Samsung Galaxy S4: everything you need to know
From New York's Radio City Music Hall, Samsung tonight launched its new Galaxy S4 flagship phone, its latest 4G LTE device and so-called "Life companion." The 5-inch phone has a 1080p display, and will be available at the end of April.
Samsung backtracks on Galaxy S4 storage issues, hints at update to free up space
Samsung has said it will look into ways to free up more storage in its new Galaxy S4 handset after the issue was featured on consumer BBC TV show Watchdog. Offering only 8GB of free space on its 16GB model, CNET reports that the company will review "the possibility to secure more memory space through further software optimisation."
Verizon pushes up Samsung Galaxy S4 release date to May 23rd
Verizon Wireless will release Samsung's Galaxy S4 one week earlier than originally planned, with the Android flagship now set to arrive at stores and the carrier's web store on May 23rd. Late last month, Verizon said customers would need to wait until May 30th to get their hands on the new handset — already available from all three other major US carriers. The expedited date means Verizon will still be last out of the gate in delivering the S4 to retail, but the wait just got a bit shorter...
Samsung Galaxy S4 launching without Knox security software
The launch of Samsung's Galaxy S4 might be just days away, but the full version of the company's Knox enterprise security framework won’t make it aboard in time for release. Citing two unnamed people with knowledge of the project, the New York Times reports that the software will be delayed roughly until July because the company needs more time for testing, both internally and with carriers. Samsung also confirmed to the Times that the full version of Knox would not be available until "a...
Verizon Galaxy S4 coming May 30th, pre-orders start tomorrow for $199.99
While the other major carriers in the US have all revealed their plans to release the Samsung Galaxy S4, Verizon Wireless has been a bit more secretive. The carrier now says that it will begin pre-orders for the S4 tomorrow, but it is still leaving us in the dark as to when it will ship the phone and how much it will cost. The news comes as other carriers have delayed their launch plans: T-Mobile expects to sell the phone online starting on April 29th, while Sprint will have the phone...
Samsung Galaxy S4 review
Years ago, people either bought an iPhone or “a Droid." Verizon’s marketing power, those insane robot ads, and maybe that just-close-enough naming convention made the carrier's Android phones virtually synonymous with their operating system.
But now I hear people every day saying "Oh, is that the new Galaxy?" or "I don't really want an iPhone. I think I'm going to get a Galaxy." Thanks to its high quality and wide availability, not to mention Samsung's sheer brute-forcing marketing...
Samsung Galaxy S4 delayed for T-Mobile and Sprint (update)
AT&T customers may be the first to get their hands on the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone in the United States, but T-Mobile buyers may suffer a wait. While the "uncarrier" originally planned to begin online sales of the Galaxy S4 smartphone on April 24th, T-Mobile now says that online availability has been delayed five days to April 29th as a result of an unexpected inventory delay. Amusingly, it was also an unexpected inventory allotment which allowed AT&T to begin its early preorder...
Samsung Galaxy S4 hits AT&T stores April 27th, pre-orders could arrive two days earlier
Cellular carriers are racing to put the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone on sale as fast as they possibly can. AT&T may have just gained a slight lead, telling early pre-order customers they may be receiving their devices as soon as April 25th.
In case you're looking to purchase a Samsung Galaxy S4 on AT&T and don't have a pre-order, however, the carrier also tweeted that the 16GB model will be available to purchase on April 27th from its physical retail stores. That's the same day that Sprint...
Samsung Galaxy S4 pre-orders start at T-Mobile on April 24th, tomorrow at Sprint
T-Mobile has confirmed availability of the Samsung Galaxy S4, opening orders on April 24th for an upfront cost of $149.99 as part of a 24-month plan. The operator ties the handset to its new contractless Simple Choice Plan — which starts at $50 a month — also requiring customers to make 24 monthly payments of $20. As expected, the Galaxy S4 will go on sale in T-Mobile stores on May 1st.
AT&T opens Samsung Galaxy S4 pre-orders, shipping in two weeks
AT&T has become the first US carrier to open pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy S4, offering the 16GB White Frost or Black Mist variant in select areas for $199.99 on a two-year contract. The carrier says it expects Galaxy S4 orders to ship by April 30th, hitting mailboxes by May 3rd. Currently, only the 16GB model is available to order, suggesting AT&T will slowly open up pre-orders for the 32GB handset in the coming days. However, it comes just as AT&T begins shipping the HTC One, giving HTC...
AT&T clarifies Galaxy S4 pricing: 16GB model will cost $199.99, 32GB for $249.99
Last week, AT&T announced pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy S4 would begin on April 16th, and it also said the device would cost $249.99 with the requisite two-year contract. Now, AT&T has clarified things a bit — the 32GB model will indeed cost $249.99, but the carrier will also sell a 16GB version for $199.99. On the surface, this gives Samsung price parity with the entry-level HTC One — but the $199.99 One comes with 32GB of storage. Whether or not extra storage will be enough to sway...
Samsung weird: how a phone launch went from Broadway glitz to sexist mess
"While the women are cooling off, why don't you tell us about S Health?"
That line, uttered with complete sincerity, was the capstone on Samsung's hour-long Galaxy S4 launch event — an event designed to captivate fans with Broadway spectacle, but which instead elicited sharp criticism for its one-sided portrayal of women, including a bachelorette party skit that featured women saying the S4's Air Gesture feature would be useful while their nails dried and a drunk woman ogling a shirtless...
Samsung takes over Times Square to promote its new Galaxy S4
Samsung's press conferences are often polarizing — from the heights of weirdness at CES 2011 to the depths of boredom at CES 2013. For the launch of the Galaxy S4 on Thursday, the company clearly wanted to make as big an impression as possible, with a presentation that was kitschy and bombastic, but accessible. (It was also offensive to some and Samsung was called out for portraying women in insulting stereotypes). But Samsung's presentation at Radio City Music hall went far beyond its song...
Watch this: Samsung's complete, and completely weird, Galaxy S4 announcement
When Samsung brands one of their gadget announcements with "Unpacked," you can usually tell you're in for something weird. Samsung weird. The Galaxy S4 announcement didn't disappoint, but it was strangely effective in showcasing the gigantic list of features Samsung introduced. If you missed it (or if you want to relive it), Samsung has posted the event in its entirely on YouTube. Check out the video below for the tap-dancing-est, sideways-car-iest, slightly misogynist-iest, and S-feature-ist...
Samsung's Galaxy S4 works with gloves
While nearly every single detail of Samsung’s Galaxy S4 leaked ahead of its Unpacked event this evening, the company did save one trick up its sleeve: the Galaxy S4 will work with gloves. The feature is essentially the same as what we saw from Nokia’s Lumia 820 and 920 last year — you can use your phone in the cold without having to buy special handwear. No word if it’s the same Synaptics technology under the hood, but we wouldn’t be surprised.
The Galaxy S IIIS: how Samsung copies Apple by copying itself
So here we are, fully irradiated in the afterglow of another blockbuster launch event from the Android juggernaut that is Samsung. Another year, another overwhelming set of new features, and another amazing campaign of hype and anticipation-building. Only the new phone looks just like the old phone. Isn't that supposed to be a cardinal sin?
Until today, it was believed that only Apple could get away with mildly refreshing its flagship smartphone device without suffering an apposite dip in...
Samsung will 'definitely' bring some Galaxy S4 features to Galaxy S III
In addition to new hardware features — like a 5-inch, 1080p display — much of what separates the Galaxy S4 from its predecessor are software features. Naturally, owners of the Galaxy S III are wondering if they'll be able to get some of the features via a software update, and it sounds like Samsung is planning to do just that. In an interview with PC Mag, Samsung VP of Product Planning Nick DiCarlo said "anything that we can do that's not dependent on hardware like infrared, we'll...
Samsung's Galaxy S4 takes on the iPhone, HTC One, and other competition
With momentum on its side, Samsung is hoping the just-unveiled Galaxy S4 will cement its standing as the most successful Android manufacturer for yet another year. By timing its announcement several months after the launch of Apple's iPhone 5, Samsung is in a great position to leap ahead of Cupertino in terms of hardware specifications. And, at least on paper, that's exactly what it's done. But Samsung's other Android competitors are determined not to cede the market and have made compelling...
Galaxy S4's 'S View Cover' shows phone notifications through a cut-out window
As part of its Galaxy S4 announcement, Samsung has introduced the "S View Cover," its new take on the humble phone protector. The S View Cover looks much like Samsung's flip cover for the S III, but a cutout reveals a small section of the S4's screen. With the cover closed, it displays a portion of the display (presumably an "S View") that includes things like the time and notifications fitted to the cutout's size, so you can check what's going on without lifting the cover. The basic idea...
S Health turns the Galaxy S4 into a full-fledged fitness tracker
Last year Samsung launched its health-tracking app S Health, and the company has a new version that takes advantage of some specialized sensors in the Galaxy S4. The phone features a built-in pedometer for tracking the number of steps you take — or run — during the day, much like Fitbit's line of devices. However, sensors in the phone also allow it to measure the ambient temperature and humidity of the room you're, all of which feeds into the S Health app itself. Diet tracking is...
Galaxy S4 intros even more 'natural interactions' with eye tracking, gestures, and hover previews
Samsung is taking advantage of its latest marquee phone launch to expand on the "natural interactions" that the company first introduced with the Galaxy S III, as has been heavily rumored in the lead-up to today's reveal.
First up, the Galaxy S4 is borrowing "Air View" from the Galaxy Note II; the feature allows you to hover over certain items to preview content. In the Note II it functioned with the S Pen stylus, but the S4 now offers the same feature with your finger. It can be used to...
Samsung Galaxy S4 doubles as a smart TV remote, with built-in IR blaster and 'WatchOn' software
Samsung's new flagship smartphone sports a feature that's becoming increasingly popular as of late: the Galaxy S4 will come with a built-in infrared LED and companion app that allows it to control your television and home theater system. We most recently saw such a feature on the HTC One, and a smattering of recent tablets have had it too, but the new handset most closely follows in the footsteps of Samsung's own Galaxy Note 10.1 and Galaxy Note 8.0 by using what appears to be the very same P...
Samsung Galaxy S4 preview: a bigger, faster upgrade to the world's most popular Android phone
Samsung's Unpacked events are nothing if not spectacles, and tonight at Radio City Music Hall in New York City the company used the time to introduce its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4. The S4 succeeds the wildly popular Galaxy S III, and brings with it a litany of new features and tweaks — though at first glance, you might not even notice it's different.
The GS4 looks a lot like the Galaxy S III or the Galaxy Note 8. A lot. The phone’s nearly the same size as its...
Samsung Galaxy S4 official: 5-inch 1080p screen, cutting-edge specs, coming in April
Samsung has officially announced the Galaxy S4 at its Radio City Music Hall event in New York City. JK Shin, Samsung's head of mobile communications, teased a number of the leaked features that we expected to hear and then finally introduced the new handset, which looks just like what we saw in earlier leaks. The phone will launch on 327 mobile operators in 55 countries starting at the end of April, with 3G and 4G / LTE versions available, and its polycarbonate case will initially be...
