Jason Cipriani/CNET Earlier this week Google announced Android Wear, the platform that’s going to bring Android to more wearables in the very near future. Along with the announcement, it also released a developer preview of the operating system for developers to begin working magic with. Naturally the preview included an emulator for devs to preview …

Here we go again. New reports online today suggest that the long-rumored Amazon smartphone is finally close at hand. According to tech blog BGR, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted in a note to clients that “Amazon (US) will launch its own brand smartphone in 3-6 months, using the same hardware strategy as used for its e-reader and tablet.” For …

Sprint recently cut a significant chunk of its staff dedicated to repairing and refurbishing phones and shut down its slower-performing stores, part of a broader effort to reduce the company’s costs in the face of continued financial struggles. The Overland Park, Kan., wireless carrier laid off 330 technical consultants, closing 150 service and repair centers across the country, a Sprint …

Lenovo on Thursday continued ramping up its mobile arsenal. The Chinese computing giant, which in January agreed to buy Motorola for $2.9 billion, now has reached a deal to purchase 21 patent families owned by Unwired Planet for $100 million in cash. Those patents include 3G and LTE mobile technology, as well as “other important mobility patents.” Related stories: Google …

The Samsung Galaxy S5 sells for $200 with a carrier agreement, and for about $650 without one. Sarah Tew/CNET AT&T, U.S. Cellular, T-Mobile, and RadioShack announced on Thursday pricing and availability for the Samsung Galaxy S5, which globally goes on sale April 11. Related stories: Hands-on: Samsung Galaxy S5 Gorgeous fit: Samsung Gear Fit Get close with the improved Gear …

The major UK networks — EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three — have teamed up with industry body the GSMA and the government’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to combat spam texts. The GSMA’s 7726 service — that’s “SPAM” on old numerical keypads — lets you forward dodgy texts you’ve not signed up for. It’s been around for ages, but now the …

You walk into a store. You have $300 in your hand. You can get a Samsung Gear 2 for $299, a Gear 2 Neo for $199, or a Gear Fit for $199. Do you get: a) the Gear 2? b) the Gear 2 Neo? c) the Gear Fit? d) none of the above? The Wide World of Wearables has a …

Today Samsung announced official pricing on its vast array of new 2014 TVs, including numerous curved and 4K/UHD sets first introduced at CES 2014 last January. They ain’t cheap. Samsung’s 4K models start at $2,499 for a 50-inch size. Compare that to Vizio, for example, which is charging $999 for its cheapest 4K 50-incher. On paper, the Vizio even has …

Samsung got a jump on CES 2014 this year by pre-announcing its sound bars, Giga Systems, and a wireless speaker in early January. But like many CES announcements, there weren’t many details. Samsung filled in major gaps today, announcing pricing and availability for its core line of home theater products. The major product lineup shapes up like this: Wireless speaker …

Building on a content deal first announced at CES 2014, Samsung and 20th Century Fox today revealed what the companies are calling a “New UHD Content Ecosystem.” Said to deliver a variety of 4K (aka UHD) content using the Smart Hub platform built into Samsung’s 2014 4K TVs, the partnership “will also explore additional collaboration opportunities in multiple areas of …

Marvel’s Powers comic books, about detectives who investigate superheroes, is coming to a PS4 near you. Sony’s first original TV show for the PlayStation Network will be an adaptation of Brian Bendis and Michael Oeming’s long-running series, according to Hollywood gossip site Deadline. It’ll be produced by Sony Pictures Television, the company behind Breaking Bad and Community, with scripts from …

Allen Wu, Oppo’s vice president domestic (China) division, takes the stage to introduce the new handset. Aloysius Low/CNET BEIJING, China — Priced at a reasonable $599, Oppo’s latest Find 7 has just made its debut in China, and is the first to sport a 5.5-inch Quad HD display. QHD, not to be confused with qHD (960×540 pixels), has a resolution …

Looking for your daily fix of yoga? A couple of free smartphone apps can lead the way. As a student of yoga and meditation, I like to stay in practice as frequently as possible. However, finding the right classes when I’m traveling can be a challenge. That’s when I turn to a couple of yoga-locating smartphone apps to help me …

Sony is looking to streamline product development as it prepares to make a hard run at Apple and Samsung in the wake its PC business sell-off, according to a Japan-based report. The Japanese electronics maker will pare the number of component suppliers to 250 from the current 1,000, Nikkei reported on Thursday. The problem, as Sony sees it, is competing …

Sony has started rolling out Android 4.4 KitKat across its Xperia line. The company on Wednesday announced that the Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Z1, and Xperia Z1 Compact are getting KitKat updates starting on Wednesday, though timing and availability vary by market and carrier. Sony said the KitKat upgrade includes the standard interface improvements baked into the mobile OS, along …