SMARTPHONE

Acer Inc, the world's No.2 PC vendor, plans to introduce four new smartphone models later this year to help boost profits, a day after rival HP set its sights in the fast-growing smartphone market.

Hewlett-Packard Co announced a $1.2 billion deal to buy Palm Inc , betting it can resuscitate the struggling smartphone maker to compete with the likes of Apple Inc and RIM .

Hewlett-Packard Co said it has struck a $1.2 billion deal for Palm Inc , offering a 23 percent premium to expand into the smartphone market.

World No.2 TV maker LG Electronics warned that profits at its struggling mobile division would be slow to recover, but it expects this summer's soccer World Cup to drive TV sales and push up next quarter's earnings.

World No.2 TV maker LG Electronics said it aims to turn around its struggling mobile division with double-digit shipment growth in the second-quarter, adding strong TV sales would lead to better results in the period.

Research in Motion gave analysts a sneak peek at a revamped operating system for its BlackBerry smartphone on Monday and said it would launch it next quarter, propelling its shares higher.

Google Inc's Nexus One smartphone will be sold in Vodafone retail stores in Britain at the end of the month and the company said there are no longer plans to offer a version of the phone that uses the Verizon Wireless network in the United States.

Research In Motion Ltd needs to produce evidence next week that it is close to unveiling a more consumer-friendly BlackBerry experience if it hopes to disarm critics who question its competitive chops.

Nokia on Thursday cut the profit outlook for its key phone unit as the world's top cellphone maker struggles in the market for more expensive handsets, sending its shares sharply lower.

Nokia has slashed prices of its cellphones across its portfolio this week, with the deepest cuts of around 10 percent seen for some smartphone models, data seen by Reuters showed on Thursday.

AT&T Inc reported higher-than-expected quarterly earnings as strong sales of Apple Inc's iPhone bolstered profitability despite tepid overall revenue growth.

Lenovo Group, the world's No.4 PC brand, said mobile Internet products will account for 10-20 percent of revenue in five years, as it embarks on a new drive into wireless computing.

Research in Motion Ltd says it is far from certain that video will become the killer app that defines smartphones, but even so the BlackBerry maker says developing more efficient delivery is necessary to prevent video from choking airwaves.

Mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson swung to a surprise first-quarter pretax profit on Friday as its push into the growing smartphone market and hefty cost cuts boosted margins.

Mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson swung to a surprise first-quarter profit as its push into the growing smartphone market and hefty cost cuts boosted margins.

Money-losing smartphone maker Palm Inc tapped Huawei Technologies for preliminary acquisition talks, a move that would give the Chinese telecommunications equipment maker a foothold in the premium mobile phone market.

Top cellphone makers are set to report accelerating market growth and booming demand for new smartphones when they unveil March quarter earnings starting this week.

China's Huawei Technologies has been tapped by money-losing smartphone maker Palm Inc for preliminary acquisition talks, a source familiar with the matter said.

Smartphone maker Palm Inc , which has not turned a profit in its battles with rivals Apple and RIM, has begun seeking offers for the firm, Bloomberg said, citing three people familiar with the situation.

(Corrects 2006/2007 profit figure to $56 million from $35 million in sixth paragraph)

Palm Inc , the loss-making smartphone maker, is looking to sell itself and is seeking bids for the company as early as this week, Bloomberg said, citing three people familiar with the situation.