LG Electronics said today it swung a third-quarter profit based largely on the success of its once-ailing handset division. South Korean electronics maker posted a net profit of 157.1 billion won ($138.5 million) for the three months ended September 30, a dramatic recovery from the loss of 413.9 billion won ($366 million) it recorded in …

There might be hope for those who suffer from BlackBerry shame after all. Once the de rigueur instrument of business communications, Research In Motion’s smartphone has taken a beating lately. RIM’s market share of mobile traffic has plummeted from 25 percent in September 2011 to just barely 1 percent in July, according to a recent Chitika study. Last month, Yahoo …

With the debut of Windows Phone 8 a little more than a week away, Best Buy has begun taking pre-orders for Nokia’s and HTC’s flagship smartphones running Microsoft’s new mobile operating system. The electronics retailer’s Web site now lists the Lumia 920 for $149.99 with a two-year commitment and off-contract at $599.99. It also lists the HTC 8X for $99.99 …

Sprint Nextel may soon gain control of wireless broadband provider Clearwire without an acquisition, clearing up a stumbling block to Softbank’s $20 billion acquisition of Sprint. Sprint is Clearwire’s largest customer and its largest shareholder with an 84 percent stake, but the No. 3 U.S. wireless carrier doesn’t have control of Clearwire’s board. To take control of the company, the …

Best Buy has priced a homegrown Android tablet to take on offerings from Apple and Samsung. The Insignia Flex, which the electronics retail giant revealed on Facebook last week, will sell for between $239 and $259 when it hits the market on November 11, according to a Reuters report. The tablet will feature a 9.7-inch screen and be powered by …

Samsung has taken the wraps off a collection of Windows devices, including a Windows 8 ultrabook with a touch screen. As part of its “Smart PC” strategy, the Korean electronics giant tonight unveiled its 13-inch Series 5 Ultra Touch Windows 8 ultrabook, which starts at $809.99 for a Core i3 and features a 1366×768 display, 4GB of RAM, and 500GB …

Amazon’s new Kindle Fire HD 4G tablet has received clearance from the Federal Communications Commission, Amazon told Reuters today. Although the device was unveiled last month, Amazon had not yet received the commission’s approval to sell the device, which is required of all new wireless communications devices to assure device safety and prevent spectrum interference issues. Amazon Web pages and …

Sprint appears to be taking a wait-and-see approach on a possible acquisition bid for MetroPCS. The No. 3 wireless carrier is delaying a counteroffer in an effort to examine Deutsche Telekom’s plan to merge the prepaid carrier with T-Mobile, sources tell Bloomberg. The company is reportedly holding its counteroffer for a chance to see Deutsche Telekom’s proxy filing to examine …

Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest consumer electronics maker, expects to report its fourth consecutive record quarter on surging sales of its Galaxy smartphones despite ongoing legal woes with Apple. The Korean electronics giant projected Friday that its operating profit totaled $7.3 billion for the third quarter ended September 30, a jump of 90 percent from a year ago to 8.1 …

Verizon Wireless has no intention of hobbling its version of the iPhone 5, potentially allowing its customers to use the GSM smartphone on competing wireless carriers. Verizon’s version of the new iPhone, which was released on Friday, comes “GSM unlocked” out of the box, allowing it to be used on Verizon rivals AT&T and T-Mobile. While it was understood that …