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Samsung Galaxy S4

93 'Samsung Galaxy S4' stories February 2013 - October 2019
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The Galaxy S4 weighs just 130 grams and it’s only 7.9MM thick. In terms of specs, it will come in two colors at launch—Black Mist and White Frost. It’ll also include 4G LTE and HSPA+ 42MB, like the S3. It will also feature a 5-inch inch super AMOLED HD display at 441PPI, and, at launch, it’ll ship with Android 4.2.2 Jellybean and be available in 155 countries on 327 mobile carriers by the end of April.

Other specs include a 2,600mAh battery, as well as a 13MP back camera, 2MP front, an IR blaster, and 8 sensors including a temperature and humidity sensor.

The Galaxy S4 will ship in three available models—16GB, 32GB, and 64GB —each with 2GB of RAM, and it boasts a 1.6GHz Exynos Octa-core chip or a 1.9GHz quad-core Qualcomm depending on the market.

Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy S4 receives Stagefright patch, other fixes

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Aug 17 2015 - 9:47 am PT
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Stagefright isn’t totally a solved issue just yet, but device manufacturers and carriers have continued work on rolling out a patch that mitigates the OS vulnerability until another one of Google’s monthly security updates. Today we get an update for Verizon’s version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 which includes that patch and then some.

The update, rolling out over-the-air (OTA) and first spotted by Android Police, includes nothing new at all but quite a few fixes for software bugs to go along with addressing the Stagefright vulnerability. Device carriers and manufacturers that make them have felt almost unanimously responsible for rolling out fixes for the issue due to its sheer potential for damage and ease of exploitation, to name just two reasons.

If you own a Samsung Galaxy S4 on Verizon, expect to receive a notification when the update hits your device, sometime within the next few days. You can also check for it manually by visiting Settings > About phone > System updates.


9to5Toys Lunch Break: Moto 360 $150, Samsung 500GB SSD $150, Lumsing Bluetooth speakers $11, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall May 26 2015 - 1:25 pm PT
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Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Motorola Moto 360 Android Wear smartwatch: $150 shipped (Reg. $250)

Samsung 850 EVO 500GB 2.5-inch Internal Solid State Drive: $150 shipped (Reg. $180+)

Two rugged, highly-rated Bluetooth speakers from Lumsing: $11 Prime Shipped (Reg. $24+)

 

Anker Ultra-Slim Mini Bluetooth Keyboard for Mac, iPad, Apple TV, Android, PC more: $13 Prime shipped

Giveaway: Intrepid’s Journeyman messenger bag worth $379 is great for work or play

More new gear from today:

Home: Philips Men’s grooming products/shavers from $23, waterproof/floating LED flashlight $5 (Reg. $10), more

Games/Apps: amiibo figures 3 for $30, Sleep Cycle alarm clock $2 (Reg. $5), Bonza Word Puzzle goes free, more

More deals still alive:

30% off accessories from T-Mobile: Logitech Megaboom speaker $216, Mophie Juice Pack Air for iPhone 6 $76, more

New products & more:

This origami style kayak unfolds and has you in the water in 10 minutes

9to5Toys Lunch Break: Aukey Quick Charger $11, 32 GB LG G2 (unlocked) $160, Belkin 30% off sitewide, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall May 22 2015 - 11:55 am PT
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Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

18W Qualcomm Certified Quick Charge 2.0 Charger: $11 Prime shipped (Reg. $16) w/ code LUMB8LHS

LG G2 w/ 16 GB storage, unlocked for GSM carriers: $140 shipped (Reg. $240)

LG G2 w/ 32 GB storage, unlocked for GSM carriers: $160 shipped (Reg. $300)

Belkin 30% off: NetCam Wi-Fi Camera with Night Vision $71 w/ code SUMMERSAVE, more

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 32GB (unlocked): $250 shipped (Reg. $500)

Acer 11.6-inch Chromebook (C710-2856): $138 shipped (Reg. $249)

Samsung Gear Live smartwatch SM-R382 Android Wear: $110 shipped (Reg. $200)

More new gear from today:

Daily Deals: ViewSonic HD home theater projector $500, magnetic iPhone air vent mounts from $6, more

polo-ralph-lauren-memorial-day

Memorial Day Fashion: Save an extra 30% at Ralph Lauren, up to 50% off at Banana Republic, J.Crew, Lucky, many more

Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale up to 40% off Burberry, Lacoste, Under Armour, more

More deals still alive:

Samsung Soundbar $200 (Orig. $400), Harmon Kardon 5.1-ch speakers $199 (Orig. $599)

New products & more:

Retro Freak plays original game cartridges from 11 throwback consoles

Phree stylus works on nearly any surface & doubles as a headset for phone calls

9to5Toys Lunch Break: LG G2 (unlocked) $140, Galaxy Note 3 (unlocked) $250, Dell 22-inch monitor $90, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall May 21 2015 - 12:37 pm PT
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Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

LG G2 w/ 16 GB flash storage, unlocked for GSM carriers: $140 shipped (Reg. $300)

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 32GB (unlocked): $250 shipped (Reg. $500)

Daily Deals: Dell 22-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor $90 shipped, more

Acer 11.6-inch Chromebook (C710-2856): $138 shipped (Reg. $249)

Samsung Galaxy S4 SGH-M919 16GB unlocked GSM: $220 shipped (Reg. $300)

 

Samsung Gear Live smartwatch SM-R382 Android Wear: $110 shipped (Reg. $200)

More new gear from today:

iClever Bluetooth 4.0 Hands-Free Car Kit + Dual USB Car Charger $25 Prime shipped (Reg. $30)

Portable Bluetooth Speakers: Urge Soundbrick $19 (Reg. $30), Aukey Muse $20 (Reg. $36), more

More deals still alive:

DODOcase handcrafted iPad and iPhone cases 40% off: iPad mini slim case $20, iPhone 6 wallet sleeve $25, more

Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale up to 40% off Burberry, Lacoste, Under Armour, more

New products & more:

Arduboy is a fully programmable, classic gaming console the size of a credit card

 

Hitachi’s new wireless speakers bests SONOS on price and overall features

9to5Toys Lunch Break: Verizon Moto G $20, Acer 11-inch Chromebook $138, Roku 3 w/ voice search $90, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall May 20 2015 - 12:35 pm PT
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Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Verizon prepaid Motorola Moto G (black): $20 shipped (Reg. $99.99)

Acer 11.6-inch Chromebook (C710-2856): $138 shipped (Reg. $249)

Roku discounts each of its streaming media players by $10, new Roku 3 w/ voice search down to $90 shipped

Lenovo N21 Chromebook N2840 2.16GHz Celeron: $180 shipped (Reg. $220)

Samsung Galaxy S4 SGH-M919 16GB unlocked GSM: $220 shipped (Reg. $300)

Refurbished Acer White 11.6″ CB3-111-C8UB Chromebook: $130 shipped (Reg. $140)

Samsung Gear Live smartwatch SM-R382 Android Wear: $110 shipped (Reg. $200)

Extendable Selfie Stick for Android smartphones $5 Prime shipped (Reg. $18)

More new gear from today:

Now any Xbox One can receive over-the-air HD channels with this new bundle from Microsoft

  • New! Games/Apps: Living Earth, Ninja Turtles Rooftop Run & Duet Game $1 ea, more
  • New! 4-Port 48W/9.6A Smart USB Car Charger $9 (Reg. $13), more
  • New! NETGEAR Essentials Edition 500 Mbps Powerline Starter Kit $30 (Orig. $45)

More deals still alive:

Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone 32GB (unlocked) GSM: $600 shipped w/ code CDTECH10 (Reg. $899)

Samsung Solid State Drives: 850 EVO 250GB $90 (Reg. $100+), 850 Pro 512GB$239(Reg. $300)

New products & more:

LINKA will keep your bike secure and unlock it when you walk up with your phone

9to5Toys Lunch Break: Lenovo Chromebook $180, Galaxy S4 (unlocked) $220, Acer Chromebook $130, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall May 19 2015 - 12:31 pm PT
0 Comments

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Lenovo N21 Chromebook N2840 2.16GHz Celeron: $180 shipped (Reg. $220)

Samsung Galaxy S4 SGH-M919 16GB unlocked GSM: $220 shipped (Reg. $300)

Refurbished Acer White 11.6″ CB3-111-C8UB Chromebook: $130 shipped (Reg. $140)

Samsung Gear Live smartwatch SM-R382 Android Wear: $110 shipped (Reg. $200)

Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone 32GB (unlocked) GSM: $600 shipped w/ code CDTECH10 (Reg. $899)

Samsung Solid State Drives: 850 EVO 250GB $90 (Reg. $100+), 850 Pro 512GB $239(Reg. $300)

More new gear from today:

Daily Deals: Dell 28-inch Ultra HD 4K Monitor $299, more

  • New! M-Audio 61-key Oxygen Series bus-powered MIDI keyboard $123 shipped (Reg. $200)
  • New! Games/Apps: Far Cry 4 Kyrat Edition $71, Watch Dogs, Evolve, Destiny (pre-owned) from $10, more

More deals still alive:

The best-selling GoPro HERO4 Silver Action Camera is on sale for $329 shipped (Reg. $400)

Two SONOS PLAY:1 Wireless Powered Speakers: $349 ($398 value)

New products & more:

A one man Swedish design studio made a retro style arcade cabinet that looks like it belongs in an art museum

Narrative’s Clip 2 wearable camera for iOS and Android is available for pre-order today

Sprint’s Samsung Galaxy S4 is now receiving Android Lollipop

Avatar for Stephen Hall May 8 2015 - 8:00 am PT
1 Comment

According to Sprint’s support website, the carrier’s Samsung Galaxy S4 should today start receiving its update to Android 5.0 Lollipop. As you likely are already aware, the update brings the famed Material Design aesthetic, changes to the OS notifications system, and other improvements.

Lollipop is still just now being pushed to various flagships across the major carriers, and this is just one more added to the list. If you’re a Verizon customer with the Samsung Galaxy S4, you should have received your update sometime in late April.

Google is set to announce the next major version of its Android mobile operating system at Google I/O at the end of this month, codenamed Android “M”. We’ll be on the ground in San Francisco during the I/O keynote to keep you in the loop on all the latest developments.

Verizon pushing Android Lollipop to the Samsung Galaxy S4

Avatar for Stephen Hall Apr 28 2015 - 1:08 pm PT
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AT&T’s Samsung Galaxy S4 received Android Lollipop earlier this month, but now it looks like it’s Verizon’s turn. As you surely already know, the update brings Material Design, changes to Android’s notifications system, and other improvements:

Verizon Wireless is pleased to announce an operating system update to Android 5.0 Lollipop. This version brings Android beyond smartphones and tablets, allowing access to apps and Android services on other connected screens like TV’s, cars and wearables. The new material design offers complex animations, 3-D views and improved runtime.

Lollipop is still making its way around (more than 5 months after its first release), and now the time has come for those who have been waiting for the update to hit their Galaxy S4 on Verizon. You can expect the update to appear OTA at some point over the coming days.

Check out Verizon’s release PDF for more information.

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Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5s more reliable than current wearable fitness devices at measuring activity, finds study

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Feb 11 2015 - 5:01 am PT
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If you were thinking about buying a fitness band, a university study suggests you probably shouldn’t bother: it found that the Samsung Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5s measure activity more reliably than most current fitness bands.

The study by the University of Pennsylvania (via EurekAlert!) tested the ability of the phones to measure steps on a treadmill and compared the results to six dedicated fitness bands. The two smartphones had a margin of error of 12.9%, while the error rates of the fitness bands ranged up to 22.7%.

The study tested the Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5s against the Nike Fuelband, Jawbone UP24, Digi-Walker SW-200, Fitbit Flex, Fitbit One and Fitbit Zip. Only the FitBit One and Zip performed significantly better than the two smartphones.

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Lollipop is now rolling out over the air to the Galaxy S4 GPE

Avatar for Mike Beasley Dec 12 2014 - 7:00 pm PT
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Google has started rolling out the (almost) latest version of Android to the Google Play Edition of the Samsung Galaxy S4. The over-the-air update to version 5.0 (not the more recent 5.0.1) was noticed by Android Police today.

Previously the S4 had been said to be on the schedule for Lollipop in “early 2015,” but apparently things moved a little faster than expected. Other GPE devices like the Moto G have also recently started seeing updates to the new operating system.

Earlier today Google also made the Android 5.0.1 factory image available for the LTE-equipped Nexus 9 tablet.

Pinć $99 VR headset brings its Minority Report-style user interfaces to Android, preorders now live

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Dec 4 2014 - 7:28 am PT
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I first got my hands on Pinć (pronounced Pinch) last month when the company gave me a tech demo of its still-in-development VR headset/smartphone case that utilizes Minority Report-style user interfaces. The company initially opened up preorders for the $99 accessory for iPhones, but today it’s making the Android version official by offering Android devs the same opportunity to preorder the hardware ahead of an official launch next summer.
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AT&T rolling out updates for LG G3 and Samsung Galaxy S 4 (but not Lollipop)

Avatar for Stephen Hall Nov 13 2014 - 2:33 pm PT
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While most of the world anxiously awaits Android Lollipop, AT&T has today started rolling out a couple of non-Lollipop updates to two of its devices: the Samsung Galaxy S 4 and the LG G3. And while the LG G3 is getting a relatively minor update, the Galaxy S 4 is actually being updated to Android 4.4.4 KitKat.
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Here’s a look at Android 5.0 Lollipop running on a Samsung Galaxy S4 (video)

Avatar for Mark Hearn Nov 7 2014 - 7:21 am PT
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When it comes to Android, Samsung has some ambitious goals. Each year, the company cranks out an unfathomable number of smartphones and tablets, but Google’s latest and greatest software appears to reserved for its top-shelf hardware. We’ve already seen Android 5.0 running on a Galaxy S5 and today the folks at SamMobile are giving us a look at Lollipop on a Galaxy S4.


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Study suggests Samsung smartphone owners avoid pre-installed apps like the plague

Avatar for Mark Hearn Apr 23 2014 - 8:20 am PT
2 Comments

Samsung’s smartphones might be selling like gangbusters, but consumers don’t seem to care much for the company’s homegrown app suite, according to a new report. Research firm Strategy Analytics recently polled over 250 Galaxy S3 and S4 users and concluded that Samsung device users spent around seven minutes a month using their phone’s pre-installed bloatware.

In comparison, GS3 and GS4 owners used Facebook for around 11 hours per month alone. Samsung’s S Voice software averaged less than five minutes of monthly use across both devices, however the least used of Samsung’s native applications was the company’s ChatOn messaging service. It only averaged six seconds of use per month, which means that a large portions of its users could have accidentally launched the app.

Despite their lack of popularity, most of Samsung’s pre-installed apps cannot be uninstalled without a serious workaround or the purchase of a Google Play Edition device. There’s no denying that Samsung has sold a lot of smartphones, but the company may want to revise some of its software or at least give consumers the option to remove unwanted applications from their devices.

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Kindle for Samsung app to offer Galaxy owners 12 free ebooks a year

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 17 2014 - 6:31 am PT
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Amazon and Samsung have announced that a new Kindle for Samsung app will provide a download service designed specifically for Galaxy devices, and which will allow owners to choose up to 12 free ebooks a year from a choice of 48.

The service will be available first for the Galaxy S5 later this month, then rolling out to other Galaxy devices.

“We are delighted to be able to deepen our long-standing relationship with Amazon and offer Kindle for Samsung as the perfect app for reading on a smart device. With this service we demonstrate our commitment to creating and broadening key content partnerships that deliver rich and personalized experiences for our customers,” said Lee Epting, Vice President, Samsung’s Media Solution Center Europe.

To get access to the free books, you’ll need to get a referral to Samsung Book Deals. We’ll learn more about how this works when the service launches.

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Galaxy S4: Should you upgrade?

Avatar for Dom Esposito Apr 9 2014 - 7:37 am PT
2 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV8ONpWvtgY]

If you’ve been debating on upgrading to the Samsung Galaxy S5, there are definitely a few things you need to know. Is it worth upgrading to Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone? If you currently own a Galaxy S4, you may be better off waiting for the Galaxy S6. In the video above, we compare the features and specifications between the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Galaxy S4. In the video above, we’ve laid out all of the facts to help you make an informed decision.


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Video compares Galaxy S5’s heart rate sensor to Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5s heart rate monitor apps

Avatar for Dom Esposito Apr 7 2014 - 4:28 am PT
1 Comment

Samsung took a big step into the health and fitness market with its Galaxy S5. One of the device’s main selling points is its built-in heart rate sensor. This new feature allows users to check their heart rate using the preinstalled S Health app, but the truth is, nothing special is happening here. According to Samsung’s official Galaxy S5 page, it’s the first smartphone with a built-in heart rate sensor, but technically almost any device with a camera and flash is capable of providing this functionality. The same sensor is found on Samsung’s new Gear smart watch lineup and certainly makes more sense ona wearable device, but unfortunately it’s nothing more than a gimmick on the Galaxy S5.

The heart rate sensor found on the back is no different than what many third party apps have offered for quite some time. Runtastic’s Heart Rate Monitor app is a perfect example. This app uses the LED flash and camera on almost any smartphone to read your heart rate, and it works surprisingly well.


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Samsung Galaxy S5 “best smartphone display ever tested” by specialist test company DisplayMate

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Mar 31 2014 - 7:42 am PT
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DisplayMate Technologies, which makes display test kit for every major screen manufacturer in the world, has declared that the new Samsung Galaxy S5 has “the best performing smartphone display that we have ever tested” with “a long list of new records.”

While OLED screens have long been considered to be playing catch-up with LCD, DisplayMate says that the S5 demonstrates that the race has now been won.

In a span of just four years OLED display technology is now challenging and even exceeding the performance of the best LCDs across the board in brightness, contrast, color accuracy, color management, picture quality, performance in high ambient light, screen uniformity, and viewing angles …


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Samsung launches ‘Milk Music’, a free and ad-free (for now) radio app for Galaxy users

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 7 2014 - 9:09 am PT
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Samsung announced today that it’s launching a new free and ad-free music service called “Milk Music” that’s powered by Slacker and available to customers of select Galaxy devices. Samsung says the app, which is available now on available as a download on Google Play, is “fully customizable” and offers over 200 stations and a library of over 13 million songs.

“Milk Music introduces a fresh approach to music that reflects our innovation leadership and our focus on creating best-in-class consumer experiences,” said Gregory Lee, president and CEO of Samsung Telecommunications America and Samsung Electronics North America Headquarters. “We’re offering consumers amazing, rich music experiences built around what matters most to them and their lifestyle.”

The service is launching today in the US and available to those with a Galaxy S® 4, Galaxy S® III, Galaxy Note® 3, and Galaxy Note® II  as well as the upcoming Galaxy S 5.  Samsung added that it will soon offer “unique music programming from top selling and emerging artists available exclusively through Milk Music.”

While Samsung is promoting the service as completely free and free of ads, the Google Play page for the app says that the app will only be without ads and free for a for a limited time. It’s unclear if Samsung is referring to the ads or the service being free of charge, but it appears that it will either be implementing advertisements or a fee for the service in the future.

Here’s a list of features from Google Play:
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Samsung illustrates the evolution of its Galaxy S series in a new infographic

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Feb 25 2014 - 5:48 am PT
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Samsung has posted an infographic providing a visual history of its Galaxy S series of smartphones following the launch of the new Galaxy S5.

It’s a slightly surprising move, serving to draw attention to the relatively modest boost in specs of the latest model, with a tiny increase in screen size, small bump in processing power and a bit more battery life (likely accounting for most of the weight gain), with the increase in camera resolution from 13 to 16MP the only substantial improvement shown.

No mention is made of the fingerprint scanner and heart-rate sensor that were the most notable new features.

Samsung to start preloading apps onto Galaxy devices based on the profession and interests of the buyer

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Feb 24 2014 - 5:29 am PT
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Photo: ibtimes.com

Customers buying Samsung devices at Samsung retail stores will soon receive a personalized experience based on their job, hobbies and other traits, 9to5Google has learned.

This includes contextually preloading third-party apps at point of purchase. For example, banking, finance and spreadsheet apps will be targeted at people working in corporations or self-employed businessmen. Similarly, students in higher education will get office suites and note-taking apps preinstalled. Casual games are also in the pool of possible apps, particularly aimed at satisfying younger buyers.


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Samsung details which US Galaxy variants will get KitKat update

Avatar for Chance Miller Feb 18 2014 - 1:26 pm PT
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Photo: ibtimes.com

Samsung’s been rather quiet when it comes to its plans to update United States devices to Android 4.4 KitKat. Today, however, the company has finally detailed exactly which devices it plans to update to Android 4.4.2, although it still left out the specific “when” detail.

Samsung says that it currently plans to update the entire Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S III line of devices, in addition to the Note II and Note III. Other various tablets and devices will be updated, as well, including the Note 8.0 and Tab 3. The entire list is below:
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Samsung announces Black Edition Galaxy S4 & S4 mini w/ Note 3-style backside

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Feb 7 2014 - 8:12 am PT
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Samsung announced today that it’s releasing a couple variations of its Galaxy S4 and S4 mini smartphones that introduce the faux “leather-style” backside that first made an appearance on the new Note 3 at IFA in September. The new devices are dubbed “Black Edition” and come with wallpapers to match, but otherwise are the same 5-inch and 4.3-inch Galaxy S4 devices that have been on the market for nearly a couple years now. Samsung says the special Black Editions will be available in select markets starting this month.
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