From phones that can take pictures underwater to handsets with larger screens in a small phone body, the quality of design in current Android flagships is at an all-time high. Read more »
Canonical Founder Mark Shuttleworth has really big, plans to put Ubuntu on your smartphone, on your tablet and (via OpenStack). What he doesn’t offer is details on revenue. Read more »
AT&T might be trying to one-up Sprint’s current $100 promotion in the form of a smartphone trade-in program. With it, AT&T will take any relatively new smartphone and offer customers at least a $100 instant credit. Read more »
Smartphone shipments eclipsed those of feature phones for the first time ever, says IDC. Who’s the current smartphone king, based on the numbers? Samsung is, with a strategy that started in 2010. Read more »
Heavy bicycle commuters and weekend riders alike have a new way to charge their mobile devices. The Siva Cycle Atom attaches to the rear wheel of a bike and generates a regulated current to power a phone or rechargeable USB battery pack. Read more »
This edition of the GigaOM Research podcast discusses mobility’s impact on the shopping experience, for both the retailer and the consumer. Read more »
After selling low-cost tablets for a half-dozen years, French company Archos is shrinking down its mobile device expertise into a trio of Google Android smartphones ranging in price from $99 to $249 without a contract. Read more »
The FBI has amassed terabytes of data from sources near the terrorist attack that occured during the Boston Marathon. This raises a question about the role crowdsourcing could play in solving some crimes while protecting citizens’ privacy. Read more »
BlackBerry 10 doesn’t seem to be a hit with surveyed consumers and handset return rates are reportedly high. Can software improvements turn the tide or does BlackBerry simply have a marketing problem? Read more »
With the new Galaxy Mega 5.8 and 6.3 smartphones, Samsung continues its quest to offer a phone for every sized hand. In fact, it’s mimicking the Android market itself with an array of choices; a clever strategy. Read more »
The trend of larger screens on flagship Android phones shows no signs of stopping. At some point, however, one has to wonder how big “too big” is. At this rate, could Android smartphones outgrow their user base as one-handed phone use disappears? Read more »
Intel and ZTE announced a strategic collaboration last month and already have a new product. The ZTE Geek smartphone uses Intel’s latest Atom chip promising more speeds and better battery life. With a foothold in China, Intel isn’t out of the mobile game yet. Read more »
Launchers are nothing new to Android, having been around for a few years now. That’s why I’m not surprised a Facebook Home style launcher is already available in the Google Play store. Read more »
Podcast directories are a dime a dozen, but Podcast Gallery is a new one that’s well worth a look. The web service integrates with Dropbox and Google Drive to save podcasts, plus you can use any browser to view or listen to episodes. Read more »
Its a unicorn. No it’s a phone. Actually it is Facebook Home, for now; Apple’s China Syndrome is making it think different; The Bit coin boom (& bust); Chrome & WebKit go to war and did Vdio really kill the Rdio star? Read more »
Samsung may have a lead in the worldwide smartphone market, but Apple’s dominance is growing in the U.S. Read more »
In October, I suggested that more than half of all Android devices would run Android 4.0 or better within four to six months. My time was just about up, but it happened as planned. That’s good for developers and for end users. Read more »
Now that we have 1080p smartphones, its likely that screen sizes will get even bigger because of the high pixel densities. Samsung may continue leading that charge with a 5.8- and 6.3-inch smartphone says SamMobile’s sources. Read more »
An AT&T promotional video for the new HTC One smartphone shows an exclusive: Only AT&T will carry the 64 GB model of the phone. That may be good for AT&T, but it’s bad for consumers and for HTC. Read more »
The latest GigaOM Research podcast examines the value of BYOD in enterprises and how companies can address security, privacy, and the latest technologies. Read more »
Just designing a superb smartphone isn’t enough these days: You have to get the device components to build the handsets in a timely fashion. Due to reduced confidence in HTC, parts suppliers aren’t as interested in building parts quickly. Read more »
The shift away from subsidies is happening in earnest, as the growing popularity of expensive smartphones makes it less viable for carriers to mask the real cost of the handset. Read more »
Samsung’s Galaxy S 4 is official and I was able spend a short time with the new phone. It doesn’t look radically different, but has the expected hardware upgrades. New software features, however, are the real story. Read more »
MVNOs don’t have to put up with the big carriers’ scraps anymore. Tiny virtual operator Ting says it will get Samsung’s new flagship phone as its available to the major operators. Read more »
Verizon customers eager to get the BlackBerry Z10 handset can start the pre-order process tomorrow with phones in store before month end. The Z10, in black or exclusive Verizon white, is $199.99 with contract. Read more »
Samsung’s Galaxy S 4 launch event is tomorrow, but at this point due to leaks and “people familiar with the product” there’s little surprise factor left. Will that hurt sales? Doubtful. Read more »
Samsung’s U.S. smartphone spending in 2012 saw a huge jump from a total of $78 million in 2011. In the meantime, the company actually outspent Apple, which put $333 million toward iPhone ads during the year. Read more »
This week’s mobile call-in podcast tells you what to expect at the Samsung Galaxy S 4 launch and answers your questions about Google’s cloud storage, handset display resolutions and how to boost battery life on smartphones. Read more »
First there were images of an alleged Samsung Galaxy S 4 handset, now there’s a video. If this is the design of the phone — similar to prior models — it still won’t likely hurt sales. Read more »
There’s little need to pay high per minute or per megabyte fees when traveling to Hong Kong. Check out Handy, which rents Android phones by the day with unlimited voice, messaging and 3G service. Read more »
Will T-Mobile or AT&T get the BlackBerry Z10 out the door first? AT&T starts pre-orders tomorrow so it’s going to be close. Regardless, $199.99 with contract may be a tough sell. Is the new Z10 priced too high? Read more »
Leaked images of what are allegedly the Samsung Galaxy S 4 show very little change in the smartphone’s design from prior models. That’s not bad because the design works: Software and improved components are driving Samsung’s sales. Read more »
The Nexus 7 dock finally arrives in the Google Play store but quickly sold out in the US. Chrome Beta for Android is faster and uses less wireless data. Samsung’s Galaxy S 4 is nearly here: My thoughts on what to expect. Read more »
No U.S. carriers have officially announced their BlackBerry launch plans yet, but reports indicate that AT&T will kick off sales on March 22. Once sales begin, how many subscribers will switch from iPhone or Android? Read more »
Uptake for Android 4.0 or better continues to rise and there are finally more devices fitting this category than those that use the old Android 2.3 Gingerbread software. That’s good for users and for developers. Read more »
On this week’s audio call-in podcast, we kick things off with news on the cell phone unlocking front. After that, we take your questions about Android switchers, Samsung’s influence, the Pebble watch and OTT services. Read more »
Intel announced a slightly upgraded Atom chip at Mobile World Congress and ZTE has already decided to use it. That’s good news for Intel for a number of reasons. Read more »
Samsung has been taking advantage of sensors and cameras in its Galaxy phones for some time. Now comes a report of the next big feature: automatic scrolling when your eyes reach the bottom of the screen on the Galaxy S4. Read more »
As of Jan. 26, it’s illegal for U.S. consumers to unlock their own cellphone but that could change now that the White House has showed support for a petition to overturn the rule. Read more »
When it comes to apps for mobile phones and tablets, Android owns one market while iOS owns the other. Yet few top-tier titles come to Android first. ABI research suggests that changes this year. Here’s why I don’t see that happening. Read more »
