SMARTPHONE

On June 22, Cricket mobile will begin selling Apple's flagship iPhone 4 and 4S without a contract. Buy the phone from Cricket (for $399 and $499, respectively) and pay a $55 monthly charge for unlimited calls, data and messaging. Don't like the deal anymore? Then just cancel.

Speculation swirls that the current smartphone leader may be buying onetime mobile phones king.

Little by little, we've been piecing together the puzzle known as the iPhone 5. We already have a pretty good idea of what the iPhone 5 will look like, but we are still largely uncertain what will be inside the phone. According to a research note, Apple will make significant improvements to the entire camera infrastructure in the iPhone 5, all while decreasing the overall thickness of the phone.

Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are all pushing for what?s next in terms of technological advancements to enhance gameplay. At E3 2012, some have revealed more about their next generation consoles than others, such as Nintendo whose press conference centered on what the Wii U will bring to gamers.

Google unveiled its new 3-D map technology Wednesday. To provide a three-dimensional perspective for these maps, the search engine giant has deployed a fleet of planes to fly above U.S. cities and capture images.

On Tuesday, Fremont, Calif.-based Tactus Technology unveiled its solution to the touchscreen keyboard at SID Display Week 2012, showing off a prototype of an interface with appearing and disappearing keys that rise out of the touchscreen to provide a guide for your fingers and feedback to confirm the selection. A similar technology was reportedly being built for Apple's sixth-generation smartphone, presumably called the iPhone 5.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo taking place in Los Angeles is undoubtedly the biggest week of the year for the video game industry, from the perspective of devoted fans and developers alike. E3 2012 has been packed with news and updates on next-generation consoles and gaming titles from Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo.

Verizon began accepting preorders for the Samsung Galaxy S3 on Wednesday, but orders won't be delivered until early July, according to a screenshot on a popular gadgets' website, which would likely make it one of the last major U.S. carriers to release the phone. According to Slashgear.com, the phone won't be available from Verizon until July 9.

Joining the four major US carriers, the nation's sixth largest carrier U.S. Cellular has announced that it will launch the latest Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone in July with preorders beginning June 12.

All major U.S carriers will be stocking the Samsung Galaxy S3 in coming weeks, but AT&T will stand out as the company plans to release an exclusive red version of the phone this summer, Tech Crunch reported.

Following Samsung's announcement that the Galaxy S3 is on its way to the U.S., T-Mobile and Sprint have revealed that the phone will be released on June 21.

On Tuesday, Microsoft unveiled a stunning new technology platform at the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles called SmartGlass, which essentially connects the television and the Xbox to smartphones and tablets, letting users consume their media in a much simpler and more fun way.

Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer HTC is going to make handsets that will be certified for Sony PlayStation Suite. Yes, it has just been announced that the Japanese multinational conglomerate will be partnering with HTC to create phones for a new program, named as PlayStation Mobile.

After Samsung announced Monday about the launch of its flagship Galaxy S3 smartphone in the US with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and US Cellular starting this month, AT&T has confirmed the arrival of the handset over the next few weeks with preorders beginning June 6 in company-owned stores and online.

Could Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), the world's most valuable technology company, be getting a new jolt from the burgeoning China market, its second largest?

Samsung announced Monday that it would launch Galaxy S3 with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and US Cellular starting in June.

Research In Motion's appointment of bankers to advise on drastic options, including an outright sale of the BlackBerry maker, may only hasten moves by major customers to offer their employees smartphones produced by rivals.

Samsung Electronics announced Wednesday the models details and availability date of its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S3, in Canada. The highly-anticipated smartphone will be available through leading Canadian wireless carriers and authorized national retailers, starting June 20.

As Apple prepares for WWDC in San Francisco, new parts and components for a sixth-generation iPhone have surfaced on the Internet, via Apple website 9 to 5 Mac. The images, which show the faceplates and backplates for a new black and white iPhone, appear to be legitimate. This could be the iPhone 5 we've all been waiting for.

Two months ago, Toronto activist investor Victor Alboini, whose Jaguar Financial had acquired a stake just below 5 percent in Research in Motion (Nasdaq: RIMM), said the company won?t be around in its current shape in two years. Now it's for sale.

Shares of Facebook (Nasdaq: FB), the No. 1 social network, fell to a new low following its $16 billion May 17 initial public offering.