HTC seems to be preparing a slew of high-end handsets to take the likes of Samsung and Motorola next year. In addition to the recently leaked HTC Edge, HTC is also developing a handset codenamed as Ville. Ville along with Edge is slated for an unveiling at the Mobile World Congress and launch in April.

HTC Ville will run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and HTC Sense 4.0 and will have some meaty innards like 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, Beats audio technology, 8MP backside-illuminated camera, full HD video recording support, HSPA+ and 1650mAh battery.

[Via BGR]

With Apple already in the cloud scene with iCloud and Samsung reportedly working on their version called S Cloud, how could LG be left behind? Korean daily, Maeil reports that LG too is working on their iteration of cloud services that will hit in the first half of next year.

Tentatively named as ‘L Cloud’, the service will be initially available to smartphones, smart TVs and PCs and will allow consumers to store content like apps, videos, songs etc. in the cloud.

[Via MK News]

There are countless number of rumors related to the release of iPhone 5 but you ought to take notice when something comes out from All Things D. The site claims Apple will schedule an event on October 4, Tuesday to unveil the latest iPhone smartphone. Of course, this is unconfirmed and Apple could change their plans but AllThingsD has got it right quite a few times in the past.

The site says the event will be an important one not only from the point of view of a new product launch but also it will be addressed by the new appointed CEO, Tim Cook. As for Jobs, his appearance is uncertain as it totally depends on his health.

The iPhone 5 is expected to retail within a few weeks of the announcement, which in all likeliness could be in the same month.

[Via AllThingsD]

It seems Samsung wants to cover all the screen sizes as far as mobile devices go. The latest rumor claims Samsung is preparing a 5.3-inch device codenamed Galaxy Q. The device is said to sit in between a phone and a tablet, which apparently will be like a “stepping stone” for consumers to enjoy larger-sized tablets.

To put it in perspective, Samsung’s 5.3-incher will sit in between its current largest-sized smartphone Infuse 4G and smaller sized 7-inch Galaxy Tab tablet.

The hybrid device is expected at the IFA in September and will mostly come with a Super AMOLED Plus display, 3G and most likely LTE connectivity as well.

[Yahoo via Sammy Hub]

Apple will apparently launch a new model of its iPad tablet device. According to a research note from analyst Craig Berger, Apple is trying to procure parts from Chinese manufacturers for a device called “iPad 2 Plus.” The tablet will be similar to the current iPad version but will sport an improved display with higher display resolution. iPad 2’s pixel density is 132 pixels per inch but iPad 2 Plus will supposedly have something in between 250 to 300ppi.

The tablet is expected to be out later this year.

[Via BGR]

Google’s policy of using one manufacturer for one Nexus device will go for a toss, if the report by BGR is correct. According to some new info given to them, Samsung will be the manufacturer of the next Nexus device. The project is codenamed as Prime and BGR speculates the phone could be named as Nexus Prime. However, we would wager on something like Nexus S II.

In addition to being the first device to run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the phone is said to sport Samsung’s superior Super AMOLED HD display, OMAP4460 CPU along with 1GB of RAM, 1080p HD video playback and recording, a 1MP front-facing camera with 5MP at the back.

The phone is expected to launch sometime around the release of Ice Cream Sandwich, which means we can expect it around the end of this year.

The 1.2GHz Galaxy S II phone is yet to arrive in many markets but that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill to churn out a new rumor about a faster Galaxy S II. Apparently, Samsung is looking to release a 1.4GHz Galaxy S II with 1GB RAM, Android 2.3.4 OS and TouchWiz UI. This piece of news comes by way of Popherald who claims the new phone will be known as Galaxy S II Plus and pit against the iPhone 5 that is expected around the same timeframe.

Frankly speaking, I don’t see this happening because Samsung wouldn’t want to jeopardize sales of its original Galaxy S II, which is going really good by the way, and also make early Galaxy S II adopters feel cheated by giving them a phone clocked at lower speed.

[Via Samsung Hub]

It is no secret that Google is working on the next Nexus phone but BGR seems to have got their mitts on info believed to be of the new Nexus device. The phone will be dubbed as Nexus 4G, due to the integration of 4G LTE radio and will include a dual-core 1.2GHz or 1.5GHz CPU, possibly an OMAP 4460 or a 28mm Snapdragon.

Other rumored features the new Nexus will have are 1GB RAM, a 720p HD resolution supported display, 1080p HD video playback and recording, a 1MP front-facing camera with 5MP at the back which is said to have an improved low-light performance and run Android’s 4.0 version aka the Ice Cream Sandwich.

Of course all of the info above is uncorroborated but going by BGR’s track record, this could very well be true.

[Via BGR]

Remember the supposed metallic chassis of the upcoming iPod nano leaked a few weeks back? Well, it has surfaced again, interestingly, via the same Chinese website but this time it shows the back side of the body, complete with the Apple logo.

As you can see, the image indicates the new iPod nano won’t have a clip but as Engadget speculates, the outline besides the camera could make way for the improvised clip. As for the camera, it is said to be able to shoot images to up to 1.3 megapixels.

True or not, do you really think a small device like nano really needs a camera? Do let us know in the comments.

[Via Engadget]

Wall Street Journal is reporting that Microsoft is close to seal the deal with Skype and the official acknowledgement could come as early as today. According to their sources, the deal price is hovering in between $7-$8 billion and if the deal happens, this will be the biggest buyout for the Redmond giant in their 36-year old existence.

Microsoft is continuously marketing and improving its Bing search service and with the acquisition of one of world’s largest VoIP company, Microsoft will gain some foothold in the mobile space, currently ruled by Google and Apple.

[Via WSJ]