ANDROID

When Google and Samsung released the much-anticipated Galaxy Nexus smartphone, it won several accolades - first for its Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) software and then for top-notch specifications.

The Samsung Galaxy S2, which is considered the best Android smartphone yet, received overwhelming responses from around the world. Samsung is expected to extend the version of its flagship range, moving from the Galaxy S2 to the Galaxy S3, which is expected to launch in February.

The Motorola Droid 4 has not yet been priced but is expected to hit the markets in the coming weeks, according to the company.

Research In Motion showed off a major update to the QNX-based software running its poor-selling PlayBook tablet and unveiled minor improvements to its legacy BlackBerry phone software at the Consumer Electronics Show on Monday.

Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S3 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona at the end of February. The finished hardware is expected to start to appear on sale at the end of March and into April.

Just a month after Asus officially launched its Transformer Prime, the computer titan has now rolled out an upgraded version of the tablet at the Consumer Electronics Show 2012 (CES) on Monday, according to reports.

iPad 3 is still only a rumor, but the Pantech Element got its unveiling Jan. 9 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and it's an 8-inch Android tablet that is waterproof. It wasn't a complete unveiling, however, but what is known is that it and a companion smartphone will be offered by AT&T.

Samsung Electronics, which is fast closing in on Apple as the No. 1 smartphone maker, announced its Galaxy Note S Pen for customers with accounts with AT&T. The new smartphone features a stylus, which executives said could be used for more than notes.

iPad 3 and Toshiba's newly announced Excite X10 won't go on sale for a couple more months, but if you're waiting to see what new Android tabs can do, the X10 is a good starting point. The X10 was announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Jan. 8, so it's not ready for production yet, but we know it's about 7.5 mm thick making it thinner than any tablet out there.

CES 2012 officially begins Jan. 10, but companies like Lenovo have made a big push to get word of their new devices out before the show starts so they get a bit more publicity. Whether you think Microsoft leaving CES after this year is the kiss of death for the annual show or not, companies like Lenovo and Panasonic are taking advantage.

Microsoft, the No. 1 software developer, is making a major push to get its new Windows 8 onto mobile platforms, including smartphones.

One of the most exciting technological innovations at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2012 is by Lenovo - the Chinese PC maker surprised everyone at CES Unveiled on Jan. 8, by taking the wraps off of its 55-inch Smart HDTV K91, which runs on Ice Cream Sandwich OS, as well as the S2 10-inch tablet and the S2 smartphone.

Acer unveiled what will now be called the world's thinnest laptop, the Aspire S5 Ultrabook, at a press event on Sunday.

Microsoft may soon integrate Xbox Live Gaming with iOS and Android.

Motorola recently launched their latest Android tablet - the Motorola Droid XYBoard 10.1 - on Verizon's network. The new Xyboard 10.1 has a much more attractive design compared to its predecessor and has second-gen features like a newer and faster CPU, stylus input and more.

The battle between Apple Inc. and Samsung is expected to get fierce as both the smartphone makers are prepared to release their best ones in the market this year.

Shares of Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOM) could surpass $60 in the first half of 2012, helped by 3G growth and strong smartphone adoption.

Check out Amazon's Kindle Fire and Apple's iPad 2, as they go head-to-head...

Samsung Techwin America has unveiled a Wi-Fi Video Baby Monitor at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Toshiba has announced Excite X10, the thinnest tablet ever built. The 10-inch tablet will be launched in the U.S. sometime in the middle of the first quarter of the year, according to the company.

Lenovo has announced plans to release an Android 4-powered smart TV, called the K91, which will come out first in China and then around the world.