LG has launched its first 3D smartphone, known as Optimus 3D, in India and will be available at leading retail outlets of the country from September for Rs 37,000. According to the company, this is also world’s first 3D smartphone.

The phone does not require any special glasses to view 3D content and is based on Android 2.3 operating system. With the LG Optimus 3D, the company has introduced a number of innovative “first” technologies including world’s first 3D mobile camera to record 3D content, world’s first dual-core, dual-channel and dual-memory architecture. The device will allow users to create, view and share 3D content and multitask.

Vishal Chopra, business group head, mobile communications, LG India said, “The LG Optimus 3D is super-smartphone gives our consumer the pleasure of 3D without the special glasses. Its exceptional features combined with super computing capabilities will add a new dimension to the smartphone experience. The smart consumers will now have the power to create, view and share real-life 3D content and the power to explore the world of unlimited possibilities.”

LG Optimus 3D has dual 5 Megapixel camera at the back that allows users to capture and record images and videos in 3D. It has a 4.3 inch WVGA display that displays 3D content without the use of glasses. The display provides users to view 2D (up to 1080p) and 3D (up to 720p) multimedia content.

LG has given a unique 3D hot key to access the device’s 3D interface including gallery, camera, game & apps, YouTube 3D and 3D Guide.

Captured 3D content can be shared via an HDMI 1.4 connection to 3D TVs and monitors and also is compatible with DLNA certified products. Users can also upload and stream 3D content and share each other’s creations on YouTube’s dedicated 3D channel (youtube.com/3D).

All the normal smartphone goodies like WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G and expandable memory up to 32 GB are all present.

Beetel, which last week entered the tablet market with Magiq, will be launching an Android smartphone and an LTE device in October.

Beetel’s executive director and chief executive officer Vinod Sawhny told The Mobile Indian, “We will launch an Android 2.3 based smartphone and an LTE device around Diwali. Our design and development team is working on prototype devices which will change the landscape of the Indian mobile market.”

He didn’t reveal the pricing of the smartphone but said that Beetel’s strategy is to provide affordable products to its consumers. We expect the company’s Android 2.3 based smartphone to be priced sub Rs 9,000.

Sources familiar with the development told The Mobile Indian that the smartphone will run on a Qualcomm 1 GHz Snapdragon Processor and will have a 3.2 inch display.

Being an Android phone, standard Android applications and features like Google Maps, G-sensor and the ability to download applications from the Android Market will be available on the smartphone.

Nokia’s new Symbian Belle update is ready. The handset manufacturer has set up a countdown timer on its Facebook page. The filename of the timer is “belle_fb_TeaserMain”, which hints at the Belle update.

Symbian Belle is being launched soon after the recent Anna update, which brought much new functionality to Symbian 3 operating system.

We have already seen many leaked videos and screenshots of the Belle update, and know that the new UI will have many improvements such as the Android-style pull-down bar for notifications, a back-button based interface, a new virtual keyboard, and a new camera UI.

There will also be widgets of different sizes in a range of different positions, suggesting that this OS offers a lot more flexibility in customising home screens. Perhaps size will be based on usage.

N8 is likely to be the first to get the update followed by X7, E6 and others shortly thereafter.

iPhone 5 is going to be a dual mode device capable of working on both GSM and CDMA networks, said TechCrunch citing credible evidence.

World Phone capability, as the dual mode support is called, will be useful for people who travel abroad a lot. GSM is the more popular network worldwide and therefore it becomes a problem for people carrying a CDMA-only phone as they have to change phones while traveling in countries where there are no CDMA networks.

There are an increasing number of world phones in the market from manufacturers like Motorola, BlackBerry and HTC. These phones have either two SIM slots with one for CDMA (Motorola Milestone XT800), or support both networks with just one SIM slot (BlackBerry 8830 world edition).

Even dongles with dual mode support are expected to be launched soon in India &#151 MTS is offering one while other CDMA operators are also expected to follow suit given the benefits.

In India, where none of the operators have managed to get nationwide coverage, Tata Teleservices and Reliance Communications have nationwide high speed EVDO (CDMA) networks. Tata Teleservices’ nine and RCom’s 13 3G circles will benefit the most from World Phone capability as they will be able to offer nationwide Roaming to high speed data users.

However, the problem is that both these operators seem to have given up on CDMA networks, and aren’t putting much effort although some reports suggest that they are investing in upgrading their CDMA network to Rev-B which will give them the ability to offer up to 14 Mbps data speeds on their CDMA network. A Qualcomm executive had confirmed the same to The Mobile Indian without naming the operator or the city. If that is the case they will definitely be looking at using World Phones to make CDMA more attractive.

CDMA technology is claimed to be better than GSM as far as data rates and spectrum efficiency are concerned. Also, it offers better indoor penetration (meaning coverage) as it works on lower bandwidth.

Another benefit of World Phone is the lower data cost on CDMA networks without compromise in the ability to change operators. In fact, World Phone users have wider choice as they can choose between CDMA and GSM operators.

A Korean company has started manufacturing an inexpensive version of iPhone 4 with 8 GB internal storage, according to a Reuters report which cited two sources familiar with the development. Without divulging the company’s identity, the report noted that the 8 GB iPhone 4 will go on sale within weeks. It further stated that the new phone will be called iPhone 4S since it will be a better version of iPhone 4.

The new Reuters’ report has nothing more to add than what has already been discussed over the last couple of months. Gossip suggests that Apple’s component suppliers in South East Asia will help the company build the new iPhone.

According to sources, Apple buys flash storage from Toshiba and Samsung Electronics. The device is question will be branded iPhone 4S and will be a slightly improved version of the current iPhone 4. The new iPhone 4S will have a slightly bigger display, better Antenna and an 8 Megapixel camera, stated one of the sources.

Why would Apple do what it has never done in the last three years i.e. produce a cheaper iPhone?

The evidence is out there and massive. Two year old Apple iPhone 3GS is the second favourite smartphone in the USA. The model has been selling at a lower initial purchase price and has lower total cost compared to the iPhone 4. However, that works only on USA based networks. In the last two months, several Indian users have made the best of the iPhone 3GS for Rs 19,990 offer, clearly indicating the immense potential for inexpensive and affordable iOS smartphones.

iPhone 4S will be a totally different model compared to iPhone 5, which is likely to be launched by September end.

As per the information provided, Hon Hai and Pegatron will ramp up to meet the 45 million units-production capacity of iPhone 5. This model will be a world mode device, which means it will have a radio chip that will support both GSM and CDMA networks.

However, Apple remained tight-lipped when asked for further clarity.