Smartphone

There will be two billion smartphones by year’s end

Ed Sutherland ∙ January 17, 2013

Let's file this prediction by uber accounting firm Deloitte under 'been there, done that': world smartphone shipments will top one billion during 2013, and near two billion by year's end.

Back in October 2012, we reported that industry analyst firm Strategy Analytics announced the mark was passed during the third quarter of last year.

However, Deloitte adds a wrinkle to the smartphone race, forecasting we should top the 2 billion mark by the end of 2013. This means that an astounding billion shipments are expected throughout the calendar year 2013. That appears to suggest demand for smartphones is increasing across the globe. Remember, it wasn't that long ago that Strategy Analytics projected it would take until 2015 before we hit two billion smartphones...

Rumor: Facebook to announce mobile OS next week

Cody Lee ∙ January 12, 2013

The Facebook Phone is one of the longest-running urban legends in the tech world. I can remember it being reported on as far back as 2010, and I'm sure it goes back further than that. But thus far, nothing has materialized, and Mark Zuckerberg himself has even denied its existence.

Despite all of this, a new report is out today claiming that the social network indeed has a handset in the works. And according to the usual "sources familiar with the matter," it's going to use its just-announced January 15th media event to unveil it to the world...

Amazon smartphone reportedly in production at Foxconn, launching mid-2013

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 20, 2017

Since its debut last year, the Kindle Fire has garnered quite a bit of attention in the tablet space. Despite Amazon's reluctance to release actual sales numbers, there's no doubt that the slate has made at least a small dent in Apple's majority marketshare.

And now it looks like Amazon is ready to take on Apple and others in the smartphone space as well. A new report today adds to previous rumors that the online retailer is working on a handset, claiming it's already in production, and set for launch next year...

Apple tops JD Power’s smartphone satisfaction survey again

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated October 11, 2018

For the eighth time in a row, Apple is ranked with the highest customer satisfaction. The iPhone received 849 points out of 1,000, according to J.D. Powers and Associates. HTC ranked second with 790 points and Samsung earned 782 points, below the 783-point survey average.

The iPhone "performs well in all factors, particularly in physical design and ease of operation," the ratings firm announced Thursday. The company measured smartphones for performance, physical design, features and ease of operation.

Mark Zuckerberg squashes Facebook phone rumors

Cody Lee ∙ July 26, 2012

Rumors that Facebook has been working on its own smartphone have been around for more than a year now. Last fall, a report came out that the social network had tapped HTC to help it build the handset.

Since then, the speculation has only gotten louder. Yesterday, Bloomberg even threw its hat into the ring. But this afternoon, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg decided to squash the chatter...

Facebook phone reportedly set for 2013 release

Cody Lee ∙ July 25, 2012

You know that crazy rumor that keeps bouncing around that Facebook is building its own smartphone? Well, a little more fuel was just added to the fire today.

A new report is out this afternoon claiming, once again, that the social network is pairing up with Taiwanese handset-maker HTC to develop its own mobile phone...

Watch out, Apple granted ultimate smartphone patent

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 4, 2018

The initial idea behind the patent made sense: by filing them, inventors could prevent others from stealing and profiting from their ideas. But nowadays, it seems like companies use them more or less as legal weapons.

Well, Apple just added a nuclear missile to its arsenal. The US Patent and Trademark Office published a series of 25 newly granted Apple patents yesterday. And one of them virtually covers the entire smartphone...

Bloomberg confirms Amazon is working on a smartphone

Cody Lee ∙ July 5, 2012

Over the past few years, the smartphone race has essentially come down to just two manufacturers: Apple and Samsung. HTC is struggling, as is Nokia, and RIM is all but done.

But that doesn't seem to be stopping Amazon from entering the market. Another report is out this evening claiming that the retail giant is cooking up its very own smartphone...

In Some Key Markets, There Are More Connected Phones Than Computers

Oliver Haslam ∙ January 25, 2012

A new report form the boys and girls of Google has revealed a couple of interesting facts about mobile phone usage across five key markets.

Looking at the five countries that are leading the charge towards a connected life – United States, UK, Japan, France and Germany – the search and mobile giant has come to a couple of interesting conclusions.

Firstly, and perhaps not such a surprise, it appears that Smartphones are rapidly eating into the remaining feature phone share, with the proliferation of iPhones, Android phones and the like causing users to upgrade to more powerful handsets.

More interestingly however, it appears there are now more people connected with a smartphone than people connected with a computer...

Amazon Expected to Release a KindlePhone Next Year

Alex Heath ∙ November 17, 2011

Amazon recently unveiled the Kindle Fire. The new tablet has seen a fair amount of success, although it's definitely not an iPad killer. What's next for Amazon? A phone, of course!

While details on such a device are scarce, it's believed that Amazon will launch a KindlePhone in 2012. Android is expected to be the operating system of choice...

The Evolution of Smartphones [Infographic]

Alex Heath ∙ July 5, 2011

Have you ever wanted a bird's eye view of the smartphone industry? Wouldn't it be cool to look back at the evolution of handsets from the 90s until now?

TechKing has put together an awesome infographic that demonstrates how smartphone design has changed throughout the years. Starting with the IBM Simon and ending with the upcoming iPhone 5/4S -- it's amazing to see how far we've come...

Verizon Wireless Will Drop Unlimited Data Plans on Thursday

Guest Author ∙ July 5, 2011

As smartphones become increasingly popular and we enter an age in which everyone has Internet access in the palm of their hand, unlimited data plans are becoming obsolete. Carriers are no longer happy to give us all the data we so desire.

Verizon Wireless will be the next carrier to drop its unlimited data plans, and on Thursday, July 7, new customers will have to sign up for one of four tiered plans.

A Verizon spokesperson confirmed the move to FierceNews today and confirmed the new prices, which happen to make AT&T look like a better choice for some...