Apple’s bid to recover $16 million in attorney fees from Samsung following the massive patent dispute between the two companies has been blocked by the U.S. District Court. Judge Lucy Koh has also returned a $2.6 million bond posted by Apple to block sales of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Samsung has just announced its teamed up with Barnes and Noble in order to launch the all-new Galaxy Tab 4 Nook. The slate is available to purchase in the United States starting today for $179 after a $20 instant rebate from any of the booksellers bricks-and-mortar stores or its website.

If you’re planning to upgrade your smartphone later this year, then you may be looking to buy one powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 615 processor. Announced today on Chinese social networking site Weibo, it’s the company’s first octa-core chip, and it will appear in a number of devices launching in the third quarter.

In just three weeks, Samsung will unveil its much-anticipated flagship phablet of 2014, the Galaxy Note 4, and as usual it’s rumoured to feature some revolutionary hardware and software features with the most recent speculation pointing towards support for an ultrasonic cover — specifically designed for those who are visually impaired.

Sharp’s jaw-dropping Aquos Crystal, a 5-inch smartphone with almost no bezel around its display, is now officially coming to Sprint. The device will cost just $10 a month with nothing to pay upfront on a two-year contract, or you can buy it outright for $149.99 on Boost or Virgin Mobile.