Screens test: HTC One vs. Samsung Galaxy S4

The two hottest flagship Android smartphones right now, the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4, both earned CNET's Editors' Choice Awards for their stellar designs, massive feature sets, and overall appeal.

So which one has the better screen?

In the tradition of our original screens tests last year, we set out to answer that very question. We used a combination of objective measurements courtesy of the same expensive test gear we use to evaluate and calibrate HDTVs, and subjective observations courtesy of our priceless, expert eyes.

As we found previously, each screen has particular strengths and weaknesses, but to our minds the Samsung Galaxy S4 has the better screen. Its victory over the One, however, was by no means a slam dunk.

Overall color accuracy between the two is nearly a wash by the numbers, and the One has a decided advantage in brightness -- making it the better choice if you spend a lot of time outdoors under a bright sky. But the deeper black levels and insane contrast of the GS4, along with the versatility afforded by its many settings, helped put it over the top.

… Read more

Samsung Galaxy S3 rockets to Boost, Virgin Mobile June 12

Samsung's supercharged Galaxy S4 may be sucking in all the headlines, but for Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile, both Sprint's prepaid carriers, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is more than enough Android phone for its customers.

Starting June 12, Boost and Virgin will begin selling Samsung's high-end GS3 smartphone for $399.99 (it initially sold for upwards of $600 off-contract). That makes the Galaxy S3 the most premium product in Boost Mobile's roster. Thanks to the carriers' Sprint ownership, the handset rides Sprint's 4G LTE network in its 88 markets (and growing).

The Galaxy S3 may … Read more

BlackBerry: Messenger won't reach iOS, Android on June 27

Updated at 10 a.m. PT with a headline change noting that BlackBerry is disputing T-Mobile's initial claim.

It looks like iOS and Android won't be able to download BlackBerry Messenger come June 27 after all.

Earlier on Thursday, T-Mobile U.K. tweeted that BBM would indeed be available for iOS and Android come June 27, even serving up an image of a BBM conversation running on a Samsung Android phone. However, that tweet has since been taken down, calling into question the accuracy of the information.

And a BlackBerry representative told CNET: "That date is completely … Read more

LG Optimus F3 a $30 Android phone for blind, hearing-impaired

LG will want to sell the Optimus F3 it announced on Thursday to everyone, but the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean smartphone comes with some features specifically meant for blind and hearing-impaired users.

Most notably, the phone automatically integrates Google TalkBack, a text-to-speech accessibility app that you would ordinarily have to download and activate to use.

Students can also download the Accessible Education ID pack using Sprint ID. It contains Web apps that center heavily on math and target students who struggle to read print.

For hearing-impaired users, the Optimus F3 color-codes a spectrum of LED colors and pulse patterns … Read more

LG Optimus F7 pops up on U.S. Cellular for $99

U.S. Cellular announced on Thursday that it was adding the LG Optimus F7 to its smartphone lineup, selling the more-than-midrange Android smartphone with a $99 price tag -- with a new, two-year service agreement, of course.

Powered by Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, the handset boasts a 4.7-inch 720p LCD IPS display, a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, and 8GB internal storage (4.1GB of which is user-accessible). Additionally, the phone features an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and 1080p HD video capture, plus a 1.3-megapixel shooter right above the screen.

Users will also appreciate the LED … Read more

Will Verizon ever see a 'pure' Android smartphone again?

My Verizon Galaxy Nexus is getting long in the tooth, as they say. Old. Sluggish. I bought it soon after it launched with Verizon in December 2011 because I wanted a "pure" Android experience on a network I felt had the best speed and coverage. Now I'm ready to replace it, but there's no alternative in sight.

Sure, Verizon has other Android phones I could buy. But those don't have a pure or "stock" experience, where the Android operating system hasn't had modifications made to it by the handset maker.

Pure Android … Read more

Sprint to launch Android 4.1 flagship device dubbed Vital?

Word has it that Sprint is looking to debut its own high-end large-screened Android 4.1 smartphone, according to Engadget.

Sources familiar with the matter have given Engadget a host of photos and specs on the alleged ZTE-made device -- supposedly named "Vital." In addition to running on Android's Jelly Bean, the phone is said to have a 5-inch HD display, 13-megapixel rear camera, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 8GB of internal storage, and a 2,500mAh battery. Apparently, the device will run on Sprint's 4G LTE network.

News of this mysterious flagship device first leaked in … Read more

All systems not-a-go with the Cricket Engage LT

Though more stylish than what you usually get from manufacturer ZTE, the Engage LT is a $179.99 device that doesn't have much going for it. Other than a rather skinless Android 4.0 experience and Cricket's music service, Muve Music, the handset is slow, both in terms of data and processing speeds, and it doesn't justify its nearly $200 price tag.

In addition, Cricket offers better Ice Cream Sandwich handsets, in terms of performance and specs, around the same price range. (Oddly enough, even its predecessor, the ZTE Engage has more powerful specs than this phone … Read more

Will she? The first marriage proposal via Google Glass

By my estimation, it takes a brave man to slap on some lens-less augmented-reality frames, say "OK, Glass, record a video," and then get down on one knee to ask for his lady's hand in marriage.

But that's exactly how Breon Nagy of Minneapolis, Minn., rolls.

After carrying a ring around for a few days while traveling in Europe and waiting for the perfect moment, he decided a visit to Leeds Castle in Kent, England, was the ideal time and place, and he pretty much nailed it.… Read more