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Samsung unveils the Galaxy S 4's software tricks: camera modes, Story Album, S Voice Drive and more
Samsung is revealing what Smart software additions the Galaxy S 4 will bring to the table, and they're well beyond what's been rumored. The camera is one of the biggest focuses, borrowing much from the Galaxy Camera: Cinema Photo captures still images with moving backgrounds, a Drama Shot burst mode that creates animated GIFs, an Eraser mode to remove unwanted background subjects, and a Sound & Shot mode that puts audio in the background of still images. A Story Album automatically creates photo albums (including ones you can print via Blurb) based on common details such as location and time. And did we mention that it can shoot photos and video from both the front and back cameras at the same time? That's just the start. AirView now works with your finger, rather than a pen, and is effective right from the lock screen. Adapt Display and Adapt Sound automatically tune the picture and speakers for varying viewing conditions, and WatchOn uses a built-in IR blaster to tune your TV. S Translator, meanwhile, will take both spoken and written words and translate them through several languages, inside of multiple apps. S Voice has been upgraded to S Voice Drive to let drivers get navigation, find points of interest and otherwise interact with the phone without having to take any hands off the wheel. S Health, which Samsung initially mentioned last year, is around to track calories and steps through accessories such as S band, a body scale and a heart rate monitor. Like to do things that involve more than one person? There's more still. ChatOn has been upgraded to support video chat, and Group Play both allows for sharing songs in a surround mode or playing local multiplayer games -- when it's supported, that is. All told, there's a small deluge of new features that could amount to a lot, even excluding new hands-free elements like Smart Scroll. Check after the break for a quick preview video and the press release. %Gallery-182892% Check out our event hub for all the action from Samsung's Galaxy S 4 event.
Samsung partners with Mobeam to offer scannable bar codes on the Galaxy S 4
For over a year, mobile commerce startup Mobeam has been looking for OEM suitors willing to embed its bar code scanning tech into phones -- and it's found an ideal partner in Samsung. The tech, which Mobeam calls light based communications (LBC), will be embedded in the manufacturer's latest flagship, the Galaxy S 4. LBC makes it possible for point-of-sale scanners to pick up digital 1D bar codes. So how does it work? Mobeam takes advantage of the phone's proximity sensor to beam pulses of light which mimic your standard black-and-white code. The option should be available for any third-party developer that wants to use it, but unfortunately the tech is only launching -- for now, at least -- on the GS 4, though we've been told that it will eventually be ready to go for more devices down the road. Head below to scan through the full press release for yourself. Check out our event hub for all the action from Samsung's Galaxy S 4 event.
Samsung Galaxy S 4 preview: a flagship with some familiar roots
You say you want a revolution? Too bad, because this Galaxy smartphone update is just that... an update. Samsung's newly unveiled Galaxy S 4 is an incremental step up, an evolution less "inspired by nature" and more by last year's GS III. Don't believe us? Just take a look at the two handsets side by side to see the overtly obvious heritage. Samsung's staying the course with the overall design language, though it's expanded the screen size to five inches -- now powered by a Full HD Super AMOLED display with 441 ppi (and yes, it's still PenTile). On the inside, it has a processor setup that we're told will be either an Exynos 5 or Snapdragon depending on the region, along with 2GB of RAM, 16, 32 or 64GB of internal storage, a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2,600mAh battery. Starting to see the bigger picture here? Samsung had a good thing on its hands with the GS III and it's not willing to compromise much of the tried-and-true with the GS 4. It will launch globally in Q2, with a stateside debut on T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular and Cricket. Until then, join us past the break for our detailed first impressions. %Gallery-182135% %Gallery-182392% Check out our event hub for all the action from Samsung's Galaxy S 4 event.
Samsung Galaxy S 4 launching on 327 carriers in 155 countries, starting at the end of April
Samsung has announced some of its launch partners for the Galaxy S 4 which will include some 327 carriers in 155 countries. According to JK Shin, it will include global LTE roaming, with 3G and LTE models in multiple bands (up to hexa band, according to the slide). Samsung's PR reveals it will be on all four major US carriers, plus US Cellular and Cricket, while European carriers include Deutsche Telecom, EE, H3G, Orange, Telenor, Telia Sonera, Telefonica, and Vodafone. Update: AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint have all issued official statements to along with the launch which are included after the break. Look below for links to early registration for launch details from Samsung and the various carriers. Update 2: Mobile Syrup has obtained a list of confirmed Canadian carriers which includes Bell, Eastlink, Fido, Koodo, Mobilicity, Rogers, SaskTel, TELUS, Videotron, Virgin Mobile and Wind Mobile. Check out our event hub for all the action from Samsung's Galaxy S 4 event.
Samsung Galaxy S 4 official: 5-inch 1080p display, Octa-core Exynos chip and 13MP camera
Another year, another Galaxy S flagship smartphone from Samsung. 2013's version of the crown jewel, the Galaxy S 4, has just been officially announced at its Unpacked event. Since we know you're dying to find out what's new, let's dive straight into the details. The GS 4 features a 5-inch 1080p (1,920 x 1,080) Super AMOLED panel which offers a pixel density of 441 ppi and the ability to use your gloves at the same time. It's also a powerful beast: it packs 2GB RAM and will come with either a 1.6GHz Exynos Octa-core chip or a 1.9GHz quad-core Qualcomm, depending on your region. (Unfortunately, Samsung hasn't yet specified which Snapdragon we can expect, but we're guessing it's at least a 600 if not an 800.) Refreshingly, it will also come with Android 4.2.2 on-board when it launches. Dimension-wise, the GS 4 is 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9mm (5.38 x 2.75 x 0.31 inch) and weighs 130g (4.59 ounces). The chassis itself is actually 0.8mm skinnier, 0.7mm thinner and 3g lighter than its predecessor, which is impressive given its larger screen size and 2,600mAh battery. It will launch in black and white hues, though Samsung plans to add more colors to its lineup as the year progresses. Head below the break as we continue to reveal what else you can expect from the newest Galaxy device. %Gallery-182392% Check out our event hub for all the action from Samsung's Galaxy S 4 event.
Samsung Unpacked 2013 liveblog!
It's time to see what our friend Jeremy has been hiding and meet Samsung's next Galaxy phone. The fourth generation of its Android flagship will debut on this page, so check back here for a minute by minute breakdown of the events from Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The fun gets started at 7PM ET on Thursday, March 14th! March 14, 2013 7:00 PM EDT
The Daily Roundup for 03.14.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Galaxy S IV dam springs another leak with floating touch and SmartPause videos
Samsung's been laying on the marketing glitz for the upcoming Galaxy S IV ahead of its Samsung Unpacked 2013 event later today, perhaps because there'll be few surprises at the actual show thanks to all the breaches. A pair of videos from serial leaker IT168 have just been outed allegedly showing two new TouchWiz features from the upcoming handset: SmartPause and floating touch. The latter will display larger image thumbnails or an info box for contacts when you hover your finger over either, while SmartPause stops video from playing when you look away from it -- an eye-detection feature that had been rumored previously but never spotted in action. Naturally, this may not be the final hardware they're playing with, but you can judge for yourself after the break -- just turn down your speakers first, as the videos are a tad noisy.
Supposed Galaxy S 4 leak resurfaces in high-res pics, lists more features and specs
What is purported to be a dual-SIM equipped engineering sample of Samsung's Galaxy S 4 popped up a few days ago in pictures and video on a Chinese forum, and now it's back for a better look. The new pictures show off what's measured as a 1080p 4.99-inch display with an embossed home key and cross-hatch textured plastic back cover (already cracked on this unit). Engadget Chinese came through with a translation, and the specs listed on it168 claim its Exynos 5410 is a 1.8GHz 8-core CPU unit, with PowerVR SGX 544MP3 GPU. The i9502 weighs in at 138g and measures 7.7mm thick, packs 2GB of RAM and 16GB ROM storage with a microSD expansion slot and has a 2600mAh battery. Also revealed are a few more software tweaks, with the Smart Stay eye tracking that had previously been outed, plus a feature (pictured after the break) that lets users hover their fingers over the display to produce a Galaxy Note II S-Pen stylus-like effect. Check out another picture after the break or an entire slideshow past the source leak -- we're less than 24 hours away from seeing the real thing unveiled in NYC.
We're liveblogging Samsung's Unpacked 2013 event tomorrow at 7PM ET!
It's that time of year again, when Samsung shows off the next iteration of its massively popular Galaxy smartphone. A heavy focus on the number 4 and a slew of teasers leave little doubt what we'll see, but the exact hardware and software details of how the Galaxy S IV (4?) will outdo its last effort remain shrouded in mystery. We'll be live on hand at Radio City Music Hall with the details as they happen, and Samsung is promising a live video feed here. The fireworks kick off at 7PM ET tomorrow, look below for your locally adjusted time and bookmark our liveblog and event hub pages now (relive the 2012 Galaxy S III unveiling here). March 14, 2013 7:00 PM EDT
Samsung's latest Galaxy S IV teaser shows the outline of... a phone
Pause for your latest Galaxy S IV news break ahead of the March 14th unveiling: Samsung's Mobile US Twitter account has posted this picture showing what appears to be a smartphone (shocker!) -- that matches our existing Galaxy S III 1:1 minus the earpiece and with a slightly shifted logo FWIW -- shrouded in shadow. We'll understand if you've been overtaken by awe and need a moment, Jeremy certainly seemed impressed.
Is this the Samsung Galaxy S IV or is it in disguise again? (update: video tour!)
Mere days before Samsung unveils its newest phone, a Chinese forum post has offered some purported shots of the Galaxy S IV. Now it's worth mentioning from the outset that Samsung plays a good game of subterfuge. It masked the Galaxy S III ahead of its reveal last year in a blockier plastic frame and it could be that this phone, with a very Note-esque face and outline, is also a filler ahead of the final reveal. It could also be yet another phone that will slot in elsewhere in Samsung's ever-expanding Galaxy family, or even a Shenzhen knock-off that's jumped the gun -- we spotted that the front-facing camera hole doesn't quite align properly. However, with that said, there's still plenty here to muse on. The shots appear to be taken in a phone unlocking shop somewhere in China, with this GT-i9502 model apparently bound for carrier China Unicom. Interestingly (at least for a flagship), it appears to be a dual-SIM version, with the mono-SIM version apparently picking up model number GT-i9500 -- a number that would fit in with the series so far. According to the leak, it's running a fresh version of Android (4.2.1) with a 1080p display (no word on dimensions just yet), 2GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel camera on the back. The mention of a "5410" CPU suggests it's Samsung's Exynos Octa chip powering it and while AnTuTu might only recognize that as a quad-core chip, we noted during our hands-on with the new chipset that only four cores were being used at a time. We're still hoping Samsung's final design pushes the envelope a little further than a repositioned camera sensor and a new glossy texture -- we've added a shot of this after the break. Rest assured, Jeremy will be letting us in on the big secret later this week. Update: A forum member also managed to grab a quick video tour of the mystery phone. We've added the YouTube version after the break [Thanks Steven Y.]
Samsung Galaxy S IV design, specs potentially leaked on Twitter (update: they're from Expansys)
Even as the secret of Samsung's Galaxy S IV has been handed off to some teenager, the @evleaks Twitter account (which has been reliable in the past) just posted a supposed pic of and specs for the phone. Along with what's clearly a rendering and potentially just a placeholder image of the phone, the specs list a Super AMOLED Full HD screen of unknown size, 16GB/32GB/64GB storage options with 2GB of RAM, a 13MP camera and Android 4.2 OS. A second image shows the same mockup lined up with previous Galaxy phones apparently confirming its status as the largest one yet, although that's not surprising given recent trends. Of course, given what we know about the lengths Samsung went to protect the design of the Galaxy S III (multiple designs, hand-delivered prototypes), you'll forgive us for reserving judgement until the real thing is shown off on March 14th. Update: We've been informed that both renders are from e-tailer Expansys, which adds yet another dusting of salt to the reliability of these specs. The listing also throws in that rumored eye-based scrolling feature. Jeremy is in big trouble. Update 2: Now evleaks has deleted the original tweets -- anyone else ready for 9 more days like this?
Samsung hires 'secret messenger' Jeremy to guard the S IV until March 14th (update: another new video!)
At least one person knows exactly what the much-hyped Galaxy S IV looks like: Samsung's "secret messenger" Jeremy. In a video posted to Facebook, Samsung plugs its upcoming Unpacked 2013 event where we're sure to see the new flagship, and inspires envy by letting young'un Jeremy have a quick peek. If the end of the clip is anything to go by, he's probably had a quick hands-on with it, too. It's only 10 days until we get a look at it ourselves, but the video does leave us wondering whether it was the S IV in that suitcase in Pulp Fiction all along. Check out the vid for yourself after the break. Update: Samsung has kicked off the week with yet another video teaser, pointing towards that 'big day' and adding the phone comes in Jeremy's favorite color -- whatever that is. Update 2: Need another teaser? Of course you do, and the latest one posted by Samsung Tomorrow features a dance troupe in times Square getting the people ready for the big unveiling. If there's anything to gain from this video, it's that the white/black theme some have noticed (Jeremy's tie and the curtains on his windows) is continued in the dancer's outfits and the signs they're holding. A hint at his "favorite color" or just a sign we've been poring over these rumors for too long? You decide, the video is after the break.
Samsung invites public to Times Square for its Galaxy S IV unveiling
So, what are you up to on March 14th? If your idea of a good time is seeing a new smartphone unveiled, Samsung's arranging just such a party at Times Square in New York for the upcoming Galaxy S IV, according to a recent tweet. We'd guess that revelers will get to watch a livestream of the recently announced Samsung Unpacked 2013 shindig for the new handset on the block's famous big screens, while the event itself happens at Radio City Music hall. There's no other details other than the @timessquare Twitter handle, but if you're not in the big apple, you'll be able to catch it right here instead, of course.
Samsung: Galaxy S IV March 2013 rumors are not true
We doubt this will significantly dampen rumors of a Samsung Galaxy S IV announcement in March of next year, but any optimists who were expecting an official confirmation six months in advance won't be getting one. Our grasp of Korean isn't the best, but here's a tweet from the company's official Korean account indicating rumors of a Galaxy S successor simply aren't true. Of course, with the kinds of sales the line has seen to date it seems like a reasonable assumption that Samsung will keep cranking them out as long as the courts will let it for the foreseeable future, so it's certainly more a question of when, than if. Throw in the fact that the original Galaxy S was announced in March, the Galaxy S II in February, and the Galaxy S III in May -- and the when narrows down appreciably.
