Phones & Cell Phones Features Archives

T-Mobile has long frustrated customers by carrying every other brand of smartphone but the iPhone. That is until the carrier brought aboard the iPhone 5 last month, at a discount to boot. But now a new 16GB iPhone 5 will cost you $629.99 upfront. What's up with that?

The HTC First smartphone is, fittingly, the first phone to ship with Facebook Home, an Android skin that turns your homescreen into a social media feed. But since Facebook Home is available for a variety of other Android phones as well, is there reason to buy the First? Well, for one, it's cheaper than most of the pack.

Last week, T-Mobile announced it will carry the iPhone 5 and permanently do away with yearly contracts. The wireless carrier's "un-leashed" contract-free plans make it the first major U.S. carrier to offer the iPhone 5 with no annual service contract. So what's in store for customers who choose to take the seemingly budget-friendly and non-binding leap? Here's a look at the cost and caveats to signing up contract-free with T-Mobile.

BlackBerry needs its new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone to be flawless and revolutionary enough to get consumers excited. But can the Z10 save BlackBerry? We turn to the expert reviews to find out.

The newly-announced Samsung Galaxy S4 will be released on April 26 and we should start seeing deals that take as much as 50% off the subsidized price starting this summer. But if you don't want to wait that long, here's how you can get the S4 for just $2!

The past and present champions of Android smartphones, HTC and Samsung, go head to head as we compare the recently unveiled Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One. These contenders are well-matched, and a wealth of tech followers and writers have already fawned over their features. So when it comes to the crème of the 2013 crop of phones, which reigns supreme?

Walmart's Straight Talk Wireless service offers a contract-free $45/month unlimited talk, text, and data plan for the iPhone 5. But is the network reliable? With the deal being so popular with dealnews readers, we're asking your thoughts on the pay-as-you-go Straight Talk service.

Securing a new cell phone plan is far from straightforward; once you've decided what device you want, you still have to decide which carrier to sign up with, at which point you may wonder whether it makes sense to get a subsidized phone through a 2-year contract, or if the pay-as-you-go option is better for your needs. Then, of course, there's the question of coverage and plan pricing.

Before you throw your hands up in defeat and re-up with the same carrier for another two years because it's easy, take some time to compare the costs and potential savings of all the carrier options.

When your 2-year contract is up, where are you going to get your next phone? For many, that depends on where they can find a deal. We've combed through our deal archive to find out which carrier sees the best deals on new smartphones.

With Mobile World Congress on the horizon, smartphone fans can expect an influx of new phones in the coming months. And just as we saw with CES releases, there are plenty of bargains to be had if you know when and where to buy. Here are our predictions on how long you'll have to wait for this year's crop of MWC phones to go on sale.

BlackBerry just announced a new operating system and two new touchscreen phones. Will they be enough to bolster this hard-luck company's status? Or are these devices just flowers on a grave?

Walmart continues to promote its Apple iPhone 5 deal, cutting the price on the 16GB model to $127. However, it's available in-store only, and we've read numerous accounts from customers about difficulty finding the phone in stock at their local brick-and-mortar Walmart. So, we want to know: have you been able to find this epic iPhone 5 deal? Click through to take our poll!

Recent price-drops on the iPhone 5 have made it the most highly-discounted current-generation iPhone. Typically, Apple isn't known for unusual price drops, so why is this happening and what does it all mean?

As phones receive bigger and bigger touchscreens, we've been wondering where the line between smartphone and tablet actually lies. As it turns out, there's not a line, but a whole new product category. "Phablets" are hybrid devices with at least a 5" screen that are fully functional as both a phone and a tablet. But are they worth adding to your wishlist this holiday season? We scanned the reviews to find out.

The Nexus 4 is essentially the lovechild of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and an LG Optimus G, and it comes close to what we imagine Google wanted its original smartphone to be like all along. But how well does this 4.7" quad-core smartphone meet the public's needs?

The recently-released Optimus G is LG's latest flagship handset and the first quad-core processor smartphone available in the States, and is quickly being dubbed "The most powerful smartphone in the world." But does the Optimus G actually live up to the claim? Our friends at GadgetReview scoured the Internet for reviews to find out.

Just how long will you have to wait for a refurbished deal on the newly-released Apple iPhone 5? We combed through our archives of refurbished iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S deals to determine how long until deals for iPhone 5 refurbs start popping up, and how big of a price cut a consumer can expect.

As more and more 4G LTE smartphones hit the market, we have begun to see marked improvements in coverage for the fourth generation (aka 4G) of mobile technology and data networks. But the quality of a 4G connection depends on the smartphone, carrier, and location — making it important to look at exactly what 4G can do for you.

Tired of rifling through the endless assortment of rewards cards in your wallet? Instead, you can transform your smartphone into a mobile wallet, granting you easy access to all of your credit, debit, and consumer appreciation cards. Much like choosing between a money clip and a leather tri-fold wallet, there are a number of mobile wallet apps to choose from.

With its new specs and design, the iPhone 5 is sure to be in the hands of many fanboys and girls shortly. But should you upgrade to the iPhone 5 for $199? Or is a $0 or $99 iPhone a better bet?

Apple's latest (and self-proclaimed greatest) updates to the iPhone and its line of iPods includes a "revolutionary" Lightning port that's 80% smaller than the previous 30-pin connector. This tiny change will also likely knock down the prices of older iPhone accessories.

The rumored iPhone 5 will supposedly feature 4G LTE connectivity, and for many customers, this is an exciting upgrade. But will the faster service make that much of a difference in your experience? The answer might shock you!

Are you tired of reading rumors about the latest technology? Sick of hearing insane rumors about the iPhone 5, the iPhone 5, the Xbox 720, and the iPhone 5? Well neither are we! Hooray! That's why we put all the latest biz-buzz from the Internet into one place, the Rumor Roundup!

The New York Times reported that you can save $1,000 by switching to a pay-as-you-go plan. We began to wonder, though, what the nationwide cell and data coverage is like for these super-cheap networks. Check out these coverage maps for Virgin Mobile, Boost Mobile, and Cricket and decide.

In anticipation of the iPhone 5 release in September, electronics trade-in site Gazelle has extended its lock-in period to October 1. This allows customers to can take advantage of August rates, while keeping their iPhone until the new one is launched. This is a great offer for some, but is it the best deal for your needs?

Even if the latest Apple rumors are correct and the iPhone 5 makes its debut next month, the real star of the show for bargain hunters will be the iPhone 4S. If Apple follows its own tradition, the 4S will see a pretty significant discount. But just how low can its price go?

Keeping up with an athletic regime is a lot easier (and more fun) when you can keep track of your progress. With a smartphone, this sort of data is in the palm of everyone's hand. We've rounded up the seven best fitness tracking apps that have some serious muscle. So grab your phone and get goin'!

Sprint has cut $50 from its line of iPhone 4Ss just weeks before Apple's highly anticipated press event. And now some Apple Stores will match the lower price tags.

A bit of basic math shows that many consumers would spend drastically less money over two years with a prepaid cell phone plan than they would being locked into a 2-year carrier plan. But despite this, prepaid plans remain unpopular in the U.S. So why haven't more budget-conscious consumers been swayed to make the switch?

Several items on the market purport to waterproof your gadgets against ... well, water. But how well do they really work? And do you have to spend a lot to get acceptable water protection? Our latest video tests four such items to see what's worth your time and money.

Samsung has recently joined the company of trade-in programs Gazelle, NextWorth, and the like with their aptly titled Samsung Upgrade program. So how does their service stack up to the other electronics recyclers?