Smartphones are fast taking over the legacy created by feature phones. By the end of 2012 many feature phone users would have migrated to using smartphones owing to falling smartphone prices. Further, because they are becoming cheaper, and because of the improved hardware – multi core processors, dedicated graphics cards etc – that these devices have, smartphones are increasingly being used by lay users for entertainment, internet browsing etc. and aren’t restricted for official purposes alone.

Since more and more people are using smartphones there is now a range of accessories for these devices. Here we have picked five that every smartphone owner would find useful:

Holster

Smartphones that are slim and have big screens are prone to damage from falls. To prevent your smartphone from falling you could use a holster, which will also protect it from scratches and dust.

Holsters are available in a wide range: fabric holsters are the most basic and cost around Rs 500; whereas leather and synthetic holsters cost Rs 1,000 or more, and are made by reputed brands like Case Logic.

Scratch guard

Despite all you do to protect your phone’s screen from scratches, they some how appear. This is despite the manufacturer using Corning Gorilla Glass to protect the screen. A scratch guard can therefore be useful. These can be bought from the market or from scratchguard.in. Scratch guards prevent scratches as well as smudges.

Bluetooth headset

Bluetooth headsets, similar to any electronic accessory, are available across a wide price band. Basic Bluetooth headsets with decent battery backup and of a regular size cost Rs 1,000 onwards; whereas smaller headsets like the Plantronics discovery 925, are available starting at Rs 4,000.

Solar battery chargers

Smartphones, particularly those with large screens, could always do with charging. One alternative to a normal plug charger is a solar charger. It is eco-friendly and can be used in places where the electrical supply is uncertain. It is a perfect accessory for trekkers. With a 10-15 minute charge in the sun the phone will last for about 5 minutes.

Many people think that solar chargers damage the battery or reduce charge cycles, but these are urban myths.

Battery packs

A battery pack is a bigger battery that has generally three times the capacity of a usual smartphone battery.

Battery packs are available starting at Rs 1,500 in India.

In yet another boost for Windows Phone 7, Chinese smartphone maker Huawei has expressed its interest in the operating system.

“We are in discussions with Microsoft and will probably bring a Windows Phone to market next year,” chief strategy and marketing officer of Huawei, Victor Xu was quoted as saying by a UK website.

If Huawei really ends up joining Windows Phone 7, there will be a total of eight manufacturers supporting the Microsoft platform after the announcement of the Mango update for WP7 operating system. Microsoft had earlier confirmed that HTC, LG, Nokia, Samsung, Acer, Fujitsu and ZTE would be making the Windows Phones.

So far ZTE and Huawei have been focusing largely on Android smartphones. Huawei could not be expected to lag behind its arch rival anymore.

One thing is for sure, the addition of Huawei and ZTE to the list of OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) has almost assured cheaper Windows Phones.

Currently, most Windows Phone 7 devices are by and large high end and too expensive for comfort. Huawei is currently just watching Windows Phone 7’s developments and is likely to release a WP7 device in the market by 2012.

Huawei intends to decrease the cost of smartphones by following the cloud pipe strategy. Through this strategy, most of the data will be processed in the cloud itself, thus enabling manufacturers to reduce the price of the components of the smartphones.

In record breaking sales figures Samsung Galaxy SII reached the magical one million mark within only a month of its launch. Its previous version, the Samsung Galaxy S had reached the same figure in 70 days.

The Android handset, which runs on a dual core system on a chip (SOC), hit Korean stores in April and received a rousing welcome perhaps for its good hardware.

The phone has an improved Super AMOLED (Active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) screen which is 4.3 inch large. It ensures that colours don’t appear saturated and that images remain sharp.

Also, Galaxy SII’s TouchWiz interface proved to be a critical factor which attracted users to the stores.

Although the initial data is only from Korea, Samsung Galaxy SII is also expected to sell in good numbers in Europe and other key markets of the world.

Users will only have problems with the back plastic cover, which seems almost to be a Samsung tradition.

A huge plus of the device is that users can see missed calls or SMSs without even unlocking the screen. Performance-wise there doesn’t seem to be a lag in response, which is extremely smooth to say the least. The dual core Processor shows its power very clearly when users launch an app. Pinch to zoom works well on Flash videos too, and the feature performance is among the best on all phones.

Samsung Galaxy SII has an improved GPS (Global Positioning System) feature, which connects with the satellite quickly and remains connected &#151 better than before. Battery life is also good, though when the phone is used on 3G networks in India, users may expect battery life to be slightly less.

Popular video game emulators like the Nesoid, Snesoid, Gensoid, Ataroid and many others have reportedly been removed from Android Market by Google.

Google had in the past also removed a few emulators from the marketplace following a complaint by game and device manufacturer Sega.

Emulators are programmes that imitate the working of a device, such as a gaming console. These are very popular because through them users can play popular console games, which don’t otherwise work on PCs and smartphones.

The ban could be due to allegations of copyright violation and piracy. Although these are legitimate programs and are written by independent developers, they still result in the illegal copying of otherwise copyrighted games owned by companies like Sega.

As of now Google has deleted all similar applications from its marketplace and has disabled the developers’ accounts as well. Following this case there is a huge possibility that other third party application stores might do the same with similar programs, but the question is: Will the companies provide a solution for people to play classic games that they used to play through these emulators or will they just become like memories of the past.

Google has announced yet another update for its Maps service which enables easier check in and rating of places. Google Places is a service in which users can access Google Maps to find out information about a particular place or places near them.

The new Google Maps 5.5 allow users to get one touch access to check in and rating the place in Google places with up to 5 star rating.

The location history database, which was added to the Google latitude check in sometime back, has also been improved. Also included in the history dashboard are buttons that allows users to quickly change their office and home location with just a single touch.

Users can update the Google Maps application on their Android powered device to 5.5 directly by visiting the Android marketplace from the device or alternatively they can also click here to do the same.

The Apple iPhone 4, which is being regarded as the most unique device, is not capable of making video calls over a 3G mobile network despite being a 4th generation smartphone.

Users in India can make video calls using WiFi networks, but not over 3G as the application which enables the service is locked by Apple.

The Apple spokesperson in India said, “FaceTime, the application that allows video calling on the Apple iPhone 4, is a closed user application that allows people having iPhone or compatible Apple hardware like the iPad 2 and forth generation iPod touch running FaceTime application to have video calling.”

“3G cannot be used to make these video calls; only WiFi data is supported by the application. The application allows seamless connectivity between other Apple products though,” he added.

iPhone 4 nevertheless has all the necessary hardware, including a front facing camera and 3G capable quad Frequency network band, to allow 3G video calling over the mobile network.

Many applications like Frring, Tango me and Oovoo can be used as third party solutions to curb this problem of calling over 3G mobile networks.

Along with that, these applications offer both free and paid services and allow cross platform compatibility as well, which means that an iPhone 4 user can call another iPhone, or even another operating system that supports these third party applications.

There were some issues related to video calling with Frring but with the new update for the iPhone 4, Frring users on iPhone 4 get to make better quality video calls.

ASUS has launched what it calls a PadPhone at the ongoing COMPUTEX 2011 convention in Taipei, Taiwan. The device involves a pair wherein an Android smartphone docks at the back of an Android tablet.

The ASUS smartphone has a 4 inch display and is expected to run Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

ASUS PadPhone’s Android tablet sports a 10 inch display capable of 1280×800 Pixel Resolution and runs Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system. It has a special compartment at the back for docking the smartphone. When docked, the smartphone gets charged through the tablet’s larger battery.

The compartment’s lid has a small slot to expose the smartphone’s camera when it is docked. The tablet doesn’t have a camera at its back and is dependent on the smartphone for imaging. However, ASUS has put a front facing camera on the tablet.

When someone calls the smartphone, the user can remove it from the tablet’s hind or use a Bluetooth handsfree to respond. The smartphone shares the 3G data connection with the tablet, hence both can make use of the same SIM card for 3G connectivity.

Known for its ‘cost-effective and affordable’ philosophy, ASUS has clubbed the tablet and the smartphone together so that both devices can use a common 3G data connection. The devices are expected to sync seamlessly with each other because they both use Android OS.. Usually, tablets are capable of using a tethered 3G connection.

The concept is indeed interesting but has a couple of pitfalls too. For instance, the phone needs to be docked at the tablet’s back for using the camera, and for the incoming phone call one has to remove the smartphone from the tablet. ASUS hasn’t revealed detailed technical specifications of the devices though we can expect them in the coming months.