Last year, LG announced its first 3D smartphone, the LG Optimus 3D at the CES 2011 in Las Vegas. This handset was shipped with the old Android 2.2 (Froyo) Operating System. The international SIM-free version of this handset has already received the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) update. However, the owners of some carrier-specific variants are still waiting for this update. Rogers and LG recently started rolling out the Android 2.3.5 update for the Rogers’ Optimus 3D variant in Canada. Check out the complete changelog below.

Changelog:

Enhanced HSPA+ Network Speed

• Faster data speeds from 14 Mbs to 21 Mbs

Enriched 3D Experience

• Improved video playback in 2D and 3D
• 3D Video Editor with the abilitu to create new projects (Video timeline, Adding video clips, images and sound and Cropping and trimming length)
• 2D to 3D conversion for videos and images
• 3D to 2D conversion supports both images and videos
• Easy to convert Open-GL games from 2D to 3D—Most apps are built on the Open-GL platform which is an open, standardized language for writing apps.

Improved Multimedia

• Improved video recording quality to 12 Mbs HD
• Improved battery life with low-power modes during music playback
• Video stabilization support for both 2D and 3D
• Upgraded sound quality with Dolby Mobile Effect when a user has the ear jack/BT Headset (Stereo)
• Improved camera loading and switching time from 2.5 seconds to 1 second
• Improved 3D depth with 720p camera

It is advised to backup all your data before updating the device. You should also make sure that the battery is fully charged before updating your phone. Sadly, this update will not be available via OTA (Over-The-Air). You will need to manually download the update from the LG Canada’s support site and update your phone. If you find something new in this update, then let us know in the comments below.

Samsung recently launched the dual-SIM Samsung Champ Deluxe Duos in India. This handset comes with a 2.8 inch touchscreen display, 1.3 megapixel rear camera, 16 GB expandable memory and much more. The entry-level Champ Deluxe Duos is specially targeted at the youth in India. It comes with the Samsung ChatON messaging service, which allows you to communicate instantly with any mobile phone and share text, pictures, calendar, contacts, emotions, hand-written notes and videos instantly with your friends.

Samsung Champ Deluxe Duos features a 2.8 inch QVGA touchscreen display, sporting a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels, TouchWiz UI, dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) capabilities, 1.3 megapixel rear camera, GPRS/EDGE, 3.5 mm headset jack, FM radio, Audio and Video player, microSD card slot, 16 GB expandable memory, micro USB, make fake calls feature, Bluetooth, Samsung ChatON and a 1000 mAh battery.

Samsung Champ Deluxe Duos is available in 2 colors – White and Black. This handset comes with a price tag of Rs.4790. However, you can easily buy this handset at Flipkart for just Rs.3925. To get this handset from Flipkart, head over to this page.

Earlier this week, Samsung announced the fourth variant of the highly popular Galaxy S smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy S Advance comes with a 4 inch Super AMOLED display and a powerful 1 GHz dual-core processor. This handset will ship with the old Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) Operating System.

The Samsung Galaxy S Advance comes with the curved glass design, which was previously seen in the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus smartphones. The curved glass design enhances the handling of the device and fits the user’s facial form easily. Three UK already announced that the Galaxy S Advance will be soon available for its customers. However, the company failed to announce the exact price and release date. On the other hand, Clove, a popular online retailer in the UK have already started taking pre-orders of this smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy S Advance features a 4 inch Super AMOLED display, sporting a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, 1 GHz dual-core processor, Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS, TouchWiz user interface, 5 megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera for video calls, 8 GB internal memory, 768 MB RAM, microSD card slot, 32 GB expandable memory and more.

It also comes with a 3.5 mm headset jack, music player with SoundAlive, ChatON, Readers Hub, Music Hub, Social Hub, Polaris Office, stereo FM Radio with RDS, Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, 14.4 Mbps HSDPA connectivity, Samsung Kies 2.0, A-GPS, Samsung Apps, Android Market and a 1500 mAh Li-ion battery.

You can pre-order the SIM-free Samsung Galaxy S Advance for £295 (approx $470). This handset will be launched during the last week of February. You can expect the availability of this handset around the time of Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2012. To pre-order this handset, head over to this page at Clove.

US Cellular customers finally has a reason to cheer. US Cellular recently announced that the company will be launching the much-awaited 4G LTE network next month. The initial rollout of 4G LTE includes select cities in Iowa, Wisconsin, Maine, North Carolina, Texas and Oklahoma. US Cellular is the first wireless carrier to offer 4G LTE in several of these markets. The company also announced a couple of 4G LTE devices including the new Samsung Galaxy S Aviator as well as the popular Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet.

“With 4G LTE speeds, you can quickly get what you want when you need it,” said Mary N. Dillon, president and CEO of U.S. Cellular. “This 4G LTE network builds upon our industry-leading network satisfaction and is the only one that comes with a valuable rewards program and other unique benefits like Overage Protection and Battery Swap that make our customers the happiest in wireless.”

Samsung Galaxy S Aviator features a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED Plus display, sporting a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, Android 2.3.6 (Gingerbread) Operating System, 8 megapixel rear-camera, front-facing camera for video calls, HDMI port, Android Market, etc. The complete specs of this device is still unknown. This handset might get the new Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) update, later this year.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 comes with a 10.1 inch WXGA display, sporting a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, 1 GHz dual-core processor, Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) OS, Samsung TouchWiz UX, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, 4G LTE Connectivity, 3 megapixel rear camera with LED Flash, HD (720p) video recording, 2 megapixel front-facing camera, microSD card slot, 32 GB expandable memory, Android Market, Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0 and a 6800 mAh battery.

US Cellular will first launch the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in March, followed by the Samsung Galaxy S Aviator in April. The price of both the devices will be announced later. US Cellular will also announce the next wave of 4G LTE market later this month.

Samsung recently announced the new Galaxy S Advance smartphone. This handset comes with the curved glass design, which enhances the handling of the device and fits the user’s facial form easily. Sadly, this handset runs on the old Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) Operating System. The folks living in the UK has a reason to cheer. Three UK recently announced that the new Samsung Galaxy S Advance will be exclusively available for its consumers in the coming weeks.

Sylvia Chind, head of handsets at Three said, “The Samsung Galaxy S Advance combines eye-catching design with powerful technology specs that make for an outstanding smartphone experience. Coupled with Three’s fast 3G network, videos will download quickly so you won’t be left in the dark waiting for the latest movie trailers to download.”

Samsung Galaxy S Advance features a 4 inch Super AMOLED display, sporting a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, 1 GHz dual-core processor, Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS, TouchWiz user interface, 5 megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera for video calls, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, 14.4 Mbps HSDPA connectivity and much more.

Other features include a 3.5 mm headset jack, music player with SoundAlive, stereo FM Radio with RDS, 8 GB internal memory, 768 MB RAM, microSD card slot, 32 GB expandable memory, Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0, ChatON, Readers Hub, Music Hub, Social Hub, Polaris Office, Samsung Kies 2.0, A-GPS, Samsung Apps, Android Market and a 1500 mAh Li-ion battery.

Three UK customers can get the new Samsung Galaxy S Advance for free with a 2 year service agreement. Other major carriers such as O2, Vodafone, T-Mobile and Orange has not yet announced the availability of this smartphone in the UK.

Last year, Nokia announced four new handsets under the new Asha series of phones, the Nokia Asha 303, Asha 300, Asha 200 and Asha 201. These handsets runs on the Symbian S40 Operating System. Out of the four devices, Nokia has only launched the Asha 200 QWERTY phone in India. Flipkart, a popular online retailer in India is already selling the new Nokia Asha 300 in India. This handset comes with a touchscreen display as well as a physical T9 keypad. The Nokia Asha 300 allows you to easily access messaging, email and instant messaging from the home screen. You can even swipe the homescreen to access apps, music or games from the Nokia Store.

Nokia Asha 300 features a 2.4 inch resistive touch display, sporting a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels, 1 GHz processor, Symbian S40 Operating System, 5 megapixel camera with video recording, 140 MB internal memory, microSD card slot, 32 GB expandable memory and so on.

Other features include a 3.5 mm headset jack, Stereo FM radio with RDS, MP3 music player, USB charging, Nokia Life Tools, Nokia Browser, Nokia Messaging with push email and IM, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Wi-Fi b/g/n, 3G Connectivity, A-GPS, up to 6.9 hours of talk-time, up to 22 days of stand-by time and a 1110 mAh battery.

This handset measures 112.8 mm x 49.5 mm x 12.7 mm and weighs just 85 g. Flipkart is selling this device for Rs.6835. This handset is currently available only in Graphite color. Other colors such as Night Shade, Gold, White Silver, Pink and Red are expected to be available soon after the official launch. The Nokia Asha 300 also comes pre-loaded with the popular Angry Birds game. To get this handset, head over to this page at Flipkart.

Earlier this month, Sony announced the powerful Sony Xperia S smartphone at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2012 in Las Vegas. Play.com, a popular online retailer in the UK has already started taking pre-orders of this smartphone. According to the retailer, the Sony Xperia S was expected to release on January 30. However, we have bad news for those who have already pre-ordered this device in the UK.

The much-awaited launch of the Sony Xperia S has been delayed in the UK. Play.com customers will have to wait till next month to get their hands on this amazing device. According to the retailer’s pre-order page, the new release date is February 13. If you are planning to get this device, then check out the complete specs below.

Sony Xperia S features a 4.3 inch HD display, sporting a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, 1.5 GHz Qualcomm MSM8260 dual-core processor, Google Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS (upgradable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich), 12 megapixel camera with 16x digital zoom, auto-focus, Face detection and LED Flash, Full HD (1080p) video recording and playback, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera for video calls and so on.

Other features include a 3.5 mm audio jack, FM radio with RDS, NFC (Near Field Communication), USB 2.0, 32 GB eMMC, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Android Market, Wi-Fi Hotspot functionality, GPS with aGPS, Bluetooth technology, DLNA Certified, HDMI support, Micro USB, up to 25 hrs music playback time, up to 6 hrs 30 min video playback time, up to 7 hrs 30 min of talk-time, up to 450 hrs of stand-by time and a 1750 mAh battery.

Play.com is expected to release the device on February 13, however we are still not sure if the device will be released on the date mentioned by the retailer. Clove, another popular online retailer in the UK is expected to sell the SIM-free Sony Xperia S from the first week of March. According to the retailer, the device will be launched after the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2012 and the stock is expected to arrive on the 6th or 7th of March.

Kobian Group, the maker of Mercury brand of computer components and peripherals, recently launched its second tablet device, the Mercury mTab Neo. This device is the successor of the not-so-popular Mercury mTab2 tablet. The previous model had only Wi-Fi and external 3G support, but the new Mercury mTab Neo features in-built 3G and SIM support for voice and video calling.

This tablet comes with a 7 inch capacitive touchscreen display and a powerful 1 GHz dual core Cortex A9 processor. Most of the entry-level tablets currently available in the market runs on the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS. However, the Mercury mTab Neo runs on the super old Android 2.2 (Froyo) OS. Check out the complete specs below.

Sushmita Das, Country Manager – India, Kobian Pte Ltd, said,

“mTab Neo summarizes convergence and convenience. The product combines functionality of two devices and makes the experience and usage more convenient and friendly. At Mercury, we strive to bring products with new ideas and make technology simpler and affordable for all. SIM calling, Bluetooth, in-built 3G, dual camera and overall a strong processor and battery pack up – it’s a complete package needed in the growing market of tablets”.

Mercury mTab Neo Specifications:

• 7 inch capacitive touchscreen display
• 1 GHz dual core Cortex A9 processor
• Android 2.2 (Froyo) OS
• 2 megapixel rear camera
• 0.3 megapixel front-facing camera for video calling
• 4 GB internal memory
• microSD card slot
• 32 GB expandable memory
• HDMI Video Output
• Dual speakers
• EDGE/GPRS support,
• Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g
• mini-USB port
• Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP
• 4000 mAh battery

The Mercury mTab Neo comes with a price-tag of Rs.15,999. You will also get a 1 year warranty, with the purchase of this device. The Mercury mTab Neo will compete with other entry-level tablets such as Reliance 3G tab, Beetel Magiq II and iBall Slide in the Indian market.

Last month, LG announced the much-awaited LG Prada 3.0 in Germany. The LG Prada 3.0 is the first smartphone in the Prada series. This handset runs on the Android 2.3.7 (Gingerbread) Operating System. The LG Prada 3.0 will also get the Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) update during the Q2 of 2012. Within a few days of its official announcement, LG launched this handset in South Korea. After waiting for nearly a month, this handset is finally available for purchase in the UK. If you are planning to buy one, then check out the complete specs below.

LG Prada 3.0 features a 4.3 inch Nova Plus display, sporting a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, 1 GHz dual core TI OMAP 4430 processor, Android 2.3.7 (Gingerbread) OS (upgradable to Android 4.0), Prada UI, 8 megapixel camera with auto-focus and LED flash, full HD (1080p) video recording and playback, 1.3 megapixel front facing camera and so on.

Other features include a 3.5 mm headset jack, 1 GB RAM, 8 GB internal memory, MicroSD card slot, 32 GB expandable memory, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities, A-GPS, NFC (Near Field Communication), microUSB 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, 3G Connectivity, Bluetooth 3.0 and a 1540 mAh battery.

Phones 4U, a popular online retailer is selling this handset for free, with a 2 year service agreement and £31 monthly plan. If you buy this handset from Phones 4u before the end of February, you’ll get 12 months free unlimited 4u Wi-Fi. This service allows you to access Wi-Fi from your handset whenever you’re in one of The Cloud’s 6000+ hotspots across the UK. To get this handset, head over to this page.

Last year, Samsung launched the cheapest Bada smartphone, the Samsung Wave Y. This handset runs on the latest Bada 2.0 Operating System. Within few months of its launch, Samsung silently launched the La Fleur edition of the popular Samsung Wave Y smartphone. This handset was recently spotted at a popular online store in Ukraine. The specs of both the variants are almost similar.

Samsung Wave Y La Fleur edition features a 3.2 inch touchscreen display, sporting a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels, Bada 2.0 Operating System, 832 MHz processor, Touchwiz UX, Wi-Fi 801.11 b/g/n, 3G Connectivity, 2 megapixel camera with LED flash, VGA video recording, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, Wi-Fi Direct, microUSB 2.0 and more.

It also comes with a 3.5 mm headset jack, stereo FM radio with RDS, GPS with A-GPS, Audio and Video player, 150 MB internal memory, microSD card slot, 32 GB expandable memory, 2 GB card included, 512 MB RAM, Samsung ChatON, Samsung App Store, up to 570 hrs stand-by time, up to 6 hrs 40 mins talk-time and a 1200 mAh battery.

Samsung Wave Y La Fleur edition comes with a price tag of $165. This handset is currently available for purchase only in Ukraine. Samsung might launch this handset in other European countries. However, we are not sure whether this handset will see the daylight in the American and Asian markets.