handsets

16 Stories

Nexus One: 'Google's Most Public Misstep'

Bad network, stymied opportunity for Android OS—what's to like?

(Newser) - The much ballyhooed Nexus One landed yesterday, but over at PC World , David Coursey is having none of it. “The Nexus One is a somewhat faster Droid with a somewhat better screen,” he writes, but all in all it's a bad idea and needless risk for Google. First,...

Google Unveils Nexus One
 Google Unveils Nexus One 
smartphone arrives

Google Unveils Nexus One

It will cost $529, or $179 if you sign up with T-Mobile

(Newser) - Google lifted the veil on its much anticipated smartphone today. Consumers will be able to buy the Nexus One for $179 if they commit to a two-year service contract with T-Mobile at $80 a month. For those who want to pick their own wireless network, the so-called "unlocked" version...

Why Google Phone Won't Be a Game Changer
Why Google Phone Won't Be a Game Changer
Farhad Manjoo

Why Google Phone Won't Be a Game Changer

Platform-exclusive features just aren't in the company's DNA

(Newser) - The Google phone, Nexus One, “is a real looker” and probably runs a great version of Android, Farhad Manjoo writes, but all the breathless predictions about its revolutionary impact on the market ignore the core principles of the company that makes it. First off, “Google doesn’t care...

Google, Verizon Team Up on Smartphones

Move to Android seen as real challenge to iPhone, BlackBerry

(Newser) - Google and Verizon will partner on a line of smartphones and software running the search giant’s Android OS and served by the carrier. Verizon is the largest-yet wireless network to back Google, and the announcement could complicate what was once a simple smartphone rivalry between Apple and BlackBerry, BusinessWeek...

Smartphones Heart QWERTY, Click Off Users

iPhones, Blackberrys ignore alternative keyboard, to enthusiasts' chagrin

(Newser) - Smartphone users are baffled that the the commonly used QWERTY keyboard is dominating their text-typing world. Many would prefer the little-know Dvorak keyboard, which was designed to be easy to use, placing the most common letters on the home row. QWERTY, used on computers, was designed to overcome a technical...

iPhone Nears China Debut
 iPhone Nears China Debut 

iPhone Nears China Debut

Apple receives license from Chinese government for prototype

(Newser) - Apple has won a technical license from the Chinese government to operate a version of the iPhone that could work with the country’s mobile network, the Wall Street Journal reports. The approval brings the company closer to debuting its hottest product in China’s massive mobile phone market. It’...

Software Blocks Calls While Driving

(Newser) - A new software technology can automatically disable cell phones moving at car speeds, augmenting laws already in place forbidding their use while driving, RealTechNews reports. The developer, Canada's Aegis Mobility, is partnering with Nationwide insurance to offer discounts to adopters. Aegis still needs carrier support but expects the software to...

BlackBerry Unfolds Its First Flip Phone

Clamshell design updates popular Pearl model

(Newser) - Research In Motion rolled out its first Blackberry flip phone at a consumer show last night, CNET reports. The BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 features the same multimedia features and keyboard as its predecessor in a consumer-friendly clamshell design. The company plans to launch it worldwide this fall, with T-Mobile as...

AT&T Starts Rationing iPhones
AT&T Starts
Rationing
iPhones

AT&T Starts Rationing iPhones

Shortage is fueling speculation that new model is near

(Newser) - AT&T is limiting customers to one iPhone purchase each to keep the popular product in stock longer, according to a newsflash sent to managers and picked up by the Boy Genius Report, and Apple's online stores have already sold out of iPhones. Apple is known for managing its stock...

Online Apple Stores Sold Out of iPhones

Shortage could spur early release of 3G model, analysts say

(Newser) - Apple’s online stores in the US and UK are sold out of iPhones, Bloomberg reports. The shortage is stoking analysts' predictions that a new handset will be released a month earlier than expected, after Apple's developer conference in June. The new phones are said to boast faster download speeds,...

AT&T Delays New BlackBerry Rollout
AT&T Delays New BlackBerry Rollout

AT&T Delays New BlackBerry Rollout

Slated June debut of competing 3G iPhone may be the cause

(Newser) - Research in Motion’s latest BlackBerry has been delayed two months, Fortune reports. The Meteor phone, to run on AT&T’s 3G network, was pushed back from June to August. No reason was given, but sources say AT&T had concerns about audio quality.

Slumping Razr Sales Slash Moto Earnings
Slumping Razr Sales Slash Moto Earnings
Earnings report

Slumping Razr Sales Slash Moto Earnings

Motorola posts larger-than-expected $194M loss

(Newser) - Apple and Nokia chewed away at Motorola’s cellphone market share, pushing the troubled handset maker to a larger first-quarter loss than expected, Bloomberg reports. Moto lost $194 million, or 9 cents a share, and revenues fell 21% to $7.45 billion. The company also  issued a bleak forecast for...

Cell Phones Worse Than Smoking, Study Says

Neurosurgeon warns that handsets double brain tumor risk

(Newser) - Cell phones may cause more deaths than smoking or asbestos, warns a new study in which an Australian neurosurgeon found that a decade of cell use can double brain tumor risk—an effect that he says will show in coming years. "We are currently experiencing a reactively unchecked and...

Icahn Ups Ante in Motorola Battle

Billionaire investor sues for board documents in proxy fight

(Newser) - Billionaire Carl Icahn is turning up the heat on Motorola in his battle for more control, filing a lawsuit for access to board documents. The move follows his rejection of the company’s offer of two board seats—instead of the four he's seeking—and calling its refusal to seat...

Motorola Left Holding Troubled Handset Unit

With no buyer in sight for wireless equipment division, company may look to self-reform

(Newser) - It’s looking increasingly important for Motorola to shore up its troubled handset unit itself, as no buyers have materialized in the near-month since the company said it was exploring options for the business, reports BusinessWeek. Fixing the problematic division would make it easier to attract a higher sale price,...

Faster iPhone Coming in '08
Faster iPhone Coming in '08

Faster iPhone Coming in '08

AT&T CEO reveals news at Silicon Valley meeting; Apple isn't commenting

(Newser) - A faster iPhone is on the way, Bloomberg reports. Apple will unveil its 3G version sometime next year, said AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson Wednesday at a meeting of the Churchill Club, a Silicon Valley business and technology forum. AT&T is the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the...

16 Stories