Stephen Elop, who will be leaving Microsoft, talks up Windows Phone at an event last year. The company’s reorg shows that Microsoft “is determined to be a part of the mobile mind shift,” says one analyst. Sarah Tew/CNET Microsoft has a daunting task ahead: making Windows relevant in smartphones again. Likely realizing the challenges ahead, …

The Sony Xperia Z4v is a Verizon Wireless exclusive smartphone. Sony If at first you don’t succeed with the gamer crowd, try, try again. That’s the attitude Sony’s mobile division is taking with the Xperia Z4v, a variant of its latest flagship smartphone tweaked exclusively for Verizon Wireless. Sony will once again tout the ability to stream and remotely play …

This story is part of WWDC 2022, CNET’s complete coverage from and about Apple’s annual developers conference. Apple Watch takes a big step with native apps at Apple’s developer conference on Monday. James Martin/CNET Apple is hoping time repeats itself with the Watch. While the original iPhone turned heads when it first debuted in 2007, it didn’t become a world-beating …

This story is part of WWDC 2022, CNET’s complete coverage from and about Apple’s annual developers conference. Now playing: Watch this: Apple makes your privacy a priority 0:58 Apple on Monday said it loud and clear: We value your privacy more than others do. Amid a slew of announcements ranging from a new music service to a smarter version of …

The new HTC One isn’t doing so great. CNET HTC is in a jam. The Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer has long crafted critically acclaimed smartphones, only to have them ignored in favor of larger, flashier brands. The company’s troubles continued on Friday, when it cut its second-quarter revenue forecast and warned it would post a loss, breaking a streak of four …

John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile, speaks at an Un-carrier event in SF on September 10, 2014. He could be new BFFs with Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen. Josh Miller/CNET T-Mobile and Dish Network, two mavericks in their respective industries, could make for a potent duo. The nation’s fourth-largest wireless carrier and second-largest satellite-TV provider are in talks to merge, according to …

The Huawei P8 Lite is an affordable midtier smartphone available on Huawei’s US direct-to-consumer site. Juan Garzón/CNET Huawei, the telecom giant you’ve probably never heard of, is getting serious about breaking out of its anonymity. A year ago today, the Chinese company, which is the top-ranked telecommunications equipment in the world by revenue and the fourth-largest smartphone vendor by market …

Ericsson has a sizeable presence at the Mobile World Congress conference every year. Sarah Tew / CNET By 2020, mobile networks will be virtually ubiquitous. With network speeds jumping up, we may all end up mobile data hogs, according to a mobility report conducted by network equipment manufacturer Ericsson twice a year. Each month, the average smartphone in North America …

Apple is just one of the retailers that will stop offering two-year contracts for AT&T. James Martin/CNET AT&T is slowly saying farewell to the idea of service contracts and smartphone subsidies. The nation’s second-largest wireless carrier on Monday began its push to get its retail partners and authorized third-party retailers to switch to only offering Next, its program that requires …

Chinese smartphone vendor Xiaomi has made a name for itself with its stunningly affordable products. Hugo Barra, global vice president for Xiaomi, says the company doesn’t have a set plan to bring a smartphone to the US. Asa Mathat/Recode So how can it afford to undercut the competition? A willingness to stay aggressive, said Hugo Barra, the global vice president …