Smartphones

Mobile growth is about to be staggering

It's the biggest shift in technology since the advent of the Internet, and mobile is still only just beginning.

By Kevin Kelleher, contributor

FORTUNE -- "I remember traffic lights before smartphones," sighed a friend as we sat in traffic behind a car that remained still after the light had turned green. Sure enough, the driver's head was tilted downward as if lost in solemn prayer -- or, more likely, a texting/map/music app MORE

Meet the Chinese smartphones

China is the world's largest mobile market. Now its manufacturers want a piece of America's consumers.

By Kurt Wagner, reporter

FORTUNE -- It's no secret that China is a hotbed for mobile growth, particularly when it comes to smartphones. In fact, China is currently the top smartphone market in the world, accounting for 26.5% of all smartphone shipments last year, according to IDC. Not surprisingly, the country is home to a MORE

Smartphones: Microsoft and RIM battle for No. 3

As Apple and Google dominate the American market, former leaders Microsoft and RIM find themselves brawling for third.

FORTUNE -- On Jan. 30, Research in Motion -- the Canadian company that once owned the American smartphone industry -- will attempt to regain its foothold with the launch of a new mobile operating system, BlackBerry 10. The company's goal is not to out-innovate the iPhone. Rather, in a market controlled by Apple MORE

The next chip battleground: Data centers

Diminutive smartphone chips will help power-hungry data centers cut down on costs.

FORTUNE -- The next time you upload a photo to Facebook, consider this: All those pictures have to be processed and stored somewhere, presumably forever. Some 3 million data centers occupy more than 600 million square feet of space in the U.S. alone to help do so. Trouble is, a single location can slurp as much power as a MORE

Man bites dog: Google sues Apple for patent infringement

Mountain View turns the tables on Cupertino at the U.S. International Trade Commission

FORTUNE -- So far, the "thermonuclear war" Steve Jobs promised to wage against Google (GOOG) for allegedly ripping off the iPhone has been fought through proxies -- several dozen lawsuits filed in courts around the world against the manufacturers of Android phones and tablets.

Now, in a move rich with irony, Google has accused Apple (AAPL) of ripping off MORE

How to create a mobile-friendly workplace

Tablets and smartphones have invaded corporate America. Now many offices are changing to cope.

FORTUNE -- Companies will soon be spending upwards of $1.3 trillion annually to equip employees with mobile devices and apps, according to Forrester Research. By 2016 an estimated 350 million smartphones will be brought to the office; overall tablet shipments are expected to outpace those of notebooks that year as well. Problem is, most corporate digs are MORE

Has Google's Android peaked?

Yes, Google's mobile operating system is a smash with consumers. That doesn't mean it isn't facing stiff competition and more than a few troubling signs.

By Kevin Kelleher, contributor

FORTUNE -- For several years, it seemed like nothing could slow the rise of Android. The little mobile operating system that Google bought for $50 million in 2005 was adopted by big smartphone makers like Motorola, HTC and Samsung. Android's share of MORE

iPhone tops J.D. Power's satisfaction list for the 7th time

Battery life proves critical, as Samsung comes in third, below the industry average

In smartphones these days, according to J.D. Power and Associates, nothing matters more in terms of customer satisfaction and loyalty that how fast the battery drains.

"Both carriers and manufacturers recognize the fact that battery life needs to be improved," said J.D. Power's Kirk Parsons in a press release issued Thursday. "However, the study uncovers the need for a MORE

A GPS maker shifts gears

With its core business in decline, wireless tech company Garmin tries to move into the dashboard.

By Erik Rhey, contributor

FORTUNE -- Remember KITT, the loquacious in-car computer on the television show Knight Rider? David Hasselhoff's digital friend has nothing on a new generation of dashboard "command centers," which combine smartphone docking stations with navigation systems once dominated by standalone GPS (global positioning system) products.

In response to this competition, Garmin (GRMN), the MORE

Intel's (latest) mobile comeback

CEO Paul Otellini thinks he's finally found a way to get Intel into the mobile game. Will phone makers take his call?

FORTUNE -- There are two kinds of CEOs: Those who love the spotlight and those who hate it. Paul Otellini, chief executive officer of Intel, falls into the latter category. But in January, as he stood in front of several thousand people at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las MORE