SAMSUNG

Now that AT&T is aggressively rolling out its LTE high-speed data network, the company has a tiered system of super-smartphones. In the first tier is the LTE enabled smartphones like the Galaxy S2 Skyrocket and HTC Vivid. Next are the iPhone and other non-LTE phones followed by the mid and entry level devices.

Samsung's Galaxy devices will get Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade in early 2012. The Android 4.0 update, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich, will reach the Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note first to get it, and it should release in the first quarter of 2012.

Anobit told employees today that Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) had made an offer for the firm and it had accepted. Employees were told that once the deal is formally completed they will be employees of Apple, according to Israel's Calcalist. The deal is reportedly for nearly $500 million, which makes it Apple's largest acquisition. It is also the first acquisition in Israel for the Cupertino, Calif.-based company.

Verizon Wireless has confirmed, through posts on Verizon's @VZWSupport Twitter account, its LTE version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is facing signal strength problems and has promised to fix the issue via a software update.

Apple Inc scored a narrow victory against Taiwan's HTC Corp in a patent lawsuit over smartphone technology that will set the stage for further battles between rival makers in the fiercely competitive market.

The California-based Apple is involved with numerous patent disputes world over with smartphone makers that run Android. Recently Samsung filed new claims against Apple over patent infringements in Germany.

Apple Inc scored a narrow victory against Taiwan's HTC Corp in their smartphone patent battle after the International Trade Commission ruled HTC infringed on only one of four patents at the center of the case brought by Apple.

Samsung Electronics has launched a new app called 'YouTube on TV' for Samsung Smart TV customers worldwide. Thanks to the new app, Samsung Smart TV customers can enjoy more than 8,000 HD movie, drama and video that YouTube provides.

According to tech insider DigiTimes and analyst Richard Shim, Apple will not only launch an iPad 3 to compete with Amazon's tablet computer in 2012 but a 7-inch mini iPad as well. As Kindle Fire sales threaten Apple's iPad 2, analysts are already debating the mini iPad's pricing and specs, and after Steve Jobs' death, a 7-inch tablet is looking more and more likely.

The much-awaited Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, is finally in Verizon Wireless stores and available online for $299.99 with a two-year contract. The smartphone battle can only get more intense, with the LG Nitro HD and the Galaxy Nexus squaring off against each other.

Motorola's Droid RAZR, claimed to be the world's thinnest smartphone, was launched on Verizon Wireless on Nov. 11. The Droid Razr weighs only 127 gm and is only 7.1 mm thick.

Samsung Electronics has filed new claims in its patent war with Apple Inc over alleged patent infringements in Germany, a spokesman for the company said on Monday.

Apple has been relying on its Asian manufacturers for production and assembly of its popular gadgets. But Apple’s A5 chip, which powers the new iPhone 4S and the iPad 2, is now being manufactured in the United States of America, specifically Texas, according to reports.

Samsung Electronics has filed new claims in its patent war with Apple Inc over alleged patent infringements in Germany, a spokesman for the company said on Monday.

T-Mobile is offering the Samsung Galaxy S2 for $99 on their Web site only, but the sale ends today, Dec. 18. Only the white version is being offered, and the $99 price is after a $50 mail-in rebate.

Developers can get a taste of freshly released versions of the DK bugging tools, along with the r7 NDK tool and the Eclipse plug-in for developing Android applications.

iPad 3 may be here before Spring, but that doesn't mean you have to wait to grab a speedy, lightweight tablet computer like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Featuring a screen slightly larger than the iPad, and possibly the same size as the iPad 3, Galaxy Tab 10.1 has a bright display and good resolution.

Even as rumors about Apple's next generation tablet - dubbed iPad 3 - continue to grow, a report on another gadget called iPad Mini - an iPad with a 7.85-inh display that could compete with Kindle Fire - has surfaced.

The key component of the iPhone 4S and the iPad 2 is now made in a Samsung-owned electronics factory in Texas, according to an exclusive Reuters report.

Verizon Wireless has finally started sales of the eagerly anticipated Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the first mobile device in the U.S. to run on the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, on Dec. 15. The flagship Android smartphone is selling at Verizon stores and through its online network for $299.99 with a two-year contract and will on its 4G LTE network.

Two of Verizon's top smartphones will be the subject of some debate over the next week as holiday shoppers size them up and wonder if Droid Razr makes a better holiday present than the Galaxy Nexus. They are both only on Verizon, and they even come at the same $300 on contract price.