Sky Go is expanding onto more Android devices, with news that it’s coming to the Sony Xperia Z, the HTC One and the soon-to-land Samsung Galaxy S4.

Owners of the three flagship smartphones will soon be able to enjoy Sky’s programming on the move, joining a relatively small family of handsets and tablets currently supported by the Sky Go application.

Sky Go became available to select devices powered by Android Jelly Bean in December. However, since then it has been slow to arrive on newer gadgets, such as the Google Nexus 10, for which Sky has been heavily criticised by customers.

Well, fortunately it looks like the Pay TV giant is finally getting its act together. It has already confirmed that the service would be coming to the wider Android ecosystem as the year progresses.

Of course, it also means great news for any of you picking up Samsung’s latest hero kit, which goes on sale on April 27th.

If you haven’t already done so, the S4 is currently on pre-order with Three, O2, Vodafone, EE, T-Mobile and Vodafone.

TalkTalk Mobile will also start taking pre-orders from Monday, while Virgin Media is expected to join the party soon.

Got a Sony Xperia Z or HTC One? You can download the Sky Go app for free from the Google Play store right now.

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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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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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