Buying a phone outright has undeniable advantages. Though you’ll need the money upfront, you won’t be committed to any long term monthly payments to any of the telcos, and you are free to choose the best deal from a selection of plans, not just the deal that has been pre-chosen for the phone that you …

Josh Lowensohn/CNET It may be “good to talk,” as telecom giant BT’s ads put it in the early ’90s. But two decades on, the U.K. has evolved into a nation of texters. According to research published Monday by U.K. communications regulator Ofcom, text messaging is outstripping actually making a call. Last year 58 percent of people communicated via text messaging …

Who ya gonna call? Fewer people, according to Ofcom. The phone regulator says for the first time ever the number of calls on mobile and landlines has fallen, according to its annual state-of-the-nation communications survey. Texting has taken over as the most popular form of communication for Brits, with each of us sending over 50 texts every week. In 2011 …

The most bodaciously capacious model of this year’s most mighty smart phone, the Samsung Galaxy S3, has been delayed. “The 64GB model of the Galaxy S3 will be available during the second half of this year,” a Samsung spokesperson told me today. “The market availability and timing may vary and will be determined at the time of release.” The 16GB …

With AT&T officially announcing its “Mobile Share” plans and joining Verizon Wireless, there will soon be two options for customers who want to get into a family plan for data services. While these plans aren’t the best deals for individuals, large families or even groups of really, really close friends may want to consider them. That’s because the more people …

With its mammoth 5-inch screen, the LG Optimus Vu is hard to miss — and so is that Verizon logo. According to Android Police, the “phablet” device has been spotted in the wild with Big Red’s name emblazoned above the display. In addition, the device runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich natively. This is a surprising upgrade since we …

Digital Playbooks is one example of a software company hoping to cash in on NFL teams, like the Denver Broncos, moving from printed playbooks to digital copies on iPads. DigitalPlaybooks.com As players line up across imaginary lines, eyeballing their opponents, wrapped in armor, capped by helmets, and ready to smash into each other with ferocious abandon, it becomes difficult to …

Now playing: Watch this: Samsung Galaxy S3 vs. HTC One X 5:28 We love a good, clean fight between top smartphones, and the more evenly matched they are, the better. AT&T’s HTC One X was our undisputed Android favorite before the Samsung Galaxy S3 blew onto the scene. But the GS3 stands up against the One X. Both have Android …

Google has finally confirmed when you can expect your Google Nexus 7. If you’ve ordered the 7GB model you’ll have it in your hands by the weekend, but if you’re awaiting a 16GB model you’ll have to be patient. The Nexus 7 was unveiled in San Francisco last month and went on sale immediately, but actual delivery dates were kept …

We all know someone who has smashed the screen on their iPhone (I personally know about six to 10 examples), and you also probably know the person who continues to use their phone after the drop, despite the risk of slicing up their fingers playing Fruit Ninja. Looking for a weekend project? (Credit: Bill Detwiler/CNET) If your iPhone screen looks …

AT&T launched its own “Mobile Share” plans today, matching Verizon Wireless’ push to get more people to share their data plans with family members. Mobile Share, like Verizon’s Share Everything, provides a bucket of data that can be shared between as many as 10 devices. One of the devices has to be a smartphone, but other basic phones, tablets, and …

The first app for the blind to operate a smart phone is on sale today. Georgie, which makes Google’s mobile operating system Android easier to see or control with your voice, is available to download or pre-installed on phones including the Samsung Galaxy S3. Creator Roger Wilson-Hinds, who is registered blind, named the service after his wife’s first guide dog. …

Kickstarter, the crowd-funding portal, has a lot of interesting “projects” that are seeking backing, but it isn’t always easy to tell how unique or exceptional they truly are. Take the just-launched ChargeCard. It’s a USB-charging cable for iOS devices that’s in the shape of a business card. The ChargeCard looks cool but I seem to remember seeing other devices kind …

Mobile devices are making the world go round. A study by the World Bank and infoDev titled “Information and Communications for Development 2012” found that an estimated three-quarters of the world’s people have access to a mobile device. The number of worldwide mobile subscriptions grew from less than 1 billion in 2000 to over 6 billion today, the study said. …

Many of us remember how liberating mobile phones were when it came to meeting people: “Which street corner was that again?” “Should I buy tickets for both of us?” “Sorry, I’m running late.” A start-up called Twist, though, believes phones can make the process much more convenient — by automatically handling some of those messages. With an iPhone app, the …