Dialed In- Page 10 - CNET Blogs

Is Xiaomi the Chinese Apple? Its CEO plays the Steve Jobs role well

There's a company operating in China that is called the next Apple by supporters, and is run by a founder that has achieved Steve Jobs-like status among his firm's followers.

Xiaomi Technology may be largely unknown to the outside world, but in China it's a household name, Reuters reports in a detailed profile of the company and its founder. As with Apple in the U.S. and other countries, Xiaomi commands instant attention in China when it announces a new product. When it releases new devices, it's not uncommon for Chinese workers to take the day … Read more

Affordable HTC One VX hits AT&T for just $49.99

If you're looking for an Android device with a touch of style and at a price that likely won't bust your budget, the $49.99 HTC One VX may do the trick. This midrange handset has just joined AT&T's roster, apparently on sale today. … Read more

Samsung's Galaxy S3 to get Premium Suite upgrade

Samsung's Galaxy S3 is getting the company's Premium Suite upgrade pack.

Samsung launched a video today showing just some of the features coming to its flagship handset. The upgrade, which was previously announced for the Galaxy Note 10.1, adds a new featured called Page Buddy that predicts what the users want to do based on their actions. So, if the Galaxy S3 owner plugs in earphones, the software will load the music player.

A contextual menu feature is also available in the Premium Suite upgrade, allowing users to see their most frequently used apps, rather than an … Read more

On T-Mobile killing the subsidy: It's about time

T-Mobile USA wants to shake up the status quo in the wireless industry to spur its turnaround. At the same time, it could change the way consumers think about how they pay for their services.

T-Mobile CEO John Legere yesterday said the carrier would eliminate subsidies next year, moving completely to its "Value" plans. In doing so, it will be the first nationwide carrier to shed the age-old (and typically more lucrative) practice of signing customers to long-term contracts in exchange for subsidies.

Under this model, consumers either pay full price for the smartphone, or pay in monthly … Read more

Carrier Ting: Bring us your Sprint phones

Today Ting, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that resells Sprint's network, launched a private beta that lets prospective customers sign up for Ting's service using their previously purchased Sprint phones.

For now, just seven devices make the cut:

HTC Evo 4G (A9292) HTC Evo 3D (X515C) HTC Evo Shift 4G (A7373) Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch (SPHD710) Samsung Epic 4G (SPH-D700) LG Optimus S (LS670) Motorola Photon 4G (MB855)

Ting says that it has thoroughly tested these handsets to ensure that the hardware transitions smoothly to Ting's MVNO. More than just these smartphones work … Read more

Can T-Mobile handle the iPhone?

Today's word that T-Mobile plans to sell Apple products in 2013 certainly sounds like great news to the iPhone and TMO faithful. The question remains, however, if the carrier can deal with the increased load Apple's uber-phone will put on its network. It's also unclear whether the latest iPhone 5, which boasts 4G LTE data access on other networks, will offer the same performance after joining T-Mobile's roster. … Read more

Beyond quad-core: What's next for mobile processing power

Remember when a quad-core processor was the ultimate indicator of a super-smartphone? Well its 15 minutes are almost up.

Just as the current run of super-smartphones are destined for the bargain bin in a few months, so too will the novelty and obsession with the number of cores powering a phone begin to fade. Sure, smartphones with the latest quad-core chips still rule now, but companies are already preparing to change the conversation.

In its place, expect chip companies, handset manufacturers, and wireless carriers to shift their marketing away from an emphasis cores and more toward tangible benefits such as … Read more

Is HTC's next flagship Android the 5-inch M7?

It's no secret that the last few quarters have been rocky for HTC. If this fresh batch of rumors prove true, the unannounced HTC M7 could get them back on track.

The Droid DNA and its Japanese counterpart, the J Butterfly, may have just launched, but HTC is allegedly hard at work on its next big thing. Known only by its M7 code name, the smartphone could be exactly what HTC needs to jump-start its comeback. Again.

Details so far point to a 5-inch HD display with a 1920x1080-pixel resolution, a quad-core Qualcomm S4 Pro processor, and a 13-megapixel … Read more

Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G arrives at MetroPCS

It may look much more like the Samsung Galaxy S3 than the original Samsung Galaxy Admire, but the Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G, available today from MetroPCS, does boost the Admire name.

Namely, it adds LTE connectivity, which brings much faster data transfer compared to Metro's 2.5G network.

However, those hoping to brandish a high-end smartphone won't get one in the Admire 4G. Instead, the specs stack up to a small, but affordable entry-level device.

Let's start with the 3.65-inch HVGA screen, which is minuscule by today's standards. Then add the 1GHz processor, and top … Read more

HTC struggles continue, revenue falls in November

November was not a good month for HTC.

The Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer today posted (PDF) revenue of 21 billion Taiwan dollars, or $729.4 million, in November, down nearly a third from a year ago. This marks the 13th consecutive month of year-over-year revenue drops, as the company struggles to get out of a slump that's lasted more than a year.

November did improve upon October, when revenue was 17.2 billion Taiwan dollars, or $591.8 million.

The results illustrate the continued struggles facing HTC, one of several handset manufacturers battered by the competition that has left Apple … Read more