News

ZTE officially unveils high-end Nubia Z5

Though it isn't slated for the U.S. anytime soon, ZTE's ultra-high-end device, the Nubia Z5, finally launched today.

The handset comes in black or white, and has a 5-inch 1080p touch screen with a 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution and 443ppi. The display itself is manufactured by Sharp.

Its aluminum uni-body design measures 5.43-inches tall, 2.71-inches wide, and has a thin, 0.3-inch profile. And at 4.44 ounces, it's more lightweight than most standard 5-inch smartphones.

The Nubia Z5 runs on Android 4.1, and it's powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor … Read more

HTC's global One S gets Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean

Android 4.1.1, also known as Jelly Bean, will finally make its way to some global versions of the HTC One S.

It's still unclear when the U.S. version of the One S, sold by T-Mobile USA, will get the update. PocketNow was the first to pick up on the new software release.

HTC phones have been slow to get the latest version of Android, partly because the company has chosen to heavily customize its products with the Sense skin, which adds a layer of complexity to future software upgrades. In addition, the updates must be approved … Read more

Huawei to go jumbo with 6.1-inch Ascend Mate

Huawei has something big in store for CES.

A company executive prematurely showed off the company's Ascend Mate, a jumbo 6.1-inch smartphone, which was rumored to be its big announcement for the Consumer Electronics Show in early January.

But Huawei executive Richard Yu pulled the phone out while at a Huawei store in China, according to Engadget.

CNET contacted Huawei for comment, and we'll update the story when we get a response.

The Ascend Mate is the latest in a class of phones known as "phablets," or a hybrid between a phone and a tablet. … Read more

Nokia tablet details: Keyboard cover with battery, 10.1-inch display

Nokia's rumored tablet looks closer to coming to fruition.

Nokia plans to launch its Windows RT-powered tablet early next year, according to the Verge, which has a few details on the rumored device.

The tablet will be paired up with a special keyboard cover that will have its own battery, allowing it to run as an auxiliary power supply. The keyboard cover will also come with a kickstand for the tablet, and will envelop the device like a book, according to the report. The tablet will have HDMI and USB ports, a cellular connection, and boasts a 10.1-inch … Read more

Acer drives tablet prices lower, plans $99 model

Tablet prices just seem to keep dropping.

Acer is the latest company to lower the bar on pricing. The company is planning to sell a $99 Android tablet, the Iconia B1, according to The Wall Street Journal. The company plans to target consumers in emerging markets, though the report notes that Acer will get clearance from the Federal Communications Commission for use in the states.

The report, which cites unnamed sources, said the Iconia B1 will come with a 1.2 gigahertz processor and pack a 7-inch display with 1,024x600-pixel resolution -- which matches the specs from the older … Read more

Top Cars of 2012: CNET On Cars Double Holiday Special

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The top-scoring cars of 2012 are, happily, an oddball assortment. If they were just a bunch of Audis and BMWs, I'd be as bored as you would. But cars with many different brands on their trunks came through this year, delivering great CNET ratings in a variety of price categories; though, of course, pricey cars do tend to have an advantage.

So if you want to see the year that was in cars and tech, sit back and enjoy this … Read more

Low Latency's comic take on the big stories of 2012

In late 2011, Crave welcomed Low Latency, CNET's first-ever weekly tech comic. Every Thursday morning(ish), the pair behind the comic's shenanigans, artist Blake Stevenson and CNET editor Jeff Bakalar, give their amusing take on a prominent tech happening. Here, a look back at 10 of the year's big stories through Low Latency's unique lens. Click on each panel for a larger version, and to see every one of Low Latency's panels so far, click here. … Read more

EU hits Samsung with 'potential misuse' of patents

As expected, the European Union's European Commission (EC) has filed a formal "statement of objections" against Samsung over its actions in cases against Apple.

The EU's competition-governing body today announced that, in its "preliminary view," Samsung's requests for injunctions against Apple products over their alleged use of wireless patents Samsung owns "amounts to an abuse of a dominant position prohibited by EU antitrust rules."

Here's what Joaquin Almunia, the EC's competition chief, has to say about the move:

Intellectual-property rights are an important cornerstone of the single market. However, … Read more

How EA plans to make customers happy. Really

An avid player of Electronic Arts' "The Simpsons: Tapped Out" mobile game, David Lamb was disheartened when he logged into his account in October and found that all of the data from his game was gone.

The iOS game, which is essentially "Farmville" with Springfield buildings and Simpsons characters, rewards players who spend huge amounts of time completing tasks and collecting money in an effort to re-create their favorite animated city. Lamb, a 45-year-old video editor from La Canada, Calif., had accumulated $80,000 in game cash and 70 donuts (the game's premium currency) after … Read more