NewsFactor - The market for smartphones is heating up and forcing competitors to make smart choices. With lots of players, including Apple going global with its iPhone 3G and HTC's Google Android-based phone, companies like Nokia-owned Symbian are paying attention.

Reuters - Bearish comments from U.S. technology companies fueled fears that the weak economy would hurt holiday season sales of mobile phones and other consumer electronics, driving shares sharply lower on Wednesday.

Reuters - Asia will continue to deliver strong growth in the mobile phone market due to sustained demand from China and India, the world's two biggest markets of such services, industry officials said.

Reuters - Nokia (NOK1V.HE), the world's top mobile phone maker, said on Wednesday it had started shipping its new flagship phone, the N96.

Reuters - Qualcomm Inc is seeing some signs that customers are slower to upgrade their mobile phones than before, Chief Executive Paul Jacobs said on Wednesday in an interview with cable television network CNBC.

AFP - The EU's telecommunications commissioner has drafted plans to regulate the price of sending cross-border text messages by mobile phones in the bloc with a cap of 11 euro cents (16 dollar cents), an official said Wednesday.

AFP - China Mobile, the country's largest handset operator, is in the final stages of talks with Apple to launch the iPhone in China, the world's largest mobile phone market, state media reported Tuesday.

Reuters - Russia's third largest mobile phone operator MegaFon said on Tuesday it had signed a distribution deal with Apple Inc. to sell iPhone 3G in Russia.

Reuters - Mobile phone maker Nokia said on Tuesday it would launch its "Comes with Music" package with an offering in Britain, signing a deal with Carphone Warehouse to sell the first model.