smartphone

Ubuntu OS, long a favorite open-source platform for computing, is getting ready to move to the smaller smartphone screen.

Ubuntu-run smartphones will using the same drivers as Android smartphones, a boon to developers, but will also run well on entry-level smartphones, the organization says. Ubuntu for phones eschews Java in favor of native code.

In fact, Ubuntu's Web site pushes HTML5 and native code apps, a benefit for developers who can create a single app for both the desktop and the PC.

The OS favors swiping gestures to reveal navigation strips and overview pages, similar to RIM's BlackBerry … Read more

According to the Japanese mobile news site Blog of Mobile, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is sporting two new colors: red and brown.

However, the version colors officially go by the name Ruby Wine (pictured above on the left) and Amber Brown (right).

Because the new looks were discovered in a South Korean publication, it'll be a while before these models reach the United States, assuming it'll even reach our shores at all.

Currently, the 5.5-inch phone/tablet hybrid (or "phablet") is available here in Marble White and Titanium Gray.

Considering that the Samsung Galaxy S3 … Read more

It definitely has been a busy week for ZTE and T-Mobile.

Another device slated for the carrier has appeared under FCC listings.

According to the paperwork, the phone's model name is F555, but it also goes by the label "Wombat." The device looks to be a simple feature phone with a candy bar construction.

External pictures also reveal branding from T-Mobile and an onboard four-row keyboard.

Other features include a 2-megapixel rear-facing camera, a shortcut camera key, a 1,000mAh battery, and microSD card slot.

In addition, the handset comes with Bluetooth, a native music player, and … Read more

In case you needed more clues that RIM's latest handsets based on the long-awaited BlackBerry 10 software are really just around the corner, you've got it. A new device, referred to as model RFH121LW, has now shown up within the FCC's official database. Tech site Engadget noticed RIM's mysterious gadget, along with another product called the RFF91LW which reportedly is cleared to operate on AT&T's LTE and GSM airwaves. … Read more

Android and iOS devices were apparently popular gifts this Christmas -- more popular than ever before.

Device activations soared from their daily December average of 4 million to 17.4 million on Christmas Day, a 332 percent increase, according to analytics firm Flurry. That's more than double the 6.8 million devices activated on Christmas last year, the previous single-day record holder. And in a first, more tablets were activated on Christmas this year than phones. Apple tablets dominated the category, but the Kindle Fire HD 7-inch made its strongest showing ever.

iPhone and iPad app downloads jumped 87 percent … Read more

Toshiba is in the process of upping its smartphone camera game. The device-maker is creating Lytro-like camera technology for mobile devices that should be released before the end of 2013, according to the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun (h/t Engadget).

Much like Lytro's light-field camera, Toshiba's technology reportedly lets users choose what part of a photo they'd like to focus on well after they've taken the shot. It will also allow users to put the entire picture into focus. For the most part, this type of technology has only been seen in Lytro cameras and has … Read more

The upcoming Galaxy S4 from Samsung is already carrying the weight of the whole Android smartphone world on its shoulders, even though it hasn't been officially announced yet, and we'd be lucky to see it actually available within the next six months.

Many are hoping the next flagship phone from Samsung could finally be the legendary and long-foretold Apple eater first documented in the book of Genesis. Actually, maybe that's something else. But there's still much speculation that Samsung could pull something groundbreaking out of its huge chaebolic hat to vault ahead of the iPhone (some, … Read more

This year has been a big year for Samsung, and if all goes as planned, the good times will continue well into 2013.

According to The Korea Times, the phone manufacturer expects itself to ship over half a billion handsets -- 510 million to be exact -- next year.

In 2012 alone, Samsung shipped an estimated 420 million devices. If we go by next year's projections, it's aiming for a 20 percent jump in devices shipped.

Of the 510 million devices forecast, 390 million units are expected to be smartphones, while the remaining 120 million will be feature … Read more

The ZTE Grand X, a mid-level 4.3-inch handset with a dual-core 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 processor inside, made its way to the FCC strutting a T-Mobile logo on its exterior.

Though it's safe to assume the carrier will most likely offer the phone, pricing and availability dates remain unknown. CNET reached out to T-Mobile reps and will update this story as soon as we hear back.

The Chinese manufacturer released the handset in Europe last summer.

Our reviewers at CNET UK reported that its nearly skinless Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich user interface was one of the … Read more