As you may know, Cricket also has its own 4G LTE network, and the company launches its first 4G LTE smartphone, the LG Optimus Regard (LG W770). The 4G-capable handset supports Cricket’s CDMA EVDO 3G and LTE 4G networks for high-speed data connection. It is powered by a 1.2Ghz dual-core processor and 1GB RAM, and runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with LG’s custom user interface. The Optimus Regard has a 3.5-inch HVGA 480×320 touchscreen display protected with Gorilla Glass. Its 5 Megapixel main camera is capable of Full HD video recording and has a LED flash, and the VGA

Pantech introduces in Korea its new Vega R3 5.3-inch phablet (phone+tablet). Like LG’s new Optimus G, the new Vega is boosted by quad-core Qualcomm SnapDragon S4 Pro and 2GB of RAM. Though the handset has a  large 5.3-inch 1280×720 HD IPS touchscreen, its zero bezel makes it possible to operate with one hand as Pantech said. The Vega R3 features a 13 Megapixel camera main camera with flash and Full HD video recording and a 2 Megapixel front-facing camera for video chat. It supports Bluetooth and WiFi as well as DMB and 4G LTE mobile network. The large 2,600mAh battery can

MetroPCS launches a new affordable LTE smartphone, the Coolpad Quattro 4G. Coolpad, a Chinese cellphone maker, is not a well-known name in US and the Quattro 4G is its first offering in the US market. The handset supports MetroPCS’s 4G LTE mobile network and is priced at $149 or as low as $99 after $50 mail-in rebate on the second of any 4G LTE phone purchased. Boosted by a 1GHz processor, the entry-level Quattro 4G runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system. It has a 4-inch touchscreen, 3.2 Megapixel main camera nad a VGA front-facing camera for video chat. Bluetooth,

Sony is launching its most durable smartphone, the Xperia advance in the US market. Available outside the States as the Xperia go, the rugged Xperia is built to handle life’s unexpected moments, featuring a scratch-resistant mineral glass display and IP67 rating, the highest level of dust and water resistance available on any Android smartphone. Unlike other bulky rugged phones, Sony managed to give the Xperia advanced a sleek, stylish look. The Xperia advance is powered a by a 1Ghz NovaThor U8500 dual-core processor, but it gets only 512MB RAM that, I think, is barely

Verizon is launching the new Samsung Galaxy Stellar (model SCH-I200) smartphone with support for 4G LTE high-speed data network. Supporting Verzion’s LTE 4G network, users of Stellar can enjoy download speeds of 5-12Mbps and 2-5Mbps upload speed in 4G coverage area. The newest Galaxy handset is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8960 processor and 1GB of RAM. Samsung’s Stellar sports a 4-inch 800×480 touchscreen display, a 3.2 Megapixel main camera and a 1.3 Megapixel front-facing camera, 4GB of internal storage and a microSD/SDHC card slot. It includes Bluetooth,

T-Mobile launches the Huawei Summit entry-level smartphone running a custom operating system based on Android 2.3 Gingerbread. The 3.5-inch handset boasts a Qualcomm 600MHz processor, 512MB RAM and 512MB ROM. It 3.2 Megapixel camera is capable of video recording. The Summit has a 3.5-inch 480×320 touchscreen display. It supports Bluetooth 2.1 and WiFi 802.11b/g/n connectivity, and includes FM radio. Swype keyboard is pre-loaded for quick text input. You can get one from T-Mobile for $49.99 after $50 mail-in rebate and with 2-year contract. [T-Mobile]

LG reveals its new flagship smartphone, the Optimus G (LG-F180) powered by Qualcomm’s SnapDragon S4 Pro quad-core processor. It is the first LTE device to get quad-core processor, thanks to the Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 processor that packs 1.5GHz quad-core Krait CPU, LTE capability, and the Adreno 320 GPU. Using LG’s new slim display panel, the phone has a attrative 8.45mm slim body, and comes with a glass back cover with polarized glass pattern for a clean, modern look. The Optimus G is equipped with a 4.7-inch 1280×768 True HD IPS touchscreen with 320ppi pixel densitiy,

HTC adds to its Desire series the new Desire X, an affordable smartphone with great camera features. Thanks to the ImageChip, f/2.0, 28mm wide-angle lens, BSI sensor, and automatic adjustable flash, the phone’s 5 Megapixel camera takes great pictures, even in low-light conditions. The VideoPic allows users to take video and still images at the same time, while the one-press Continuous Shooting allows you to capture multiple photos (2.5 shots per second) of fast-paced action. With superfast activation within 1 second, you won’t miss a moment. However, the phone lacks a

Boost Mobile launches the LG Venice, its version of the Optimus L7. The stylish, slim smartphone measures just 8.8mm thick and is lightweight at 122g. It is powered by a 1GHz processor and runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with an enhanced LG Optimus 3.0 interface and QuickMemo for capture, create and share notes quickly and easily. The Venice has a 4.3-inch touchscreen display protected by Gorrila Glass and a 5 Megapixel camera with LED flash and 720p HD video recording, and a VGA front-facing camera. It supports Bluetooth, GPS and WiFi connectivity. Coming on 10 October, the

MetroPCS adds to its 4G range the new ZTE Anthem 4G, which is the first 4G LTE Android smartphone from ZTE available in the US market. Instead of Android 4.0 or 4.1, the Anthem runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system, which may be a bit outdated. It is powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz SnapDragon processor. The Anthem features a 4.3-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen display, a 5 Megapixel main camera with LED flash, and a front-facing camera. It offers HDMI output for playing HD videos on a big screen HDMI. To deliver more realistic sound, the phone includes Dolby Surrounf