The large Nokia X smartphone runs a hybrid OS that tries to make the most of all worlds. Josh Miller/CNET So much for the Nokia X family of phones being good for Microsoft. It didn’t take long in Redmond’s digestion of Nokia’s devices unit to officially scrap the strange Nokia X Software Platform and the …

A laser writes an invisible waveguide into a smartphone’s display glass. Optics Express Wondering if you have a cold? You may be able one day soon to spit on your smartphone to find out. Researchers at Polytechnique Montréal in Canada, collaborating with glass maker Corning, are getting closer to making that kind of feature a reality for mobile devices by …

iPhone 6 models imagined — compared with the actual iPhone 5S on the left. Ciccarese Design The iPhone 6 could sport a higher-capacity battery than the one found in the iPhone 5S — if photos leaked by French tech site Nowhereelse.fr are legit. Photos displayed by the French site reveal what is purportedly the battery for Apple’s rumored 4.7-inch-screened iPhone …

LG’s G3. CNET LG’s new G3 and G Watch are now available for sale through Verizon, both online and at retail stores. The carrier opened up online preorders for both products a week ago, at the same time announcing that they would officially arrive for consumers on July 17. The G3 is available at various prices, depending on which type …

GoTenna is a pocket-size communication tool that lets smartphones talk to one another without cell service. GoTenna Our modern, wired society often romanticizes going off the grid. Pack-toting hikers bravely venture into areas without electricity or — gasp! — cell service, unfortunately inhibiting the posting of that picture-perfect Instagram shot. While few discount the benefits of unplugging now and again, …

The iPhone 5S CNET Apple may be planning to beef up the iSight camera in its upcoming iPhone 6 smartphone, according to a report via GforGames. Citing Chinese site Digi-wo.com, the report said Apple may be upgrading to a new 13-megapixel Sony camera sensor in its iPhone 6. The company’s current 5S, 5C, and 4S smartphone cameras offer 8 megapixels. …

Expansys Four out of five Android purists agree: The Google Play editions of popular smartphones offer a “purer” — and therefore better — Android experience, if only because they’re free from manufacturer and/or carrier bloatware. Of course, to get one of these models, you’d typically have to pay unsubsidized prices in the $650 range. Ouch. Sony Today only and while …

LG Following the tremendous reception of its current flagship model, the G3, LG will be releasing a more affordable iteration called the “G3 Beat” in Korea this Friday, July 18. Although unannounced as of yet, the price is not expected to exceed $500 (which converts to £290, AU$535). The G3 Beat will then launch in Europe, Russia, China, and the …

James Martin/CNET Apple’s deal with IBM to co-develop iOS apps for the enterprise crowd is “noteworthy,” according to Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster. But the analyst doesn’t see it as a huge revenue booster. On Tuesday, IBM and Apple announced a deal in which the two companies will co-create exclusive industry-specific apps built on iOS. The two will develop more than …

Jawbone The Jawbone Up is one of our favorite fitness bands, for good reason: it has some of the best life-coaching software out there. The latest version of the Up app takes on the hardest part of the health-fitness landscape: weight loss and food tracking. And it aims to start guiding people how to eat better and lose weight…something that, …

4G LTE, the high-speed wireless data connection available in some mobile devices via carrier networks, is set to expand its reach in the next several years, according to new data from research firm Juniper Research. By 2017, there will be 1 billion active LTE, or long-term evolution, connections worldwide, Juniper reported on Wednesday. That figure will nearly double to 1.8 …

Apple was found guilty of e-books price-fixing a year ago. CNET Apple has agreed to pay $400 million to consumers hurt by e-books price-fixing, but only if the company’s appeal of the original antitrust ruling doesn’t succeed. The Cupertino, Calif., electronics giant last month said it had agreed to settle an antitrust lawsuit, brought by attorneys general in 33 states, …

Rows and rows of Google Glass. Seth Rosenblatt/CNET Google is working to win over more Glass converts. The company sent out emails to prospective Glass buyers on Wednesday saying it was opening up some of its offices for people to come in and give the computer-enabled eyeglasses a whirl. Related stories Google unleashes a slew of new Glass apps Google …

The Samsung Galaxy S5 and Apple iPhone 5S. CNET As Apple readies for the release of its next-generation iPhone , its latest version is still going strong. According to a new survey by market researcher Counterpoint, the iPhone 5S sold 7 million units in May, making it the bestselling smartphone in the world. Coming in second was Samsung’s Galaxy S5, …

Jason Cipriani/CNET You may have noticed the screen on your Android Wear watch never truly turns off. Sure the brightness is turned way down and the bright, colorful display is hidden when the watch goes into idle mode, but the screen is still on. Not only is it sipping on battery power, but it’s also an annoyance when you’re trying …