samsung

With the planned acquisition of mobile software maker Symbian, Nokia has decided to grab its future and run with it.

Nokia's decision to acquire the remaining stake in Symbian that it doesn't already own is designed to accelerate the mobile phone giant's product development--and serve as an open-source operating system platform to other handset makers, wireless carriers, software developers, and chipmakers, analysts say.

As a result, Nokia and other industry players hope to create a stronger defense against Apple's popular iPhone, Google's pending Android phone, and Microsoft's mobile operating system, analysts say.

"Nokia … Read more

Samsung may have had some trouble figuring out which phones it wanted to produce for this summer's Beijing Olympic, but apparently it's decided that it will settle for nothing less than the gold. In addition to the 18k P318+ it gilded last year, the Korean company now plans to another gold-plated handset.

The special-edition version of its triband SGH-D780 DuoS has a 2.1-inch display, 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, FM radio, and a microSD card slot. And, if you look closely, you can see the Olympic rings.

It's a little surprising that the logo isn't more prominent, … Read more

While everyone and his dog is releasing tiny laptops, Samsung is still pouring its heart into mid-sized machines. One such device is the R410, which we first had a look at back in May at Samsung's South Korean headquarters.

Back then, we said it was an "absolute steal" thanks to its price tag (499 pounds, or about $977) and generous specifications. Today, little's changed apart from a slight design tweak. It still packs a 14.1-inch screen, a 1.83GHz CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, a DVD rewriter, a 1.3-megapixel Webcam, and … Read more

T-Mobile announced two new cell phones for its HotSpot @Home service today. The Nokia 6301 is a silver candy bar phone and the SGH-T339 is flip phone in bright red. Both handsets offer integrated Wi-Fi so you'll be able to make calls on T-Mobile's standard cellular network and your home wireless broadband network. And like T-Mobile's other HotSpot @Home handsets, the Nokia 6086, Samsung Katalyst, and Samsung SGH-T409, you can switch between regular and Wi-Fi calls without interruption. Features for both phones are functional without being flashy. The 6301 includes a music player, stereo Bluetooth, a 2-megapixel … Read more

PhoneArena has stumbled across a possible fix for the Samsung Glyde's troublesome touch screen. The site is reporting that if you tape the battery into the phone, it will strengthen the electrical connectivity between the battery and the handset, thus providing (as theory goes) a more responsive screen. PhoneArena tried the fix and said it appeared to work well in a couple of areas. Apparently, it was easier to scroll through lists and make menu selections. Yet, a few issues weren't fixed. The PhoneArena team said problems remained with dialing a phone number, scrolling through a Web page, … Read more

MP3 player manufacturers can count on one thing: there will always be a demand for cheap, basic portable music players. These minimally-featured devices are often perfect for the gym or brief, day-to-day use. To that end, Samsung is throwing its chip into the game in the form of the S2 Pebble, a screenless MP3 player that looks like a shiny stone. The Pebble is typically light on extras, but its sleek design, straightforward operation, and super affordable $40 price tag is sure to appeal to those looking for a basic-yet-stylish device. Read the S2 Pebble review.

Last week Nicole Lee took you on a guided tour of the Samsung MyShot SCH-R430 for MetroPCS. Though the handset is nothing fancy, she liked the MyShot's excellent call quality and bright displays. That all sounds great if you use MetroPCS, but starting today Alltel customers can get in on the fun as well. Alltel's MyShot is almost identical to the MetroPCS model, except that it comes in both red and basic black. Features are the same, however. Inside you'll find a 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, a speakerphone, voice dialing and a wireless Web browser. You can … Read more

Last week I told you that Sprint was preparing to offer its new Instinct cell phone for $199. But now, I have to admit that I jumped the gun just a bit. Sprint finally confirmed today that when the Instinct goes on sale Friday it will cost just $129 after a $100 mail-in rebate. You will have to sign a two-year contract with a Simply Everything plan, which starts at $69 per month. With such a hefty price drop, it's even clearer that Sprint is taking on the iPhone 3G, which will sell for $199 or $299 depending on … Read more

Samsung showed its greener side last week when it unveiled two environmentally friendly cell phones at the World IT Show in Seoul, Korea. The Samsung W510 is the company's first mobile to be made of "bio-plastic," which is produced with natural material extracted from corn. In addition, the W510 uses a water-soluble coating and no heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, and cadmium, were used in the production of the cell phone.

The second handset, the Samsung F268, is made from the same material but it, as well as its accessories, also has the benefit of not … Read more