Pocket Now have again came through with a press shot of the Samsung Rugby Smart, a new rugged AT&T Android phone. While the leaked document that we saw a while back showing AT&T’s roadmap stated the device would be released mid February which obviously is not the case. The only real information that we do have is that the Rugby Smart will be a rugged phone like the Casio G’Zone and a few specs.

Samsung Rugby Smart Features:

• Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread
• 512 MB RAM
• 1650 mAh Battery

The Rugby Smart is not a high end device but does broaden choices of tough Android phones. Also the device will come in at AT&T for around $100 with a 2 year contract.

Huawei, a Chinese manufacturer has officially announced its newest Android device the Huawei Honor to be released in Europe and Asia. This device is said to come with a super battery that will last 3 days.

Huawei Honor Features:

• Android 2.3 Gingerbread
• 1.4 GHz single-core processor
• 4 inch 854×480 display
• 16MB true color HD
• 4GB internal storage
• 512MB RAM
• 8 megapixels auto focus camera supporting HDR, with 2 megapixels front-facing camera
• 2G Network (operating band) GSM 850/900/1800/1900
• 3G Network (operating band) WCDMA/HSPA+ 900/AWS/2100
• Measures 10.9mm (0.43 inches) at its thinnest point and weighs around 140g (0.3 pounds)
• Support Class 10 GPRS and EDGE
• 3G HSPA+ DL 14.4 Mbps/UL 5.76 Mbps
• WiFi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth V2.1 with A2DP
• 1900 mAh Battery
• Assisted GPS support
• FM radio
• Dual MIC, compass and gyroscope
• G-sensor, proximity sensor and light sensor
• Exclusive Huawei user-interface with a dynamic weather widget
• 160GB network capacity CloudDrive
• DLNA-certified enables sharing with other DLNA-certified devices

Huawei has stated that the Honor will be released in China, Russia and the Middle East by the end of the year.

Official Release:

Shenzhen, 26 September 2011: Huawei today officially unveiled the Huawei Honor, its latest Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread smartphone that features a 16M 16:9 true color high-definition (HD) 4-inch FWVGA capacitive touch screen. Powered by a 1,900 MAh battery, Honor frees consumers from the inconvenience of searching for an electricity source, allowing them to share and connect for up to three days1 on a single charge – the longest battery life among smartphones in the 4-inch screen range. With a 1.4 GHz processor, an 8-megapixel HDR2-enabled camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, Honor is a powerhouse in a sleek 10.9 mm-thin body and weighs just 140g.

“Huawei Honor encapsulates the Huawei brand – it features simple-to-use, advanced technology that allows people to share and connect easily. Honor provides a package of features that elevates the smartphone user experience, including an ultra-long battery life, so critical to the performance of smartphones but yet is often downplayed,” said Victor Xu, chief marketing officer of Huawei Device. “Consumers now have a high-performing smartphone that lets them communicate, connect, entertain and share content for an extended period of time without compromising on looks, technology or style.”

Honor comes with an exclusive Huawei user interface which is easier to customize and manage, as well as a dynamic weather widget. Honor also features a Gyroscope which enables a better gaming experience. The smartphone is DLNA-certified which ensures interoperability with other DLNA-certified devices such as digital cameras, game consoles and TVs. This makes it easier for consumers to share their digital photos, music and videos between different DLNA-certified devices. The DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) is a non-profit organization with more than 250 member companies in the mobile, consumer electronics, PC, and service provider industries. According to ABI Research data, as of 2010, more than 440 million DLNA-certified devices have been installed in homes.

Honor will be commercially available in “Classic Black” in Asia-Pacific, China, Russia and the Middle East in Q4, 2011. Honor will be released in more colors closer to the Christmas holidays.

Manufacturers like Motorola, Samsung and HTC have been pushing out high end Android phones like crazy and it seems like Sony Ericsson is trailing pretty far behind. Sony Ericsson is hoping to change this with the release of the Sony Ericsson Nozomi.

The Nozomi was originally to be released as a Japanese market exclusive but is said to be a globally released phone as of today. Rumors collected around Sony Ericsson is that the device will have a 1.4 GHz processor with a 4.3 inch 720p display. We aren’t sure if the 1.4GHz processor will be dual core or not but can assume it will not be.

The Nozomi will still be released in Japan first as the SO-o2D followed by the global release with model number LT26i. There are also rumors that the Nozomi will be the Xperia Duo although no word as of now.

We will be sure to let everyone know as we have more information on the Nozomi as we get it. We will be following Sony Ericsson closely to see what comes out of it.

A few months ago Motorola announced the Motorola Fire a basic version of the Xpert and Droid Pro. Google mentioned recently that the Motorola Fire will start its release in the UK this September in time for School to start.

The Motorola Fire Features are as follows:

• Android 2.3 Gingerbread
• 2.8 inch QVGA Touchscreen
• 3 MP Camera
• 600 MHz processor
• FM Radio
• Work and Play Modes
• Full QWERTY Keyboard

There hasn’t been any mention yet if this device will reach the US any time soon if ever. We can only assume that it will depend on how well it does in the UK. This will be a great device for those that don’t want all of the features of Android on a more affordable device.

Promotional video to show off the Motorola Fire Features:

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