smartphones

A plastic, cheaper iPhone might be a reality, after all.

After rumors surfaced recently suggesting Apple would launch a thicker, cheaper, plastic iPhone, an image seeming to be just that device has hit the Web. Earlier today, mobile case maker Tactus shared a photo of what it claims is the rear, plastic casing on Apple's next iPhone.

It's not clear how Tactus might have received the casing or whether it's real, but it follows a rumor in February from Japanese Apple-news site Macotakara, which claimed that a cheaper, plastic iPhone was on the way to store shelves.… Read more

Samsung showed off its swanky new superphone, its Samsung Galaxy S4, at a London launch event, so I took the opportunity to take a deeper look at some of the new camera features. I was only able to get a brief hands-on and wasn't able to perform the usual tests I'd do for a camera, but I had enough time to form a reasonable impression.

In terms of hardware, the sensor has been given a boost, jumping from the 8 megapixels you'll get on the old Galaxy S3, up to 13 megapixels. It's the software that'… Read more

Today, during the Demo Mobile conference in San Francisco, The Eye Tribe, maker of eye-tracking software for Android, announced that in June it will release a developers' kit for games and apps.

In its press release, The Eye Tribe claims to make the "world's first eye control software" for Android devices.

The software makes it possible to scroll down Web pages, play games, and unlock your home screen, using nothing but your eyes.

While devices like the Samsung Galaxy S4 are said to have eye-tracking software already, that handset's Smart Pause feature only recognizes whether your … Read more

The next generation of Android phones is coming, and you can't ignore the HTC One with its beautiful design that makes Apple fanboys drool. So we're taking the two of the best designed phones on the market and throwing them inside the Prizefight ring!

Does the iPhone 5 still have enough in the tank before its next refresh to hold off the hard-charging HTC One?

Or will the next generation of Android phones and HTC's cleaned-up Sense UI reign supreme in 2013?

Which is your Prizefight King of the Ring?

HTC might be looking to launch a new device in China soon.

Reports out of that country claim HTC has applied for regulatory approval for a new device known as the 606w. The midrange handset comes with a 4.3-inch 720p HD display and a 1.2GHz dual-core processor. The handset has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage.

Unlike many of the latest smartphones today, the 606w will not come with Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). Instead, the regulatory filing points to Android 4.1.2 being installed out of the box.

According to Phone Arena, a blog … Read more

It's official: Samsung's Galaxy S4, the marquee device due out in the upcoming weeks, will feature a quad-core processor instead of a chipset bearing eight processing cores.

Samsung had kept us guessing when it first announced its Galaxy S4 in New York last month, saying only that in some regions, a 1.9GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 series processor would rev the GS4's engines, and Samsung's own 1.6GHz eight-core Exynos 5 Octa silicon would take care of others.

In addition to some promising processing muscle, the Galaxy S4 features a 5-inch full-HD Super AMOLED display, … Read more

T-Mobile apparently just confirmed an April 24 availability date for the HTC One smartphone. Rather than through a formal press release, the carrier confirmed when HTC's hot flagship handset will grace its shelves via a short and sweet Twitter update.

According to T-Mobile watcher TmoNews, the wireless company tweeted the info tidbit through its T-Mobile USA account. The announcement specifically calls out the LTE version of the HTC One, which should come as no surprise since it was one of the devices highlighted at the carrier's recent LTE unveiling in New York.

There's been a lot of … Read more

AT&T announced today that customers that own an LG Escape can update their devices to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean through a Wi-Fi connection.

A few changes in the new software version include grouping notifications that belong under the same app, and the ability to see the full text or photo of incoming messages in the notifications menu.

In addition, you can also get AT&T DriveMode with the update. Designed to keep drivers from using their phones, the app sends out automatic text responses to incoming texts, e-mails, or calls when it senses that it's … Read more

U.S. smartphone buyers looking to grab Samsung's Galaxy S4 finally get their shot today.

Preorders for the next Galaxy-class phone have launched at both AT&T and U.S. Cellular today.

The Galaxy S4 is listed on AT&T's Web site with a ship date of April 30. Earlier today, the S4 was available for preorder in just a select number of U.S. cities. But AT&T has since expanded the phone's reach so that it can be preordered throughout the U.S.

The page confirms $199 as the two-year contract price … Read more