Smartphones

I love my Galaxy S4, but when Verizon sent me a Droid Maxx to review, I liked the phone so much that I bought one at full retail price. I’m returning it tomorrow, though – everything is not always what you think it is. The headphone jack is not a two-way data port, Jawbone UP, Continue Reading →

About two weeks ago, Verizon sent me a Droid Maxx to review. Being a Samsung Galaxy S4 user, I was immediately taken by some of the Droid Maxx’s features. So taken, that when I sent the review phone back, I went to Verizon and bought one at full retail price. It’s going back tomorrow morning Continue Reading →

Microsoft is talking to HTC about adding its Windows operating system to HTC’s Android-based smartphones at little or no cost, people with knowledge of the matter said, evidence of the software maker’s struggle to gain ground in the mobile market. erry Myerson, head of Microsoft’s operating systems unit, asked HTC last month to load Windows Continue Reading →

If you want to get rid of your iPhone for another smartphone, Microsoft has a deal for you. The company recently launched a buyback program that offers up to $350 back when you trade up from an old device and buy a new Windows Phone or Surface tablet. The program lets you trade in iPads, Continue Reading →

Would you check in on Facebook in exchange for free Wi-Fi at a hotel, restaurant, or retailer? That’s the pitch Facebook has cooked up to hook its social network into companies big and small. Facebook and Cisco are jointly announcing Wednesday that they’ve partnered to bring the social Wi-Fi option to more businesses after a Continue Reading →

Rumors of a smartphone called the LG Z that has a curved OLED display surfaced on Wednesday, alongside the suggestion that it would be announced imminently. However, these rumors were partly wrong. According to one source familiar with the plans, the device will arrive before the end of the year but it won’t be called Continue Reading →

Amazon is in the process of developing two smartphones, one inexpensive model and one with a 3D eye-tracking interface, TechCrunch has learned. The details are somewhat sparse, but are corroborated by sources and reports from earlier this year. Amazon is planning two devices, the first of which is the previously rumored ‘expensive’ version with a Continue Reading →

Facebook is acknowledging that most smartphone owners want a broader view of the social-networking universe, not just a window to planet Facebook. Starting Thursday, the company is incorporating Flickr, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram content into the Facebook Home lock screen experience, marking the biggest modification since a dramatic shift in strategy that came after its Continue Reading →

Target on Thursday confirmed it is launching its own brand of prepaid mobile service — Brightspot — which uses T-Mobile’s network. On its company blog, Target said that, starting Sunday, customers can get unlimited talk and texting for $35 per month. For $50 per month, Brightspot offers unlimited data, with high-speed data use capped at Continue Reading →

Michael Barrett cringes every time he has to enter a password on his smartphone. But six months from now Barrett says he will be able to choose from the latest Android models that will come equipped with a biometric sensor capable of letting him swipe his fingerprint to access a wide range of his online Continue Reading →