smartphones

Not only was 2012 a great year for handset technology like bigger and crisper screens and amazing camera phone improvements, it also witnessed a number of top-notch smartphones that were excellent in and of themselves.

From a brawny battery that liberated users from worrying about their power reserves throughout the day, to a novel design that turned the go-to black rectangle aesthetic on its head, there were a number of handsets that wowed us and pushed the standards of smartphone excellence even higher.

But, what's a year without a few regrets? During our time reviewing exceptional handsets, we also … Read more

As expected, Sony has now detailed which of its Xperia smartphones will pick up Jelly Bean and which won't.

In a nutshell, the newer and more powerful models will move forward, while a select few will be left behind on Ice Cream Sandwich.

First out of the gate, the Xperia T, Xperia TX, and Xperia V will receive its update starting in February and March. Once completed, Sony plans to deploy Android 4.1 to the Xperia J, Xperia P, and Xperia Go in late March.

The weeks following should see the Xperia S, SL, Xperia Acro S, and … Read more

From bigger screens and better cameras to multicore processing and NFC, 2012 has been a momentous year for fancy new phone technology. But how practical is any of this cutting-edge gear? Read on as we dive into the gee-whizzery this year's smartphones brought to the table and whether they were huge flops or represent fabulous mobile innovations. … Read more

My first Android phone, the original Motorola Droid, was one of the first phones to debut Google Maps Navigation. Now, Google knew that this feature would get drivers interested in using their Android phones in the car and that the tiny virtual buttons and shortcuts that worked well when the device was handheld wouldn't cut it behind the wheel. So, when users popped their Droids into their car docks, they were presented with a simplified interface with large shortcut buttons to car-centric apps, designed for safer use while driving.

Smartphones have come a long way since I retired my … Read more

The Motorola Atrix HD is getting its chance to bite into Jelly Bean according to AT&T.

The Android 4.1 software update is available immediately for Motorola Atrix HD owners, reports the nation's second-largest carrier. AT&T subscribers can manually install the Jelly Bean by navigating to Settings > About Phone > Software Updates on their phone.

The software update brings about a number of improvements, most notably Google Now, richer notifications, and a smarter keyboard. Additional details include enhanced widget support, Quick Settings, and offline voice-to-text.

The Atrix HD marks the fourth Android smartphone from … Read more

Thanks to Windows Phone 8's strict design rules, all devices running Microsoft's latest phone software operate in virtually the same way. Unlike with Android, manufacturers don't have much freedom to heavily customize Microsoft's OS with their own software. This means most tricks you use on your Lumia 920 will also work on Windows Phone mobiles, such as the HTC 8X, the Lumia 820 and the Samsung Ativ S.

Here's our roundup of the top 25 tips and tricks that will benefit you no matter which second-generation Microsoft phone you own.

1. Kid's cornerTo keep … Read more

A lot of companies have an automated service that answers their incoming phone calls. However, it's a bit of a pain when you're trying to dial a company and have to wait to enter the extension number each time for the department or person you're trying to reach. This is especially true when you don't remember the extension and you have to check out the contact information to find it.

Luckily Android dialer apps allow you to program the extension into the contact information. There are two different styles you can use: pause or wait. Read … Read more

Sony and Watchdata have teamed up in the latest effort to further the use of contactless payments.

The consumer electronics giant has signed an agreement with Singapore-based smart card company Watchdata to integrate near field communication (NFC) and Sony's FeliCa technology into Watchdata's SIMpass solutions next year.

As part of the agreement, Sony and Watchdata will "provide NFC functions to a wider range of mobile phone handsets," expanding the ongoing trend of NFC payments made via a mobile device.

Sony's FeliCa technology, widely used in Asia, is a secure contactless payment service. FeliCa technology is … Read more

Apple faces a few challenges that could take a bite out of iPhone and iPad sales next year, at least in the opinion of one analyst.

In an investors note out today, UBS analyst Steven Milunovich slashed his iPhone sales estimates for the March, June, and September 2013 quarters by 5 million units each quarter. Sales estimates for the iPad were cut by 2 million per quarter for the same three periods.

The analyst now expects Apple to sell 41 million iPhones in the March quarter, 36 million in the June quarter, and 33 million in the September quarter. iPad … Read more