Samsung announces its next Windows Phone-powered handset-- the Omnia M (model GT-I8350), a smartphone aiming at the lower end of the market. 

It has a 1GHz processor, 4" AMOLED display, 4GB of storage and 384MB of RAM, together with  5MP rear- and VGA front-facing cameras. 

While the OS is Windows Phone 7.5, Samsung includes a number of extra software features-- AllShare, Music Hug, Family Story and the ChatON video calling service. 

The Omnia M is soon avaialable in European territories. 

Go Samsung Omnia M

Following an online countdown and a baffling teaser, Samsung finally reveals the handset sequel to the Galaxy S II-- the Galaxy S III, the next version of the flagship Android handset. 

It is also the official smartphone for the 2012 Olympic Games!

At first glance the Galaxy S III looks similar to the Galaxy Nexus-- a slim (8.6mm thick), light (133g) handset with an big 4.8" 1280x720 Super AMOLED display. Construction is in plastic and in a variety of colours, including black, white and a rather attractive "pebble blue."

Powering the device are a 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos processor and an updated GPU Samsung says is 65% faster than the one inside the Galaxy S II. Connection options include Bluetooth, Wifi Direct, DLNA, NFC and a micro-USB port. Internal storage comes in 16, 32 or 64GB sizes, and is expandable via microSD cards. 

LG refuses to let Samsung hog the smartphone announcement spotlight-- it reveals the Optimus LTE2, the sequel to the LG flagship handset, now with a record amount of RAM. 

The Optimus LTE2 carries 2GB of RAM, an unprecedented amount for a smartphone. LG says the extra memory allows for even more stable performance, particularly during multitasking. 

Other tech details are light, however-- the device has a "True HD IPS" display of unspecified resolution, integrated WPC-powered wireless charging and a 2150mAh battery LG says lasts 40% than the one inside the original Optimus LTE. 

The OS of choice is Android 4.0, making the handset another first for LG. 

When it comes to software, LG only reveals the camera has a 5-shot burst mode and a voice recognition feature (say a word to take a photo). 

The Optimus LTE2 should launch in S. Korea around mid-May. 

Go LG Optimus LTE2 Announcement

Will a BlackBerry upgrade help a struggling RIM turn fortunes around? New RIM CEO Thorsten Heins surely hopes so as he unveils the next-gen BlackBerry 10 platform at the BlackBerry World conference.

BlackBerry 10 is a shift from earlier versions, being an entirely new platform with a focus on virtual keyboards. The prototype device seen at Blackberry World has no physical keyboard-- it is a 4.2" iPhone-style device lacking in physical buttons.

RIM says the virtual keyboard "learns" how users type on the keys, and has a number of swipe gestures for quick text editing (such as swiping across letters to delete words).

An other feature RIM shows off is the camera software-- the camera captures what it sees before the user even presses the shutter button, allowing one to scrub through a timeline to find the perfect shot.

Business users are also getting new productivity apps, such as a Cisco teleconferencing app.

In the hopes of getting developers on board, RIM is giving prototype devices to BlackBerry World attendees. As for the rest of the market, BlackBerry 10 should launch sometime around Q3 2012 with a new RIM smartphone or two.

Watch RIM BlackBerry 10 Sneak Peek

Go RIM Launches BlackBerry 10 Platform