July, 2014

• 7 July

  HTC One M8 sees ‘fading sales’ as competition intensifies

  

  The HTC One M8 HTC HTC’s newest flagship smartphone is experiencing “fading sales” amid tough competition, an analyst for financial firm Canaccord Genuity said, adding that competition should get even stiffer later this year as more new phone models enter the market. The negative review comes as the Taiwan company tries to turn around weakening …

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• 7 July

  Sony hints at new phone with front flash for better selfies

  

  Twitter/screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET Those of you who snap a lot of selfies may want to stay tuned for a new Sony smartphone apparently about to be unveiled. Sony will kick off a new Xperia phone on Tuesday equipped with a front-facing flash and a big camera sensor, according to the XperiaBlog.net site, which is unaffiliated with Sony itself. Unconfirmed …

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• 7 July

  Quick tip: Get ‘OK, Google’ everywhere right now

  

  The new “OK, Google” hotword detection will let you start a Google Now search from any screen on your device, even the lockscreen. This change rolled out last week, but despite a couple of updates to the app from the Google Play store, many people are still reporting that they aren’t seeing this set of options in the Google Now …

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• 7 July

  Scoop: Sprint tests out family data plan, other discounted offers

  

  Sprint CEO Dan Hesse at a company event in June. Marguerite Reardon/CNET Sprint may be following the path of larger rivals AT&T and Verizon Wireless when it comes to its shared data plans. The nation’s third-largest wireless carrier by subscriber is holding a trial to test out the efficacy of a family data plan, according to a person familiar with …

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• 7 July

  Uncharged phones may not fly with TSA

  

  Now playing: Watch this: Uncharged phones may not fly with TSA 2:53 In this CNET Update: Learn about the new Transportation Security Administration security check for direct flights into the US. Some overseas airports are requiring passengers to turn on electronic devices during security screening. If you can’t turn it on, you can’t carry it on the plane. Begin your …

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• 7 July

  Vodafone slashes roaming charges in eight countries

  

  Shutterstock If you’re on Vodafone you can now pack your calls, texts and data when you go on holiday. As the EU moves to banish roaming charges, the UK-based network has expanded its international deals to countries outside Europe including the USA and Australia. Customers with a Vodafone contract can take their minutes, texts and data with them on holiday, …

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• 7 July

  Android

  

  The Nokia Lumia 630, powered by Windows Phone. CNET Microsoft’s Nokia handset business is working on an Android-powered phone for its flagship Lumia line, website @evleaks said Monday. Big news: Android-powered Lumia incoming, from Nokia by Microsoft – http://t.co/KKLstDDVVO — @evleaks (@evleaks) July 7, 2014 Microsoft purchased Nokia’s handset business in April for about $7.2 billion, in an effort to …

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• 7 July

  Samsung sees sluggish smartphone market hurting Q2

  

  CNET A slowdown in smartphone market growth has led Samsung to predict a 24 percent decline in operating profit for the second quarter, its third straight quarterly drop. The South Korean electronics giant said Monday it expects to record an operating profit of 7.2 trillion won ($7.12 billion) for the quarter ended June 30, a 24.5 percent drop from the …

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• 7 July

  SCOTUS cell phone case may hold big repercussions (Q&A)

  

  The US Supreme Court building. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The US Supreme Court came out strongly in favor of personal privacy last month, unanimously declaring that law enforcement must first obtain a warrant before searching someone’s cell phone. But one of the lawyers who helped argue the case says many questions about you, your smartphone and privacy remain. Key legal issues …

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• 7 July

  AT&T tap LG G3, G Watch with July 11 debut

  

  AT&T is one of the first US carriers to sell LG’s new flagship phone. Nate Ralph/CNET AT&T announced on Monday that it’ll sell the LG G3 smartphone and LG G Watch . Both devices are slated to arrive on July 11, but eager beavers can pre-order theirs as soon as Tuesday, July 8. Related Links LG G3 review Is a …

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