HTC may be looking to follow in Samsung and Apple’s footsteps in developing its own processors, according to a rumor from China Times. The Taiwanese vendor has reportedly signed a “memorandum of cooperation” with ST-Ericsson to co-develop a new dedicated chip for low-end smartphones that will come out in 2013. The joint venture will help HTC reduce its reliance on Qualcomm and NVIDIA processors, which are predominantly featured in the company’s current smartphone offerings. HTC, whi...

Several rumors surrounding Apple’s next-generation iPhone handsets tend to resurface each year, and the imminent launch of an entry-level “iPhone nano” is one that we have seen regularly since Apple first launched the iPhone in 2007. China Times is among the first to bring purported news of a low-cost iPhone in the works this year, citing unnamed sources within Apple’s supply chain with its report. Apple is looking to expand expand its position in the low-end smartphone market accordin...

With Samsung’s high-end TV sales doing well, the company is now looking to launch cheaper television sets according to Reuters. Demand for lower-end TVs has been on the rise in recent months, with major South Korean retailers teaming up with local manufacturers to provide flat-screen models that are as much as 40% cheaper than Samsung sets. “As long as there’s demand, we’re open to get into that segment,” Samsung’s executive VP of visual display, Kim Hyun-suk said. “W...

VIZIO on Monday evening announced that its affordable 8-inch VIZIO Tablet is now available from numerous retailers nationwide. The Gingerbread-powered device is VIZIO’s first foray into the tablet space, and while the slate’s specs aren’t cutting edge, it’s unsubsidized $299 price tag makes it a great option for tablet buyers on a budget. Spec highlights include an 8-inch 1024 x 768-pixel display, Android 2.3.2 Gingerbread, 2GB of storage and support for up to 32GB of removable storag...

While the Daytona 500 kicks off a race to the top each year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the Nokia 500 is a race to the bottom. Nokia on Monday announced a new Symbian-powered smartphone that will aggressively attack emerging markets and smartphone users on a budget. The €150 ($217) Nokia 500 costs about what most popular smartphones do after subsidies, and it features specs we’re not used to seeing on entry-level devices. Highlights include a 1GHz processor, a 3.2-inch 640 x 360-pixel touchscree...

We guessed it would come with a cute nickname and boy we were right. The entry-level LG KP500 has been given the codename LG Cookie. Yes, that’s right, you may now refer to this “Renoir-lite” phone as the LG Cookie. Silly name aside, the Cookie packs a lot of features into what promises to be an affordable handset. Just a quick review of the specs reminds us that the Cookie will have Quad-band GSM, GRPS/EDGE, 3″ touchscreen display, 3MP camera, accelerometer, BT 2.1 and an FM radio. Th...

That didn’t take long at all, did it? Yesterday we told you about LG’s pre-announcement of the entry-level touchscreen handset, the KP500. To recap that post in one sentence: The LG KP500 is positioned to be an affordable and well-equipped option for users looking to score a touchscreen handset without dropping big bucks. Here we are a day later, and more complete specs have been discovered along with a price point.Quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900), GPRS/EDGE connectivity3-inch 240×400 pixel 262K...

Looking remarkably like a Renoir Lite, LG has just announced its upcoming KP500 entry-level handset. Initial details are somewhat limited but we have to say, we like where LG is going with this. Sure, including a stylus in the first official press images probably isn’t going to do LG any favors but it’s the thought that counts, right? LG will be positioning the KP500 as a low-cost touchscreen handset and if the price point is in fact as low as the press release might indicate, it should drum up a ...