Samsung employs many smart tactics to get celebs to swap their iPhones for the latest Galaxy. Photo: samsungtomorrow/Flickr

Samsung wants all the beautiful people to use its phones (and, probably more importantly, to be photographed using them). So how does the South Korean company get its latest, greatest smartphones into the hands of celebrities hooked on iPhones?

One method for getting Samsung gear into the manicured hands of Hollywood’s biggest stars is the company’s White Glove program, which smooths the way for the rich and powerful to make the big switch away from Apple’s shiny gadgets.

Sony today announced its new Xperia T2 Ultra, an affordable smartphone with a massive 6-inch display that’s looking to take on devices like the Samsung Galaxy Mega and the Huawei Ascend Mate. The device will be aimed at emerging markets like China, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific.

Samsung’s already told us that it’s hoping to bring iris-scanning security features to its upcoming Galaxy S5, but that may not be the only innovation the flagship handset introduces. According to some sources, we can also expect a new high-capacity 2,900mAh battery with rapid charging technology.

After Motorola began rolling out its Android 4.4 KitKat updates for the Droid Maxx and Droid Ultra back in December, the company was forced to suspend its release due to widespread reports of pretty serious problems. Many users ended up with “bricked” devices after installing the release and were forced to take their handsets to Motorola for revival.

But customers will be pleased to know that Motorola has resolved those problems now and resumed its KitKat rollout to these devices.

LG is set to compete with the latest crop of gold smartphones from Apple, Samsung, HTC, and others with a new variant of the G2. The device hasn’t been announced officially yet, but it has already been listed by ePrice Taiwan, with the 32GB version selling for around $565.