BlackBerry CEO John Chen at a press roundtable session at the Consumer Electronics Show. Roger Cheng/CNET BlackBerry CEO John Chen said Wednesday that the company might stop making mobile phones if it continues to lose profits on its devices, according to Reuters. “If I cannot make money on handsets, I will not be in the …

Scott Stein / CNET It’s a common truth in new tech: a company releases a firmware update, and suddenly there are all-new features to discover. When I reviewed the Samsung Gear Fit , I was using the latest software Samsung had at the time. I couldn’t use the Fit’s long display in anything other than a sideways-landscape mode, which meant …

ZTE, the embattled China-based mobile company, launched a new smartphone on Wednesday that promises big features at a cheap price. Dubbed the V5, the Android-based handset comes to China with a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor and 5-inch 720p HD display. It also features a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, and 5-megapixel front-facing camera. ZTE is offering five color options on the Redbull …

The power-saving mode shuts down non-essential features Screenshot Sprint customers who’ve picked up HTC’s swanky new One M8 will soon be enjoying a new feature, as a fresh update brings the flagship’s ‘extreme power saving mode’ to bear. The update is number 1.54.651.8, and adds the missing mode, which conserves CPU usage, cranks down the screen brightness, turns off vibration, …

Odin Mobile adds Google’s flagship Nexus 5 to its roster Odin Mobile Odin Mobile, the wireless provider who caters to visually impaired users, has added another smartphone to its roster. Today sees the arrival of the LG Nexus 5 , one of the top Android handsets of the last few months. Related links Newly minted Odin Mobile sells phones for …

New Motorola COO Rick Osterloh Weinberg-Clark Photography Rick Osterloh will take over as president and chief operating officer of Motorola, now part of Google but soon to become part of Lenovo. Osterloh, who previously ran Motorola’s product management group, replaces Dennis Woodside, who departed the company earlier this year to join Dropbox as COO. “We are pleased to learn that …

Now playing: Watch this: BlackBerry Diaries: day three 1:44 The most recent BBOS update promised the ability to install Android app APKs directly on to your BlackBerry, without having to use a side-loading program. And it certainly delivered. You may not get the full functionality of Google Play, but provided you can find APK files you can (usually) get an …

Competition can be a beautiful thing. The Arsenio Hall Show/YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET I struggle with Siri. Apple’s virtual assistant seems not to hear the things I say. She’s convinced, in fact, that I say things that I didn’t say. Today, I said to her: “Siri, you don’t understand my accent, do you?” “Oh, no,” she replied. I cannot …

Screenshot by Donna Tam/CNET Mailbox , the email productivity app that garnered fans in a flash, is finally available for Android and Mac, the identically named, Dropbox-owned company announced Wednesday. The arrival of the new Android Mailbox app, which works for Gmail and iCloud accounts, also brings a feature called auto-swipe, which “uses Dropbox to sync preferences and auto-swipe patterns …

Designer Todd Hamilton sketches out different possible versions of the iWatch. Todd Hamilton Apple’s rumored iWatch could be as much of a high-end fashion accessory as a high-tech gadget. AppleInsider got its hands on a research note from KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is known for successful predictions on Apple products, that says two sizes of the device could be …

Wi-Fi calling comes to Sprint’s tri-band Samsung Galaxy S4 Sprint Sprint’s tri-band Samsung Galaxy S4 is receiving a software update that lets it place calls over Wi-Fi networks. According to the carrier, this marks the fourth such smartphone to offer the capability. Related Links Sprint adds Wi-Fi calling to improve voice coverage Sprint lights up Samsung Galaxy S4 with Spark …

T-Mobile CEO John Legere at the company’s press conference at CES 2014. CNET/James Martin T-Mobile is at it again. The upstart wireless carrier on Wednesday unveiled its latest shot at the broader industry, a $40 “Simple Starter” plan that includes unlimited talk and text and 500 megabytes of capped data. The plan will be made available in stores on Saturday, …

Samsung-branded stores are opening across Europe in time for the S5. Manuel Munoz Gomez/Samsung With the Samsung Galaxy S5 hitting shop shelves this week, Samsung has opened the doors on more branded stores in Europe today in readiness for the new flagship phone. Following 19 stores already open in Europe, the first British shops have opened in 7 UK cities, …

The head of Google Payments, Ariel Bardin, addresses attendees at the Electronic Transaction Association’s 2014 tradeshow in Las Vegas. CNET/Marguerite Reardon LAS VEGAS — It’s been a bumpy ride for Google Wallet since its launch nearly three years ago, but in spite of the obstacles the company has faced, Google head of payments Ariel Bardin says the company isn’t giving …

T-Mobile CEO John Legere Lori Grunin/CNET After a quiet few months, T-Mobile Chief Executive John Legere is looking to stir up some trouble again. “Just when you thought it was safe to return, T-Mobile is back,” Legere said in an interview with CNET on Wednesday. To kick things off, T-Mobile launched its , a $40 option for customers who don’t …