Devices

BlackBerry (BBRY) has abandoned its plan to go private and is calling in a new leader in a last-ditch effort to turn around the troubled company. John Chen, formerly of Sybase, will be executive chairman of the board and interim …

Sprint and T-Mobile US plan to sell Google’s Nexus 5, a first for Google which has never before sold a phone directly through a carrier. Google’s new flagship Android 4.4-equipped smartphone is also compatible with AT&T Mobility’s network, but Verizon …

Rural wireless subscribers are high value customers. Those of us working within the competitive carrier ecosystem already know this, but a recent survey commissioned by the Competitive Carriers Association shows it by the numbers. This past summer, CCA with the help …

Three top Android smartphone makers will be the first to offer tri-band devices as part of Sprint’s new “Spark” offering. Samsung, HTC and LG have all worked with Sprint to enable their smartphones to shift from one band to another, …

Mobile devices are finding their way to more and more parts of the world, and the first phone most new users get will be a smartphone. Smartphones now outsell feature phones, and mobile phone manufacturers are finding that success in …

iPhone sales exceeded expectations in the quarter ending September 28, hitting 33.8 million as the newest models joined the mix late in September. iPhone sales were up 26% versus the year-ago quarter, but Apple’s gross margin and operating profit were …

A slowdown at the high end of the smartphone market did not stop Samsung from raking in record profits once again during the third quarter. While sales of the Korean giant’s high-end Galaxy smartphones leveled off, mass-market smartphones did very …

RIO DE JANEIRO — Telefónica Vivo presented the first range of smartphones with the Firefox operating system in Brazil during the Futurecom event this week. Vivo is currently the only telecom operator in the country to sell LG and Alcatel …

Apple has launched new iPads and revamped its tablet product line, discontinuing the iPad 3 and the iPad 4 in order to focus on the new iPad Air and the new iPad Mini. The iPad Air, which goes on sale …

Nokia has unveiled some of the new products that were in the works before the company announced the sale of its device business to Microsoft. For the first time, Nokia is launching a tablet: the Lumia 2520. The colorful Windows …

Japan’s Softbank moved forward with its investment in device logistics provider Brightstar, pouring $1.26 billion into the company for a 57% share of the operation. Softbank earlier this week was reported to be in talks regarding the investment in a …

Young smartphone buyers often know exactly what phone they want, and they want it immediately. Verizon Wireless is catering to these decisive buyers with same-day delivery of smartphones, a $20 service the carrier is testing in Philadelphia. Verizon Wireless says …

One month after its launch, the iPhone 5C is being offered for free to upgrade-eligible mobile subscribers willing to trade in a working smartphone. Best Buy Mobile will offer $100 gift certificates to customers who trade in any working smartphone, …

HTC’s smartphone business is clearly in trouble, leading the Taiwanese company into the red for the first time in its history. The company could use a powerful partner, and Microsoft is apparently ready to take on that role. The software …

Today’s top stories: Target confirmed that it will be launching prepaid phone service using T-Mobile’s network. Pricing starts at $35 a month for unlimited talk and text, and for another $15 you can get a gigabyte of data. And speaking …

China’s ZTE is bringing its two flagship smartphones to the U.S., hoping to attract customers who want to avoid carrier contracts. The ZTE Grand S and the nubia 5 will be available through Amazon, Walmart.com, and other third party retailers, …

Carrier fines, new MVNO, possible iPad delays … Today’s top stories in mobile and wireless: (No time to read? Watch the video.) The Federal Communications Commission has shut down due to the Congressional budget impasse, but when commissioners return to …

Qualcomm is reportedly stepping up to redesign the radio components used in the HTC One, after the International Trade Commission found that the smartphone violated two Nokia patents. Qualcomm and HTC have until January to tweak the chip, as that’s …