of course, at the same time the company could unveil something for the French market only (since the invite to the event is in French).

As the successor to the Galaxy S II, the Samsung Galaxy S III will be the company’s flagship Android handset of 2012. It will undoubtedly run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, while its other features are rumored to include a large Super AMOLED HD display, quad-core processor, 12MP rear camera, and improved battery life.

Well, now let’s wait and see if March 22 is (or is not) the day when the handset finally gets official.

Update: Korean website ET News has it that the new Galaxy will become available in May, featuring a 7mm thin case.

• No Samsung Galaxy S III announcement on March 22 after all
• Samsung still reviewing launch options for the new Galaxy S III
• Samsung Galaxy S III may not be announced at MWC 2012
• New Samsung Galaxy S III possibly showcased in video
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 launched in India as Galaxy Tab 680

Maybe we’ll see that Xperia Pepper, maybe the Xperia Sola, or maybe a handset that we haven’t heard about until now. We can’t know for sure. In any case, we’ll be at MWC to let you know what’s new in Sony’s Android portfolio.

As you may already know, Sony has already announced two new smartphones this year – the Sony Xperia S and the Sony Xperia Ion, both unveiled at CES 2012 in early January, and both running Android Gingerbread (upgradeable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich).

Via Phandroid

• SE plans to bring Android Ice Cream Sandwich to its 2011 Xperia lineup
• Sony Ericsson’s 2011 Xperia line will get Android Ice Cream Sandwich
• Confirmed: Android Ice Cream Sandwich coming to Sony Ericsson’s Xperia 2011 lineup
• Sony Xperia S (Nozomi), Xperia Acro HD and Xperia NX officially announced (video)
• Sony Xperia S (Nozomi) official details leak ahead of imminent announcement

Best Buy has announced that it’s taking pre-orders for the Note tomorrow, too. Unlike AT&T, Best Buy is offering a free Protective Flip Cover Case (which otherwise costs $29.99) to customers who order and activate the smartphone.

As you may already know, the Galaxy Note will cost $299.99 with a new 2-yr contract agreement.

Running Android 2.3 Gingerbread (upgradeable to 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich), the Samsung Galaxy Note features a huge 5.3 inch Super AMOLED HD (1280 x 800) display, dual-core 1.5GHz processor, LTE connectivity, S Pen technology, 8MP rear camera, 2MP front-facing camera, and 16GB of internal memory.

Via Best Buy

• AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note press photos show up
• AT&T’s Galaxy Note will be featured in Samsung’s first Super Bowl commercial
• Samsung Galaxy Note to be launched in Canada in mid February
• Samsung Galaxy Note headed to Rogers Canada
• White Samsung Galaxy Note will be launched next week in the UK

Now the Canadian carrier has seemingly confirmed that it’s going to introduce the Optimus LTE, saying this is “coming soon.” Unfortunately, we don’t know exactly how soon, and neither for what price. But it’s worth mentioning that Bell is currently selling the handset for only $24.95 with a new 3-yr contract agreement.

The LG Optimus LTE features a 4.5 inch HD (1280 x 720) IPS display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, Bluetooth 3.0, TV out, 8MP rear camera with 1080p video recording, 1.3MP front-facing camera, and an 8GB memory card pre-installed. It will be launched with Android Gingerbread, upgradeable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

LG has already sold more than 1 million Optimus LTE units around the world. In the US, the Optimus LTE is offered by AT&T as the LG Nitro HD, and  by Verizon by as the LG Spectrum.

Via Mobile Syrup

• LG Nitro HD announced by AT&T – its first HD Android phone
• LG Optimus LTE launched by Bell – Canada’s first HD Android smartphone
• LG Spectrum for Verizon officially unveiled, will cost only $199.99 on contract
• Bell’s LG Optimus LTE to be released on November 22
• Verizon’s LG Spectrum (Revolution 2) and T-Mobile’s Nokia Lumia 710 pictured

Videotron didn’t out any pricing details just yet, saying that it will make all the necessary announcements on launch day itself, but promising to have competitive rates. We’ll see.

Also in Canada, the HTC Radar is on its way to SaskTel too. Videotron is also getting ready to launch this midrange second-generation Windows Phone device, as we found out last month.

Unfortunately, SaskTel is keeping the release date and price for the Radar close to its chest at the moment. But if that’s your carrier of choice and you’ve been meaning to pick up a new Windows Phone, soon you’ll be able to do just that. We’ll keep you posted.

Via MobileSyrup here and here

• SaskTel HTC Radar 4G pricing details emerge
• HTC Radar to bring more Windows Phone Mango to Canada (via Videotron)
• T-Mobile HTC Radar 4G will be available on November 2 for $99.99
• Canada: SaskTel releases the HTC Wildfire S
• HTC Radar 4G with Windows Phone Mango now available at T-Mobile for $99.99

The HTC Evo Shift 4G is getting a security update, alongside an updated version of HTC Peep (the company’s built-in social networking client), as well as much needed battery life improvements. The update will make your Evo Shift 4G run software version 2.77.651.3. The Samsung Replenish, on the other hand, only gets some security patches brought to it by the FA19 update.

The update is already rolling out over-the-air for the Replenish. If your phone hasn’t yet received the notification that the update is available, then know that the rollout will take a few days to complete.

For the HTC Evo Shift 4G, the update notification will start showing up on February 7. However, if you’re impatient you can manually check for the update right now and it should be there waiting for you.

Full update instructions for the Evo Shift 4G are available here, and for the Samsung Replenish here.

Via Sprint here and here

• Sprint HTC Evo Shift 4G Android 2.3 Gingerbread update will be available on June 17
• Sprint Samsung Replenish Android 2.3 Gingerbread update now rolling out
• Sprint’s HTC Evo 4G, Evo Design 4G and Samsung Epic 4G are all getting software updates today
• Sprint’s HTC Evo 3D gets a software update that improves battery life and security
• Sprint Samsung Replenish will get a maintenance update on July 18

Its model number is TF300T, the pictures below show you what it looks like, and that’s really all we know about it. So let’s speculate based on that model number.

The Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime has the model number TF201, and the recently unveiled revamped edition of that tablet (with fixes for connectivity issues through a redesigned back plate and with a higher-res screen) has the model number TF700T.

Now this newly leaked gadget obviously stands somewhere in between those two, at least in Asus’ vision. Then again, the company’s model numbers don’t make much sense. The TF700T is basically just a minor revision of the TF201, so why the huge jump in number there? TF202, or even TF201T (since the original lacks that final “T” anyway) would have made a lot more sense.

So the TF300T could be anything. It could be a lower-end companion to the two Primes, which is something that makes sense from a business perspective. Or it may be something else entirely. Sadly, the only thing we can do is wait and see.

Via NCCC Via Blogeee

• Asus Eee Pad Transformer gets a software update, sadly not ICS
• Wi-Fi-only Samsung Galaxy Tab and mystery Samsung GT-i9010 (Google Nexus Two/S?) hit the FCC
• Original Asus Eee Pad Transformer will get its Android 4.0 update by early February
• Asus working on a quad-core tablet with 3D display
• HP TouchPad may launch on June 12

Thankfully, we now have confirmed pricing information as well. Late last month rumor had it that the Droid 4 would be priced at just $199.99 with a new two-year contract, and today this leaked screengrab from Verizon’s Equipment Guide confirms that. It’s the same Equipment Guide that gave us the release date information yesterday, and we’re confident that this is real. Of course Verizon may decide to change stuff at the last minute, so we can’t be 100% sure of anything.

If you’d rather not commit to a long-term relationship with Big Red, you’ll be able to buy the Motorola Droid 4 for $549.99.

Via Droid Life

• Verizon Motorola Droid 4 will become available on February 10, new leak claims
• Verizon Motorola Droid 4 user guide now available
• Verizon Motorola Droid X2 User Guide now available
• Verizon Motorola Droid X arriving early for some customers?
• Verizon to launch the Motorola Droid Razr in purple on January 23

Since the smartphones run identical software, the new update has the same number version for both of them (6.12.173), and brings the same enhancements, including: improved data throughput performance in low-signal 4G areas, Mobile Hotspot improvements, Visual Voice Mail updates, and improved stability.

Here (PDF file) is a full changelog.

In case you need them, instructions on how to get the update are available here (PDF) for the Droid Razr, and here (PDF) for the Droid Razr Maxx.

Both the Droid Razr and Droid Razr Maxx –which are currently running Android Gingerbread – will be upgraded to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich sometime later this year.

Via Droid-life

• Verizon’s Motorola Droid Razr gets a software update
• Verizon’s Motorola Droid Bionic and 4G LTE Xoom get software updates
• Verizon Droid Razr Maxx will be launched on January 26 according to Motorola
• Motorola Droid Pro finally receiving Gingerbread update
• More evidence that Verizon’s Motorola Droid Razr Maxx will be out on January 26

In the meantime, you get a minor update thing (version 55.13.25) focused on wiping some bugs and enhancing some performance aspects. The picture taking experience is improved, Google Music is preinstalled, some Motorola apps have been renamed, some security patches are in, emergency alert receiving is now more reliable, the keyboard is better, and the mobile hotspot functionality as well as the Webtop have been made more stable.

That’s it, folks. The update should reach your Atrix 2 over-the-air at which point the phone will notify you to download and install it. If you’re impatient, you can always go to Settings > About phone > System updates and manually check if the update is available for you. If it isn’t, wait a few days and it should magically appear.

Via Motorola Via Android Central

• AT&T Motorola Atrix 4G will get Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread in July
• Bell Motorola Atrix Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread update now available
• Motorola Atrix Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread update now rolling out in Europe
• Motorola CEO: Webtop Docks Not Exclusive to Atrix, Coming to More Devices 2H 2011
• #MWC11: Motorola Atrix may arrive in Europe in March

Unfortunately the Chinese company didn’t bother to say anything about pricing, so we’ll have to wait and see. Anyway, for business customers, pricing usually varies according to the account, so hopefully when the MediaPad will be out for consumers we’ll find out more.

AT&T’s MediaPad comes with support for HSPA+, a 7-inch IPS 1280×800 touchscreen, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, a 5 MP rear camera, a 1.3 MP front-facing camera, 1080p video recording and playback support, and Wi-Fi. It still runs Android 3.2 Honeycomb, but an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is planned for the internationally-sold version, and perhaps AT&T’s will also get some love in this regard – but we don’t know for sure.

• Huawei MediaPad and Vision priced in the UK
• Huawei’s MediaPad Android tablet finally launched in India
• Press images leaked of 7-inch T-Mobile Huawei “Springboard” tablet
• Huawei makes Android 3.2 splash with Honeycomb dual-core 7-inch MediaPad
• 7-inch Huawei Honeycomb tablet with 4G support headed to T-Mobile

The new handset, called Xperia Active Billabong Edition, comes with an exclusive back cover, Billabong screensavers and videos, and a Billabong LIVE app.

Just like the regular Xperia Active, the Billabong Edition is dustproof and water resistant. It features a 3 inch HVGA display, Wi-Fi, HSDPA, GPS, barometer, compass, flashlight, 1GHz single core processor, 512MB of RAM, 1GB of internal memory, and a 5MP rear camera with 720p video recording. The smartphone runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich should arrive in March or April.

“The partnership is an expansion of our long term relationship with Sony and an extention of an Asia Pacific alliance developed with Sony Ericsson in 2011. Our customers are very tech savvy and their top interests include music, photography, social media and, of course, action sports. Each of these interests can be captured or experienced through the Xperia active and we are working on some exciting apps and accessories that should add to the user’s experience. The first to benefit will be the athletes at our major international events who will be testing the Xperia active device in conditions as diverse as the snowfields in Austria, surfing the big waves of Tahiti and even skateboarding in Singapore”, declared Scott Wallace, Billabong’s International VP of Strategic Partnerships & New Media.

Sony didn’t say how much the Xperia Active Billabong Edition costs, but it did mention that the smartphone is now available in select markets (probably Australia and New Zealand).

Via Press release

• Sony Ericsson Xperia Active launched in the US for $340 (unlocked)
• Sony Ericsson MT11i is yet another upcoming Android smartphone
• UK: Sony Ericsson Xperia Active now delayed until September 30
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Active pre-orders start in the UK for £229.99, shipping on September 9
• Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 confirmed by Skyhook CEO?

We’ve already heard that Telus would launch the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE and the Samsung Galaxy Note with LTE, and the LG Optimus LTE seems to be the third LTE device that it will offer.

What you see above is a screenshot taken from LG’s Canadian site, clearly listing an Optimus LTE variant made for Telus. Its model number is P935, whereas Bell’s is P930. There’s no word on this from Telus yet, so we don’t know any other details. But it’s pretty clear that the Optimus LTE is on its way to Telus, which is good news for those of you who’d like an LTE smartphone a teeny tiny bit smaller than the positively gigantic Galaxy Note.

Via MobileSyrup

• Samsung Galaxy Note to be launched by Bell in Canada
• Telus to launch the Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Friday for $99.99 with contract, Galaxy Note coming soon
• Telus will release the 4G Samsung Galaxy S II X on October 28
• LG Optimus Vu pictured next to Samsung Galaxy Note
• Samsung Galaxy Note launches in Canada on February 14 for $249.99, pre-orders now available

Both T-Mobile and O2 will feature the curvy Galaxy S Advance sometime in the future. Unfortunately though, neither company gave any further details, so for now it’s ‘wait and see’. Still, if your operator is either Three, T-Mobile, or O2, and you’d like to purchase a Galaxy S Advance when it becomes available, at least you now know for sure that you’ll be able to get it subsidized (read:free).

If on the other hand you loathe long-term contracts, know that the Samsung Galaxy S Advance can now be pre-ordered in SIM-free and unlocked form at Clove as well. A couple of days ago we told you that MobileFun started taking pre-orders, and Clove is a bit more expensive asking for £354 for the device (compared to £349.95).

The fact that it’s starting to pop up at more and more retailers can only mean that we’re nearing the launch of the Galaxy S Advance, so be ready.

Via SoMobile

• Samsung Galaxy S Advance pre-orders start in the UK for £349.95
• Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Nexus launched in the UK. Already out of stock
• BlackBerry Bold 9790 up for pre-order in the UK, will be available on January 20
• Samsung Galaxy Nexus will be available in the UK on November 16
• UK: HP Pre 3 now up for pre-order with Orange and T-Mobile contracts, free from £20.42 per month

Not to worry, though, for today we have something very close for you. If for some reason you’ve been meaning to pick up a Flyer but haven’t done so already, you’ll be happy to know that Expansys will sell you one for just £234.99. And £35.99 more than its absolute lowest price isn’t that much to be paying for HTC’s first Android-powered tablet.

Speaking of which, an update to Android 3.2 Honeycomb should probably be waiting for you as soon as you power up your new puppy. That still isn’t the latest version of the operating system, and truth be told we’re not sure if HTC will ever update the Flyer to Ice Cream Sandwich. Still, do take this over 99% of similarly priced ‘budget’ Android tablets which run Gingerbread.

• UK: HTC Flyer price drops to just £199
• HTC Flyer launches in India, Rs. 39,890 for the 32 GB 3G version
• HTC Flyer now just $299.99 at Best Buy
• HTC Flyer Android 2.3 tablet coming in March, Honeycomb upgrade to be offered later
• HTC Flyer pre-orders have started in the UK, expected to be shipping mid-April