Apple's quarterly earnings call may have left some shareholders a tad dissatisfied, but its main rival in the mobile field - Samsung - seems to be ticking the numbers over just nicely right now. The South Korea-based company continues to make exponential strides in growth, having reported a $6.6 billion profit last quarter - a full $600 million more than the previous quarter. The $6 billion of profit in the quarter before last was itself a record, which makes the figures all the more impressive, and with devices such as the Galaxy Note 8.0 and Galaxy S IV on the horizon, one suspects the firm's profits will continue to grow throughout the course of this year and beyond.
Samsung pushes out a quite phenomenal number of handsets during the course of a year, and adding to its mammoth collection is the robust Xcover 2, built purposely for those who may regularly encounter the brunt of the varying terrain in the great outdoors. Unveiled today, it runs on Android Jelly Bean (4.1), boasts a 5-megapixel camera, and offers a 4-inch display. More details after the break.
For the last few years, it is not just processors and storage that have been indicators of the quality of a smartphones: screen resolution and sharpness has become just as much of a factor for consumers when purchasing a new device. According to a new report, the Samsung Galaxy S IV is bound to have a higher-resolution display than any other smartphone on the market, including the iPhone 5.
Samsung’s venture into the Android arena really paid off well for the Korean electronics giant, and the company made it to the pinnacle of fame through it Galaxy lineup of flagship devices. It’s become kind of tradition for Samsung to follow up with a Galaxy flagship every year, and they’ve been delivering what people have been hoping for, for the most part. Since the release of Galaxy S III i9300 last year, speculations started surfacing about what the next flagship, Galaxy S IV, would be like. First, it was specs, then design, and then pretty much everything. Well, seems like the rumor mill has far from settled down.
Last year's battle of the smartphones was all about Apple and Samsung, with the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III proving to be the handsets of choice for a large percentage of consumers. Things aren't showing any signs of being different this year, as most of the chatter has once again been centered around when Apple will announce the next-generation iPhone and when Samsung will lift the lid of the specifications of the mysterious Galaxy S IV. The latest information leak across the web suggests that Samsung will strike first blood by holding a dedicated media event on March 22nd to discuss the next Galaxy S device in the 100 million selling series.
Samsung fans have plenty to look forward to this side of the summer, and the Korean company's Vice President has stepped out and confirmed the Galaxy Note 8.0 is to be unveiled at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2013, which commences from 25th February. Perhaps the biggest date in the tech calendar besides CES, we'll be seeing plenty of new and exciting mobile gadgetry at the big event in little over a month, and although the Galaxy S IV will not be rearing its head late next month, Samsung's VP JK Shin has noted it will be arriving 'soon'.
Samsung's much hyped Galaxy S IV is believed to have put in an appearance via a benchmarking database, not once, but twice according to reports.
Ever wanted a Galaxy Note tablet that's a little smaller than the 10.1 offering that's currently on sale? Want to take advantage of the S Pen but the Galaxy Note smartphone just a little too small? You may be in luck.
It's not just Apple that garners some attention in the smartphone world these days. Samsung, Apple's arch nemesis also receives more than its fair share of enquiring eyes these days, with the flagship Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II currently forming a formidable partnership in the high street. With that in mind, any new iteration of either phone is bound to receive plenty of attention.
Android has no shortage of apps and tools for a variety of purposes, and it might not be incorrect to say that the platform from Google, just like Apple’s iOS, can now boast “there’s an app for that” without being able to prove it. As a matter of fact, there are certain facets where Android has apps that iOS couldn’t even dream of – or at least the way how these apps function. Want some examples? How about keyboards? Android has plenty of very capable contenders, whereas in iOS, you cannot modify that unless you’re jailbroken. Then, how about replacement messaging application? Go SMS Pro has been a favorite among Android users for a long time now, and then certain manufacturers (like Sony & HTC) have their own custom messaging apps that are pretty useful and aesthetically pleasing. You don’t get that on iOS, and it’s unlikely that you ever would.

