Snuck into the background of an otherwise unremarkable Samsung press shot might be a reveal of the Galaxy Note 8.0. Is the device in the background possibly the 8-inch Note? (Credit: Samsung) Earlier in the year, Samsung’s head of mobile confirmed that the company is working on an 8-inch Galaxy Note that would probably be …

A video of a transparent smartphone prototype raises hopes for the technology to arrive as early as this year. A still from the Mobile Geeks video. (Screenshot by CNET Australia) Despite being a popular concept in films, the transparent smartphone seemed destined to linger in the domain of science fiction. But Polytron, a Taiwanese tech company, seems to have made …

We’ve heard more than a few murmurings about a Nokia tablet in recent months, but one analyst company reckons it’ll be a while before we actually see the device. That’s because the Finnish phone firm won’t launch a slate PC at Mobile World Congress in a week’s time, according to Strategy Analytics. It’s been conducting “extensive channel checks” and found …

There’s much to like about the Kindle Fire HD, but while it’s running Android, it’s definitely an Amazon device through and through. The customised version of Android Ice Cream Sandwich you’ll find on the tablet has been chopped down to restrict the content you’re able to install, and the sprawling collection of apps available in Google Play has been replaced …

For as long as I can remember, my iPhone 4S has had trouble connecting to certain Wi-Fi hotspots. When I go to Panera Bread, for example, I can connect to their network on my laptop without a problem. But it requires visiting a landing page in my browser and clicking a button to agree to the terms of service. When …

It’s not just Apple building a wristwatch — Samsung could be working on a watch too. The company behind the Samsung Galaxy S3 wants to put the power of Galaxy phones and tablets on your wrist. Screenshots have emerged on Korean site Ruliweb of a scrunched-up square interface that suggests the face of a watch. With Apple and Intel rumoured …

If Hewlett-Packard introduces an Android tablet, the newfound rivalry with Microsoft will be one motivating factor, according to analysts. “I can see why they would go down this route instead of sticking with Microsoft for everything,” said Ben Bajarin, a principal at Creative Strategies. That may be putting it charitably. “[PC makers] are pissed off at Microsoft. That’s the general …

Move over, Apple — there might be another smartwatch entering the fray. An unnamed Korean forum has posted images of what could be a Samsung smartwatch, Slashgear is reporting today. Slashgear did not, however, link to the forum posting. The images published by Slashgear show black-and-white display screenshots that Slashgear says measure 500×500 pixels. It’s not clear, though, whether the …

Samsung is “doubling down” on software. With Samsung planning to use its operating system Tizen in new smart phones, increased focus on its own software can help the Korean company begin to divert some of the cash currently funneling through Android to Google — but is that bad news for phone fans? Speaking to AllThingsD this week, Samsung global media boss David Eun discussed the …

LG’s Optimus L Series, which made its debut at Mobile World Congress last year, is selling at a rate of one per second, the handset maker accidentally revealed today in a press release. According to LG, it has sold 15 million Optimus L devices since last February. The company mistakenly released the news today and had planned to announce the …

LG is taking on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 with the oversized LG Optimus Pro, bigger brother to the LG Optimus G smart phone — and here’s the first official photo. The Android-powered quad-core G Pro is a 5.5-inch behemoth of a phone, or a 5.5-inch mini-tablet, depending which you look at it. It sports a full high-definition 1080p display …

Ever fancied dipping a Jelly Bean in your T? Sony says the hotly anticipated Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for its Bond-endorsed Xperia T is on its way, but users hoping for the very latest version of Android will be left sorely disappointed. The update brings Google’s robotic concierge, Google Now, into Xperia users’ hands, as well as more control …

Smaller Windows 8 tablets could soon take on the Nexus 7 and iPad mini, according to Microsoft’s chief financial officer Peter Klein, speaking during a Q&A session at the Goldman Sachs Technology & Internet conference yesterday. When asked about Microsoft’s plans to address different sized form factors, ranging from 4 inches all the way up to 13 inches and even …

According to a UK study, Australia ranks number five out of the 62 countries that currently have LTE networks. (Credit: Telstra) Despite suggestions that the speed of 4G in Australia is dropping as subscriber numbers increase, the news remains good on the global scale. The UK-based firm OpenSignal has released a study of the world’s LTE speeds, with Sweden coming …

The HTC One, expected to be the Taiwanese smartphone maker’s next flagship handset, is set to launch in the U.S. on March 22, according to a report on fan site HTC Source. Formerly code-named M7, the HTC One with 32GB of storage will debut on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint for $199.99 with a two-year contract, unnamed sources tell the blog. …