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December 2012 / January 2013 Roundup.
December is one of the quietest months in the mobile phone release calendar, but early
January sees the CES show in the US which usually comes with several new announcements.
BlackBerry. The new BlackBerry 10 operating system is
here, and the elegant full-touch BlackBerry Z10 is the first handset running this OS out
of the gate, to be followed by the more traditional keyboard-equipped BlackBerry Q10 in a few
months time.
Sony. The Sony Xperia Z is Sony's most powerful
(and largest) handset to date, pushing Sony into the growing "phablet" market. At the
other end of the scale, the Sony Xperia E is a low-end device with optional dual-SIM
capabilities.
Samsung. The Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 is a rugged, waterproof
Android phone that continues Samsung's long line of toughened handsets. Bigger in size
but modestly priced is the Samsung Galaxy Grand, not quite as big as the Galaxy Note
II but a lot cheaper. The Samsung Galaxy S II Plus is a minor update to the previous
generation of Galaxy S devices, which still sell strongly.
Other manufacturers. The Nokia Lumia 620 is Nokia's cheapest Windows
Phone 8 device and is certainly good value for money. The HTC One SV is a midrange 4G-capable
Android device that brings a bit more choice into this market segment. Another phablet-sized
device is the incredibly cheap Lava Iris 501, but at this price you have to expect some
compromises. The dual-screen YotaPhone is either brilliant or completely mad, but we
rather like the look of it. Finally, Huawei showed off several devices at CES this year,
showing that they are certainly a company to look out for during 2013 and beyond.