Phones - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• Canada recalls Galaxy Note7, says over 70 cases reported in the US

  Canada has recalled over 21,900 Galaxy Note7 smartphones after receiving a report of the overheating of the battery of one phone.

• Here's how secret voice commands could hijack your smarthphone

  Researchers have found something new to worry about on the internet. It turns out that a muffled voice hidden in an innocuous YouTube video could issue commands to a nearby smartphone without you even knowing it.

• This sticker can wirelessly charge your smartphone or tablet

  A French startup opened a crowdfunding campaign for a paper-thin sticker that adheres to the back of a smartphone or tablet, enabling wireless charging from a pad that handles multiple devices at the same time.

• How Intel knocked itself out of the smartphone chip market

  Intel's Atom smartphone chip cancellations pull the curtain back on an ugly past in which the company shot itself in the foot with bad timing and ill-advised executive decisions.

• BlackBerry 10 devices are probably dead

  BlackBerry has stopped producing phones with its in-house operating system as the company focuses on a more secure Android.

• In Pictures: Top phones and tablets for holiday 2013

  Here are our picks for the coolest ones for your list

• Apple's iOS 5 update: No battery drain fix?

  Some iPhone 4S users are still complaining about rapid battery drain following Apple's iOS 5.0.1 system update that began rolling out to users Thursday.  IOS 5.0.1 was supposed to fix several bugs that caused some iPhone 4S and older iPhone devices to rapidly discharge their batteries. The update also brings more multitouch gestures to the original iPad, several bug fixes for iCloud, and improved Siri voice recognition capability for Australian accents.

• Going VoIP-only: Do you still need cellular voice service?

  These days, smartphones with speedy Web connectivity are easy to find, so consumers should be able to get by with just a roomy data plan, dumping voice service in favor of VoIP. But is that practical? To see how feasible cutting voice service is, I decided to go VoIP-only for a week, on the new T-Mobile/Walmart prepaid plan that offers 5GB of 4G data on T-Mobile's HSPA+ 14.4 network for a measly $30 per month.

• 5 hidden features in iOS 5

  Who knew Apple's iOS 5 mobile operating system held so many secrets? Developers and sleuthing hackers have been hard at work since Apple released the OS in October unearthing a number of hidden features and tweaking the OS to do things it was never intended to do.

• iOS 5 has a hidden panorama mode that works on jailbroken iPhones

  iPhone users, rejoice! It appears that iOS 5 has it a hidden option to let you create panoramic photos.

• Apple promises a fix for iPhone 4S battery issues

  Angry iPhone 4S owners take note: You were right about the battery problems with your new smartphone.

• What phones get Google's Ice Cream Sandwich mobile OS first?

  Phones and tablets loaded with the Android 4.0 operating system start arriving in stores soon, but when will existing phones get the update and wich models will be left out in the cold?

• Android Market trumps App Store with auto-updates

  The latest Android Market update isn't a big one, but it includes one change that should make iPhone users jealous.

• Google+ app for Android gets major overhaul

  Google revamped its Google+ Android app Monday sprucing up the social network's mobile front door with a cleaner interface, more functions, and a promise of improved battery life. The Android app (now Version 2.1) is available for download at Android Market.

• Samsung passes Apple in smartphone shipments

  Apple's position in the catbird seat for global smartphone shipments has been short-lived. Just a scant three months ago, the maker of the iPhone knocked Nokia out of the top spot. Now Samsung and its lineup of Android smartphones are top dog.