According to new details from Best Buy’s computer systems, the Motorola RAZR and RAZR MAXX update that was supposed to roll out on April 4th has been delayed. No reason was given for the delay, so we’re not sure what the holdup is or when Verizon and Motorola will try to roll it out again. Since we got a sneak peek at what Motorola’s Android 4.0 build would look like with the latest version of MotoBLUR in January, the delay most likely is due to radio or network connectivity issues.

Fortunately, the bad news for Verizon’s RAZR owners is accompanied by a second confirmation that the Android 4.0 update for the HTC Rezound is still on track for today. Verizon has not released any official statements about the update, but we still have a few hours left in the day. How big of a disappointment would it be if Verizon missed the Ice Cream sandwich roll-out dates for the RAZR, RAZR MAXX and the Rezound?

This close cousin of the Viper sports a 4-inch display, 5-megapixel camera with HD video capture, video chat via front-facing camera, DLNA wireless media streaming, and a memory card slot.

And we have yet another leak of the Samsung Galaxy S III, this time in what looks like a press image that mentions its launch event. The device is supposed to debut on May 22nd in London, during a Samsung Unpacked event. This photo was uploaded by a reddit user and this design of the new Galaxy S certainly looks interesting.

Samsung had already mentioned that it intends to make the launch event for its new flagship phone something big and a separate event from all the tech shows. The typical way to do that is rely on a Samsung-hosted event and the South Korean company also promised (when they said they wouldn’t bring the Galaxy S III to MWC) that they’ll unveiling the newcomer in the first half of the year. Couple that with the rumored launch date of June and you’ve got a solid piece of information here.

The leaked image also includes the name of a PR firm called Weber Shandwick, that Android and Me confirms to have worked with Samsung in the past, particularly in organizing their press conference at CES 2012. As you can see, this Galaxy S III render includes a dedicated camera button, a single home button, that to me is unlikely and a front speaker grille, plus what looks like an edge to edge screen. This announcement would fall between the CTIA Wireless show in early May and the Google I/O event in June, so Samsung would manage to skip those and still overshadow competition.

Samsung has been getting creative lately. As if devices with flexible displays weren’t innovating enough for 2012, Sammy has just filed for another cool new patent. The concept revolves around “smart device skins,” a technology that will extend your display to the bezel, sides and back of the device.

Virtually converting devices into displays, this technology could bring a whole new definition to customization and screen real estate. It would break multiple limitations that we currently experience. For example, one would be able to change the design of the device at will. It would also be possible to extend images to a larger size, taking advantage of all available space.

The good news is that this will not only be implemented to Samsung’s future line-up. According to the patent filing, the manufacturer also plans to sell this technology as an accessory. The product is described as a “film layer” that one can install in the device, leaving holes for important hardware (display, cameras, etc.). Much like a regular smartphone case.

This film layer will somehow be connected to the main display. We are not sure how that works exactly, but it raises one concern – battery life. This issue has been haunting Android users since the operating system’s release (not to mention other platforms). And while we do not yet know how power efficient this technology will be, it is something to keep in mind.

Regardless of how exciting the concept sounds, it may come with some downsides. We will simply have to wait until more details are released. That is, if this project ever sees the light of day; we have seen many patent filings never been carried out. Is this something you guys would even want if it did came out? Would you enjoy extending your display to the whole device?

Here is a concept video of something similar Nokia has been considering. It is taken a step further, though. Nokia displays a much more integrated extended display. Check it out and hit the comments section to share your opinions.

Fujitsu brought its A game to MWC 2012 in Barcelona and when they have a handset called Hi-Spec it’s easy to figure out that the phone has high end specs. The device is named Fujitsu Arrows Ultra Hi-Spec, it runs Android 4.0 ICS, has a great design, a big screen, powerful camera and it’s resistant to dust and water.

The back of the case looks pretty heap, though and you must know that the phone also comes with a biometric fingerprint scanner, the stock UI for Android 4.0 and the classic capacitive buttons for this OS. There’s even a TV antenna in the mix, pulled out from the top part of the phone, a feature that’s common on Asian phones, since people like to watch TV on the go. The handset should hit the Japanese market in June and it could only be sold locally, although we hope not. And now here’s the specs list:

CPU: Nvidia Tegra 3, quad core, 1.4 GHz
Camera: 13.1 megapixels
Display: 4.6 inch, 1280 x 720 pixels
Connectivity: NFC, HSDPA, Bluetooth, WiFi, LTE, DLNA, HDMI

The folks at the Fujitsu booth didn’t detail the phone’s software too much, since the device is in prototype phase for now. I must mention that I found out about two very interesting functions of the Hi-Spec smartphone. One of them slows down the rhythm of the phone calls in real time, taking advantage of the gaps in conversation. The other function changes the pitch of a person’s voice so that the elderly folks can hear it better.

It’s no secret that the HTC One phones unveiled at Mobile World Congress this week were a step ahead of most the competition. We’re all suckers for dual- and quad-core processors, HD displays and Android 4.0, but one key differentiator HTC is focusing on this year is the camera on each of their phones.

To make HTC One phones stand out from the competition, HTC has equipped them all with an f/2.0 aperture and 28mm lens, dedicated HTC ImageChip, BSI sensor and a smart LED flash with five levels of brightness.

With ImageSense HTC One rivals traditional digital cameras with improvements to every part of the camera, including the lens, the sensor, the software, and even integrating a new custom HTC ImageChip.HTC

• Superfast Capture: HTC One dramatically reduces the time it takes to take pictures. In just 0.7 seconds you’re able to take a shot. A with a new superfast 0.2-seconds autofocus, you can take nearly unlimited continuous shots simply by holding the shutter button.
• Good photos in adverse conditions: improved image quality with low light, no light or bright backlighting. The f/2.0 lens on the HTC One X and HTC One S captures 40 percent more light than the f/2.4 lenses available on other high-end phones. HTC One also includes HDR, which improves pictures when in direct sun light.
• Video Pic: capture a photo and shoot video at the same time.  Tap the shutter button while recording HD video to capture a high-resolution still photo while the phone continues to record video.  Users can also capture a photo frame from a previously recorded video.

It’s certainly nice to have all these new features built right into the HTC One devices, but what does all this technology actually translate to in the real world? HTC was kind enough to share a handful of sample pictures shot with the HTC One.

Gallery

It would have been nice to have full resolution pictures to look at, but it looks like the focus on the HTC One’s camera was worth the time and effort. We can’t wait to get out hands on the HTC One devices and compare them to the competition.

What do you think of the sample pictures HTC has shared? Is a quality camera in your smartphone one of the main selling points for you?

This Android phone sports a blazing fast processor and data connectivity. Other features include an AMOLED display, NFC, memory card slot, 5-megapixel camera, and front camera for video chat.

Verizon’s latest minimum advertised pricing (MAP) list has added two devices that are no doubt on everyone’s short list for the holidays. The fan favorite has to be the Galaxy Nexus (Prime), but the HTC Rezound (Vigor) is no slouch in the specs department and HTC certainly has a loyal following amongst the Android faithful.

Considering what these phones have to offer it will probably come as no surprise that they are grabbing Verizon’s top pricing at $299 on a 2-year contract. We had a nice run there when $199 was the worst they would do to us, but clearly those days are gone for now.

The second piece of information comes as a bit of a disappointment to me as it pegs the launch for both devices as November 10th. It’s nice to have something on the calendar to stare at, but I had really hoped that it would be a little closer than that. Now until Verizon, Google, Samsung and/or HTC comes right out and tells us the launch date we can’t be certain, but the MAP launch date for the Bionic was dead on and in most cases when the dates on these lists are wrong it’s because the device gets delayed.

Does $299 seem like a fair price for these devices to you? How does the November 10th release date sit with you? Should they have pushed to get it closer to the iPhone’s release or is just making sure it is out in time for the holidays good enough?

This update to the Jest trades some screen real estate for world roaming ability, but is otherwise similar. Key features include QWERTY keyboard, Bluetooth, memory card slot, GPS navigation, and voice control.

Sony’s first 4G LTE phone sports a large true HD display and a unique design with a curved metal back. Other features include a 12-megapixel camera with Exmor R sensor, front camera, TV output, dual-core 1.5 Ghz processor, and memory card slot.