Smartphones

On Call runs every two weeks, alternating between answering reader questions and discussing hot topics in the cell phone world.

In the age of iPhone, Google Android, and Palm WebOS, a funny thing has happened on the way to the cell phone store. Though handset design has long been the focus of cell phone development, hardware manufacturers appear to be shifting their attention. Software is now taking center stage as companies struggle to distinguish their touch-screen devices from their competitors, and companies aren't being shy about this new focus.

The shift really hit home in September when we met with Motorola following the introduction of its Android-powered Cliq. As my colleague Tom Krazit wrote at the time, Moto CEO Sanjay Jha was clear that his company is resting its comeback attempt on its signature MotoBlur software. Jha characterized MotoBlur as more than software, but also as "emblematic of the shift towards software and the Internet as the main features in a modern mobile phone."

From a company that developed some of the most iconic cell phones in history (hello, Moto Razr and Startac), Jha's words were surprising. Software has always been a part of phones, but it has rarely defined them. Unless you were a smartphone buyer deciding between Windows Mobile and BlackBerry, most customers bought a phone and used the manufacturer's standard operating system without a thought. Sure, more savvy users had their strong preferences, and Verizon tried an abysmal standardized interface on its handsets, but elements like thin designs, colored faceplates, and messaging keyboards got the most attention. … Read more

iSkin's colorful, form-fitting Solo line of iPhone cases has some of the slicker designs out there. Now the company has come out with the "special-edition" Solo FX SE, which sports a "luxurious outer surface treatment" that combines an "understated" matte finish with a "subtle," embossed, designer pattern.

Available in Onyx (black), Cosmo (pink), and Ice (white) for $34.99 (list), the Solo FX SE is the only Solo infused with Microban antimicrobial product protection that iSkin says prevents the growth of odor-and-stain-causing bacteria on the product.

This Solo is also the … Read more

One of the smartphones that left quite an impression on us at CTIA Fall 2009 was the HTC HD2. It could have been the massive 4.3-inch capacitive touch screen, its extreme thinness, or that the Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone was powered by Qualcomm's new 1GHz Snapdragon mobile processor--whatever the reason, we wanted this device.

Well, it looks like we might be only a few months away from seeing this wish become reality. Already shipping in Europe and now in Taiwan, HTC announced on Wednesday that it plans to bring the HTC HD2 to the United States with … Read more

Market research firm ComScore reported on Tuesday that touch-screen mobile-phone adoption is not only on the rise, it's growing at a rapid rate.

Touch-screen phone adoption grew by 159 percent between August 2008 and August 2009, according to ComScore. The firm also found that by the end of August 2009, there were 23.8 million users with touch-screen mobile phones in the United States alone. In August 2008, just over 9.2 million people were using touch-screen phones.

But it's not just the touch screen that's enjoying strong growth. ComScore also found that smartphones are gaining traction … Read more

On Monday Motorola announced the first GSM Google Android 2.0 handset. Dubbed the Milestone, it's quite similar to Verizon's Motorola Droid save for a few changes.

The biggest difference is that the Milestone goes far beyond the Droid with its multitouch support. While the Droid allows you to zoom in and out on the home screen by double tapping, the Milestone also includes iPhone-like pinch capability. Squeeze your fingers together to zoom in on Web pages, maps and photos and spread them apart to zoom out. Android users have long hungered after this feature, which is why … Read more

Episode 56 of the Digital City, where we discuss Apple's plans for a monthly iTunes TV subscription service; Joey wonders why everyone puts up with poor iPhone service (hint: it's the social utility of shared experiences); and Scott finds out how much laptop $350 can buy.

It's also a mixed bag for Nintendo, with Wii sales down 50-percent over last year, and a lukewarm reception to the larger screen on the DSi XL handheld -- but at the same time, New Super Mario Bros. Wii and targeted games such as Style Savvy may bring in holiday shoppers. … Read more

Perhaps you remember Case-mate's 99-cent cardboard iPhone "recession" case, which we wrote about back in September and deemed one of the better product publicity stunts in recent memory. Well, Case-mate is now hosting a decorate-your-recession-case contest with users submitting photos of their creations. The pic with the most votes wins a Suzuki moped from the '80s.

We gotta say, the entries are pretty amusing, and while cardboard is never going to look upscale, the decorated cases are pretty hot in a sort of avant garde way.

Check out the slideshow below and feel free to let us … Read more

Sony Ericsson has released details and a video of its upcoming Xperia X10 smartphone based on Google's Android operating system.

The X10, which had been code-named Rachel, has a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, which should make this one of the fastest Android phones yet. The phone will sport version 1.6 of Android--aka Donut--and it will run applications from the Android Market and Sony Ericsson's PlayNow arena. The device will also feature an 8-megapixel camera, with autofocus and an LED photo light.

Expect to see the Xperia X10 in stores in the first quarter of 2010. Meanwhile, here's … Read more

Right now I'm Web surfing with a browser that's sleek and fast. It has Speed Dial thumbnails to quickly load a favorite Web page and preview thumbnails to help rotate through open Web pages by sight. The app I'm wielding sounds a lot like Opera 10, Opera's desktop browser (Mac | Windows), or even the recently released Opera Mini 5 beta for Java phones. But it's not.

I'm navigating the Internet from a 4.6x2.2-inch screen belonging to a Nokia N97 smartphone using a prerelease version of Opera Mobile 10 beta for Symbian Series … Read more