Qualcomm’s first quad-core Snapdragon chip has arrived in a tablet — but only for those with $1,300 burning a hole in their pockets and developers. The tablet packs an APQ8064 Snapdragon S4 quad-core chip — one of the most highly-anticipated quad-core ARM processors. Why? Because Qualcomm S4 silicon — currently dual-core — can be found …

The new iPhone is getting a smaller socket on the bottom — which is bad news for your cables, docks and speakers. Fortunately iMore reports that Apple plans a special adaptor to save your docks. Leaked photos reveal the new iPhone is expected to feature a new 19-pin connector port in the bottom for charging and connecting to your computer …

What happens when you sign a two-year contract with a carrier and you soon discover that network is painfully slow? Unfortunately, you may be stuck with that service. In this edition of Ask Maggie, I offer some advice on what one Sprint customer can do to get out of his contract without paying a hefty early termination fee. I also …

Xamarin, a company that provides developer tools to hundreds of thousands of mobile app developers, has received $12 million in first-round funding, the company announced today. The financing comes from Charles River Ventures, Ignition Partners, and Floodgate, and will be used to expand the company’s software and build a sales and marketing team, according to a press release. The desire …

The HTC Desire HD isn’t getting Ice Cream Sandwich after all. HTC has officially cancelled the software update for the popular phone, leaving owners stuck on Gingerbread. HTC has led Desire HD owners a merry little dance in recent weeks. It was Canadian phone network Telus that first revealed the phone would not get Ice Cream Sandwich, a claim publicly …

Ofcom has unveiled plans for the auction of spectrum that will pave the way for the launch of 4G mobile networks in the United Kingdom. The telecoms regulator has now set itself a rough deadline for auctioning 4G spectrum in the U.K., saying the sale is “set to get under way by the end of 2012.” Once the auction takes …

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is undoubtedly the biggest Android blower of the year — it’s big in dimensions, power and price tag. It’s very big in the popularity stakes too — more popular than even Samsung had banked on. Earlier this week, the South Korean giant revealed it’s shifted a whopping 10 million S3 smart phones since the quad-core Ice …

The legal profession has elevated itself in CNET’s estimation in the past week, with judges here in the UK and now in Australia mocking Apple and Samsung for their absurd and petty patent disputes. Australia’s Federal Court Justice Annabelle Bennett reportedly called the two companies “ridiculous” and threatened to order them to settle their dispute over a coffee and a …

Samsung Galaxy Tab CNET A German court has ruled that an existing ban on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 that prevented the device from being sold in the country should be extended across the entire European Union — although the larger Galaxy Tab 10.1N can remain on sale. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 7.7, the smaller version of the popular tablet, had …

Ofcom has revealed the light at the end of the mobile broadband tunnel, with speedy 4G services — and better reception for everyone — set to roll out in 2013 after it finally auctions off the spectrum at the end of this year. The telecoms regulator reckons Vodafone, O2 and T-Mobile/Orange will all bid for chunks of sky, but it …

That vision of paying for goods and services with your phone anywhere you go? You shouldn’t hold your breath. While there are trials and select deployments of payment terminals and cash registers that can accept mobile payments, the method won’t hit the mainstream in the U.S. for another two to three years, according to Bill Gajda, head of mobile for …

Google’s popular Nexus 7 tablet has display issues, according to an expert. First of all, let’s be clear: Google seems to have a certifiable hit with the Nexus 7 tablet and reviews have mostly been positive, if not very positive. And there have been no major complaints from review sites about the display. That said, Raymond Soneira at DisplayMate Technologies …

You’d think AT&T would be more upset that the number of smartphones it sold in the second quarter fell nearly 8 percent. You’d be wrong. The Dallas telecommunications giant is probably thrilled that smartphone sales fell, resulting in better wireless margins and driving better-than-expected second-quarter results. It’s the contradictory dynamic that all carriers find themselves in: smartphone sales are vital …

Now playing: Watch this: Phone News: Jelly Bean updates and 4G 3:12 It’s time for a roundup of all things mobile in our weekly phone news video. Here’s what I say in the video above if you don’t want to watch it — although it’s excellent, you really should. Let’s start off with the infuriating news that 4G is going …

How much does it cost to ditch your BlackBerry and get started on playing games, surfing the web and filling your phone with Android apps? To you, sir — I do beg your pardon — to you, madam: just fifty quid, for this ‘ere Alcatel One Touch Smart 916. The One Touch Smart 916 sports a 2.6-inch touchscreen above a …