Still like your smartphone with accompanying dubious green credentials?  Look no further than the LG Optimus Elite, the heir apparent to 2010's similarly eco-aware LG Optimus S.

Remember when eco-friendly phones were ridiculously ugly?  Well, this one isn't the prettiest either, but the design is decent.  At the least, it looks like a modern phone.  Plus, you get to bask in your eco-friendliness with the phone's ULE Platinum certification, casing constructed with 50% recycled plastics, RoHS compliance, power-saving charger and minimal use of paper (both manual and packaging).

Details of the LG Optimus Elite include a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscren display (likely 800 x 480 resolution), a 5.0 megapixel camera with LED flash, aGPS, WiFi (with mobile hotspot), Bluetooth, NFC, microSD card expansion and the usual smartphone niceties (you know, same things that every other low-end Android phone comes with).  Muscle is provided by an 800MHz processor.  It runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Folks who want their Android smartphones cheap with a little greenwashing can pick up the LG Optimus Elite online from Sprint, in either silver or white variants, beginning April 22.  Price is $29.99 on a new two year agreement.  Virgin Mobile will also offer it, but it will come a tad later.

[Sprint]

Meizu has officially announced the quad-core version of the company's flagship smartphone.  Called the Meizu MX Quad-Core, the handset will be the first in the market using the Exynos A9 CPU.

While there's no word on clock speed, it's likely Meizu is using the 1.5GHz Exynos 4412 chip, making this one seriously powerful machine.  Despite the increase in power, the company says the new processor will consume 20% less juice than the dual-core counterpart, too.

Details of the Meizu MX Quad-Core include a 4-inch ASV display (960 x 640 resolution), an 8.0 megapixel BSI camera (with f/2.2 lens aperture), the usual roster of wireless connectivity (aGPS, WiFi, Bluetooth and so on), two choices in storage (32GB and 64GB), and a 1,700 mAh battery module.  It runs Flyme OS, Meizu's customized version of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.  Unfortunately, it takes after Apple's attitude to microSD cards, too -- there's no space for them on the handset.

It retains the same iPhone-like design aesthetic, which makes for one attractive device.  Taking a cue from the Nokia and Samsung bag of tricks for youth-oriented phones, the back case can be swapped with other covers of varying colors.

Slated to come in June, Hong Kong prices for the unsubsidized Meizu MX Quad-Core will retail at HK$3,099 (around $400) for the 32GB version and HK$4,099 (US$530) for the 64GB.

[Meizu]

HTC has announced a trio of new smartphones for the Chinese market.  All three comes as part of the affordable Desire series and are billed as: HTC VT, HTC VC and HTC V.

All three handsets come with Android's latest flavor, Ice Cream Sandwich, at the helm, along with Sense UI 4 on top.  And yes, it should make you feel bad if the new phone you bought is still stuck in Gingerbread land.

Each of the three smartphones come in different designs for the shell (noticeably different, too -- not just a little change here and there), although the hardware and guts are all pretty similar.  You get a 4-inch Super LCD display (800 x 480 resolution), a 5.0 megapixel camera module, aGPS, 3G with HSPA, WiFi, Bluetooth, 4GB of internal storage and microSD card support.  Muscle is provided by a 1GHz single-core CPU, paired with 1GB of RAM.  The HTC VT (model T328t) takes a single SIM, while both the HTC VC (model T328d) and HTC V (model T328w) come with dual SIM bays.

Why outfit relatively similar phones with different designs?  Apparently, because each handset is going to a different carrier.  The HTC VT will be released by China Mobile; the HTC VC by China Telecom; and the HTC V by China Unicom.  Pricing for all phones is set at 1,999 Yuan (around $320) on a prepaid agreement.

[via ePrice]

For the first time in Windows Phone history, we actually have two drool-worthy handsets in the market that both run Microsoft's fledgling mobile platform.  And we'd like to chime in on the most pressing issue in any current Windows Phone convert's mind: which one should you get between the Nokia Lumia 900 and the HTC Titan II?

The OS

Since Windows Phone is a closed platform, there's very little variance in the software between the two.  As such, it's not going to be an issue with your decision, since all the resource management and interface details are largely the same.  Oh yeah, the internals are also largely the same, since the OS only supports single-core processors for now.  Win: Tie.

Design

Both handsets have similar dimensions, so that's a stalemate.  The Lumia 900 is a lot more easy on the eyes, although the Titan II is quite the looker itself.  In terms of construction, I actually felt more assured by the Titan's seemingly tighter, more solid build.  Plus, the latter facilitates a stronger grip with its dimpled, rubberized back cover.  Win: HTC Titan II.

Display

Both have the same 800 x 480 resolution, although the Titan II's screen is bigger at 4.7 inches (compared to the Lumia 900's 4.3).  While I've always sided with "bigger is better" when it comes to screens, I actually found the Lumia's display more affable here.  It's big enough to surf the web comfortably, all while beating the Titan II's display in both clarity, vibrancy and color richness.   Win: Nokia Lumia 900.

Camera

By sheer resolution alone, the HTC Titan II's 16 megapixels is downright impressive compared to the Lumia 900's humble 8 megapixel.  Both are actually good, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.  We like the Titan II's camera for the richer hues, more life-like results and fast shutter; the Lumia 900's for the ease of use and generally above average quality.  Winner: HTC Titan II.

Price

The HTC Titan II retails for $199.99 on a two-year agreement; the Nokia Lumia 900 for $99.99 on similar terms.  If you're buying now, you might even be able to get in on the "free" promotion AT&T and Nokia are running for the handset (as a result of a software blunder by Nokia).   Win: Nokia Lumia 900.

Overall

Does the 16 megapixel camera merit such a huge price gap?  Personally, I don't think so.  If you're serious about shooting a scene, you'll most likely go with your DSLR instead of a camera phone anyway. At this point, the Nokia Lumia 900 seems the wise choice.

While Windows Phone is undoubtedly poised for an uphill struggle in the mobile platform wars, the Nokia Lumia 900 paints a promising picture for the both the Finnish manufacturer and Microsoft's fledgling OS. Not only is it the best Windows phone in the market today, it's also one of the best smartphone options currently in the market.

Physically, it's a gorgeous piece of design engineering.  The style is original  and eye-catching, setting itself apart from the iPhone-like devices currently littering store shelves.  It's quite big and heavy like many new high-end smartphones, with solid construction that really  feels sturdy and reliable.  Display is a gorgeous 4.3-inch AMOLED (800 x 480 resolution) with ClearBlack tech and protective Gorilla Glass.  Suffice to say, this combination makes for one of the best smartphone screens I've seen -- and easily the best among current Windows Phone handsets.

As a phone, the Nokia Lumia 900 makes for good calls.  Audio quality didn't sound the best, but it was loud and clear enough.  Those on the other end reported a very natural sounding voice.  Battery is rated at 7 hours of talk time.

All  the standard features you could want on a modern smartphone are onboard: full wireless connectivity (LTE, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth), robust messaging and a bunch of preloaded software.  Video playback is zippy, although it obviously don't have the same chops as those dual-core machines in the market today (Windows Phone is yet to support multi-core devices).  It comes with two cameras: a 1.3 megapixel unit in front and an 8.0 megapixel in the rear.  The latter is particularly noteworthy, having come with dual LED flash units and Carl Zeiss lens.  Performance is impressive, especially for outdoor shots.  Indoors, it's on par with the iPhone 4S camera -- in fact, I'd probably take it over the iOS flagship in terms of indoor photos alone.  There is a noticeable shutter lag, though.

Since Microsoft is keeping Windows Phone OS 7.5 as a closed platform, it's as good as stock in this device.  All the features are this onboard, from the web search integration to various enterprise capabilities to native Office support to Xbox Live integration.  The Office integration, especially OneNote, is a particular high point, especially since no other platform offers it this seamlessly.  And it works great, with the hardware providing all the muscle necessary to bleed the OS for everything it can deliver.  As has been the issue with Windows Phone so far, though, there remains a dearth of good third-party software beyond the basics, but that's something Microsoft will need to figure out going forward.

Overall, the Nokia Lumia 900 is an attractive device, both in appearance and in features.  If you don't mind lacking the ready availability of hundreds of thousands of third-party apps (many of which are, let's face it, pointless), it's probably one of the best purchases available, especially at the $99.99 price on a two-year agreement with AT&T.

Sprint has announced the newest high-end player in its smartphone line-up.  Called the HTC Evo 4G LTE, the latest addition to the Evo line will be the first US handset to feature HD voice, which boasts a "fuller, more natural-sounding and less -fatiguing voice quality."

Clad in an aluminum spaceframe, it measures 0.35 inches in thickness and comes layered in an anodized black finish.  Oh yeah, the kickstand is back, allowing you to set it on a table for viewing video without requiring a separate stand.

Details of the HTC Evo 4G LTE include a 4.7-inch Super LCD screen (1280 x 720 resolution), an 8.0 megapixel camera module (with 1080p video recording), a 1.3 megapixel video cam in front, aGPS, LTE, WiFi, NFC, 16GB of built-in storage, microSD card expansion and a 2,000 mAh battery module.  Muscle is provided by a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4, paired with 1GB of RAM.

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is the mobile OS of choice with Sense 4 UI running on top. The usual roster of Google Mobile Services are onboard, along with various preinstalled apps from both HTC and Sprint.   And like HTC's later releases, of course, it will have Beats Audio tech running inside.

Preorder for the HTC Evo 4G will begin May 7th, priced at $199.99 on a new two-year agreement.  The actual phone is expected to ship in June at the latest.

[Sprint]

Shopping for a new phone this Spring?  Here are our picks for the best budget smartphones among the releases currently in the market.

Pantech Burst ($49.99 on contract with AT&T).  Featuring an impressive specs sheet and decent looks, this is arguably the best value available today.  Not only is it a proper 4G LTE device, it boasts a 4-inch Super AMOLED display, a dual-core 1.5GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in storage and dual cameras (5.0 megapixel in the rear; VGA in front).  It runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Motorola Droid X2 ($49.99 on contract with Verizon).  While the Droid X2 is far from the newest phone on the block (it was pretty high-end when it debuted 10 months ago), the fact that it's now treated as a value phone makes it a huge steal.  There's no LTE, but you get a 4.3-inch PenTile display (960 x 540 resolution), Nvidia Tegra 2 (1GHz dual-core), 512 MB of RAM, an 8.0 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, 8GB of built-in storage and another 8GB SD card thrown in.  All that on top of high-quality construction and very good battery life to boot.

Nokia Lumia 710 (free on contract with T-Mobile).  Running Windows Phone 7.5, it's a good way to welcome a new mobile operating system in your life.  Nokia handsets have always shown off quality build and the same holds for this budget number.  Plus, the specs aren't too shabby either: 3.7-inch ClearBlack display (800 x 480 resolution), a 1.4GHz Qualcomm CPU paired with 512MB of RAM, 8GB of built-in storage (note: not expandable with SD card), and a 5.0 megapixel camera.  It supports T-Mobile's HSPA+ network.

Huawei Mercury ($230, no contract from Cricket).  Although shelling out $230 feels like you're spending a lot, you have to remember: this Android Gingerbread phone carries no monthly obligations.  With a 4-inch screen (854 x 480 resolution), a 1.4GHz Qualcomm CPU, 512MB of RAM, an 8.0 megapixel camera, 4GB of built-in storage and impressive battery life, this is easily the best phone you can get with prepaid terms.

Samsung Conquer 4G ($49.99 on contract with Sprint).  The carrier's low-cost WiMax smartphone boasts Android 2.3 Gingerbread running on a 1GHz Qualcomm CPU paired with 512MB of RAM.  Other details (3.5-inch display, 3.2 megapixel camera) are modest, but those looking for the cheapest 4G value on Sprint won't find anything better.

There's still a huge cross-section of users who can't live with a virtual QWERTY as their primary input method.  And that's what keeps QWERTY-rocking phones ever relevant in the market.  Here are the best of what we’ve seen available in time for Spring.

Motorola Droid 4 ($199.99 on contract with Verizon).  It ain't cheap, but the Motorola Droid 4 is arguably the best QWERTY smartphone available right this minute.  The keyboard, for one, has to be the best I've used, with a great tactile feel and a high level of responsiveness.  Couple that with speedy performance (dual-core 1.2GHz TI OMAP processor, paired with 1GB of RAM) plus LTE connectivity, and you know where my heart is at.  Other details include a 4.0 inch PenTile TFT LCD (960 x 540 resolution), 8.0 megapixel rear camera with dual LED flash, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing video cam and 16GB of built-in storage.

Samsung Captivate Glide ($149.99 on contract with AT&T). The lack of LTE notwithstanding, the Gingerbread-running Glide remains one of the best QWERTY smartphones in the market today.  Details include HSPA+ support, a 4.0 inch Super AMOLED display (800 x 480), dual cameras (8.0 megapixel camera in the rear; 1.3 megapixel in front), Nvidia Tegra 2 (dual-core 1GHz processor), 1GB of RAM and 8GB of built-in storage.  The keyboard is well-designed and amply spacious, too.

T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide ($249.99 on contract with T-Mobile).  While it's more expensive than the Droid 4, the latter is actually a better device -- both on paper (larger display, bigger RAM) and in actual use.  If you're stuck with T-Mobile, though, this is the best keyboard offering they've got and it's fairly decent.  Details include a 3.7 inch Super LCD (800 x 480 resolution), an 8.0 megapixel camera and HSPA+ connectivity.  The camera, by the way, is the high point, offering excellent performance and 1080p video capture.

Hack-and-slash games aren't all that prevalent in today's mobile gaming landscape.  Which is why you can expect me to try a title in the category as soon as it's released.  Most of the time, I leave unsatisfied.  That's not the case with the Swordigo, though, which finally breathes much-needed life into the under-represented genre.

Made by Touch Foo, the game features all the classic elements of the hack-and-slash.  There's sword combat, magic spells, boss battles and a wide world for exploration.  Plus, everything's done so well that I literally wished I could play more games in the same vein with the same quality of production.

Swordigo isn't perfect, of course.  My primary gripe is the graphics -- it just isn't that good.  There are no onscreen glitches or messed-up refresh rates, but it's clear that graphic art isn't Touch Foo's strong point.  If you can get past that, though, you'll be in for one entertaining game.

The controls, for instance, are flawless and precise -- a rarity for touch-based games where you're always tapping on something.  There's a heavy amount of content, too, so expect to put in plenty of hours having fun with this, especially if you try to complete the game 100% to get the accompanying Game Center accolades.

Early on, the game feels a little simple, with a straightforward storyline that doesn't stray far from classic hack-and-slash games from years ago.  You get simple weapons and simple actions, both of which expand to something with plenty more depth as you go along -- the spells are fun, the sword combat is engaging and the upgrade mechanics make perfect sense.

Overall, Swordigo is far from a great game.  Surprisingly, it's a deeply satisfying one,  especially for the cheap $1.99 price.

[iTunes]

Nokia has announced two smartphones running Windows Phone for the Chinese market.  The handsets consist of the Nokia Lumia 800C and the Nokia Lumia 610C.

The Nokia Lumia 800C is based the previously-released Lumia 800, while the Nokia Lumia 610C is  based off the Lumia 610.  Both are generally the same as the original releases, with the only difference being the CDMA radios installed in them.

Details of the Lumia 800C include a 3.7 inch ClearBlack AMOLED display (800 x 480 resolution), an 8.0 megapixel Carl Zeiss camera with dual LED flash, aGPS, 16GB of internal memory and a 1450 mAh battery module (rated at up to 9.5 hours of talk time).  Muscle is provided by a 1.4GHz single-core processor, paired with 512MB of RAM.  It runs Windows Phone 7.5 Mango, with Nokia Maps (local content support), Nokia Drive and Nokia Music (12 months unlimited free music for users in China).

The Nokia Lumia 610C, on the other hand, will feature a 3.7-inch capacitive display (800 x 480 resolution), a 5.0 megapixel camera with LED flash, aGPS, 8GB of internal memory and a 1300 mAh battery module (rated at up to 9.5 hours of talk time).  Muscle is provided by an 800MHz single-core processor, paired with 256MB of RAM.

Both the Nokia Lumia 800C and the Nokia Lumia 610C will be available from China Telecoms at a subsidized price on a three-year agreement.  Release dates are early April for the 800C and later in the second quarter for the 610C.

[Nokia Conversations]