In the light of the announcements of the Google versions of the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4, the talk about Sense and TouchWiz and their associated bloat seems to have petered out. But while an AOSP update is still on the cards for current owners of these two industry darlings, consumers still have to content with this annoying added baggage. The Galaxy S4 16GB only actually offers 9.15GB of storage once you factor in the extra apps, but a new update for German users of the Korean company's flagship smartphone brings a little, and I mean very little bit of respite.
Samsung may have only just got the Galaxy S4 out the door, and recently we've seen leaks of the Galaxy S4 mini, but it seems that the company has more new toys to show us after invites went out for a 'Samsung Premiere 2013 event.' More details can be found right after the jump.
As the device continues to arrive at various shores across the world, the debate rages on as to whether the Samsung Galaxy S4 is indeed worthy of its position as Android's poster boy. The latest in an immensely popular series, the Galaxy S4 dramatically improves on its predecessor in terms of hardware features, but opinion remains divided on whether it is a true humdinger, or just another re-hash of the same old rhetoric.
It had been rumored over the last couple of days, but Google's Hugo Barra just pulled a Galaxy S4 out of his pocket during the opening Google I/O keynote. It's not like any Galaxy S4 you've used before though, and it's not like any you've likely seen before, either. In fact, it's something hugely awesome, assuming you've got a spare $649.
The majority of the planet may still be trying to get to grips to 4G, and plenty of areas in technologically developed countries still don't have even 3G, but that hasn't stopped various carriers and smartphone manufacturers from working on coming up with the fifth generation of mobile data, or 5G.
After a bit of a rollercoaster ride last year with the constant developments in the Apple vs. Samsung cases, the fire looks to be reigniting just in time for the summer. Although the two tech titans are at loggerheads in several different cases being fought across the world, the main battle is being contested near Apple's home turf in San Jose, California, and in accusing Google of improperly withholding potentially incriminating information, the Cupertino-based company has requested that Judge Paul S. Grewal forces the Big G to hand over source code information pertaining its flagship mobile OS.
Often when in the midst of a major new smartphone release, Samsung provides prospective buyers with an opportunity to test out the new user interface by means of an online simulator, and with the Galaxy S4 perhaps being the company's biggest release to date, it should come as no surprise that interested parties have once again been presented with the opportunity to test-drive the device. The simulator is rather limited in what exactly it will allow you to do, but at least offers a vague idea as to what it's actually like to use the Galaxy S4. It can be accessed via the URL provided at the bottom of this post, and we've got all of the details coming up after the break!
If you found the Samsung Unpacked launch event of the Galaxy S4 to be somewhat cheesy, what you witnessed was actually theatrical mastery compared with what the poor folks of India have been burdened with from the Korean company. Now granted, the company is feeling a bit patriotic having seen compatriot PSY's 'Gangnam Style' become the most-watched, most-liked video in the history of YouTube and indeed, t'internet, but the smartphone vendor really shouldn't have gone as far as to bring it's own, ahem, 'Samsung Style' adaptation for the Indian launch of the new flagship. But regrettably, it did.
Samsung is beginning to ship its new flagship Android smartphone to millions of users around the globe. And with that, in typical Samsung fashion, the company is offering an insight into its design process by releasing a new customary video explaining some of the decisions that went into planning for the Galaxy S4. Check it out after the jump!
Samsung has just announced the Galaxy Tab 3, a 7-inch successor to the Galaxy Tab 2, and although the new numbering suggests a reasonable level of upgrades, the device looks almost identical to its predecessor and is scarcely much more advanced when you peek at the specs. The slate, which runs on Android Jelly Bean 4.1, is perhaps more of a refresh than anything else, although in yet another move by the Korean company to blur the line between smartphone and tablet, a 3G model will emerge next month with calling capabilities.
