Nokia is to return to the smartphone business. Photo: Nokia

Almost a year since it sold its smartphone business to Microsoft, Nokia is preparing to launch new phones for 2017, according to sources familiar with the Finnish firm’s plans. Details are scarce for now, but it’s likely the devices will be powered by Android.

Cyanogen shacks up with Microsoft. Photo: Cyanogen

Cyanogen today announced a new partnership with Microsoft that will see the software giant’s apps and services baked into future Cyanogen OS releases. The deal is thought to be similar to that Microsoft recently agreed with Samsung.

TouchWiz bloat is sticking around. Photo: Samsung

Samsung made many big changes for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge — not only to deliver brand new designs made from premium materials, but also to give adopters a better user experience. But has Samsung really scaled back its bloatware in TouchWiz?

According to the reports it has, but in reality, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge come with just as much bloatware as the Samsung devices that came before them. In fact, they have more pre-installed apps than the Galaxy Note 4.

The HTC One M8 for Windows. Photo: HTC

Swapping Android for Windows 10 when it becomes available later this year may not require you to buy a brand new smartphone. Microsoft is working on ROMs that will allow users to swap Google’s operating system for its own on selected devices.

Google takes on the Apple Store. Photo: Google

The world’s first Google-branded store has today opened its doors in London.

Officially dubbed The Google Shop, it’s an Android lover’s alternative to the Apple Store, offering Android-powered phones and tablets, Chromecasts, and Chrome OS notebooks and desktops — as well as a variety of courses and events.