windows phone

How to lock down and find Android and Windows phones

Thieves love smartphones. They're easy to snatch, easy to conceal, and most importantly, easy to resell.

If you're the victim of a smartphone robbery, you have more to lose than the phone itself. The thief may attempt to use or sell the personal data stored on the device to make fraudulent purchases or otherwise steal your identity -- and maybe empty your bank account.

There are two things every smartphone user should do to minimize the damage resulting from loss of the device: lock the screen and activate a remote-location and remote-wipe service.

In a post from earlier this month … Read more

The truth about iPhone 5's first weekend sales

commentary Apple supporters triumphantly cheered on the company after it sold 5 million iPhones over the weekend. Wall Street, however, was disappointed by the figure after seeing the long lines on Friday.

The correct reaction probably lies somewhere in the middle. Perhaps a polite golf clap?

For analysts, it was a classic case of hype feeding into the estimates, which ramped up to as high as 10 million for the first weekend, numbers that even a powerhouse like Apple couldn't hope to achieve.

"We find it unfortunate that some analysts continue to publish irresponsible estimates without taking into … Read more

Huawei eyes its own mobile OS, just in case

Huawei has ambitions to build its own mobile operating system as a fail-safe in case Google's Android or Microsoft's Windows Phone platforms someday are no longer available to the Chinese telecommunications giant.

Huawei told Reuters that it is devoting resources to its own platform, which would lessen its dependence on other companies and provide it with an alternate plan if access to either Android or Windows Phone were somehow shut off.

The comments come amid a lot of activity in the mobile operating system world, including major Android supporter Samsung losing to Apple in a key patent battle … Read more

The best iPhone 5 alternatives

Apple's latest iPhone 5 is certainly off to a big start, with preorders already backed up for weeks. If you're the type who'd rather not wait so long for a new smartphone, though, or who avoids Apple products like the plague, there are plenty of other options out there. In fact, many competing devices offer just as much speed, a bigger screen, and a wider selection of features than Apple's newest creation. … Read more

The iPhone 5 review has landed

Wednesday's CNET Update has a special guest:

CNET's iPhone 5 review is here, and senior editor Scott Stein spent a week secretly living with it to do a thorough review. He was kind enough to stop by the show and let me hold it while I talked about his review. (Yep, I had a geek-out.) During his review, he found a few things surprising: It was noticeably lighter and the 4G ended up being faster than his home Wi-Fi. Also be sure to check out videos about the new panoramic photo feature and Apple's new Maps, available … Read more

HTC Windows Phone 8X vs. Nokia Lumia 920: Specs and more

Editors' note: This article originally posted September 19, 2012 and was updated November 2, 2012, after I reviewed the Nokia Lumia 920 and the HTC Windows Phone 8X, and again on November 6 after AT&T released Lumia 920 pricing .

There's no mistaking it: the Windows Phone 8 battle is heating up between the HTC Windows Phone 8X for AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, and the Nokia Lumia 920.

The resemblance between the two phones is readily apparent in photos, and more than skin deep. Like the Lumia 920, the HTC Windows Phone 8X drops the phone … Read more

Who has the 'real' Windows Phone? HTC makes its case

With its Windows Phone 8X and 8S smartphones, has HTC actually replaced Nokia as the darling of Microsoft?

Ever since Microsoft veteran Stephen Elop took the reins at Nokia and struck a transformational deal with his former company to fully back Windows Phone, it was assumed that the fallen Finnish mobile devices giant would be first among equals when it came to the upstart mobile operating system.

Elop assumed the role when he said a year ago that Nokia's Lumia handsets were "the first real Windows Phone," a not-so-subtle jab against earlier efforts, and a comment Microsoft … Read more

Verizon gets back on board with Windows Phone

Verizon has never been a staunch supporter of Windows Phone OS, at least in deed. But now, after a long hiatus, the U.S.' largest carrier is offering its first Windows Phone device in over a year. Verizon's sale of the HTC Windows Phone 8X is a move that could give both Microsoft and HTC the dramatic bumps they both need.

The re-emergence of Verizon as a source for Windows Phone is a tremendous win for Microsoft, which has seen the spread of its OS limited by Verizon's wait-and-see attitude. The carrier's tremendous clout could help cement … Read more

HTC co-opts Microsoft's Windows Phone name for 8X, 8S

HTC pulled the curtain back on its Windows Phone 8X and 8S smartphones, the latest takes on Microsoft's upcoming mobile platform.

It's shaping up to be an aggressive launch for Windows Phone 8, which already has the backing of Samsung, Nokia, and now HTC. The phones are expected to debut in November, following closely behind the launch of the desktop and tablet operating system Windows 8.

It's an illustration of Microsoft's confidence in HTC that the Windows Phone name will actually be used as the name of its devices, perhaps dampening Nokia's claim to being the "real" Windows Phone devices. … Read more