Dialed In

The rumored Sony PlayStation phone has been spotted again, this time getting captured in video form.

A Greek gadget blog has roughly 2 minutes of blurry footage of someone reportedly playing with the device. Although we never see the phone opened up to reveal the gaming controls, it appears to be a real working model. According to Techblog.gr, the handset is codenamed Zeus and will bear the name of Sony Ericsson Z1 when it arrives.

Specifications for the PSP phone include a 1GHz processor, an 8-megapixel camera, 512MB of RAM, and 1GB of ROM. It's suggested that the … Read more

On Call runs every two weeks, alternating between answering reader questions and discussing hot topics in the cell phone world.

Almost every day we're presented with a new study that tracks the success of various smartphone operating systems. Like so many pre-election polls, they make grand conclusions about which OS is ahead and which is not. And like so many political reporters, industry watchers scramble to expand on the narrative.

Loyalty Just yesterday, for example, the research firm GfK published a survey that asked smartphone users if they were loyal to a particular operating system. The main finding--that 56 … Read more

Verizon Wireless grabbed headlines with its LTE announcement today, but MetroPCS always will be able to claim the first commercially available LTE in the United States. And today it expanded that coverage to CNET's hometown of San Francisco.

The "4G" service, which launches today, will overlay about 80 percent of the carrier's existing CDMA footprint in the Bay Area. Indeed, a quick check of MetroPCS's map shows the carrier's LTE coverage stretching from Santa Rosa to southern Santa Clara County with extensions eastward to Livermore, Fairfield, and Antioch.

San Fransisco is the carrier's … Read more

Saving the best for last? Well, we'll have to see about that, but the Dell Venue Pro is finally available for purchase directly from Dell.

The Windows Phone 7 device is available in two configurations: 8GB or 16GB. The former costs $99.99 with a two-year contract with T-Mobile or $449.99 without contract, and the latter goes for $149.99 and $499.99. Both have an estimated shipping date of December 9.

The Venue Pro features a portrait slider design that offers a full QWERTY keyboard and a 4.1-inch Gorilla Glass AMOLED display. A 1GHz processor and … Read more

An AT&T Facebook account confirmed the existence of an upcoming Motorola handset yesterday, outing the Olympus for all to see.

A Boy Genius Report reader asked the AT&T Share team whether he would be wise to wait on the Tegra-2-powered smartphone as he is eligible for an upgrade. The carrier's response, which was quickly pulled, was that the phone will be available in either December or January.

Previous rumors suggested that the Olympus would arrive in early 2011, possibly in time for CES at the top of the year. I doubt that the phone will … Read more

Last week the Android Market underwent some changes ahead of the impending Gingerbread announcement. No we can add another enhancement to the list: content ratings.

Effective tomorrow, developers logging into the Android Market console will be required to rate their applications. Similar to the system used in video games or movies, the ratings will vary based on guidelines created by Google and will carry either an All, Pre-Teen, Teen, or Mature classification.

For example, any apps that ask users for their location at any point should be rated Pre-Teen or higher. Or if the application lets users publish or share … Read more

Whether you're buying for yourself or for someone else, a cell phone can make a great gift for the holiday season. Parents can guilt their children into calling home more, young adults can graduate to their first smartphone, and cell phone newbies can finally take up the technology.

Before you go to the store and take advantage of those Black Friday deals, however, there are a few points to remember. Shopping for a cell phone is a little more complicated than buying other gadgets, as you also have to consider a service provider. But fear not; CNET is here … Read more

Black Friday brings some amazing deals on tech gadgets, including cell phones and smartphones. However, there's a lot to sort through, so to help make it easier, we've rounded up some of the hottest deals on handsets below.

Some of these promotions are happening now or extend beyond Black Friday, so you don't have to fight the crowds in order to take advantage of the sale. Happy shopping and enjoy the holiday!

Through November 29, Amazon is offering a selection of Android phones from Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T for just a penny. Models include the … Read more

An anonymous tipster leaked a pair of images of what is being called the Motorola Olympus. The giant Android smartphone should feature a Tegra 2 processor, a front-facing camera, and a screen in the vicinity of 4 inches or larger. Like the recently outed LG Star, the handset could be Motorola's first dual-core handset when it arrives, presumably in early 2011.

As Snapdragon processors were the benchmark for Android super phones in 2010, Nvidia's Tegra 2 will be the pace setter for next year. Other known details for the Olympus include support for Bluetooth 2.1 and Wi-Fi (… Read more