Chinese manufacturer Huawei (recently featured in our  article on up-and-coming mobile companies) has announced a new Android smartphone, and rather than being another low-end starter phone; this one has got a very impressive spec sheet.
Back in the mists of time, Huawei said they were planning to drop their easily-mispronounced name and use the IDEOS brand instead, but they’ve apparently given that idea up as the new phone is called the Huawei Vision.
It features an aluminium unibody construction, just like devices such as the HTC Legend and Desire S, and it measures just 9.9mm and weighs 121 grams. You can’t help but want to know more when the words ‘aluminium’ and ‘unibody’ are involved! Inside is a Snapdragon 1GHz processor with 512MB RAM, while a 5 megapixel camera sits on the rear panel along with an LED flash. The camera will shoot 720p video too.
The screen is a large 3.7-inches item and although Huawei haven’t confirmed it, we’d expect it to have an 800 x 480 pixel resolution. The Vision also has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a microSD card slot. Google’s Android Gingerbread software will be running the show, but Huawei has decided to add their own 3D skin over the top, which is a bit of a shame.
Huawei will be bringing the Vision to ‘selected markets’, said to include the UK, from September and the price is expected to be less than $305, or £190.

The LG Optimus Sol has made its video début courtesy of German tech blog BestBoyZ.
The site managed to get hold of the unannounced handset, codenamed Victor, and posted some decent pictures alongside a short hands-on preview of the device in action.
Although the video is in German, the accompanying pictures and specs give us an idea of what to expect from the Sol, most notably a form factor similar to that of the Motorola Atrix.
We’re also told that the Sol will feature a 3.8-inch AMOLED display, 1GHz processor, Android Gingerbread overlayed by LG’s Optimus and a rear-facing 5 megapixel.
Exactly when the Optimus Sol will be released is yet to be confirmed, but rumours suggest that Vodafone will be offering the handset once it arrives, and that it will be available in black or silver with a price tag of €299 (£263).

Details discovered within the small print of Apple’s recent legal action against Samsung over the Galaxy Tab 10.1, indicates that the firm Apple is suing Motorola in Germany over the design of its Xoom Honeycomb tablet.
Software patents blog FOSS Patents uncovered the notes, although it was unclear as to whether Apple had requested an injunction over sales of the Motorola Xoom in Europe.
Motorola has since confirmed that it is subject to legal action from the Cupertino-based tech giant, telling The Inquirer that Apple’s design patent infringement was filed at the end of May in response to Motorola’s own complaint filed in Germany in April this year.
“Apple’s complaint for design patent infringement was filed on May 27, 2011, over two months ago. Motorola has reviewed Apple’s claims and believe they have no merit. We intend to vigorously defend Motorola’s own product designs” Motorola told the tech industry website.
Although not stated explicitly, it’s highly likely that Apple made a request for a temporary EU-wide injunction preventing the sale of the Xoom, in light of the recently upheld complaint pertaining to the sale of Samsung’s Galaxy 10.1 Tab in Australia.
This isn’t the first time the two manufacturers have locked horns in court as the tech giants have been suing each other since October 2010 with Motorola first taking Apple to court claiming that it had violated 18 patents with its iOS products and Mac computers. Jobs and co reciprocated by instigating proceedings against the firm for infringing 6 patents with its smartphone range, including the Droid.

Microsoft is set to roll out its latest Windows Phone 7 software as soon as 1 September if new rumours are to be believed.
Tech site Pocket-Lint has reported that Microsoft is planning to roll out its Mango software update to current Windows Phone 7 handsets ahead of schedule. The information comes from “multiple trusted sources” however they were unable to confirm much else.
Whilst Microsoft has previously stated that the Mango update will find its way onto older handsets, the company has been very vague about an exact release date. The purported September launch date falls just before the IFA consumer electronics show where it’s thought that manufacturers, including Samsung, Acer and LG, will be presenting their first Mango devices.
Microsoft is yet to confirm whether the rumours of a 1 September launch are true, but with speculation rife that Nokia’s first Mango device will become official next week there’s a distinct possibility that this rumour could well pan out.

HTC has agreed to buy 51% of Beats Electronics, the company that manufactures Beats by Dr Dre headphones and loudspeakers. The reported $300 million deal will see HTC incorporating Beats sound technology into its future devices.
The Taiwanese firm is well-known for offering top-notch audio technology on its handsets so it comes as no great surprise that it’s now looking to take mobile audio to the next level by teaming up with Beats Electronics.
“Beats has found a unique way to harness popular culture in a manner that is unlike any other brand today,” said HTC CEO Peter Chou.
“It’s an exciting brand that has been built around providing something very special, and we believe our strategic partnership will provide customers with unbeatable sound on HTC phones” he added.
HTC won’t be the first tech company to sign a deal with Beats however as Hewlett Packard already has an agreement in place to incorporate the audio company’s technology into devices including the HP TouchPad tablet.
Chou says that his firms’s stake in Beats will ensure a ‘unique and closer partnership’.
“I think this partnership is viewed on a core belief that amazing audio is the key to cellular phone experience,” he said.
“We think this is a very good opportunity to continue to differentiate.”

Korean mobile giant Samsung has announced the latest addition to its Galaxy range, the Samsung Galaxy Xcover; a rugged smartphone similar to Motorola’s Defy.
The Xcover runs Android Gingerbread, features a dust and dirt-resistant 3.6-inch scratch-resistant HVGA screen and is powered along by a single-core 800MHz processor.
Other specs include Bluetooth 3.0, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, Wi-Fi connectivity and 150MB of internal memory. In keeping with the rest of the Galaxy stable, Samsung’s Touchwiz user interface is layered over the top of Android.
Whilst the specs may seem a little underwhelming for a Galaxy handset, it’s the handset’s tough credentials that set it apart from its rivals. The chassis of the IP67-certified device is airtight to prevent dust and dirt particles from affecting the innards and its display is said to be “four to five times” stronger than regular screens.
Most impressively though, the Xcover can be submerged in water up to one metre deep and remain water-resistant for up to 30 minutes.
Samsung neglected to provide a UK release date more specific than ‘later on this year’ and didn’t reveal price points either, although we’d expect it to be positioned as a mid-range device.

The Samsung Galaxy R could be released in the UK after Samsung confirmed it will be sold across Northern and Eastern Europe.
Despite originally saying that it wouldn’t be bringing the Tegra 2 dual-core smartphone to Britain, the Korean firm’s announcement to include Northern Europe would suggest otherwise.
Adding fuel to the fire, tech site IT Pro Portal is also reporting that Samsung’s Galaxy R marketing campaign is due to hit the UK imminently.
The Samsung Galaxy R is the budget version of company’s best-selling Samsung Galaxy S II. Key features include the aforementioned Tegra 2 1GHz dual-core processor, a 4.19-inch Super LCD display, 8GB internal memory, Android Gingerbread and a GeForce CPU for faster gaming and web browsing.
The Galaxy R is currently available in Sweden and is said to begin shipping to other regions soon.

Do you remember the Palm Pre 3? Come on, surely you do? It’s the third incarnation of Palm/HP’s webOS-driven smartphone! You must remember the first one, which came out in the UK months after it should have done, and the Pre 2 which, um, almost certainly did come out at some point; well, this is the third one and it’s also still coming soon!
Fine, you could be forgiven for forgetting all about HP’s new smartphone given that it was unveiled back in February and we haven’t heard much about it since; plus all the attention has been on the HP TouchPad recently. At the launch event, the Pre 3 was given a noncommittal ‘summer’ release date with no set territories, but it now appears the phone will be launching in the UK soon.
A support page has appeared on the Orange website, but the phone has yet to make an appearance in their Coming Soon section, however, this is a pretty good indication HP’s flagship phone is gearing up for a release with the network.
We may have had a dig at the Pre 3 at first, but the spec and design is actually really good. WebOS is an interesting operating system, and the unusual vertically sliding QWERTY keyboard makes the Pre 3 standout, but the originally announced 1.4GHz processor has been changed to a slightly less impressive (but probably no-less capable) 1.2GHz chip. The feature list continues with 8GB internal memory, a 5 megapixel camera and a 3.6-inch touchscreen with a 480 x 800 pixel resolution.
Since the Orange page deals with support, it doesn’t give any hint of the date the Pre 3 will hit their shelves, and seeing as summer only has a few more weeks to run, we could be looking at an autumn début.
 

Snaps of the unannounced HTC Holiday have emerged online, suggesting that the Android handset could be ready to make its official debut.
The leaked images were posted on the XDA Developers forums and show off a device that looks to be in the final stages of production.
Accompanying the images was a spec sheet detailing a 1.2GHz dual-core processor (said to be identical to the one found in the HTC Sensation), 1GB RAM, an 8 megapixel camera plus a front 1.3 megapixel snapper.
Also mentioned was a 4.5-inch qHD display – a screen size currently only matched by the US-only Samsung Infuse 4G – so if the HTC Holiday makes it across the water it’ll be interesting to see how people take to the expansive screen.
The back panel also comes with what looks like a charging port, fuelling speculation that the Holiday may be charged via a docking station rather than by USB. A more likely suggestion would be that the purported docking station will be used to roll-out HTC’s recent acquisition of Beats by Dr. Dre technology, potentially being utilised as a loudspeaker.
There’s no word on a release date for the HTC Holiday yet but after the Taiwanese manufacturer recently revealed that it plans to release up to 8 new smartphones in Q3, the Holiday could very well appear as part of this line-up.

Motorola’s surprise success story, the Defy, has had a refresh and is about to capitalise on the favorable reception of the original in its new guise as the Defy+
The hard-wearing device was announced by the US firm yesterday accompanied by a spec list including Android 2.3 Gingerbread, 1GHz processor, 3.7-inch touchscreen and a 5 megapixel camera.
As you can see, Gingerbread replaces the 2.2 Froyo that powered its predecessor and the 800MHz processor becomes a 1GHz chip, which according to the press release is 25% faster when browsing the web or multitasking.  The camera lens hasn’t changed though, and neither has the screen size; plus once again it’s made using Corning’s Gorilla Glass to help it withstand scratches.
The Defy’s party piece is its ability to take a beating, and the Defy+ has an IP67-rated design, making it resistant to water, scratches and dust. The battery has been upgraded too, and is now a 1700mAh cell with a quoted 16 days standby and 7 hours talktime. What hasn’t changed is the Defy+’s design, as in the pictures it looks identical to its predecessor.
Android 2.3 Gingerbread will be hidden from sight by Motorola’s love-it-or-hate-it MOTOBLUR UI, complete with quick access to social networking sites and several always-updated widgets for the homescreen.  Pre-installed apps include Zinio’s magazine store and the CardioTrainer fitness assistant.
The Defy+ will make its debut in Germany next month and has been given a price of 269 euros SIM-free, or around £238.  Here’s hoping it won’t be long until the new Defy+ makes it to UK shores.