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ZTE jumps on lease

Enlarge ImageThe Axon Pro from ZTE. Josh Miller/CNET Don’t call phone-maker ZTE behind the times. The Chinese handset maker on Wednesday unveiled a lease-to-own payment plan for customers who want to spread the cost of buying an unlocked ZTE phone or other mobile device over several months. The payment plan, which extends to devices such as the well-rated Axon Pro …

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Samsung’s smartphone shipments to see first

Weak demand for the Galaxy S6 lineup may trigger a drop in Samsung’s smartphone shipments this year. Josh P. Miller This could be a real downer of a year for Samsung, which looks headed for a first-ever drop in its annual smartphone shipments. Market researcher TrendForce said Wednesday that it expects shipments of smartphones from the South Korean electronics giant …

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Verizon to unveil next Droid smartphones on October 27

Last year’s Droid Turbo smartphone for Verizon. CNET Verizon Wireless’ Droid smartphone franchise will soon get its moment in the spotlight. The New Jersey-based carrier sent out invitations to a media event in Manhattan on October 27, teasing multiple Droid smartphones. “Everything you expect from a phone will change,” the company said. The Droid phones are just the latest flagship …

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Call or text any number from your Apple Watch with Watch Keypad

Enlarge Image Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET It’s easy to call or text someone from your Apple Watch if you have that person already saved in your contacts. Or they called recently. Strangely, Apple didn’t outfit its Watch with a number pad to dial a number manually, leaving such seemingly basic functionality to a 14-year-old developer from Holland who created the …

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Amazon shutters Destinations site after six months

Enlarge ImageAmazon Destinations sunsets. Amazon Amazon quietly closed its Amazon Destinations site Tuesday, offering little explanation for the move just six months after the service launched. “We have learned a lot and have decided to discontinue Amazon Destinations,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. Amazon Destinations was introduced in April as a way for people to plan and reserve …

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​iPhone 6S gets middling score on camera lab test

DxO Labs rated the new iPhone 6S camera the same as last year’s iPhones while new Android-powered devices top the list. DxOMark The camera in Apple’s new iPhone 6S ranked 10th place in the DxOMark Mobile test, merely matching the photo and video quality of last year’s iPhones. The DxO Labs tests, which measure factors including exposure, color, autofocus performance, …

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