Samsung’s Galaxy range lineup got a fresh heads-up with the unveiling of 19300 Galaxy S3 smart phone which’s expected to succeed the all-time favorite Galaxy S2.  How the device performs in comparison to its predecessor is a matter of time; however, anyone can tell Samsung 19300 Galaxy S3 has serious specs, no question about that, but its design has elicited mixed sentiments both positive and negative. Aside from the design, Samsung 19300 Galaxy S3 comes with a whooping 4.8inch 720p display screen compared to a 4.3inch panel on its predecessor and a snappier Quad-core processor.  From outside, it looks just like any other Galaxy sibling except for its design that features smoothed and rounded corners rather than the rectangular look on its wildly popular predecessor Galaxy S2. Samsung ditched the lumpy bits found on S2 in favor of a curved back-cover with substantial amount of chrome decorations along edges; however, the home button remained untouched just below the screen alongside other touch-sensitive controls.

Samsung 19300 Galaxy S3 has a large, gorgeous 4.8inch Super-Amoled screen capable of playing 720p videos, the screen’s enormous 720 x 1280 pixels resolution results in more vivid and sharp text, icons and images.  19300 Galaxy S3 is shipped in two variant colors; blue and white, the blue version features a brushed metal effect while its white counterpart looks mostly glossy; however, it’s typical for Samsung to release phones in different colors at a later date and we expect more of this for Galaxy S3. AMOLED screens are  desired for their ability to render true deep blacks since they have no back-lighting as each pixel is lit individually as opposed to TFT screens which have a back-lighting that fades black colors to look grayish.  You’ll therefore experience eye-searing colors on the latest Samsung 19300 Galaxy S3 compared to TFT handsets on the market.

Above everything is a Voice control feature dubbed S-Voice that goes toe-to-toe with iPhone’s Siri, this functionality comes within Android’s face unlock capability; apart from your face, Galaxy S3 will need to hear your voice as well before unlocking. Other functionalities supported by S-Voice include setting an alarm, making a call, taking a photo or controlling music playback. S3 sports a snappier Quad-core processor clocked at 1.4GHz and a bumped up 8.0Megapixels camera with every option we’ve come across. The face detection feature prevents your device from going to sleep while using.

Samsung 19300 Galaxy S3

• Operating System:Android v4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich
• Processor:Quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 1.4 GHz processor
• Display : 4.8inch (720 x 1280 pixels) (306ppi) Super-AMOLED Capacitive screen
• Primary Camera: 8.0megapixel (3264×2448) Auto-focus, LED Flash, 2.0MP front camera
• Storage: Up to 64GB MicroSD, 768MB RAM, 4GB Internal storage
• Connectivity: MicroUSB v2.0, Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP
• Internet: HSDPA 21 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps, WiFi 802.11b/g/n WiFi hotspot
• Other ft: Geo-Tagging, Sensors: Proximity, Accelerometer, Compass
• Battery: Standard Lithium-Ion 2100mAH

Samsung 19300 Galaxy S3 Price in Kenya: (unavailable)

Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 18160 comes as a follow up to the segments favorite, Galaxy Ace 5830; whether or not it’ll perform as good is a game of wait and see.  The phone however poses some interesting improvements on its predecessor which proved to be a rare Android monster that could be afforded by just any serious Android smart phone fan.  Despite having almost everything you’ll find on a mid-range smart phone, the original Galaxy Ace suffered from an over pixilated display due to a minimal 320×480 pixels screen resolution on a 3.5inch panel.  The new Samsung Galaxy 18160 Ace 2 comes with a more ramped up 480×800 pixels screen resolution that renders sharp text and icons compared to its sibling.  Although Android v2.3 Gingerbread shipped on Galaxy 18160 Ace 2 may not get our condemnation, we expected a more recent Ice Cream Sandwich; however, at least v2.3 is still better than v2.2 shipped on the original Ace.

Huawei U8800 Ideos X5 has all it takes to be the preferred smart phone in its category; it has some of the most desired features which are available only on pricy devices such as a 5Megapixel camera and a decent 800×480 pixels resolution for a 3.8inch screen which makes text and images look sharp and smooth. Huawei U8800 Ideos X5 may be the cheap powerful monster everyone is looking for, but it has its own flaws on areas that count such as a mutilated Android’s interface instead of preserving the operating system’s good looks. Huawei could have played safe by retaining the original Android’s interface; however, by introducing its own version of skin, we’re skeptical on whether most users will find it fascinating enough. There are two versions of Ideos X5; one with 4GB internal storage and the other has 2GB onboard storage space, the 2GB version has been retailing in Kenya for a while now, going at Kshs.18999 at Safaricom retail shops.

LG Optimus L5 E610 may not have the best hardware in its genre but packs the latest version of Android Ice Cream Sandwich right from the box. It has an excellent design with average processing capability translating to an affordable price tag. We’ve seen devices housing superior hardware shipped with a previous version of Android OS such as Gingerbread and Froyo; in most cases, there’re scheduled upgrades to a newer version though such upgrades are not always guaranteed. It’s therefore very considerate for LG to load ICS on L5 E610 right from the factory. LG Optimus L5 E610 is slated to cost less than most devices with similar features; however, some notable compromises were enforced to achieve the same. It has an underpowered 800MHz processor instead of a 1GHz found on its peers such as Optimus L7 P700 and a low 320×480 pixels screen resolution. Whether a device is stylish or not, it’s up to you as an individual; however, LG Optimus L5 E610 surpassed our benchmarks with the coolest design in its category.

We expected to see Sony mobile handsets after its break away from Ericsson, though not this soon, Sony Xperia U is the latest addition to the Xperia line-up packing some interesting goodies at a reasonable price. If you’re looking for a cheaper smart phone with impressive hardware that doesn’t compromise where it counts, Sony Xperia U is a big contender. Xperia U may not match high-end devices such as Samsung Galaxy Noteand LG Optimus 4X HD P880but what it lacks is stature, its performance is good enough to make up for ignorable flaws. It packs a 1GHz Dual core processor and a 3.5inch display screen, which’s not something you’d find on most mid-range devices on the market. Apart from the hardware component, Sony Xperia U stunned us with beautiful snazzy colored lights illuminating the transparent strip located at its bottom, the colored bottom caps are changeable too. The Xperia range is famous for outstanding designs and in this case, Sony Xperia U is not an exception.

LG Optimus 4X HD P880 rated fairly on our benchmarks with some serious specs that range from a high resolution display screen to a snappier Quad-core processor and a more recent version of Android operating system. It’s clearly set to become the best handset in its category, however, with such top-class hardware and a more recent OS, a pricy tag is inevitable. It’s very unlikely to find consumers who still treasure phone apps such as games and the likes at the expense of hardware and operating system versions; tastes have evolved to only include screen sizes, processor clock speed and the type of operating system. LG Optimus 4X HD P880 may not be the best device we’ve seen so far, but, it has enough guts to shutdown most of its peers, its shipped with the latest Android Ice Cream Sandwich right from the box, eliminating un-guaranteed schedules of an upgrade. It’s therefore very considerate for LG to launch with (ICS) onboard.

Nokia Asha 302 is a premium feature phone adding up to Nokia’s Asha portfolio, the handset joins its older siblings Asha 303, Asha 300, Asha 200 and Asha 201 though with a unique taste of Microsoft’s mail for exchange feature that’s best known to allow users access mails, contacts and calendar on an exchange server. It has detailed professional oriented features such as Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and a decent QWERTY keypad that best suits young geeks out there intending to venture into the business sector. This handset falls under the entry-level genre with an affordable price tag (about EUR 95). Symbian 40 OS feels awkwardly ancient, however, spicing up Nokia Asha 302 with Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync makes it likeable and one of its kind in this arena. There’s not much to excite smart phone users on this device; but at its price range, we’ll forgive a lot and cut short on our expectations. If you’re looking for a smart device, you’ll be better-off with an Android smart phone costing same amount or less.

• Operating System: Symbian 40 software
• Processor: 1GHz
• Display : 2.4inch (240x320p) (167ppi) TFT screen, 256k colors
• Primary Camera: 3.15Megapixel (2048x1536p)
• Storage: Up to 32GB MicroSD, 100MB storage, 128MB RAM, 256MB ROM
• Connectivity:  USB, MicroUSB v2.0, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, EDR
• Internet: 14.4Mbps HSDPA, 5.76Mbps HSUPA, 802.11b/g/n WiFi
• Other features: FM Radio with RDS
• Battery: Standard Lithium ion 1110mAh

Nokia 808 PureView stunned us with its powerful 41.0Megapixel camera though with an ancient Symbian operating system delivered via the latest Belle version. The phone surpassed our benchmarks with insanely decent pictures but failed miserably in other areas, it sounds unrealistic to overpower a phone in one element while maintaining an affordable price tag at the expense of other important features. Nokia 808 PureView will for sure grab several awards in photography as it showcases Nokia’s sophisticated camera technology; it will do wonders for photographers out there, but if you’re looking for an all round smart phone, look elsewhere. A 41.0Migapixels camera may not be something most phone manufactures are considering at this point-in-time; however, we expect it to trigger camera improvements for upcoming devices by a reasonable margin with a few extra bucks, but don’t expect miracles.