Samsung's Galaxy smartphones were never known for its style or classy design. But since the introduction of the faux leather back on the Galaxy Note 3, Samsung has been seemingly upping its design. Now, its outgoing flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4 and its compact version, the Galaxy S4 mini, will be getting the same faux leather back treatment. It will be called the Black Edition.
Image by SlashGear
The leather, of course, is not real leather, but it is complemented by some nice stitching along the edges. Both smartphones are slated to launch in Russia next month for the price equivalents
of $660 and $460, respectively. There's no word on their global availability. The Galaxy S4 will come with a 1.9GHz Snapdragon 600 with 2GB RAM
and 16GB of internal storage space, as well as a 13-MP camera
and Android Jelly Bean. On the other hand, the Galaxy S4 mini will feature a 4.3-inch qHD
display, Snapdragon 400 processor, 1.5GB RAM, and 8GB of internal storage
space.
A recent leak stated that current Samsung flagship devices, namely the Galaxy S4 and the Galaxy Note 3, will be the first to get Android 4.4 KitKat from the roster of smart devices the Korean giant manufactures. Both are reported to get the update as early as January 2014. Owners of former flagships, such as the Galaxy S III and the Galaxy Note II, need not fret as they will also get it in March or April 2014.
Image by GSMArena
Android 4.4 KitKat improves on the UI performance of the devices running it through
Project Svelte. Once updated, the Samsung flagship are expected to run smoother, with better multi-tasking, and improved RAM management.
Samsung has recently posted an infographic on its social media assets such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ about the milestones it has achieved this year. And yes, it cannot be denied that 2013 is Samsung's year. Check out the infographic below:
After Samsung rolled out the official Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update to the current Galaxy S4 flagship, it has now started rolling it out to its former flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S III. It started in Ireland and will go global in the weeks to come. The software update weighs in at a hefty 932MB.
Image by GSMArena
Below is a thorough
changelog for the 4.3 update:
GALAXY GEAR Support
TRIM Support (faster UI)
ANT+ Support
Core UI elements get the new TouchWiz look
New Samsung Keyboard
GPU drivers have been updated
New Lockscreen: Multiple Widgets, improved ripple effect than
Android 4.1.2, ability to change clock size and set a personal message
New Display modes: Adapt Display and Professional Photo
Daydream
Driving mode
Actionable notifications
Move-to-SD-card feature
New Camera mode : Sound and Shot
New Additions in Notification Center
Tabbed Settings UI
Implementation of Voice controls
New Samsung Apps: Calculator, Clock, Contacts, Gallery, Music
Full screen Samsung apps
New S-Voice
This firmware upgrade gives the Galaxy S III added functionality but doesn't make it at par with the current Galaxy S4 flagship. To get the update, check via OTA or Samsung Kies.
Both the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One may have finally found their match. LG has released a behemoth smartphone with impressive specifications, the G2. Powered by the mighty Snapdragon 800
chipset with four Krait 400 cores clocked at 2.3GHz, an Adreno 330 GPU
and 2GB RAM, the LG G2 simply blows the competition out of the water
in terms of processing prowess.
Image by GSMArena
Aside from processing power, there are several other factors that make a smartphone king. These include the camera, display, software, battery life, connectivity options, and other customizations. The three flagship smartphones may all be running on Android but other than that, they are quite different from one another. Let's check out the full comparison table below:
Being the latest among the bunch, the LG G2 has an advantage in processing power since it uses the latest Snapdragon chipset. It also has a larger display with a complete set of sub-pixels. It has a bigger primary camera sensor of 13-MP with Optical Image Stabilization, a larger 3,000 mAh battery, and LTE-Advanced support. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is still the most compact among the three and it is also available in a 64GB variant plus up to 64GB expandable storage (that's a total of 128GB). The HTC One remains the most stylish among the three. It's also the most premium-looking, thanks to its aluminum shell. It also has the loudest stereo speakers among the three flagships. Basically, all three have their advantages.
In the end, it's not about having a smartphone with the latest or the most powerful hardware and software. What matters is how the smartphone will suit your needs and complement your personality or lifestyle.
The recently launched Moto X smartphone by Motorola will be available on the Google Play Store as well. The Google Play edition of the Moto X smartphone will be similar to the Google Play editions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One, where it would come with a stock Android version. Naturally, most of Motorola's customizations will not be present on the Google Play edition of the Moto X smartphone, such as the Quick Draw, shake-to-start-camera, active lockscreen, and the always-on feature.
Image by GSMArena
Motorola may have promised quick updates to the Moto X but the Google
Play edition of the said smartphone will get the updates even quicker since they don't have to go
through the carrier before being pushed to the device. The Moto X Google Play Edition will be sold
unlocked and at full price. Estimates are around $299 for the 16GB model. It's also unlikely that Google
would offer the Moto X in a variety of colors other than
black and white.
The Google Play Editions of both the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One are receiving an OTA update of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. The update comes a week after it officially rolled out to Nexus devices. The obvious advantage of getting the Google Play Edition of both flagships is that they get software updates from Google much quicker than their standard versions, which come with OEM customizations.
Image by GSMArena
The Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update brings features such as restricted user profiles (only on
tablets), Bluetooth Low Energy profile, virtual surround sound,
auto-complete for dialpad, improved keyboard, OpenGL ES 3.0 support, and bug fixes. The Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update also enables Bluetooth tethering on the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the IR port on the HTC One.
There is indeed a "mini" trend among Android smartphones. Last year, Samsung released the Galaxy S III mini, which is the more compact version of its former flagship, the Galaxy S III. This year, Samsung has released the Galaxy S4 mini months after the launch of the current flagship, the Galaxy S4. Both mini versions of Samsung's flagship smartphones became highly popular, bringing in more sales and a larger market share for the Korean giant. Now, Taiwanese smartphone maker, HTC, wants to cash in on the trend by announcing the HTC One mini, which is obviously a shrinked version of its current flagship, the HTC One. The question now is...will it stand a chance against Samsung's Galaxy S4 mini smartphone?
Image by GSMArena
By the looks of it, the HTC One mini retained the premium feel of its larger sibling. It is made of unibody aluminum with a very solid feel to it. It measures 132 mm x 63.2 mm x 9.25 mm and weighs 122 grams. It is much smaller and lighter than the HTC One but definitely looks and feels bulkier than the Galaxy S4 mini. The HTC One mini packs a 4.3-inch 720p HD display of Super LCD2 variety. It is scratch-resistant, thanks to Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The display's pixel density is at 341 ppi, which makes it well above the Retina standard. Comparing it to the Galaxy S4 mini, the Samsung device packs an inferior qHD display of Super AMOLED variety resulting in a lower ppi.
Image by GSMArena
Under the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400
chipset with 1.4GHz dual-core Krait 300 CPU, Adreno 305 and 1GB RAM.
The internal memory is 16GB and is non-expandable. The HTC One mini runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with the HTC Sense 5 UI on top. It also has some of HTC One's neat tricks such as the BlinkFeed, Zoe, BoomSound, and Beats Audio
technology. In comparison to the Galaxy S4 mini, despite having the same chipset, CPU, and GPU, the Samsung device is clocked 20% faster and has 50% more RAM. Its storage is also expandable up to 64GB.
Image by GSMArena
With regard to the camera, the HTC One mini sports the same 4-MP UltraPixel
camera found on the HTC One. The only difference between them is the
lack of optical image stabilization (OIS) on the One mini. However, you still get HTC's
ImageChip 2 and a BSI sensor of 1/3" size. Its camera is capable of shooting 1080p Full HD videos with HDR, and the LED
flash next to it uses five levels of luminance (Smart Flash). HTC's Zoe
is available as well, along with slow motion video recording with
variable speed playback. The front-facing camera is 1.6-MP and sports a
BSI sensor that can shoot 720p HD videos. As far as the competition goes, the Galaxy S4 mini is equipped with an 8-MP shooter. Basically, the choice between the two cameras is a matter of preference, whether you want to shoot better in daylight or low light.
Image by GSMArena
The HTC One mini is powered by a 1,800 mAh Li-polymer unit, which is good for up to 13.2 hours of 3G talk
time and 692 hours of 3G stand-by. Connectivity is covered with LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX enabled,
Wi-Fi a/b/g/n with DLNA and GPS + GLONASS. HTC has also provided a range of
sensors - gyro, accelerometer, proximity, and ambient
light sensors. The HTC One mini will be available in gray (Glacial Silver) and black
(Stealth Black) for select markets for an
estimated €449. Global roll-out and availability will begin on
September 2013. Take a peak at its promo video below:
More or less, the HTC One mini and the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini are on the same level when it comes to specifications. Choice is basically a matter of preference, i.e. plastic vs aluminum, 8-MP vs 4-MP, TouchWiz vs Sense, Super AMOLED qHD display vs Super LCD2 HD display. Regardless of which between the two smartphones you choose, you really can't have it all with a "mini" device. But at least, you get a taste of flagship specs for a fraction of the cost.
Our beloved smartphones face different kinds of challenges every day. It may be water from rain or worse, the toilet bowl, sand from the beach, dust, oil and grease, and yes, the seemingly inevitable - accidental drops (high drops). We've seen flagship smartphones, such as the iPhone, Galaxy S III, and Galaxy S4, undergo tests like scratch tests, drop tests, and dunk tests. And did I mention about Blendtec's Will It Blend test?
We’ve seen all sorts of tests abut you haven't seen the most epic battle yet. It's Apple's iPhone 5 versus Samsung's Galaxy S4! This destruction test aims to show how sturdy the hardware of the two
devices is. Watch the video below:
Obviously, both devices suffered major damages. Surprisingly, it's the one made of plastic that was able to fare well. In any case, I don't suggest that you let your smartphones, either Apple or Samsung, undergo such challenges.
Samsung has officially announced its latest Android-powered camera-phone and it's called the Galaxy S4 Zoom. As the name implies, it is a hybrid between the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini and a point-and-shoot Samsung camera. The Galaxy S4 Zoom combines smartphone functionality with a zoom lens and a xenon flash.
Image by GSMArena
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom packs a
4.3" Super AMOLED display of qHD resolution (960 x 540 pixels) protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It sports a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 1.5GB RAM. It is also
thicker than the Galaxy S4 mini at 125.5 mm x 63.5 mm x 15.4 mm. It's also heavier at 208 grams. This camera-centric smartphone runs Android 4.2.2 with Samsung's TouchWiz UI on top.
Image by GSMArena
Of course, photography is the specialty of the Galaxy S4 Zoom. A 10x zoom lens with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) sits in front of a
16-MP sensor. At the wide end, the lens has a very wide 24 mm in 35 mm
equivalent, the aperture goes from f/3.1 to f/6.3 and there's a
mechanical shutter. The Galaxy S4 Zoom also has a control ring around the
lens like some high-end point-and-shoots do, a xenon flash and LED
light. It is capable of 1080p Full HD video recording @ 30fps (and
720p @ 60fps).
Image by GSMArena
The Galaxy S4 Zoom's battery has 2,330 mAh capacity, which seems sufficient for a
day's use of the smartphone with some occasional picture-taking. The internal memory is 8GB, expandable by up to 64GB via the
hot-swappable microSD card slot. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi
a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, and A-GPS. The Samsung S4 Zoom can make phone calls and supports 3G with HSPA and even LTE connectivity.
Image by GSMArena
So what do you think of the Galaxy S4 Zoom? While its specs are high-end, I can't help but loathe its cheap-looking camera panel.
Samsung has officially revealed the Galaxy S4 Active, a more rugged version of its flagship, the Galaxy S4. This is seemingly Samsung's response to Sony's waterproof, dustproof, IP67-certified Xperia Z. Complete with resilience to dust and the ability to withstand 1 meter dunks
underwater for up to 30 minutes, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active brings the current flagship to the next level.
Image by SlashGear
Measuring 139.7 mm x 71.3 mm x 9.1 mm
and weighing 151 grams, it is noticeably heavier and thicker than the Galaxy S4. It basically has all the features, specifications, and innards of the Galaxy S4, except for two things: the 5-inch Full HD display is now made of TFT LCD instead of Super AMOLED and its main camera has gone down to 8-MP instead of 13-MP. Other than these two, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active has all the goodies the Galaxy S4 has, such as the wide array of sensors (accelerometer, digital compass, gyro sensor, barometer), connectivity options (LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC), and at least 16GB of internal storage and 2GB RAM. A micro-SD card slot is in place too. The battery is removable and user-accessible and is rated at 2,600 mAh.
Image by SlashGear
To differentiate it further from the current flagship, the Galaxy S4 Active sports a more rugged design both in front and at the back. It also three physical buttons in front instead of just one. Samsung has also equipped it with a new camera system called Aqua Mode that apparently increases quality
and clarity for shots taken underwater. It also has all the camera gimmicks and tricks that the Galaxy S4 has.
Image by SlashGear
The Galaxy S4 Active will come in 3 different colors: urban grey, dive
blue, and orange flare and will go on sale this summer in the US and
Sweden. Samsung is expected to provide more details about this device at its June 20 event. There's no word on its pricing yet.
A new firmware update has hit the Samsung Galaxy S4. This one is a major upgrade as it weighs in at 366MB, and aims to increase the amount of free storage in Galaxy S4. After installing the update, you
get 9.23GB of free storage, up from 9.15GB (on a 16GB model). It's not
much, but the update does bring a proper way to free up some space – you
can now move apps to the microSD card.
Image by GSMArena
The camera app has been updated as well with a new HDR video feature, which was missing from the Galaxy S4 but not its competitors. There are two screen related changes - a smearing issue during
scrolling has been resolved and there's a new Increase legibility
feature. The notification area also got a Smart Pause toggle. Other
changes include some new icons, the Calendar was tweaked slightly and
you can check the Secure boot status from the About page in the Settings.
Image by GSMArena
You can check for updates for your Samsung Galaxy S4 from Kies on
your computer or from the phone itself. This
update is currently rolling out in Germany and is only for the
Snapdragon-based Galaxy S4 (I9505). A release for the I9500 Exynos version should follow shortly.
After much speculation, Google finally decided to lay the rumors to rest. The search engine giant finally announced that it will sell HTC's flagship smartphone, the HTC One, running on stock Android. The news was not really surprising as Google had also announced weeks ago that it will be selling Samsung's flagship, the Galaxy S4, running on stock Android as well.
Image by HTC
This new version of the HTC One, running on Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2, will give a Nexus User Experience to anyone who decides to get it.
It will be available from the Google Play Store starting June 26 for
$599. It is $50 cheaper than Google's Galaxy S4. The unlocked device will run on both AT&T and T-Mobile in the
United States with support for high-speed LTE data on both networks. It will come with a 32GB non-expandable built-in
storage. And because it is Google that will sell it, it will also be getting software updates directly from Google itself.
Samsung has just revealed the Galaxy S4 mini, which has been on the rumor mill for months already. It is the widely-anticipated smaller version of the Galaxy S4,
packing a 4.3-inch display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset, and an 8-MP primary shooter. The Galaxy S4 mini will come in LTE, 3G, and 3G dual-SIM variants, depending
on which country you're from. Its display resolution will go down to qHD from Full HD and will only 1.7GHz
dual-core processor rather than the quad-core version of the Galaxy S4. Obviously, the Galaxy S4 mini makes for a more pocketable device, trimmed to 124.6 mm x 61.3 mm x 8.94
mm and weighs in at just 107 grams.
Image by SlashGear
Above the display lies a 1.9-MP front-facing
camera and a smorgasbord of sensors, including the RGB light sensor, proximity sensor, gesture sensor, etc. Many of the
Galaxy S4′s software enhancements are also expected to be on-board the Galaxy
S4 mini, which includes the S Voice, S Translator, Group Play, and WatchON. Underneath its TouchWiz user interface is Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, which gets
1.5GB RAM to play with and 8GB of storage – around 5GB of which
is user-available – and a microSD card slot. Connectivity features include WiFi
a/b/g/n, GPS, GLONASS, Bluetooth 4.0, and NFC on the LTE version.
Image by SlashGear
In total, Samsung will offer three variants of
the phone. There’ll be a basic 3G model, with quadband GSM/EDGE and up
to 21Mbps HSPA+ support, network depending, and a dual-SIM version which
can take a pair of SIM cards. Then, there’s a 4G model, with up to
42Mbps HSPA+ and LTE, with various band sets depending on market. The Galaxy S4 mini will come in two colors: White Frost and Black Mist. There's no word yet on the pricing of Galaxy S4 mini nor when it will hit shelves. Samsung’s “Premiere 2013″ event in June is expected to shed more light on Samsung's newest baby.
It doesn't come as a surprise that Samsung is already working on a software update for its previous flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S III. SamMobile has managed to get their hands on the upcoming software update, which will upgrade the Galaxy S III's current Android Jelly Bean 4.1 to Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2. As expected, it will give the Korean giant's former flagship phone tons of new features.
Image by GSMArena
With Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 updated, the Galaxy S III is expected to get
expanded notifications using a two finger swipe that reveals additional
options, lockscreen widgets and Daydream support. On top of that,
Samsung has also added several features that were introduced on the Galaxy S4, such as a new lockscreen animation,
improved notification screen with additional shortcut buttons, new
Settings app UI, improved S Voice white background option in the Gallery
app, display color profile settings, and so much more. Learn more about the upcoming update on the YouTube video below:
Samsung is still working on the said software update but it is expected to start
rolling out in June 2013. Are you excited to get this update as well?
Ever wondered how the Galaxy S4 looks inside? Thanks to Techrepublic, now we see what Samsung's new flagship smartphone is made of.
Image by GSMArena
Unsurprisingly, given to the new hardware found in it, the Galaxy S4
sports a redesigned interior, compared to the Galaxy S3. Because it has a user-removable back cover, it’s quite easy to get
to the main internal circuit board. The battery has been moved further down to make room for the main board.
Image by GSMArena
The front panel of the Galaxy S4 is fused to the display. This means if something goes awry
with the device and one of the two breaks, both will have to be
replaced. This will require that you, or a technician, remove all of the
internal components in the process.
Image by GSMArena
Overall, Techrepublic is
impressed with the improvements and design refinements in the smartphone’s
hardware department and praises Samsung for the good job they are doing
with each new Galaxy flagship.
Google has announced that it will be selling Samsung's flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4, running on stock Android (AOSP). This means that the Galaxy S4 will be free of Samsung's TouchWiz modifications. The said device will be sold directly through Google Play and will get timely Android updates just like the Nexus devices. It will also come with an unlocked bootloader for extra flexibility. It will be available in a 16GB model with a microSD slot to
expand it.
Image by GSMArena
This Google edition of the Galaxy S4 will be selling in the US
starting June 26 without a contract and with no carrier subsidy.
The retail price will be $649 and it will work on both the AT&T and
T-Mobile US networks (LTE included).
I just find it odd that Google would tie up with Samsung to release a pure Android Galaxy S4 when it could have released a phone with similar specs with Motorola. Moreover, $600+ is quite expensive for a Nexus phone. Probably, Google is just riding on the popularity of the said Samsung flagship.
We've seen people purposely drop phones, blend them using Blendtec, submerge them in water...and the list goes on. This time we will be seeing how tough and durable the Gorilla Glass 3 is on a smartphone. Case in point: the new Samsung Galaxy S4, which is the first smartphone to equip Gorilla Glass 3 for screen protection.
It's everyday occurrence that our phones get scratched by so many things like keys, coins, ball pens, scissors, forks, knives, etc...so it's no wonder that Corning has come up with a screen protection that will be able to resist or is immune to all these sharp objects. Let's watch the video below of the Galaxy S4 being put to the scratch test.
All I can say is that it's incredible. Even the screen of my Galaxy S3 could not handle all these sharp and pointed objects. Kudos to Corning! Source
Samsung has announced the next iteration from the Galaxy Tab series. Meet the Galaxy Tab 3 7.0. As the name suggests, it is a 7-inch tablet, which is the obvious successor to the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0. The new tablet comes in Wi-Fi only and 3G variants. The specifications are very much the same as last year's model, including the screen resolution. The only difference is that it is now sporting a familiar Galaxy S4 design and is noticeably slimmer and lighter.
Image by GSMArena
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 measures 188.0 mm x 111.1 mm x 9.9 mm at 306 grams. It sports a 7” WSVGA (600 x 1,024) TFT screen, dual-core 1.2HGz processor with 1GB RAM, has 8/16GB of built-in
storage (expandable via the microSD card slot), dual-band Wi-F a/b/g/n,
Bluetooth 3.0 and a 4,000 mAh battery. The Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 does launch with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The said tablet will begin to roll out globally in the beginning of May for the Wi-Fi version and in June for
the 3G version.
The S View Cover is one of my favorite Galaxy S4 accessories. It is actually a redesigned Flip Cover, with a cut-out window that lets you take a quick peek at the upper part of the Galaxy S4 screen. The S View Cover's front part is made of synthetic
leather with "Galaxy S4" written on it while its back side has a hyper-glazed finish.
Image by GSMArena
In itself, the S View Cover weighs 31 grams, so it does add a considerable amount of weight to the Galaxy S4. It also adds to the overall thickness of the
device. The USP of the S View Cover is the cut-out window on its front cover. It is made out of see-through plastic, which is thin enough so
that you can press it and answer or reject an incoming call.
Image by GSMArena
"Once you’ve closed the S View Cover, the Samsung Galaxy S4 goes into a
special mode displaying just the notification drawer, the clock and
date, missed calls, new emails and messages, as well as the currently
played song. However, you can answer or reject incoming calls without opening the
cover."
Image by GSMArena
To save battery, the screen goes all black with only the part that is
located directly underneath the S View Cover window remaining active.
As a result, the Galaxy S4 hardly consumes any battery when you’re
checking the time or pending notifications.
Image by GSMArena
The S View Cover will be sold initially in two colors: black and white. It costs $70. It's kinda expensive but hopefully it will all be worth it.
