Samsung smartphone debuts in London

Samsung Electronics Co. is making its biggest run yet at the iPhone’s U.S. loyalists, unveiling the new Galaxy S4 a few blocks from Apple Inc.’s flagship store in New York and broadcasting the event live in Times Square.

South Korea's Samsung Electronics said it would start selling its newest smartphone in 28 countries from Tuesday as it seeks to cement its position as the world's top-selling mobile phone maker.The Galaxy S3, unveiled in London earlier this month, will hit shelves Tuesday in nations including Britain, France and the United Arab Emirates, the firm said in a statement.The phone will be available in 145 nations by July via 296 wireless carriers, it added.

Samsung Electronics Co. posted record earnings as sales of its smartphones surged, widening the company’s global lead as its latest Galaxy handset hits stores to take on Apple Inc. in the U.S. Net income rose 42% from a year earlier to 7.15 trillion won (US$6.4 billion) in the three months ended March, Samsung said in a statement today. Sales of its smartphones jumped 56% to 69.4 million units, almost double the number of iPhones sold by Apple, Strategy Analytics said.

SINGAPORE/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Call it phablet, phonelet, tweener or super smartphone, but the clunky mobile phone - closer in size to a tablet than the smartphone of a couple of years back - is here to stay.