Matt

We’re yet to even pack our socks and dongles for the trip to Barcelona for Mobile World Congress 2012, and already handset names are leaking out ahead of the annual phone symposium… This time it’s the turn of Finnish phone maker Nokia , with PocketNow apparently grabbing a list of their runners and riders…and it seems an even operating system spread. Two Windows Phone devices are touted in the form of the  Nokia Lumia 900  going global and an entry-level  Nokia Lumia 610 , whilst S40... Read Full Story

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 has been announced in Prague, at the Korean manufacturer’s annual showcase of all things glossy and gadgety. A 7-inch LCD display with a 1Ghz dual-core processor and refreshed multimedia capabilities, it is interesting to note the release states the Galaxy Tab 2 is ‘the first  addition to [Samsung's] 2012 tablet line-up’. Slimmer, slicker and stylistically more in keeping with its Galaxy stablemates, the Tab 2 feels like a more considered device than the original... Read Full Story

Whilst Motorola’s Android-fuelled return to relevance fell  just short of the ascension many had predicted, the US manufacturer is still bringing out a number of smartphones running on Google juice in 2012. First up is the Motorola MOTOLUXE , an ‘ultra-vogue, rail-thin’ device housing an an 800Mhz processor and sporting shades of the modestly successful RAZR reboot. Powered by Android Gingerbread, the MOTOLUXE is once again all about style,  with a 4-inch touchscreen and 8-megapixel... Read Full Story

Do not adjust your display. The above screenshot is from dual-joystick shooter Beat Hazard Ultra , a frankly intense game that uses your own tunes to create a unique wave-based blast ‘em up. Created by indie developer Cold Beam Games, the frenetic title has seen success on a myriad of platforms including PC, Mac and Xbox Live Arcade, but making the leap to iOS devices sees Beat Hazard Ultra finally land on the same place where your music collection resides…and it is a beautiful marriage... Read Full Story

A rap video by 80s variety act Keith Harris and Orville in association with SIM-only retailer giffgaff , in order to highlight the plight of battery hens…sounds entirely normal. Partnering with the Wood Green Animal Shelter, giffgaff pledges to rehome incarcerated poultry every time that someone activates a new SIM. Drawing a comparison between consumers tied into long term contracts and chickens in battery farms might sound a bit of a stretch, but Tom Rainsford, Head of Brand and... Read Full Story

If you were only able to tell HTC’s Sensation handsets from each other by colourway, the Taiwanese phone maker is set to make things a lot tougher this month with a white model of the HTC Sensation XE. The HTC Sensation XE white is due for a February 20th launch according to SIM-free phone seller  Clove , with the Beats by Dre-equipped smartphone costing £408. Powered by a dual-core processor, Android Gingerbread and a 4.3-inch qHD display, the Sensation XE is already a formidable device... Read Full Story

Those looking for an affordable Valentine’s Day gift are in luck, as the Samsung Galaxy Y is now available in a fetching pink hue from the Carphone Warehouse . Free from just £9.99 with 50 minutes, 100 texts and 250MB of data as well just as a shade under £80 on prepay, the Galaxy Y Pink brings Gingerbread to bear on a cute casual handset. Very much a ‘starter for ten’ in terms of smartphone specs, the Galaxy Y Pink has a 3-inch touchscreen, 2 megapixel camera as well as 3G and Wi-Fi... Read Full Story

Good news for users on O2′s virtual offspring giffgaff, as the prepay operator is finally able to offer BlackBerry services – including BBM – to customers. For £3 , an add-on can be placed onto current deals to offer access to all of the favoured mail and messaging platforms offered by RIM’s compact smartphone range. A victim of its own success, giffgaff has been plagued by a number of customer service and infrastructure-driven issues that have delayed the rollout of this upgrade, citing... Read Full Story

Released late last week,  PanicGuard is the world’s first police-approved app for Android and iOS, specifically aimed at the personal security market. Leveraging the handset’s GPS and video recording facilities to automatically contact emergency numbers when activated, PanicGuard hopes to lend peace of mind to some of the estimated 120,000 people who are victims of stalking each year. Activated by shaking or holding the handset, an alarm is triggered and a text, e-mail or social... Read Full Story

Nokia’s Symbian operating system seems to be getting a last nip and tuck before being put out to pasture, with the latest ‘Belle’ update set to grace the Finnish manufacturer’s range of pre-Windows Phone blowers from today. The Nokia N8 , E7 , E6 , C6-01 and C7 will all be receiving the long awaited revamp, with updates to all manner of features including a notifications bar, customisable homescreens and improvements in navigation. See if your handset is compatible by clicking here... Read Full Story