smartphones

Editors' note: This post was last updated June 25 at 7:30 a.m. PDT.

Like puzzles? Then you should head over to a new teaser site posted by T-Mobile, and try to guess the name of a new handset that's coming to the carrier in just a couple of days. The page shows portions of a pictogram puzzle, and a countdown to the official announcement. Though the bottom portion of the puzzle is mostly covered up (for now), the top line is pretty easy to figure out. We won't take the fun out of it for you, … Read more

Editors' note: This post was last updated June 25 at 10:42 a.m. PT.

Sprint might have dragged its heels on updating its devices to Android 2.1, but it's wasting no time on Android 2.2. Sprint spokeswoman Michelle Leff Mermelstein told CNET in an e-mail that the carrier is finalizing work on the software and expects to release an update in the "near future."

This helping of Froyo will bring such features as Flash 10 support, improved Exchange ActiveSync support, voice dialing over Bluetooth, the ability to save apps on external memory, and an … Read more

The HTC Evo 4G is rumored to be receiving a minor software update next week. A source close to Boy Genius Report said that three particular items will be addressed in the update.

Key among the improvements will be an Exchange ActiveSync fix for setting up a new account, PIN policy usage, and more. Also look for a tweak to the Social Networking Sync with Facebook, which should improve battery performance. Rounding out the update will be improvement to the Wi-Fi connection and performance.

Though there's been no official confirmation from Sprint, the source said the target date for … Read more

NEW YORK--Motorola and Verizon are set to introduce the latest member of the Droid army on Wednesday. The carrier has already let the identity of the phone out of the bag by posting a teaser site for the Droid X, as well as a YouTube video.

From these two things, we know a few details about the device--4.3-inch screen, HDMI output, 720p video capture--but soon we'll get the full rundown. We're at the event now and will be providing updates (we won't be doing a play-by-play live blog) throughout the press conference.

Display As we already … Read more

SlingPlayer Mobile has hit the Android market.

Sling Media's $29.99 app, released Tuesday, lets Android users with Slingbox devices control their home TVs and DVRs to watch live or recorded content on their smartphones.

Users must have a Slingbox Solo, Pro, or Pro-HD device and can connect through a 3G, 4G, or Wi-Fi network.

The new Android version of SlingPlayer Mobile joins the company's other SlingPlayer apps for the iPhone, Palm OS, Symbian, and BlackBerry.

SlingPlayer Mobile offers faster start-up and response times than its other mobile versions, according to Sling Media, and sports a new interface … Read more

This post was updated on Thursday, June 17, at 12:39 p.m., PT.

Well, this certainly takes some of the mystery out of the June 23 event, but now we know that Verizon's next Droid model will be the Droid X. The carrier posted a teaser site for the handset on Thursday morning with some little nuggets of information. When you rollover the center image on Verizon's site, you'll see that the Droid X will have HDMI output, a 4.3-inch display, and a "720P screen." A 720p resolution screen? As CNET reader Adam … Read more

We weren't really expecting to hear anything until June 29, but we now have our first confirmed Galaxy S phone sighting and it's been identified as the Samsung Captivate.

AT&T revealed on Thursday that it will offer the Captivate in the coming months, but it didn't provide a specific date or pricing. This announcement follows Samsung's worldwide launch of the Galaxy S i9000 and shows that the company isn't limiting the Galaxy S to just one type of design.

As you can see from the photo, the Captivate has more of a hard-edged … Read more

On Wednesday, Sony Ericsson introduced the latest member of its Xperia family, the Xperia X8. The company did not release specific launch dates but it did say that the Android-based smartphone would sell for less than 200 Euros (about $250), so it will offer customers in Europe a more affordable choice than the pricier Xperia X10.

Given the lower price point, the Xperia X8 doesn't offer all the same features of the X10. It has a smaller 3-inch, HVGA capacitive touch screen, and a 3.2-megapixel camera versus the X10's 8.1-megapixel camera. The handset still runs Sony … Read more

Nokia expects market conditions to impact its annual and second-quarter financial results, forcing the company to trim its sales outlook.

The handset maker said Wednesday it now anticipates second-quarter sales for its mobile devices and services division will be at the lower end of, or slightly below, its previous forecast of 6.7 billion euros to 7.2 billion euros ($8.2 billion to $8.8 billion). Samsung attributed the revised forecast to lower-than-expected average selling prices and volumes for its mobile phones.

Operating margins for the second quarter will also be at the low end of, or below, the … Read more