Bright colors, funky textures and personalization are coming to a smartphone near you as mobile phone makers turn to fashion to buoy sales in a crowded market. Apple Inc and Google Inc's Motorola are among those trying to score style points as game-changing technological innovation becomes harder to achieve in the maturing business. Since the first touch-screen iPhone hit the market in 2007, software features have become easier to replicate and improvements in speed, weight, display size and resolution have become routine. The explosion of me-too products is already hurting profit margins and nibbling at Apple and Samsung Electronic Co Ltd's market share. Time to bring out the paintbrush. Apple has invited reporters to an event on Tuesday where it is expected to introduce new iPhones in a much broader palette of colors, perhaps even gold. One-time leader Motorola, now owned by Google, is trying to win back consumers with the Moto X, relying partly on customized colors and, soon to … [Read more...] about Smartphones try fashion makeovers to stand out from pack
Customized moto x case
Google coming out with two new Android phones
Google revealed Thursday that it has two new sophisticated Android smartphones in the works, one of which will have the unprecedented distinction of being made in the United States. "It's a great device," Google executive Sundar Pichai said during an on-stage interview. Google Edition handsets by Taiwan-based HTC will be compatible with carriers AT&T and T-Mobile. Pichai made the disclosure a day after Motorola Mobility head Dennis Woodside said on the same stage that the company's was preparing to release its first smartphone since being bought by Google. The smartphone would be called Moto X and be made in a facility near Fort Worth, Texas, Woodside said. "It is the first smartphone that is going to be built in the United States," Woodside said, noting that the plant would employ about 2,000 people by August. "We think that it is going to allow us to innovate and iterate that much faster." Components for Motorola smartphones will come from Taiwan, South Korea, the … [Read more...] about Google coming out with two new Android phones
Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx HD hands-on: bigger battery, beautiful display, Jelly Bean onboard
Every family has a big brother and in Motorola's case, it's the Droid RAZR Maxx HD. We weren't fans of the initial Droid RAZR, what with its yellow-green display and odd hump back. But this HD update has us a bit smitten. Admittedly, it feels a bit odd in hand, owing to its brick-like construction and that substantial 3,300mAh battery underneath. Sticking with tradition, the device's back is an all-Kevlar affair and it feels great, conferring just the perfect amount of friction and grip so you won't have to worry about accidental drops. The edges of the phone are ringed with metal, adding a subtle accent that conspires to make this LTE handset appear quite premium. … [Read more...] about Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx HD hands-on: bigger battery, beautiful display, Jelly Bean onboard