Google is teaming with Asia-based hardware makers on a low-priced, 7-inch tablet computer to challenge offerings by Amazon.com and Apple, reports said Thursday. Android software backed by the California Internet giant will power hardware built by partners including Samsung and Asustek to compete with iPad and Kindle devices, according to Digitimes and the Wall Street Journal. An Asustek tablet could be released as early as May with a price …

Apple Inc's new iPhone will have a sharper and bigger 4.6-inch "retina" display and is set to be launched around the second quarter, a South Korean media reported on Thursday. Sales of the iPhone, first introduced in 2007 with the touch screen template now adopted by its rivals, account for around half Apple's total sales. Apple has decided on the bigger 4.6-inch display for its next iPhone and started placing orders to its suppliers, the …

When Samsung Electronics rushed its first smartphone to market in a panicky response to the smash-hit debut of the Apple iPhone, some customers burned the product on the streets or hammered it to bits in public displays of disaffection. Complaints ranged from dropped calls and a clunky touchscreen to frequent auto rebooting and a dearth of applications. "It was just awful," said Kim Sang-uk, 27, who bought the Omnia in late-2009 just before …

Apple appears to be making less of a profit from each new iPad than it did when it launched the previous model a year ago, according to a research firm's analysis. IHS iSuppli took apart a new iPad on Friday, the day the device went on sale in the U.S. and nine other countries, and found that the components are more expensive than those of the iPad 2. The third iPad comes in several versions starting at $499, the same price as the iPad 2 …

Pakistani military was working to develop a homegrown version of the iPad (PacPad) at the Kamra Air Force Complex, a leading American news agency, has reported. The $200 iPad tablet was manufactured at the Kamra Air Force facility that produced fighter jets and was the latest addition to Pakistan military’s sprawling commercial empire. The report appearing in The Gulf News, maintains: “The device runs on Android 2.3, an operating system made by …

Apple Inc's share of China's booming smartphone market slipped for a second straight quarter in October-December, as it lost ground to cheaper local brands and as some shoppers held off until after the iPhone 4S launch last month. China, the world's largest mobile phone market, has not been easy for Apple, which is grappling with a lawsuit from a local firm over the iPad name and issues at its suppliers' factories over wages and working conditions. …

Apple Inc raised the stake in an intensifying global patent battle with Samsung Electronics by targeting the latest model using Google's fast growing Android software, a move which may affect other Android phone makers. Apple has asked a federal court in California to block Samsung from selling its new Galaxy Nexus smartphones, which use Google's newest version of Android, called Ice Cream Sandwich, alleging four patent violations including new …

Samsung Electronics Co said on Friday a German court ruled against it in a patent suit versus Apple over mobile technologies, and the firm has yet to decide whether to appeal the ruling. Samsung counter-sued Apple in April, after the US firm filed a lawsuit claiming that the South Korean firm infringed on its design rights and that Samsung's products "slavishly" copied Apple's iPhone and iPad. Samsung said Friday's ruling covers one patent and …

This year's Consumer Electronics Show turned out to be the largest on record, despite a slow economy and what many industry pundits agree is a dearth of genuine scene-stealers. But as with most years, avid - and hardy - attendees can always find a few gems that stand out from the inevitable tidal wave of headphones, Internet-enabled home appliances and gadget casings. Here are a few high and low moments, compiled by Reuters from the Las Vegas show …

The High Court in Australia Friday cleared the way for South Korea's Samsung to sell its Galaxy 10.1 tablet in the country when it dismissed iPad manufacturer Apple's bid to have a ban extended. Late last month, Samsung won an appeal against a temporary ban on sales of the Galaxy device in Australia, a rare victory for the company in its legal tussle with its US rival. But Apple immediately won a stay of the orders. However, its bid to extend the …