Buffeted by ever more intense competition, Nokia saw its earnings fall for the final quarter of 2010, an ongoing downturn that has prompted the company to announce a major shift in strategy. Net profit for the quarter ended December 31 declined 21 percent to 745 million euros ($1.02 billion), compared with 950 million euros in …

The Federal Communications Commission took two important steps this week to free up more wireless spectrum for wireless broadband services. On Wednesday the agency published a list of nine companies that have been granted permission to provide a database of unlicensed “white space” spectrum that can be used by device makers and service providers to offer a service that utilizes …

The PlayStation Phone has been more of a fact than a rumour for some time now, but to scotch any doubt, Sony Ericsson’s new Xperia Play is now finding its way into the hands of tech bloggers. Engadget has one, and has posted a lengthy preview of the new Android-based gaming smart phone. It confirms the basic specs of the …

Wireless subscriber growth has slowed for AT&T as the company prepares to do battle with rival Verizon Wireless. AT&T added 400,000 new contract customers in the fourth quarter of 2010. In the year-ago quarter, by comparison, the company added 910,000 so-called postpaid subscribers. And in the third quarter of 2010, it added 910,000 contract customers. Meanwhile, Verizon Wireless, which reported …

Today’s podcast is a laugh riot. OK, not really, but it’s certainly action-packed. We kick things off by addressing the rumors of a Facebook phone and reports that the BlackBerry PlayBook will run Android apps. We also sort through the carriers’ confusing smartphone data plans and take a look at the phones from Motorola’s past, present, and future. All this …

Steve Jobs is a confident chap, but surely he’d stop short of displacing the Queen’s head from British stamps… wouldn’t he? Thankfully, yes. But the Royal Mail’s new iPhone app lets you turn your photos into lickable letter-sending marvels. The app is called Smilers, and it’s gone live on the App Store today. The app doesn’t aim to replace your …

Now that we’re done speculating about the Verizon iPhone, the next biggest rumor to grip the wireless world is the expected Sony Ericsson PlayStation phone. Due next month at Mobile World Congress, the device made another Internet appearance today in a full hands-on post by Engadget. Though Engadget’s screen time isn’t the first we’ve seen of the Android-powered PlayStation phone–over …

Apple AT&T has quietly revised its data plans for iPhone users, allowing some to switch back to unlimited data. The move comes just weeks before the heralded Verizon iPhone launch, which many analysts believe will cause a great number of AT&T customers to jump ship. Verizon announced that it would be offering an unlimited data plan for new iPhone users, …

The long-awaited launch of the Verizon Wireless iPhone is almost here, so how much will Verizon charge new iPhone users on its network? When Verizon Wireless first announced a couple of weeks ago it would begin selling the CDMA version of the iPhone, the company didn’t disclose pricing of the service plans. And for the past two weeks, the company …

Schtop, schtop. This handset is not ready yet… Dutch mobile retailer ThePhoneHouse appears to have blown the gaff on a new smart phone from LG: the Optimus 3D. The site published a holding page for the phone, which was spotted by local site AllAboutPhones before it was hastily pulled down. Alas, little information or specs were leaked, other than a …

The Samsung Galaxy mini promises to be a teeny phone at a tiny price — but still sporting plenty of Android smart-phone perks. The mini is a mere 110mm tall, 60mm wide and 12mm thick, and manages to fit in a 3.1-inch display. With only 320×240-pixel resolution, the screen will be as sharp as a blob of custard, but it’ll help …

The rumor dates back to mid-September, but a new report has reignited speculation that Facebook is working on a branded smartphone, and it could be with HTC. According to City A.M., HTC will introduce two Facebook-branded smartphones at Mobile World Congress 2011. It’s said that the high-end devices will run a tweaked version of Android and have the user’s Facebook …

AndroidCommunity LG has started sending out invitations to an event at next month’s Mobile World Congress. Though it stops just shy of unveiling a device, LG says that it plans to take us into a “new dimension” on February 14. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the company will be showing off a 3D phone, presumably …

The new personal femtocell from Ubiquisys. Ubiquisys A new portable device will soon be able to help people make cell phone calls in other countries without relying on local 3G networks. That bit of technical magic comes courtesy of a new device called an attocell, or a personal femotcell. Created by U.K.-based femtocell company Ubiquisys, the device is a small …

Free Wi-Fi! Getcher free Wi-Fi! We love a free wireless connection for faster Internet and video gubbins while we’re aht an’ abaht, all without eating up our 3G data allowance. Three cheers for O2, then, which is about to open up a national Wi-Fi network free of charge, to everyone, whether they’re O2 customers or not. And there isn’t even …