smartphone

Don't be swayed by the use of "Optimus" in its name, as the LG Optimus Regard for Cricket Wireless isn't out to impress. Its compact design is unassuming, its feature set is mostly entry-level, and it runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. So, in other words, it's about as far from the Optimus G Pro as you can get. Yet, those aren't reasons to avoid this affordable, easy to use, and LTE-ready handset.

The Optimus Regard costs a reasonable $249.99 for Cricket's contract-free service, which places it right in the … Read more

Samsung, Apple, Nokia, and HTC may all crow about the quality of their flagship phones' onboard cameras, but nothing reveals real strength and weakness like a thorough camera shootout.

Hence CNET Asia's thrilling battle for image dominance among the HTC One, Nokia Lumia 920, iPhone 5, and Samsung Galaxy S3. (Yes, we'd love to do this with the newly announced Samsung Galaxy S4 and we will, as soon as we get the phone in our hands for longer than 10 minutes.)

CNET editor Jacqueline Seng took the four phones around Singapore, shooting close-ups for crisp edges and rich … Read more

Apple's iPhone satisfaction streak is alive and well.

J.D. Power and Associates today released its rankings of the most popular smartphone vendors. And for the ninth-consecutive time, Apple took the top spot with a score of 855 out of 1,000. Back in September, when J.D. Power last conducted a study on smartphone customer satisfaction, Apple scored 849.

The second-place smartphone vendor in the latest J.D. Power survey was Nokia, scoring a 795. Samsung came in a close third at 793, followed by Motorola and HTC with 792 and 790, respectively. The average vendor score was … Read more

Today, MetroPCS and Huawei announced their latest collaboration, the Huawei Premia 4G.

Powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the Huawei Premia 4G is the carrier's second smartphone to feature 4G LTE connectivity.

Hardware details include a 4-inch display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, and a 5-megapixel camera. Falling somewhere between the ZTE Avid 4G and the LG Spirit 4G, the Premia 4G should appeal to first-time smartphone buyers.

While the handset does run an older version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich is still modern enough to hold its appeal. As an affordable smartphone capable of … Read more

The much-rumored iPhone 5S will come with a higher-end processor and a higher-megapixel camera, say the folks at DigiTimes.

Citing its usual supply chain sources, DigiTimes said that the next iPhone is likely to be a "slightly enhanced" version of its predecessor. Components for this year's iPhone are expected to begin shipping in May with an eye toward the release of the phone said to be sometime in the third quarter.

The iPhone 5 hit the market in September of 2012, so Apple may stick with the same schedule for the 5S. However, some reports have suggested that the phone will reach consumers in June or July.… Read more

The next generation of Motorola smartphones may allow for custom designed handsets, if ongoing chatter is to be believed.

According to a recent AndroidAndMe post, the rumored X Phone is actually part of a larger brand and approach that includes user-defined configurations for color, storage capacity, ringtones, apps, and more.

If that weren't enough to whip fanboys into a frenzy, a source close to the blog suggests that memory, processors, and carrier support may be customizable as well. Reportedly, Motorola will guarantee one-week delivery for custom devices.

While the casual smartphone observer might find the rumors just a tad &… Read more

Google Voice allows you to give out one number to reach all of the phone numbers you're using at a given time. The ability to schedule "quiet time," and organize contacts into caller groups really make Google Voice a handy service. However, making Wi-Fi or data calls is a feature that has yet to make it to the app. That's where Android apps like Talkatone, GrooVeIP, and Phone for Google Voice and GTalk come into play.

Using one of these apps will allow you to sign in with your Google Voice number/account and dial calls … Read more

Abalta's just-released WebLink system makes use of smartphones to power popular apps on a car's dashboard. Although no automotive partners have been announced, the technology could let drivers see and control apps for navigation, music, news, and social media through their cars' touch screens.

For the WebLink launch, Abalta Technologies included integration with Slacker Internet radio, WebNav navigation, Parkopedia parking information, and WCities event information apps.

Abalta says WebLink will work with any major smartphone operating system. The technology makes use of the HTML 5-compatible browsers of smartphone operating systems, showing the content and accepting touch-screen control input … Read more

A security researcher has revealed a method for accessing applications running on a locked Samsung handset.

The flaw is somewhat similar to one that was revealed by another researcher earlier this year on iPhones. On a Samsung handset, users can, from the lock screen, pretend to dial an emergency services number, quickly dismiss it, and with some sleight of hand, quickly gain access to any app or widget, or the settings menu in the device. The dialer can also be launched, allowing the "hacker" to place a call.

According to Terence Eden, who discovered the flaw and posted … Read more