Apple may be planning a smaller than usual event to introduce its second-generation iPad as early as next month, according to a scant report, as rumors that the new device will include NFC technology persist.

Customers who were among the first to order a Verizon-compatible iPhone 4 began receiving notifications on Friday that their handset is scheduled for delivery on Monday, Feb. 7.

Verizon subscribers who wasted no time ordering an iPhone 4 on Thursday have already received notification that their order has shipped, though whether the handsets will be delivered before the Feb. 10 launch date remains to be seen.

Apple's iPad 2 will feature a better quality display, faster chips, separate CDMA and GSM versions, iPod touch-like dual cameras, and vendors will produce 4.5 to 5 million units in the first quarter, according to a new report from Taiwan.

Sources in South Korea are reporting that electronics giant Samsung will boost its mobile Application Processor fabrication for Apple by a factor of four, producing more chips for the iPhone maker than it uses itself.

New data from IDC shows that Apple is among the top 5 mobile phone sellers worldwide for the second quarter in a row, though it slipped from fourth to fifth place.

Microsoft on Wednesday revealed that it shipped two million Windows Phone 7 handsets worldwide over the holiday quarter, lagging well behind the 16.2 million iPhones sold by Apple in the same period.

Apple's overseas manufacturing partners will begin limited production of the second-generation iPad in February, with building of the fifth-generation iPhone to follow in May, according to a new report from the Far East.

Strong initial demand for the forthcoming CDMA iPhone 4 has caused Apple to increase its CDMA-compatible handset orders to as many as 15 million in 2011.

Apple is expected to beat even some above-consensus revenue numbers when it announces earnings Tuesday night, having sold new peak numbers of iPhones, iPads and Macs in the winter quarter.

Any drop in Apple's share price tomorrow "presents a buying opportunity ahead of earnings," according to the latest analyst to weigh in on the impact Steve Jobs' leave of absence may have on investors, noting an improved outlook for iOS and more favorable component costs than previously expected.

LG reports disappointment with sales of Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 while its carriers complain of "too much Android" as the third largest mobile maker seeks bolster smartphone sales even as it loses overall mobile market share.

A report out of the Far East claims volume production of Research in Motion's BlackBerry PlayBook tablet will reach 1 million shipments in the first quarter of 2011, while Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales criticized Apple's App Store as "very dangerous" and a threat to Internet freedom. Finally, more evidence that cameras are coming to Apple's second-generation iPad has been discovered in the iOS 4.3 beta.

One Wall Street analyst said Tuesday that global CDMA carriers, including China Telecom and Indian carrier Reliance, are expected to begin carrying the new CDMA iPhone 4 "over time."

Verizon has answered a number of questions customers may have about the forthcoming launch of Apple's iPhone 4 on its network, addressing topics such as handset upgrade eligibility and data requirements.

Investment firm Wedbush Securities began coverage of Apple stock on Wednesday, and kicked off its analysis with an "outperform" rating and a 12-month price target of $405.

Apple continues to take the top position in smartphone market share, even in the US where a variety of hardware makers have released popular phones using Android. RIM's Blackberry platform takes the number two spot.

A new report claims that Apple has raised its first quarter 2011 iPhone shipment target to 20-21 million units, including 14-15 million WCDMA iPhones and 5-6 million CDMA units.

Technology journalist Walt Mossberg listed the iPad as his best reviewed product of the year, while he called out the Dell Streak and Google TV as the worst products of 2010.

Logitech has reportedly halted shipments of its Revue Google TV boxes through January while waiting for Google to update its software on the poorly selling units.

Microsoft has announced the shipment of 1.5 million Windows Phone 7 units into retail channel inventories, leaving the question of how well its new platform is actually selling unanswered.

After Research in Motion beat Wall Street expectations with its quarterly earnings Thursday, co-CEO Jim Balsillie asserted on the company's earnings call that the upcoming PlayBook 7-inch tablet is way ahead of Apple's iPad.

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster expects Apple to sell just 2.5 million additional iPhones in the US by adding Verizon as a carrier early next year, bringing 2011's US iPhone sales to 20 million, with Verizon's sales largely coming at the expense of AT&T.

Apple has reportedly selected another key component supplier for its upcoming second-generation iPad, with the news of a backlight unit suggesting the device's display will once again be LCD.

Google's Android mobile operating system will pass Apple's iOS and Nokia's Symbian in 2011 to become the top smartphone platform in all of Europe, IDC has predicted.