Cell phones

Allen Calvin earned a doctorate in experimental psychology, was a consulting professor at Stanford University, and is currently the president of Palo Alto University, a post he's been holding for 28 years. He's learned a lot during his 84 years of living -- except for how to cut and paste text on a smartphone.

"I just want to copy anything and paste it out of an e-mail," he said with a voice that sounds like sandpaper. "This is obviously harder than it looks."

Calvin and his wife, Dorothy, are inside a brightly lit Verizon … Read more

Two years is a long time. In that amount of time you can finish a master's degree or, uh...raise a baby into a 2-year-old child. OK, that latter example wasn't the most illustrative, but what I'm trying to say is that for some mobile phone users out there, two years is too long to be locked down in a carrier agreement. That's why I've gathered a few top-notch, recently released phones on prepaid carriers that are ideal for those who want to be contract-free.

Samsung Galaxy Reverb (Virgin Mobile), September 2012 Though it doesn'… Read more

Judging from an invite that just hit our desks, Verizon and HTC will pull the tarp off a fresh smartphone on Tuesday. The press event is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. in New York, and we plan to be on hand to find out just what kind of luscious mobile technology will drop from the sky.

I personally hope this event will center around the rumored HTC DLX handset, a 5-inch-screen phone said to be armed to the teeth with a truckload of powerful components and software. These include Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, an 8- or … Read more

The unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note could get its Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update in late December says the oft-reliable SamMobile. In addition to the requisite bug fixes, the update will include Samsung's Nature UX as well as Air View and Multi View on the gargantuan smartphone.

Samsung has yet to confirm both the update and its expected arrival, but the firmware in the video below looks fairly complete. Hopefully, we'll get an official announcement from Sammy soon, be it via press release or a social network status update.

It's worth noting that not all versions of … Read more

Verizon Wireless today announced that starting in January it will kill its self-branded app store, which is installed on BlackBerry and Android devices.

Launched back in March 2010, the app store has mostly played second fiddle to Google Play on Android smartphones and tablets. Viewed as bloatware by a sizable segment of users, it pales in comparison, when it comes to selection, to even the Amazon Appstore or Getjar.

Even with some improvements over time, it has not been able to keep pace with Google's official distribution channel. In fact, even Verizon is quick to point out that a … Read more

When Americans think of mobile phone brands, two maybe three names spring immediately to mind: Apple, Samsung, and perhaps Motorola or even HTC. I bet Sony isn't on the tip of your tongue, despite the company's marketing efforts. … Read more

Well, the verdict's in on Google's flagship phone, the LG Nexus 4, and aside from the significant misstep of not having 4G LTE capabilities for its U.S. market, the device is great. It runs on Android Jelly Be-- oh hell. Can we just talk about LG for a second?

All opinions aside about the handset itself ("LTE doesn't matter!," "It's ugly!," "But it's so cheap!," "You're cheap!," "I hate everyone!"), it's clear that LG needed this Nexus.

With the exception of the … Read more

CNET has confirmed that the LG Nexus 4 for by T-Mobile will not come with Wi-Fi calling capabilities. The change was first reported earlier today by the tech blog TmoNews.

As one of the more popular features in select T-Mobile Android smartphones, it allows users to make calls via their Wi-Fi connection instead of using the carrier's towers and cellular network. Not only could this lead to potentially stronger signal in homes, but also it doesn't count against allotted monthly minutes.

Why there is no Wi-Fi calling in the new LG smartphone is fairly easy to explain. The … Read more

U.S. Cellular today announced its next 4G LTE smartphone, the Android-based Motorola Electrify M. It will join the lineup in the coming days.

Powered by 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the handset goes on sale on the carrier's Web site on November 8 and in retail stores the following day. It's the third handset in the carrier's Electrify line after the original Electrify and the Electrify 2.

Pricing will vary depend on whether the buyer is in a 4G LTE market. Live inside the 4G footprint and your cost is $99.99 after a $100 mail-in … Read more