The device provides similar functions to the original Galaxy S, but with the addition of a 1GHz dual-core processor. Its launch comes ahead of the Mobile World Congress, but the gadget will initially be launched in Russia before being rolled out on an international basis.

JK Shin, president of IT and mobile communications at Samsung, announced the launch: “The Galaxy S Advance adds to the successful track record of the Galaxy smartphone range with a phone that combines power and style with all the versatility of Samsung’s Hub services.”

In addition to its powerful processor, the smartphone will benefit from HSPA 14.4 Mbps network operation, as well as EDGE and GPRS networks. Meanwhile, its curved glass screen clocks in at four inches – providing a good quality viewing screen boasting AMOLED technology to ensure crisp image displays.

When it comes to features, the Galaxy S has a five megapixel digital camera and a 1.3 megapixel front-facing unit. Bluetooth, USB 2.0, WiFi and a range of sensors are also included.

Conducted by Bloomberg, the poll of 22 analysts saw projections ranging from 800,000 to two million, with just the one analyst predicting sales of under one million.

The figures are likely to be welcome news for Nokia, which is likely to see much of its future success stem from the Lumia handset as it retires its own Symbian and MeeGo devices.

Investors had initially expressed doubt in the Finnish company's endeavours with Microsoft, especially given the competition from Apple's iPhone and the numerous Android handsets.

Espen Furnes, Oslo-based fund manager at Storebrand Asset Management, told Bloomberg: “The numbers look promising.

“If Nokia is able to have a strong launch and surpass at least one million and keep that type of momentum, this would help put them in a credible position that is crucial to winning back investors.”

So far Nokia has refused to give an official sales forecast for the Lumia smartphone, suggesting that the company is taking a long-term view of things.

Speaking at the CES event, vice president of product innovation at Samsung, Kevin Packingham, remarked: "[From] when you wake up to when you go to bed, we don’t want you feeling anxiety about your battery life."

He added that the firm is planning to optimise the way in which its smartphones use power, as well as improving the size of the battery to start with. Combined, these two approaches should deliver some noticeable improvement.

And such changes are certainly needed, with modern phones now being developed with larger screens and a huge array of functions and capabilities. Internet access, for example, and music players can be a massive drain on battery life and require a new approach to ensure the handsets remain functional.

Samsung enjoyed a successful year in 2011, but it is hoping that the release of the Samsung Galaxy S3 will take it further this year and allow the firm to be a genuine competitor to Apple, which is a dominant player in the market with its iPhone releases.

HZO, a business in attendance at CES 2012, have already developed the ability to waterproof a phone. But it is starting to be taken more seriously now that major players, including Apple and Samsung, have held discussions with HZO's representatives.

The technology, dubbed WaterBlock, works by coating the inside of an electronic device with a nano-thin film that repels water. Such technology will not make any smartphone suitable to take scuba diving, but it will mean that common accidents, such as dropping the phone in a puddle or accidentally sending it for a spin in the washing machine, will not destroy the gadget.

Paul Clayson, president of HZO, recently told the Los Angeles Times that the first consumer electronics coated with the WaterBlock technology should be on the market by this summer.

He added: “I think it will take a little bit of time to adopt. I think it will go in the higher end of consumer applications first, but I think two years from now it will be a ubiquitous offering in consumer electronics.

"Once consumers know it can be done, they will demand that it be offered in all devices.”

Lead by Richard Balding of the University of Worcester, the study looked at over 100 volunteers, including students and professionals. They discovered that the more stress people became, the more often they checked their phones. This went to the point that those under extreme stress would imagine phantom vibrations even when there was no message or call received.

The fact that smartphones can be used to receive work emails, as well as texts and phone calls, seemed to increase the level of anxiety experienced by the volunteers, despite the fact that the majority of users reported feeling that using a smartphone made their lives easier.

The authors observed: “Smart phone use is increasing at a rapid rate and we are likely to see an associated increase in stress from social networking.

“Organisations will not flourish if their employees are stressed, irrespective of the source of stress, so it is in their interest to encourage their employees to switch their phones off; cut the number of work emails sent out of hours, and reduce people’s temptation to check their devices.”

The device sees Sony drop Ericsson from its smartphone range to go it alone and makes use of technology found in other areas of Sony's business.

The Bravia engine, for example,m comes from the Bravia line of HDTVs and enables the smartphone to render colours on its display in a life-like fashion. Indeed, reviewers have already noted the bright and sharp images on the screen.

But in addition to the camera and the quality of the screen, the Ion looks set to attract attention with its dock compatibility, allowing users to view data stored on the device on a larger screen of their choice.

Furthermore, the Xperia Ion is Playstation-certified. This means that consumers will be able to download and play classic Playstation and Playstation Portable games on their phone.

In a final move to help the phone standout, Sony is shipping NFC-enabled 'smart tags'. These can be programmed with up to ten commands and, when the phone is touched to the tag, the programmed commands will automatically kick-in.

The S2 Android-powered handset offers kernel-level encryption, something its rival devices are yet to embrace. This means that personal information is protected at a much higher level and helps to avoid phishing apps while also taking control of network and SMS traffic in a bid to prevent malware from hiking up the owner's bill.

Unfortunately for Android fans, the S2 is only running the Gingerbread version of Android, rather than the latest Ice Cream Sandwich version. However, many users may not notice the difference thanks to the Mondrian UI skin that has been applied to the software, which offers a simple and easy to use layout.

In addition to the high security spec, the handset boasts an eight-megapixel camera and a front-facing camera that syncs up with an online storage system bundled with each phone. The 3.8 inch display with an 800x480px resolution should be more than sufficient to view the content captured and stored on the device, and reviewers have already been impressed by the clarity of the display.

The gadget will be available in China at first with news expected at a later date regarding a global roll-out.

Conducted by Vision Critical on behalf of LG IT Solutions, the research found that over half of British employees have never worked from home. However, over a third believed that having the option to do so would make their lives easier.

It appears that a lack of technology adaptations from employers is one of the key areas preventing people from working from home as 38 per cent of the 2,000 individuals surveyed said that better technology would be the one thing that would help them to save time and work more productively.

Mark Weston, channel manager from LG UK, commented: “The importance of technology in the workplace is something that we are all aware of, but there are still some businesses stuck in the slow lane when it comes to enabling remote working.”

He added: “Technologies such as decent smartphones, laptops and tablets all enable employees to recreate the office environment at home and increase the productivity as well as the efficiency of the business overall.”

Research conducted by Aviva has revealed that New Year's Eve is one of the worst days for burglary in the UK, with homes 24 per cent more likely to be broken in to than on an average day.

It looks like expensive gadgets are the items most likely to be stolen, with Apple's iPhone 4S topping the predicted wish list for Christmas 2011. This is followed by the iPad 2, laptops, games consoles and other smartphone brands, including Blackberry and HTC brands.

Last year, smartphones were less likely to be stolen, with laptops topping the most stolen items, followed by the Nintendo Dsi and Apple iPods.

Jonathan Cracknell, household underwriter at Aviva, commented: "The Christmas season is a great time to be with family and friends and actually your home is statistically pretty safe on the big day, but just one week later all those new gadgets and gifts offer rich pickings for burglars who can take advantage of homeowners celebrating New Year elsewhere."

He urged householders to take precautions because the evening makes for the perfect time for thieves to strike due to the high noise levels from fireworks and the likelihood that the majority of people will be out until the early hours of the morning.

The latest figures from Yahoo! revealed that the iPhone 5 was the ninth most searched for term during 2011. This put it ahead of all other searches for mobile phones on the search engine this year.

The most searched for term on Yahoo! overall, however, was 'FTSE', suggesting that financial concerns are still high in people's minds following the economic crisis.

Bing also saw the iPhone 5 make an appearance high up its listings, with the term ranking as the fourth most searched for gadget this year. However, it was beaten by the Xbox, Playstation and Wii consoles, which held the top three places respectively.

These figures related to searches from UK internet users. Meanwhile, in the US, the iPhone was actually the most searched for term overall on Yahoo!.

It came in ahead of celebrities including Kim Kardashian and Lindsay Lohan, while beating such news events as the Japan earthquake and the death of Osama bin Laden. Its placement marks the first time that a product has been in the top spot since 2003.