Latest on Android: News, reviews and more 

Huawei's Ascend P6 smartphone has 5-megapixel front camera to watch you
Huawei Technologies' much-leaked Ascend P6 smartphone is the world's thinnest at 6.18 millimeters, and has the highest-resolution front-facing camera at 5 megapixels, the company claimed at the phone's London launch.

Apple plays defense, Microsoft goes on offense in battle for iPhone customers
Rivals Apple and Microsoft bookended the week by revealing productivity tools aimed at the same pool of customers: the millions who own Apple's iPhone.

Samsung's next big thing - born in the USA?
Could Samsung's "next big thing" come from the heart of the Big Apple or Silicon Valley?

Microsoft sticks it to the iPad with Windows-first Office strategy
Microsoft's surprise launch of Office Mobile for the iPhone today shows that the software giant continues to favor Windows' future over Office's fortune, analysts said today.

Google Glass could get a look at the enterprise
While the curious are looking to get their hands on a pair of Google's Glass, companies also may be looking to weave the computerized eyeglasses into their businesses.

Samsung puts Galaxy Camera on a diet to make S4 Zoom smartphone
Samsung Electronics has expanded the S4 family yet again with the 16-megapixel Galaxy S4 Zoom, a lighter version of last year's Galaxy Camera.

What Apple's new AirDrop data sharing says about NFC
Apple's mobile development chief Craig Federighi poked fun at Android when he announced AirDrop data sharing technology for iOS on Monday.

10 stars of 'cross-platformity'
At work or play, these 10 applications can be used across a variety of platforms.

Samsung's Galaxy Ace 3 underscores LTE's burgeoning move to simpler phones
Though Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Ace 3 is a fairly basic smartphone, it nevertheless includes LTE, highlighting how the technology is making its way to simpler and cheaper devices.

Usability, not 'flat' design, key to Monday's iOS refresh
Apple is expected to debut a revamped iOS on Monday, featuring a "flatter" design that, if not done properly, could be a step backward in usability, a pair of user interface (UI) experts said.

Forget the keynote. WWDC is still about the developers
As usual, the Apple rumor mill has been on overdrive as WWDC nears. But all the hype about anything CEO Tim Cook might reveal misses the point, says columnist Ryan Faas. WWDC is still about developers.

Apple blinks, inks deals with labels in time to intro 'iRadio' on Monday
With just days to spare, and as one analyst had expected, Apple blinked in negotiations with Sony Music, giving the Cupertino, Calif. firm the green light to announce an Internet radio service on Monday.

TechEd crystalizes Microsoft's BYOD management strategy
Microsoft's TechEd North America conference, held this week in New Orleans, provided a first glimpse of the architecture that Microsoft shops should use to manage employee personal devices for work duties.

New Android Trojan app exploits previously unknown flaws, researchers say
A newly discovered Trojan program exploits previously unknown flaws in Android and borrows techniques from Windows malware in order to evade detection and achieve persistence on infected devices.

Amazon launches Kindle tablet and e-reader in China
After remaining quiet on the hardware front for years, Amazon.com's China business has finally brought the company's Kindle tablet and Kindle e-reader to the country.

Android infiltrates Computex via tablets, PCs, set-top boxes
New Windows PCs have always been the main attraction at Computex, the annual trade show in Taipei. But notable on the show floor this year is the growing presence of Google's Android OS, which is creeping into more and more tablets, televisions, set-top boxes and even PCs.

Launch of Outlook RT testifies to Microsoft's app troubles
Microsoft's announcement Wednesday that it will add Outlook to Office on Windows RT says as much about the company's app problem as it does about customers clamoring for a business-grade email client.

Microsoft marks down Windows, kicks in free Office to spark tablet sales
Microsoft today confirmed what many analysts suspected, that it has cut prices of Windows 8 and Windows RT licenses to hardware partners building smaller-sized tablets as a way to drop device prices and juice sales.

More than half of Americans own a smartphone. Now what?
A majority of Americans -- about 56% -- now own a smartphone, according to Pew Research Center's latest survey.

Fairphone to start building 'ethical' smartphone
Fairphone has received enough orders to start production on what it says is a smartphone that will be built according to ethical standards, designed and produced with minimal harm to people and the planet.

AMD breaks from Windows exclusivity, adopts Android and Chrome OS
After years of Windows OS exclusivity, Advanced Micro Devices is opening the door to design chips to run Google's Android and Chrome OS in PCs and tablets.

$99 Android PC maker hopes to set off industry change
At US$99, the mini PC developed by thin-client expert Young Song is meant to be affordable. In fact, the price is so low, most consumers won't hesitate to buy one, he said Wednesday.

Samsung unveils water-resistant Galaxy S4
Samsung is adding another Galaxy S4 smartphone to its portfolio. The Active model is dust- and water-resistant, and has a special camera mode for underwater pictures and video.

Verivo to help developers make mobile apps enterprise-ready
Development platform vendor Verivo Software wants to provide the back end for mobile enterprise apps to make it easier for corporate programmers to add features such as off-line access and authentication.

Google targets developers with cloud-based backend kit
Google wants more developers to use its App Engine cloud service, and has launched Mobile Backend Starter to make it easier.

Qualcomm processor opens door for cheaper LTE smartphones
Qualcomm has announced a new processor and modem combination that will open the door for cheaper LTE smartphones.

Tegra 4 can power better, cheaper stylus, Nvidia says
Nvidia is usually trumpeting the graphics performance of its Tegra 4 chip, but at the Computex trade show on Tuesday CEO Jen-Hsun Huang showed how its newest processor can be used to create a precise, affordable stylus for tablets.

Microsoft and its OEMs stick to an outdated tablet strategy
When it comes to tablets, Microsoft and its OEMs don't know where they're going, an analyst said today.

Apple will blink to strike deals in time to unveil 'iRadio' at WWDC
Apple has made progress in cutting deals with music labels for an Internet radio service but time is running out, several reports said today.

Android finally gets Twitter's video app, Vine
A little more than four months after Twitter unveiled its video service, Vine, the company has launched a version for Android.

Samsung extends Galaxy Tab 3 line-up with 8-inch and 10.1-inch models
Samsung Electronics has extended its Galaxy Tab 3 line-up with 8-inch and 10.1-inch models with dual-core processors and extensive support for LTE networks.

Asus Transformer Book Trio is tablet, laptop and desktop rolled into one
The company that brought us the PadFone, an all-in-one smartphone, tablet and laptop device, is thinking a bit bigger. Taiwan's Asustek Computer has now combined a tablet, smartphone and desktop PC into a single product that it calls the Transformer Book Trio.

More of Sprint's customers are using iPhones, but that's not true for AT&T and Verizon
Sprint recently saw growth in the percentage of its customers owning iPhones, while both Verizon Wireless and AT&T saw declines, an analyst firm said today.

Asus intensifies Android tablet price war with $129 Memo Pad HD7
Asustek Computer has fired another shot in the Android tablet price war, putting the starting price for the Asus Memo Pad FHD7 at $129.

Dutch Supreme Court: Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 does not infringe on iPad design
Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Tab 10.1 does not infringe on Apple's iPad design right, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands ruled on Friday.

More chow mein? Google makes it easier to decide
Google is trying to make it easier to find nutrition information online for a wide range of foods with a new search feature whose aim is to address the "cumbersome and daunting process" of making smart eating choices.

Office on Surface Pro suggests a shift in Microsoft's sales strategy
Microsoft yesterday announced that Surface Pro tablets it will start selling in Japan on June 7 will come with a fully-functional copy of Office, a bundle one analyst said hints at a change in Microsoft's sales strategy for its homegrown hardware.

Payleven chip-and-PIN readers land in Apple retail stores
Mobile payments startup Payleven has struck a deal that calls for Apple to start selling chip-and-PIN readers in its retail stores across Europe.

Samsung unveils Galaxy S4 mini with 4.3-in. screen and dual-core processor
Samsung Electronics announced the Galaxy S4 mini smartphone, which has a larger screen and a better camera than its predecessor, the Galaxy S III mini.

Even saying nothing, Apple CEO reveals something
Apple CEO Tim Cook spent more than an hour answering questions at the AllThingsD conference yesterday, but said little that was newsworthy

Facebook waves good-bye to Waze, opens door for Google
Facebook is reportedly pulling out of acquisition negotiations with mobile app provider Waze, opening the door for a Google buy.

MediaTek launches quad-core tablet chip
Taiwan's MediaTek has launched a new quad-core ARM processor for tablets that is slated to be used in an upcoming IdeaTab device from Lenovo.

Galaxy S4 will be first phone to use new Verizon spectrum
Verizon Wireless customers buying the recently released Samsung Galaxy S4 will be the first who can start using a new spectrum band that the carrier will start turning on later this year.

Gloomier PC forecast means more trouble for Windows
IDC today drastically lowered its forecast for PC shipments in 2013, a prediction that if accurate means more bad news for Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system.

Microsoft knuckles under, yanks YouTube app for Windows Phone
Microsoft has bowed to pressure from Google and pulled the YouTube app from its Windows Phone Store that earlier this month triggered a cease-and-desist letter from the search giant.

Windows 8 users snub 'Modern' apps, stick to desktop
A majority of consumer and small business Windows 8 PC users launch fewer than one "Modern" app a day, signaling that they're spending most of their time on the classic Windows 7-style desktop, according to data released Wednesday.

Samsung sells 10 million-plus Galaxy S4 smartphones in a month
Samsung Electronics has reported global channel sales of over 10 million units of the Galaxy S4 in less than a month after its global launch.

Unity adds free mobile game development for Android and iOS
Unity Technologies has added the ability to develop for Android and iOS games for free using its platform.

How to Prepare for Windows 8 Even Though It's Not Coming to Enterprises
Windows 8 won't be adopted as a standard at your business anytime soon, according to a new Forrester report. But that doesn't mean IT shouldn't prepare for it to sneak through the BYOD side door. Here are five ways to be ready for Windows 8.

U.S. approves Apple iOS devices for use on Defense Department networks
Devices built around the Apple iOS operating system have been approved by the U.S. Department of Defense for use on its networks, as the department moves to support multivendor mobile devices and operating systems.

At Google I/O, developer services hogged the spotlight
Forget Glass, self-driving cars or a smartwatch. Developers, not physical consumer products, were Google's darlings at the company's annual I/O conference this week.

Google woos developers as software gains importance
Google did its best to court developers at this year's I/O conference with a much-needed integrated developer environment, API for better games and the ability to more easily translate apps.

New tablet boots Ubuntu Linux, Android and Windows 8
We've seen several Linux tablets emerge over the past year or so, but examples with triple-boot capabilities are much less common.

Google steals march on Apple in music subscription
Google beat Apple to the music subscription service punch this week, perhaps the doing of record labels who wanted to put Apple in its place, an analyst said

Google IDE eases Android app development
Google has introduced an integrated developer environment (IDE) aimed at easing development of Android apps.

Google issues YouTube ultimatum to Microsoft as Hatfield-McCoy feud heats up
Google yesterday sent a cease-and-desist letter to Microsoft, demanding that its rival remove the YouTube app built for the Windows Phone platform.

How to keep the feds from snooping on your cloud data
A growing number of SaaS providers offer secure encryption log-in to Dropbox and other cloud storage vendors, meaning even they can't access the data you store. And neither can the government.

Google CEO on innovation: 'We're at 1% of what's possible'
Google CEO Larry Page took the stage today to wrap up a nearly four-hour long keynote that kicked off the Google I/O developers conference in San Francisco.

A stock Android Galaxy S4 from Google will cost you $649
A special edition, stock Android version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone will go on sale June 26 on the Google Play store for $649, Google announced at its annual Google I/O conference.

Mozilla to Firefox: 'Browser, heal thyself'
Mozilla on Tuesday released Firefox 21, adding more social media connections, tweaking the Do Not Track privacy setting and rolling out a new tool that long term, aims to create a self-healing browser.

Mobile management morphs
Customers are pushing the limits of the software -- asking it to manage and do many more things than it was originally created to do -- and vendors are happy to oblige.

HP brings Android to laptops with SlateBook X2
Hewlett-Packard has given the "Android treatment" to its latest laptop-tablet hybrid, which is called SlateBook X2 and has a detachable 10-inch screen that can independently function as a tablet.

At Google I/O, attendees compete to save the world, virtually
Google I/O has not officially started, but the developers' show is already seeing some action. Two warring factions, the Resistance and the Enlightenment, are vying for control of various "portals" at key landmarks throughout San Francisco, which are leaking dangerous amounts of radioactive energy, to determine the fate of the city and ultimately the world.

Windows 8 app store fails Top 10 test
Microsoft's Windows 8 app store failed a test touted by a former Microsoft manager and distinguished engineer as a way to determine an ecosystem's relevance.

BlackBerry Messenger is expanding to iOS and Android
BlackBerry's free Messenger service is being expanded to work with iOS and Android devices, the company announced today at its BlackBerry Live event.

No Chrome-Android merger, at least in the next year or two
Android's new boss hinted of an eventual merger of Chrome and Android but said the two will remain separate "for the short term," in an interview posted prior to Google I/O's opening keynote on Wednesday.

Lifelogging gets real
As privacy-invading technologies and location-aware applications become commonplace and accepted (and they will), and more products like Saga, Memoto and Glass become pervasive, the idea of lifelogging will become more appealing.

Microsoft sends gamblin' Pete Rose to the plate in swing at Google Docs
Microsoft today took another shot at rival Google, calling its rival's online application suite, Google Docs, "too big a gamble."

AT&T offers iPhone 5 through pre-paid Aio Wireless
AT&T launched a new wireless subsidiary called Aio Wireless on Thursday that offers phones like the iPhone 5 with no annual contract.

Analysts challenge Microsoft's commitment to Windows RT
One of Microsoft's top Windows executives this week said the company remains bullish about Windows RT, but analysts remain suspicious of RT's chances unless Microsoft makes changes.

Amazon may be working on a smartphone with hologram-like 3D
Amazon is reportedly developing a smartphone that sports a 3D screen that relies on retina-tracking technology to make images seem to float above the screen like a hologram.

Google boosts Glass with Google+, search upgrades
Google Glass developers and early adopters should be getting a software upgrade within the next week that adds tweaks to Google+, Gmail and search.

Optimus G Pro deep-dive review: A supersized smartphone done right
LG's new Optimus G Pro smartphone brings a fresh dose of elegance to the supersized smartphone form. Could it be the new heavyweight champion?

Google pushes out software update for Glass
Google has pushed out an update to Glass, its upcoming futuristic, computerized eyeglasses.

Xiaomi takes crowdsourced phone development model abroad
Taiwan and Hong Kong may be only the beginning of Xiaomi's expansion outside China. The popular Chinese vendor of low-priced handsets is aiming at getting into five more markets next year.

Microsoft's drip-drip-drip Windows communications strategy dubbed a washout
Microsoft's Tami Reller, the CFO and head of marketing for the Windows division, went on a mini publicity spree today. But she didn't say very much.

$300M investment in Nook delivers next to nothing for Microsoft
Microsoft has gotten little from a 2012 investment of $300 million with Barnes & Noble, analysts said, but it's poised to reap some rewards as it and its partners start to ship smaller tablets.

China's Alibaba aims for big smartphone sales of its mobile OS
Alibaba Group hopes to make a dent in Google's dominance of China's smartphone market, and has high hopes that handsets running the company's mobile OS will reach sales of 30 million units.

Facebook on a mobile roll
Facebook last week cited mobile growth as a major contributor to its first-quarter increase in sales and profits.

Amazon's new China app store could help pave way for Kindle products
Amazon.com has updated its mobile app store to include support for its Chinese customers, in a sign that the U.S. company could be preparing to sell its Kindle e-readers and tablets in the country.

Amazon leaks evidence of first smaller, cheaper Windows 8 tablet
Details of what could be the first smaller Windows 8 tablet leaked Friday when Amazon briefly published a listing for an 8.1-in. Acer Iconia tablet.

What I learned living abroad as a digital nomad
Digital nomad Mike Elgan returns to the U.S. after 10 months of travel and shares these tips for working and living abroad.

Mobile Players Offer a Mix of Messages in TV Ads
Apple, Samsung and Microsoft take divergent paths to selling their smartphones via TV commercials. The winning approach: Focus on your own unique features, and resist potshots at the competition.

Time to say goodbye to Windows RT tablets?
Windows RT tablets grabbed just 0.4% of the tablet market in the first quarter, a dismal result that led some tech experts to urge Microsoft to scrap the platform that's in its six-month infancy.

MediaTek aims to boost low-cost Android smartphone performance
Semiconductor company MediaTek wants to improve the performance of low-cost Android-based smartphones with its latest system-on-a-chip, the MT6572.

AT&T to carry LG Optimus G Pro for $200 and contract May 10
AT&T will exclusively sell the 5.5-in., quad-core LG Optimus G Pro smartphone starting May 10 for $199.99 with a two-year contract, the two companies announced Wednesday.

How do they compare? Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. HTC One and Nexus 4
Trying to figure out which one to get? Here's the specs for each of these three devices.

Samsung Galaxy S4 deep-dive review: A real-world evaluation
Samsung's Galaxy S4 has great hardware and some great added functionality -- but some of its new features are baffling or downright silly.

HP ships $169 Slate 7 Android tablet
Hewlett-Packard on Friday started shipping its $169.99 Slate 7 tablet with Android 4.1, which signals the company's reentry into the consumer tablet market after the TouchPad imploded in 2011.

LG stages comeback as smartphones outsell feature phones
LG Electronics more that doubled its sales of smartphones in the first quarter, which was the first time smartphones outsold feature phones, according to IDC.

Review: Xamarin 2.0 brings C# to mobile development
Impressive Xamarin SDK brings native iPhone and Android development to C# programmers, Visual Studio

NASA launches new nanosatellites: Android smartphones
NASA has launched three Google-HTC Nexus One smartphones into space in what scientists hope will be the lowest-cost satellites ever tested.

Windows Blue won't solve all Microsoft's problems, analysts say
Microsoft's failure thus far to significantly spark PC and tablet sales with Windows 8 has put high expectations on an expected 2013 refresh of the OS, dubbed 'Blue.'

HP could bury TouchPad fiasco with $169 Slate 7 tablet
Hewlett-Packard in the next few days will ship the US$169 Slate 7, the company's first product for the consumer tablet market since the spectacular failure of the WebOS-based TouchPad in 2011.

VirnetX targets Skype, Lync in new patent attack on Microsoft
Patent holding company VirnetX this week filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing Microsoft's Skype of infringing six of its patents.

Motorola Android phones infringe on Microsoft SMS patent, German court rules
Motorola Mobility Android phones infringe on a Microsoft text messaging patent, the Higher District Court of Munich ruled on Thursday.

Samsung confirms limited supply of Galaxy S4, cites 'overwhelming global demand'
Overwhelming global demand may limit initial supplies of the Galaxy S4 smartphone, Samsung said Wednesday, while both Sprint and T-Mobile USA confirmed there would be delays in their receiving the phones.

Sprint says Galaxy S4 shipments will be slightly delayed
Sprint warned Wednesday that it will be "slightly delayed" with its full launch of the Samsung Galaxy S 4 on Saturday as planned.

ZTE agrees to Android, Chrome patent licensing from Microsoft
Microsoft has inked an agreement that adds ZTE to its Android and Chrome patent licensing program.

Mac sales growth stalls -- here's why Apple doesn't care
Apple's Mac has been punished by shifting consumer tastes just as has the overall PC industry, data from the company's earnings statements show.

Android Power 

Our bloggers on Android 

How to make your whole home screen look like Google Now

Bring Google Now's sleek and minimalist card-centric interface to your entire Android home screen with these easy-to-follow steps.

Apple is planning a liquid-cooled iPhone (and so are Samsung and HTC)

The race to take the title of "World's Most Advanced Smartphone" is driving Apple, Samsung and HTC to explore increasingly advanced technologies, with a Digitimes report claiming all three firms are working to develop liquid cooled smartphones in order to boost power efficiency.

Reality check: The truth about iOS vs. Android upgrades

iPhone, smartphones and the PRISM planet

Your mobile devices are central to both real and digital life, but the recent revelation that Verizon hands over huge amounts of customer data to the PRISM-wielding NSA has serious implications for the evolution of a Post-PC mobile future. If you use a connected device, you need to know about Policy Control.

Inside the mind of a successful Android developer

WWDC Opinion: Fall will be Apple's Harvest Festival

WWDC 2013: Apple delivered its message loud and clear today as a confident Tim Cook took the stage to conduct fellow executives as they put forth the proposition that this Fall, Apple will be coming out with all guns blazing.

WWDC: Hey, Samsung: Apple's been studying on killing you

Hang onto your seats. The smartphone wars are about to intensify, and this time Apple won't attack Samsung in the courts, but in the marketplace as it raises the stakes on innovation all over again.

Google really is deconstructing Android -- and that's awesome

Google's pulling Android apart at the seams -- and for anyone who uses the platform, that's fantastic news.

Windows Phone sales are booming...no, they're falling. Which analyst is right?

Depending on the current research you read, Windows Phone sales are either growing by leaps and bounds, or else stagnant and falling. Which analyst should you believe?

ITC kills smartphone innovation with Apple decision

The US ITC yesterday declared against Apple in a FRAND-related case bought by Samsung -- and while I'm certain there's a few Phandroids laughing, they shouldn't be, because the decision will stifle innovation in the smartphone space far more than "rounded corners" ever have, or ever will.

Mobile devolution: Why Verizon's no longer a place for Android enthusiasts

WWDC: Jony Ive gives iOS its 'Now' moment

It's all about the now. This moment. Your next moment may or may not arrive while your previous iota of time has already disappeared. There's only the immediacy of your present bundle of sensation. Apple in its next-generation mobile operating system seems to be getting a handle on what 'now' means to its users. Maybe.

Pop quiz: What's missing from today's Computex Android announcements?

Android device news is flowing fast this morning, but almost every single announcement is missing one key element. Can you spot what it is?

Black Hat: It only takes a minute to hack an iPhone

Black Hat: Security researchers claim to have figured out how to hack an iPhone within one minute using a modified USB charger.

Here's why Office for the iPad is a long way off...if ever

Some analysts believe that Microsoft could reap billions by releasing Office for the iPad, but there's increasing evidence that such a release is likely a very long way off, if it ever happens.

• All Android blogs