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Apr

Verizon's Galaxy S4 Pre-Orders Start Today, Devices Begin Shipping 'By May 30th'

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Galaxy S4, News, Verizon Wireless

While Galaxy S4 pre-orders are already well underway for most other carriers, Verizon joins the party today – fashionably late as usual. You can get the 16GB version of Samsung's newest flagship on the country's largest provider of LTE for $200 – but you'll have to wait until May 30th to actually get the device in your hands. That's basically a full month later than most other carriers. Par for the course in Verizonland, though.

If you can handle the delay (or just can bear the thought of leaving Verizon for another carrier), then you can secure your GS4 below. Keep in mind, however, it looks like the 16GB version is the only one available right now, as the 32/64GB versions are nowhere to be found.

Apr

Sprint And T-Mobile Facing Galaxy S4 Shipping Delays And Retail Availability Shortages

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Galaxy S4, News, Samsung

Samsung is facing some difficulties in getting its newest flagship phone into the hands of its U.S. customers. T-Mobile and Sprint have both reported that they will need to push back retail and online availability of the device. T-Mobile will now begin selling the phone on April 29th via its website, though the company has not confirmed when it will be available in stores. Here's the carrier's full statement:

We know customers are really looking forward to getting their new Samsung Galaxy S 4 soon. However, due to an unexpected delay with inventory deliveries, the Galaxy S 4 will not be available on www.T-Mobile.com as planned on Wednesday, April 24.

Apr

V-Moda Gives Otterbox A Run For Its Money With The Stylishly Expensive METALLO Galaxy S III Case

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Accessories, Galaxy S III, News, Samsung

V-Moda has been climbing the accessory maker charts lately with stylish (if divisive) designs for headphones and phone cases. The company's first foray into Android is the METALLO case for the Galaxy S III. The all-metal design (probably high-density aluminum) is unique, changing the shape of the phone and making it dockable with an extra amplifier/battery pack accessory. It's also one of the more expensive case options out there, starting at $101 for the frame, backplate and screen protector.

The METALLO case reshapes the GSIII, changing its soft corners into a sharper oblong rectangle with rounded sides. Protection for all sides is complete, save for some vanity panels on the back.

Apr

[Updated] AT&T Galaxy S 4 Pre-Orders Now Set To Ship April 30th, Available In Stores April 27th

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in AT&T, Galaxy S4, News

Update: Some early pre-order folks are saying their devices are supposed to arrive on the 25th. It might only be newer pre-orders that are going out on the 30th.

If you're planning to pick up Samsung's latest and greatest on AT&T's LTE network the instant it's available, start checking your email for tracking numbers on April 30th. That's when pre-orders for the Galaxy S 4 will begin going out to customers. However, if you didn't pre-order the device, you might actually be able to get it a few days early on April 27th. Take that, early birds!

AT&T's online purchase page for both the white and black 16GB Galaxy S 4 now states the device will ship on April 30th in no uncertain terms.

Apr

Deal Alert: Get A 16GB Unlocked Galaxy Note II For Just $499.99 From eBay

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Deals, Galaxy Note II, Samsung

With the Note III nowhere on the horizon (yet), there are undoubtedly those who are still tempted to give Samsung's second phablet marvel a try. For those looking to make the jump to an ample 5.5" screen, eBay has turned up today's second deal alert, with a gray 16GB Note II going for just $499.99 with free standard shipping.

If you're looking for a deal on the device, you likely don't need us to recount the virtues of the Note II. We could go on about the 5.5" screen, S-Pen, 2GB RAM, 8MP camera, and 1.6GHz quad-core processor, but in the interest of word economy, we won't.

Apr

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 Available Today In Canada

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Galaxy Note 8.0, News

It's a big day for our neighbors to the north! The HTC One hit store shelves this morning, which is a fairly big deal in itself. If you're not in the market for a new phone (or just aren't into the One for whatever reason), but happen to be looking for a new tablet instead, another outstanding device hit Canadian retailers today as well: the Galaxy Note 8.0.

The Note 8.0 is Sammy's newest entry into the eight inch slate market, which also brings most of the best features from the Note 10.1 and Note II along for the ride. I've actually been playing with the Note 8.0 for the last day, and I can say this: it's one of the best tablets I've ever used.

Apr

[For Developers] Samsung Bluetooth Low Energy SDK Opens To The Public

Posted by Cody Toombs in Development, News, Samsung

For quite some time, we've been hearing about the potential advantages of the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) spec, and a seemingly endless list of gadgets that could benefit from it. Unfortunately, while many modern flagship devices are equipped with the necessary hardware, Google has allowed the Android OS to languish without official support for the standard. Most of the top OEMs have built their own proprietary versions for the energy efficient protocol, but until now, only Motorola has freely shared access to its API. However, that changes today: Samsung is taking its BLE SDK public.

Since building their own custom frameworks, both HTC and Samsung have required developers to submit applications for access to the SDKs.

Apr

Sprint's Note II Getting A Small OTA Update To Build L900VPAMC2, Brings A Home Screen Security Update, Other Stuff

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Galaxy Note II, News, Sprint

Howdy, Sprintsters! If you're a Note II owner, it's time to head into Settings > About Phone > System updates again, as The Now Network is pushing another OTA to the massive handset. It's a small one, with only a couple of fixes in tow:

Build: L900VPAMC2

- Waking a device with the home key incorrectly brings up the Recently Use applications screen

- Home Screen security updates

Exciting, no? At least you'll have a safer home screen and won't have to deal with seeing recent apps when you turn the device on with the home button post-update, though. So that's something.

Apr

This 7000mAh Galaxy S III Battery Will Power your Phone Till The Cows Come Home, And It's Only $34

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Galaxy S III, News, Samsung

The Galaxy S III has a capacity of 2100 milliamp hours. As far as battery life goes, it's alright, when compared to other flagship phones from last year. But if you want the absolute best longevity out there, not to mention the best bang for your battery buck, you've got to check out the off-brand expanded model that Reddit found while trawling the depths of Amazon.

It's got a capacity of 7000mAh. Look at that number again: 7000. That's more than three times the capacity of the standard battery, double most of the existing extended batteries, and (as it happens) the same amount of juice that goes into Samsung's current crop of 10-inch tablets.

Apr

Animoca: Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 Line And The Kindle Fire Family Are Still The Most Popular Android Tablets Worldwide

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Android OS, News, Tablets

A little less than a year ago, we saw a report that showed the Galaxy Tab was the most popular Android tablet, followed closely by the Kindle Fire. A lot has happened since then. The Nexus 7 has rolled out and set the new bar for what a small, cheap Android tablet should be. So, what's changed worldwide? Well, according to Animoca, not much.

According to the firm—which distributes games and entertainment apps—the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is the top Android tablet with 11.8% of its network, followed closely by the 10.1 model of the same line. Following that is the Kindle Fire and the Kindle Fire HD which collectively make up another 12.4% of Animoca's users.