A concept image of sensors lining the back of an iPad. US Patent and Trademark Office While a tablet’s front touchscreen allows users to complete thousands of different tasks, the back of the device doesn’t typically do much. Apple may want to change that, making the back of its iPad tablet much more functional with …

Motorola’s mid-range Moto G appears ready for a refresh. Andrew Hoyle/CNET Motorola will give the Moto G a modest punch-up, according to recent benchmarks (here and here) for a Motorola XT1063. Related Links Moto G (4G LTE) review Moto G review Yup, Moto X in line for Google’s Android L update Based on these preliminary specifications, it appears that the …

Budget MVNO Amaysim is making some changes to its top level mobile plan, along with removing its offering of free data for select social sites from all plans. The Unlimited plan from Amaysim will now come with 5GB of data, up from the original 4GB. The plan will also increase from AU$39.90 a month to AU$44.90. Other aspects of the …

Apple will introduce the follow up to the iPhone 5S this fall. Sarah Tew/CNET Apple plans to hold a media event September 9, when it’s likely to launch the iPhone 6, according to a new report. Recode, which often has accurate information about Apple launch dates and other news, pegged the event to that September date, but didn’t give any …

Counterpoint Research Samsung has fallen from the pedestal and become the No. 2 handset maker in India. The company held a 14.4 percent share of the handset market in India in the second quarter, putting it in second place behind India-based device maker Micromax, which owned 16.6 percent share, Counter Point Research reported this week. Nokia came in third place …

Huawei Entering a saturated foreign market made up of 85 percent domestic manufacturers is risky business, but that’s exactly what Huawei is preparing to do. Huawei’s current flagship model, the Honor 6, is reportedly being tested under Korea’s LG Uplus network to be approved for the Korean market. This would be the first time a Chinese-branded handset entered the Korean …

HTC One M8 CNET HTC isn’t enjoying a very good summer. After reporting lower sales for the quarter ended in June, the Taiwanese mobile-device maker announced on Monday a nearly 33 percent drop in its revenue in July, compared to the same month last year. For July, HTC took in revenue of 10.6 billion New Taiwan dollars ($353 million) vs. …

JetBlue As airlines mull over the possibility of in-flight cell phone calls, it appears the US government also wants to weigh in on the matter. Word has it that the US Department of Transportation may be looking to create rules that would enforce a ban on in-flight cell phone calls, according to The Wall Street Journal. Related stories FCC vote …

Now playing: Watch this: Amazon Silk browser tips 2:12 Before you ditch the Fire Phone’s default browser, Silk, for a popular alternative like Chrome or Firefox, take it for a spin. Built specifically for the Fire Phone, the browser boasts a few useful features you won’t find elsewhere. Browse the gallery to find out how to make the most of …

The Huawei Ascend Mate 2 could soon get a more powerful sibling. James Martin/CNET Huawei could soon introduce a more powerful member of the Ascend Mate family, the Huawei Ascend Mate 3, possibly at next month’s annual IFA trade event in Berlin. Related Links Huawei Ascend Mate 2 4G review Huawei smartphone shipments jump 62% to 34 million Huawei set …

Xiaomi’s Mi Pad. Aloysius Low/CNET Xiaomi has been relatively unknown outside of Asia, but a new Strategy Analytics report shows that the Beijing-based company has shot up to being the world’s fifth-largest smartphone maker, behind Samsung, Apple, Huawei, and Lenovo. Related stories Xiaomi becomes fifth-largest smartphone maker worldwide Xiaomi global VP Hugo Barra: Copying current products is ‘stupid’ Meet Xioami’s …

Samsung Galaxy S5 may soon have some internal competition. Josh Miller/CNET The rumor mill has been working overtime about the next Samsung smartphone, and now it appears that a supplier in the UK has accidentally leaked the specifications and name of the new device. As spotted by The Inquirer, smartphone retailer Mobilefun is letting consumers preorder the device, dubbed the …

Civilization Revolution 2 is the first Civ game designed specifically for mobile devies. 2K Can a classic old-school game thrive in today’s ruthlessly competitive mobile world? Civilization Revolution 2 aims to find out. In an era of mobile gaming where we’re constantly asked to fork over more money to progress through games faster or access new features or characters, Civilization …

Verizon Wireless CEO Daniel Mead at CTIA 2012. Lynn La/CNET Verizon Wireless CEO Daniel Mead says he was “very surprised” to receive a cutting letter from the FCC last week that accused the wireless giant of unfairly singling out its unlimited data customers as it expands a network management tactic it’s used since 2011. Mead defended his company’s policy in …

Apple’s current iPad Air. Josh Miller/CNET Apple’s next-generation iPad may boast only some subtle changes on the rear casing, if the latest batch of leaked photos are legit. Posted on Chinese site Weibo this past weekend, the photos purportedly show off the rear shell of the next iPad with no earth-shaking innovations but a few tweaks in the overall design. …