Samsung isn’t content with releasing just its flagship Galaxy S4 smartphone. Instead, the South Korean handset maker has plans to bring three variants of the device to the market. One will be a rugged version of the device, while another will be the purported Galaxy S4 Mini that is supposedly set for a July launch. And the third, according to Samsung rumor website SamMobile, will be the so-called “Galaxy S4 Zoom.” (more…)
AT&T on Monday announced that the 32 GB Samsung Galaxy S4 will be added to its smartphone lineup on May 10th. The higher capacity model will retail for $249.99 with a new two-year service agreement. AT&T has been selling the 16 GB model since late April for $199.99.
Starting 5/10 get the 32GB Samsung #GalaxyS4 for $249.99 w/2-yr agmt & qual plans. Fees apply. Offer reqs at soc.att.com/11bWMO1
— AT&T (@ATT) May 6, 2013
It might be worth it for prospective Galaxy S4 buyers to fork over the extra 50 dollars for the larger 32 GB model, as the entry-level 16 GB device has just 8 GB of usable storage after the Android operating system and preloaded apps are accounted for. Alternatively, a microSD card can be used for up to 64 GB of expanded storage.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 has received mixed reviews from critics, with improved hardware specifications that are boggled down by so-called “gimmicky features.” Meanwhile, the HTC One has quietly positioned itself as arguably the best Android smartphone on the market right now.
Samsung has outed a new Galaxy S4 ad that promotes a number of the smartphone’s features, including air gestures, the camera, the ability to use it as a TV remote, and S Beam, which allows users to share files with a nearby smartphone using NFC.
The 93-second advertisement is centered upon a summer graduation party, with energetic and hip young adults all using Galaxy S4 smartphones. Later in the spot, Samsung shows an older couple with iPhones coming to the realization that some smartphones are “smarter” than others.
This is far from the first time that Samsung has attempted to undermine the iPhone as part of its marketing efforts. In fact, this commercial is just the latest in a string of TV ads — watch all four: one, two, three, four — that promote the Galaxy S III or Galaxy S4 over iPhone.
Samsung released the Galaxy S4 in late April, and it has received mixed reviews from major publications. While the smartphone is certainly a welcomed improvement over the Galaxy S III, it’s an iterative refresh at best and has several so-called “gimmicky” features.
The smartphone marketshare wars may be far from over, but it appears that Apple is outpacing Android in at least one important metric.That metric is usage share, a measurement of which devices are actually used most by consumers. The latest reports, compiled by comScore, paint a rather bright picture for Apple (and, unsurprisingly, Samsung). Apple’s usage share in the United States has risen to 40%, largely thanks to strong iPhone 5 and continued to iPhone 4S sales.
Meanwhile, Samsung has also grown, albeit at a slower pace. Samsung’s usage share rose to 21.7%, up from 21% in December. The other manufacturers measured (LG, Motorola, and HTC) all saw varying drops in their usage share in the same time period. Apple and Samsung continue to dominate the smartphone market in almost all quantifiable metrics.
[comScore]
(Image Source: Android Central)
In the days following the Samsung Galaxy S4 launch on most major carriers in the United States, a number of users have complained about the lack of available storage on the handset. After accounting for the operating system and other native bloatware, Geek (via BGR) reports that the Galaxy S4 only has about half of its advertised 16 GB storage free for usage.
Samsung has preloaded a number of applications on the Galaxy S4 — S Health, S Travel, S Translator and so forth — that chew through 45 percent of the smartphone’s storage capacity. So, despite being advertised as a 16 GB device, the Galaxy S4 has a mere 8.82 GB of free space. While the Samsung device does support a microSD card for up to 64 GB of additional space, the situation is still rather misleading.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note III could be as large as the Galaxy Mega, pictured above, with an octa-core processor and octa-core GPU. (Image Source: The Inquirer)
Samsung rumor site SamMobile, citing trusted insiders, reports that the Galaxy Note III will have an Exynos 5 octa-core processor, Mali 450 GPU with eight cores and 3 GB of RAM. Moreover, the handset will pack a large 5.99-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display with diamond pixel structure, and a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera.
According to the report, the next-generation Galaxy Note device could launch in the August to September timeframe at IFA 2013 in Berlin. Last year, the Samsung Galaxy Note II was also announced in Berlin at the same consumer electronics show. The monstrous handset will run the latest version of the Android operating system, which could be Android 4.3 by time the device arrives.
In a recent post on his Facebook page, influential business magnate Donald Trump claimed that he thinks Apple needs to increase the size of the iPhone display to be slightly larger than Galaxy devices. More so, the television personality claims that Tim Cook and company must do so quickly, before they lose a lot of business and, subsequently, yield market share to Samsung and other competitors.
I have a lot of @Apple stock— and I miss Steve Jobs. Tim Cook must immediately increase the size of the screen on the iPhone. It should be slightly larger than the Samsung screen- and they better get it right fast because they will lose a lot of business. I like the larger screen.
Trump, an Apple shareholder himself, quickly attracted a lot of reaction from his social network followers. One top-liked comment on his Facebook post claims that the iPhone is the proper size for a smartphone, since it needs to be compact and fit into your pocket or purse. Another comment that has garnered a number of likes is a woman who posted that her Galaxy S III is a much better handset than the iPhone. (more…)
iPhone and Android smartphone users, it’s time to put your differences aside for at least a few moments. Microsoft has just released a new TV advertisement for Windows Phone, mocking the flame wars that often occur between people that use either an Apple or Samsung smartphone. I think, for at least one time, everyone can agree that it’s pretty comical.
In the one-minute spot, promoting the Lumia 920, Microsoft makes fan of both the enormous size of Galaxy devices and Siri voice assistant on iPhone as part of an overall mockery of the heated rivalry between users of each platform. Just as a man and woman are about to be wed, guests at the wedding begin making sarcastic remarks about each other’s smartphones, and it soon erupts into full-out mayhem.
Believe it or not, early reaction by competitors to Apple releasing the iPhone was laughable. Simply put, most companies did not believe that the Cupertino-based corporation would be all that successful with its venture into the smartphone market. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer essentially wrote off the first-generation iPhone and its high price tag, while BlackBerry executives were reportedly baffled by the iPhone and thought its technology was impossible. (more…)
Samsung’s Galaxy S4 is slowly rolling out to consumers across the globe, though the device has been delayed for many in various markets. Many believed that the delays were due to production issues, potentially stemming from the various SKUs being produced in order to release the device worldwide.
Not so, according to Samsung. Instead, the issue is that demand is “overwhelming” across the globe. The results of such high demand mean a reduced rollout, at least until production can be brought up to par. Various American carriers, as well as retailers across the globe, are reporting that they will either have limited or no stock for at least some time.