Dialed In

RadioShack Wireless adds $119 HTC Desire C

RadioShack Wireless today added another Android-based handset to its burgeoning roster of no-contract smartphones. Available just in time for the holiday shopping season, the HTC Desire C can now be yours for a cool $119.99.

While it's certainly not going to replace your existing Android experience, it's plenty for a first-time smartphone adopter. Those who want to dip their toes in the Android waters without breaking the bank will likely appreciate the device.

Powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the Desire C features a 3.5-inch display, a 5-megapixel camera, a 600MHz processor, 512MB RAM, … Read more

RIM CEO: We'll win back users with BlackBerry 10 (Q&A)

*Video depicts existing and developer devices, not unannounced hardware.

RIM CEO Thorsten Heins settles all 6 feet, 7 inches of his lanky frame into the high chair of the hotel conference room where we both sit, slumping down slightly before the camera rolls and the questions fly. (Heins quips that he's short for his family; his son stands 6 feet, 10 inches.)

Heins may speak with an executive's calm, practiced ease, but make no mistake that the next six months for RIM and its chief officer will be anything but easy.

With BlackBerry 10 launching January 30, Heins … Read more

The five secrets to smartphone success

Building a smartphone isn't easy. Building one that's a blockbuster success is an even more Herculean task.

The latest company with big smartphone dreams, Sony, is reportedly putting together a flagship device to rival Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S III and Apple's iPhone 5, one that could debut as early as the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

But the smartphone business is a brutally competitive one, with only Apple and Samsung generating any success of note. Customers now fawn over the iPhone and Galaxy S phones, but little else. Fortunately, CNET is here and willing to unload a … Read more

Sony to take aim at iPhone, Galaxy S3 in upcoming 'flagship' handset

Sony's mobile division is gunning for Apple and Samsung, one of its executives claims.

In an interview with Financial Times Deutschland (FTD) published yesterday, Sony Mobile sales and marketing head Dennis Van Schie said his company is planning to announce a "flagship model that can [compete] with Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy S3."

Van Schie wouldn't say what his company has planned for the device, but he did confirm that it will be running Android. In the interview, he told FTD that Sony is "watching closely" the development of Microsoft's Windows … Read more

LTE-equipped iPad Mini, fourth-gen iPad now in stores

Apple's LTE-equipped iPad Mini and fourth-generation iPad are now available in carrier stores -- at least some of them do.

Both Sprint and AT&T announced today that they're now carrying the devices. Verizon hasn't announced its own availability, but the company is also expected to be carrying the tablets in its stores today. The iPads are already available for immediate shipment on Verizon's site.

Apple launched the Wi-Fi-only fourth-generation iPad and iPad Mini on November 2. The company had promised last month when it announced both devices that it would deliver the LTE-equipped models &… Read more

Wireless charging blazes path toward mainstream

The ability to charge a smartphone by simply placing it on a tabletop has been around for a while, but it's more of a novelty, for early adopters and gadget buffs.

Wireless charging cases, back covers, and pads are out in the market, and the Palm Pre memorably championed its Touchstone charging stand a while back, but the options are either too complicated, expensive, or, in the case of the Pre, not popular enough to really resonate with consumers.

That's poised to change over the next year, with momentum and a lot of big-name companies behind the idea. … Read more

AT&T adds new international roaming plans

AT&T today announced new international roaming plans that will go into effect tomorrow. The Europe and Rest of World options will join the Canada and Mexico plans that the carrier announced last June.

For each region, customers can choose one of three packages that delivers a set amount of minutes for a flat monthly rate. Of course, going over your allotment will result in hefty overage fees and exact coverage will vary by country. Also, keep in mind you'll need a quad-band handset that supports the 900 and 1800 GSM networks that are used outside the United … Read more

Samsung Galaxy S3 to get MultiView, Smart Rotation

Samsung Galaxy S3 users may soon see their handset acting more like its bigger brother, the Galaxy Note 2.

That's because according to the SamMobile blog, the Galaxy S3 will soon receive Samsung's MultiView feature as part of a coming 4.1.2 update.

In addition to Multi-View, which lets the user run and view two applications at the same time, the update allegedly includes a customizable notification panel, a new gallery app, the continuous input keyboard, and Smart Rotation (where display adjusts to angle of view).

It's unclear how far along Samsung is at this stage, … Read more

T-Mobile's 'Value' plan beats 'Classic' any day

Walk into a T-Mobile store and a second cell phone payment option might catch your eye: the Value plan.

At first, the plan looks a bit like an interest model: a lower up-front cost for your purchase, say $50 less, followed by 20 months of equal payments of $20 apiece. In other words, you spend most of your two-year contract paying hundreds of dollars more for your phone.

But peer closer and the Value plan actually saves you over $100 during a two-year contract, and more if you keep the device longer than its typical two-year tenure.

How? You pay … Read more