PhoneTalk

Last month in London, Samsung unveiled the latest model in its Galaxy line of products. Today, word is out on when we can expect to see it in the states and which service providers will be offering it. All the major carriers will be offering the latest Android 4.0 smartphone. That includes T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and AT&T. Not all carriers are mentioning an availability date, but Sprint and T-Mobile say it will be available later this month.

The Galaxy S III will sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 2GB of internal RAM, and work on 4G networks so it should offer a speedy user experience. The phone will be a bit large with a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display covered with Gorilla Glass 2.0 that will help protect the phone from the elements and accidents that can happen in everyday use. As expected, the phone will sport a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera that can record 1080p HD video. It will include quite a few photo features such as Burst Shot for capturing three images in a row with no shutter lag time. The phone will be available in White or Blue with either 16GB or 32GB of internal memory, and it can accept a microSD card for more storage space.

It’s been reported that some people who were among the first to purchase the Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone experienced trouble getting a data connection. According to this CNET article, Nokia has confirmed that there is indeed a glitch in some of the earlier models. The issue is a result of a combination of memory management and software. There will be a software update rolled out to the cell phones on April 16th that should fix the problem. In the meantime, Nokia is offering $100 credit for the service bill to those with affected phones until midnight on April 21, 2012.

Cell phone theft is becoming more and more prevalent and to help combat the issue Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile have teamed up with the FCC to create a database to help block a stolen phone from being used. Within the next six months the carriers will develop individual databases of phone IDs, which will be merged to form a national database within 18 months. The idea behind the database is that when a phone is stolen with a registered ID, if someone tries to use it or activate it on another carrier it won’t work. When a cell phone is reported stolen to the carrier they can then disable the phone so it can’t be used.

One of the trends in the mobile space at this year’s CES was a move towards more affordable smartphones. Case in point is the Pantech Burst that will be available in either ruby red or titanium with AT&T service for under $50 with a new two-year contract on January 22nd. The Android smartphone features a 1.2GHz processor, 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen, rear-facing 5-megapixel camera and front-facing 2-megapixel camera, and will work on AT&T’s 4G LTE data network. The cell phone also has a friendly user interface and shortcuts to access popular features from the lock screen.

At CES this week AT&T unveiled a slue of 4G LTE products that would be available this year. One of them is the affordable (priced at $299) and durable Pantech Element. The tablet will run the Android 3.2 Honeycomb OS at launch and sport an 8-inch display. What makes this tablet a bit different than others out there is that it’s waterproof, so go ahead and spill a drink on this tablet. The Element can take it. The tablet will be available later this month.

At a press conference at CES, Nokia unveiled the Nokia Lumia 900, which will work with AT&T’s 4G LTE network. As is the case with the previous Lumia models, the 900 has the unibody build so there’s no visible seems on the phones adding up to a sleek design. The smartphone also features an 8-megapixel camera featuring Carl Zeiss optics and a front-facing 1-megapixel camera. The Lumia 900 is running the latest version of Windows Phone 7 (Mango) OS and has a host of Nokia apps included on the phone. Get a closer look at the Lumia 900 in the video below.

At a press conference at CES, Sony unveiled the Xperia Ion, the first 4G LTE phone from the company. The smartphone sports a Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine (so it’s got a beautiful touchscreen), 12-megapixel camera with a fast shutter, and a 1.5GHz dual-core processor. Although the phone will be running Android Gingerbread OS at launch, it will be upgradeable to the Ice Cream Sandwich OS. The phone will be available later this year with AT&T service. Get a sneak peek at the phone in the video below.

The company also unveiled the Xperia S, which has similar specs. The big difference is that is has a slightly smaller screen size measuring 4.3-inches and sports a removable battery. This model will be available around the globe – so it’s also a world phone. It will be Sony PlayStation certified, so it should deliver a solid gaming experience.

Note: “FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY. NOT FOR COMMERCIAL USE OR RE-SALE. USE OF “SONY” BRAND SUBJECT TO REGULATORY APPROVAL”.

We got a look at the HTC Titan II at CES. This Windows Phone, running the Mango 7.5 OS, was announced at the show. The cell phone will be coming to AT&T and will work on the company’s 4G LTE network. In addition to the 4G LTE connectivity, the HTC Titan II will sport a 16-megapixel camera with a pretty fast shutter. The phone should be available this Spring.

At an event in New York today, Samsung officially unveiled its latest models in the Samsung Galaxy S II line for Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T. All the models will be running Android 2.3 OS with Samsung’s TouchWiz 4.0 interface with a widget idle screen. The phones will also have a battery that’s 10 percent bigger.

First up, Sprint will be offering the next version of the Samsung Epic 4G. The new model called the Samsung Galaxy S™ II, Epic™ 4G Touch has some noteworthy editions, but is lacking the tactile slide-out QWERTY keyboard found in its predecessor in favor of a much slimmer profile. The new model sports a Samsung Exynos 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 4.52-inch Super AMOLED™ Plus touchscreen, Samsung’s TouchWiz 4.0 interface, enterprise functionality, and the 4G data connection can be used as a mobile HotSpot with the ability to share the connection with up to eight WiFi-enabled devices. The phone will also have a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera with flash and autofocus that can record 1080p HD video that can be edited on the phone. On the front of the cell phone is a 2-megapixel camera that can be used for self-portraits or video chat using an app like Google Talk Video Chat.

There’s not a lot of information available about the Samsung Galaxy S II for T-Mobile, but it will run Android OS 2.3 with the Samsung TouchWiz 4.0 interface. Like the Epic 4G Touch it will also sport a 4.52-inch display. We’ll provide more information as it becomes available.

AT&T will also be offering the Samsung Galaxy S II. That model will offer 4G connectivity, sport a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, and a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera with the ability to record 1080p HD video and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The AT&T version will have a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display instead of the 4.52-inch size found on the T-Mobile and Sprint versions.

On July 7, 2011, Verizon Wireless will follow both AT&T and T-Mobile to become the 3rd major US carrier to adopt tiered data plans. Delly Tamer, founder of LetsTalk.com, offers his perspective on this industry shift and questions what it means for consumers in the future:

We’ve seen metered options before with voice plans. We all remember the “bill shock anxiety” we faced every month wondering about minute overages and excess charges on our bill. Now, in the relatively early days of high-speed 4G data offerings, we’re beginning to see it again.

Pricing by the gigabyte simply does not mean much to users. Consumers don’t know a gigabyte from a mosquito bite. What they do know, is that they now need to start worrying about it. What if my son leaves Pandora streaming in the back seat of the car for 5 hours? What data services are running in the background of my device and how many megabytes do these services use? Am I connected to Wifi or not? Consumers don’t want to be burdened by these thoughts and our concern is that they will avoid using data services to their fullest extent.

When Verizon introduced its 4G LTE service earlier this year with an unlimited data plan for $30 per month, it was a bold move that was great for consumers. It meant consumers could freely explore many new features of their high-end smartphones and tablets (updating Facebook, watching YouTube videos, surfing the web, etc.) without wondering how much data they’re using.

Verizon’s recent announcement to stop offering its unlimited data plan is the latest in a recent series of similar decisions by other national carriers.

We have to question why the carriers are choosing to create this “bill shock anxiety” all over again? Why now? At a time when data services are becoming more and more popular, why are carriers choosing to make these services less and less accessible?

AT&T’s planned acquisition of T-Mobile will reduce the number of national postpaid carriers, and quite possibly the level of competitiveness in the wireless industry. AT&T states that its acquisition of T-Mobile will speed its ability to offer 4G services nationwide. But at what cost to the consumer? How many of us will be able to afford it? Our obvious concern is that there is no longer a truly competitive wireless marketplace and that pricing actions like these are indicative of things to come. Will AT&T now match Verizon’s data pricing? Will (Read more)

In this week's edition, learn about two new HTC phones, the HTC Status (aka the Facebook Phone) for AT&T and the myTouch 4G Slide for T-Mobile. Also, the popular Angry Birds game is available for Windows Phone 7 users. Our test drive feature takes a look at how to extend the battery life of your cell phone. Finally, find out how to win a Motorola Roadster.