Samsung Galaxy S4 owners with no affinity for wires, you're in luck: Samsung has made available its wireless charging kit for the device, priced at $90.

The kit, first unearthed by Droid Life, consists of a charging cover, which will set you back $39.99, and the charging pad, which costs $49.99. It's not cheap, but at least the pad works with all Qi-certified wireless charging products, and those include charging covers from Asus, Nokia, LG, iStyle and others.

As for the aesthetics of these devices, the Pad is of a grayish variety, while the cover is available in both black and white.

You can get Samsung's Wireless Charging Pad here, while the cover is available here.

Image courtesy of Samsung

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Samsung's stock price dropped 6% on Friday, erasing $12 billion in marketing value as investors fretted about the company's smartphone strategy.

In particular, Samsung's decision to offer stripped-down versions of its Galaxy S4 worried analysts and investors who think the move may eviscerate profit margins. Sales of the S4, initially Samsung's fastest-selling smartphone, have also fallen off since the device's introduction in April.

"Sales of high-end handsets are lagging behind expectations, while low- to mid-end handsets are selling briskly worldwide," Kim Young-chan, an analyst at Shinhan Investment Corp., told Reuters. "As the portion of low- to mid-range handsets is expected to increase in Samsung's overall mobile phone business, this has also sparked concerns about thinning margins and lower growth."

J.P. Morgan analyst J.J. Park also told The Wall Street Journal that third-quarter sales for the S4 would likely "disappoint," and that "supply chain checks show monthly orders have been cut 20%-30% to 7 to 8 million units (from 10 million) starting July."

Another analyst, Kim Hyun-yong, at E*trade Securities, told the Journal that since Apple is expected to announce a trade-in program for older phones and a new cheaper iPhone, "overall growth prospects for (Samsung's) smartphone business have dimmed."

Samsung's stock price finished trading on Friday in Seoul at its lowest level in four months.

Image via June Yeon-Je/Getty Images

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Claims that Samsung has misled consumers over the storage capacity of the Galaxy S4 are to be probed by the UK’s leading consumer-rights TV show.

Earlier this month, tech-site forums were alight with complaints that although the entry-level Galaxy S4 edition ostensibly sports 16GB of storage, in reality it only offers half that.

This is because the sheer range of proprietary apps and user interface customisations – CF: Smart Scroll and Smart Pause – take up around 8GB of storage, leaving significantly less room for music, games, apps and whathaveyou.

Samsung has already responded to the furore. But only to recommend that anyone who feels short-changed by the 16GB Galaxy S4 should invest in a microSD card, which can boost the handset’s storage by up to 64GB.

In response to the furore, Watchdog is looking into Samsung’s ads for its handset in next week’s edition. A trailer for the show features the inexplicably still-popular but never-less-than-terrifying Anne Robinson explaining how Samsung "claims its brand new Galaxy phone has an extra large memory - what did it forget to mention?"

For what it’s worth, given how many innovations the new Nature UX brings we’re not entirely surprised that they take up a goodly tranche of the Galaxy S4’s memory.

But we also wonder if, given that Samsung can’t have imagined that the Galaxy S4's reduced storage would go unnoticed, maybe it might’ve been an idea to supply a free microSD card with the phone.

Source:

SlashGear

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Samsung is set to add a third colour option to its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4, after details of an ‘Blue Artic’ variant emerged in Japan.

Unearthed by Japanese blog Ringer’s Blue Men, the Blue Artic colourway of the S4 appeared in a leaked brochure from DoCoMo, Japan’s largest mobile network, alongside the existing Black Mist and White Frost versions that went on sale worldwide late last month.

Although it’s hard to tell much from the image, we think the Blue Arctic looks markedly slicker in comparison to the white and black models.

Other than that, there’s virtually nothing new about this edition. It still rocks a drool-worthy spec sheet that takes in a five-inch full HD Super AMOLED display, a 1.9GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel camera and Android Jelly Bean 4.2 with the new Nature UX 2.0 interface laid on top.

The Blue Arctic Galaxy S4 is expected to be showcased at a DoCoMo presentation on May 15th. Initially, it’s likely to be available in Japan only, but we’re hopeful that an International debut won’t be too far away. As soon as we know more, we’ll be sure to let you know. Source: Ringer’s Blue Men via SamMobile

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Spec-sheet particulars for the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini have surfaced online, as the phone-maker bids to beef up its presence in the mid-range smartphone market.

A document from Samsung and Korea Investment & Securities sourced by Oled-diplay.net appears to confirm rumours that the Galaxy S4 Junior will pack a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen – compared with the standard edition's five-inch model.

The handset, which will feature the same Nature UX-augmented version of Android Jelly Bean out of the box and was sighted anew online this week, will also sport an Exynos 1.6GHz dual-core processor (the full-size Galaxy S4 totes a brawnier quad-core issue) and a pared-down eight megapixel camera.

Intriguingly, the document suggests that the slimmed-down version will feature 32GB of storage as standard, with no 16GB option listed. However, there’s every chance that’s a mistake rather than, say, Samsung reacting to complaints about misleading customers over its flagship phone’s storage.

Long-standing conjecture suggests that the as-yet-unannounced smartphone will launch in the next few weeks and hit shop shelves in June in black and white colour options.

Source:

Oled-display.net

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iPhones keep their resale value on online auction sites much longer than Samsung’s flagship Galaxy efforts, a study reveals.

Analysis from Piper Jaffray, which collated eBay prices for second-hand Samsung Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2 models as well as used iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 kits, found that the value of an iPhone falls at less than half the rate of a high-end Samsung Galaxy handset.

Perhaps reflecting the fact that iPhones’ arguably superior build quality makes them a better bet when buying an older phone, the study found that over an eight-week period the iPhone 5 lost 11.2 per cent of its value. In the same time, the Samsung Galaxy S3 lost 13.7 per cent.

The sharpest rate of decline noted, however, was for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, which dropped by 15 per cent, with consumers’ relative unwillingness to pay top dollar possibly influenced by speculation that a new edition of the Note will land in Q3.

Conversely, the ageing iPhone 4S performed best and lost just seven per cent of its value.

Report author Gene Munster stated: "The key takeaway from eight weeks of data is that the iPhone is holding slightly more of its value compared to the top two Galaxy phones.”

Prices of the iPhone 5 are likely to continue to hold up well until September when Apple is set to debut a new version of its all-conquering smartie.

Around this time, eBay is typically flooded with current-gen iPhones for sale as would-be upgraders look to offload their handsets on later adopters and bargain-hunters.

Source:

Apple Insider

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The Samsung Galaxy S4 has shifted an astounding four million units in under a week, an exec at the phone-maker has claimed.

The fourth-generation kit, which officially hit shop shelves on April 26th, looks well on course to be the S-giant’s most successful smartphone yet, after an unnamed mover-and-shaker told Korean news site The Chosunilbo that “as of the end of April, we supplied four million Galaxy S4 handsets to telecommunication operators around the world".

The S4 broke Samsung’s internal records by some distance, outperforming the Galaxy S3, which took 21 days to ship three million units, while the Galaxy S2 and the original Galaxy S trailed even further behind at 55 and 85 days respectively.

The loose-lipped exec went on reveal that as of May 10th, Samsung has sold “more than 6 million units, and we predict that we could break the 10-million mark by as early as the end of this month."

While these figures clearly refer to handsets shipped to retailers and networks, not those in consumers’ hands, there’s no doubt that the S4 is currently the most in-demand smartphone on the market right now, with many vendors selling out or facing chronic stock shortages.

The shipment numbers also further highlight Samsung’s phenomenal rise in the mobile landscape, having muscled out the likes of Nokia, HTC and Apple to become the world’s leading smartphone manufacturer.

Got your Galaxy S4 already? Tell us what you think in our comments section below.

Also be sure to check out our video review of the S4 (see below).

Via:

SlashGear

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Google has announced it will be releasing its own variant of the just-launched Samsung Galaxy S4, powered by a vanilla edition of the Android operating system.

Unveiled yesterday at the annual Google I/O developer’s conference in San Francisco, the Galaxy S4 ‘Google Edition’ is intended to offer owners a ‘Nexus user experience’ that strips away Samsung’s TouchWiz customisations for a cleaner, simpler interface that’s become the preserve of Google’s Nexus-branded smartphones.

It also packs an unlocked bootloader, meaning devs and hackers will be able to enhance and tweak the handset to their hearts’ content.

Better still, because it runs on stock Android (version 4.2), Google will be able to push out new updates to the handset substantially faster than Samsung can, which is sure to please Fandroids eternally frustrated by the lengthy delays caused by bespoke interfaces.

This is especially good news amid reports that Google is readying its next major build of Android - version 4.3 - for an imminent release.

Other than that, the Google/Nexus Galaxy S4 is essentially the same flagship kit from Samsung that hit store shelves last month, sporting a five-inch full HD Super AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor and 13-megapixel camera.

Also on board is 4G LTE support and 16GB of storage. Although it wasn’t revealed if there’ll be 32GB model too, a microSD slot is on board for up to 64GB of expandable storage.

Google confirmed the handset will be sold SIM free and unlocked through its Play store online for $649 in the US, which converts to about £430 in the UK.

However, it’s not clear yet if or when the phone will be available on our side of the Pond. As we soon as we hear more, we’ll be sure to let you know.

Would you choose a vanilla Galaxy S4 over Samsung’s model? Tell us why in the comments section below.

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Samsung will stick with a plastic construction for the Galaxy Note 3, reports suggest, stymieing hopes that it would opt for a more lavish metal exterior for its third-gen phablet.

An insider cited by the Samsung-fanciers at SamMobile claims that the phone-maker has ditched plans for a more ‘premium-feeling’ shell due to production problems.

The change of heart was purportedly forced on Samsung because it won’t be able to manufacture the metal exterior fast enough to fulfil demand for what’s sure to be a blockbuster handset.

Latterly Samsung has been coming in for stronger criticism from some quarters for the 'plasticy' feel of its flagship phones, which reviewers have on occasion contrasted with the HTC One’s rather lush aluminium unibody frame.

But it's not all bad news. Tempering the disappointment that some will feel at Samsung's decision, at least a little bit anyway, is that the otherwise impressive putative spec sheet for the Note 3 is unchanged, it seems.

That means we’ve got a super-beefy Octa-Core processor to look forward to, as well as a 5.99” Full HD AMOLED display, 13 megapixel camera and some fresh Nature UX tweaks that will centre on the Note 3’s stylus.

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Samsung has begun rolling out Android Jelly Bean to the Galaxy Ace 2, bringing an array of new features and enhancements to the much-loved mid-range kit.

Android version 4.1.2 is currently available to Ace 2 owners as an over-the-air update or to download over Samsung Kies. Among the host of goodies its packs is Google Now, which is a Siri-style voice-guided assistant, and all the optimisations of Project Butter, which promises a smoother, faster user experience.

Also new are several Samsung exclusive features such as Smart Stay, Smart Alert, Pop-up Play and Direct Call, plus an-new version of the TouchWiz Nature UX interface that’s cleaner and easier to navigate and adds customisable toggles to the notification area.

Samsung has yet to confirm if or when the UK and rest of Europe will be joining our German friends in the rollout. Rest assured, as soon as we find out, you’ll be among the first to know.

If you happen to have a German Galaxy Ace 2 (model GT-I8160P) but live somewhere else, you should still be able to install the update via Samsung Kies by connecting your handset to a computer.

Got the update already? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Via:

SamMobile

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new Android iteration has leaked for the Samsung Galaxy S3, adding some neat enhancements to Samung’s last-gen flagship smartphone.

Available to download now from SamMobile, the upgrade is a test version of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. But for all that, and if the video is anything to go by, it looks pretty comprehensive to us.

Features it adds to the handset include a revamped version of the Siri-aping S Voice digital assistant-cum-voice commands app and a range of new options for the lockscreen.

A redesigned take on the menus and settings page is also ushered in, giving the Galaxy S3 a look that's closer to its current top-end smartphone, the Galaxy S4.

Samsung is apparently set to roll out the update officially in June, when it'll be available via its download solution, Kies.

We’re assuming that the very newest features of Samsung’s Nature UX that were introduced with the Galaxy S4 will be reserved solely for that kit for the foreseeable future.

However, we still wouldn’t rule out the likes of Smart Scroll (that’s the tilt to scroll function) and the eyeball tracking-enabled intelligent pause mode Smart Pause appearing on a future software bump. Possibly when the next major iteration of Android (aka Key Lime Pie) lands towards the end of the year.

Source:

SamMobile

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new low-cost addition to Samsung’s Galaxy range goes on sale this weekend in the UK, teaming Android Jelly Bean with a design that takes more a few steers from the Galaxy S3.

The handset will be up for grabs from Carphone Warehouse on a selection of networks, including O2. Pricing isn’t yet confirmed, but we think you’ll be able to pick one up free for around £20 per month.

Aimed at the youth demographic or anyone in the market for a first smartphone, the Galaxy Young’s spec sheet takes in a 3.27-inch screen, a 1GHz processor and 1,300mAh battery capacity.

Sammy’s kit also packs a three-megapixel camera, microSD card support up to 64GB, plus free cloud storage via Dropbox and a music and media player.

Built in Google apps come as standard too and there’s choice of tens of thousands more games and diversions from the Google Play applications market.

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LAS VEGAS — Now that Ultra High-Definition TVs — which have 4x the number of pixels as 1080p sets — are a real thing, the question remains: Does anything exist that can actually play the format? Samsung says yes, offering up a "premium" Blu-ray player capable of serving up Ultra HD video ... with a catch.

The catch is the video is actually upconverted from 1080p (or standard-def), not native 4K (the other term for Ultra HD). You can't really blame Samsung — since there isn't yet a consumer disc format for Ultra HD, there wasn't really a way to build a player that outputs 4K natively, at least not one that would be guaranteed to still work in a year.

The player (model no. BD-F7500) also includes built-in Wi-Fi, letting it play material wirelessly from any DLNA-connected device, or even connect with other Samsung smart appliances. What to check if your laundry's done from your Blu-ray player? Now you can do that. Read more…

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