Dell to Launch Android Phone for AT&T

All looks promising, but some think OS is still no match for iPhone

(NEWSER) - Verizon's Droid smartphone—built by Motorola and powered by Google's Android—goes on sale Nov. 6 for $200. Some early opinions on the iPhone challenger:

• The phone is "almost not worth writing about," notes Chris Dannen in Fast Company . It's "fine" but "doesn't advance" the Android platform. About all it has going for it is a cool commercial, "which is cool, if you like commercials, but less important if you like smartphones that do stuff well."

Verizon has reach, but is way behind on sexy smartphones

(NEWSER) - Verizon’s network may be the envy of its peers, but its smart phones definitely aren’t, writes Priya Ganapati. Caught off guard by the iPhone phenomenon, the carrier has taken a very cautious approach to new devices, subjecting them to a long testing process. As a result, while its competitors have carved out niches, Verizon is stuck in place. More»

Service replaces credit cards, loyalty cards with smartphone app

(NEWSER) - Google's ambitious scheme to put the world's wallet-makers out of business was quietly launched yesterday . The Wallet service—which replaces credit cards, loyalty cards, and coupons with an app that allows people to pay for goods and services with a single tap of their smartphone—currently only links Citi MasterCards with Sprint Nexus S 4G phones—but Visa, Discover, and American Express are joining the service and more wireless companies are expected to get on board soon, reports the Los Angeles Times . More»

The Bold 9900: 'Does Anybody Care'?

(NEWSER) - There’s a new BlackBerry on the market, but the “the question is: Does anybody care?” Apple and Google dominate the market, and things are “not looking good” for Research in Motion, which just laid off 2,000 people, writes David Pogue in the New York Times . That aside, how’s the new Bold 9900? “Gorgeous,” and the thinnest BlackBerry yet, with a “comfortable” keyboard and a “beautiful, responsive touch screen.” It’s a great phone—yet it’s not enough to compete with iPhone or Android. More»

Company steadily increasing market share with Droids

(USER SUBMITTED) - Even without the iPhone on its network, Verizon has steadily improved its share of the smartphone market, increasing from 20% to 26% since 2008. During the same period, AT&T's smartphone market share has dropped from 45% to 40%, reports the New York Times . Both companies remain publicly professional and mum as to the potential of a Verizon-iPhone union, and only the mercurial Mr. Jobs probably knows for sure. More»