Microsoft introduced the basic features of the upcoming Windows Phone 8 Apollo in Windows Phone Summit.

The new Windows Phone 8 will support multi-core processors, more screen resolutions (800 x 480 / 15:9, 1280 x 768 / 15:9, 1280 x 720 / 16:9), microSD slots with the ability to install applications from them, integration of Internet Explorer 10 (with HTML5 rendering), native NFC chips and related functionality (such as Wallet), while the application development platform will be common with Windows 8 so that developers can transfer applications without much effort (and also from Android and iOS).

Moreover, the new version will include a pre-loaded Nokia Maps application with offline support, data from NAVTEQ and turn-by-turn guidance which will continue to operate in the background. This means that the Lumia Windows Phone smartphones will lose the exclusivity they had on this area up to now .

Continuing with the new features of Windows Phone 8 Apollo, there will be full integration of VoIP functionality, not only Skype !, with Microsoft claiming that calls received from the VoIP service will not have any difference in quality from normal phone calls. VoIP can also work in the background. Therefore, developers can create their own implementation of VoIP. Also the “Speech” functionality will be very useful (something like Siri or S Voice) which can also be added to any application for voice commands.

The Start Screen includes Live Tiles with the difference that the user can change their size (double wide, medium, small) to have even more information on the Home screen, more color choices and of course the ability to move things around on the screen.

A new feature that will utilize the NFC chip for devices with Windows Phone 8 will be the “Tap + Send”, where users will simply touch two devices and share contacts, photos, videos, etc., but also play a double game !

Great weight has been given to gaming, with Microsoft bringing the award winning Havok game engine to the Windows Phone 8 device, and made agreements with leading mobile gaming companies to further enrich the Marketplace (surpassed 100,000 applications faster than any other application store) with excellent games like Asphalt 7, NOVA 3, Words With Friends and Draw Something.

Those who have a device with Windows Phone 7.5 will not be able to upgrade to Windows Phone 8 or use applications that will be written for the new version. Microsoft offers the Windows Phone 7.8 upgrade that includes the new Start Screen.

We all listen to music on our phones these days. Funnily enough there was a time not so long ago when this was  considered a big thing and most phones weren’t cut out for music playback or could only hold a couple of songs. Ever since the iPhone we have all expected to have iPods or decent MP3 players on our phone and HTC is hoping to lift that notion up a notch with the new Sensation XE.

The Sensation XE is a collaboration between HTC and the now HTC owned company Beats Audio – set up by Dr Dre. The company is renowned for making headphones for the street with an orientation towards bass. These headphones are at the top end of the scale with more street cred than Bose, but with a set up orientated towards urban and beat styled music.

The HTC Sensation XE is a phone based on the original HTC Sensation that was launched a few months back. The XE comes with a number of radical improvements that in our opinion have transformed the phone from a good phone to a great phone and certainly one worthy of your money as much as the Samsung Galaxy SII.

The phone comes with a pair of Beats in ear headphones which are by far a greater attempt at music playback than most other kinds of headphones bundled with phones. This means the device offers the Beats bass experience. The new Sensation also comes with Beats software on the phone which helps create the effect and makes an overall more complete music player than the software which is bundled with most HTCs.

We found the Beats audio to be easily turned on and off and to provide excellent soundscapes for urban beats and music that had that orientation. More mid-range timbres were drowned out to an extent but we did love the idea of the Beats audio. The phone can also be used with normal headphones, though the software doesn’t work with normal headphones – a bit of a negative. What is worse is that Beats headphones cost a princely sum, which can also be a bit of a negative.

The Sensation comes with a dual core 1.5GHz processor making it one of the fastest smartphones ever created, allowing it to take care of the most impressive of applications or the greatest levels of multitasking. This processor offers a great deal more speed and performance than the original Sensation, which was underclocked to 1.2GHz, even though the XE comes with the same 768MB RAM.

The device also keeps the best features of the original including the qHD screen that really looks the business indoors, offering amazingly detailed images and which is excellent for browsing. It may not be quite as good as the Super AMOLED Plus screen of the Galaxy SII, however it is still excellent. The phone also comes with the wonderful Sense 3.5 on top of the same Android Gingerbread found on the original Sensation.

This new Sense 3.5 doesn’t change things massively, however it does create a sleeker feel to the phone and the device is a little bit prettier because of it. The animations and other little things that give the HTC its own feel are better than ever and this really works well with the power.

The phone also looks that bit different from the original. The device is still milled from one piece of aluminium, though it now comes in a black and red livery and looks all the better for it. The new colours have given it spark and aren’t gaudy as many smartphones can be. The phone gets a red ear piece and a Beats logo on the back and it is all tastefully done.

Now, the Beats audio is also all about substance and a bit of style too. The phone gets new earphones, which are excellent and wonderful Beats software, which really makes the phone that bit better overall adding to the3 sum of its parts. The audio sensation is great and the bass abilities of the device are great thanks to the excellent cans and the nice software.

Overall this is a rare triumph of style and substance and the Sensation XE is an excellent device.

The popularity of smartphones cannot be underestimated. Almost ubiquitous around the world, whether Apple, Android or Windows daily life is geared around sharing information, texting, tweeting and snapping pictures. So could it be possible that their popularity is actually waning? That was the fear of manufacturers earlier this month when for the first time since they came on the market quarterly unit sales of smartphones dropped.

However it seems that the reason was the delay of the iPhone 4S, rather than a drop in enthusiasm amongst consumers Analysts say consumers were expecting a summer launch of the new iPhone product and therefore held off on buying a new smartphone. Much of the anticipation and expectation centred around a new iPhone 5. Yet, expecting a game changer, or at least a device that had the potential to turn their heads, consumers slowed buying smartphones in the third quarter of the year, waiting to see what Apple would produce.

The revelation is great news for Apple, and despite concerns raised that the iPhone 4S does not quite match some of its Android counterparts in the market, like the Samsung Galaxy II for example. It is a worrying blow for Android manufacturers and their new Android handsets launched over the same period, as these were seemingly not enough for consumers to buy on spec, as they waited to see whether a new Apple smartphone would be a better buy.

It does serve as a timely reminder that while Android now holds the upper hand in the smartphone OS stakes, when it comes to individual handsets nothing comes close to the market-altering power the iPhone commands.

Indeed the success of the iPhone 4S in just its first weekend have proved it to be the most popular smartphone yet. Over four million sales were made in just the first few days, breaking the record set after the launch of the iPhone 4. Across the globe, queues and registers of interest have showed that, despite falling off in terms of the competition and the standard laid by other Android devices, there is still staggering demand for a new Apple product.

One of the manufacturers hit most severely by the popularity of the iPhone 4S is RIM. News suggests BlackBerry smartphone users, instead of purchasing more BlackBerry phone deals, are turning to Apple. Tech analysts suggest that moving from BlackBerry to Apple makes an easier transition as the Android operating system can be confusing for someone who has not used it before. Others had suggested Apple directly targeted BlackBerry users, launching features like iMessage on the iPhone 4S in direct competition with the hugely sought after BlackBerry Messenger. The international outage at BlackBerry which affected users earlier this month caused a lot of anger and frustration, which could have led some, coming to the end of their contracts, to decide to look elsewhere.

Apple might have worried that their devices were not as popular as they might once have been, with the widespread criticism leveled at the iPhone 4 over the antenna and the increased demand for Android devices which has increased in 2011. However the success of iPhone 4S contracts should put their mind at ease. It might not be as good as some other smartphones on the market, and it may have to contend with a new Android operating system before Christmas, but Apple still commands tremendous sway in the marketplace.

Within just ten hours of each other, two new smartphones were announced aimed at knocking the iPhone 4S off its perch. Samsung and Google unveiled the Galaxy Nexus deals, the latest in its highly successful and popular Galaxy series which is the first handset to run Android 4.0, and Motorola launched its new Droid Razr deals. 2011 has been the year of Android, largely thanks in part to high quality devices like the Samsung Galaxy SII and the Sony Xperia range. Android now accounts for 40% in market share, with many smartphone users suggested their specs and style are much better than Apple devices and Windows phones.

In terms of specification and looks, the Nexus appears to win. The Nexus is huge with a 4.65 inch 1280 x 720 pixel resolution screen compared with the Droid’s 4.3 inch qHD 960 x 540 pixel resolution touch screen. The Nexus’ Super AMOLED curved screen is designed to make images and video look crystal clear and its shape is aimed at making it ergonomically easier to hold and use whether texting, typing or making a call. In terms of looks, the major selling point of the Razr, unsurprisingly, is its size. At 130.7 mm by 68.9 mm by 7.1 mm it is incredibly small and incredibly super skinny, undoubtedly one of the smallest smartphones on the market.

Underneath the bonnet, in terms of operating systems there will be more excitement surround the Galaxy Nexus thanks to its status as the first handset to run Android 4.0. The Droid Razr runs Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread. Although the new Android OS, named Ice Cream Sandwich, will be rolled out on different devices, the nexus is the first one to run it without any other software, and illustrates a growing partnership between Google and Samsung. With new features like Face Recognition and an option to set and monitor data usage it should feel faster and with a smoother service. In terms of power, both possess a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor with 1 GB of Ram. The Razr has 16GB of internal storage, the Nexus is available with both 16GB and 32GB. The Razr also offers 4GLTE, where applicable with its carrier.

Where some fans might be disappointed with the Nexus is in terms of its camera. While like other smartphones at the top end of the market, the Razr has an 8 megapixel camera that supports 1080b video. While the Nexus supports the same HD video quality, its camera is only 5 megapixels, even lagging behind the iPhone 4S which upgraded from the previous generation to an 8 megapixel. The front of the smartphone has a 1.3 megapixel camera. As the handset is such a centrepiece of the Android 4.0 launch it seems strange that it would carry a camera so much weaker than its rivals.

Android has had a phenomenal year. Even the success of the iPhone 4S will not dampen that as the increased popularity of the Apple product appears to be taking business from Research in Motion’s Blackberry rather than from Android devices. That two such potential industry leaders should come on the market so close after the launch of Apple’s new smartphone illustrates the desire for Android manufacturers to keep developing new ideas and designs to keep consumers happy suggests their success could run into 2012. Whether those with the Galaxy SII will upgrade straight away, or will simply wait for an Android 4.0 update on their own device remains to be seen. The immense popularity of the SII could be the only thing to dampen the Galaxy Nexus’ welcome; expectation is very high. Motorola has continued its focus on creating an innovative and eye-catching style that is in line with its other devices. It is also an powerful smartphone more than capable of holding its own in the market. For tech nerds, the Nexus will edge it slightly, although its camera does let it down.

Integrating the Beats technology and combined with an impressive 4.7 inch display, the new HTC Sensation XL offers unprecedented entertainment quality.

HTC Corporation, a leading Smartphones manufacturing company, has recently introduced the HTC Sensation ™ XL, which integrates Beats Audio ™ technology. This latest innovation is the result of the new HTC cooperation with Beats, which was announced last August, driving the entertainment levels offered by mobile phones to new levels, thanks to the impressive 4.7 inch display and optimized listening experience offered. The HTC Sensation XL adds to HTC Sensation XE, thereby offering customers a powerful HTC family of Smartphones with Beats Audio technology.

“With the Beats Audio, HTC Sensation XL remains loyal to the HTC’s commitment to offer the best possible sound in the mobile arena, whether it’s an audio track or sound effects for a movie or a game,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “It is an excellent example of why our partnership with Beats is so important to users today and tomorrow.”

“The HTC is an incredible partner and fully embraced the desire to make the music experience offered from a mobile device as stronger and richer possible,” said Jimmy Iovine, chairman of Beats.

Exquisite design, exceptional performance and amazing sound

With a 4.7 inch screen, slim design (only 9.9 mm thick) and Beats Audio technology integrated, the HTC Sensation XL was created specifically to provide the best experience in entertainment, with great sound and picture for music, movies and games. The HTC Sensation XL has a unique set of sound from Beats, which ensures that users listen to their favorite music.

Exclusive to HTC only, the HTC Sensation XL is accompanied by the new Lightweight headset urBeats ™, which were specifically designed to work seamlessly with the audio profile Beats device. With the built-in microphone, making calls is easy and hands remain free while the remote control on the headphone cable allows users to stop, forward or restart an audio track, and also answer an incoming call while listening to music.

Users can also send to their friends their musical suggestions or information for a track, via a text message, e-mail, or through their profile on Facebook ®.

HTC Watch

The new HTC Sensation XL also features HTC Watch, an application / service which is easy to use and brings the entire collection of the most recent quality films and television programs in your palm, giving you a visual experience that will fascinate you. The HTC Watch uses progressive download technology which allows you to view a video without having to wait first to complete the download. There is the option of either renting or purchasing a video, and in case of purchase, you can watch it to up to five different HTC devices.

Capture the moment

The HTC Sensation XL has 8MP camera with wide angle lens (28mm, f / 2,2) and BSI sensor, to capture a wider image with each click for better shots in low light conditions. When operating as a video camera, the HTC Sensation XL gives users the ability to record unique moments with superb picture sharpness and incredible stereo sound, perfect to share their videos on YouTube ®, Facebook ® or the screen of their television.

Availability

The HTC Sensation XL will be available in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Pacific in early November. In Europe, the Middle East and Africa, HTC will also put into service a limited number of packages that will include a special acoustic version of Beats Solo.