Samsung’s Galaxy S II racks up record sales. Samsung Samsung’s Galaxy S II smartphone has racked up record sales even before it’s hit the hot U.S. market. The Korean mobile-phone maker said yesterday that it sold more than 5 million units of the Galaxy S II in the 85 days following its debut. Announcing the …

On Call runs every two weeks, alternating between answering reader questions and discussing hot topics in the cell phone world. By now I’m sure that you’re familiar with the arguments against the proposed AT&T-T-Mobile merger. As critics see it, the deal will put too much power in the hands of one carrier (and one GSM carrier, at that), it will …

If you’re of the school of cell phone design that leans toward messaging cell phones with full QWERTY keyboards, U.S. Cellular’s newest phone is meant for you. The Samsung Character, released today, features a 2.8-inch QVGA touch screen, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a 1.3-megapixel camera, and of course, Bluetooth support. There’s also an onboard music player. The Character runs on …

For the past few years, T-Mobile and Verizon have traded the crown for customer care. This time, Verizon has again snatched that title, according to data from J.D. Power and Associates’ semiannual survey, which was released today. Related links • Survey: T-Mobile tops in customer satisfaction • J.D. Power says Verizon tops in call quality • T-Mobile back on top …

The Samsung Galaxy S2 is getting a fresh lick of paint — online retailer Clove will be selling the 4.3-inch smart phone in white from 15 August. That’s not very long to wait, at least in theory. If recent evidence is anything to go on though, releasing a popular phone in white can take roughly a year longer than expected. …

If a handful of new images are to be believed, then Motorola and AT&T are readying a refreshed Atrix 4G. The pictures, which initially surfaced on a Chinese tech forum, appear to show a slightly modified version of the smartphone. A quick glance at the overall design and we’re reminded of the redesigned Droid Bionic, which should land at Verizon …

Even as the federal government continues to weigh AT&T’s proposed $39 billion takeover of T-Mobile, the deal continues to win support at the state level. Yesterday, the Louisiana Public Service Commission approved the deal by a 4-to-1 vote. In addition to expressing confidence that the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice will review the merger thoroughly, the Louisiana …

Tablets–largely consisting of Apple’s iPad–have become the main engine of growth for mobile broadband devices, according to a study released today by IHS iSuppli. Apple The firm estimates that 157.9 million mobile broadband devices, which consist of products including tablets, notebooks, Netbook computers, and electronic readers, will be sold this year. That’s up nearly 60 percent from the 100.1 million …

Droids selling like hotcakes, GoogleTV’s not, and we’re moving! All that and more on this week’s Android Atlas Weekly Now playing: Watch this: Android Atlas Weekly 58: Droids are selling like Hot… 47:37 Podcast Your browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe: iTunes (MP3) | iTunes (320×180) | iTunes (640×360) | RSS (MP3) | RSS (320×180) | RSS (640×360) EPISODE 58 News Amazon reportedly ramping …

Motorola Mobility stood its ground in the second quarter of 2011 in the ultracompetitive mobile market, reporting quarterly results slightly ahead of expectations. The company today beat analyst expectations by reporting earnings of 9 cents per share for the quarter on revenue of $3.3 billion. Analysts had expected the company to report earnings of 6 cents a share on revenue …