Kicking off Computex in Taiwan today, Acer unveiled its first phablet handset, the Liquid S1, previously hinted at during MWC.
With a 5.7-inch HD 1280 x 720 display, the all-in-one is powered by a quad-core 1.5GHz processor, running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.
An 8MB cameras on the back can shoot 1080p video, while the front 2MP snapper can grab 720p.
A feature Acer is really underlining is the Float UI, which can have various widgets running on top of apps for a seemingly more efficient multitasking experience.
Float on
Acer claims the Liquid S1 will pack "a day's worth of battery power" - though we wouldn't say that's an awful lot to brag about.
According to Acer, we can expect this one to land in the UK in Q3, with a price tag of €349 (about £300, US $455, AUS $475). No US release announced just yet, but we'll let you know if that changes.
If you're looking to for a surefire conversation-starter when you pop out your phone, the recently-leakedSamsung Galaxy S4 Active is setting up to be a serious contender, as not only is it the new waterproof version of Samsung's immensely successful flagship, but it comes in a nifty teal paintjob as well.
The S4 Active is rumored to sport all the features of the regular S4, but is set to come with an alternative body that gives you IP57 dust and water resistance certification.
The Active is surely Samsung's latest attempt to cater to even wider markets based on the success of rival flagships, such as Sony's Xperia Z, which also sports a waterproof construction.
Now this requires a healthy pinch of salt before we dive into the actual information. AnTuTu is a popular benchmark and, every now and then, its database unearths some yet unannounced device.
This time around we get the Samsung Galaxy GT-I9600, which in theory could pose as the successor to the very popular, and current Samsung flagship, Galaxy S4. The device is also running Android version 4.3.2, which isn't yet out of the door, and a processor clocked at 1.4 GHz.
As it is early for a Galaxy S5 the logic is that we're seeing the first glimpse of some sort of Galaxy S4 Plus.
However, there have been two Galaxy S Plus devices - the I9001 Galaxy S Plus and the I9105 Galaxy S II Plus. Both devices sport model numbers, which are an differ from the original flagships by their last digit and not the second one.
There's also the the pretty low score, which is well below what the Galaxy S4 or Galaxy S III achieved in AnTuTu. This could point to a mid-range device, but that's unlikely with that kind of model number, so it's either down to the early firmware or the record is bogus altogether. Another suspicious bit is the fact that Android 4.3 isn't out of the gate yet so the listed version 4.3.2 instead of 4.3.1 is rather hard to explain.
Leaked documents, which appear to belong to US Cellular point to the upcoming addition of LG's Optimus F7 smartphone to the carrier's arsenal.
Sadly the documents don't reveal any pricing or release date but the wait is not likely to be that long.
Alleged US Cellular documents
The LG Optimus F7 sports a True HD-IPS (720 x 1280) display of 4.7 inches, a dual-core 1.5 GHz processor, 8 MP camera, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and the full connection kit, including LTE support.
Some owners of the flagship HTC One handset have received a software upgrade this morning, but it may not be the one they were looking for.
Amid hints that HTC was planning to make the stock Android experience available to everyone, the company has instead rolled out Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean for some existing users of the handset.
The changes are mainly aesthetic, but are headlined by the return of the Android 'Menu' key to proceedings.
It's hardly the return of Start to Windows, but now HTC One owners can long press the Home key and bring up the old Menu options as well as Google Now.
Sense-less option coming soon?
The minor bump also brings the Daydream screensaver experience, while users will finally be able to enable a percentage view of their battery life.
The release, which is yet to hit all users, comes as Google announced an HTC One Google Edition with the Nexus experience, which comes without HTC's love-it-or-loathe-it Sense UI.
In the aftermath of the launch, HTC said it was "examining the best way to support early adopters of the One," which means those who would prefer the raw Android experience may get that option soon enough.
Same old default screen? Pimp Your Screen lets you, er, pimp your screen
Sure, you can keep your phone with the same wallpaper, icons, home screens and settings that it had when you first bought it - but where's the fun in that?
A plethora of apps are available to enable you to get under the hood of your device and start making tweaks, and here we've collected ten of our favourites, from modding the notification lights and automating tasks, to revamping your home screen and managing files.
Our round-up of tools is slightly weighted towards Android because it's a more 'hackable' platform and there are more tools available for changing different parts of the OS.
If you're happy rooting your Android phone or jailbreaking your iPhone, then there are plenty of other apps and hacks you can consider, but we've restricted ourselves to tweaks and customisations that are possible without voiding your warranty. As ever, share your own recommendations in the comments.
1. Tasker
Create customised menus and pop-ups then tailor them to your specific needs
Tasker lets you set up specific conditions (such as a time of day or a particular GPS location) and associate them with a related action (turning off Wi-Fi or muting your phone's sounds, for example).
The app recently received an interface overhaul to bring it into line with the look of Android 4.0+, and you can also use it to create customised menus and pop-ups. It's not the easiest app to get to grips with, but it enables you to automate a whole host of functions on your Android device.
Launch Center Pro lets you create shortcuts to options in other apps
Unless you're going to jailbreak your iPhone, you're somewhat limited in terms of the tweaks you can make to the interface and iOS settings. Launch Center Pro is one of the apps that can make a real difference, enabling you to create 'quick links' (like desktop shortcuts) to other actions within apps.
You can create a link to a specific option in Settings (such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth), to the compose window for sending a specific friend a text, or to the 'take a photo' screen in Instagram, for example.
Automatically kill unwanted apps to free up space for the tools you actually want
Android tries to do its best when managing your multi-tasking apps, but if you want to take charge yourself then enlist the help of Advanced Task Killer.
You can stop dozens of tasks with one calculated tap, add specific apps to an ignore list, automatically kill apps at certain intervals and free up memory for the tools you do want to use (some technical know-how is useful if you want to avoid closing system apps that you should keep running). Buy the £3.19 Pro version to remove the ads
Want to customise every pixel of your OS's interface? You can now
If you're running Android 4.0+ Ice Cream Sandwich on your phone, then you can take advantage of Nova Launcher, a tool that's able to customise almost every pixel of the mobile OS's interface. Change colours, icons, dock behaviour, widgets and more as you like.
Upgrade to the £2.60 Prime version to get extra goodies such as unread counts and gesture control. It's one of the most comprehensive launcher tools on the market for Android, and you can back up and restore your customisations at any time should you need to.
Create a personalised look for your iPhone then share it across your devices
Combine wallpapers, app shelves, icon templates and lock screens to create a look for your iPhone that is truly unique. Pimp Your Screen has an impressive number of templates to pick from, and you can combine resources from within the app with your own artwork to tailor your iOS device's home screens to suit.
There's a built-in preview feature so you can see the results of your customisations without exiting the app, and you can use the same settings across all of your iDevices if you wish to.
With Light Flow you can choose notification colours for specific apps and events
Available as both a free and paid-for app for Android, Light Flow lets you take control over your notifications and specifically the notification lights on your device. Install the free Lite version first, to check compatibility with your phone - Light Flow requires root access on some models but not others.
Once you're up and running, you can use the app to choose notification colours for certain apps and events, and even cycle through a series of colours if required. Vibration alerts and a special sleep mode can also be controlled by Light Flow.
Build your own icons for your apps and website links
Get hold of App Icons for your iDevice and you can switch between customised themes of icons, as well as build your own for specific apps or links to websites.
You'll need to have the apps in question installed, and only certain apps are covered by the templates provided, but you can radically transform the look of your iOS device with just a few steps. If you don't want to have to shell out any cash straight away, you can pick up a free version of the app that contains ads.
Dropbox does more than you might think with its intuitive filing options
Dropbox works across computers, mobiles and tablets and has become much more than a file-syncing and back-up tool. So how does it help you hack your phone?
It creates an intuitive, simple file system for your device, it enables you to easily install apps from outside of the official stores, it gives you more options when sharing and attaching files in other apps, and more besides. Whether you want to automatically back up your Photo Stream on iOS or install a beta app on Android, Dropbox can lend a hand.
Wallpapers, ringtones, themes - Zedge has got them all for the bargain price of 'free'
Zedge comes packed with wallpapers, themes and ringtones you can apply on your Android or iOS device - it's all free to download and use, and new content is added on a regular basis.
On iOS you'll find yourself limited to wallpapers for your home screen and lock screen, but the Android version extends this to cover audio features too, including notification sounds and other types of alert as well as calls and text messages. You can set wallpapers to automatically change based on a preset schedule too, if you wish.
Hide apps, add animations and take control over your theme engine
Another of the many app launchers available for Android, Apex Launcher is one of the most popular and well-respected in this particular bracket.
As well as a customisable grid size across nine separate home screens, you can hide apps and on-screen elements (like the Google search bar), add animations and transition effects, and play around with the theme engine that covers icons and wallpapers.
Upgrade to the £2.59 Pro version and you can access more advanced features (including unread count notifications) and additional gestures.
