smartphones

There's a company operating in China that is called the next Apple by supporters, and is run by a founder that has achieved Steve Jobs-like status among his firm's followers.

Xiaomi Technology may be largely unknown to the outside world, but in China it's a household name, Reuters reports in a detailed profile of the company and its founder. As with Apple in the U.S. and other countries, Xiaomi commands instant attention in China when it announces a new product. When it releases new devices, it's not uncommon for Chinese workers to take the day … Read more

If you're looking for an Android device with a touch of style and at a price that likely won't bust your budget, the $49.99 HTC One VX may do the trick. This midrange handset has just joined AT&T's roster, apparently on sale today. … Read more

Samsung's Galaxy S3 is getting the company's Premium Suite upgrade pack.

Samsung launched a video today showing just some of the features coming to its flagship handset. The upgrade, which was previously announced for the Galaxy Note 10.1, adds a new featured called Page Buddy that predicts what the users want to do based on their actions. So, if the Galaxy S3 owner plugs in earphones, the software will load the music player.

A contextual menu feature is also available in the Premium Suite upgrade, allowing users to see their most frequently used apps, rather than an … Read more

Today's word that T-Mobile plans to sell Apple products in 2013 certainly sounds like great news to the iPhone and TMO faithful. The question remains, however, if the carrier can deal with the increased load Apple's uber-phone will put on its network. It's also unclear whether the latest iPhone 5, which boasts 4G LTE data access on other networks, will offer the same performance after joining T-Mobile's roster. … Read more

It's no secret that the last few quarters have been rocky for HTC. If this fresh batch of rumors prove true, the unannounced HTC M7 could get them back on track.

The Droid DNA and its Japanese counterpart, the J Butterfly, may have just launched, but HTC is allegedly hard at work on its next big thing. Known only by its M7 code name, the smartphone could be exactly what HTC needs to jump-start its comeback. Again.

Details so far point to a 5-inch HD display with a 1920x1080-pixel resolution, a quad-core Qualcomm S4 Pro processor, and a 13-megapixel … Read more

Apple and China Mobile keep talking about providing the iPhone in China, and they keep running into the same stumbling blocks.

The iPhone is already available in China through China Unicom and China Telecom, the country's second and third largest carriers, respectively. But a deal with China Mobile, the biggest carrier, would give Apple access to 700 million more customers.

At China Mobile's Worldwide Developer Conference yesterday, company president Li Yue acknowledged that the carrier has been speaking with Apple since 2009 about a deal to sell the iPhone. A contract was even discussed last year, according to … Read more

It may look much more like the Samsung Galaxy S3 than the original Samsung Galaxy Admire, but the Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G, available today from MetroPCS, does boost the Admire name.

Namely, it adds LTE connectivity, which brings much faster data transfer compared to Metro's 2.5G network.

However, those hoping to brandish a high-end smartphone won't get one in the Admire 4G. Instead, the specs stack up to a small, but affordable entry-level device.

Let's start with the 3.65-inch HVGA screen, which is minuscule by today's standards. Then add the 1GHz processor, and top … Read more

When DVD rentals don't work, maybe sell... mobile phones? Rumor has it that Blockbuster is getting into the phone hawking business at its retail stores, according to Bloomberg.

What seems like a random choice might actually be a conscientious maneuver by Dish Network, which bought the struggling movie rental chain last year. Dish is primarily a provider of satellite-TV service, but over the past year it's been making moves to get into the wireless business.

Recently, Dish launched Blockbuster Mobile and started selling smartphones online. Blockbuster Mobile works with Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon and offers devices including Samsung'… Read more

The cost of insuring your T-Mobile handset could rise in the new year, according to what could be a leaked internal document.

If the image proves true, monthly premium rates will remain untouched when the new plans take effect. Deductibles, however, are largely set to rise.

Save for the carrier's low-end devices, the cost to replace your phone will go up by a minimum of $10. For most smartphones the standard deductible rate will jump from $130 to $150.

Although T-Mobile hasn't officially announced the pricing change, a carrier representative did confirm part of the rumor to CNET: … Read more