A big HTC handset, complete with a fingerprint scanner, could be coming to Verizon Wireless, leaked images suggest. An anonymous, purported Verizon employee over the weekend posted images of what he claims is a flagship HTC handset, known as the One Max, coming to Verizon’s network. The poster said the smartphone will feature a large …

Samsung executives might have been able to access patent-licensing terms between Apple and Nokia, despite rules disallowing such access. Foss Patents’ Florian Mueller on Thursday published court documents filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California on Wednesday that suggest Samsung might have been inappropriately given access to a patent-licensing deal between Apple and Nokia. Related …

Amazon is working on not one, but two separate smartphones, according to a new report. The e-retail giant’s flagship handset is currently codenamed “Smith,” TechCrunch reported on Wednesday, citing people who claim to have knowledge of its plans. The device was previously known as Project B, but after the Wall Street Journal reported on its features earlier this year, Amazon …

FreedomPop has fired a shot over the wireless industry’s bow. To commemorate its one-year anniversary, FreedomPop debuted its free mobile phone service on Tuesday. The free service includes 200 anytime voice minutes and 500 text messages per month, as well as 500MB of data. For now, FreedomPop’s smartphone collection isn’t all that deep. The service is available solely on the …

HTC’s next Butterfly smartphone might have leaked to the Web before its time. Images purportedly of the HTC Butterfly 2 cropped up on the Web over the weekend, showing what appears to be three color options — blue, white, and black. The images also show what appears to be a tall, large display, matching rumors that the handset could come …

Samsung’s line of flagship devices will be getting Android 4.3 Jelly Bean soon enough. According to Android Community, which obtained a copy of French carrier SFR’s update cycle, the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3, and Galaxy Note 2 will be getting Android 4.3 in the coming months. The Galaxy S4 will be first up with an update in October. The Galaxy …

Now playing: Watch this: Meet the Samsung Galaxy Gear 2:40 Samsung’s Galaxy Gear smartwatch needs some improvement, one of the company’s executives said in a recent interview. Speaking to Korea Times in an interview published on Wednesday, an unidentified Samsung official said that the company has “acknowledged that our [Galaxy] Gear [smartwatch] lacks something special.” The executive said that Samsung …

DIYers, listen up: if you want to fix your smartphone, consider picking up an Android-based handset. iFixit on Thursday released a list of the most repairable smartphones after tearing each of the devices down and putting them back together again. According to the company, the Motorola Droid Bionic is the most repair friendly, scoring a 9 out of a possible …

Apple’s iPhone 5S won’t be the only flagship handset featuring a gold finish. Samsung’s Middle East social feeds on Wednesday announced the Gold Pink and Gold Brown Galaxy S4 units. The pink and brown phones come with a gold-colored backplate and feature the same design and internal components as the Galaxy S4. Samsung has not disclosed information on pricing or …

China’s smartphone market is set for an explosion over the next year, according to new data from research firm IDC. By the end of this year, total smartphone shipments in China will hit 360 million, according to data obtained by Reuters from IDC. Next year, that figure will rise to 450 million, making the country one of the most attractive …