The INQ Cloud Touch, first seen last month when it was spotted on Bluetooth’s accreditation site, has been made official by the London-based company, and it’s as close to being a fully fledged Facebook phone as we’ve come so far.  What’s more, according to a conversation between INQ’s co-founder Ken Johnstone and The Guardian, Facebook themselves were ‘heavily involved with it and it’s been a collaborative process’.

So just how deeply ingrained is the social network? The answer is, very.  Basically, if you’re not an active Facebook user, you won’t get much out of the standard Cloud Touch, as it forms your homepage and it’s used to prepare calls and messages, plus all status updates, photos and Places check-ins are displayed front and centre. This means you don’t have to open an app or manually check for updates; it’s all live, all of the time.

However, as the Cloud Touch is based on Android 2.2, there are other homescreens to fill with other non-Facebook widgets and if you’re so desperate for the Cloud Touch but don’t want all the Facebook integration, then you can remove them, however, this defeats the object of the device. It’s also a shame, as so much effort has gone into making this a pure Facebook experience, right down to future new Facebook features magically appearing on your phone without the need for an update.

The INQ Cloud Touch also has the following features:

• 3.5″ capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 480 x 320.
• 600Mhz Qualcomm processor.
• 3G with HSDPA.
• 5 megapixel camera.
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
• GPS.
• Android 2.2.

To keep you connected, but with an eye on your data allowance, the Could Touch’s GPS and Wi-Fi work together to remember your home network or other wireless hotspots you’ve previously logged in to, and will connect automatically when they come within range. If you’re a Spotify user, you’ll be pleased to see the streaming music service has been set as the standard music app on the device.

It’s set to be a huge seller, and INQ say the Cloud Touch will be out in the UK this April at a competitive price.

It’s a big day for Google as not only have they given us our first proper look at Android 2.3, but they’ve officially unveiled their second Nexus mobile phone, the Nexus S too. We’ve been waiting for this one, so let’s dive in and take a look at the specification:

• A 4″, 480 x 800 Super AMOLED Contour touchscreen.
• 1GHz Hummingbird processor.
• 3G with HSDPA and HSUPA.
• 16GB internal memory.
• 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and an LED flash.
• VGA video-call camera.
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1.
• Assisted GPS.

The Nexus S has been manufactured by Samsung and also wears the familiar Google branding on its rear panel, while inside driving the phone is an untouched version of Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

But that’s not all, as the Nexus S has several other surprises too! The first is the ‘Contour’ touchscreen, so called because the capacitive glass screen is curved ever-so slightly, allowing it to sit comfortably in your hand as well as matching the lines of your face. The spec also mentions a pixel-per-inch measurement of 235 and an anti-fingerprint coating too.

Secondly, the Nexus S will be equipped with NFC, a technology for reading NFC chips and tags or for potentially using your phone as a digital wallet. Near Field Communication has been around for a while, but has yet to become mainstream in Europe or the USA.

Other Nexus S features include a 3.5mm headphone socket, a digital compass, a dedicated graphics processing unit for great games plus all the usual Android and Google apps. Amazingly, the Nexus S only weighs 129 grams too — surprising for a phone with a 4″ screen!

Like the Nexus One, the Nexus S will be available to buy unlocked, but instead of this being through Google, various retailers will carry the device. It’s out in the US on the 16th December and the UK on the 20th December.

You can watch a pair of videos on the Nexus S below, one with an overview of the birth of the S and the other a rather strange promo video for the new phone.

If you love mobile phones and are looking to enter the new and exciting world of Windows Phone 7, then we’re almost certain that one glance at the simply stunning screen found on the HD7 will make you say ‘I want that one!’  The HTC HD7 is the spiritual successor to the HTC HD2, and the Euro WinPho7 brother to the USA’s Android-running HTC EVO.  The one thing they’ve all got in common?  That 4.3″ touchscreen.

Put next to the Trophy and the Mozart, HTC’s other two Windows Phone 7 offerings for the UK, its sheer size makes it easy to see why it’s considered the range topping device, but don’t forget, the 3.7″ and 3.8″ screens on the other two can hardly be considered small!

So you’ve decided that size is everything, and that the HD7 is the phone for you.  Lets take a look at what you’ll be getting:

Style.

Although we love a big screen, we’re not sure the monolithic look of the HTC HD7 could be called attractive, but it certainly is striking.  It’s unsurprising that the front panel is all about the glass screen, with only a sliver of a speaker above it and the three Windows Phone 7 buttons beneath it for company.  Around the back though, things are slightly more interesting.

The curvy rear panel has a removable battery cover plus some Windows Phone and HTC branding, but your eye is drawn to the metallic camera lens surround.  This is more than visual garnish though, as a flip of the finger sees it spring back to become a kickstand, propping the phone up at an agreeable angle for watching video.

Obviously, a phone of this size isn’t going to be light, so the 162 gram weight is only to be expected.  You may be surprised to learn however, that the HD7 is only 11.2mm thick — an amazing achievement and along with the beautifully molded rear panel, part of the reason the HD7 never feels too big for your hand.

Power.

On a phone like this, you’d expect the power to be as monstrous as the screen size, right?  Well, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 576MB RAM and 512MB ROM isn’t to be sneezed at, but it’s also the same as you’ll find in the majority of Windows Phone 7 handsets available at this point.  It also has only 8GB of internal memory and no microSD card slot to increase this, which is a shame considering its video and audio potential.

The HD7 is a 3G phone with HSDPA and HSUPA, plus Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP.

As you know, the operating system is Windows Phone 7, the latest from Microsoft and their big hope for putting them back in the smarphone game.  It has a tile-driven menu where the tiles are ‘live’, displaying everything from up-to-date information from social networks to the amount of unread messages you have in your mailbox.  New tiles can be added to correspond to applications and Hubs on the phone, plus HTC have their own Hub, where you’ll find weather, stocks and other handy widgets.  You can get more information on Windows Phone 7 here, where we go into its capabilities in more detail.

What Else Can it Do?

• A 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and a dual-LED flash sit on the rear panel.  It can also shoot 720p video.
• Assisted GPS with a digital compass and Bing Maps.
• A 3.5mm headphone socket.
• With a screen as big as this, videos will look great and thanks to Dolby Mobile and SRS Surround Sound audio enhancements, they should sound great too.  For best results, use a pair of good headphones — you’ll be amazed at how good a phone can sound!
• The capacitive, multi-touch Super-LCD screen measures 4.3″ and has a 480 x 800 pixel resolution.
• Windows Phone 7 comes with access to the Windows Marketplace for a range of applications, plus Zune Store for music downloads or an unlimited streaming subscription too.

Any Downsides?

Like all Windows Phone 7 handsets, the lack of a microSD card slot is unfortunate, but especially here due to the large screen making it ideal for enjoying a video on the move.  Other than that, if you’ve got small hands, this is a very big phone and you may want to try it out before buying it!

Summary.

Just like HTC’s other big-screen phones, the HTC HD7 is hugely desirable.  While not everyone will want a phone that’s going to worry the lining in more than a few trouser pockets, there is no denying that the new OS looks its absolute best on a screen this size, and we suspect that the HD7 will be the Windows Phone 7 people will aspire to own.

In an effort to help people differentiate between their new Windows Phone 7 devices, HTC are promoting each one slightly differently.  It’s Microsoft’s fault really, as the specifications aren’t all that different, especially between the Mozart and this, the HTC Trophy.  While the Mozart’s name sums up what that phone is all about nicely, it’s not so clear with the Trophy.  However, think about it for a moment, where are you likely to win such a thing?  That’s right, HTC are branding this as the gamers choice!

Before the Trophy was made official it had been spotted under the codename of Spark, but that obviously doesn’t fit with the whole gaming thing, leaving HTC to grab one of its unused names out of the bag.  In fact, a Windows Mobile 6.5-running Trophy appeared on an HTC roadmap back in 2009!  So what does the Trophy bring to the Windows Phone table, and is it the right device for you?  Lets take a closer look.

Style.

Like the Mozart and the HD7, the HTC Trophy is a regular candybar phone with a large touchscreen and to be honest, there is little to separate it from the Mozart at first glance.  For that, you need to get it in your hands.  The most obvious difference once you’ve done this is that the Trophy has a soft-touch plastic body rather than the uni-body aluminium one on the Mozart.  Flip the Trophy over and it has a more conventional look to it too, with a central removable battery cover and a dead-centre camera lens.

Around the front, the Trophy has a Super-LCD, 3.8″ capacitive touchscreen with the usual 480 x 800 pixel resolution, plus the search, back and Windows buttons underneath it.  At 12mm thick and 140 grams, the Trophy isn’t quite the slimmest and lightest Windows Phone 7 device you can buy, but the differences are small enough not to cause concern, especially as it boasts a slightly larger screen over the Mozart.

Power.

Hidden inside the HTC 7 Trophy is a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 576MB RAM, 512MB ROM and 8GB of internal memory — which most will recognise as the standard spec required for a Windows Phone 7 handset.  Of course, the Trophy is a 3G phone with HSDPA and HSUPA, plus it has Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP.

This is a great specification for a smartphone, but it probably won’t be the reason you choose this phone; as the real draw here is Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 operating system.  It’s implemented in exactly the same way on the Trophy as it is on all other Windows Phone 7 devices, so buying decisions will ultimately come down to screen size and design preferences.

What Else Can it Do?

• It has a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and an LED flash.  You can also record 720p video.
• Assisted GPS with a digital compass and Bing Maps.  Geo-tagging is also supported by the camera.
• 3.5mm headphone jack.
• A G-sensor, proximity sensor and an ambient light sensor.
• Like the Mozart, Dolby Mobile and SRS Surround Sound audio enhancements improve the quality of your music and movies.
• As with other Windows Phone 7 devices, you’re given access to the Zune store for all your music needs, the Windows Phone Marketplace for applications and Xbox Live to keep up with your achievements and gaming friends.  We went into a lot more detail of all the cool stuff Windows Phone 7 offers here.
• HTC have their own Hub too, which comes across like a version of HTC Sense, complete with familiar widgets including the weather, a clock and stock information.

Any Downsides?

You can’t really fault the specification nor the design, but its status as the starter Windows Phone 7 handset from HTC means that it doesn’t really standout from the crowd.

Summary.

The HTC Trophy has an excellent smartphone specification, a typically understated HTC design and the latest Microsoft operating system.  We think it’s perfect for those wanting Windows Phone 7 without all the garnish.

ZTE, the Chinese manufacturer best known for peripherals and handsets branded by other companies, have announced the ZTE Light, a 7″ tablet computer running Android 2.1. ZTE may not be that well known here, but like the similarly unknown Huawei, they want to change this and right now, so a well-priced tablet could be the device to do it with.

The tablet’s feature list is good too, with 3G/HSDPA support, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, a 3 megapixel camera, a microSD card slot, a 3.5mm headphone socket and a potential 10 hours of battery life. With a spec like this and the quoted 400 gram weight, the ZTE Light is very similar to the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab.

What it probably won’t be though, is as pricey as the Tab. ZTE haven’t given an exact indication of the cost, but have said they aim to keep it affordable.

Europe, along with Latin America and Asian Pacific markets can expect the ZTE Light to go on sale before the end of 2010, but North America will have to wait until ZTE have evaluated the Light’s success before it, or a similar model, is launched there.

Nokia have announced a new phone today, the C5-03, which they say is an inexpensive way to move into the modern smartphone market. Shunning the alphanumeric keypad and Nokia Classic-style looks of the first C5, the C5-03 has a touchscreen and a sleek design reminiscent of the Nokia N8.

The feature list looks like this:

• A 3.2″ touchscreen.
• 3G.
• Wi-Fi.
• A microSD card slot for cards up to 16GB.
• 5 megapixel camera.
• GPS.

Now, wouldn’t it be fantastic if this used Symbian^3?  Yes it would, so it’s a shame it uses Symbian^1 — or S60 5th Edition to you and me — making it very similar to the trusty 5800 XpressMusic. Users will still find a clutch of Ovi tools onboard though, including Ovi Mail, Ovi Music, the Ovi Store and the latest version of Ovi Maps with its free navigation service.

The complete list of specifications hasn’t been released yet, and some important questions are currently unanswered. For example, we’re not sure if this has a capacitive or resistive screen, nor what its resolution is, or crucially, the speed of the C5-03’s processor and the amount of memory it has. But we do know it weighs 93 grams and is 13.8mm thick!

The new C5-03 will go on sale before the end of the year, when it will be available in several colours including the lime green seen on the N8, and is listed at costing 170 euros (£150) unconnected.

The Galaxy Apollo had a bit of a strange start to life as it made its first appearance next to the Samsung Wave and Galaxy S on Samsung’s smartphone website, accompanied by the words ‘coming soon’ and nothing else — no announcement, nothing. Two days later, Samsung make the Apollo official by way of a simple press release, naming the Apollo as the I5801.

While it may not be quite as jaw-droppingly powerful as the Galaxy S or the bada-powered Wave, the Apollo is a good example of the type of mobile phone Samsung excel at — the mid-range, attractive and surprisingly high-spec device for everyone. Just to avoid any confusion, the I5801 Apollo is the same phone as the I5800 Galaxy 3, however the I5801 is exclusive to Orange.

Style.

The Apollo isn’t what you’d call a design departure for Samsung, as it closely resembles a lot of their other recent touchscreen efforts. While it’s pretty enough, and they’ve lost that ugly diamond button, the candybar shape probably won’t make you standout from the crowd.

It does have a curvy, ergonomic rear panel though, making the phone feel good in your palm, and its light 113 gram weight is far less than many of its more expensive competitors. Taking centre stage on the front panel is the 3.2″ capacitive touchscreen with a 240×400 pixel resolution, although it’s a standard TFT item rather than one of Samsung’s delicious Super AMOLEDs. On the top of the phone is a 3.5mm headphone port, the on/off button and the slot for a microSD card, while on the side is a volume rocker.

Power and Connectivity.

As with other Galaxy phones, the Apollo runs Google Android, seen here in version 2.1, so expect all the upgrades Google added to the already excellent OS recently to be on hand.  Naturally, you’ll also have access to the Google suite of applications including Maps, Gmail and Search, plus the Layar browser and the Android Market for a massive range of apps to download. Powering the phone is a 667Mhz processor.

The Galaxy Apollo is a 3G mobile phone with GPRS, EDGE and HSDPA data connectivity, plus Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP. Assisted GPS is onboard along with a digital compass too.

What Else Can it Do?

Camera. It’s a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus but no flash, however it will record video in QVGA at 15fps.

Multimedia. The music player handles all the usual file formats including MP3, AAC and WMA, while the video player will happily display DivX, MP4, WMV and H.264 files. There is also an FM RDS radio too.

Sensors. The screen supports multi-touch and there is an accelerometer for automatic screen adjustment, plus a proximity sensor too.

Social Hub. A Samsung feature that integrates your social networking contacts into your phonebook, making it easier to connect with the people close to you.

TouchWiz 3.0. The latest user interface from Samsung sits over the top of Android to provide a great user experience.  It’s especially helpful if you’re upgrading from an older Samsung device, as it’s so easy to learn!

Battery. A huge 1500mAh cell sits in the back of the phone, offering an impressive 480 hours standby and 7 hours continuous talktime while on 3G.

Any Downsides?

The Apollo is very competitively priced, but the processor is slower than one may need to run graphically intense games. But that was what the Galaxy S was made for!

Summary.

The social networking integration, curvy design and excellent price point show Samsung are pushing the Apollo towards the tech-savvy younger market who can’t quite stretch to their upper range devices just yet. They’ve done a good job too, as the Apollo has all the features you want on a smartphone, a great OS and access to an ever-growing application store.