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Posts tagged Samsung
Samsung Galaxy S4 Brown version seen in musical short film [video]
08 hours
by J
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Brown edition appears in a new Samsung video that’s designed to showcase some of the Samsung flagship’s signature features.
The short music video, called “Hi Hey Hello,” features The Chicharones’ song by the same name, and has been directed by Grammy Award-winning director Joseph Khan, a man known to have worked with names such as George Michael, Maroon 5 and Lady Gaga, to mention but a few.
The video is the classic story of a couple of college students falling in love in 2013. You get the idea: boy sees girl, boy tries to impress girl with his Samsung Galaxy S4′s features (whatever happened to flowers?). Among the features shown in the video is Group Play, and that’s when (at around 1:08) you can notice a couple of Brown Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphones among the ones used to play the song. You can watch the video below:
Since Samsung’s marketing team does nothing without a purpose in mind, you should probably see the Samsung Galaxy S4 Brown edition on the shelves soon enough (alongside the Blue Arctic one, recently shown in Japan).
The video does what Samsung Galaxy S4 ads (you may remember the Pool Party one) usually do: it showcases as many Samsung Galaxy S4 features possible in a few minutes. It’s an efficient way of getting the message across to users, and Samsung is making full use of it lately. That is why, alongside Group Play, you’ll see Smart Pause, Drama Shot, Sound Shot, Air View and Air Gestures in this new music video.
Just in case you haven’t made up your mind about buying a Samsung Galaxy S4 or not, take a look at our review of the device:
What’s your favorite Samsung Galaxy S4 color? Are you looking forward to the Brown edition?
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Samsung and automation: a new level of smartphone mass production
015 hours
by J
Ever wondered how Samsung manages to produce millions and millions of mobile devices while still keeping costs down? Well, Samsung is likely able to bring these costs even lower, as it plans to increase automation in its manufacturing process. According to Korean publication ETNews, Samsung has launched its “Gumi Project” earlier this year, which is aimed at reducing — and eventually eliminating — human involvement in manufacturing devices.
The project was actually launched in early 2012, although the Korean company is reportedly still finding ways to further reduce the need for human hands (and intellect) in producing its devices. For instance, while surface-mounting technology — which is a core smartphone manufacturing process — is now fully automated, there are still “feeder” processes that require human intervention, in particular changing the parts needed for SMT.
Additionally, inspecting the finished product or milestones leading to a finished product will still require visual inspection. This might be a bit more difficult to accomplish, as Samsung will need to replace human intelligence with algorithms that can spot defects or inconsistencies in the finished product.
According to reports, Samsung is planning to complete development of its Gumi Project by first half of 2014, and will implement it in a pilot program by second half of that year. To make it easier to implement the changes on Samsung’s manufacturing facilities, the said changes will be launched as a platform, and the company’s new factory in Vietnam (in Thai Nguyen) will initially implement the platform by 2015, with a target output of 120 million smartphones per year.
It seems Samsung is on its way to perfecting its manufacturing process, so far as removing, or at least minimizing, human intervention, which can be costly (and which can sometimes incur errors in judgment). As this will reduce the cost of device manufacturing, will it also mean cheaper smartphones and tablets for end consumers? What lessons will other brands and manufacturers pick up from today’s top-selling smartphone brand?
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Samsung Galaxy S III 4.2.2 update leaks with GALAXY S 4 features
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We saw T-Mobile begin rolling out a Galaxy S III update last week. That update was bringing the handset to Android 4.1.2 with new features to include multi-window, however it looks like that will not be the most recent Galaxy S III update for very long. A Galaxy S III update that is said to still be in the testing phase has recently leaked. This one is Android 4.2.2 with a build ID of JDQ39.
For now we haven’t heard anything from the carriers and instead this leak has reportedly come direct from Samsung. Assuming the testing phase goes will, this update is expected to come available in June. Of course, that will be initially available for unlocked handsets and carrier specific models will likely be waiting quite a bit longer. Putting the potential wait aside, lets discuss the features which look to include more than a few from the GALAXY S 4.
Android 4.2.2 build JDQ39 for the Galaxy S III should be getting goodies to include new screen modes, voice controls and an updated S-Voice. These are all GALAXY S 4 features with the new screen modes being Adapt Display and Professional Photo. The other GALAXY S 4 feature, the enhanced voice controls will allow the user to control their phone with their voice.
Galaxy S III users will also be getting the lockscreen from the GALAXY S 4. This will include support for multiple widgets, the Ripple and Light unlock effects and the ability to set a personal message as well as change the clock size. Aside from the GALAXY S 4 specific items, this update also adds a few other Jelly Bean goodies. The changelog points towards items to include Daydream as well as a new driving mode, actionable alerts, new additions in the Notification Center, the ability to run Samsung apps in full-screen and a new Smart Switch widget.
The gallery will also see some changes. In this case it looks like users will have the option to choose a white background. Finally, the remaining item here is an updated Settings app. This one will bring a tabbed interface to the settings and should be familiar for those who have used a GALAXY S 4. All said and done, it looks like Samsung has a decent update for the Galaxy S III in the works, not lets just hope the carriers will approve and release it without much in terms of a wait.
SOURCE: SamMobile
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Samsung Galaxy S III 4.2.2 update leaks with GALAXY S 4 features
Tags: from-the-galaxy, iii, leak, light, notification, phone, purple-samsung, samsung, settings, smart, smartphone, testing, timeline, update
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Is the Nexus dead? What the Galaxy S4 with pure Android means for Samsung and Google
04 days
by J
A few days ago, Google formally unveiled the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition with pure Android. It’s a modified version of the flagship Samsung handset that we first saw announced back in March, and it stands to offer the standard Nexus user experience. What does this mean for Google’s actual line of Nexus phones? Is the Galaxy S4 with pure Android meant to replace them?
I’m not sure how long Google and Samsung sat through negotiations to try and get a product like this out the door. I think it may have been a long time coming. But it makes so much sense that you have to wonder, why didn’t they do this sooner? In fact, why don’t all Android phone makers release a Nexus-like device of their own? It simply baffles the mind.
What we have with the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition is a device with absolute top-notch hardware paired with the best software that Android has to offer. It is, strictly speaking, one of the best Android phones ever — at least if you’re with T-Mobile and AT&T. The only thing that will keep it out of most people’s hands is its prohibitive price tag. And that’s where real Nexus devices have it beat.
Still, it makes a truly compelling case for an upgrade or a switch. It’s exactly what a lot of people want: a top-of-the-line phone with the latest version of Android. And it will be updated to even later versions of Android when newer ones start coming out. If Google wants to stop making new Nexus phones like the highly rumored Nexus 5, then the Galaxy S4 with pure Android is the perfect excuse. The question is, would Google really go that far?
State of the Nexus
The maker of the current Google Nexus phone, LG Electronics, managed to snag a mere 3% of the global Android market in Q1 2013. This shows that adding high-end hardware and timely Android software updates together doesn’t always result in a killer combination. The Nexus 4 does have a few glaring faults — such as lack of microSD card support and lack of 4G LTE — that might have contributed to its weak sales. But it really should have sold more units and the bottom line is that it didn’t.
Google’s end-game is, as we all know, to get Android into the hands of as many people as possible. So it makes sense for it to partner with the current market leader, Samsung. And as for why it was necessary to inject an already existing phone with Nexus DNA instead of delivering a new one with actual Nexus branding (which they’ve already done in the past)? Well, the Galaxy brand is a much bigger brand than Nexus. It has more clout, and might possibly lead to bigger sales which would then translate to Android getting into the hands of more and more people.
There’s also the fact that the Galaxy S4 trumps the Nexus 4 in terms of hardware and sheer performance, which makes it a sensible candidate to become the latest Nexus model.
The power of the Galaxy
Google’s Nexus effort, as a whole, doesn’t appear to have been very successful. On the other hand, Samsung’s Galaxy brand has been a huge success. Only last week, an exec at Samsung declared the Galaxy S4 to be the fastest-selling Samsung handset ever. It’s on track to hit the 10 million unit sales point by the end of this month. And now we have this, a pure Android version of the same smartphone. Can you imagine what will happen next?
In all likelihood, the standard Galaxy S4 — with TouchWiz and all — will go on to sell many millions more after the end of May. And all the other people who have been keeping an eye out for a true high-end phone with stock Android can now set their sights on the Galaxy S4 Google Edition, which of course in the end means even more sales for Samsung yet again.
The mere existence of the Galaxy S4 Google Edition solves a number of problems all at once. It takes care of the Galaxy S4 storage problem because removing TouchWiz and all the extra software features that come along with it means less storage space is taken up by “system apps.” It also ensures that Android users have a chance to really enjoy the best of the Android software, because the hardware in the Galaxy S4 is more than capable of supporting pretty much everything (except worldwide carrier support, of course, at least for now). Developers will also benefit because now they can treat this phone like a special developer version of the Galaxy S4 (it comes with an unlocked bootloader).
Is this the end for the Nexus?
The Galaxy S4 Google Edition shows that Google is starting to finally get it. Google took a phone from Samsung and made it go from great to greater. Now, ongoing software support can help ensure that it sells fairly well despite the high price tag. But where does this leave Google’s Nexus line of smartphones?
If Google has plans of retiring the Nexus phone, now is the right time to do it. It just put the word out on a Nexus-ified version of one of the most advanced handsets ever, plus as we all know, it is supposed to be working on other high profile projects, such as its first smartwatch as well as the upcoming (still rumored) Motorola X Phone (not to mention Google Glass). Android phone makers are doing a good enough job of producing great models, and the world certainly doesn’t need more Nexus phones. If anything, there needs to be less phones with Android to cut out the issue of fragmentation.
The decision to release the Galaxy S4 Google Edition may be part of an experiment to see how the market reacts. If successful, we may never see another Nexus branded smartphone from Google ever again.
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Samsung Galaxy Fame Review
05 days
by J
When think of Samsung phones, what do you think of? The Galaxy S4? The Note 2? Maybe the upcoming Note 3? Yeah, that makes sense. The Samsung Galaxy Fame, on the other hand, probably isn’t going to be the first thing that comes to mind.
It’s easy to forget, especially for people like us, that budget phones make up a sizable portion of the market. Samsung most definitely has not forgotten that portion of the market, and for proof you need look no further than the Galaxy Fame. It’s small and it’s cheap, but is it worth the money? Read on to find out.
In a hurry? Check out our video review or jump to the conclusion at the end of the article.
Specs
- 3.5-inch display (320 x 480, 165 ppi)
- 1 GHz CPU
- 512 MB RAM
- 4 GB internal storage (expandable via microSD)
- 5 MP rear facing camera
- 0.3 MP front facing camera
- 1300 mAh battery
Build Quality & Design
The Galaxy Fame seems to take its design cues from, well, most any Samsung phone currently on the market. It’s a little curvier, but this is probably necessary due to its thickness. Still this makes the Fame a perfect fit for smaller hands. For me, it felt a little on the small-ish side, but it should be fairly usable for most people. One touch that seemed out of the ordinary was the gold-tinted faux metal surrounding the bezel. For some it might seem a little too ornate, but others may find it to be a nice change of pace.
Like most other Samsung phones, the Galaxy Fame is built from plastic. Unlike most of those phones, however, the Fame feels a little heavy for its size. This is understandable: the components don’t get any lighter after a certain point, and neither does the plastic. If anything, it actually gives the Fame a sturdier feel than some of Samsung’s larger phones.
Display
We’ve seen time and time again that one of the main areas where the cuts are made for budget considerations is the screen. Still, for the most part, the main sacrifice is screen resolution. The 3.5-inch screen features a resolution of 480 x 320 and a pixel density of around 165 pixels per inch. If that was the only issue with the Samsung Galaxy Fame’s display, it wouldn’t be too bad, but unfortunately this isn’t the case.
The last time we reviewed a device with a display this size and resolution (the Sony Xperia E Dual) we noticed some pretty big issues with the screen, and we’re seeing a lot of the same problems here. No matter where you set the brightness, the screen looks washed out. Viewing angles generally aren’t too bad, but viewing the screen from the right side results in a not-so-fun viewing experience pretty quickly.
Performance
With a single-core 1 GHz CPU and 512 MB of RAM, we weren’t expecting a whole lot in the performance department, but we still ran our usual suite of tests.
Starting with AnTuTu, we ran the benchmark 10 times and calculated the average. In this case, it showed exactly why we run these benchmarks so many times, as the low score was 3,182 and the high score was a somewhat inexplicable 8,412. In the end, the average score was 5,075.
Next up we tried to run Epic Citadel, but the key word in that sentence is “tried.” Unfortunately, while the app launched, it consistently crashed before we got the chance to run the benchmark.
In real world testing, it was clear that TouchWiz bogged down the hardware a bit, as stuttering was present scrolling through home screens. Light gaming was possible, but heavier apps presented too much difficulty for the hardware. If you’re looking for a quick round of Angry Birds, you’ll be fine, but don’t expect too much more.
Software
The Samsung Galaxy Fame runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and, of course, Samsung’s own TouchWiz UI. While striving for a single feel across all devices makes sense from a marketing and design standpoint, we would have preferred to see a less hardware-intensive overlay, or even better, stock Android.
Looking at other software, many of Samsung’s usual apps make an appearance. S Planner, Game Hub, S Memo (simply called “Memo” here) and ChatON are present, but no S Voice. Along with an FM Radio app and the file manager My Files, Quickoffice is the major bundled app. This app allows you to view and presumably edit common office documents, though they can’t be created within the app. As with most phones Samsung currently ships, Dropbox is also included.
Camera
Given the specs and price point, we didn’t have the highest of hopes for the Samsung Galaxy Fame’s camera, and as a result, we were somewhat surprised by the quality of the photos it produced. That said, image quality is directly proportionate to the amount of light present when the photo is taken. Outdoors with sunlight or in well lit rooms, you’ll get a fairly accurate representation of whatever it may be that you’re pointing the camera at. In a poorly lit room, however, results that you’re happy with will be much harder to find.
The Galaxy Fame’s rear-facing camera is capable of capturing video, though you’ll probably only ever want to rely on it in a pinch. The resolution tops out at VGA quality (640 x 480), and has the same issues with low light capture as still photos do.
Battery
The Galaxy Fame’s battery capacity of 1,300 mAh may have you shaking your head, but keep in mind that it isn’t powering the most demanding hardware or pushing a particularly large amount of pixels. We have found in the past that the manufacturers claims of talk time often link up with general moderate to heavy use. In this case, Samsung claims around 6 to 8.5 hours of talk time depending on the network you’re connected to.
During testing and benchmarking, we found that the numbers did seem to line up. After around 5 hours of fairly heavy testing and benchmarking, the battery was down to around 50 percent. This might seem unusually good in this case, but it’s necessary to keep in mind that we had no SIM inserted and therefore no connectivity other than WiFi. Still, depending on your use, it seems that a full day without a charge should be no problem at all.
Video
Conclusion
So, does the Samsung Galaxy Fame hold up? Well, yes and no. It certainly gets points for style, and anyone pining for the halcyon days of flip phones might like the form factor. On the other hand, its relatively poor performance and less-than-beautiful screen aren’t going to help win the Galaxy Fame any fans.
What do you think? Have you tried the Galaxy Fame, or do you have any questions? Let us know in the comments!
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First Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 photo leaked
05 days
by J
The first photo of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0, at least according to Sam Mobile, has made its way online.
The publication doesn’t mention the actual source of the image, which you can see below and which shows a device very similar to the officially announced Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 (above). The Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 has a thinner bezel, destined to fit the larger screen while remaining comfortable to use.
The sensors at the top of the screen are also positioned differently, but the rest of the design is very similar to the one of the smaller model (if this is the actual Tab 3 8.0, that is).
Sam Mobile also offers a list of specifications for the tablet, mentioning two variants, the 3G SM-T310 (already spotted at the FCC), as well as the WiFi SM-T311 (a model with the same name has been seen at Bluetooth SIG recently).
The specs, which you should certainly take with a bit of salt (Sam Mobile also says they could change), are a bit different from what has already been rumored – an 8-inch display (1280 x 800 resolution), dual-core CPU at 1.5GHz (a previous rumor said quad-core), coupled with 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory (expandable via microSD).
The back camera is said to be a 5-megapixel one, with the front one at 1.3-megapixels. Bluetooth 4.0 is included, but we knew that from the Bluetooth SIG filing.
The 3G version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 is set to offer HSPA+ at 42 Mbps, while the battery of the tablet is said to be a 4450mAh one. The tablet will run Android 4.2.2 and the same source says that it will be released at the end of next month.
Would you be interested to buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0,if these specifications actually do get confirmed?
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Samsung responds to Galaxy S4 storage woes, part two: possible fix through “further software optimization”
06 days
by J
About two weeks ago, Samsung issued a response for all those who expressed concerns over the Galaxy S4′s then burgeoning storage issue. It said that users should learn to deal with the situation, considering that the Galaxy S4′s storage space was being put to good use through all of the extra software features that come with it. This wasn’t really the response that most people were looking for, and in the comments section of that article, we saw people say just as much.
Fortunately, it looks like Samsung never stopped looking at the issue, and now it has issued a new response. We think this is one that a lot of people won’t have any trouble getting behind now.
According to a statement just released to the guys over at CNET UK, Samsung can “appreciate this issue being raised,” and that they will work on improving communications for a better understanding of it. And not only that, but they are also looking at “the possibility to secure more memory space through further software optimisation.”
That’s one way of saying that a future software update could soon arrive to slim down, if not completely take away, some of the Galaxy S4′s more superfluous software features.
Samsung wrapped up its statement by saying this:
Samsung is committed to listening to our customers and responding to their needs as part of our innovation process.
If the recent unveiling of the Vanilla Android-flavored Galaxy S4 at this year’s Google I/O is any indication, we’d say that Samsung is listening quite well to its customers. That, or it’s just gotten extremely lucky, and was at the right place and the right time when Google decided to choose to support a non-Nexus flagship handset. Either way, we’re looking forward to how Samsung will deal roll out these much-needed “software optimizations” to see if the storage problem goes away.
Do you think Samsung can do it? Let us know what your thoughts are by commenting below.
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Samsung Galaxy S4 Active and Samsung Zest coming to AT&T, new report says
013 days
by J
A new rumor says that Samsung’s rugged Galaxy S4 version will hit AT&T stores in the future alongside another new Samsung smartphone reportedly called “Zest.”
The information comes from @evleaks, a Twitter account known for the various details and images provided about mobile devices ahead of their launch. While the source has been rather accurate in the past, we’ll still remind you that nothing is confirmed just yet, so take everything with the appropriate grain of salt.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Active
An image of the Galaxy S4 Active is not provided at this time, as we’re only told given AT&T’s model number for the device, SGH-I537. The current AT&T Galaxy S4 version has model number SGH-I337, which is very similar to Active’s rumored number:
Samsung Galaxy S4 Active coming to AT&T under model number SGH-I537
— @evleaks (@evleaks) May 9, 2013
An user agent profile for the SGH-I537 seems to reveal that we’re looking at a Samsung device that would feature a 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) display, which is what we’d expect from the Active in the first place.
The Galaxy S4 Active has been the star of various reports in the past – only yesterday we’ve seen a different report saying the handset will hit Europe at some point in July – with Samsung already confirming that a rugged Galaxy S4 is in the works. However, the company never confirmed the “Active” name for the device.
Samsung Zest
While the Galaxy S4 Active is expected to be a high-end handset – it’s logical to assume that the handset would be a regular Galaxy S4 version with rugged capabilities on top – this rumored Zest is said to be an entry-level device:
Entry-level, WVGA Samsung ‘Zest’ also to AT&T, as SGH-I217
— @evleaks (@evleaks) May 9, 2013
Specs and features are not available for the handset, but a user profile for it reveals that it will feature a display with 800 x 480 resolution.
We’ll be back with more details about these new AT&T handsets once they’re available.
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Samsung GT-P5200 comes out fighting in Antutu benchmark
016 days
by J
It’s time for another benchmark result, this time from an, as of yet, unidentified Samsung product. The GT-P5200 scored an impressive 24616 in the popular Antutu benchmark, sticking it right up at the top of the performance table with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One.
Some have speculated that this could be a benchmark for Samsung’s 10.1 inch version of the recently released Galaxy Tab 3, after all the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 was the GT-P5100. However, it looks like this it could be a result from an earlier prototype, as the codename has supposedly changed.
But if this is indeed a benchmark from one of Samsung’s next tablet devices, then it would be one of the fastest Android tablet results recorded to date.
All we know hardware wise is that the device packs a 1.6Ghz processor, a 1280×800 resolution display, and comes with Android 4.2.2. Based on the results, it could easily be using a Snapdragon 600 chip, which scored 24258 when clocked at 1.7Ghz in the HTC One and 25900 when clocked slightly higher in the 1.9Ghz Galaxy S4. On the other hand it might be a slightly slower Exynos 5 Octa, it’s possible that a 200Mhz under-clock could cause a nearly 3000 point loss compared with the 1.8Ghz Exynos powered Galaxy S4.
Of course benchmark scores aren’t the most reliable pieces of data as they are quite easily tampered with, so well just leave this as speculation for now. Still, whatever Samsung device the GT-P5200 turns out to be, it could be a pretty snappy piece of hardware.
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Samsung Multimedia Desktop Dock costs a mere $16 USD on Amazon, compatible with the Galaxy S4
018 days
by J
Samsung retails a universal dock for Galaxy phones on its own website for .99. It’s quite pricey, but it is of the utmost quality. If you’re not interested in spending that much money, a variation of the dock, the Samsung Galaxy Multimedia Desktop Charging Dock, sells on Amazon through a vendor for a mere USD.
The .99 dock from Samsung’s own website supports a wide variety of Galaxy devices, including the Galaxy S4, S3, Note and Note 2. With the cheaper dock being a variation of it, we’d expect it to support the same devices. In fact, one person who reviewed the dock on Amazon says the Galaxy S4 and S3 work with it “amazingly.”
According to the technical details on the Amazon listing, this dock will work with or without a Flip Cover or Protective Case attached to your device, but a second person reviewing the device said it did not work with a Galaxy Note 2 with a 1.5mm case on top.
Being a cheap dock, you’re not going to find all of the bells and whistles like you would on others. There are no HDMI or USB ports to be found like on the Galaxy Note 2′s Smart Docking Station. You get the bare essentials on this one: charging and a 3.5mm jack for audio output.
It doesn’t seem like this particular dock comes with a microUSB cord either, so you’ll have to provide your own. Regardless, it’s really does not seem like a bad docking solution. As we mentioned earlier, it’ll cost you , but you’ll also get free shipping with it.
Does a cheap dock like this Multimedia Charging Dock interest you at all? Would you rather purchase one for your Galaxy device from somewhere more official like Samsung’s own website? Sound off in the comments!
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