Opinion is divided as to whether Apple will launch a all new slimmer, lighter and faster iPhone 5 or simply enhance the current model into a souped-up 4s version with new features.

iPhone 3GS was created from such a way in 2009 when Apple upgraded iPhone 3 with a faster processor, refine the looks, packs along with new features.

The LG Optimus Sol is aptly named after its high clarity display (sol is Spanish for sun). The 3.8-inch 800×480 pixel screen houses the top-notch Ultra AMOLED technology that displays images crisp and clear in bright and sunny conditions.

The technology has a two-fold advanced reflection rate as compared to standard AMOLED displays, thus reducing the image quality degradation. The device also uses an enhanced idle-based power management system that boosts battery life by 20 to 30%.

With the power optimizing Dark UI selected, the Optimus Sol utilizes less white light in order to extend battery life performances. At only 9.8mm thick, the LG Optimus Sol packs an impressive list of specifications besides its display and sleek design.

The Android smartphone, running on the 2.3 Gingerbread platform, spots a 1GHz processor, 512MB RAM, expandable memory and a five-megapixel camera that comes with auto-focusing as well as fast auto-shuttering.

Users can also take full advantage of multimedia connectivity via onscreen links to the internet.

“The Optimus Sol stands out from its competitors as the most affordable 1GHz Android smartphone with an AMOLED display,” said LG Electronics Mobile Communications president and CEO, Dr Park Jong-seok. He said by introducing a no-nonsense phone that boasts one of the best displays on the market, LG believes it has “the real winner for consumers who are looking for a subtle but visually stunning phone”.

The smartphone will be introduced in Europe this month, followed by roll-outs in Central and South America. It will be available in black, titan and white, depending on the region.

There is still no news on the pricing and when the device will hit the local market.

According to figures from market researcher comScore, Google continued its run as the smartphone market leader adding 5.4 points to its April 2011 market share of 36.4%. Apple’s market share grew too, albeit by a smaller one point to claim 27% in July. BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) slipped from 25.7% to 21.7%, Microsoft dropped to 5.7% and Nokia’s Symbian platform dwindled to 1.9%. Smartphone ownership in the country is on the increase, making up 35% of the entire mobile market.

“About 82.2 million people in the US owned smartphones during the three months ending in July 2011, up 10% ,” said comScore. Samsung retained its position as the No.1 OEM across the entire mobile market in the US, capturing a 25.5% market share. LG has 20.9%, Motorola 14.1%, Apple 9.5% and RIM 7.6%. – AFPRelaxnews

The handset — believed to be the eagerly awaited iPhone 5 — was thought to have been ‘misplaced’ while the employee drank at a tequila bar in San Francisco.

It is believed the gadget was then sold on over the internet for just £120.

Apple’s security team were called in and traced the hi-tech handset to an apartment where a 22-year-old man was quizzed, according to reports.

No details about the phone are thought to have been revealed in the latest blunder by an Apple worker.

While Apple has not announced any plans to release a new iPhone, there have been numerous unconfirmed reports that the company was planning an October launch date for the iPhone 5.

In April 2010, the gadget blog Gizmodo paid £3000 in cash for a then-unreleased iPhone 4 that a 28-year-old Apple engineer had left in a German beer garden in Redwood City, California.

Two men were charged on misdemeanor theft charges for selling the iPhone 4 to the blog.

The already secretive company reportedly took even more extreme measures to protect itself from information leaks after the 2010 incident, including transporting iPhones in locked and sealed containers.

Apple declined to comment on the latest iPhone scandal. The San Francisco Police Department said the firm had not filed a police report related to the matter.