You wouldn't expect high-end features in a simple phone, and you're not going to get them with the Envoy II. Not only is the low-resolution screen hard to look at from certain angles, you also won't get video recording, a flash, or any expandable memory.

True, like its predecessor, this handset is geared toward people who are mostly interested in making calls. But given that, call quality should have been better than it was.

Frankly, for a prepaid price of $49.99 and a contract price of $69.99, I'd want something more. Fortunately for U.… Read more

In a move to gin up excitement for its current SmartWatch gadget, Sony has opened the device to software developers. With these new coding tools, enthusiasts now hopefully have what they need to craft custom firmware for the Android timepiece. … Read more

AT&T just officially scooped up the rugged Samsung Galaxy S4 Active. Expected to hit store shelves just in time for beach parties, the Galaxy S4 Active offers an 8-megapixel camera, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, plus is both dustproof and waterproof. … Read more

The rumored HTC One Mini takes another step closer to reality. An image reported to be the fabled, micronized handset has bubbled up into view courtesy of gadget blog Engadget.

If the photo is legit, then the One Mini's hardware will indeed match all the hearsay and speculation. The device is said to be a shrunken-down version of HTC's flagship device, which, unlike the HTC One, features a 4.3-inch LCD screen and a thinner and shorter frame. The phone will likely sport the same gorgeous unibody aluminum chassis as the HTC One.

Other speculation points to a … Read more

Not everyone needs the latest, greatest smartphone -- the big screen, the blazing processor, the uber-camera. Plenty of users can get by just fine with something simple, especially if they can save money while still experiencing the joy of apps.

Republic Wireless offers perhaps the best money-saving smartphone deal on the planet. For $249, you get a Motorola Defy XT Android phone, then pay just $19 per month for unlimited service (with an asterisk, but still). Nineteen bucks! And you're not stuck with a contract, either.

The whole thing just got a little better: For a limited time, you … Read more

Samsung's S4 Galaxy Zoom -- which combines an Android smartphone with a 16-megapixel camera and 10x zoom lens -- is real.

The model isn't likely to appeal to the mainstream smartphone buyer. But in an Android market crowded with options, a niche that caters to a particular subset can be a reasonable approach -- especially if that subset is as passionate, enthusiastic, and willing to part with money as photographers often are.

The Korean electronics giant announced the new smartphone Wednesday, the latest in a series of S4-branded phones that began with the Galaxy S4 flagship model, continued … Read more

No matter how slick the new hardware is or how hard BlackBerry strives to convince us that its new BB10 handsets are the cat's meow, there's still one massive stumbling block -- quality apps. Apparently even the BlackBerry faithful agree and intrepid tweakers have stepped in to fix the situation themselves.

Read on to learn how you can quickly take advantage of free BlackBerry 10 apps that others have kindly ported from Android. Best of all, the entire process takes minutes and loading apps to your Z10 or Q10 just a matter of seconds.

Gather your tools So … Read more

People with visual impairments just got a new champion in the cell phone world. Odin Mobile launched on Wednesday with a vision of bringing specialized cell phones to customers with limited eyesight.

Accessibility features -- inputs meant especially for those with special needs -- are baked into nearly every cell phone and smartphone, but the three handsets that Odin Mobile stocks in its online shelves are specifically created for blind and low-vision customers.

The Huawei Vision ($300), a Project Ray device backed by Qualcomm and built on an Android phone, was designed specifically for the blind.

Phone owners will navigate … Read more

Big Red faithful who have long been craving a physical keyboard's reassuring typing touch, this is your moment. Verizon will begin offering the new BlackBerry Q10 smartphone in stores starting next Monday, June 10 -- but eager beavers can preorder theirs starting Thursday.

Verizon and the other three major carriers -- AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile -- are pretty much on target with previous timelines that marked sales starting in early June.

Another consistency is the price. BlackBerry's QWERTY master sells for $199.99 on Verizon and AT&T with a new, two-year service agreement. Expect … Read more