Samsung has promised to investigate claims of a Galaxy S3 burning up and melting in Ireland. “There have been recent online posts displaying pictures of a Samsung GALAXY SIII that appears to have heat-related damage at the bottom of the device,” the company wrote today on its official blog. “Samsung is aware of this issue …

The Sony Xperia S is finally getting its mitts on Ice Cream Sandwich, bringing a dose of up-to-date Android to Sony’s flagship mobile. Sony writes on its blog that the latest software will be winging its way to Sony smart phones today, though it will take several weeks for the update to arrive on every phone. If you can’t wait …

When it comes to Windows Phone 8, “ascend” is exactly what Microsoft needs to raise up its smartphone share. That’s why Huawei’s commitment to produce a Huawei Ascend handset running Microsoft’s freshly announced Windows Phone 8 OS is so key. Although the Chinese company isn’t well known in the top-tier U.S. carriers, the company has a strong partnership with no-contract …

A lot of companies have jumped on the case bandwagon for the freshly released Samsung Galaxy III (S3), and Speck, known for its wide assortment of iPhone cases, is out of the gate with three different styles. The PixelSkin HD ($29.95) and FabShell ($34.95), which has a fabric back and comes in multiple designs, are on sale already, while the …

Google appears to have, um, spilled the beans about which Android device will be the first smartphone to get Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. As first caught by Droid Life, a small Google Play product listing identifies the unlocked Galaxy Nexus as the lucky handset. You’ll notice that the text doesn’t name the first device to come loaded with Android 4.1, …

Tumblr (free), the popular blogging platform, just released a revamped version of its app for iOS. In the major update to Tumblr 3.0, the layout has been completely redesigned (bringing it more in line with the Android version, covered in April by Jaymar Cabebe), giving you many of the tools found on the Web site and intuitive swipe controls for …

Editors’ note, September 14, 2012: On September 12, Apple announced the iPhone 5. CNET compared the iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S3, and Nokia Lumia 920 spec to spec, and threw in some of our own predictions and analysis. We’ll have more when we review the phones in full. “The Samsung Galaxy S III (S3) is a great phone, but should …

The folks from Lifeproof stopped by our office in New York and gave us a peek at some upcoming products, including new colors for its fast-selling $80 waterproof iPhone 4/4S case, a flotation accessory, and its much-anticipated waterproof iPad case, which is due to arrive in August and will fit both the iPad 2 and third-generation iPad. The new iPhone …

One area the iPhone has held its own against Android phones I’ve used is the responsiveness of the touch-screen keyboard. But one area where I think Android has shown more innovation better predictive typing. Which is why I was happy to see the release of SwiftKey 3 today. The software one-ups the predictive typing abilities of Android’s built-in keyboard, learning …

Apple Apple has filed a patent application that describes a method for obtaining and adding metadata to files automatically using the Internet and various social networks. The process, filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (discovered by AppleInsider), shows Apple’s continued interest in creating connections with social networks by inventing a way for users to automatically update their files …

The news around Nokia has been understandably negative recently, with some calling its collapse “one of the most spectacular implosions in the history of business.” Last month, Nokia lost its top spot as the world’s largest cell phone manufacturer. Last week, it announced a reduction of 10,000 jobs globally by Q4 of 2013. So the critical question: is this an …

Microsoft is saying sayonara to Siri by letting you control apps with your voice. In Windows Phone 8, the next generation of Microsoft software for mobile phones, you can launch and control apps with your voice and have a conversation with your phone. Siri is Apple’s voice-controlled personal assistant, which answers requests for information from the web and controls certain …

Apple has been ordered to pay Samsung damages for infringing one of its patents, the BBC reports. A Dutch court sided with Samsung in yet another patent-related dust-up, ordering the iPhone maker to cough up cash to atone for the infringement, which relates to the way phones and tablets connect to the Internet. Samsung had complained the Californian company was …

Windows Phone 8 is getting a new look. The distinctive colourful animated squares of the home screen can be made bigger or smaller to make your phone as simple or as cluttered as you like. At the moment, you can only fit two columns of live tiles on the home screen, which means a lot of scrolling down as you …

A follow-up to the Galaxy Note is rumoured to be landing in October, to compete with Apple’s new iPhone, reports from MK Business News suggest. Industry sources allegedly disclosed details of the smart phone sequel, with the Galaxy Note 2 tipped to launch running Android Jelly Bean and touting an even larger screen. Yes, you read that right — the already-ludicrous …