Google’s Project Ara: an awesome answer in search of a question

Originally, that headline was going to be “Project Ara is an awesome solution in search of a problem.” But we thought it prudent to change it, given that Google’s new phone concept might actually solve a few big problems – if it ever attains widespread popularity. Project Ara broke cover yesterday, and immediately upended the lives of phone geeks worldwide. If you’re not one of those geeks, here’s the deal: the concept, born of Google’s ongoing ...

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3 reasons I want the LG G Flex more than the Nexus 5

So this is kind of dumb, right? I mean, everyone and his mother geeky brother is jazzed for the arrival of the Nexus 5. It’s a device so hotly anticipated it’s been leaked about 40 million times and its projected release date has come and gone three times a week since June [citation needed]. Whenever it finally lands, it will represent the cream of the crop in the pure-Google experience, a Nexus handheld with no rival. With all this New Hotness just around the corner, and as one of the hordes of tech bloggers always complaining about the ever-thickening coat of paint OEMs keep ...

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Five terrible phone hardware decisions we’ll never forget

We already have a series here at Pocketnow lamenting the choices of smartphone and tablet manufacturers, and trying to learn something from their most visible mistakes. It’s called Worst Gadgets Ever, and it’s a fun little video series that you should check out. But sometimes, a broader look at the industry’s development is useful – and given the right attitude, it can also be fun. Earlier this year, our own Taylor Martin took you on a tour of

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“You’re Just Gonna Put A Case On It Anyway” Isn’t An Excuse

We’ve been talking about two smartphones in particular these past few weeks: the HTC One and the Galaxy S 4. You may have noticed. We’ve kept our focus on these phones for an especially long period because they’re flagship devices – the high-end superphones representing the best of the best their manufacturers can offer. As we’ve discussed at length in venues like the 

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Phone Form Factors That Are Officially Dead

You don’t have to look back very far in time to recall a vastly different mobile market with a wide array of offerings. Smartphones and feature phones alike came in all many different shapes and sizes, and moving parts were in – displays that pivoted, swiveled, and twisted around, or keyboards that clumsily tucked under the display. Back then, a trip to the carrier store was an adventure. I was still a young whippersnapper and had only recently discovered the vast realm of smartphones and mobile data. And back then, I didn’t research before buying a new phone, I put no ...

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The Pocketnow Weekly Podcast, Episode 034

Ever recorded a 90-minute podcast full of Skype-related artifacts and drop-outs, only to find once you wrap it up that you used the wrong mic? If so, you know the pain we’ve experienced cutting together today’s episode of the Pocketnow Weekly podcast. Sorry for the levels on this one, folks; it’s unfortunate, and we’ve done all we can to normalize them, but you’re probably going to be twisting your volume knob an awful lot over the course of this here episode. On the bright side, if you manage to endure, you’ll be treated to some excellent discussion on ...

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Congratulations Jumbophone Jerks, You Finally Convinced Me: 4 Inches Is Too Small.

It happened so slowly I didn’t even know what ya’ll were up to. Editorial after editorial, I lamented the ballooning size of the smartphone screen. I wasn’t any sideline observer, either: I’d carried devices in sizes ranging from the Centro and Veer to the

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