The Samsung Galaxy S3 is set to launch in May — and could be the world’s thinnest smart phone. That’s according to reports suggesting the hotly anticipated Android powerhouse will measure just 7mm thick. The frequently reliable OLED-display.net quotes a Korean report from ETnews that the S3 will be just 7mm thick. Samsung has worked …

Google has asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to use an undisclosed, mystery “entertainment device” across four major cities over the next six months. Described as having both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, the FCC application was initially submitted in December and recently discovered by GigaOm. Although the details of the device are unclear, it stands to reason that …

Simplexity MVNO Services announced today that it will enter into a multi-year partnership with Sprint to launch a third-party branded wireless service slated for spring 2012. Simplexity Under the agreement, Simplexity will become a direct wholesale customer and vendor of Sprint’s wireless and data network. This means that Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) who do not want a direct relationship …

Here’s something for Google’s senior vice president of mobile Andy Rubin to tweet about — shipments of Android smart phones grew a phenomenal 250 per cent in the last three months of last year, accounting for 52 per cent of all handsets shipped that quarter, according to market analysts Canalys, The Wall Street Journal reports. Over the year as a …

commentary This may sound like sacrilege to the throngs of faithful HTC fans out there, but it’s time for a massive overhaul of the company’s iconic Sense user interface. Sense, instantly recognizable by its retro flip-clock widget, is starting to feel a little long in the tooth. If HTC is really going to shake things up with its planned “product …

Watch out Netflix, Verizon Communications is getting into the video streaming business. Today, Verizon announced a deal with Coinstar, the company that owns the Redbox DVD rental business. Redbox allows people to rent movies through kiosks it owns in grocery stores and other retail locations. As part of the new joint venture, the companies will develop an on-demand video streaming …

Wealthy suitors take note — Samsung’s confirmed the white version of the Galaxy Nexus will go on sale in the UK on 13 February, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Aww. The Galaxy Nexus needs little introduction — its place in mobile history is cemented as the first phone to run Android 4.0, aka Ice Cream Sandwich. That’s the latest, …

Apple was named the best-selling U.S. handset brand during the fourth quarter, according to a new report from the NPD Group. However, the findings suggest that while iOS has won this battle, Android is really winning the war. Take a look at the graph below: The NPD Group Not only do 48 percent of all smartphone buyers own Android smartphones …

Nokia’s Lumia 900, the big brother to the Lumia 800, may well be coming to the UK after all. The top-notch Windows Phone briefly popped up for pre-order over at Play.com, although it’s since disappeared from the online retailer. There was no date given for the Mango-running smartie, and no price, but until it was pulled you could choose to …

Boost Mobile isn’t just about offering phones off-contract, it’s also about style. So if you’re a phone that lands in Boost’s lineup, you might be the hot stuff. Or you could just be a good bargain. The Samsung Replenish was an entry-level Android phone to begin with when it first emerged last spring for Sprint. It grew from Android 2.2 …

Last year more than 7,000 CNET readers answered this question regarding 2011 TVs, so I couldn’t help but ask it again this year. This time, however, there’s a new twist that simultaneously makes the poll more interesting and fun (in my opinion) but also, because of some funky site design issues, makes it tougher to read. So bear with me …

Apple’s standalone TV set — the one Steve Jobs mentioned to biographer Walter Isaacson — is looking more real by the day. Now it’s made an appearance in a recent customer survey from US retailer Best Buy, The Verge reports. ‘Apple HDTV’, as it’s called in the questionnaire about possible future products, is the first on the list, hinting Best …

At Nokia World in October last year, the Finnish phone maker showed off a working prototype of a smartphone controlled by a flexible frame and display. Called Nokia Kinect, could this prototype be the precursor of the next genuine shift in smartphone design, or is it simply a clever gimmick? Firstly, the concept of a flexible display isn’t necessarily new, …

Your next smart phone could be powered by an Intel chip, if a report from The Korea Times is to be believed, CNET reports. It says LG is preparing to show off an Intel-powered Android handset at CES in January, and it even quotes spokespeople from both companies backing it up. When LG was contacted for an official line however, …

No doubt Droid Razr Maxx owners are still enjoying that new handset smell. That hasn’t stopped Motorola from gearing up fresh software for the long-lasting smartphone. Verizon’s support page explains that Big Red has an update in the works for the Droid Razr Maxx, along with its predecessor the Droid Razr. Looking at the details Verizon provided for the software, …