My my, what a day today! Just hours before the official unveiling of the Galaxy S5 at MWC, we finally have live images leaked for the upcoming Android flagship from the Korean smartphone and consumer electronics manufacturer, Samsung. And boy, do these images have a story to tell.
Mobile world congress only officially gets started on Monday, but that hasn't stopped Samsung from getting the announcements underway early. While all the focus is understandably on what Samsung's next Galaxy S smartphone will be like, it's the infinitely more wearable Gear smartwatch that has given us the first real news story of Mobile World Congress 2014.
Unless you happen to be in ownership of a newish Google Nexus device, the point at which a new Android release will reach your particular device is dependent on a series of variables. But while the respective interventions of both carrier and OEM can often throw a spanner in the works, Samsung is usually fairly efficient with regards to turnaround, and has today released a list of devices that will see the very latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat update. Check below to discover if your Samsung smartphone or tablet has made the cut.
A little light-hearted mocking of rivaling companies and their products never hurt anybody in the tech industry, and as we've seen through numerous ad campaigns over the years, they're all at it. With MWC not too far away, Huawei has caricatured Apple's Siri voice assistant to rib both the Cupertino company and rival Samsung, while also promoting its new, to-be-announced smartphone and tablet. Check out the humorous clip right after the break!
The Apple vs. Samsung patent debacle has been a recurring theme of the mobile industry during the past few years, with each company putting forth their cases pertaining to the supposed patent infringement of the other. Prior to each hearing, the executives high up in both Samsung and Apple meet up for clear-the-air talks in an attempt to find some kind of resolution. But this mandatory meeting seldom works where these two titans are concerned, and with another high profile court case looming, a meeting between Apple chief Tim Cook and JK Shin - just one of the Korean company's three CEOs, has proved a fruitless exercise.
As we keenly await the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S5 later on this month, new reports out of the company's native Korea have implied that as well as the imminent flagship, Samsung plans on releasing a handset with a wraparound display later on this year. Although the TouchWiz maker likes to keep the flow of handsets constant throughout every year, only two - the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note - tend to stand out among the also-rans. However, the prospect of a first Samsung smartphone packing this unorthodox display would certainly grab the headlines, and if it is in line for a launch at some point in 2014, would likely upstage both of the current flagship ranges.
Yesterday, it emerged that Samsung, a partner of the 2014 Moscow Winter Olympics, was giving away free Galaxy Note 3 handsets in goody bags handed to each and every participating athlete. Only, instead of being a genuine gift with the hope of a little ad coverage if the Olympian was snapped using the device, it was also reported that the Korean company was trying to exercise some kind of jurisdiction over what the athlete could then use (or indeed, not use) with regards to rivaling devices during the opening ceremony. However, official correspondence from the IOC (via MacRumors) has refuted the claim, so while it did make for an entertaining (and strangely plausible) story, Samsung's give away looks a genuine, no-strings gift to the stars after all.
Samsung, as you'll likely be aware, has a colossal advertising budget, regularly throwing tens of millions into new ad campaigns. While some, like the Samsung Style dance, have left us cringing, the company has regularly taken the more traditional approach of involving itself in major sporting events, and having been a major partner in the London 2012 Summer Olympics, the company is also looking to capitalize on Moscow's 2014 Winter Games. But while its tactic of giving away a free Galaxy Note 3 to every athlete may equate to some decent coverage when the TV feeds are beamed worldwide, there's a catch, in that recipients of the free Note must obscure the Apple logo if they plan on using an iPhone during the opening ceremony.
Samsung has officially announced that its Unpacked 5 - Episode 1 event will take place on the opening day of this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC) gathering, which is February 24th, adding additional speculation regarding the possible introduction of the Galaxy S5 smartphone.
Apple has won yet another court ruling over Samsung in a hearing in the Northern District of California. Judge Lucy Koh, who has overseen much of the U.S.-based patent suits from both sides, has just dished out a ruling against the Korean company, declaring that Samsung has infringed upon patents pertaining to Apple's AutoComplete keyboard functionality.
