Galaxy S4 Active could also get Snapdragon 800 processor

Posted by kunalg on 01 August 2013 at 5:47

With the original Galaxy S4 getting a processor bump to Snapdragon 800, how could the water resistant variant be left behind? A benchmark listing at GFXBench shows a Korean variant of the Galaxy S4 Active (SHV-E470S) having MSM8974 which is nothing but the Snapdragon 800. Just like the Galaxy S4, the Galaxy S4 Active will most likely have the processor upgrade to support the LTE-A network which SK Telecom recently launched. The Snapdragon 800 is a quad-core processor with a clock speed of 2.3GHz and supports LTE-A network that can give data speeds to up to 150Mbps.

This particular model seems to be Korea only but it shouldn't be far off when Samsung releases a similar device for the international market.

The Galaxy S4 Active supports IP67 standard for dust and water resistance and features 2GB of RAM, 8MP and 2MP cameras, 5-inch Full HD (1080p) TFT LCD display, 16GB of internal storage, microSD slot, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, NFC, 2600 mAh battery.

You can read our review of the Galaxy S4 Active.

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Tizen 2.2 brings many interface enhancements, hardware back and menu button support

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 31 July 2013 at 21:35

Whether you like it or not, and no matter what some "media personalities" might think, Tizen is under active development by Samsung and Intel, which resulted in version 2.2 of the Tizen SDK being released over a week ago. Now, some of the changes 2.2 brings in terms of the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) have been detailed.

The changes start with the status bar: while earlier the indicators for battery, signal etc were centered and moved to the left or right as a new indicator became active, now the battery and signal icons are placed at each corner of the screen, with other indicators showing up in the middle and expanding as required. A proper battery icon has also been added, to the left of the time.

The biggest change is the inclusion of support for hardware back and menu buttons, which means the two buttons won't up as part of the UI inside apps. That can be a good or bad thing, depending on whether you like software or hardware buttons, though since they weren't like Android's software buttons in the first place, it shouldn't be an issue (not to mention the in-app buttons looked hideous previously).

Other changes include improvements to the icons, such as the on/off switch seen in front of toggles in the settings menu to make it more visible, and the black theme supposedly now looks better than ever (that's a nice thing Tizen will offer: ability to change the theme by default, similar to Windows Phone.

There should be other changes as well, but they're probably focused more on developers. Last we heard the first Tizen smartphone has been delayed, and the 2.2 update doesn't really tell us how close the OS is to completion, but hopefully we'll hear more from the horse's (either Samsung or Intel) mouth soon.

Anyone looking forward to Tizen?

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Galaxy S4 mini to get three new colors: Scarlet Dawn, Bronze Autumn, and Blue Iceberg

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 31 July 2013 at 21:58

Oh look, more color! This time, it's the Galaxy S4 mini that will be arriving with fresh paint jobs: hi-tech.mail.ru has published press photos of the Scarlet Dawn (red), Bronze Autumn (brown), and Blue Iceberg (catchy name, this one) variants of the S4 mini. There's no mention of when these new colors will launch, but that should be soon considering the press shots are all ready to go.

Here are the new color variants for your viewing pleasure:

  

The Galaxy S4 mini sports a dual-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon 400 processor with Adreno 305 GPU, 1.5GB of RAM, a 4.3″ qHD (540 x 960 pixels) display, 8-megapixel rear camera, 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera, 8GB storage expandable via microSD cards, Wi-Fi, HSPA+, LTE and NFC connectivity, a 1,900mAh battery, and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with TouchWiz Nature UX 2.0. Samsung also launched a dual-mode LTE variant of the S4 mini today, which might or might not get the new color treatment.

Which one would you take home with you?

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AT&T Galaxy S III Premium Suite update rolling out, brings Multi-Window (Build UCDMG2)

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 31 July 2013 at 21:00

Well, this is why carriers suck and should never be involved in the OS upgrade procedure: AT&T is finally rolling out the Premium Suite update for the Galaxy S III, bringing the fabled Multi-Window multitasking feature, a full eight months after Samsung announced the Premium Suite for its 2012 flagship. The build number of the update is I747UCDMG2, which will bump the device's Android version to 4.1.2 (not 4.2.2, sadly).

Here's the official AT&T changelog:

• - Multi Window: You can open two different apps at the same time into two different windows on the mobile screen.
• - Auto Share Shot with NFC: By setting the camera to "Auto Share Shot" mode, you can quickly share your photos and videos by simply tapping their GALAXY S III with other NFC and S-Beam enabled devices
• - Camera features: Paper artist and best face options.
• - AT&T apps: AT&T services, Drive Mode, AT&T Locker; Family Map, Live TV, and SmartWifi have been loaded.
• - Other enhancements:  Includes calendar, SD Card, and S-Voice enhancements.

The update will begin its over-the-air rollout today, and you can check if the update is available for your phone from the Settings » About phone »  Software update » Check for updates option. If the update doesn't appear right away, don't fret, as the rollout is gradual and will reach more and more users as the days go by, with AT&T to begin pushing a notification from August 8 for anyone who hasn't received it by then.

We'll also be posting the full firmware once we get it so you can update manually, and you'll be able to find it in our firmware section. We'll update this post once we get our hands on the firmware.

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Samsung launches MangaCamera and Paper Artist apps for Windows Phone

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 31 July 2013 at 19:31

Samsung isn't too focused on Windows Phone, with Nokia selling the bulk of devices based on Microsoft's young mobile operating system. Samsung's ATIV phones didn't sell much (or, at all, compared to Nokia's Lumias), but the company has still found reason to launch two new photo effects apps for the few users that are using an ATIV Windows Phone 8 phone somewhere out there: MangaCamera and Paper Artist. 

MangaCamera lets you turn your photos into cartoons, and applies effects in real-time when you're pointing your camera at something. You can download additional frames apart from the ones that come with the app, and the app also registers itself in the lenses menu so you can access it right from the default camera app on Windows Phone.

As for Paper Artist (also available on Android), it's basically a more advanced version of MangaCamera as it allows you to put different types of filters on photos instead of just cartoons. You can either import photos or take new ones with effects shown in real-time. Both MangaCamera and Paper Artist allow you to share your edited images through the Share option.

Both apps are exclusive to ATIV devices and can be downloaded from the Windows Phone Store. It's good to see Samsung thinking of their Windows Phone users a bit, so make the best of it while you can.

Download: MangaCamera | Paper Artist

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Samsung trademarks Samsung Micro, Samsung Go, and 5 more names

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 31 July 2013 at 17:08

Well, Samsung is at it again: working on multiple new products that will be probably launched and forgotten by everyone. At least, that's what we can gather from the fact that Samsung has filed with the US patent office (USPTO) to trademark seven new names: Mobile Samsung 5G, Samsung Fit, Samsung Micro, Samsung Expo, Samsung Go, Samsung Pro and the S MUSICIAN.

Mobile Samsung 5G seems to be the easiest to guess on what it could be – a phone the company is making to test its 5G technology. 5G isn't expected to be ready for commercial use till 2020, but Samsung could be looking to get a name registered early on in the process. The S Musician could be a music app for creating and editing music, and could join the plethora of S apps that the company has on TouchWiz, like S Health, S Voice, and more.

The Samsung Fit can't be a phone as the company already has the Galaxy Fit, so we wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be something health-related, like an accessory or S Health-like app. Samsung Expo, Go, and Pro could be anything – phones, accessories (like the smartwatch Samsung is making), apps, or something else altogether.

However, just because Samsung has patented these names doesn't mean we'll see all of them actually being used on products, so until more details come out in the future, there's nothing to do but keep the guessing game going.

Well, talking about guessing games, what do you think these new names could represent?

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Meet Samsung Hennessy: Clamshell quad-core phone with dual screens and hardware keypad

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 31 July 2013 at 18:02

Do you fondly remember those days of flip phones with numeric keypads (that were great in letting you enter phone numbers quickly without having to open a dialer and stuff) and would like a phone just like that but with a touchscreen to go along with it? Well, Samsung has your back with the Hennessy, a clamshell phone that runs on Android.

The Hennessy, model number SCH-W789, has made an appearance in the past and is supposedly headed to China Telecom. It has two displays, both 3.3-inch units with a resolution of 480 x 320 (ugh!), on the inside and outside, with a numeric keypad available when you flip the phone open. While the display may sound unimpressive, this cute little thing is supposedly powered by a quad-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz (probably a Snapdragon 200) and has 1GB of RAM, which do somewhat salvage the situation.

There's a 5-megapixel camera on the back, microSD and dual SIM slots, and it runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, another saving grace of this experiment Samsung is indulging in. Oh, and did we say it comes in a Luxury Gold color? Yep, just because this is a device that won't really interest more than ten people around the world, Samsung isn't going to miss the chance to make it sound as dazzling as is humanly possible.

The Hennessy is supposedly set for an August launch in China and Korea, and you'll probably have to make a visit to those two nations to grab one for yourself. Well, that's assuming you actually want one.

Do you?

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Water damage not covered in Galaxy S4 Active warranty

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 31 July 2013 at 11:28

One of the biggest selling points of the Galaxy S4 Active, the ruggedized version of the Galaxy S4, is its ability to take pictures underwater, helped by its IP67 water-resistance certification. Samsung was keen to show off this ability in demos by actually showing the phone being used underwater, but it seems owners of the device would be better off not trying off that stunt, due to multiple reasons.

First, the warranty. Here's what Samsung mentions in the Galaxy S4 Active's warranty:

This Limited Warranty does not cover: (a) defects or damage resulting from accident, misuse, abnormal use, abnormal conditions, improper storage, exposure to liquid, moisture, dampness, sand or dirt, neglect, or unusual physical, electrical or electromechanical stress [...].

Basically, while the ability to take pictures is one of the touted features, Samsung will not replace your S4 Active if any damage should occur because of its exposure to liquids or moisture. Now, that's pretty much normal as the device is only water-resistant and not water-proof, so any water damage would be grounds for a voided warranty. However, this is where it gets more interesting.

An anonymous AT&T employee, who had gotten lessons on how to use the S4 Active underwater to show off to prospective customers, has posted on XDA that despite taking all precautions, like closing all flaps and ports on the phone before submerging it in water, some of the water was still able to make its way inside. The "flimsy, rubber USB door" was to blame, which caused all manner of improper behaviour to show up, like Google Now opening on its own and the buttons stopping working completely.

That's a pretty bad thing to happen on a phone that includes an Aqua Camera mode, and while people will rightly point out that these cases are rare and won't happen to everyone, it is odd that Samsung is not willing to take any responsibility and will not help in any way if you manage to get some water inside the device.

So, while snapping pictures underwater might sound really cool, do try to refrain from submerging your Galaxy S4 Active in any liquid, lest it meet the same fate as that AT&T employee and leave you with an expensive (and wet) paperweight.

Hit the source link for the full scoop on the mishap, and read our full review of the device here.

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Samsung speaks out against allegations of benchmark-rigging

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 31 July 2013 at 11:47

Less than a day after Samsung was said to be using tweaks to make the Galaxy S4 score higher in benchmarks (by increasing the clock speed of the GPU when a benchmark app is launched), the company has officially responded to the allegations, saying that they are not doing anything suspicious to make the device stand out in benchmarks.

Here's the statement they provided:

Under ordinary conditions, the Galaxy S4 has been designed to allow a maximum GPU frequency of 533MHz. However, the maximum GPU frequency is lowered to 480MHz for certain gaming apps that may cause an overload, when they are used for a prolonged period of time in full-screen mode. Meanwhile, a maximum GPU frequency of 533MHz is applicable for running apps that are usually used in full-screen mode, such as the S Browser, Gallery, Camera, Video Player, and certain benchmarking apps, which also demand substantial performance.

The maximum GPU frequencies for the Galaxy S4 have been varied to provide optimal user experience for our customers, and were not intended to improve certain benchmark results.

We remain committed to providing our customers with the best possible user experience.

Well, it does make sense to allow full screen apps to take as much power from the GPU as possible. However, code was found specifically mentioning certain benchmark apps that get the higher GPU clock, something which Samsung didn't address in its response, so we're not sure we believe the company in this case.

But anyway, if you enjoy using your device, then these benchmarks don't ultimately matter, though it would be great if Samsung could come clean and let their devices be known on their real-life merits, instead of going around tweaking stuff to just get better scores in reviews.

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Review: ZENS wireless charging products

Posted by DannyD on 31 July 2013 at 8:00

Earlier this month, we have received several products regarding wireless charging from a company called ZENS. ZENS claims that their wireless charging products are even more efficient than the original Samsung products. Today we will give you a glimpse of our findings about their products we have received. We will walk you through every product we received from them, one by one.

ZENS sent us the following products: a black ZENS charger, a white ZENS charger, a Black Galaxy S4 battery cover, a Galaxy S4 flipcase and a Galaxy Note II flipcase. The first impression we get from these products is good. The packaging looks very neat and we are very much hoping that the products will be just as good and good-looking as the packaging does.

Black ZENS charger
After unpacking the black ZENS docking station (charger), we notice that the design is finished very well and that the docking station itself is pretty thin. While Samsung is usually going for a rectangular design, ZENS is clearly going their own direction with the design of their docking station. For example, ZENS has chosen to carve some extra lines into the docking station, so it is extra clear for the users what the perfect charging area of the dock is. ZENS also added a notification light so that you can see the current charging status of the phone on the dock. The notification light is turned off when there is no device placed on the dock. The reason ZENS is claiming to have a more powerful and efficient docking station than Samsung itself, is due to the fact that ZENS uses multiple (wireless charging) coils, while Samsung (most likely) uses only one coil fort his. Below we will show you some photo's of the black ZENS charger.

White ZENS charger
As Samsung is making more and more white devices these days, it almost looks like white has become the new black. ZENS seems to know this very well, which is why they chose to also offer a white variant of their ZENS charger device reviewed above. All specifications and materials are the same, except for the color. This dock will match your White Galaxy S3, S4 or Galaxy Note II perfectly! Below we will show you some photo's of the white ZENS charger.

Black Galaxy S4 battery cover
While opening the Galaxy S4 battery cover we only notice one thing , and that is the thickness of the cover. ZENS is using the so-called "freedom of placement" technology; a patented technology of the company itself that makes sure that the device can be charged wirelessly at any point of the device. As mentioned before, ZENS also uses multiple coils at the same time (also known as multi-coil). This accelerates the charging process, which is something we also noticed when we tested this device. However, the (stock) charger with Micro USB cable still wins from this (and probably any) wireless charging device when it comes to charging speed. This however doesn't seem like a problem, as most people probably buy a wireless charging device as an add-on device for their regular charger, rather than as a replacement. The Galaxy S4 battery cover is also available in white.
Below we will show you some photo's of the black Galaxy S4 battery cover.

Galaxy S4 & Galaxy Note II Flipcases
Since the introduction of the Galaxy S3, Samsung is producing these so-called flip covers. Flip covers give the device a pretty appearance, while protecting (mainly the screen) from sharp materials and scratches. ZENS has developed their own flip covers for the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note II devices. While unpacking the flip covers we noticed that the cover itself looks a bit raw and large. So the appearance of these flip covers can't be compared to Samsung's flip covers. Naturally, the ZENS flip covers need more space for their multiple charging points. However, we personally do not think this design is the best solution to create more space. We would prefer a thicker version of the original (Samsung) flip cover. We also think it is unnecessary to use the Micro USB connection, something the ZENS flip cover also does. And as a final note, the flip cover renders the notification LED invisible and thus unusable. When we add these feedback together, we think the ZENS flip cover is a nice concept but the realisation is not as good as the idea. We sincerely hope that these feedback points will be improved in the next version of the product.
Below we will show you some photo's of the flipcases.

Summary
ZENS wireless charging products are actually good products. Our devices did charge pretty fast. However, we personally didn't like the design of the flip cover, which could have been inspired more by the official (Samsung) one. We would also like it if the Micro USB connector wouldn't be used by the cover in the future. They might figure out another way to handle the additional thickness from adding multiple charging coils into their product(s). On the other hand, this multiple charging coils make the charging faster while the price of the device is lower than the original Samsung wireless charger.

Wireless charging is an upcoming trend on the (mobile) device market and while the technique is pretty stable, our main point of concern is the design of the chargers and cases. Using a wireless charger is easier (just put the phone down on the dock) and it makes your desk look less messy. To buy or not to buy, that question is up to yourself. If you're thinking about buying it just for the charging speed, it probably just won't fulfill your expectations. If you're going for the comfort of wireless charging, then the ZENS products are definitely the way to go!

Our expectation is that ZENS will keep investing in these techniques and will keep on improving their product range. With their "freedom of placement"-patent, we absolutely think we will get faster and more elegant solutions to wirelessly charge your mobile devices from ZENS.

If you want to get your hands on one or more of these products from ZENS, you can head over to ZENS!

Stand-Alone Charger
Qi Wireless Charger Black ZENS € 49,99
Qi Wireless Charger White ZENS € 49,99
Qi Dual Wireless Charger Black ZENS € 79,99

Bundle
Kit Single White Charger with Charging Cover Galaxy S3 White ZENS € 69,99
Kit Single White Charger with Charging Cover Galaxy S4 White ZENS € 69,99
Kit Single Black Charger with Charging Cover Galaxy S4 Black ZENS € 69,99

Battery Cover / Shield
Wireless Charging Battery Cover Samsung Galaxy S3 white ZENS € 29,99
Wireless Charging Cover Shield Samsung Galaxy S3 blue ZENS € 34,99
Wireless Charging Battery Cover Samsung Galaxy S4 White ZENS € 29,99
Wireless Charging Battery Cover Samsung Galaxy S4 Black ZENS € 29,99

Flip Case
Flip Case Galaxy S4 Fast Wireless Charging 1Amp White ZENS € 44,99
Flip Case Galaxy S4 Fast Wireless Charging 1Amp Black ZENS € 44,99
Flip Case Galaxy Note 2 Wireless Charging Black ZENS € 39,99

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Samsung announces dual-mode LTE Galaxy S4 and S4 mini variants

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 31 July 2013 at 9:19

Samsung has today announced dual-mode LTE variants of the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S4 mini, adding two more Galaxy S4 variants to the laundry list of variants already in the market. The new devices support both the TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE standards, which will let users access LTE networks anywhere they are in the world, something that is not currently possible with any other smartphone.

JK  Shin, co-CEO and president of the IT and mobile division at Samsung, noted the company's commitment to LTE.

With today's TDD/FDD LTE seamless handover devices announcement, Samsung again demonstrates the company's commitment to driving better, more convenient customer experiences. The first commercially available TDD/FDD seamless handover devices will allow customers to fully enjoy the benefits of fast mobile data communications no matter where they are.

Apart from the addition of dual-mode LTE (which is used in markets like Hong Kong), the specs will be the same as before. The Galaxy S4 sports a 5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display, 1.9GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor with 2GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel camera, 16GB of inbuilt storage and a microSD slot, Wi-Fi, HSPA+, and NFC connectivity, a 2,600mAh battery, and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with Samsung's TouchWiz UI.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S4 mini comes with a 1.4GHz Snapdragon 400 processor with Adreno 305 GPU, 1.5GB of RAM, a 4.3″ qHD (540 x 960 pixels) display, 8-megapixel rear camera, 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera, 8GB storage expandable via microSD cards, Wi-Fi, HSPA+, and NFC connectivity, a 1,900mAh battery, and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with TouchWiz Nature UX 2.0.

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Galaxy S III and Note II top consumer satisfaction list in the U.S.

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 31 July 2013 at 8:58

The Samsung Galaxy S III and Note II are at the top of the list of phones with the highest level of customer satisfaction in the U.S., according to the American Consumer Satisfaction Index, beating Apple's iPhone 5. The Galaxy S III scored an 84 (between 0 and 100), the Note II was two points down at 82 and tied with the iPhone 4S, while the iPhone 5 scored an 81 to settle at the third position.

"The S III seemed to be a game-changer for Samsung in a way the iPhone 5 wasn't for Apple." That's what ACSI Director David VanAmburg had to say, and he isn't wrong. Compare the Galaxy S II and S III and you see numerous advancements made in the span of a year, especially on the software side of things. As for the Note II, well, being the only phablet worthy of consideration (in addition to a plethora of useful features it provides along with the S Pen) probably helped it secure the second position along with the iPhone 4S, which seems to have taken the crown of being perhaps the best iPhone till date.

The survey was done in March before the arrival of the Galaxy S4, but we'll be waiting to see how the company's latest flagship is doing when the results on the next survey come in. Till then, hit up the source link for more details on the survey.

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Stock Android and TouchWiz will co-exist on Galaxy S4 with MoDaCo Switch

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 31 July 2013 at 8:04

Usually it's only possible to have either the stock manufacturer ROM running on a device or an AOSP (stock Android) one, but there are often times when someone loves something about each but has to decide which ROM to stick to. But that changed, at least on the HTC One, with MoDaCo switch, which lets users have both a Sense ROM and stock Android ROM on the phone at the same time, allowing them to switch between the two with a reboot, and also lets the two ROMs share data so that something you may install on one will show up on the other.

Well, after starting a fundraising campaign and meeting their goals, the developers of MoDaCo Switch will be bringing the awesome tool to the Galaxy S4 (Snapdragon variant, GT-I9505)! Which means that you will be able to have both TouchWiz and stock Android ROM from the Google Play Galaxy S4 Edition on your phone and just switch between the two with a reboot, with as much data shared between the two ROMs as possible. Want the unadulterated Android experience as Google envisions it? No problem. Want to use one of Samsung's many value-added features? Well, with a reboot those will be accessible to you as well, with the same apps and their data available on either ROM.

There's no launch date set for MoDaCo Switch for the Galaxy S4, but beta access will be given to backers of the project in August. There's 17 more days to go before the fundraiser campaign ends, so if you want to see this happen, be sure to hit the source link and donate a few bucks towards the cause!

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New Galaxy S4 mini variant for South Korea gets Bluetooth certification, exclusive to Korea Telecom

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 30 July 2013 at 20:01

A new Galaxy S4 mini variant for South Korea has been found passing Bluetooth certification. Sporting model number SHV-E370K, it is supposedly exclusive to Korean carrier KT (Korea Telecom) and will come with support for the operator's LTE networks, as opposed to the SHV-E370D, which is the standard Galaxy S4 mini that isn't tied to any carrier.

Apart from the special LTE support, the specs should be the same as the standard version, which includes a 1.4GHz Snapdragon 400 processor with Adreno 305 GPU, 1.5GB of RAM, a 4.3″ qHD (540 x 960 pixels) display, 8-megapixel rear camera, 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera, 8GB storage expandable via microSD cards, a 1,900mAh battery, and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with TouchWiz Nature UX 2.0. Samsung also revealed three new colors for the S4 mini recently, though it remains to be seen if all those options are provided by KT on this exclusive variant.

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Design patents reveal new smartphone design by Samsung

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 30 July 2013 at 19:06

Ask anyone what's the worst thing about Samsung today, and they'll probably say it's their same old nature-inspired design that they are putting on every single phone that they launch. But that could soon change, as design patents unearthed reveal the company could be working on a new design for their phones.

The images show a rather square-shaped design, but with slanted edges that veer sharply at an angle. It's basically similar to the design companies like HTC and Sony use, and it is possible Samsung could move to better-feeling materials as well, though that's something design patents do not describe, so we won't know for certain about that for the time being.

These patents were applied for in 2011 in South Korea and in 2012 in the U.S., but there's no telling when we'll see the new deign make its way to an actual device. Samsung has also patented new icons that look to be for their upcoming Tizen OS, so it's entirely possible that only Tizen devices will use the new design, while the Android phones will continue their played out and (extremely boring for many) design.

What do you think? Could we see this new design on Android phone in the future, perhaps the Galaxy S5?

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Samsung boosts Exynos Galaxy S4′s GPU clock speed to manipulate benchmark scores

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 30 July 2013 at 16:29

Well, here's some surprising news. The folks over at AnandTech have discovered that the octa-core Exynos variant of the Galaxy S4 has a trick up its sleeves that lets it score higher in benchmarks – Samsung has put in a system that boosts the clock speed of the phone's GPU whenever a benchmark app like AnTuTu, Quadrant and GLBenchmark is fired up.

The PowerVR SGX 544MP3 inside the Exynos chipset on the S4 usually runs at 480MHz, but upon starting those aforementioned apps, the clock speed gets bumped up to 533MHz and stays there unless you close the app. The CPU is also fixed at its maximum clock frequency (and in case of the Snapdragon variant, all cores are made active).

This gives it an artificial boost, up to 10% or more in some cases, that you won't ever find coming into effect in real-life usage such as playing games or doing any other graphics-heavy stuff on the phone. Which, ultimately, make these benchmarks just something for show off without too much real-world value, though that's true of benchmarks in general.

So, I guess there's no point in boasting about your Galaxy S4′s benchmark scores in front of your friends any more. Let's hope Samsung doesn't use these tricks in future devices, as it seems a cheap way to make your device stand out among the competition in benchmark comparisons.

Read all the details about the findings at the source link.

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HTC results might move Samsung away from using expensive build materials

Posted by DannyD on 30 July 2013 at 15:59

Today HTC confirmed that the coming quarter might be very bad for the Taiwanese smartphone maker. HTC launched the HTC One early this year, a smartphone made out of aluminium. Samsung announced the Galaxy S4 a month after the One, and bloggers and hardcore smartphone customers began to blame Samsung for their build choice. HTC even tweeted in public about Samsung's build compared with the HTC One: where HTC went with an aluminium unibody for the One, Samsung once again opted for plastic (polycarbonate). Naturally, the Galaxy S4 feels decidedly less premium, and responding to complaints Samsung said that they can't develop that high amount of devices by using an aluminium body. Okay, this might be true, and we all know aluminium costs more money than polycarbonate.

Now, again HTC has warned their shareholders about bad results in the coming months. One of the reasons might be the cost price of one HTC One (pun intended). Mostly all Android device prices drop after a couple of months, which might be the biggest problem for HTC as the company isn't an OEM like Apple that can keep the prices high and still sell millions of iPhones every quarter.

Now, while HTC may have difficult times ahead, this could even be sad news for Samsung customers who want to have aluminium or metal bodied smartphones. If HTC's revenue and profit drops (the company is anticipating loss for the first time in its history), Samsung may decide the risk of using aluminium/premium-feeling materials is too high and continue to stick to plastic, especially when it continues to give them millions in sales.

However, Samsung earns considerably more than HTC and develops almost everything in-house, which could mean that Samsung might test expensive materials in high amount at some stage. Samsung recently bought 50% of SGL Group, a carbon fiber manufacturer, so things can certainly change, but for now, don't be too hopeful to see a change in the plastic tradition.

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Snapdragon 800-powered Galaxy Note III (SM-N900L) appears on GFX Bench

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 30 July 2013 at 14:15

Well, here's round two of the day for Galaxy Note III related news – the upcoming phablet has now appeared on benchmark site GFX benchmark, confirming some specs like a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor with Adreno 330 GPU, 1920 x 1080 pixels display, and Android 4.3 Jelly Bean (though the test version is running on 4.2.2).

Codenamed hltelgt and with model number SM-N900L, this is the Korean variant of the Galaxy Note III, and will therefore support LTE-A network speeds (up to 150mbps). In benchmark comparisons, the Note III is a tad behind the Korean Galaxy S4 with the Snapdragon 800 processor (though it beats every other devices, including the Tegra 4-powered NVIDIA Shield and the Sony Xperia Z Ultra), but that should change once Samsung finalizes the software and also once the device is running Android 4.3, which brought performance improvements to the OS.

Other specs of the Galaxy Note III are rumored to include 3GB of RAM, 5.7-6″ Super AMOLED display (supposedly with a flexible display variant), a 13-megapixel camera possibly with optical image stabilization, and the customary S Pen stylus.

Exciting days ahead folks, this likely isn't the last we'll see of the Note III before its official announcement!

Source | Via

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Galaxy NX camera priced in the UK, available now

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 30 July 2013 at 13:52

The Galaxy NX (EK-GN120), Samsung's first professional-grade Android-based camera, has been priced in the UK at £1299.99 (around $1,990, or €1,500), with British retailer Jessops listing it as available for home delivery today, and Wex Photographic listing it for pre-order. An 18-55mm OIS (optical image stabilization) kit lens is included in that rather steep price.

The Galaxy NX sports a 20.3-megapixel sensor with a mirrorless (i.e. digital instead of mirror-based) optical viewfinder and 1/6000 shutter speed, and comes with interchangeable lens system. The camera runs on Android like Samsung's Galaxy Camera (Android 4.2, to be specific), giving it access to the entire Android ecosystem and its huge collection of apps, with a plethora of features on the camera side of things. Photos can be viewed on a large 4.8-inch HD display, and shared with others via Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G LTE networks. Underneath there's a 1.6GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and a huge 4,360mAh battery.

The Galaxy NX is basically for professional photographers who want great picture quality out of their camera but want it to run Android, in which case Samsung has the only product in the market capable of providing that combination. The price is steep, but since this isn't your standard smartphone-like camera, it should find its fair share of buyers.

Buy/Pre-order: Jessops, Wex Photographic

Source

P.S: You can find firmware for the Galaxy NX in our firmware section (model number EK-GN120). 

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Galaxy S2 might not get Android 4.2 update, due to “adjustment problems with TouchWiz”

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 30 July 2013 at 11:29

Early this year, a listing of the devices Samsung was planning to update to Android 4.2.2 (and 5.0) surfaced, and the presence of the Galaxy S II, which is now more than two years old and has already received two major Android updates, on the list made owners of the device pretty happy. But it seems Samsung may not update the Galaxy S II to Android 4.2 after all, if the folks over at Connect.de are to be believed.

According to the website, the Android 4.2.2 was initially planned for the S II, but "due to adjustment problems in the TouchWiz interface," the plans have been scrapped, which means the device will be stuck on Android 4.1.2 forever. That isn't that much of a bad thing as 4.2.2 wasn't exactly a huge update, but it's still going to be disappointing owners of Samsung's once mighty flagship smartphone. Considering the Galaxy Note carries the same hardware as the S II, well, it's a possibility the device that launched the phablet trend might be staying at 4.1.2 as well.

We can confirm that the newer Galaxy S II Plus will be getting Android 4.2.2, and while we don't currently have info on the normal S II, we'll be doing our best to find out what exactly Samsung's plans are.

Source

Thanks Lars!

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Report: Samsung working on “true octa-core” processor

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 30 July 2013 at 11:54

Samsung's Exynos Octa isn't exactly a true eight-core processor, as only four cores can be active at any time depending on the workload, but a new report says that Samsung is working on a "true octa-core" processor with mass production scheduled for this year, in response to MediaTek, who recently unveiled an octa-core CPU of their own that can actually use all eight cores at the same time.

The difference between the two is the architecture used: Samsung used the big.LITTLE configuration, which enables four low-power Cortex-A7 cores for menial tasks and Cortex-A15 cores for demanding functions. MediaTek took it one step further by using big.LITTLE MP, where MP stands for multi-processing and allows both low and high-power cores to work at once. Samsung will no doubt do the same, and perhaps we could see them using custom ARM cores as was rumored recently, which means we could be looking at quite a beastly processor in the making.

While it's too early to judge, we'll likely see this true octa-core chipset make its debut in the Galaxy S5 next year, and we can't wait to see what Samsung can do in terms of performance with their next hero chipset.

Via

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Pink Twilight and Purple Mirage Galaxy S4 now available in Taiwan

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 30 July 2013 at 11:07

Samsung has already got Blue Arctic, Red Aurora, and Brown Autumn color variants of the Galaxy S4, and now the list is getting bigger and more diverse with the addition of the Pink Twilight and Purple Mirage (which leaked less than a week ago) colors for the flagship, which Samsung has now launched in Taiwan. Both variants look to be aimed at the ladies, though even if you're a guy, no one is going to stop you from getting either if you so desire.

The Galaxy S4 sports a 5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display, octa-core Exynos processor with 2GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel camera, 16GB of inbuilt storage and a microSD slot, Wi-Fi, HSPA+, LTE, and NFC connectivity, a 2,600mAh battery, and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with Samsung's TouchWiz UI, which includes features such as Air View, Smart Pause, and Multi-Window split-screen multitasking. An update to Android 4.3/5.0 is planned.

Source

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Alleged Galaxy Note 3 prototype shows off device’s internals

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 30 July 2013 at 9:59

With each day taking us closer and closer to the official announcement of the Galaxy Note III, leaks and rumors regarding the phablet are bound to start flowing in much faster than before. After an image that seemingly showed the front side of the device, new pictures have emerged that now give us a look at what are allegedly the Note III's internals.

The prototype seems to be an engineering unit and looks far from being final, and is probably one of the designs that Samsung is using to hide the actual design from prying eyes (there's mention of the design having an "alignment style like the I9100," aka the Galaxy S2). There's a home button like all other Samsung devices, on the back of the device there seems to be a slot for the stylus, and the source mentions that a Samsung logo is present as well (though it has been hidden with a sticker).

The screen size is kinda hard to judge here, but since it's rumored to be anywhere between 5.7 to 6-inches, we shouldn't really be taking these prototypes too seriously, as Samsung seems surprisingly confused on many aspects of the display and design. Though as the days go by, many secrets of the Note III should be revealed, and we can't wait to see what the Korean manufacturer has cooked up for us.

The Galaxy Note III is expected to have an octa-core Exynos 5420/quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 3GB of RAM, 1080p display of 5.7-6″, a 13-megapixel camera possibly with optical image stabilization, LTE-A (LTE-Advanced) connectivity, and Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with an improved TouchWiz UI.

Source

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Samsung could buy Novaled for more than $200 million

Posted by kunalg on 30 July 2013 at 7:08

As per Bloomberg's sources, Samsung is in talks to acquire German-based OLED display company, Novaled. Samsung Group could buy the company for more than $200 million with the announcement from the Korean company to be official later this week.

Gerd Guenther, chief marketing officer for Novaled said they're in talks with Samsung while Cheil Industries' spokesperson confirmed to be reviewing plans to acquire Novaled.

Samsung in 2011, invested in the company for a 10 percent market share and accounted sales of up to 53 percent in 2011.

source
via

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Samsung Galaxy S4 explodes and sets apartment on fire

Posted by FaryaabS on 29 July 2013 at 22:49

Apparently, a Hong Kong resident, known as Mr. Du, was playing a game of Love Machine on his Galaxy S4 when the device exploded. As soon as the device exploded Mr. Du threw the device at his couch which caused the sofa to set on fire, which then burnt down his apartment. The blazing flames spread to his mercedes too, claims Mr. Du.

During this incident, Mr. Du and his wife safely managed to escape from their apartment with only minor injuries. According to Mr.Du, the Galaxy S4 was equipped with a genuine Samsung battery pack and he always used a legitimate Samsung Charger to charge his device.

Firefighters rushed towards the location as soon as they received the report. It took them 30 minutes to stop the fire. Fire investigation concluded that the cause of the fire was not due to suspicious circumstances, but the unit has been severely damaged and almost all house valuables have been destroyed with the house itself.

There have been quite a few cases of exploding Samsung devices in the past and all have been caused due to the customer's use of fake parts (batteries, chargers etc..) in their smartphones. We believe that this case will have the same outcome in the end, but we may be wrong.

Source: Phandroid – Via: xianguo

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US patent office rejects Apple’s ‘pinch to zoom’ patent claims

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 29 July 2013 at 19:23

Of all the patents that Apple has sued Samsung over in the past couple of years, the pinch to zoom patent was perhaps the one that always came to the fore in every discussion related to the legal tussles, and in a move that will not make Apple happy, the US patent office (USPTO) has rejected claims of the Cupertino company to the pinch to zoom functionality.

The rejection of the patent's 21 claims are deemed to be a "final office action" by the USPTO, after passing a preliminary ruling in December 2012 that the patent claims were invalid, but is open to appeal by Apple to the Patent Trial Appeal Board, similar to the "overscroll bounce" patent that was rejected in April and is currently under review. Claim eight is the most important here, as it was the one that got the courts to make Samsung pay $1 billion in damages, but with the claim now nullified, it seems things could get a bit uneven for Apple.

Whatever may happen in the coming months, this ruling is enormously in Samsung's favor (and a big win in the fight against silly software patents), and it's great to see the USPTO actually acting sensibly for a change (even if they did pass the patent initially). The war is far from over, but hey, Samsung is no doubt very happy to have a cause for celebration, and here's hoping there's many more to come.

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Samsung Mobile USA Galaxy S4 – Ready for Take-off

Posted by DannyD on 29 July 2013 at 18:38

A new promoted video by Samsung America has been posted. According to Samsung there's never been a better time to make the switch. Easy Mode, Smart Pause, and Smart Switch are just some of the innovative features that make up the Galaxy S4. Our question for you. Do you use all these kind of smartfunctions of the Galaxy S4? When I check my Galaxy S4, I only use Smart Stay and Smart Rotate.

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Samsung’s next processor to have customized ARM-based architecture

Posted by Abhijeet M. on 29 July 2013 at 17:20

According to the Korean publication ET News, Samsung is in the process of designing their own processor, which will use a customized version of the standard ARM architecture, similar to Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors.

You're probably thinking, "but Samsung already makes its own processors," and you're not wrong. Here's the thing. All the ARM-based processors use the ARM architecture provided by ARM (a British company), but companies like Apple and Qualcomm obtain an "architecture license" and take the default ARM design and tweak it to create versions of their own (users of dedicated GPUs on PCs can relate this to how companies like ASUS and XFX make custom versions of NVIDIA's GeForce cards, increasing clock speeds, component arrangement, and the like).

This has advantages, such as being able to get higher performance, better power efficiency, and basically improve on the reference design. As a company that has been making processors that have constantly beaten other processors in performance, Samsung is no doubt looking to take it one step further by going with a customized ARM architecture, as powerful competition like Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 and (to some extent) the NVIDIA Tegra 4 emerges in the coming months.

We'll be waiting with bated breath to see what Samsung is able to do, though we'll have to wait till the first/second half of 2014 to see products using the new processor (the Galaxy S5 will likely use it), according to an anonymous employee quoted by ET News.

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