MWC (Mobile World Congress) is only a couple of weeks away and the world’s top mobile phone manufacturers, apart from Apple, will descend upon Barcelona to show off their latest handsets. Samsung, LG, Nokia, Sony, HTC, Acer and Asus will all be on hand to show what they have planned for 2012 and beyond. Here’s what we think you might be seeing at MWC 2012.

Nvidia

While we’ve already seen the Tegra quad-core processor in the new Asus tablet we’d bet our house that Nvidia & Co will be on hand at MWC to confirmed more Tegra 3 mobile devices. Adding even more fuel the fire they’ve already sent out a press release teasing “quad-core firsts” during Mobile World Congress.

We’ve known about quad-core smartphones since CES, but anything on show was displayed behind glass – so it’s going to be exciting to get some proper face-time with the new handsets. It’s been reported that HTC and LG are both planning to unveil Tegra 3-powered devices, which are expected to feature 4.7-inch displays with 720p resolutions.

Windows 8 & Windows Phone

Microsoft revealed recently that it plans to launch the consumer preview version of Window 8 on February 29 – to coincide with their event at MWC. It’s does seem odd that Microsoft will be discussing Windows 8 at a mobile phone trade show, but it could mean Microsoft to will unveil more details on how Windows 8 will work alongside their Mobile phone operating system.

Not only will Windows Phone 8 share the same Metro style user interface as Windows 8 for tablets and PCs, but developers can reuse the same code for both operating systems. It’s not clear if Microsoft plans to discuss its Windows Phone 8 plans, but a Windows 8 Consumer Preview launch at Mobile World Congress makes it look that way.

Samsung

Its been confirmed by Samsung that the follow-up to their Galaxy S2 wouldn’t be making an appearance at this year’s MWC, but even more bizarre is the news that Samsung won’t be making a major press announcements at the 2012 show. Samsung should still have a new product or two to launch at MWC, as promised, however the usual big set-piece event is now off the table.

Their US PR team said: ”Samsung confirmed that they are not hosting a press conference at Mobile World Congress, but Samsung is looking forward to introducing and demonstrating exciting new mobile products at Mobile World Congress 2012.

“The successor to the Galaxy S II smartphone will be unveiled at a separate Samsung-hosted event in the first half of the year, closer to commercial availability of the product.

“Samsung stays committed to providing the best possible mobile experiences for customers around the world.”

Sony

The leaked shot above show the entire family of Xperia phones, but there’s also a couple of family members we haven’t seen before. According the Xperia Blog the new handsets include the rumoured Xperia Nypon and the phone in the middle of the bottom row, is thought to be the recently-announced Xperia S. We’ve had several emails about Sony’s plans at MWC, so we’re betting they’ll be bringing a host of new phones to MWC under the Xperia brand.

Blackberry

Ailing smartphone maker, Blackberry, should be at MWC with their new operating system. Once called BBX, its now been dubbed Blackberry 10 and has yet to released on any smartphone.

According to a RIM rep the company will be at MWC to show off the new operating system as well its current Blackberry 7 – which comes with new NFC and BBM capabilities. Unfortunately, it appears there still won’t be a device running BlackBerry 10 until later this year.

New reports from BGR blog are suggesting that Blackberry has cancelled the BlackBerry Colt, as well the Milan. Meaning RIM only has the BlackBerry 10 smartphone. First unveiled in London, the handset comes with dual-core 1.5Ghz, 1GB of Ram, 16GB of onboard storage and front and rear facing cameras. RIM focusing on a single device could be a good thing, but we’ve heard it won’t be ready until the third quarter of this year, which might just be too late – let’s hope they have something more concrete at MWC.

HTC

HTC has already confirmed their plans with a press conference set to take place the day before the show officially kicks off. They’re expected to show of the HTC Edge , which could also be the world’s first quad-core phone. There’s also talk of the Quattro tablet, also quad-core thanks to Nvidia’s Tegra 3 processor, as well as the Ville, another Android Ice Cream Sandwich superphone, and the Primo, a more mid-range device.

We also wonder if we’ll hear of the European version of the Titan II Windows Phone we saw at CES, with its ginormous 16-megapixel camera. Let’s hope so.

MWC takes place from February 27 to March 3.

Mobile World Congress: Gaj-it’s Top Mobile Phone Predictions is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Apparently Apple has already decided that their current iPhone is the de facto size for a mobile. They never really consulted us, but for them 3.5-inches is more than enough for a mobile. Well, their closest smartphone competitor Samsung has other ideas, in fact, they think you should be able to choose whatever screen size you want. Anything from 3-inches to 5.6-inches. Sammy has launched a new smartphone with a gigantic 5.6-inch screen. Called the Galaxy Note it’s a smartphone that looks to combine the best of a tablet (screen size) with the portability of a mobile to create something genuinely different. Samsung is clearly hoping that the Note is a convergence device; marrying two devices into one. Has it worked? Almost.

The Screen of all screens

When you unbox the Note the first thing you’ll probably do is compare it against an iPhone and when you do you’ll come to the conclusion that it’ll never fit in anyone’s pockets (unless you own some hammer pants) – it’s massive. The extra size is obvious; a large 5.3-inch screen.

The Note uses Samsung AMOLED technology which is found the current S2. All of their current screens which use this tech are famed for incredible brightness, deep, bold colours and the Note is no exception. The 1280×800 resolution is a quite an achievement, but would have been a real man on the moon moment if they had managed to get this resolution onto a phone that wasn’t quite so big.

Power and Battery Life

With such a big screen and plenty more pixels to push around you’d think Samsung might want to add a new CPU. But, the have decided to run a clocked version of the same chip found in its smaller cousin the S2. With the increased power demands of the screen Samsung has decided to up the battery – to a 2500 Mah, meaning you can rely on the Note to last a full day without having to do a pit stop.

Software and Internal Storage

Google’s attempt to cure the fragmenting of the Android OS has seen the search giant release Ice Cream Sandwich, unfortunately if you pick a Note you’ll be waiting until March before Samsung can update the current Gingerbread OS to Ice Cream Sandwich.

From the face of it you’d probably struggle to tell the two OS’s apart, but it would have been nice to see the latest OS on the latest Android handsets. It would seem that in a cruel twist of fate Ice Cream may well fragment Android even further. The Note comes in two storage flavours – 16 and 32GB.

The Stylus is back

One of the main party pieces of the Note is the return of an old friend: the Stylus pen. Samsung hopes that the Note and S Pen will eventually replace the humble pen and paper. We’re not sure they’re quite there yet. While the stylus on the HTC Flyer was a disaster, the Note’s is actually rather good on the face of it. It comes free with the handset and has a holster on the bottom of the device. Using the S Pen, you can doodle images, write notes and interact with all elements of the Android operating system. But, upon closer inspection it begins to unravel: handwriting recognition software is onboard, but hasn’t really moved on from the early 90’s – it’s still terrible at recognising handwriting – therefore you’ll probably only use it for games and the odd doodle.

Gaming Credentials

Where the stylus does succeed is gaming. Playing any number of games with the stylus makes the Note more like a fancy Nintendo DS than a boring business phone. Games like Fruit Ninja and Angry Birds are a joy to play with the pen. If you’re playing games which require you to use your fingers you’ll find them much more engrossing than on a normal sized phone. The extra screen real-estate really comes into play when playing games like GTA 3. The Note’s large display goes some way to curing the traditional headache of touch-screen virtual controls, enriching the experience more than you might naturally assume.

Camera and Video Capture

Samsung’s Galaxy S2 has been a by-word for an amazing digital camera, and we’re glad to report that the Note also comes with the same 8-megapixel camera and the same set of slick image-capture tools. If you liked the camera on the S2 – then you’ll love the Note’s.

Samsung Galaxy Note Review: The World’s First Tablet/Phone Hybrid ? is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Canalys report states that year 2011 saw 63 million tablets shipped, while netbook sales volume stood at 29.4 million. According to these figures, netbook market shrank by almost 25 percent and tablet market grew almost three times. In contrast, PC market showed the growth rate of only 2 percent. Within the PC market, notebooks showed better potential than desktops. During the year, netbooks shipments grew 8 percent while desktop numbers increased by only e percent.

Netbooks segment was started in 2007 but the category could not sustain itself for long. While these mini notebooks did cause some splash in the beginning, but were soon overcome by tablets and cheaper laptops. Canalys had conducted similar study in 2009, when the research firm had claimed that ‘netbooks reshape the PC industry’. The segment finally peaked at 39.4 million unit shipment in 2010. However, it was not able to maintain the momentum.

Tablets Sales Continue to Grow: Netbooks Face Bleak Future is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Android’s vice president of engineering Hiroshi Lockheimer stated that Google now scans Android Market apps for Trojans, spyware and other such malicious software. Lockheimer said, “While it’s not possible to prevent bad people from building malware, the most important measurement is whether those bad applications are being installed from Android Market—and we know the rate is declining significantly.”

Recently various IT security firms such as Lookout and Juniper Networks had pointed out the growing number of infected apps in Google app market. However, Google has defended its current system of relatively lax monitoring policy. The company said that the users can read reviews about an app before downloading it and thus have enough data to make informed decision.

Google also cited that the number of infected apps in the Marketplace dropped 40 percent during last year. The company’s Bouncer system also carries out regular checks on developer accounts to weed out the rogue developers.

Google Tackles Android Malware Menace with Tighter Security Measures is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

PocketNow managed to get hold of a copy of video in which Microsoft’s Windows Phone Manager Joe Belfiore has been featured explaining new features of Windows Phone 8. The video shows that Windows Phone 8 will also support microSD card, thus enabling higher storage. As previously rumored, next generation operating system will also comply with NFC requirements. It will allow you to share content with a mere tap. Since this feature will be shared with Windows 8, you will be able to seamlessly transfer data and content from your Windows Phone 8 handset to Windows 8 computers and tablets and vice versa.

Windows Phone 8 is also going to be more user friendly as it will feature a new app called DataSmart, which will let you monitor your data usage and thus will help you in avoiding incurring massive data fee. The OS will also ensure that it gives priority to WiFi over your cellular connection so as to minimize the usage of your data quota. Apollo or Windows Phone 8 is also going to bring VoIP facility through Skype integration.

Windows Phone 8 Details emerge: Skype Integration and Dual Core Abound is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Meanwhile, iPad3 launch date has been pushed back to March, in order to reduce the time span between launch and sales. It is also not clear whether the new model of the tablet would be called iPad 3 or iPad 2S. However, it is expected that the new model will come with faster A6 quad-core chip and sharper ‘Retina display’ screen.

Another rumor also suggests that next gen iPad may be 4G compliant. This rumor, if true, would be big step up for the tablet, as none of the Apple device support 4G technology so far. It is also being claimed that tablet would support not only LTE but also would be compliant with HSPA+ network.

Apple to Hold ‘Strange’ event in February: iPad 3 to Arrive in March is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

RIM has collaborated with Microsoft for providing this service, which will now allow the subscribers to synchronize their Microsoft Online email wirelessly. Subscribers will also be able to avail wireless synchronization service for their organizer and calendar. RIM will also offer its BlackBerry Balance technology ‘which presents a unified view of work and personal content on a BlackBerry smartphone while keeping the content separate and secure.’

The new service will also let you erase your data remotely, should you lose or misplace your phone. You can also choose to lock your data instead. RIM also added, “Microsoft’s partnership with RIM exemplifies our commitment to providing customers with the best productivity experience across the PC, browser and phone.” The service is already live in over 50 countries now. You can access it through www.blackberry.com/cloudservices.

RIM extends BlackBerry Business Cloud Services to Office 365 Users is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Nokia will be using NFC technology for various purposes including simplifying user experience. It is also rumored that Nokia may opt for wireless charging for its handsets. Though, wireless charging facility is available in many phones, but the technology never got mass approval. Nokia is also looking to minimize the use of connection ports.

Nokia will also be making some cosmetic changes to Lumia phones. The company will be removing the plastic cover for the micro USB port. IN an interview with The Guardian, Nokia’s design chief Marko Ahtisaari said, “If you can take away a moving part and make it more beautiful in the placement of the components, we’ll do it, so that’s something where we can certainly keep improving.”

Nokia to Bring New Features to Windows Smartphones is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

iPad 3 is also expected to come packed with a faster and better quad core processor. Apparently, there are some screenshots doing rounds on the internet, which indicate the model number for this processor as S5L8945X. Apple had moniker S5L8930X for its A4 iPad while A5 tablet was called S5L8940X. Similar report was published by DigiTimes earlier.

Like all the other rumors, even these ones are needed to be taken with a generous pinch of salt. So far, Apple has not made any announcement about the features of next generation table. For that matter, even the time of the launch of iPad 3 is up for speculation. Various sources have claimed that the new tablet may be released in late February to coincide with Steve Jobs’ birthday.

iPad 3 Rumors: Apple may Go 4G Way with New Tablet is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

The four slots have been price at £36, £41, £46 and £61. All these plans offer unlimited calls on T-Mobile network, unlimited text messages and unlimited Internet usage. Apart from £36 plan, which gets quite generous 2,000 minutes of calls to other networks, other plans are eligible for unlimited free calls.

Talking about these plans, Ben Fritsch, Head of Propositions, T-Mobile UK said, “Over the past two years, we’ve seen a rise in mobile internet use of over 250%, which reflects the consumer trend of being ‘always on’ wherever they are. However, consumers also still want to retain a more personal level of communication by calling or sending a text.”

‘The Full Monty’ subscribers will also be eligible for availing the benefits of ‘big 3G switch on’ introduced last year. Under this program, T-Mobile and Orange share their 3G spectrum, and thus offer 3G signals at more places. The Full Monty plans are available with several high end phones including iPhone 4S and Samsung Galaxy SII. You will need to sign up for e4 months plan. T-Mobile is introducing the plan with effect from February 1.

T-Mobile UK Introduces Unlimited ‘The Full Monty’ Plans is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com