Samsung today unveiled a smaller version of its popular Galaxy S3 smartphone as the Korean electronics giant ramps up competition with Apple’s iPhone. The device, dubbed the Galaxy S3 Mini, features a 4-inch screen and the latest version of Google’s Android operating system. By comparison, Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S3 smartphone has a 4.8-inch screen. The …

Now playing: Watch this: LG’s Optimus G offers a full four cores of CPU power 1:50 Turns out AT&T won’t be alone in selling LG’s flagship Optimus G phone. Sprint, the nation’s third-largest carrier, will also be offering the device. Related stories: AT&T will sell LG’s flagship Optimus G phone LG unveils Optimus G CNET’s Optimus G review The Optimus …

A mash-up between “Star Wars” and Angry Birds may be coming soon. Rovio, owner of the popular Angry Birds franchise, today updated its Tumblr blog with an animated image of a something — presumably a very Angry Bird — wearing a Jedi robe and holding a lightsaber. The post says the company will have “behind-the-scenes content, animations, comics, and much, …

Next month, all you’ll need is your smartphone and Square Wallet app to buy your latte at Starbucks. The coffeehouse giant today said that customers will be able to use Square’s mobile payment system in about 7,000 U.S. stores starting in early November. Customers will also be able to digitally tip their baristas using Square and Starbucks’ existing mobile payment …

Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system is gaining on Research In Motion, a new study says, but it still has a long way to go before catching Android and iOS. Windows Phone is vying with RIM for third place in Europe as low-end devices — like the Nokia 610 — drive sales in key markets such as Italy and France, according …

One maps expert has some tips to help Apple deal with its “cartostrophe.” Even though it’s only been available a few days, Apple’s iOS 6 is already taking heat for its new Maps app. The new mobile operating system is the first to incorporate Apple’s mapping technology instead of Google’s popular Maps app. But the new technology is experiencing some …

Some people in Japan found a way around the endless lines for the iPhone 5. They just broke in and took them early. Thieves took about 200 devices from three phone retailer stores in Osaka in the early hours before the launch, according to the Wall Street Journal. Seventy-five iPhone 5s were taken from a couple of KDDI “au” brand …

More customers are moving to Verizon Wireless’ “Share Everything” plan than the carrier anticipated, Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo said today. Not only are more customers switching to the shared offering, Shammo said, but they’re also adding more devices than Verizon had expected. And a lot of those people are customers who previously had unlimited data plans. “We’re surprised …

The iPhone 5 may prove so popular that many people may willing to upgrade early and pay full price for the device, the chief executive of AT&T said. Randall Stephenson, speaking today during an analyst conference, said anecdotally that the carrier is seeing “a lot” of people show willingness to buy the new Apple devices outside of their upgrade cycle. …

Sprint Nextel has been rolling out its high-speed LTE network, but the faster network could come with a downside for customers — higher prices. Chief Executive Dan Hesse, speaking at an analyst conference today, said Sprint may consider raising prices once it has made more progress with its 4G LTE network upgrade. The company lags Verizon Wireless and AT&T in …