November 2014 cell phone news

News Many Purchases Made on a Smartphone are Researched on Other Devices

Barilliance found 41% of purchases completed on a phone were researched somewhere else first, mostly on a PC, which changes how retailers should measure it.

News New Fare Gates Let Metro Riders Pay with a Smartphone

Washington DC's Metro piloted $184 million in new fare gates that take a phone tap or a chip card, replacing readers more than 30 years old.

News Google Maps App Gets a Major Upgrade

The Lollipop-era Maps rebuild brought material design plus in-app OpenTable bookings and Uber pickup estimates without leaving the map.

News Nintendo to Release Smartphone App in 2015

Nintendo confirmed a 2015 smartphone app built around Mii avatars, its first real step outside consoles after delaying the launch a year.

Phones Microsoft Introduces Lumia 535, its First Non-Nokia Windows Phone

The Lumia 535 was Microsoft's first Windows phone without the Nokia name: five-inch screen, five-megapixel front camera, about $137 in emerging markets.

News Ex-Apple CEO Launches His Own Smartphone Line

Former Apple CEO John Sculley launched Obi Mobiles, Android phones priced from $70 to $200 and aimed squarely at Xiaomi and Lenovo.