The 'shatterproof' Droid Turbo 2 gets teased by Verizon

October 27th can't come soon enough for fans of the Droid series. Although Verizon is expected to reveal its latest flagship smartphone on that day, the carrier seems to be extremely eager to show you what it has planned for the event. In a tweet earlier today, Verizon teased a handset fitting the leaked description of the "shatterproof" Droid Turbo 2, calling it "the perfect phone for imperfect people." Aside from a tough screen, the device is said to be compatible with Motorola's Moto Maker service, which will let you customize it to your liking. We'll learn all the official details soon enough, but in the meantime, here's a quick video of the new Turbo to hold you over.

BlackBerry could quit hardware as early as next year

At a panel interview at Code/Mobile, BlackBerry CEO John Chen has said that the company might quit the hardware business if it isn't profitable by next year. He said that he "never says never" to shutting down its device business and could perhaps focus entirely on providing security services to other platforms. Indeed, BlackBerry's Enterprise Servers is already compatible with both Android and iOS, so it wouldn't be a significant pivot. That said, Chen is bullish on trying to make the hardware business work. On stage, he showed off the new BlackBerry Priv, which isn't only the firm's first ever Android product, but also BlackBerry's first ever device that uses an operating system that isn't its own.

Lenovo's 16-megapixel Vibe Shot is a smartphone that looks like a camera

Even though Lenovo unveiled new tablets a little over 12 hours ago, it isn't quite done with Mobile World Congress announcements just yet. Now it's taking the wrapper off three more devices, two of which are Android smartphones that you probably won't be able to get in the US. One is the Lenovo Vibe Shot, a superslim handset that looks eerily like a camera, while the other is the Lenovo A7000, apparently the world's first smartphone to come with Dolby Atmos. The third new product of the bunch is the simply named Lenovo Pocket Projector, a tiny little projector that's pretty versatile for its size.

Introducing Samsung GALAXY S4

LG to demo 5-inch unbreakable and flexible plastic OLED panel at SID

LG's got quite a bit in store for us this week at SID's annual display exhibition in Vancouver. In addition to that 55-inch curved OLED TV we first heard about last month, the company will be demonstrating a very nifty 5-inch OLED panel. Created for mobile devices, the display is constructed of plastic, making it both flexible and unbreakable -- certainly a welcome quality when it comes to smartphone design.

Also on display will be 5- and 7-inch HD Oxide TFT panels. That first size features a bezel that's just 1mm wide, enabling a borderless frame when installed in smartphones. Both displays are lightweight and consume less power than their traditional equivalents. Finally, LG will have a 14-inch 2560x1440-pixel laptop panel on hand, along with LCDs designed for use in refrigerators and automotive dashboards. We'll be live from the SID show floor later this week -- check back for our hands-ons with all of these new LG panels, and quite a bit more.

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Huawei 2012 results: $2.5 billion profit, smartphone penetration 'still way too low'

Huawei has announced some pretty respectable numbers for the year just passed, with the company taking $35.4 billion (CNY 220.2 billion) in revenue and turning that into a $2.48 billion (CNY 15.4 billion) profit -- both figures show an improvement over their 2011 counterparts. CFO Cathy Meng, daughter of Huawei's founder, said that despite the money coming in, "smartphone penetration is still way too low and there is a lot of room for growth." Meng also brought up the ongoing trust issues with the US, which she doesn't expect to hamper growth. Huawei is certainly maturing its international business regardless -- 66 percent of overall revenue came from other regions. All we know is that Huawei's becoming increasingly visible at international trade shows likeCES, and it will undoubtedly have more to share at the upcoming MWC, where we can only hope to hear more about that mouth-watering eight-core chip.

It looks like someone else got their hands on an Xperia GX in a Japanese DoCoMo store, and decided to take a video showing off the 13MP camera.

Like the still image samples, the video is taken indoors, and does not show much in the way of the full capabilities of the sensor. Nevertheless, it is of full 1080p resolution.

The Sony Xperia GX has garnered some criticism for reportedly being a Japan-only device, despite somehints that an international version may be in the works. Here's to hoping that we'll see the slick device in our neck of the woods someday.

Apple now the world's largest smartphone manufacturer, Samsung checks in at number two

We make our own truth. That's how IDC can come up with roughly the same numbers as fellow research firm Canalys and crown Apple the king, when its rival called Android top dog -- it's all about how you slice it. See, where as Canalys bundled all Android handset makers together, IDC has broken them up, which leads to a rather interesting twist -- the largest smartphone maker in the world is now Apple. Cupertino's growth of 141.7-percent in shipments year over year was enough to push it past Nokia (which slipped to number three) and Samsung (which climbed two spots to take the silver medal), while RIM and HTC rounded out the top five. That being said, no one is running away with the lead here, and Sammy's continued stratospheric rise should keep Apple on guard. Check out the full report after the break.

Toshiba is dropping out of Fujitsu / Toshiba phones while Hitachi considers exiting the TV biz

Fujitsu Toshiba Mobile Communications has only been in existence as Japan's number two mobile company (behind Sharp) for a short time, but it appears even a decent earnings report wasn't enough for Toshiba to stay in the business. While the joint venture prepares to release the au IS12T WP7handset running Mango Fujitsu, Fujitsu is preparing to buy out Toshiba's 19.9 percent stake and take sole ownership in 2012. Toshiba may not be the only Japanese tech giant taking a step back, as Hitachi is considering following Pioneer and exiting the TV biz stage left. As price competition squeezes out all but the largest manufacturers and even Sony feels the pinch, Hitachi is considering outsourcing the brand to overseas manufacturers. Neither announcement should put brakes on hardware we've been anticipating, but that REGZA phone or Wooo television you just dropped a few yen on could become a vintage item very soon.

Huawei Vision smartphone: Android 2.3, 1GHz CPU, unibody construction

Is the world's next showstopping Gingerbread smartphone seriously coming from Huawei? The same company that shocked us all with the S7 Slim tablet (and pulled a similar stunt with the MediaPad) has just taken the wraps off of its newest handset in Beijing, and the curtly-titled Vision offers quite the stat sheet. While it still falls short of Samsung's Galaxy S II and HTC's EVO 3D in terms of raw horsepower, it's still more than capable of holding its own. Within the unibody frame, you'll find a 3.7-inch capacitive touchpanel, a five megapixel autofocus camera (with LED flash and 720p video recording), 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM 8255 processor and a 1,400mAh battery.

Motorola Triumph review

When we first laid eyes and hands on Motorola's first Android offering for Virgin Mobile, we were pleasantly surprised. The Triumph proved to be one of the better looking and performing pre-paid handsets we'd had the pleasure of holding in our sweaty mitts, but we had one major hangup: the name. Call us old fashioned, but we're of the mind that it's unsportsmanlike to claim victory before the race has even begun. After all, we aren't looking at an iPhone killer here. To the contrary, the Triumph is a decently outfitted, Motoblur-free Froyo phone, with a suitable 4.1-inch WVGA screen, a workable 2GB of storage, and a fairly attractive (and contract-free) $300 price tag. So, after a week in our palms and pockets, did the Triumph really affirm its arrogant appellative or did it fail to live up to its name? The answers to this and other, less alliterative, questions await you after the break.

Nokia and Microsoft hosting special event August 17th, both companies likely to give their vows

Between the "accidental" unveiling of the Sea Ray, the announcement of Fujitsu's Mango device, and the less-than-stellar Q2 Nokia had, it doesn't take a lot of crazy speculation to surmise that Stephen Elop's quite the eager beaver in ensuring it'll get the most out of its newfound marriage with Microsoft as soon as possible. Thus, hearing word of a special event being thrown at the beginning of Gamescom, an annual gaming conference in Germany, is definitely a good sign; according to press invites sent out today, the party -- to be held on August 17th -- promises "exciting actions and surprises," and we're pretty sure they don't mean a free t-shirt. So join with us in determining what these surprises are, but please... don't try that hard.

Qriocity video streaming coming to Xperia packing pocket near you

Sony's Qriocity video streaming service is going mobile. The on-demand pay-per-view offering (which is probably best known for its supporting role in the recent PSN outage debacle) is making the jump from the living room to your pocket -- provided said pocket is stuffed with a 2011 Xperia smartphone. Initially it will only be available to Mini and Mini Pro owners, but eventually it'll be pushed to rest of the current lineup in nine markets, including the US, UK and Japan. Check out the source link for more details.

IDC: Nokia, LG see significant Q2 shipping decline, Apple continues to grow

Well, the numbers are in and Q2's proved to be a mixed bag for the mobile market. According to IDC, cellphone makers shipped a total of 365.4 million units last quarter, a year-over-year increase of 11.3 percent. Nokia, while still the world's largest handset maker, suffered a significant blow, with shipments dropping from 111.1 million in Q2 2010 to 88.5 million; the company's market share was similarly down, hitting 24.2 percent, compared to last year's 33.8 percent. LG Electronics was the only other manufacturer to see a loss, with shipments dropping to 24.8 million from 30.6 million in 2010. Apple managed to maintain its recently acquired number four spot, with iPhone shipments hitting 20.3 million, up year-over-year from 8.4 million. RIM was conspicuously missing from the top five lineup, while ZTE landed the number five position. In news that shouldn't surprise anyone with a pulse, the feature phone market saw a decline this year, surprisingly its first since Q3 2009. If you're jonesing for more market share and shipping stats, hop on past the break for the full PR.

Nokia 'Sea Ray' WP7 handset revealed on a factory floor? (Video)

Stephen Elop himself spilled the beans about Nokia's first WP7 handset, codenamed Sea Ray, when hetold a large live audience and some whirring video cameras that he wanted the phone to be kept "super confidential." Now we have a whole new puddle of legumes lying on what sounds like a Chinese factory floor, courtesy of the authentic-looking video above. The clip reveals the N9-like device removed from what appears to be a stealth case, followed by a speedy boot-up into the Windows Phone OS. We're also treated to a quick look at the camera in action -- triggered by a dedicated shutter button that's missing on the N9 -- before a hurried "goodbye." There's not much else to see here, but could that reddish theme be a hint that this particular example is destined for Vodafone? Only time will tell.

Fujitsu to launch first Windows Phone Mango handset in... August?

Say it ain't so -- not only is a phone not delayed, it's actually planning to come out earlier than its quoted launch window? This particular miracle is the exception much more than the rule, but Microsoft's latest Windows Phone OS (nicknamed "Mango,") might come out prior to the anticipated fall release. According to Nikkei,Fujitsu will offer the very first Mango device, a waterproof phone called the IS12T, on KDDI "as early as late next month." The phone is to be sold for 30,000 - 40,000 yen ($378 - 505), a reasonable amount of coin for what will likely be a higher-end device. And -- if it's the same handset showcased at this week's Worldwide Partner Conference -- a pink version will be on sale. So, what's more enticing: a Hello Kitty-flavored Windows Phone, or a Samsung Galaxy S II lookalike running Mango? It's a tough call.

Nokia's Stephen Elop is still over MeeGo, even if the N9 is a hit

An awful lot has been happening in Nokialand over the past week. A few days ago, we spent our first real quality moments with the much discussed N9, and we were pretty blown away by the MeeGo smartphone. Fast forward a mere two days, and we catch wind of a pretty suspicious looking leak of "Sea Ray," the company's first Windows Phone handset where else but sitting firmly in the hand of CEO Stephen Elop. Just in case that brand of corporate subtlety didn't quite drive the point home, the executive gave an interview with Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat this week, confirming the nearlyuniversal suspicion that it will abandon the Linux-based OS. Elop told the paper that, even if the N9 proves a massive hit, Nokia is going to turn its attention to other, more Windows Mobiley things.

Motorola Droid X2 official at $200: launching online May 19th, in stores May 26th (update: in some stores tomorrow)

Motorola and Verizon have finally stopped teasing us and have made the Droid X2 official. This is a 4.3-inch Android (2.2, to be upgraded to 2.3) smartphone with a qHD screen resolution and a dual-core 1GHz processor. An 8 megapixel camera with continuous autofocus and HD video recording graces the back. The X2 will cost the usual $200 on contract and will be available to buy online tomorrow, May 19th, before making its way out to stores a week later, on May 26th. Leap past the break for the full PR.

Motorola Droid X 2 turns up on Moto and Verizon sites, confirms qHD screen and 1GHz dual-core processor

Hey Motorola, your unannounced phone is showing. The Droid X 2 is spending this morning hanging out on the bright and airy support pages of motorola.com, though you may also spot it sneakily listed alongside some compatible accessories on vzw.com as well. Yes, the leaks are now happening from official sources, too, indicating an imminent landing for what we've confirmed to be a dual-core 1GHz Android smartphone with qHD resolution on a 4.3-inch display. Those long-rumored specs were revealed by the Droid X 2's user guide, which Moto has kindly provided at the link below. So thoughtful!

HP Veer 4G review

HP's Jon Rubenstein told us that his company wanted to veer in a new direction, and veer it surely did -- the HP Veer 4G will arguably be the smallest fully-functional smartphone on the market when it goes on sale May 15th. In a nutshell, it's a Palm Pixi Plus in the guise of a Pre, only in a delightfully downsized package with webOS 2.1 and thoroughly modern functionality. What does it feel like to Just Type on its tiny keyboard or throw app cards across its itsy-bitsy 2.6-inch screen? How is it as a pocketable HSPA+ hotspot, and will that extra G decimate its miniscule 910mAh battery? These are the questions that drove us when playing with the Veer 4G this week, and you'll find the answers shortly after the break.