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Galaxy S4 firmware leaked running Android KitKat 4.4

January 10, 2014 By Nicholas Anderton Leave a Comment

Samsung has a record of adding new updates to their previous flagship device, right after they announce the new flagship to replace it. The Galaxy S4 firmware has just leaked running Android KitKat 4.4, the latest version of the OS, pointing towards a release sometime soon.

The leaked firmware update is for the European version of the Galaxy S4 and has been sent to SamMobile, from an inside source in the company. According to the testers, the leaked firmware is pretty stable, apart from a few bugs here and there.

Changes on the Android KitKat 4.4 version of TouchWiz seem minimal, Samsung has removed most of the light green icons and replaced them with white, to match the new aesthetic for Android 4.4.

There is a new camera icon on the lock-screen that the user can open, similar to iOS and stock Android. Samsung has also worked on the keyboard in landscape mode, since the original was not optimised and looked rather glitchy.

Early testers have said the firmware update does perform better than it did previously. Google had a lot of optimisation and made sure Android KitKat 4.4 could run on less power, two reason for the big boost in performance when smartphones get the update.

Other than that, there is nothing that has really changed, Samsung is keeping the same aesthetic in most places. This may just be a pre-build for the Galaxy S5 and Samsung may announce new features when they launch their next flagship.

The leakers did not say when the Galaxy S4 will be getting Android KitKat 4.4, we suspect it will be sometime in the next few months, probably a month or two after the Galaxy S5 has been announced and new features are available.

Samsung sold 40 million Galaxy S4 units worldwide

October 24, 2013 By Mary Duncan Leave a Comment

Rumors of Samsung losing sales on the Galaxy S4 have been hit back, after CEO JK Shin announced they had sold forty million Galaxy S4’s worldwide since launch day. This is a huge mark on the map, considering the Galaxy S3 only sold 30 million throughout the year.

The CEO announced the Galaxy S4 still has smooth sales worldwide and continues to be one of the most popular smartphones in the world. Forty million sales in just over six months is incredible for Samsung, showing their dominance on Android and capability to match Apple’s iPhone sales.

Of course unlike Apple, Samsung develops hundreds of smartphones for the lowest end to the highest and even makes different models for different types of people, like the Galaxy S4 Active and Zoom. This means more revenue but on the downside Samsung does all their own manufacturing and hires millions of employees to work on their smartphones.

The company is one of the most valuable in the world and has made record profits almost every year since the Galaxy S2. The South Korean company’s main big sales are from the Galaxy S and its larger brother, the Galaxy Note. The Galaxy Note 3 is also expected to sell more than its predecessor, with Samsung putting a 50 million unit count on the phablet.

It is an impressive statistic and one Samsung will no doubt want to expand on with the Galaxy S5, but the Galaxy S4 has not been a smooth sailng smartphone. There have been large amount of reports on the battery life dying on the Galaxy S4 and Samsung still ships the device out with the slimy cheap plastic and TouchWiz UI that still feels poorly designed.

Samsung Galaxy J is the upgraded Japanese version of the Galaxy S4

October 10, 2013 By Nicholas Anderton Leave a Comment

Samsung cannot seem to take losing a feature on their flagship, with the South Korean company already adding an extra variant of the Galaxy S4 with a Snapdragon 800 processor. Sammy has now made the Galaxy J, a smartphone exactly the same as the Galaxy S4 with a few new internal changes for Japan.

The Galaxy J has the 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor with 3GB of RAM and those are the only two main changes from the mainstream Galaxy S4. The phone features the same five-inch full-HD Super AMOLED display and the same slimy plastic back.

Since this is a Japanese flagship, the Galaxy J adds a few pounds of weight from the waterproof design. Most Japanese flagships have some water resistant design and it looks like Samsung has worked to make the Galaxy J at least a little water resistant.

The Galaxy J will start on NTT DoCoMo in Japan with three colors, satin white, lapis blue and coral pink, the weird names for colors are back. One thing to note is the Galaxy J has different color home buttons to match the back color, a little odd to our eyes but this may be something common in Japan.

NTT DoCoMo will start selling the Galaxy J on its LTE-A service, starting sometime in October. Samsung is unlikely to bring the Galaxy J to the rest of the world, with the Galaxy S4 still selling pretty well and the new Galaxy S5 on the horizon in a few months.

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Galaxy S5 Release Date will be Sooner Because of Galaxy S4 Failure

July 29, 2013 By David Crozier 2 Comments

The current Samsung flagship, the Galaxy S4 may have started with a boom though as things stand right now, it is fast nearing doom as well. Sales have tapered off and have come to such that Samsung might soon have no other option but to advance the release date of the Galaxy S5 earlier than it would normally have had to.

What should be even more worrying for Samsung is that it could not make a strong pitch for itself compared to its rival, the Apple iPhone whole sales have remained steady in spite of a Samsung onslaught. Further, with Apple poised to launch a new iPhone this fall, it could come down to even desperate times for the S4 and Samsung.

The South Korean company on its part had tried its best to cash in on the initial popularity of the S4 by coming up with various derivatives of the smartphone, with some as wild and wacky as the S4 Zoom to the mild looking S4 Mini. In between, there also is the S4 Active as well which is the dust and waterproof version of the S4 and is designed to appeal to those who need the best of a high end smartphone but in a robust package. However, the above spin offs can only serve a niche market and can’t do much to save the S4 from its steady march to oblivious within just months of its launch.

As for reasons that analysts believe might have led to the looming demise of the S4 is its basic design that looked cheap even for a device slotted at the premium segment. The S4 is too plasticky while the looks are also way too familiar with previous Galaxy range from Samsung. Consumers have seen enough of that and surely they didn’t need another of it. Samsung it seems had tried to pull off an Apple act with the S4 which can be considered to be a spruced up version of the S3 by including a better processor, and software. Apple did quite the same with its iPhone 4 and 4S devices and is likely to repeat the same with a 5S version after iPhone 5.

So the best option right now for Samsung to exercise is to design a brand new smartphone with better hardware and software features. There already are rumors of Samsung having advanced its S5 development, one that features a metal body to allow for better build quality and Samsung is already planning for Galaxy S5 release date.

Now what among the other features that experts believe will make its way in the Galaxy S5 include a 16 mp camera, a likely flexible display, fingerprint sensor, along with much. However, what remains to be seen is when the S5 is actually announced though it seems it would be before the holiday buying season.

New Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Release Date Hints, Leaked for Galaxy S4 Google Edition

July 21, 2013 By David Crozier Leave a Comment

Google has been maintaining a studied silence about its Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update which is expected to be released any time now. However, while that is awaited, we have been treated with several leaks of the said version in the past. The latest addition to this saga is the Build JWR66V which has been picked up by the inquisitive guys at Android Central from XDA Developers. The update is meant for the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition. Also, what seems likely is that the latest update will only be compliant with the GSM versions of the Galaxy S4 in the US and Canada though the latter bit is mere speculation as of now.

Also, what makes the latest update unique is that it seems to be a newer iteration of the Android 4.3 version, built as it is on the 8^th of July. Earlier, we have come across quite a few leaks of the said version with one making it to the online world earlier in the week for the Nexus 4 device. Google has an event lined up on the 24^th of this month and analysts are betting big time on the search giant finally taking to this day to launch the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean version. If that be indeed true then the latest leak meant for the Galaxy S4 Google Edition devices could well be the final version that Google come up with.

As for the update itself, its said to be a mere incremental update over the basic Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and much of the changes will be internal with little to no visual changes to be perceived. Among the more significant changes believed to be brought about by Android 4.3 build is support for Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy devices as well as a new feature that turn on Wi-Fi for a short span of time to allow for location based services to continue unabated. The upcoming Android version is believed to be a stop gap measure to allow device manufacturers more time to upgrade their devices to Jelly Bean. Rather it was Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie that was being speculated for a release after Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean though that seems to have been put off till early 2014. Android 5.0 is considered to be a significant enhancement over the current Jelly Bean version.

Meanwhile, Google is also expected to launch its much awaited Nexus 7 2 device as well at its July 24 event in Sans Francisco and it is also expected to feature Android 4.3 marking it’s release date.

iPhone 5 vs Galaxy S4 – Camera Comparison of Apple vs Samsung Best Camera Phones

July 18, 2013 By Daniel Giordano 1 Comment

When it comes to camera prowess, the Galaxy S4 is considered to be the best and better than iPhone 5 in the market. This fact was recently confirmed by DxO which is a well-known French company that deals with study camera optics and image sensors.

According to the tests conducted by them, Samsung managed to bag 75 points whereas the iPhone 5 managed rank close second with 72 points but the Nokia Purview 808 managed to salvage 77 points. Since Nokia Purview 808 is a Symbian powered device, it is not popular compared to Android’s Galaxy S4 and iOS’s iPhone 5.

Camera has undoubtedly become one of the most desired features in smartphones. Even camera software has become so intuitive that it allows you to snap and upload or share to your social network within few seconds.

The Apple iPhone 5 comes with an 8MP camera that supports a maximum resolution of 3264 x 2448 pixels and comes with features like LED flash, simultaneous high-definition video and image shooting, touch-focus, panorama, video stabilization and HDR. It even allows you to record 1080p HD videos at 30fps. At the front, there is 1.2MP camera which is also powerful enough to shoot videos of 720p quality at 30fps and lets you use FaceTime app with web connection and also features face detection.

The Galaxy S4 comes with a much powerful 13MP camera that supports a max resolution of 4128 x 3096 pixels and comes with manifold features like LED flash,dual shot, simultaneous high-definition video and image shooting, face and smile detection, image stabilization and HDR. It supports HD quality video recording of 1080p at 30fps and allows you to simultaneously record two videos. The front cam is of 2MP and supports 1080p at 30fps and features dual video calling.

According DxO, the Galaxy S4’s surpassed iPhone 5’s camera in various fields like still images and videos. The video stabilization on iPhone was found to outperform the same feature on Galaxy S4. When it came to shooting images in low-lighting conditions, Galaxy S4 captured sharp images marred with noise.

The competition is going to be tough when forthcoming phones from Nokia and Apple will be released. Nokia is expected to unveil its EOS phone which is going to sport larger image sensor along with powerful lens like the one of Purview 808. It is going to run on Windows Phone OS. Apple is soon going to unveil the next gen iPhone which may be iPhone 5S which will be available in two variants, black colored high-end iPhone 5S and cheaper iPhone 5S with different colors. Definitely, it is going to come out with advanced camera features.

Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Update For HTC One Now Being Rolled Out

July 10, 2013 By David Crozier Leave a Comment

The HTC One is no doubt one of the best smartphone that your hard earned money can buy right now. It has got the looks, the build and above all, the attitude of a true performer. However, the one area where HTC One has lost the lead vis-à-vis its staunch rival, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is the operating system. While the S4 comes pre-loaded with the newest Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean right from day one, the HTC One made do with Android 4.1.2 version. Although it is not too big a deal considering Sense 5 that comes with the HTC One covers most of the default Android UI features, the fact is it still lacked some features. The Taiwanese manufacturer too had announced the Android 4.2.2 update will be made available soon after the smartphone is launched. Fortunately, the day has arrived and according to an announcement made by HTC, the update is being made available around the world.

As per the latest on this, Android version 4.2.2 is to reach out to the Scandinavian and Taiwan countries, but is also expected that other nations will follow soon thereafter. Those using the HTC One can also go through the settings panel and check whether the update option is available or not. The 465MB update comes with quite a few goodies to look forward to. The list includes a latest lock screen style as well as widget, launch bar enhancements, modified behavior of the home keys, widget panel rearrangements, the inclusion of quick settings, AF/AE camera arrangements along with a battery percentage indicator placed in the status bar. Lastly, there is also an option for removing the black menu bar. Similar to the HTC One X/S after updating the Jelly Bean version, those owning HTC One can map the multitask button in order to make it act like a menu key.

Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One Google Editions Release Date Debut on Google Play Store

June 28, 2013 By Micheal Baptiste Leave a Comment

The grandiose Google Editions of Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One made their prompt official entry on Google Play Store, with shipping date set for July 9^th for both devices. Shipping will be free. Both come as unlocked versions, meaning that there is no need to commit to service agreements with any cellular carrier. The Galaxy S4’s Google Edition sells for $649, while that of HTC One sells for $599. Both will work on AT&T and T-Mobile SIM cards.

Either device features the vanilla Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, free from the proprietary bloatware or add-ons of their manufacturers. In other words, the Galaxy S4 edition will not have Samsung’s TouchWiz interface and the HTC One edition will not have its Sense 5 interface. The advantage is that users will be entitled to direct software updates from Google, without having to deal with delays foisted by carriers for tests, bug fixes, and so on.

The Galaxy S4 Google Edition features a 5-inch Full HD 1080p Super AMOLED display, 16GB storage expandable to 64GB via external SD card, 1.9GHz Snapdragon 600 processor, 2,600 mAh battery and 13.1MP rear camera. HTC One Google Edition features a 4.7-inch Full HD 1080p SuperLCD display, 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 processor, 32GB storage, 2,300mAh battery and 4 UltraPixel camera. Both support 3G and LTE bands.

Each device touts its own set of exclusive features, so when it comes to making a choice, the decision depends on what feature appeals to you. For instance, Galaxy S4 edition has a bigger removable battery, faster processor and microSD card slot for extra storage. On the other hand, HTC One edition has a friendlier price tag, bigger internal storage and all-metal design.

Considering the tough competition between Galaxy S4 and HTC One, the performance of their corresponding Google Editions remains to be seen.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Price Revealed

June 2, 2013 By Micheal Baptiste Leave a Comment

Much to the dismay of Samsung fans waiting to buy the Galaxy S4 Mini, Russian website Hi-Tech Mail revealed an expensive price tag for the miniature version of Samsung’s 2013 flagship. Russian pricing for the S4 Mini is 19,990 rubles which converts to about $630.

In Russia, smartphone costs are relatively higher than other parts of the world. The cost of the flagship Galaxy S4 is about 29,990 rubles, substantially higher – about two-thirds more – than the cost of S4 Mini. A dual-SIM version of S4 Mini will hit Russian shelves in June.

Meanwhile, UK retailer Handtec has announced that it is taking pre-orders for the Galaxy S4 Mini. Handtec is offering the device for £389.99 – both the black and white variants – but has not mentioned the release date yet. The device will be offered via EE, Three and Carphone Warehouse. UK carrier Three revealed a video of the S4 Mini, perhaps as a convincing evidence that it is offering the device.

Details revealed so far have not mentioned about on-contract pricing and availability. Samsung’s official announcement of the S4 Mini also failed to mention about pricing or availability. However, the available details give an idea of the S4 Mini pricing, so consumers can calculate the approximate price in their region.

Recalling the features of S4 Mini, the handset has a 4.3-inch AMOLED screen, dual-core 1.7GHz processor, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS, Samsung’s TouchWiz UI, 8MP rear camera, 1.9MP front camera, 1,900mAh battery, and 8GB onboard storage. The device supports HSDPA and 4G connectivity.

Going by general standards, the pricing of S4 Mini is rather expensive. Google Nexus 4’s 8GB version, for instance, costs $299, a cheaper price tag despite its top-end features. Well, Samsung has yet to confirm the price of S4 Mini, but for now it seems like the device is ruled out of the budget smartphone market.

Galaxy S4 Mini with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean 4.3 inch Screen Released by Samsung

June 1, 2013 By Micheal Baptiste Leave a Comment

The official launch of the Galaxy S4 Mini is well in accord with rumors and predictions about the existence of the device. The surprise element is that the announcement comes a bit earlier than expected – most predictions pointed to a June 20^th launch at the London event.

As expected, the Galaxy S4 Mini is a miniature version of the flagship Galaxy S4, and the launch pattern is similar to that of last year’s Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S3 Mini. The S4 Mini is a budget-friendly option yet harmonious with the high-end design and features of the Galaxy S4. It will be available in black and white colors, and pricing has yet to be announced.

The Galaxy S4 Mini measures 124.6 x 61.3 x 8.94 mm and boasts a 4.3-inch screen compared to the 4.99-inch screen of the Galaxy S4. It is still larger than the iPhone 5’s 4-inch screen. Its resolution is qHD 960 x 540 compared to Full HD 1920 x 1080 of the Galaxy S4.

The Galaxy S4 Mini is powered by a 1.7GHz dual-core processor, most probably Snapdragon 400 SoC, and 1.5 GB RAM. The 8GB internal storage is expandable to 64GB via microSD. Camera features are impressive – 8MP rear camera and 1.9MP front-facing camera. The 1,900mAh battery is removable.

The S4 Mini runs on Android 4.2.2 OS and comes loaded with many of the features of the S4, such as TouchWiz Nature UI. Android 4.2.2 has a good number of enhancements including better interface and speed. Pre-loaded apps include S Travel, ChatOn, Group Play, S Health and S Translator, among others.

The device will come in three versions namely, a 3G version, 4G LTE version and 3G dual-SIM version. Connectivity features include dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GLONASS and GPS. Will the other Galaxy S4 models wait till June 20^th or make it earlier?