Samsung’s next smart phone could arrive sporting a swanky metal jacket, if fresh rumours are to be believed. The South Korean tech giant is considering ditching the plastic for at least one high-end smart phone due out after April next year, according to a report in Taipei Times, which cites banking analysts who’ve apparently been …

Update: A reader has forwarded us a customer support email from Apple, which claims the Breaking Bad refund is not available in the UK, but only in the US, Australia, Germany and Canada. Thanks Ian! Breaking Bad fans who bought an iTunes season pass for both the first and second parts of the show’s fifth season are being offered a …

Sky Go has added Android support for a slew of new smart phones, including Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 and the Sony Xperia Z1. A total of six new mobiles have been granted support for the broadcaster’s on-demand service, with the HTC One SV, Sony Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia M and LG G2 also welcomed into the fold. That brings the …

The iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S are coming to the UK, and will be on sale on 20 September on all the major networks. Read on to find out what we know so far about UK prices and release dates. The iPhone 5C starts at £469 for the 16GB model if you buy it SIM-free from Apple or another retailer. …

Samsung has responded to concerns over its new Note 3 smart phone’s region lock, telling customers that the SIM-locking tech inside its new mobile will disappear after the first activation. “The product is only compatible with a SIM-card issued from a mobile operator within the region identified on the sticker of the product package,” Samsung explains, in a statement sent …

HTC’s rumoured One Max smart phone could be with us in a matter of weeks, fresh rumours suggest. Mark 15 October in your calendars, tech fans, as that’s the date that Android-centric site Android Central says it spied on Chinese-language blogging site Weibo, further claiming that the site tallies with its own anonymous sources. Take that rumoured date with a pinch or …

Microsoft will create the ‘next big thing’, outgoing CEO Steve Ballmer has said, in a reportedly emotional farewell speech to employees. The eccentric boss, known for his eccentric style and fondness for jumpers, was speaking at his last ever company meeting as chief, the Verge reports, citing sources ‘familiar with the meeting’. The impassioned delivery apparently saw Ballmer say that …

Microsoft is cooking up a tiny version of its Surface device that will be on sale next year, according to fresh claims concerning Ballmer and pals’ tablet plans. The so-called Surface Mini will make its debut in early 2014, ZDNet reports, citing sources who are au fait with Microsoft’s schemes. The tablet is tipped to arrive in conjunction with a …

Nokia has two Lumia devices in the works that will make their debut at an event next month, according to a fresh report concerning the Finnish firm’s phone plans. Nokia has a total of six new devices — including the two Lumia mobiles — lined up for a 22 October reveal in Abu Dhabi, the Verge reports. The brace of …

BlackBerry says it isn’t withdrawing from the UK high street, despite the ailing corporation’s decision to shift focus to the world of business-related tech. Johnathan Young, BlackBerry’s UK senior retail director, told CNET that the firm’s consumer efforts (i.e, selling phones to ordinary shoppers, rather than big companies) would be “business as usual”. “The majority of our business, particularly in …