Google was rather busy during the first day of its annual Google IO conference, announcing not just new music and game services for Google Play, but also shocking everyone with the reveal of a brand new Samsung Galaxy S4.

Though Samsung has been rather pivotal in making Android the most successful and widely adopted operating system in use around the world, the version available on smartphones like the Galaxy S4 isn't as pure as that found on Google's own devices like the Nexus 4.

That's something Google is hoping to rectify with this new version of Samsung's flagship phone, which will be completely unlocked running a stock version of Android 4.2: Jelly Bean.

Google takes Android back

While we certainly sang a lot of praises for the Galaxy S4 in our review, we found the additional features added to the core Android experience by Samsung "flawed or overly complex."

Google is attempting to alleviate that issue by providing a more pure Android experience along the lines of its Nexus devices.

Gone will be the added Air Gestures and Smart Scroll and Samsung's TouchWiz interface, all of which will be replaced with the core Nexus experience as delivered by Android 4.2.

Additionally, the Google Galaxy S4 will include a fully unlocked bootloader, which bodes well for Android modders or developers keen to customize as much of the experience as they possibly can.

Even more important, with the core version of Android, users will be able to upgrade to each new version with ease.

That should come in handy considering it's widely expected Android 4.3 will make its debut during this week's Google IO (though this morning's keynote would have been prime time to roll it out).

Mirror Galaxy

Based on what we know from Google's presentation, the foundation of the Galaxy S4's hardware will remain intact and unchanged.

The Google Galaxy S4 should still get a massive 5-inch Super AMOLED HD display, backed by the 1.9Ghz quad-core Qualcomm 600 processor.

The 13MP rear camera doesn't appear to be going anywhere either, and the same can be said for the phone's 16GB of internal storage.

That said, the standard version of the Galaxy S4 loses a lot of that storage space to all the extra features included by Samsung.

With Google stripping the smartphone of all the non-essential bells and whistles, it would appear its version of the Galaxy S4 will start off with much more than 9GB of free space out of the package.

Google's version of the Galaxy S4 will also still support 4G LTE, as well as NFC, Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi, and will still include the solid 2600mAh battery.

You've got to pay to Play

The Play Store will be the only place you can purchase the new Galaxy S4, though the phone will be completely unlocked, and usable at both AT&T and T-Mobile in the U.S.

Sadly, Verizon subscribers will be left in the cold when it comes to Google's own phones, even though the carrier is getting the Galaxy S4 later this May.

Unlike the Nexus 4, which also came completely unlocked, the Galaxy S4 will unfortunately not be quite as affordable.

Beginning on June 26, Americans will be able to get their hands on the exclusive phone for $649 with no contract, which is $10 more than AT&T and $20 more than T-Mobile is charging for the Galaxy S4 outright. The price converts to AU$657 and UK£426.

Part of what made the Nexus 4 so appealing, despite its lack of 4G, was the $299 (UK£239, AU$499) price tag, which without a contract, made it rather comparable to most competitor phones purchased through a specific carrier on contract.

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Google has taken its Nexus wand and waved it over Samsung's flagship phone, creating a stock Android 4.2 Galaxy S4 device it plans to sell unlocked for $649 on U.S. carriers T-Mobile and AT&T.

The question is: Will Google do the same to other Android devices?

One manufacturer has already answered the question for us.

"HTC is not currently planning a 'Nexus Edition' of the HTC One," Jeff Gordon, senior global online communications manager at the phone maker told TechRadar.

Only one

The Nexus 4-influenced Galaxy S4 was the lone hardware announcement to come out of this year's Google IO keynote, and it looks like it will be the lone phone to strip the manufacturer's skin in favor of Google's Nexus.

We can't imagine the S4 will be charting this territory alone for long, however, and will keep our ears open for phones that jump into the Nexus-ized S4's waters.

Check out the latest from Google's developer conference through our comprehensive hub page.

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If you’re a Verizon Galaxy S III user, then the carrier has the perfect holiday gift for you: the latest version of Android.

Galaxy S III smartphones on Verizon will be upgraded to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Friday.

Jelly Bean brings a number of new features to the Galaxy S III including Google Now, Google’s built-in digital assistant resembling Apple’s Siri. Jelly Bean also updates notifications on the phone, allowing you to return missed calls and email from directly within the notifications window.

With Jelly Bean the camera on your Galaxy S III will also see an upgrade, adding a number of built-in Instagram-like filters to the camera app. Videos you record with your phone can be started and stopped as well, allowing you to create one continuous video clip with several different shots.

The Jelly Bean software upgrade will start being pushed to phones Friday. Customers will also be able to manually download the upgrade through the settings menu on their handset next week Read more….

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Samsung has launched the Galaxy S4 Mini, an Android smartphone with a 4.3-inch screen and a 1.7GHz dual-core processor.

The Galaxy S4's little brother is not only smaller but, at 3.8 ounces, much lighter than Samsung's flagship phone, which weighs 4.6 ounces.

Other specifications include a 8-megapixel rear camera accompanied with a 1.9MP front-facing one, 8GB of storage (expandable via microSD cards), 3G/LTE connectivity and Wi-Fi. The phone's dimensions are 4.9 x 2.4 x 0.35 inches, and the battery capacity is 1,900mAh. Read more…

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Thinking about buying a Galaxy S4, but you're not sure if its 5-inch form factor is too big for your hands? Maybe this video, captured by UK's mobile operator Three, will convince you to get an S4 mini instead. In the video, we get a close, detailed look at the Galaxy S4 mini, which was officially announced on Thursday. The device is directly compared with its older brother as well as the 6.3-inch Galaxy Mega, and it looks really tiny compared to the latter, even though its 4.3-inch screen is nothing to be ashamed about. Toward the end of the video, Three's Brendan Arndt says the Galaxy S4 mini brings the "premium and the best features" from the Galaxy S4 in a smaller package. Still, one has to keep in mind that the mini's specs are weaker than Galaxy S4's — an 8-megapixel camera instead of a 13-megapixel one, and a dual-core processor instead of a quad-core one. Image courtesy of YouTube/Three

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The term ‘phablet’ is perhaps the most cringeworthy in consumer tech right now.

The blurred space between smartphones and tablets is pretty much impossible to categorise, but appears to be developing as a pretty strong niche, as huge sales of Samsung’s Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note 2 attest.

The latter shifted two million in as many months when it first landed and it seems Sammy is not willing to stop there.

The Galaxy Note 2 already packs what some might term a pretty capacious 5.5-inch display.

Others might say it’s too big, awkward to fit in all but the biggest of pockets and taking the demand for larger screened smartphones too far.

But Samsung is having none of that.

This week news has emerged of two new devices in a new range dubbed Galaxy Mega.

The smaller of the two will be the Galaxy Mega 5.8, with a, yes, 5.8-inch panel.

The larger, Galaxy Mega 6.3 will rock a 6.3-inch display. Both are apparently being primed for a summer release. The former won’t actually look much different to the current Galaxy Note.

But the latter is surely taking things a step too far. Asus has already shown off a similarly-sized device, its Fonepad, which packs a seven-inch screen.

The Galaxy Mega 6.3 would barely be smaller than a Google Nexus 7, which is very much a tablet, not a smartphone.

Recent research by analysts at research firm Flurry has suggested that ‘phablets’ like these Galaxy Megas are simply fads.

That’s perhaps harsh seeing how well Samsung is already doing in the space.

But surely, as daily-use devices for those who want to make calls without looking like a Dom Joly character, they are at best a niche concern. In fact, it would perhaps be better to see the Megas as small tablets rather than large phones.

They’ll offer a better reading and movie viewing experience than smaller devices, no question, but fielding calls without appearing absurd will require a headphones or a hands-free kit.

Perhaps this is where Samsung sees the whole space going, believing that the days of whipping out your phone and clamping it to your ear are numbered.

That’s unlikely in the extreme, although with its current clout, you can surely expect other mobile makers to be muscling in with their own takes on the Mega.

Sony is said to be prepping a six-inch-plus phone for later this year and surely LG and HTC will fancy a slice of the action.

What is clear is that there’s only so far a smartphone can go size-wise.

The iPhone has proven that staying small doesn’t always work, but the current and forthcoming crop of phablets suggest that punters are quite happy with devices between four and five inches.

Any bigger and things start to feel faintly ridiculous.

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Vodafone has become the latest carrier to offer the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini for a reduced price, as networks bid to clear stocks of the current-gen Galaxy S phones ahead of the launch of the S4 later this month.

Right now, the S3 Mini is on offer for £21 per month with Voda. That includes a free phone, as well as 300 call minutes per month – up from 100 minutes previously.

A monthly mobile internet allowance of 250MB (previously 100Mb) is also included, as are unlimited UK text messages.

Offering the same innovative Nature UX user interface as the S3, including SVoice, the Siri-rivalling voice commands app, the S3 Mini’s spec sheet takes in a four-inch Super AMOLED display and a 1GHz dual core processor.

A five-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash is also on board, as well as 8GB of onboard storage, with the option to boost capacity by 32GB by adding a microSD card.

Find out more about the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini here: Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini

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Reports that Samsung would opt for a metal frame for the Galaxy Note 3 in response to great reviews for the HTC’s build quality were nothing more than a PR plant from HTC, an industry analyst has claimed.

Yesterday, a slew of tech sites reported that Samsung’s third-gen phablet would ditch the Note range’s plastic construction for weightier, premium materials. The move was said to be inspired by the glowing reviews for the aluminium unibody exterior of the HTC One, which we were told left Samsung “worried” that its handset looked and felt low-end in comparison.

However, according to Mobile Review Editor and all-round mobile motormouth Eldar Murtazin, the story was the work of HTC’s press department and not based on fact.

So what to make of this? It’s hard to say. But given that the HTC One’s sales are probably best described as solid but unspectacular, it seems pretty unlikely that Samsung really is concerned over losing its status as Android number one.

But what we do know is that SamMobile, from whence the metallic body story originated, claimed they were tipped off by insiders. Given the site’s close ties with Samsung, we’re guessing that they sourced the news item from someone in their employ rather than a member of the HTC PR team.

Either way, we’ve approached SamMobile to find out a bit more about the claims of PR puff. Check back here to find out their take on it.

Source

Twitter

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Specs for the threequel to Samsung’s hugely popular Galaxy Ace range have appeared on benchmark tests.

With just over a week to go before the highly anticipated launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4, details of the Galaxy Ace 3 have cropped up on GLBenchmark, revealing a handset that’s fittingly mid-range.

Powered by Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 with Samsung’s new Nature UX 2.0 UI layered on top, the Ace 3 (model name GT-S7272) rocks a four-inch display (800 x 800) that’s marginally bigger than its predecessor, a 1GHz dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM and a five-megapixel camera that shoots videos in 720p HD.

It also packs Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, which means it will benefit from Samsung’s S Beam feature for fast, wireless file transfers with other NFC phones by simply touching the devices together.

Whether 4G LTE support will also be on board is unknown at this point, but it sure would be a welcome addition given the UK’s imminent 4G revolution.

Little else is known about the Ace 3, other than it’s likely drop sometime in summer, possibly June, for an estimated price in the region of £200.

Source: GLBenchmark via The Droid Guy

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Leaked images of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 offer no real indication of the phablet’s actual look and feel, it has been revealed, as anticipation builds for the smartphone-tablet hybrid’s debut later this year.

Unearthed by EV Leaks, photos purporting to show a prototype version of the Galaxy Note 3 depicted a handset with an angular look a million miles from the curved edges and 'nature-inspired' design of the previous two Notes.

The images sparked speculation that Samsung could be about to radically change direction for the design of the Note 3.

The stories were lent an extra veneer of credibility - in some circles, anyway - by separate reports that Samsung is contemplating ditching earlier Note models’ plastic construction for a metal frame. This was interpreted as a sign that some kind of design rethink was almost certainly afoot at any rate.

However, that sort speculation ground to a halt today, after an industry source got in touch with Sam Mobile to debunk claims that the pictured phone reflects Samsung’s new guidelines and claimed that the kit we're looking at is merely a prototype sent out to developers.

To corroborate his story, the site’s insider, himself a dev, sent in his own image showing his developer-only model, complete with the uncommonly square design that sparked the initial conjecture.

The latest bout of rumour-mongering over the Note 3 comes amid separate reports – admittedly pretty unlikely ones - that the handset could be the first from the Samsung stable to pack flexible screen technology.

Earlier leaks from the Samsung supply chain suggest that the Note 3 will also pack a 6.0” full HD AMOLED display, 4G LTE support, a quad-core processor and a 13-megapixel camera.

Source:

SamMobile

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Samsung has delayed the launch of the Galaxy S4 Mini, reports suggest, in what we’re guessing is a strategic decision to focus on ensuring there is sufficient stock of its larger flagship phone.

According to sources cited by SamMobile, the release of the junior version of the Galaxy S4 has been put back from week 21 to week 29. In layman’s talk, that equates to a street date of mid-July.

The report doesn’t give even a putative reason for shifting the date. But with Samsung reportedly expecting to shift ten million units of the S4 in the first month, the smart money must surely be Samsung deciding to concentrate on getting the full-sized S4 in punters’ hands.

Featuring the same UX tweaks as its costlier stablemate, such as floating touch and tilt-to-scroll, the S4 Mini’s spec sheet takes in a 4.3” qHD display and an eight megapixel camera.

Powered by Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) out of the box, the phone also packs a dual-core processor and comes in Black Mist and White Frost colour options.

Source:

SamMobile

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Details of the rumoured robust, sporty version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 have emerged online, days after the standard iteration of the handset went on sale in the UK.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the waterproof and dustproof version of the Galaxy S4, which a Samsung official confirmed last week, will most likely retain the look of the flagship phone and is set to land in July.

It's not yet known just how rugged the phone, which is apparently tentatively dubbed the Galaxy S4 Active, is just yet. But we’d be surprised if it didn’t at least match the similarly hard-wearing, four million-selling Sony Xperia Z, which can be submerged under water for 30 minutes without affecting it.

The WSJ also reports that the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini will be along around the same time, offering a slimmer alternative to the shrinking demographic of consumers who aren’t sold on huge screen-toting handsets.

Samsung is believed to have been investigating a spray called HZO to coat and protect the innards of its phones from water damage since before the release of the Galaxy S3.

Via:

Unwired View

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Samsung’s Galaxy S4 took a bow on UK shores over the weekend.

But while Samsung will doubtless soon be issuing press releases about millions of sales, mixed with tales of satisfaction from a growing fanbase, one key rival reckons the release of the phone has actually boosted sales of its new flagship.

That mobile maker is HTC.

Its North America boss Mike Woodward told Business Insider that a series of reviews which criticised the Galaxy S4’s plastic frame, comparing it unfavourably to HTC’s metal-framed One, has helped the company sell more of its stunning smartie in recent days.

Woodward talked of having a ‘great week’, with ‘brisk sales’. That’s good news for all smartphone fans, suggesting competition is definitely hotting up.

The HTC One’s critical reception has been one of universal adoration, something which can’t be said of the S4.

But is one week’s worth of sales really going to help HTC push its case and help it put Samsung and others in the shade? It’s unlikely.

Because while the hardcore will be scouring reviews and looking at key differences before making their purchase, Samsung will be flexing its financial muscle.

That means heaps of ads, viral campaigns and flooding of social media with sponsored posts about the Galaxy S4.

The fact that Woodward didn’t hand over any concrete numbers is also telling.

HTC’s sales are never going to get close to Samsung. Not right now anyway.

Any figures would surely be batted away by Samsung and made to look paltry in comparison.

It’s been said before, but it’s a crying shame for HTC.

It’s releasing the best phones it’s ever produced and is being outshone by companies with more money and more power.

Critical praise will only carry it so far. Think of the HTC One like a lauded album from an obscure artists that earns endless five-star reviews but sells around 3,000 copies.

The Galaxy S4, on the other hand, is a Mumford and Sons album - millions want it, but savvy people just can’t work out why. It would be fantastic if HTC could really capitalise on its design lead and ram home its advantage.

But unless it suddenly start making millions of dollars, that’s just not going to happen.

The best HTC can hope for is that sales of the One are brisk enough to save it from extinction, or at least being a takeover target for one of tech’s bigger players.

The One, sadly, is only the start of HTC’s bid to get back to the top.

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Fans of novelty/ innovative [delete as you feel applicable] form factors holding out for a flexible screen-toting Samsung Galaxy handset got something of a fillip today, after a source corroborated rumours that the Note 3 could debut bendy display technology later this year.

Speaking to the thoroughly decent coves at SamMobile, an unnamed insider revealed that there are three different prototypes of the Note 3 being tested right now.Among these is one with a flexible screen, which, manufacturing problems permitting, might make it to market, the source claims.

In case production problems with the tech prove insurmountable, Samsung is testing two other shells for the Note 3. These prototypes purportedly feature an exterior that’s barely discernable from the Galaxy S4 and another with what’s intriguingly described as a “completely different” design.

One look that it seems we definitely won’t be seeing with the Note 3, however, is the boxy, square form factor that cropped up online last week.

According to SamMobile’s man this was a fake – something we’d long suspected given how far it departs from Samsung’s curvaceous, nature-inspired design ethos and close resemblance to a Sony smartphone.

Earlier rumours suggest that the third-gen Note is expected to reveal itself in September at the IFA tech expo and will pack a 5.6-inch full HD display and a quad-core processor.

Source:

SamMobile

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Would-be Samsung Galaxy S4 owners can cut their outlay on the smartphone du jour with a trade-in offer from Vodafone.

Under the terms of the offer, Voda will slice up to £5 off the monthly charge for the Galaxy S4 when you part-exchange your touchscreen handset. That's a potential saving of £120 over the course of a two-year contract.

Trade-in customers will then qualify for a free Samsung Galaxy S4, plus unlimited minutes and texts and a monthly allowance of 2GB of mobile data for £37 per month.

Already on course to become one of Samsung’s biggest-selling phones ever with predicted first-month sales of over ten million, the Galaxy S4’s USPs are its tilt-to-scroll mode (AKA Smart Scroll), its floating touch gesture recognition and the Smart Pause function, which automatically pauses video when users look away from the screen.

A five-inch full HD Super AMOLED display with 441 ppi density is also on board, alongide a 13-megapixel camera and a 1.9GHz quad-core processor.

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O2 has slashed the upfront cost of owning a Samsung Galaxy S3, as part of a very limited-time flash sale.

The bubbly network is currently offering Samsung’s third flagship smartphone free on a two-year contract at just £27 per month.

This furnishes takers with monthly allowances of 600 minutes, unlimited texts and 750MB of data.

Sadly, the offer is only valid until May 8th (that’s tomorrow), meaning you’ll have to be pretty quick if you want to take advantage of it.

With over 30 million handsets sold worldwide, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is by far the most successful Android smartphone to date.

Powered by Android Jelly Bean with Samsung’s Nature UX interface coated on top, the Galaxy S3’s feature sheet takes in a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD display, a 1.4GHz quad-core processor and an eight-megapixel camera.

It’s also home to a host of software features, such as Smart Stay, which keeps the screen on so long as you’re looking at it and Pop Up Play, which is a picture-in-picture mode that lets you watch a video even while working on other things.

O2’s price cut comes following the much-trumpeted launch of Samsung’s latest flagship kit, the Galaxy S4, which went on sale late last month.

This packs a five-inch full HD display, a 1.9GHz quad-core chipset and a 13-megapixel shooter.

Got the Galaxy S4 already? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Via:

O2

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Samsung could use Tizen phones to debut new Nature UX features before they come to its flagship Android powered handsets, speculation suggests, as the phone-maker bids to reduce its dependence on Google’s smartphone platform.

According to SamMobile, the Korean tech giant has two kits running its own Tizen operating system in the works, codenamed the Redwood and Melius respectively. It’s thought that the former will be a top-of-the-range model with 4G support, while the latter will only support 3G and pack mid-range specs.

Perhaps more intriguing, though, is the site’s assertion that, as with phones powered by its previous attempt at an Android-rival, Bada, Samsung could use Tizen efforts to showcase all-new features.

While there’s no mention of what these might be, it’s a good bet that they’ll include radical user interface tweaks that Samsung is increasingly using to differentiate its handsets from the competition.

Bada phones, which sold well in Samsung’s domestic market but didn’t get much traction elsewhere, were the first efforts out of the company’s factory gate to offer Super AMOLED screens, which are now a mainstay of Galaxy phones. And have come to be seen as something of a hallmark of the range.

The first Tizen handset is expected to land at some time during the second or third quarter.

Source:

Tizen

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