Apple has quietly announced that it would stop offering free cases to all iPhone 4 buyers at the end of September, which Consumer Reports said it "unacceptable".

Motorola chief has been counting on smartphones running Android to help turn around the Illinois-based company's flagging fortunes but didn't consider the latest generation of the mobile software ready for use in tablets.

Research firm ComScore reported that of top 5 platforms, only Google Android grew in market share, from 12% to 17% of the US smartphone market in May to July. Microsoft, RIM, and Apple all lost shares, while Palm hovered at 4.9 percent.

The bad news is that the Droid X's shipping date has been pushed back once again, a sign that it is suffering from the same stocking issues that the Droid Incredible went through until very recently.

People who have phones with Android operating systems are more likely to open an advertisement inside an app than are iPhone users, says Nielson Company.

If rumors are true then these will be the first Motorola dual SIM handsets available in Europe. After Nokia launched its own C1 and C2 dual SIM feature-phones a few months ago, Motorola will be among the few important brands that are releasing dual SIM phones in Europe.

Android-based devices could outnumber BlackBerry smartphones and iPhones by the end of 2010, and match Symbian sooner than expected.

Chief Executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo will step down on September 20, and be succeeded by Microsoft Corp.'s Stephen Elop.

Intel's new chip - code named Moorestown - would result in smart phone visuals and remove the need for a separate graphics chip in computers.

Anadigics has announced that its AWT6264 power amplifier drives the WiMAX connectivity in Samsung's recently-released Epic 4G handset.

By the end of 2010, Android will be just barely behind the iPhone --- 14.9% to the iPhone's 15.9%, a report concludes.

Sir John Bond left his job as chairman of HSBC in 2006 to join Vodafone, where he won praise for steadying a squabbling boardroom. Since then, however, the running has not been smooth at Vodafone, particularly regarding the company's track record on acquisitions.

Microsoft this week reached the "release to manufacturing" step in the development of its new mobile phone operating system Phone 7.

Google's Android platform came on strong in August, notching a 25 percent smartphone operating system plot, said data firm Quantcast.

What is augmented reality and what does it have to do with smartphone? Take a look a this article.

The Ideos is championed as "an affordable smartphone powered by the latest iteration of Android 2.2." And one of the headline facts is its price: "Between US$100 and US$200, depending on the market."

About 72 percent of adult mobile phone users send text messages with their phones, according to a report released Thursday from the Pew Research Center. That's up from 65 percent just a year ago.

Mobile phone customers will have to present ID when purchasing a phone number from Wednesday, in the latest campaign by the government to curb the global scourge of spam, pornographic messages and fraud on cellular phones.

"Any company with a telecoms network should be accessible," an Indian Home Ministry official told the BBC. "It could be Google or Skype, but anyone operating in India will have to provide data."

CEO Nordberg said that Sony Ericsson is unlikely to create its own tablet-style personal computer. Sony is likely to produce any tablet that Sony Ericsson sells in the future, he added.

Unlike its rivals, Samsung doesn't have another flagship phone planned for the crucial holiday season, and will rely solely on its Galaxy S lineup and the upcoming Galaxy Tab tablet, which analysts say could hurt its ability to get carrier support.

If true, this would be one very big acquisition.

Looks like Intel is getting serious about competing with mobile chip vendors, ranging from applications chip makers such as Marvell to intellectual property companies such as ARM.

Microsoft may end up paying $400 million on marketing alone to launch Windows Phone 7 for the holidays, an analyst has said.

Nokia's bonds are currently rated A with a negative outlook at Standard & Poor's and A2 with a stable outlook at Moody's Investors Service, the sixth investment-grade level at the ratings companies. It is ranked A- with a stable outlook at Fitch Ratings.