Personal communications

Judging from a T-Mobile press conference invite that just crossed our desks, the carrier apparently has big changes in store. Scheduled for 11 a.m. ET in New York, the March 26 event will supposedly demonstrate the wireless provider's intentions to not act like a typical "wireless company."

While that's not a lot of info to go on, I'm betting this indicates T-Mobile's imminent transition to a completely no-contract carrier. Rumors have already surfaced that the carrier will ditch all subsidies on its phones soon, as early as March 24.

Additionally, reports assert that … Read more

Beginning today, T-Mobile will provide a major software update to Samsung Galaxy Note 2 subscribers that supports its future 4G LTE network. The carrier also confirmed that the first of its LTE service regions will go live by the end of this month. … Read more

Samsung's long-awaited and much-hyped Samsung Galaxy S4 finally is here. CNET has rendered its official review, which you can read here, and early-bird customers will get the device in their hands this week. As one of the biggest smartphone releases of 2013 so far, the Galaxy S4 generated a lot of discussion in the five weeks since its blowout and bizarre launch event in New York. Below are the most vital details about the handset, where it will land, and when you can get it.

What are the GS4's most standout features? That depends; how long do you … Read more

In a big show of marketing force, Samsung announces its latest mega smartphone, the Galaxy S4, will hit six U.S. cellular networks beginning in April 2013. Indeed, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Cricket, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon plan to sell Samsung's latest creation starting next month. … Read more

Gentlemen, what's the first thing people notice about you? Your bulging biceps? Your self-assured swagger? Your Nokia Lumia 920?

If you chose option No. 3, you fall in line with the results of a new global survey from mobile video startup Vuclip. Sixty-one percent of men, it indicates, say the first thing people notice about them is the type of phone they have. That's compared with 38 percent of women who think people's eyes go straight to their Droid Razr Maxx HD above all else. … Read more

Samsung's next flagship smartphone is here.

Samsung took the wraps off the Galaxy S4, the much awaited successor to the S3, at an event in New York tonight.

The handset, which has a 5-inch display, will be available on 327 carriers in 55 countries, starting in April. The company did not provide a price.

It packs new features like simultaneous shooting from dual cameras, "smart" scrolling and pausing that works by tracking eyeballs, health tracking, and a built-in language translator.

The phone will come in both black and white, which the company is calling "black mist" and "white frost."

As expected, the S4 has got an onslaught of new hardware and software features. Here's a quick rundown:… Read more

No matter whether you're deciding if you should wait and get the Samsung Galaxy S4 next week, making sure you don't have buyer's remorse from just having purchased your Galaxy S3, or perhaps just plain curious, CNET makes it easy to compare the two sibling handsets with this chart.

Physically, the GS4 didn't get any bigger. In fact, it even sports a thinner build and weighs a hair lighter. But with a slimmer bezel, its 5-inch full HD Super AMOLED touch screen had room to expand, and the display now sports a higher pixel density.

Also new is its quad- or octo-core processor. Similar to the situation when the GS3 debuted, which CPU is available will depend on where you live. The U.S. will receive the 1.9GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600.… Read more

LG this week announced that Smart Video eye recognition will be coming to the LG Optimus G Pro. As part of an upcoming "Value Pack" software update, the feature will be made available for select future LG premium smartphones.

The Smart Video technology utilizes the front-facing camera to track the viewer's eyes to automatically control playback of videos. For example, looking away from the phone will cause the video to pause and returning your gaze will resume the clip.

In addition to the Smart Video feature, LG has introduced a dual-camera function that simultaneously snaps photos from … Read more

BlackBerry issued invitations this morning for a March 21 event in New York to launch its new Z10 smartphone and BlackBerry 10 OS.

That timing would place the event the day before the Z10 is scheduled to land in AT&T stores and be available to the carrier's customers. AT&T, which started preorders this week, is the first U.S. carrier to release the device, which runs on the new BlackBerry 10 OS.

With promised performances by Janelle Monae, Young the Giant, and DJ Z-Trip, the event should be more party than press conference. BlackBerry Global … Read more