smartphone

There's much to love about the Helio Ocean smartphone, as evidenced by CNET's 8.0 rating. Of course, the $299 price tag always seemed a little rich for my cheapskate blood. That's why I'm geeked about Helio's new "refreshed" (a.k.a. pre-owned) Oceans, which you can score for just $99. You even get free 2-day shipping.

Helio says these refurbs are "good as new," though I'm troubled by the lack of specifics and warranty details on the company's Refreshed Devices page. Still, it's probably worth a little … Read more

Smartphone sales are on fire, according to a new report from market research firm In-Stat.

In a new report published Tuesday, In-Stat predicted that smartphone sales will grow at a rate of more than 30 percent a year for the next five years. This is much faster than the overall cell phone market, which is growing in the single digits. The report also said that smartphone sales are outpacing the sale of laptops, as more corporate customers use their phones on the road.

"Because of the value users are finding, organizations are slowly taking ownership of smartphones and data … Read more

While HTC has joined the Open Handset Alliance and will certainly have a hand in manufacturing Google Android handsets, it's still committed to making Windows Mobile devices. In fact, the company just announced another drool-worthy smartphone called the HTC Touch Cruise.

Aptly named the Cruise, the device can help you cruise around, thanks to the built-in GPS receiver and TomTom mapping and navigation software. The Windows Mobile 6 (Professional Edition) device also features the TouchFLO interface found on the HTC Touch and HTC Touch Dual, and has a 2.8-inch touch screen, a 3-megapixel camera, and an FM radio. … Read more

If you prefer to slide instead of swivel, then you'll be happy to hear that the T-Mobile Sidekick Slide is now available for purchase online and in select retail stores for $199.99 with a two-year contract. In addition to this announcement, T-Mobile also revealed that it will offer a consumer e-mail upgrade that brings push e-mail for AOL and Yahoo accounts, meaning you get real-time message delivery for those accounts. The carrier will roll out the upgrade as a over-the-air update for Sidekick Slide and Sidekick LX owners, with the hopes of reaching all customers by the end … Read more

For those Verizon Wirelesscustomers who have been waiting for the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130, the time is here. The pretty little Pearl is available now for purchase online and will be in stores nationwide on November 8 for $149.99 with a two-year contract. Unlike the original, GSM Pearls, the Pearl 8130 features video-recording capabilities, 3G (EV-DO) support, and built-in GPS, which you can use with Verizon's location-based service, VZ Navigator. It also has Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support for stereo Bluetooth headsets, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and support for up to 10 e-mail accounts. Sounds like … Read more

Like a number of my colleagues here at CNET, I had my ear pressed to the phone yesterday morning as the members of the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), including Google, Motorola, and HTC, revealed their plans for Android, a new open platform for mobile devices. I'm not here to recap all the details of the event here--CNET News.com has a comprehensive story on that--but rather just to jot down some of my thoughts.

Looking at the big picture, I welcome today's news. I think it's a really interesting move for all the parties involved, and … Read more

If you've been a smartphone user running Windows Mobile and looking to play around with GetMobio's "lifestyle portal" for various Web 2.0 widgets, there's a new version made just for you. Windows Mobile users can grab it at http://www.GetMobio.com/nowwm, which will direct you towards a small download.

Both versions offer the same selection of the dozen built-in widgets, the most notable ones being a cheap gas finder, a lightweight and good looking version of Twitter, and an integrated RSS reader that remembers all your feeds. We did a hands-on with the service … Read more

OK, it only took a year and a half, but I suppose it's better late than never. Tonight, AT&T and Motorola finally took the wraps off the Motorola Q9h Global, a long overdue GSM version of the Motorola Q. The quad-band Windows Mobile 6 smartphone isn't the same sleek device we saw in May 2006.

Like the Motorola Q9m for Verizon Wireless, it's bulked up a bit, but this allowed for a more spacious keyboard and added features. Like what? Well, how about built-in GPS, HSDPA, Bluetooth, and a 2-megapixel camera? Messaging is a top … Read more

Have you ever found yourself in this quandary? You walk into your cell phone carrier's store, looking to purchase your first smartphone but you're too old to get a device like the T-Mobile Sidekick and yet, you're not really ready for a full-featured beast like the AT&T Tilt. So what's a girl or boy to do? Well, it seems the handset manufacturers and carriers are hip to this problem and are trying to fill the void in the market by releasing more user-friendly, affordable, and fun smartphones. We saw it with the Palm Centro … Read more