SMARTPHONE

The decision by Apple was somewhat strange given that its other stores in China had opened without incident.

BlueStacks would be the armor Microsoft would be looking at as it is gearing up to launch its Windows 8 operating system, which is expected to work on both PCs and tablets with the tablet version termed as Metro.

T-Mobile showcased Samsung's new 4G smartphone - Galaxy S Blaze - at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2012. It is expected the battle between Samsung products is set to become fiercer, with the Galaxy S Blaze 4G targeting the hugely anticipated Galaxy S3.

Here is a rundown of the top five devices displayed at the CES and expected to arrive sometime this year...

CES 2012 Highlights: Smartphones, Tablets and Other Great Gadgets [PHOTOS]

At CES 2012 Verizon Wireless has announced the Motorola Droid 4, the latest smartphone in the Droid family.

At the Consumer Electronic Show 2012, T-Mobile and Samsung have announced the new smartphone Galaxy Blaze, which will operate on a faster 4G network.

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.

BlackBerry Playbook owners will be getting a rather comprehensive system update in February, Research In Motion announced at the Consumer Electronics Show Jan. 9. The PlayBook OS 2.0 update will be a free download and includes new messaging features and social network integration among other things.

Apple doesn't even go to Macworld anymore, so it's no surprise they didn't attend the Consumer Electronics Show this year. So, there was no iPhone 5 or iPad 3 to be found, but pretty much every other smartphone maker in the world was there.

There's but one more day for the Consumer Electronics Show, but before CNET's traditional Best of CES list comes out, here's what busted out of the huge trade show on day two. Most of the press has gone to so-called smart televisions, super-thin notebook computers and mobile devices, but they represent only a fraction of tech coming out of Las Vegas.

Here's a good news for Droid Razr fans. If you've been whining about the smartphone's battery life, then whine no more because Motorola has launched the Droid Razr Maxx, which boasts of a better battery life.

Hampton Adams has been one of CES' most loyal devotees for 15 years. But unlike a good chunk of the 140,000-plus who descend on the world's largest technology showcase every January, the portfolio manager is less keen on fiddling with cutting-edge technology than picking winners.

If the rumored features of Galaxy S3 hold true, it could undoubtedly be a huge success when finally launched in the market, thus posing as another potential challenger to the mighty iPhone.

Waterproof gadgets have been one of the most popular trends in 2012 and many technology companies are showing off their waterproofing technology at CES 2012. One of them, Fujitsu, showcased its new line of waterproof smartphones and tablet.

Nokia Lumia 710, the first phone powered by Microsoft's Windows Phone OS, has been released in the U.S. market via T-Mobile on Wednesday. Nokia is betting a lot on Lumia 710 as the Finnish mobile phone maker is desperate of regaining the market share it lost to major competitors such as Apple, Samsung, HTC and LG.

The Nokia Lumia 900, which was launched at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on Monday, is the first of Nokia's Windows Phone-based range to feature high-speed LTE connectivity. The phone, which is expected to be an upgrade of Lumia 800 has been described as iconic, beautiful and fast by the President of Nokia in North America. The question, then, is what will happen when the two Lumia models go head-to-head...

How many of us know someone living in the U.S. who actually has a Nokia?! Nevertheless, that trend could change in coming days, if Nokia and Microsoft have their way.

It's raining smartphones at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The top 5 smartphones revealed so far are Samsung's Galaxy Note, Sony's Xperia S, Motorola's Droid Razr Maxx, Nokia's Lumia 900 and the HTC Titan II.

Hampton Adams has been one of CES' most loyal devotees for 15 years. But unlike a good chunk of the 140,000-plus who descend on the world's largest technology showcase every January, the portfolio manager is less keen on fiddling with cutting-edge technology than picking winners.

Wireless chipmaker Broadcom is gearing up to launch new application processors for the lucrative and growing higher-end smartphone segment by the end of the year, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Henry Samueli said on Wednesday.