Les Galaxy Note 2 et Galaxy S3 recevront-ils un jour Android 4.4 KitKat ? [Réflexions]

Au moment où vous lisez ces quelques lignes, le déploiement de la mise à jour du Galaxy Note 2 vers Android 4.3 Jelly Bean est déjà en cours, et il n’est question que de quelques semaines, voire quelques jours, avant qu’elle arrive chez nous via OTA ou Samsung Kies. Du coup, comme la mise à jour vers la dernière version de Jelly Bean est actuellement en cous de déploiement, plusieurs se demandent si Samsung se donnera la peine de libérer une autre mise à jour vers Android 4.4 KitKat dans les mois à venir, vu que le Smartphone commence déjà à dater.

Quand le Samsung Galaxy Note 2 a été commercialisé l’année dernière, il tournait sous Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, et depuis, il n’a plus reçu de mise à jour alors que la plupart des appareils de sa génération tournent au moins sous la version 4.2 Jelly Bean d’Android, voire 4.3. Mais, il faut croire que Samsung a jugé inutile de passer par Android 4.2, surtout quand on sait que ce dernier n’apporte pas de grandes nouveautés par rapport à la version de base.

Du coup, on se demande si Android 4.3 Jelly Bean ne sera pas la dernière mise à jour pour le Galaxy Note 2. En effet, si Samsung compte déployer une nouvelle mise à jour, il est tout à fait normal et logique qu’il se focalise sur ces derniers terminaux comme le Galaxy S4, le Galaxy Note 3, et sans doute le Galaxy S5. Les chances pour que la firme déploie ainsi une mise à jour pour un appareil commercialisé il y a 2 années sont donc très fines, comme c’est d’ailleurs le cas avec le Galaxy S2 et le Galaxy Note qui ne devront plus recevoir de mise à jour officielle.

Pourtant, il ne faut pas oublier que Android 4.4 KitKat qui est considéré comme étant la plus grande mise à jour depuis Android 4.1 est censé améliorer la gestion de la mémoire RAM, ce qui veut dire que les terminaux les plus anciens pourront le faire tourner sans problème. De ce fait, nous sommes confiants sur le fait que les appareils qui sont sortis l’année dernière recevront cette nouvelle mise à jour, que ce soit le Galaxy S3 ou le Galaxy Note 2.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 – Now less than £100

Normally Tesco sell the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 (in either white, red, black or gold brown) for £119 but, when you enter the special code TDX-NHW4 it’ll bring the cost down to just £99.

The 7? WiFi tablet has a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, 50GB of Dropbox storage, 3 megapixel shooter (at rear), 1.3 megapixel camera (at front), GPS and 8GB of storage (plus a microSD card slot for more).

The offer is available until December 23rd, and you can see the range available here.

Samsung Galaxy S3 receiving update to Android 4.3

 

The global rollout of Android 4.3 Jellybean to Samsungs previous flagship handset the Galaxy S3 has begun.

According to Samsung dedicated site Sammobile the rollout began with unlocked UK devices and has not started to be seen on devices in South Korea.

The list of changes and new features is extensive:-

- GALAXY GEAR Support- TRIM Support (Makes the device much faster)- Core UI elements updated to the ones on the Galaxy S4 (Galaxy S4's theme all over)- New Samsung Keyboard- GPU drivers have been updated (Higher GPU benchmark scores)- New Lockscreen: Multiple Widgets, improved ripple effect than Android 4.1.2, ability to change clock size and set a personal message- New Screen modes (From S4): Adapt Display and Professional Photo- Daydream- Driving mode- Actionable notifications- Move-to-SD-card feature- New Camera mode : Sound and Shot- New Additions in Notification Centre- Completely revamped Settings UI (Tabbed interface – Exactly like the Galaxy S4)- Implementation of Voice controls (Let’s you control various parts of the phone using voice commands – Galaxy S4 feature)- New Samsung Apps: Calculator, Clock, Contacts, Gallery, Music- Full screen Samsung apps- New S-Voice (from Galaxy S4)

As usual the update is an Over the Air update however you can update via Kies if you so choose.

Have you received the new update?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Nexus 5 vs Galaxy S4, by face to face

Maintenant que nous connaissons tout ce qu’il y a à savoir sur le Nexus 5, il est temps de le comparer aux meilleurs smartphones disponibles sur le marché. Étant donné que le Samsung Galaxy S4 est clairement le smartphone Android le plus populaire du moment, il est intéressant de le comparer au très attendu Nexus 5.

Le Samsung Galaxy S4 a été présenté il y a plus de six mois, et est, tout comme le Galaxy Note 3, le Smartphone phare de Samsung pour 2013. Il y a peu, Samsung a annoncé que plus de 40 millions de Galaxy S4 avaient été vendus. La popularité du terminal ne fait donc aucun doute.

Où acheter le Galaxy S4 au meilleur prix :

Le Nexus 5 est sorti il y a quelques jours de cela, et son point fort est son prix. Pour 349 euros, vous obtiendrez un smartphone Android haut de gamme débloqué tout opérateur. C’est un bon rapport qualité-prix selon moi. Mais est-ce suffisant pour vaincre le Galaxy S4 ?

Où acheter le Nexus 5 :

Si vous avez suivi nos comparaisons précédentes, vous savez que la comparaison entre le Nexus 5 et le Samsung Galaxy S4 sera divisée en 10 parties. Les smartphones seront jugés en terme de performances, dimensions, affichage, mémoire, connectivité, processeur, appareil photo, autonomie de la batterie, prix, système d’exploitation et design.

Chaque manche vaut un point, et le gagnant sera le smartphone qui obtiendra le plus de points.

Dimensions

Les écrans dont la taille est coomprise entre 4,7 et 5,2 pouces sont devenus un standard sur le marché des smartphones Android hauts de gamme. Mais les dimensions augmentent proportionnellement à la taille de l’affichage.

Le Samsung Galaxy S4 mesure 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm et pèse 130 grammes, alors que le Nexus 5 possède à peu près les mêmes dimensions que son prédécesseur (le Nexus 4) avec 137.9 x 69.2 x 8.6 mm. L’appareil récemment sorti pèse seulement 130 grammes.

Même si les deux smartphones pèsent le même poids, le Nexus 5 est plus haut de 1,3 mm et plus épais de 0,7 mm que le Galaxy S4. Donc le Smartphone coréen remporte cette manche.

Nexus 5 : 0 – Galaxy S4 : 1

Affichage

Fin 2012 et début 2013, les constructeurs de smartphones Android ont commencé à équiper leur smartphones hauts de gamme d’écrans full HD. Le Nexus 5 et le Galaxy S4 ne font pas exception.

Le Samsung Galaxy S4 dispose d’un écran 5 pouces full HD super AMOLED doté d’une résolution de 1080 x 1920 (441 ppi) et d’une protection Gorilla Glass 3. Le Nexus 5 possède quant à lui un écran 4,95 pouces full HD True HD IPS Plus doté d’une résolution de 1080 x 1920, 445 ppi et d’une protection Gorilla Glass 3.

Les deux écrans apportent une luminosité et un contraste sans pareille. Le Super AMOLED est plus économe que l’écran IPS du Nexus 5, mais l’écran du Galaxy S4 est peu visible au soleil tandis que sa reproduction des couleurs est loin d’être précise. Le Nexus 5 remporte donc cette manche, car son écran est de meilleure qualité.

Nexus 5 : 1 – Galaxy S4 : 1

Mémoire

En juillet 2013, 1 million d’applications étaient disponibles sur le Google Play Store, donc vous voulez certainement suffisamment de stockage sur votre smartphone pour en profiter au maximum. Sans oublier que vous devez également stocker vos vidéos, photos et livres.

L Nexus 5 n’est disponible qu’en version 16 ou 32 Go de stockage, sans la possibilité d’étendre la mémoire grâce à une carte microSD. En plus du support des cartes microSD (jusqu’à 64 GB), le Samsung Galaxy S4 est disponble en version 16, 32 et 64 G0. Il peut donc disposer au maximum de 128 Go de stockage.

Je suppose qu’il est clair pour tout le monde que le Galaxy S4 remporte la bataille de l’espace de stockage.

Nexus 5 : 1 – Galaxy S4 : 2

Connectivité

Alors que le Nexus 4 sorti l’année dernière ne supportait pas la technologie LTE (enfin oui, mais non. Rendez-vous ici pour en savoir plus sur la 4G du Nexus 4), son successeur peut désormais se connecter aux réseaux mobiles les plus rapides du monde. Penchons-nous sur la connectivité du Samsung Galaxy S4 et du Nexus 5.

L’appareil coréen est équipé de : HSDPA, 42.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE, Cat3, 50 Mbps UL, 100 Mbps DL, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, bi-bande, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy, NFC, IR blaster, et microUSB 2.0.
Le Nexus 5 possède quant à lui : HSDPA, 42.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE, Cat3, 50 Mbps UL, 100 Mbps DL, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, -bi-bande, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, et microUSB 2.0.

Avez-vous trouvé la différence ? Si ce n’est pas le cas, je peux vous dire que la seule différence en terme de connectivité vient du port infrarouge installé sur le Samsung Galaxy S4. Cela ne justifie cependant pas un point supplémentaire pour l’appareil coréen. Les deux appareils finissent cette manche à égalité.

Nexus 5 : 2 – Galaxy S4 : 3

Processeur

Les processeurs des smartphones Android se sont beaucoup améliorés ces dernières années, et dans moins d’un an, ils devraient adopter une architecture 64 bits.

Comme vous le savez sûrement, deux variantes du Galaxy S4 sont actuellement disponibles sur le marché, chacune possédant un processeur différent. Le I9500 dispose du processeur Samsung 8 cœurs Exyonos 5410 avec 4 cœurs Cortex A15 1,6 GHz et 4 cœurs Cortex A7 1,2 GHz à faible consommation d’énergie et un GPU PowerVR SGX 544MP3. Alors que le I9505 dispose d’un Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 avec 4 cœurs Krait 300 à 1,9 GHz et un GPU Adreno 320. Il est à noter que c’est le Galaxy S4 I9505 qu’on retrouve en France.

Le Nexus 5 possède l’un des processeurs les plus rapides qui est utilisé dans un Smartphone Android, le Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 avec 4 cœurs Krait 400 cadencés à 2.26 GHz et une puce graphique Adreno 330.

Étant donné que le processeur du Nexus 5 est plus puissant que n’importe quel processeur utilisé par le Galaxy S4, le smartphone développé par Google et LG gagne un point supplémentaire.

Voici un test Benchmark en vidéo :

Nexus 5 : 3 – Galaxy S4 : 3

Appareil photo

On aime tous prendre des photos avec nos smartphones, et avec toutes les améliorations apportées par Google à Google Plus Photos, ce serait bien d’avoir un bon appareil photo au dos de votre smartphone.

Le Google Nexus 5 possède un appareil photo de 8 MP avec autofocus, stabilisation d’image optique, LED flash, géo-tagging, mise au point tactile, détection des visages et photosphere. Il permet également de filmer en 1080p à 30fps. Même si le Nexus 5 dispose d’un appareil photo de 8 MP comme son prédécesseur, le nouvel appareil photo est supérieur à celui du Nexus 4. C’est en tout cas ce que laisse penser les premières images prises avec l’appareil.

Le Samsung Galaxy S4 possède un appareil photo 13 MP avec autofocus, flash LED, possibilité d’enregistrer son et image en simultané, geo-tagging, mise au point tactile, détection des visages et sourires, stabilisation d’image, HDR et possibilité de filmer en full HD.

Le Galaxy S4 est connu pour avoir un des meilleurs appareils photo du marché. Ce point va directement au smartphone coréen. D’ailleurs, vous pouvez regarder la vidéo ci-dessous afin de voir la comparaison par vous-même :

Nexus 5 : 3 – Galaxy S4 : 4

Autonomie de la batterie

L’autonomie de la batterie des smartphones modernes est devenue un vrai problème, puisqu’il est presque impossible de trouver un smartphone pouvant tenir plus d’une journée. A l’exception des phablettes.

Le Samsung Galaxy S4 possède une batterie amovible Li-Ion 2,600 mAh. Lors de notre test, la batterie a tenu plus de 24 heures et pour comparaison, le Galaxy S4 est meilleur que l’iPhone 5s au niveau de l’autonomie après une charge complète.

Le Nexus 5 dispose d’une batterie non amovible Li-Po 2300 mAh qui, à mon regret, n’est pas à la hauteur des autres Smartphones hauts de gamme du moment, certes, il vous permettra de tenir une journée en utilisation normale, mais il ne peut en aucun cas rivaliser avec le Galaxy S4 qui tient environ 16h30 en appel, 395 minutes en navigation sur internet etc…

Donc, le Galaxy S4 sort vainqueur dans cette manche.

Nexus 5 : 3 – Galaxy S4 : 5

Prix et où les acheter

Le Nexus 4 a prouvé qu’un smartphone haut de gamme vendu à prix abordable remporte forcément un grand succès. Google adopte une approche similaire avec le Nexus 5. L’appareil récemment annoncé est vendu 349 euros en version 16 G0 et 399 euros en version 32 G0, à condition de les acheter sur le Google Play Store. Évidemment. Cependant, comme le Nexus 4, le Nexus 5 se fait rare c’est pourquoi les revendeurs le vendent plus chers, mais rassurez-vous, LG vous rembourse 70 euros pour tout achat d’un Nexus 5 dans une des boutiques presentes dans le tableau ci-dessous par exemple (voir cet article pour en savoir plus : LG vous rembourse 70 euros pour l’achat d’un Nexus 5 cette année) :

Tableau visible uniquement depuis l’article orginal qui est disponible sur PointGPhone.com

Comme vous pouvez le voir dans le tableau de comparaison ci-dessous, le Galaxy S4 en version 16 Go coute environ 440 euros.  En réalité, si on fait une moyenne des prix pratiqués par les différentes boutiques en ligne, on aura un Galaxy S4de 16 Go à 550 euros environ et un Nexus 4 de 16 Go à 399 euros. N’oubliez pas aussi que le Nexus 5 vient à peine d’être sorti, alors que le prix du Galaxy S4 qui est commercialisé depuis la fin du mois d’avril (voire le début du mois de mai) a été revu à la baisse à plusieurs reprises.

Tableau visible uniquement depuis l’article orginal qui est disponible sur PointGPhone.com

Ce qui fait que le Google Nexus 5 remporte cette manche.

Nexus 5 : 4 – Galaxy S4 : 5

Système d’exploitation

Bien que nous comparions deux smartphones Android, vous verrez qu’il y a beaucoup de différences entre eux.

Le Galaxy S4 utilise Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean (une mise à jour vers Android 4.3 est actuellement en cours de deploiement) avec la surcouche TouchWiz Nature de Samsung. Touchwiz apporte de nombreuses fonctionnalités impressionnantes comme Air Controls/Gestures, Smart Stay, Smart Pause, Smart Scroll, Air View, Group Play, S Translator, ou S Health. Bien que toutes ces fonctions soient plutôt cool et fonctionnent bien, vous les utiliserez à peine. La réelle innovation de Touchwiz sur le Galaxy S4 vient de l’application appareil photo qui possède les fonctions Eraser, Cinema Photo, Drama Shot, Sound and Shot, Dual Shot, et Dual Video.

Le Nexus 5 utilise la dernière version d’Android, à savoir Android 4.4 KitKat qui est la mise à jour d’Android la plus importante depuis Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean. Avec Android 4.4 KitKat, la commande « »OK Google » fonctionne également sur l’écran d’accueil (microphone constamment activé), la couverture d’un album ou d’un film s’affiche sur l’intégralité de l’écran de verrouillage lorsqu’un film ou une vidéo est jouée. Le mode immersion permet de lire, regarder des vidéos et jouer à des jeux en plein écran (il est alors possible d’afficher la barre de notification à l’aide d’un mouvement vers le bas), et le multi-tâche a encore été amélioré.

Android 4.4 apporte bien d’autres améliorations. Parmi lesquelles une nouvelle application téléphone, la présence des SMS dans Hangouts, Cloud Print et les Emojis intégrés au clavier Google.

Mêmes si Touchwiz est l’une des meilleures interface Android du marché, rien ne vaut une (presque) pure expérience Android. Sans oublier que le Nexus 5 sera toujours le premier à recevoir les dernières mises à jour. Un point supplémentaire pour le Nexus.

Nexus 5 : 5 – Galaxy S4 : 5

Design

Demandez aux fans de Samsung quel est le plus gros défaut des smartphones de la marque, la plupart répondront qu’il s’agit du design. Et je les comprends parfaitement, le Galaxy S4 est l’un des smartphones au design le moins attractif du marché.

Le Galaxy S4 emprunte certains éléments du design du Galaxy S3 de l’année dernière. Mails il ajoute quelques touches plus haut de gamme ici et là. L’encadrement en aluminium autour de la coque du smartphone par exemple. Il n’y a pas grand chose à dire à propos du Galaxy S4, si ce n’est qu’il y a des smartphones plus beaux que ce dernier.

A mon avis, le Nexus 5 fait partie de ces Smartphones qui sont plus beaux que le Galaxy S4. Même s’il a presque le même design que ses deux prédécesseurs, le nouvel appareil est ce qu’on pourrait appeler un smartphone élégant. Même si la coque arrière en verre du Nexus 4 est remplacée par du plastique, le matériau utilisé est le même que celui dont dispose la Nexus 7 2. Le ressenti est doux et le smartphone tient bien dans la main.

Certains d’entres vous trouveront peut-être que le Galaxy S4 est plus beau que le Nexus 5, mais c’est une question de goût. De mon point de vue, le Nexus 5 est plus beau que le Galaxy S4. L’appareil utilisant Android KitKat remporte donc cette manche.

Nexus 5 : 6 – Galaxy S4 : 5

Conclusion

S’il est écrit conclusion au-dessus de ce paragraphe, cela signifie que nous avons fini notre comparaison entre le Nexus 5 et le Samsung Galaxy S4. Cela veut aussi dire que nous devons commencer à compter les points et voir quel smartphone remporte la bataille.

Je vais commencer par dire que les smartphones se sont retrouvés à égalité lors d’une seule et unique manche qui est celle de la connectivité, c’est pourquoi vous avez un total de 11 points en tout au lieu de 10.

Le Samsung Galaxy S4 a remporté quatre manches. Il s’est montré supérieur en terme de dimensions, mémoire, autonomie de la batterie et appareil photo, car il est plus fin que le Nexus 5, qu’il possède plus de stockage et qu’il dispose d’une meilleure batterie et caméra.

Le Nexus 5 a gagné 5 points après avoir remporté les manches de l’affichage, du processeur, du prix, du système d’exploitation et du design. Le Nexus 5 a vaincu le Galaxy S4 dans ces quatre domaines, car il possède un affichage de meilleure qualité, un processeur plus rapide, coûte moins cher, dispose d’Android 4.4 et utilise des matériaux de meilleure qualité pour la coque.

Pour résumer : le Nexus 5 remporte la bataille face au Samsung Galaxy S4. Evidemment, c’est juste mon opinion. C’est pour cette raison que nous vous invitons à nous donner votre avis via les commentaires ci-dessous.

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The benchmark test on AnTuTu G between the Galaxy S3 and nexus-4 place bike

Yesterday we were part of almost everything, there were about motorcycle G, as its technical characteristics, accessories, know his behavior against other smartphones in its class, what are you doing. I say almost, because we still have to test it and to get our opinion concerning, in the meantime we recommend the Antutu benchmark result takes into account that gives a vein on the raw power of this Smartphone.

As we often say, may be the result of a benchmark by some manufacturers distorted Fourier in place a system to inflate the figure can during a test, and most importantly, keep in mind that it very little impact on the daily use of a Smartphone or a tablet. For those who give this type of testing, meaning note whatever it is, that between the Galaxy S3 and nexus-4 level performed at AnTuTu benchmark Moto G is. A rather interesting guests who are considering the price of the motorcycle G less than 170 euro announced could the 8 GB version and less than 200 euros for the 16 GB version.

On the other hand, it is amazing to see the motorcycle G clocked lie between the Galaxy S3 and nexus-4 on AnTuTu, because motorcycle G is powered by a quad-core CPU with 1.2 GHz, which is usually less powerful than the processor in the Galaxy S3 (Samsung Exynos 4412 clocked 1.4 GHz) and nexus-4 (Qualcomm APQ8064 processor 1.5 GHz). May be that it is the GPU?

Otherwise at this price, it's still interesting to see that there is a more or less powerful Android Smartphone with a 4.5 inch HD screen, HD 5MP camera and of course several adjustments to choose accessories.

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Otterbox Commuter case for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 – Review

It has become part of my phone buying ritual now. Buy a phone, buy a cheapo case, buy a slim case for nights out and then buy a case that’s big, protective, dustproof and will protect my phone during my daily adventures, then repeat in a variety of different colours, then sell phone and force the new owner to buy ALL of the cases too.

Otterbox recently sent me the Commuter case for the Note 3, which is due to be released in the next couple of weeks. So I’m going to review it for you eager Otterbox customers. Starting as always with the good and bad points.

Good Points

Not as bulky as previous years modelsDecent protection from drops and impactsInner protective layer less grippy than previous modelsS-Pen easily accessible

Bad Points

Backplate a bit slippyCorners a bit grippyA little costly

Design

The Otterbox Commuter case is the thinner of the super protective cases, it has a soft rubbery inner layer that has various cut outs and flaps for buttons, sockets and the IR Blaster. You then get a hard polycarbonate outer shell that clips into place over the top of the inner layer.

This combination basically offers protection from impacts and being dropped. The screen is fairly well looked after as the case comes proud of the screen by about 4-5mm meaning it can land face down and you might be ok (random sharp object dependant). You also get a screen protector in the box so you’re pretty much covered for most eventualities.

In Use

Big chunky cases often suffer with their bulk or design complexities, Otterbox seem to change their designs ever so slightly each year. Little things like not having a hard plastic piece surrounding the buttons, which would make fitting the case really awkward. I was pleased to find that the outer layer just basically clipped on and I was done. The hinged flaps also have more movement this year allowing them to be slotted through the outer a whole lot easier than before.

It’s not all great though, with great protection comes compromise. Every time you want to charge your Note 3 or listen to music you’re going to have to open a flap and hold it out the way whilst you plug in. Nothing major just a few seconds a day lost to flap manoeuvring! The other few problems I had with the case were to do with the back of the case, which is a textured hard polycarbonate. Which when placed on a flat but non level surface meant the phone and case slid about a bit. The other problem I had was with the corners of the case, the corners are the exposed soft rubbery inner layer, which tend to grab hold of your trouser pocket liners when you’re trying to to the phone out. Although this was only a problem with my “smart” work trousers, with my baggy home time trousers grippy corners were a forgotten issue.

Conclusion

Overall I was happy with the Commuter case for the Note 3, it’s a little costly, a little bulky compared to some of the other cases on the market and there are a few issues surrounding the design. But it currently offers more protection than any of the competition. If you want a decent level of protection you’re going to have to compromise.

The Otterbox Commuter case for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will soon be available on the Otterbox UK store.

Want KitKat on your Samsung Galaxy Nexus? Oh look, a rainbow

 

Google Support seem to have revealed something that may upset many. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus won’t be getting an update to Android 4.4 (aka KitKat).

Why?

Well, Google tell us that because the device was launched two years ago (how time flies eh?) it falls outside the 18 month support window. So, essentially, tough.

Now of course, there’s bound to be a ROM appearing in the tinterwebs to fill the gap, but this isn’t great news for people who invested in the Google-branded product expecting it to receive updates to the very latest OS builds.

Get the gory details here.

Get your Galaxy Note 3 in pink. Yes, pink.

Phones 4u will have the pink version of the Galaxy Note 3 available in November so, if you fancy a slightly more feminine shade, you can pick one up for nothing on a £47-per-month contract.

Head to their website to order one today or pick one up tomorrow in-store. If you’re upgrading to a 4G plan then you’ll also bag a free wireless speaker which is worth £120.

WE’RE TICKLED PINK BY THE ARRIVAL OF THE SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 3 IN PINK, EXCLUSIVELY TO US!

Get your hands on the new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 in pink, only at Phones 4u in November

31 ST OCTOBER, 2013: Today we’re incredibly excited to announce that we are the exclusive UK retailer of the new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 pink edition, throughout the month of November.

You can get your hands on the new colourful smartphone today at Phones 4u online. The new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 in pink will be landing in our stores today and will be available

in ALL of our 700+ Phones 4u stores from 1 st

November. We like to give you more than you bargained for too, so with every upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy 3 Note in pink on a 4G tariff we’re giving away a free wireless speaker worth £120. What’s more, anyone upgrading to the new smartphone on a Vodafone 4G ready plan gets Sky Sports Mobile or Spotify Premium included too!

The new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 pink is available now for both upgrades and new contracts from free on £47 a month on contract. To get your very own pink edition of the Galaxy Note 3, visit the Phones 4u website or a Phones 4u store today

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids – A safe tablet for the rug rats

I love my son, he’s great. But when he picks up the iPad I have a number of concerns…

1 – Chocolate, like, everywhere.
2 – At least six thousand games will be installed. All have something to do with jewels.
3 – The battery will be flat.

So, the new Galaxy Tab 3 Kids is here to address some of those concerns. It’ll be available tomorrow online and from November 8th in stores.

Inside there’s a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB RAM and… well, if you like your cool, sexy, beautiful Samsung devices, prepare to squint your eyes and say, “Eeeuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu……….”

Yes, it’s available in a “bright and interesting” colour, but inside there’s a stack of pre-loaded “kid friendly” content to keep your kids entertained and educated at the same time. Not only that, but there’s also a Kids Store where you can get a range of apps that are suitable for children.

The Galaxy Tab 3 Kids also includes a time-management function to ensure that your child doesn’t go rectangular-eyed* and you can control which apps your child can access too. Nice huh?

Press release below, or dive into the gallery..

* – Remember your parents telling you that you’d go square-eyed? Well, screeens aren’t square any more :)

UK LAUNCH DATE ANNOUNCED FOR GALAXY TAB 3 KIDS
Samsung’s new tablet for children available to buy online from 1st November

London, UK – October 30th, 2013 – Following the recent launch announcement, Samsung has today announced that the Galaxy Tab 3 Kids, a tablet built specifically for children, will be available to buy online in the UK from 1st November and in store from 8th November.

With a 1.2GHz dual processor and 1GB RAM, the Galaxy Tab 3 Kids has the performance capabilities to keep kids entertained for hours. Featuring Samsung’s brand new Kids Store, a range of apps will be available to download in addition to pre-loaded content including educational, games, entertainment and e-book apps.

Whilst designed to appeal to kids, the Galaxy Tab 3 Kids also boasts functions that make it a great device for parents, including a unique time management feature that can be used to monitor use by locking the tablet once the designated time is up. In addition, Samsung’s Application Manager allows parents to select apps that their kids can access.

Simon Stanford, Vice President of IT & Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland said: “We’re seeing technology become ever more popular with children, and wanted to create a tablet that provides kids with interactive and educational content with the added benefit of giving parents control over their children’s tab use. Parents played a huge part in the design process, and as a result the Galaxy Tab 3 Kids is a unique product that is both a fun and exciting piece of technology for kids to use and a device that parents can trust.”

The Galaxy Tab 3 Kids will be available in the UK from Toys ‘R’ Us, Argos, Shop Direct, Dixons, JLP, Asda and the Samsung Experience store from 8th November.

LifeProof now includes the Galaxy S3 and S4 in their range of cases

LifeProof have until now just focused on the Apple market with cases for the iPad, iPad mini, iPhone 4/4S, iPhone 5 and a few iPods but now they have extended their range to include the Samsung Galaxy S3 and S4.

There are two types of case available for each device, the nüüd and the fré.

The nüüd lets you still use the phones actual touchscreen and just relies on sealing all open ports and buttons to protect the phone against liquid whilst providing a solid shock resistant outside.

The fréon the other hand also has a screen protector built into the case so the screen has an extra layer of protection against scratches and knocks.

If you are in America you also have the option of buying LifeProof’s Total Water Protection Plan which allows you to claim for a replacement device if yours is liquid damaged whilst in a LifeProof case. There is a small charge for this replacement ($50 for phones, $75 for tablets) but cheaper than shelling out for a new device, they’ll even replace the case as well for you.

Ian was impressed by the durability of the iPad mini case when he tested one, which you can read here.

LifeProof Expands Total Water Protection Program to Include Samsung GALAXY S III, GALAXY S4

– Award-winning case-maker brings device protection program to Samsung GALAXY devices –

SAN DIEGO – October 8, 2013 – LifeProof®, the award-winning maker of waterproof solutions for smartphones announced today the expansion of the LifeProof Total Water Protection Program to Samsung® GALAXY S® III and GALAXY S4 users.

This optional protection program, already offered for Apple® iPhone® and iPad® users, takes device protection to new heights, offering a one-time device repair or replacement if it sustains accidental water damage while properly installed in a LifeProof case.

LifeProof nüüd and fre cases offer peace of mind, bringing waterproof, drop proof, dirt proof, and snow proof protection to a variety of Apple and Samsung devices. The Total Water Protection Program provides an additional line of defense against damage from these mobile device killers, allowing consumers even more confidence to go about their day-to-day lives. The program offers protection against water damage for up to one full year after purchase and registration on lifeproof.com.

LifeProof was the first case manufacturer to offer a waterproof case with a device protection program. The company developed the Total Water Protection Program after extensive consumer research indicated that consumers wanted an added level of assurance when using their devices around water.

“As we have expanded our product lineup, our customers wanted the option to enjoy our Total Water Protection Program on a wider range of devices,” said EVP of Global Sales, Fredrik Torstensson. “With the growing popularity of our Samsung GALAXY cases, we’re pleased to offer this full device protection program, giving LifeProof case users added confidence, wherever they may be.”

The Total Water Protection Program is available as an option when purchasing a case on the LifeProof website at lifeproof.com and will be available for additional devices later this month. The program is limited to a one-time use and includes a nominal upfront fee and a service fee. It also requires the case be registered with LifeProof and used in accordance with all of the provided instructions. For full terms and conditions, visit www.lifeproof.com/twpp.

LifeProof Resources

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LifeProofCases

Twitter: www.twitter.com/lifeproof

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/LifeProofCases

About LifeProof

LifeProof’s company mantra is Freedom; LifeProof designs, manufactures and markets an entirely new category of products designed to give people more freedom from environmental constraints. Based in San Diego, LifeProof offers elegant and protective cases for Smartphones and Tablet PCs that enable full functionality and interactivity under any condition encountered in daily life. The registered brand name ‘LifeProof’ is inspired by the protection and fully functional convenient operation of the device in water, mud, dirt, or snow. For more information, visitwww.lifeproof.com.

©2013 Treefrog Developments, Inc. All rights reserved. The LifeProof name and LifeProof trademarks are the property of Treefrog Developments, Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

###

Samsung Galaxy Round Officially announced in Korea

Only a few short hours ago images of an “absurd” looking Samsung smartphone leaked with a curved display.

Well, the leaks have proved accurate as Samsung have now officially unveiled the Samsung Galaxy Round.

 

The handset has a 5.7? Full HD Super AMOLED curved display, is 7.9mm thick and weighs 154g.

 

According to Samsung,

As a result of its unique curved design, users can take advantage of round integration experiences like the Roll Effect that enables the user to check information such as the date, time, missed calls and battery easily when home screen is off, and the Gravity Effect for creating visual interaction with the screen by tilting the device. For music, the Bounce UX enables users to control their music. When the GALAXY ROUND’s display is off while the music player is running, a short press to the left of the device will play the previous track while a short press to the right will play the next track. For pictures and videos, the Side Mirror feature enables users to gain access to list of the album content with a left and right tilt.

The rest of the spec sheet is quite impressive with  a 13 megapixel camera, a 2800mAh battery, 3GB of RAM and a 2.3GHz quad-core processor.  All of this runs Google’s (currently) latest operating system Android 4.3.

    

The device is set to launch in Korea on October 10th and will come in “Luxury Brown” with more colours coming soon.  There is no word yet on worldwide availability or pricing.

source: Samsung Tomorrow

Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 arriving in stores this weekend

 

We knew it was coming, but this weekend you can get the Galaxy Ace 3. It’s an updated version of the Ace 2, but with the addition of 4G. It’ll be in shops from October 5th with EE stores stocking it first. Carphone Warehouse and Tesco adding it to their shelves shortly after.

Inside it’s powered by Android Jellybean 4.2 and has a 5 megapixel camera with flash (plus a VGA shooter up front), 4.0? WVGA (480×800) screen, 1.2Ghz dual core CPU and a lot of the Samsung software you’ve seen on the higher-end Galaxy handsets, such as Readers, Game and Music Hub, Samsung Kies, ChatON, S Translator, S Travel, Smart Stay, S Voice and Easy Mode.

As usual there’s a 3.5mm audio port, WiFi, NFC, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, 8GB Internal storage (of which 5GB is available to you), a microSD slot for an additional 64GB and 1GB of RAM.

Expect it to be fairly well priced considering the spec.

New Samsung Galaxy Gear ad seems to ape first iPhone advert

 

You may not remember the first ever iPhone commercial. After all, it was 6 years ago. It featured scenes of people using various telephones in movies and TV shows. At the end the first ever iPhone is displayed with a catchy strapline.

Matthew Panzarino (@panzer), remembers this well and found that the new Samsung advert for the Galaxy Gear was rather similar. This, as usual, has caused more than a few ripples with Apple fans.

The new Samsung Galaxy Gear advert is strikingly samey, showing TV and movie characters and various famous wristwatches over the years. It closes with a shot of the new phone and a catchy strapline.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this one. Check out the new Samsung ad below..

Suit of Armour Galaxy S4 and Goosewhite Qi charging pad review

Imagine the scene….

Your boss strolls around the corner and tells you that you are needing to go on a top secret mission to some war torn part of the world and that he is going to want you connected the whole time so he can ring you at a moments notice.

Sound like something out of the TV show ‘Chuck’ and something that is quite fitting here, with the Suit of Armour Galaxy S4 case.
 

This is built for extremes and looks like the sort of thing that would be issued to a black ops commando or Agent Chuck Bartowski for clandestine missions. It is not something that you would really use to go down the pub on a Sunday afternoon.

If you are however a black ops agent or a CIA agent with a computer printed on you brain (or just really clumsy), then this is maybe the case for you.

The case is made from a combination of aluminium and squidgy plastic that is designed to cradle your precious S4.
 

The front has a screen guard built in and the back is fully covered by the aforementioned squidgy plastic. This gives you a very resistant case that will survive being tossed across a room without much incident. I would even go as far as saying that it will dent a wall if it were thrown at it.

The case comes in at £19.99 on Amazon right now although they are usually £49.99

The second component for your clandestine mission into the unknown is the Goosewhite Qi charging pad.

This is designed to work with the above case but as happy coincidence it will work with other Qi equipped tech such as Nexus 7 2013 edition or some of the Lumia range. The phone is made compatible via an adaptor that sticks over the back of the battery just under the battery door.

This will allow the phone to receive the induction from the pad.

As those of you familiar with Qi and how it works you will know, you just have to place the device on the pad for it to charge. In fact, with this set up you don’t actually need the case on the phone at all, as the phone will make the connection sans case.

The Goosewhite Charging Pad will cost £39.99 from Amazon right now but it is normally £49.99

So that has got any potential special agent covered with their phone protection and power supply, now about that Intersect….

Are you interested I this idea of extreme protection and wireless power if so then watch this space as the very unit used in this review will be given away to one lucky winner.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 available on Three

Now, if you’re in the cool gang and follow us on Twitter, you’ll already know that we’ve had a full hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. You’ll also know that it’s popped up on Three already, but we’ve now got the official press release, which is brimming with pricing detail.

There’s an up-front £99 cost for the phablet and you can then pay £34 per month for the Ultimate Internet 500 plan or, if you fancy, £36 per month for the Ultimate Internet 1000.

Want more data? £38 per month gets you “The One Plan” for all-you-can-eat-data, 2000 minutes of talk time and 5000 Three to Three minutes, plus 5000 texts. If you want some 3-on-3 action it’s a 2-year deal on all these.

Multitask with ease on the powerful new Samsung Galaxy Note 3, available on Three.

With a larger screen and a more powerful processor than its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 can easily watch vibrant HD content and play your favourite tunes simultaneously.

With a network built for the mobile internet and Three’s all-you-can-eat data, Three is the ideal partner for Samsung’s Group Play, which allows people to share and play videos, music and games with friends, direct from their phones. Plus, as it’s a 4G Ready phone, you’ll be ready for faster internetting when Three’s 4G network rolls out and at no extra cost.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is available from £34 a month for the Ultimate Internet 500 or £36 a month for the Ultimate Internet 1000. Or for £38 per month you can opt for The One Plan that includes all-you-can-eat-data, 2000 minutes of talk time and 5000 Three to Three minutes, plus 5000 texts. All these plans are based on a 24 month contract with an upfront cost of £99 and come with all-you-can-eat data.

Reinventing the classic note-taking experience, the new S-Pen now comes with Air Command, which has been designed to eliminate endless toggling between screens, shortcuts and menus. One of the features this brings to life is Action Memo, which allows people to handwrite a note that can then be used to automatically activate a call or search the web.

Three is also stocking the new Samsung Galaxy Gear wearable device in its retail stores. You can buy the Galaxy Gear at a reduced cost of £249.99 if you buy it with your Galaxy Note 3 or you can buy it in-store for £299.99 as a standalone product.  You can stay connected by making hands-free calls and checking your notifications direct from your wrist.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 also features a soft textured back cover with delicate stitching, adding a premium feel to this top-end smartphone.

Key features:

·         Advanced S Pen functionality
·         5.7” Full HD Super AMOLED screen
·         Up to 32GB internal memory
·         13-megapixel rear camera
·         4G Ready
·         Seamless multitasking

Galaxy Note 3 – Not quite locked in the way we all assumed

 

So we have a couple of bits of news following the revelation that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will be locked down to the region it’s sold in. Firstly, it seems that there is a way around this, and that’s to..

a) Put a local SIM into the handset first.
b) Then swap it to a foreign SIM if you intend on going overseas

Samsung have now furnished us with an official statement on all this, and it confirms this is the intended behaviour. Basically they’re ensuring that phones aren’t bought and then shipped overseas for a profit (y’know, like many eBay listings). So, if you do want to use your handset abroad you can, but you need to put a local SIM in first.

In order to provide customers with the optimal mobile experience in each region including customer care services, Samsung has incorporated the ‘regional SIM lock’ feature into Galaxy Note 3 devices.

The product is only compatible with a SIM-card issued from a mobile operator within the region identified on the sticker of the product package. When the device is activated with a SIM card issued from the other region, the device may be automatically locked until it is released at the dedicated service center.

Once a device is activated normally, the regional SIM lock is automatically released. Users can enjoy the roaming service as usual and can use other region’s SIM card when travelling.

The regional SIM lock has been applied to the Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S4 devices through a software update in selective markets.

The regional SIM lock does NOT affect the device’s features and performance. Users can continue to enjoy all the advanced features of our products.

 

 

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 – Initial Impressions

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 arrived on my desk a few days ago. The Note 3 marks the third generation of the Galaxy Note range, it also marks the third Galaxy Note that I’ve owned. So as is often the case with a new device here at Coolsmartphone I’m going to post my initial impressions, starting with my good and bad my points.

 

Good Points

Amazing screenGood cameraIR BlasterSome genuinely useful software additions

Bad Points

Backplate isn’t for everyoneShear amount of settings is a minefieldWireless charging is an additional accessoryUSB 3 port is unsightly

Design

A few years ago there was a phone called the Samsung Galaxy S2, the Galaxy Note 3 seems to take its design from last year’s Note, the S2 and a whole load of inspiration from the Galaxy S4.

Previous generations have been rather plasticy and gloss finished, this year the white glass on the front has an interesting triangular effect under the glass and the super shiny hyperglaze backplate has been replaced with a leather look panel instead, complete with pretend white stitching. The backplate is the one thing about the design that I’m just not sure about.

Other differences are the new position for the speaker, which is on the bottom edge. There is now an IR Blaster on the top edge of the device. Also there is now a rather large USB 3 Port on the bottom edge.

Compared to the Note 2 the Note 3 feels like a thinner, lighter and much more refined device. The fact that this thinner and lighter device comes with a vastly superior spec is amazing.

Hardware

Every year when the latest Galaxy Note is released Samsung always trump the spec of the current “S” device. This year is no different, it’s almost like Samsung release the “S” devices as a test device to see if the latest version of TouchWiz can cope with the spec.

The spec of the Galaxy Note 3 is as follows:

Processor – LTE 2.3 GHz Quad-Core ProcessorDisplay – 5.7inch (144.3mm)  Full HD Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080)Memory – 32/ 64 GB User memory + microSD slot (up to 64GB)RAM – 3 GBOS – Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean)Camera – Rear – 13 Mega-pixel BSI Sensor, Auto Focus camera with Smart Stabilization, LED Flash(High CRI), and Zero Shutter LagCamera – Front – 2 Mega-pixel BSI sensor with Smart Stabilization, Full HD recording @30fpsConnectivity – WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS / GLONASS, NFC,  Bluetooth® v 4.0, IR LED (Remote Control), MHL 2.0Sensors – Gesture, Accelerometer, Geo-magnetic, Gyroscope, RGB, Proximity, Barometer, Temperature & Humidity, Hall SensorBattery – Standard battery, Li-ion 3,200 mAhDimension – 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3mm, 168g

There are so many highlights to the spec, there really isn’t much I’d improve upon. Possibly add wireless charging out of the box as opposed to being an additional accessory.

Software

Samsung this year have added a lot of additional software. Just like the Galaxy S4 the Note 3 contains a lot of settings and apps out of the box. To be honest I found it too much, luckily half of them seem to be turned off but the Note 3 sure took a lot of fiddling with on that first day with it.

Initial Conclusion

The Note 3 seems like a great device, so far I’ve found nothing wrong. So much so that I really struggled to complete the “bad points” section at the top of the article. I’m basically going to be spending the next few weeks testing out all of the different apps and settings.

As this is only my initial impressions the full review will be coming soon, if you’ve got any questions or anything you want testing out just leave a comment below.

Lastly a big thanks to Clove who sent us this Note 3 to review. You can get the Note 3 from them here.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Review

So, Samsung then. We should skip a few chapters straight off. It’s a Samsung handset, so you know it’s going to be a well-built thing and the UI is going to be a polished and elegant place to be.

The Galaxy S4 got a huge amount of attention when it launched but this, the S4 Mini (aka the GT-I9195), almost appeared without notice.

As with most “Mini” versions, it’s not just the size that shrinks. The spec goes down too.. a bit… It’s still good though. A dual-core 1.7GHz CPU, 4.3? qHD Super AMOLED screen and an 8 megapixel around the back. Sure, it’s not a quad-core CPU, 5? 1920×1080 screen and 13 megapixel camera, plus you get a bit less storage too, but it’s still a very good spec.

The full specs are as follows..

Specs

- 4.3”qHD (16:9 wide view) Super AMOLED screen
- 1.7 GHz Dual-Core Processor
- Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
- Camera Rear : 8 megapixel Front: 1.9 megapixel
- Camera Features – Sound & Shot, Night(Low Light Shot), Best Photo, Best Face, Beauty Face(include Live Beauty), HDR (High Dynamic Range), Panorama, Sports, Continuous Shot
- Connectivity – WiFi 5.0GHz a/b/g/ – GPS + GLONASS – Bluetooth® v4.0 (LE), NFC(LTE version only) – IR LED (Remote Control)
- 8GB Internal memory (User Memory approximately 5GB) + microSD (up to 64GB), 1.5GB RAM
- Dimension – 124.6 x 61.3 x 8.94mm, 107g (3G Dual SIM version:108g)
- Battery – 1900mAh

Outside

The device is light and has a very nice rear panel which has a premium feel to it. It’s the first time I’ve spent a big amount of time with this black version and I have to say that I’m beginning to prefer it over the white one. The screen is definitely “tall” and it reminded me about how the screen profile looks on the iPhone 5 / 5s.

Up front you have a silver outer rim on the main panel and the same rim around the action / wake key at the bottom of the screen. Up top, and above the Samsung logo, there’s the earpiece and the front-mounted 1.9 megapixel camera. The screen is remarkably bright and the colours are vibrant. There’s really no problem seeing everything on there, even in direct sunlight.

The edges of the handset are flat, only curving at each corner and are in a brushed silver aluminium finish. The right side only has one button, and that’s your power key. You can remove the battery cover with your nail here too.

At the bottom you can find the microphone and the microUSB port for charging and moving files between your computer and phone.

The left side has the volume up / down ….

..and at the top there’s a second microphone for noise cancellation an IR port, which you can use for controlling your TV etc. More on that in a moment.

Hands-on video

Inside

This, in my mind, is where Samsung gets clever. They’ve already ticked a lot of boxes. The build quality is second to none, the design is gorgeous and they have the marketing budget to let everyone know. Inside the OS has a lot of Samsung-created apps and features which are both useful and fun. Not only that, but there’s some nice little tweaks that really do make a difference.

First up, there’s connectivity on tap and various different types. You can exchange data via NFC, which is useful if you want to use those NFC tags to make your S4 Mini do various things when you tap once of those clever NFC tags.  You can also use “S Beam”, which is the Samsung terminology for sending files via NFC and WiFi Direct.  Not only that, but you can beam your pictures and videos to your TV or connected media device (like a speaker) via DLNA. There’s also “screen mirroring” which, if you have a compatible device, will let you splat your mobile phone screen onto another screen. Good for demonstrating or doing presentations.

If all that isn’t enough for you, there’s Kies – a method for accessing your phone (and transferring pictures / videos etc) from your computer. You can send messages this way too, which is ideal if you’re not overly keen on the on-screen keyboard. Oh, and that keyboard is cool too – you can, as you saw from the overview video above – change it to a Swype-esque system which makes data entry easier.

While we’re in the settings screen I should mention how nicely it’s laid out. On the “Connections” tab you;ve got all that stuff I just mentioned there, and you can disable or enable it all (and WiFi, Bluetooth), plus you can check on your data usage if you’re interested. Flick over to the “My Device” and you can tweak your lock screen.

Yep. The lock screen. I’m going there. Normally I click into “Settings->Lock Screen” and I get a few options, but here on the Samsung you get a cornucopia of things twiddle. How do you want to unlock your screen? You can have face unlock, pattern unlock, PIN unlock, password unlock, face and voice unlock or… hey.. perhaps just good ‘ole swipe unlock. Oh, and you can turn it off if you want too. You can add widgets onto your lock screen (just in case you want to see some regularly-used widgets without unlocking) and you can even tweak the effect you see when you unlock.

I could go on. Believe me, three paragraphs about the settings isn’t enough. There’s so many options to tweak that it really can make it your own. There’s a Daydream mode to set, so you can control what happens when the phone is sleeping or in a dock, you can change the font type, font size, how long the touch keys light up for, whether to automatically edit images after getting a screen-grab, whether to show a percentage next to the battery meter, the screen mode, brightness and your notification panel. The notification panel can then be further tweaked to show only the quick settings that you’d like to use the most.

Doah. I told you didn’t I? Three paragraphs truly isn’t enough. There’s also options for your sound (ringtones, vibrations, notification sounds and more) plus there’s even an “Adapt Sound” option which helps you find the best sound to play when you’re playing music. You can then twiddle the home screen “mode” too, switching it to an “easy” mode that might perhaps suit children, the elderly or people who want a simpler experience.

Gah! I could get lost in these settings for days, seriously. It’s an insane amount of knobs and buttons. I feel like the pilot of an Airbus. There’s call settings so that you can set your video call image, whether to increase the volume when the phone is in your pocket, whether to reject calls automatically, internet calling, a blocking mode, driving mode, power-saving mode and even a Safety Assistance system which snaps pictures from both cameras when your’e in an emergency situation. It’ll then, if you hold down the up and down key for three seconds, send these pictures to your pre-defined contacts at an interval set by you.

Five paragraphs now. I’m still not finished. There’s language settings, motion settings and gesture settings to let your control your phone by touching the screen with your hand. Add to that all the “Smart stay” tech (which keeps the screen on when you’re looking at the phone – great for reading) and you’re…. wait.. I forgot Voice control. That’s in there too. If S Voice is your thing (that’s the in-built voice recognition / Siri-esque feature), then you can use the Voice control feature to send commands to your device just by talking to it. Immense.

The browser is nimble and quick, offering up the usual bookmarking, zoom and sharing features. It’ll ensure the webpage text is rendered nicely when you double-tap and, as usual, you’re free to install other browsers if you wish. Again, it’s the little surprises I liked here. First up, I loved the Smart Stay feature when browsing. This kept my browsing session going without dimming the screen provided that the front camera could see my eyes. Also I liked the fact that the browser detected pages that I frequently visited and suggested I make them my new homepage. It’s helpful, and it stayed on the right side of obtrusive.

A range of Samsung apps are included on the S4 Mini and, at times, it did feel like a battle between the Samsung and Google offerings. Google has a book store, so does Samsung. Google has a video store, as does Samsung. Samsung have made their offerings go front-and-centre and, whilst they all work very well, it’s also a way to get you pulled into the Samsung cloud. Once you’ve got a Samsung account and you’ve grabbed some books, you’re kinda tied into the Samsung way of doing things. That said, the Samsung apps are pretty good.

That 1.7GHz dual-core CPU might be a “step down” from the S4, but it really doesn’t show. Browsing is quick and nimble. Pages render fine, the gallery opens quick enough and other tasks pretty easily indeed.

While I’m here, I’d just like to point out another little tweak I like. When a call comes in, it displays the actual area. So, if you see “0121? it’ll flash up “Birmingham”. If it’s “01827? then it’ll show “Tamworth”. Love that. That’s such a nice little touch. I like how missed calls pop up with a big green phone symbol and a message saying “Call back?” One hit. Boom.

The TV remote system works very well and it’s easy enough to setup. You just choose your TV model and it’ll then setup your set pretty easily by an almost trial and error system. Choose “Samsung” and it’ll then ask you to try changing a channel. If it doesn’t work, you just hit “next” and it’ll try a slightly different Samsung code. Before you know it, you’ve got a full TV listing system with details of the show and a help system guiding your through the “WatchOn” app which facilitates all this.

Camera

There’s a range of camera modes, ranging from Night mode, sports, beauty, continuous, panorama and HDR. I tended to keep the camera set to HDR most of the time. This seemed to produce the best shots if I’m honest. A timer mode and you can use voice commands to fire off a shot too.

Here’s some example shots direct from the camera. The gallery system separates images, screenshots and downloads, plus it’ll sync with your Dropbox account and, using a finger-pinch, you can reorganise the way images are displayed on screen.

Conclusion

Can’t fault it. When you’re reviewing a handset and resort to having a pros / cons list which is so unbalanced, you’ve either got a very good phone or a very bad one. Currently I have a “con” list which has this written on it…

“Sometimes I think that the IR port is the 3.5mm audio port if I’m not checking properly”.

That’s a VERY weak list. To be honest this is yet another Samsung handset with enough specs and settings to keep you happy for a long time. You can set this phone up in just the way you want. It can become your phone and, if I’m honest, you’re not losing a great deal by buying this instead of the larger S4. It’s a crackin’ little handset and, really, I shouldn’t call it little either. It’s beautifully styled, extremely well thought-out and terrific to use. Highly, and I mean highly, recommended.

Thanks to Dialaphone for loaning us the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini to review.

So, Samsung then. We should skip a few chapters straight off. It's a Samsung handset, so you know it's going to be a well-built thing and the UI is going to be a polished and elegant place to be. The Galaxy S4 got a huge amount of attention when it launched but this, the S4 Mini (aka the GT-I9195), almost appeared without notice. As with most "Mini" versions, it's not just the size that shrinks. The spec goes down too.. a bit... It's still good though. A dual-core 1.7GHz CPU, 4.3" qHD Super AMOLED screen and an 8 megapixel around the back. Sure, it's not a quad-core CPU, 5" 1920x1080 screen and 13 megapixel camera, plus you get a bit less storage too, but it's still a very good spec. The full specs are as follows.. Specs - 4.3”qHD (16:9 wide view) Super AMOLED screen - 1.7 GHz Dual-Core Processor - Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) - Camera Rear : 8 megapixel Front: 1.9 megapixel - Camera Features – Sound & Shot, Night(Low Light Shot), Best Photo, Best Face, Beauty Face(include Live Beauty), HDR (High Dynamic Range), Panorama, Sports, Continuous Shot - Connectivity – WiFi 5.0GHz a/b/g/ – GPS + GLONASS – Bluetooth® v4.0 (LE), NFC(LTE version only) – IR LED (Remote Control) - 8GB Internal memory (User Memory approximately 5GB) + microSD (up to 64GB), 1.5GB RAM - Dimension – 124.6 x 61.3 x 8.94mm, 107g (3G Dual SIM version:108g) - Battery – 1900mAh Outside The device is light and has a very nice rear panel which has a premium feel to it. It's the first time I've spent a big amount of time with this black version and I have to say that I'm beginning to prefer it over the white one. The screen is definitely "tall" and it reminded me about how the screen profile looks on the iPhone 5 / 5s. Up front you have a silver outer rim on the main panel and the same rim around the action / wake key at the bottom of the screen. Up top, and above the Samsung logo, there's the earpiece and the front-mounted 1.9 megapixel camera. The screen is remarkably bright and the colours are vibrant. There's really no problem seeing everything on there, even in direct sunlight. The edges of the handset are flat, only curving at each corner and are in a brushed silver aluminium finish. The right side only has one button, and that's your power key. You can remove the battery cover with your nail here too. At the bottom you can find the microphone and the microUSB port for charging and moving files between your computer and phone. The left side has the volume up / down .... ..and at the top there's a second microphone for noise cancellation an IR port, which you can use for controlling your TV etc. More on that in a moment. Hands-on video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8g9BkgONjk Inside This, in my mind, is where Samsung gets clever. They've already ticked…85

Yet another stunning handset from Samsung, with enough tricks and gear to keep you happy for a long, long time.

9

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 – Hands on

Today I nipped to the local Three store to obtain a SIM card,. While there I was just making general enquiries about the Galaxy Note 3, the guy serving me said that the Samsung retail rep was in the store and they should be told release dates today.

At this I mobbed introduced myself to the rep and managed to prize the Note 3 from him.

Here’s my thoughts. .

Firstly let me apologise for the photo quality. I was trying to do it all “sneaky like”, but with the Note 2 is not that easy. I don’t know if the Three staff were happy but Nathan (the Samsung rep) was more than happy. In fact he was taking pictures of me taking pictures.

The actual device size? It’s more or less the same size as my Note 2, but with a smaller bezel and therefore a larger screen. Oh that screen! It’s awesome. The pictures do not do it justice. It’s crystal clear, pin sharp and nice and bright with really deep colours. The device is more Note 1 or Galaxy S2 shaped, and the “fake leather” does feel like leather (although the rep said this was not the finished version, which feels even better), so that’s me fooled.

The S-Pen can be inserted into the device anyway round (no more jammed pens if little ones get hold of it), and has clever features, like the ability to hand-write a phone number in a note, but call it straight from there.

I also drew a circle around the Flipboard widget and the whole article was then posted into a note.

The rep did say that devices were arriving in the UK as we speak, so hopefully not long till they are available …

Do I want one. ? …. I do now ….

Samsung announce gold Galaxy S4s

Now you may be noticing a trend here. Hot on the heels of Apple’s gold iPhone 5S, Samsung have today announced their very own golden edition(s) of their flagship Galaxy S4. Samsung’s Facebook and Twitter accounts are proudly displaying photos of both Gold Pink and Gold Brown devices which will no doubt go down a storm with well-heeled Sheikhs and Sultans.  

 The pictures seem to indicate that Samsung have gone for a quite saturated gold, rather than the (more tasteful) champagne that Apple chose. And (of course!) they’re still made out of plastic, rather than the anodized aluminium of the 5S. But hey, they’re shiny/tacky.

There really isn’t much else to say. Let’s hope that the next thing Samsung chooses to copy is the build quality of the 5C.