The Android handset market may be very competitive, but Motorola’s new products are “phenomenal,” said Google Chairman Eric Schmidt. Related stories Can a build-your-own-phone save Motorola’s bacon? Google still wants Apple to use its maps, Eric Schmidt says Facebook Home on Android? Good stuff, says Eric Schmidt Schmidt, speaking today during the AllThingsD mobile conference …

Now playing: Watch this: Samsung’s Galaxy S4 powerhouse 3:28 U.S. smartphone buyers looking to grab Samsung’s Galaxy S4 finally get their shot today. Preorders for the next Galaxy-class phone have launched at both AT&T and U.S. Cellular today. The Galaxy S4 is listed on AT&T’s Web site with a ship date of April 30. Earlier today, the S4 was available …

Are you all keyed up for the BlackBerry Q10? The forthcoming BlackBerry 10 phone with the Qwerty keyboard is now available to order from Vodafone, and will start arriving on 26 April — the same day as the Samsung Galaxy S4, in fact. You can pre-order the Q10 from today on Vodafone, starting at £37 per month for a free …

One billion people will be using Android smartphones within the next six to nine months, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt predicted today, noting the operating system continues gaining traction across the globe. Schmidt, speaking during the AllThingsD mobile conference in New York, also said there will be nearly 2 billion Android phones within a year or two. Currently, there are more …

Now playing: Watch this: LG Escape 2:07 AT&T announced today that customers that own an LG Escape can update their devices to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean through a Wi-Fi connection. Related stories TV in the Bathroom: Technically Doable but a Very Bad Idea Best Laptop for 2022: The 15 Laptops We Recommend Best TV Deals of 2022: Save Up to …

Huawei has announced that it will bring its 6.1-inch Ascend Mate to the Australian market. The large-screen smartphone will be on sale from 20 April for just AU$429. (Credit: Huawei) The Android handset sports an HD IPS+ screen, a Huawei-made 1.5GHz quad-core processor and a giant 4050mAh battery — larger than that of Samsung’s Note 2. Huawei promises that the …

Now playing: Watch this: Samsung Galaxy S phone evolution 4:15 At last, Samsung has introduced the world to the Galaxy S4 smartphone, holding its 5-inch toy aloft like a little electronic Simba. While the South Korean tech giant’s latest effort is shaping up to be a dynamite little mobile, however, it didn’t emerge from Samsung’s forge fully formed. Related stories: …

All of the different iterations of Android. CNET The America Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission today asking the agency to investigate the four major mobile carriers’ security practices in regards to smartphones. The civil liberties group claims that AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint are not doing enough to protect users’ private and personal data …

NEW YORK — Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt enthusiastically supports what Facebook has done on the Google Android OS with its new suite of apps called Home. Related stories The good and bad of Facebook Home Facebook Chat Heads arriving today on iOS Google’s Schmidt teases Motorola phones Speaking at All Things D’s Dive into Mobile conference here Tuesday, Schmidt …

WhatsApp is bigger than Twitter, WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum boasted today. Koum, speaking at AllThingsD’s mobile conference today, wouldn’t talk about specific figures when it comes to usage, but he confirmed that the mobile messaging service topped Twitter’s usage. Twitter declared in December that it had exceeded 200 million monthly users. WhatsApp boasts an average of 8 billion inbound messages …