Enjoy our roundup of ten mobile phone related news stories you may have missed this week, including an October date for Nokia World, Galaxy S2 phones in the hands of a hacker and a new Android-based watch phone!

Enjoy our roundup of ten mobile phone related news stories you may have missed this week, including four new US handsets which look very familiar to us, some big Nokia news, Samsung’s latest app download figures and a very disconcerting dancing Android.

1.  Samsung Passes 100 Milli0n App Downloads

Since its launch in June 2010, Samsung Apps has grown to incorporate apps for other devices such as televisions, and has this week passed 100 million downloads.  Not bad at all when you take into consideration there are only 13000 apps available, however the store is accessible in 120 countries around the world.

2.  Android Rocks Out!

There is something faintly disconcerting about this dancing, green Android.  We know it’s a man in a suit, but the way he dances about just looks so strange you begin to wonder if maybe it’s not.  We don’t know if it’s the funny little arms, or the rigid body that’s more freaky; just that it is.  It’s an Xperia Android too, meaning it could be related to that Android with the human thumbs.  We’re going to stop thinking about it now.

3.  Are You ‘In’ Enough to Use Color?

If you own an Android device or an iPhone, grab Color from your friendly app store and give it a try.  The new photo-sharing app has been all over the news this week after attracting more than $40 million-worth of investment.  It’s something like a public diary/scrapbook, which shares your pictures with anyone using the app in a 50ft radius, and vice versa.  Only trouble is, if no-one else is using it, not much sharing goes on, so you’ll need to be hanging with the cool kids to get the most out of this one.

4.  LG’s Optimus G2X Announced Stateside

The first of four new phones announced for the US we’re going to cover, however all but one are devices already out or announced for Europe too.  The first is the LG Optimus G2X, a Tegra 2-powered smartphone running Android.  Think it looks familiar?  Well, it is, as we know it simply as the Optimus 2X.  The difference seems to be on the connectivity side, as the G2X will work on T-Mobile USA’s ’4G’ network.

5.  Nokia Astound Hits the US Market

Just in case you’ve seen the Nokia Astound’s name about over the past few days and thought ‘wow, that’s a nice looking phone’ and tried to find it for sale in the UK; don’t bother.  The Astound is T-Mobile USA’s name for the Nokia C7, a 3.5″ touchscreen phone with Symbian^3 and an 8 megapixel camera.  This is the version you need to look for!

6.  AT&T Launch the LG Thrill 4G

The CTIA 2011 show didn’t make quite such an impact on Europe, as the majority of new devices unveiled were for US networks.  The LG Thrill will be coming to AT&T and will be compatible with their ’4G’ network.  It has a 4.3″ touchscreen with glasses-free 3D, a 1Ghz dual core processor and a 5 megapixel camera that can shoot 3D stills and video.

7.  AT&T Also Launch the HTC HD7S

Another CTIA 2011 announcement, this time from US network AT&T.  The HTC HD7S is a rebadged version of the familiar HTC HD7, therefore running Windows Phone 7.  The phone has a 1Ghz processor, 5 megapixel camera, 4.3″ touchscreen and most interestingly of all, the NoDo update already up and running.

8.  Google’s Think Quarterly Publication Appears Online

If you’re a business type or have a strange obsession with data, sharing, metrics and advertising, you may be interested to read through Google’s Think Quarterly book which has appeared online.  Inside there are interviews with Vodafone UK’s CEO, Google’s economist Hal Varian and some pretty pictures for the rest of us.  Download it or view it online using the link above.

9.  Nokia Launches an Exciting New…Font!

Wow, this should get everybody talking!  Nokia have revealed their new corporate font, called Nokia Pure, and it has been described by their brand and marketing director as having a ‘natural, flowing form’ while still being ‘highly functional and neutral’.  Of course it is.

10.  iPhone Survives 1000ft Fall

Maybe that glass rear panel isn’t so delicate after all!  A US Air Force Combat Controller clumsily let his iPhone 4 fall from his pocket, but rather than being a few feet away from the ground, he was in a plane 1000ft up in the air at the time!  Once back on the ground, he located and recovered his phone using MobileMe’s Find My iPhone service, and amazingly, it had survived and worked perfectly!

Enjoy our roundup of some of the best mobile phone stories you may have missed this week:

1.  GSMA Add Further Keynote Speakers to MWC 2011.

In addition to the return of LG to the MWC’s main floor and already announced speakers including Eric Schmidt and Peter Chou, the GSMA have now added Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer, Intel’s Paul Otellini, RIM’s Jim Balsillie and most interestingly, Nokia’s Stephen Elop to their 2011 line-up. Does this mean Nokia will have a more prominent presence next year too?

2.  iPhone PayPal Security Fix.

A security hole, discovered recently in the PayPal app for the iPhone could have allowed a hacker to intercept transmissions and ultimately steal login details and passwords. PayPal have sent the fix to Apple for approval and will be offering 100% compensation to anyone adversely affected, although it was only a threat if the iPhone was being used over an unsecured public Wi-Fi system.

3.  HTC Plan for a Happy Christmas.

Digitimes are reporting that HTC have set themselves quite a target for Q4 2010: to ship a total of 8.5 million units. If they do, they will see their market share rise by another one percent to 10% overall.

4.  Galaxy Tab Parts Bill Estimate Higher Than Expected.

Parts analysts iSuppli have stripped down the new Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet and estimated that the components cost around $214 to manufacture, a surprisingly low figure considering the price is very close to the iPad, which iSuppli say costs around $265 to build.

5.  In-Flight Wi-Fi, Over Before it Started?

The recent spate of terrorist bombs sent via cargo onboard passenger planes could see in-flight Wi-Fi cancelled before it had the chance to catch on. The reasoning is that such a connection between a passenger and an item in the hold could be potentially deadly.

6.  Vodafone Announce Smartphone Professional Service.

The Vodafone Smartphone Professional Service will allow a company’s IT admin staff to have more control over your company mobile phone including restricting usage, data encryption and even a remote wipe function in case the phone is lost. A one-off set-up fee and a monthly charge will be applicable.

7.  Skyfire Browser ‘Sold Out’.

It came, it saw, it sold out! The Flash-providing web browser for the iPhone proved to be so popular that Skyfire Labs’ servers couldn’t take the strain, forcing them to remove the app from sale until they can offer a proper, reliable and speedy service.

8.  Zynga Eye Android.

Zynga, the social gaming company behind Farmville, announced at the recent Facebook event that they would be releasing their first Android game, and that it would be Zynga Live Poker.

9.  Samsung Galaxy S to be Wi-Fi Direct Certified.

The excellent Samsung Galaxy S is about to become the first Wi-Fi Direct certified mobile phone, a technology that lets two devices link together and transfer data over a Wi-Fi b/g/n connection, but without the need for a router. Details about when this will arrive have yet to be announced.

10.  New Hateful Lamborghini Phone Announced.

The Torino Lamborghini Spyder may sound like a new model of car, but it is in fact a new model of mobile phone. It comes in a flashy box, has a stainless steel casing and a sapphire crystal LCD display, but the 3 megapixel camera makes it sound more downmarket than Lambo would doubtless prefer. It’s yours for around £1300.

Enjoy our roundup of some of the best mobile phone stories you may have missed this week:

1.  HTC Reports High Profits.

HTC’s Q3 figures are looking good, with their profits doubling over the same period last year to a reported $361 million. This is without the latest Desire HD and Z models and the potentially huge impact from their planned Windows Phone 7 devices. We think Q4 could be even better!

2.  No Windows Phone 7 from Gamin-Asus in 2010.

Their name was on the list when Windows Phone 7 was unveiled, however the joint venture between Garmin and Asus won’t be producing a phone running the new Microsoft OS this year.

3.  Samsung’s Galaxy S Selling Well.

While the Wave sold a million for Samsung after a short time on sale, the Android-powered Galaxy S has sold five million since its June launch! The Korean firm also expects to repeat this figure for Q4, keeping them on target for selling 25 million smartphones in 2010.

4.  Another Huawei Android Phone.

The Huawei Ascend will be going to the Cricket network in the USA. Set at around $150, the phone runs Android 2.1, has a 3.5″ touchscreen with a QVGA resolution and a 3.2 megapixel camera.

5.  GSMA Releases iPhone App.

If you’ve got an iPhone and like to keep up with all the goings-on at the GSMA, then grab Mobile World Live, their own free iPhone app. It contains news, videos and discussions covering the whole mobile industry as well as the GSMA’s key annual events, including MWC.

6.  GSMA Launch mWomen Programme.

More GSMA news, this time concerning the launch of mWomen, an initiative designed to show women in developing countries the benefits of the mobile phone. Backed by Hillary Clinton and Cherie Blair, it’s designed to help women living on less than $2 per day achieve greater security, independence and other life-changing opportunities.

7.  Sanyo to Release the Zio in USA.

The Sanyo Zio will be going to the US CDMA network Sprint later this month. It’s a low-cost Android phone with a 3.5″ touchscreen, Wi-Fi, 3G, a 3.2 megapixel camera, Android 2.1 and a microSD card slot.

8.  Sony Create 16 Megapixel Lens.

Nothing special about that, until you learn they’re sized for mobile phones. The Exmor R series comes in both 8 and 16 megapixel flavours and will start shipping from early in 2011.  Could we be seeing a 16 megapixel CyberShot phone in the future?

9.  Another Android Phone for the US.

The Samsung Transform is the latest Android handset to hit the US network Sprint. It’s a QWERTY slider with Android 2.1, a 3.5″ toucshcreen, a 3.2 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, GPS and an 800MHz processor.

10.  Nokia E-Cu Concept Phone.

The phone may not revolutionary, but the way it draws power is. It uses a thermogenerator to convert heat into power, so that when you keep your phone in your pocket, you’re providing it with enough energy to get through the day no matter what you do!