As the battle between SoftBank and Dish in the takeover of Sprint increasingly heats up, SoftBank has announced that it will raise its offer to from $20.1 billion to $21.6 billion. SoftBank said Monday that the amended merger agreement will give shareholders a greater value, including greater cash consideration and increased certainty. Under the new …

While debate rages over whether Android devices, iPhones, BlackBerrys, or Windows Phones are better, there’s no question that people increasingly prefer smartphones to feature phones. And the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project just released the numbers to back that up. In the U.S., 56 percent of adults are now smartphone owners, according to a study published Wednesday …

Word has it that Sprint is looking to debut its own high-end large-screened Android 4.1 smartphone, according to Engadget. Sources familiar with the matter have given Engadget a host of photos and specs on the alleged ZTE-made device — supposedly named “Vital.” In addition to running on Android’s Jelly Bean, the phone is said to have a 5-inch HD display, …

For those extra-organized people, Google has updated its Calendar app for Android to add color labels and a new date and time tool. Related stories Please, Clear Your Android Phone’s Cookies and Cache Right Now Best Samsung Phone for 2022 Best Android Tablet for 2022 The color labels palette lets users customize events or calendar listings with a choice of …

Samsung has succeeded in maintaining its edge on China’s smartphone market for the fifth straight quarter in a row. It has also broke its own record by selling more than 10 million smartphones in a single quarter. The Korean phone maker sold 12.5 million smartphones in China during the first quarter of 2013, according to new data from market research …

SoftBank made a bold move in its ongoing battle with Dish to acquire Sprint. The Japanese wireless carrier gave Sprint a special waiver on Monday to let it go into more broad talks with Dish. While this seems counterintuitive, SoftBank said that it believes further talks between Dish and Sprint will only show the U.S. wireless carrier that SoftBank is …

The four major wireless carriers are putting their sway behind a massive ad campaign that aims to lower the amount of people that text while driving in the U.S. Initiated by AT&T, the multi-million dollar “It Can Wait” campaign now has the support of Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and more than 200 other organizations. Besides rolling out TV, radio, and Internet …

As the bidding war between Dish and SoftBank for the merger of Sprint intensifies, SoftBank is pulling out all the stops to block Dish from getting in the way. The Japanese wireless carrier launched a new Web site on Tuesday pointing out the reasons it believes it should be the company to acquire Sprint. It also funded a study (pdf) …

Text messaging in the U.S. is on the decline, according to a survey (PDF) released Thursday by CTIA-The Wireless Association. The numbers of SMS text messages sent and received nationally dropped from 2.3 trillion in 2011 to 2.19 trillion in 2012. While 2.19 trillion may seem like a colossal number and not much less than 2.3 trillion, it is still …

BlackBerry 10 devices have succeeded in passing the rigorous U.S. Department of Defense security requirements, according to Reuters. The agency approved on Thursday the company’s entire line of devices running on its new operating system, which includes BlackBerry Z10 and Q10 smartphones, and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets. BlackBerry, Apple, and Samsung have all recently been in the running to get security …