T-Mobile will be the first carrier to offer a mobile phone based on Google's Android software. The phone will be made by HTC, one of the largest makers of cell phones in the world, and is expected to challenge Apple's iPhone as well as other smartphones that run software from Palm, RIM (Research in Motion), Microsoft and Nokia. The HTC phone will have a touch screen, like the iPhone. But the screen also slides out to expose a full five-row keyboard. The phone is expected to go on sale in the U.S...

Samsung introduced the E200 Eco, a phone made from bioplastics - materials extracted from corn. The E200 Eco's entire case is bioplastic. It has a 1.3-megapixel camera, video messaging capabilities and an MP3 player. The handset will be available in Europe next month but does not yet have an American release date. Samsung announced the W510 and F268 in June, two handsets that were produced using techniques that eliminate harmful materials like lead, cadmium and mercury. The F268 and E200 Eco dev...

Verizon Wireless ranks highest in wireless customer care performance, according to a J.D. Power study. Verizon customers experienced the least amount of time on hold, followed by Alltel, T-Mobile and AT&T. Sprint was not mentioned and has been restructuring its support after developing a reputation for below-average service. Customers report that Verizon performed particularly well in resolving problems in one contact. "The fact that Verizon Wireless performs well in resolving issues with on...

The BlackBerry Bold will be coming to North America within the month now that RIM (Research In Motion) has launched it in Chile and Germany. The Bold is RIM's first major BlackBerry model in more than a year. It offers twice the screen resolution of current BlackBerry models. The Bold matches the resolution, but not the size, of the screen on Apple's iPhone, which has emerged as a competitor in the smartphone market. AT&T said it will be the exclusive U.S. carrier for the Bold, as it is for ...