Samsung may soon launch Tizen phones in Russia and India

​Remember Samsung's Tizen operating system? It's not a household name, but it did make an appearance on the second wave of Galaxy Gear devices. We're still waiting for a full-fledged phone running the open-source OS, though, and we may just see one this year. According to sources who spoke with the Wall Street Journal, Samsung will launch a Tizen handset in Russia "in the coming weeks," and a Tizen device will reach India soon after. While that's about it in terms of details, one thing is clear: Samsung will look outside the US and Europe to get its fledgling operating system off the ground and into phones.

Earlier this year, Japanese carrier NTT Docomo canceled plans to launch a Tizen smartphone, explaining that the timing wasn't right. Other international telecoms, includingOrange in France, have also stalled in releasing their own Tizen-powered devices. Given the troubles Tizen's faced in Asia and Europe, a United States launch doesn't seem to be in the cards any time soon. By introducing Tizen smartphones in Russia and India, among other so-called emerging markets where software is less important than features and affordability, Samsung could have more success -- or at least that seems to be the thinking behind this strategy. Here's hoping we'll be tuning into a Moscow-based Samsung "Unpacked" event soon.

Iron Man case for the Samsung Galaxy S4

Samsung Galaxy S4 is available in market and already made a good start in sales by United States carriers. Thus the accessory makers are also keen to show their products affiliated with this smartphone. These include different case makers because with Samung light built material composed Galaxy S series the case is the most important accessory to keep it safe in accidents.

With the big hit of the Iron Man 3 this summer and with all the buzz the cover makers decided to introduce an Iron Man Beam Case for the Samsung Galaxy S4. The best part of this case is that beside protection this case features an NFC supported Glowing Eye and Arc Reactor. Which light up whenever you receive a notification on your phone. This feature makes it unique and different from other regular Samsung Galaxy S4 cases we have reviewed before in our blog. The case is available in the market for $39, which seems to be a good price as other default case makers also show up with the same price tag.

The case is available on the shop brando website. While the website does not explain the actual power for this whole light up for the whole operation of this case, we can still assume that it is fed through the same NFC Chip. because the housing is not much thicker than a standard case that we have seen for this smartphone, and of course there are nothing mentioned about any fixed battery inside.

Anyways Iron Man case for the Samsung Galaxy S4 sets some new standards in integration of NFC in the cases made by the 3rd parties for the NFC supported smartphones. Hope to see such a case for Samsung Galaxy S3.

The description and features written on the sales site
Features:

• Amazing Glowing Eye and Arc Reactor
• Proximate Communication
• Used NFC Technology
• Iron Man Hard Case
• Impressive Iron Man Print
• Hard and Protective
• Custom Made for Samsung Galaxy S4

Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Nokia Lumia 800

The competition between Mobile Phone brands as well as their respective Operating Systems, irrespective to the fact that whether they are using official or third part OS, but still the competition is said to be at its pinnacle point. Samsung Launched Galaxy S3 few days ago and if you are interested in knowing the enhancements, I’d suggest you to read Comparison between Samsung Galaxy S2 vs Samsung Galaxy S3. The Nokia Lumia 800 took the world by storm when it was released. With a killer combination of beauty and brains this handset became an instant hit in the markets and threatened to uproot the fame of the handsets that had been doing exceptionally well for a while. Here is a comparison between Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Nokia Lumia 800. Nokia also launched Lumia 900, but I haven’t managed to get my Hands on Lumia 900, So, I’m going to compare Galaxy S3 with Lumia 800.

1. Design

When I first saw the Nokia Lumia 800, I fell in love with it. It looks petite and the display of the handset is what attracted me the most. Another major plus of the handset is that it is available in a variety of colors. That is not the case with the Galaxy S3. But, the handset is much slimmer than the Nokia Lumia 800. But personally, Galaxy S3 isn’t looking as decent as Nokia Lumia 800 for sure, So my vote goes to Lumia 800.

• Nokia Lumia 800 - 116.5 x 61.2 x 12.1 mm
• Samsung Galaxy S3 – 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm

2. Processor

The Samsung Galaxy S3 has a Quad core ARM A9 Cortex processor with 1.4 GHz and the Nokia Lumia 800 has a single core processor with 1.4 GHz Scorpion processor, but it is evenly quicker and that is one of the most outstanding features of this handset. The Nokia Lumia outruns the Galaxy S3 when it comes to speed of the processor.

• Nokia Lumia 800 – Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon chipset and 1.4 GHz Scorpion Processor.
• Samsung Galaxy S3 – Exynos 4212 Quad Chiptset and Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A9 Processor.

3. Display

Nokia Lumia fails to leave an impact in this aspect as it has a 3.7 inch screen that feels elfin in front of the mammoth 4.9 inch touchscreen display of the Galaxy S3. The Nokia display is a Nokia ClearBlack display that has touch sensitive controls and is encased in Gorilla Glass. The Samsung Galaxy S3 is a Super AMOLED Plus handset that is also got the Corning Gorilla Glass 2 protection. I’d like to go with Galaxy S3 without any hesitation in terms of Display Quality.

• Nokia Lumia 800 – 480 x 800 pixels of display resolution and 3.7 inches of screen size (252 ppi)
• Samsung Galaxy S3 – 720 x 1280 pixels of display resolution and 4.8 inches of screen size (306 ppi)

4. Operating System

Nokia Lumia gets a grip over the Galaxy S3 as the Lumia is a Windows operating system based handset which gives some fresh feel for users. It is based on the Windows Phone 7.5 Mango operating system and this has been one of the most awaited operating systems of all times. The Samsung Galaxy S3 is based on the Android ICS 4 operating system which is the upgraded version of Honeycomb, but I believe people are vexed with iOS and Android OS and they are searching for some new operating systems. I must seriously admit that UI of Windows OS 7.5 Mango is really amazing, but it doesn’t compete with Android ICS 4, in terms of applications. With over few million applications, ICS4 still holds strong hand over Windows 7.5 Mango.

5. Camera

The Nokia Lumia 800 as well as the Galaxy S3, have integrated 8MP rear facing cameras. Both the shooters are complemented by an LED Flash. The difference lies in the secondary camera, that is the front facing camera of the handsets, while the Galaxy S3 has a 2MP front facing camera that enables video calls, the Nokia Lumia 800 lacks a front facing camera and thus video calling is not really possible, which keeps on back hand.

If you are searching for special offers on mobile phones, then I believe that you might have to wait till Halloween or Christmas, by then Google might launch Jelly Beans OS for sure. So, just keep on searching on e-commerce sites like Amazon, Ebay, etc., for best deals.

So, in the comparison between Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Nokia Lumia 800, it is clear that the Nokia Lumia has not done any harm to the reputation of the Galaxy S3, although it has managed to create a furor in the market with its entry. It obviously does not have features that are even near to that of the Galaxy S3 and the S3 manages to keep its position at least for next quarter.

Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500 Missing FM-Radio Tuner

This is a absolute bottom line that every latest flagship device doesn’t come with advantages targeted for each segment of the consumers, but they generally address the limited audience. Samsung’s 2013 flagship, comes with hardware upgrade over nearest rival, Samsung Galaxy S3 which launched in 2012. We have seen the traditional FM Radio on even lower-end basic mobile phones like Nokia 1100. Major segment of the users find the FM Radio on mobile phone useful, and those people can listen to the unlimited songs on the Radio. But many are disappointed after hearing the news that, Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500 lacks the FM Radio, and come with ‘No FM Radio’. Why Galaxy S4 Missing FM-Radio Support?

The ways for Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500 are not going to smooth, and now after the device finally starting reaching the hands of consumers, they are obviously disappointed after they got to see the fact that their new device is missing FM Radio. Those who are familiar with the PCB/ motherboard of mobile phones that FM is a small chip which comes with Multiple Trim and FM-tuner gets placed on the board. Samsung could not abolish the FM Radio support, but they don’t think they’ve done something wrong. Russian website, hi-tech.mail.ru reached the Samsung Russia, and received the following official response,ize the fact that most of the users (even me) haven’t used FM Radio on my personal Android device for a while, and some have just not used it ever. If we consider this fact, then we also get to know that over 40% people have reported as ‘Yes! We use FM Radio’. Hence, for Samsung, this is exceedingly large crowd which they decided to ignore. Samsung’s aforementioned statement seems trivial since this can impose a negative impact on the overall sales of Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500, as the number of potential buyers will assess the ‘Missing FM Radio’ and this will force them to switch to rivals, including Samsung’s own Galaxy S3 i9300, Sony Xperia Z, HTC One, and more flagship devices. We know Apple never included the FM Radio thing in their smartphones, but Samsung did it for the first time. Let’s see how it goes.

Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500 Missing FM-Radio Tuner, Here is the reason, 6.3 out of 10 based on 4 ratings

Samsung Rugged Galaxy S4 Phone - Coming in July,2013

Samsung is on to something very durable indeed. Its rugged version of the all-new Galaxy S4 phone is a gem of a device. Those people wanting a sturdy partner by their side will welcome the S4 phone.

New things come up time and again. But seldom does it happen that a tough technology arrives and enters the arena. Samsung has just recently come up with it Galaxy S4 phone. Both water-repellent and dust-proof, this marvel of engineering is environment-friendly to boot. According to the Wall Street Journal this information is hardly surprising since Samsung has always been a king of innovation.

The fact that this rough and tough model will cut down competing models down to size is another feather in Samsung’s cap. Google’s Motorola for one is facing the heat from this direction. That the Samsung Galaxy S4 will not break down or stop functioning due to pollutants or minor damages is an open challenge to Google‘s abilities.

The bond between Samsung and the guys at Google is a bit complicated. Google is definitely a bit on edge over the issues of a product created by Samsung that furthermore shows great tensile strength. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is also being touted for the military and this has the makers jumping for joy. It is precisely this act which has other big guns like Apple and Blackberry highly worried.

This was actually a race that was on between all the competitors. The first one to build a phone with a tough exterior would win the sweepstakes that this economic game held in store for the brave contender. It seems like Samsung just might have made it to the finish line in the nick of time.

Galaxy Note III Design Still Up in The Air - 2013

Over the weekend, we ran a story about a Galaxy Note III prototype, which has since turned out to be fake, which is hardly surprising really. SamMobile are back with what they claim to be more information on the Galaxy Note III. Apparently, they’ve been passed an update which contains details on the design of the Galaxy Note III. They’re claiming that there are three types of prototype being tested by Samsung right now.

One of them is, of course, very similar to that of the Galaxy S 4, which is the path that they’ve taken with every Galaxy Note smartphone since the original. That would keep the two lines very close together in terms of branding but, with the Galaxy S growing again this year, is that what Samsung wants? Isn’t it about time for the Note line to stand outside of the Galaxy S’s shadow?

The second design is a completely new design that SamMobile were unable to comment about. A new design for the Note III would certainly help to make the device stand out and could give those uncertain of size reason to take a look. Who knows what this new design could be but, having the Note III look different to the Galaxy S IV can’t be a bad thing, surely?

Thirdly, there are rumors of a flexible-display packing Note III, specifically Samsung’s flexible AMOLED display tech that they showed off this year at CES 2013, it seems a little unlikely that it will be ready for mass-production come this fall but, stranger things have happened.

Again, these are just rumors and Samsung could be up to absolutely anything when it comes to the Note III but, we wouldn’t be surprised if they just went with the same sort of design as the Galaxy S 4, as Samsung have finally understood that a unified design language is a good marketing strategy. What do you think? Should the Note III become something different?

Samsung 16GB Galaxy S4 Only Has 8.82GB of Free Space 2013

How many of you are waiting to go and grab your Galaxy S4? Well before you do, you’ll want to read this so you don’t freak out. Or maybe you were expecting this. It appears that the Galaxy S4 has only 8.82GB of free space. The rest of it is used by the system, bloat apps, and other features Samsung has thrown into the device.

Over the weekend, on Google+ I noticed a few people that had already picked up the Galaxy S4 and were a bit ticked off that the device has only 8.82GB (around that amount) free to the user before installing any apps, loading up any music, or photos. Perhaps this is why Samsung kept the microSD card slot?

By comparison, the HTC One lists 7.14GB of your storage being used for the system, Sense 5, and such. But the HTC One also has 32GB and 64GB of space, and no microSD card slot. So as far as that goes, it’s all up to personal preference. Don’t forget you can expand your Galaxy S4′s storage with up to a 64GB microSD card.

So there you have it, the 16GB Galaxy S4 comes with just 8.82GB of storage that you can use, so the 32GB version will probably have around 24-25GB of free storage, by my calculation. Most of the panic here is probably going to come from the fact that you can’t even see the rest of the 16GB of storage. Many people might think that they have a 8GB model instead of the 16GB model.

Is this a deal breaker for anyone? Or are you just going to flash CyanogenMod onto your Galaxy S4? At least there is a microSD card slot included in the Galaxy S4, unlike with many other flagship devices. So at least Samsung has done that for it’s customers. Let us know in the comments down below.

Phone Condoms Protect Devices From the Rain

Smartskin Condoms for Smartphones are sheaths made from soft and stretchy thermoplastic that cover your device to protect it. The skins slip on and stretch to fit, and sealing tabs are provided to stick over the remaining area.
The water-resistant plastic wraps are useful if you need to use your phone out in the rain or want to use it at the beach, without worrying about water or sand damaging it.

You never know when you’ll get lucky ... enough to take your phone to the beach, or on a boat, or cycling in the rain, or driving a rally car, or riding a camel in the desert. But thanks to the sleek and stretchy Condoms for Smartphone, you'll never have to say no to an unexpected bit of excitement again. Keep them in your wallet for that special situation or emergency occasion, and know that your smartphone has protection at a moment's notice.

There are versions available for the iPhone 4/4s, the iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy SIII. A pack contains three skins and three sealing tabs, said to work up to three times each.
The smartphone retains full touchscreen and call functionality and 98% camera clarity, although headphones and cables cannot be used while the skin is on. The Condoms for Smartphones are available from Firebox for £12 ($18.50).

Samsung Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5 Screens Compared: It's a Tie

One of the most important features on any smartphone is its display, since it's how the user experiences every single app, piece of content or message via the phone. So how does the screen on the brand-new Samsung Galaxy S4 fare? One display expert decided to find out.
Testing a pre-production unit from Samsung, DisplayMate's Raymond Soneira found that the large, high-res screen of the Galaxy S4 is a "major" upgrade from its predecessor, the Galaxy S III. In comparing it with the iPhone 5, however, he found the two phones each had strengths and weaknesses, declaring the contest "a tie."
The Galaxy S4 boasts a 5-inch full HD display with 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. That adds up to a dense 441 pixels per inch (ppi), but there's a catch, says Soneira. The screen is a PenTile display, which means it doesn't have as may subpixels as an LCD, instead letting pixels "share" subpixels for displaying some content so as not to lose apparent resolution.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S4: Best Android Phone Ever

PenTile technology works very well for videos and photos, but when it comes to things such text — where precise pixel placement matters more — edges can sometimes get fuzzy. But that doesn't happen on the GS4, Soneira says, simply because the pixel density is already so high.
"There are 312 red and blue subpixels per inch, which is only a few percent lower than Apple'e benchmark 326 ppi iPhone retina display," he wrote. "Visually the Galaxy S4 PenTile display delivers excellent visual sharpness across the board."
The screen on the Galaxy S4 uses OLED technology instead of the more common LCD tech found on the iPhone 5 and most other phones. Samsung is the world's leading supplier of OLED displays in phones, and it shows, Soneira says. Although OLEDs typically aren't as bright as LCDs, the test found the GS4 to perform well in high ambient lighting, 25% brighter than the GSIII. It was about 15% less bright than the iPhone 5's display, though.
Although the test found the iPhone 5 to be "significantly" brighter than the Galaxy S4, Samsung's flagship has better screen uniformity, darker blacks and — notably — much better brightness off-angle. Viewed from the side, the iPhone 5's brightness drops 60% at just a 30-degree angle whereas the GS4's decreases just 22%.
You can check out the full write-up, along with comparison tables, over at DisplayMate.
What features in a smartphone screen matter to you most? Let us know in the comments.

New SAMSUNG Phone Can't Match The Competition

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is easily the most hyped phone of the year.

There was a Broadway-style launch event took place at Radio City Music Hall. The announcement made the front pages of newspapers around the country. People were drooling.

Now, a month later, the Galaxy S4 is here.

I've been using the Galaxy S4 for about a week. In many respects, it does live up to all that hype and is definitely one of the best phones you can buy today. But it's still falls short of its chief rivals, the iPhone 5 and HTC One, at least from a design standpoint.

Click here for photos of the Samsung Galaxy S4 >

The Hardware: So Much Plastic

Perhaps the most polarizing feature of the Galaxy S4 is its design and build quality. A lot of people criticized Samsung when it decided to make its new flagship phone out of plastic, and rightfully so. The Galaxy S4 simply isn't as beautiful or as fun to hold as the HTC One and iPhone 5.

And it almost feels cheap by comparison. The entire phone is covered in creaky plastic, not solid metal and glass. Just take off the flimsy back cover and you'll see what I'm talking about. It almost bends in half. Whereas the iPhone and HTC One designs scream quality, the Galaxy S4 design feels at least two years behind. It looks nearly identical to last year's Galaxy S III, with only a few minor tweaks.

Steve Kovach/Business Insider

The flimsy back cover on the Galaxy S4.

Now is the plastic horrible? Is it a deal breaker? Is the Galaxy S4 a total dud because there's no metal on the body?

Nope.

There are some benefits to owning a plastic phone over a metal one, and some will find the plastic construction a good thing, not a drawback. The Galaxy S4 won't scratch as easily as metal phones, and the plastic makes the phone feel slim and lightweight.

And there are plenty of other things to love about the hardware, most notably the screen, which is easily the best physical feature of the Galaxy S4.

At five inches, the Galaxy S4's display is bigger, sharper, and more impressive than the one on the iPhone 5. It can also play HD video, another feature missing from the iPhone. And a bigger screen doesn't mean the phone itself is so huge you can't hold it. Samsung was able to increase the Galaxy S4's screen size but still keep the phone's body nearly the same size as the Galaxy S III. As a result, the phone has a remarkably thin bezel, and the display feels like it's floating in your hand. Gorgeous.

The Galaxy S4 also has a removable battery and a SD card slot for extra memory, two features many manufacturers are starting to leave out of phones nowadays. Battery life is pretty good too. You'll easily be able to make it through a day with moderate use.

In the end, the hardware is all about tradeoffs. You get one of the best screens available on a phone, a removable battery, and expandable memory, but it's all encased in a plastic shell. I enjoyed the look and feel of the HTC One a lot more than the Galaxy S4, but it's all a matter of personal preference.

More Features Than You Can Count

The Galaxy S4 is still an Android phone at its core, meaning you get access to all of those great Google features like a robust selection of apps and games along with Google Now, a voice-powered assistant that's much better than Siri on the iPhone.

But Samsung has modified Google's basic Android operating system with a bunch of whiz-bang features of its own. In fact, there's so much stuff packed into this phone, that Samsung had to create a special settings menu just so you can toggle everything on and off.

This is how you toggle all the extra features on and off.

Normally, I wouldn't spend so much time on these features, but it's a big part of how Samsung is trying to differentiate the Galaxy S4 from other phones. It spent a few million dollars putting on that Broadway-style show to introduce them, after all.

There's way too much in the Galaxy S4 to go over without boring you to death, so here's an overview of the most important stuff:

• Air View: This feature lets you hover your finger a centimeter or two over the phone's display and view extra information or drop-down menus in apps. I found it the most useful in the email app, which lets you hover over a message in your inbox and get a quick preview of what it says. But it doesn't work with most apps, only a few that are made by Samsung and the specially designed Flipboard app. And it's still not as instant as actually touching the screen. There's a noticeable delay from the time you hover over the screen and when the action actually appears.
• Air Gesture: When you switch on Air Gesture, you can scroll through photos in your gallery, browse websites, or answer incoming calls by waving your hand over the screen. Air Gesture was one of the most talked about features when the Galaxy S4 was first introduced, but it also happens to be one of the most impractical. I could only think of one scenario where waving your hand over the screen is better than actually touching it, and it's the example Samsung gave me –– Air Gesture is great if you're in the car and you need to answer the phone without looking.
• Smart Stay: Smart Stay uses the Galaxy S4's front-facing camera to detect when you're looking at it and prevents the screen from going dark. Out of all the extras in the Galaxy S4, this is by the most useful. It solves a real problem with smartphones and tablets (How many times has your phone's screen gone dark while you were in the middle of reading an article?) and it's a feature you should always keep switched on.
• Smart Scrolling: You've probably heard that the Galaxy S4 has a special eye-tracking technology used for scrolling. That's not entirely accurate. Like with Smart Stay, Smart Scrolling can detect when you're looking at the phone. You then tilt the phone forward or backward to scroll through pages. But smart scrolling didn't always work well for me, and like Air Gesture, I found it easier just to touch the screen to navigate the old-fashioned way. There's no real advantage to tilting your phone to scroll.
• Camera: The camera software is really impressive, packed with a bunch of clever shooting modes that are easy to navigate to. (A lot of smartphone cameras tend to bury their extra modes.) My favorite mode is called Eraser, which can automatically detect people moving in the background and remove them to create a nearly perfect image. I also like Animated Photo, which lets you create your own GIF-like images. Other standard shooting modes like panorama and HDR are included too.

Air View on the Galaxy S4.

Got all that?

There are several more goodies hidden in the Galaxy S4's software, but hopefully you get the idea. Samsung has packed its new phone with more doodads than any one person could ever use. Some of them are useful, some of them don't work properly, and some of them are just plain gimmicky. But that's also part of what makes the Galaxy S4 an appealing phone –– it's versatile and completely customizable, able to adapt to your needs whether you're a smartphone pro or a novice.

All those extras are there if you want them, yet hidden if you don't.

Is It Worth The Hype?

Make no mistake about it, the Galaxy S4 is a great phone, and easily one of the best you can buy right now. You get an amazing Android experience on a big, beautiful display.

As long as you don't mind a bunch of plastic, you'll be perfectly happy with the Galaxy S4.

But is it the best phone? No. You're still much better off with the iPhone 5 or the HTC One if you like Android.

Pricing and launch dates vary by carrier, but you should be able to get the Galaxy S4 for around $200 starting this week. Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and US Cellular will be the first US carriers to sell the phone.

GOOGLE GLASS & SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 have already been rooted

Two hot bits of tech are in the rooting news today, with amusing stories of Google Glass and Samsung Galaxy S4 hackery.

First, the Google Glass “Explorer Edition” may have only been in anyone’s hands for a few days, but they’ve figured out a way to root the ol’ facehugger. The thing isn’t even in stores yet, and hackers have already gotten their grubby little sausage fingers into its Android OS. (For more information on Rooting, check out our Rooting How To and Best Rooting Apps.)

Jay Freeman, aka Saurik, is a legend in the iOS hacker community. In an interview with Forbes, he credited fellow hacker B1nary with finding the Android 4.0 exploit he used to crack Glass. The technique entails tricking the device into thinking’s it’s an emulation, as opposed to real hardware. This opens up all the permissions, and achieves root access, since emulations are only used for testing.

Freeman isn’t even the first to do it – another hacker named Liam McLoughlin did it a day earlier. This might be good news for those worried about Google’s ability to remotely deactivate Glass if you try and sell it.

In related news, “drbliss” of XDA Developers has reported that, as long as you’ve got a U.S. model, or any model with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, you can root your Galaxy S4 with the old Motorola exploit called “Motochopper.”

First, make sure you’ve got the most recent Samsung USB drivers on your device. Then, download the Motochopper archive. Next, if you’re on Windows, you’ve got to run the supplied run.bat batch file. If you’re on OS X or Linux, it’s the run.sh Shell script. Again, none of this will work on international variants of the device with Samsung’s Exynos 5 Octa chips.

Here’s a really important warning if you’re going to do this: the Galaxy S4 currently doesn’t have any custom recoveries or stock images to help you navigate the menus while toying around with your rooted phone, so fixing it could be a serious problem if your tinkering ends up bricking or soft-bricking the device. That said, developers will almost certainly take care of the issue before too long.

Best Samsung Galaxy S4 accessories - 2013

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is undoubtedly going to be the pride and joy of many a trouser pocket from its official UK release date of 27 April. But keeping that phone feeling fresh and scratch-free means investing in a decent case. Thankfully, with Samsung such a hot brand at the moment, and its new phone the most sought after handset on the planet (probably), accessories extend way beyond that.

So then, what sort of toys should you be looking at to go alongside your Galaxy S4 when it arrives? Read on to find out everything you need for your swanky, new Samsung Galaxy S4.

Cases

Let's start with the obvious: a case. The Samsung Galaxy S4 has a big 5-inch 1080p display, which while being protected by Gorilla Glass 3, might not come off so well in a fight between screen and pavement.

Tech21 Impactology cases

Tech21 has put together a range of tough cases for the new Samsung phone. Starting with the Impact Snap Black and White, which retails for £19.99. The Tech21 impact reduction technology inside basically pushes impact force away from the phone if you drop it, making it nice and safe in the case, without the need for a massive plastic wraparound.

The cases also include the Impact Snap with Cover for £24.99 and the rather cool-looking Impact Mesh, which is clear around the edges with an orange band. They will all be going on sale from 26 April ready for when the Galaxy S4 arrives.

Case-Mate barely there

We already have the tough case box ticked with Tech 21, so now on to something a bit more stylish. The Galaxy S4 is designed to be light and pocketable, so a good case shouldn’t add too much to the form factor of the phone.

Case-Mate’s Barely There range includes two cases, one in aluminium, which fit as close as possible to the phone while providing a good amount of protection. Both will go on sale from the end of April. The conventional Barely There is £14.99, the aluminium one £19.99.

Belkin Micra Folio case

Making a decent alternative to Samsung’s own brand flip case (shown below), but throwing in a bit of wallet functionality for good measure is Belkin’s Micra Folio case.

The whole thing is wrapped in soft-touch material, with a flip cover on the front that features a pocket in which to store cards and cash. A microfibre lining sits on the inside of the cover to keep your screen clean.

V-Moda Vamp Verza

This one is a bit of fun more than anything, although we can see it being a hugely useful accessory for the summer, especially if you intend to take your handset to the park to provide music.

You better get saving though, because V-Moda’s Vamp is $600 (£395). It includes a full amp and even a digital to analogue converter. It fits into V-Moda’s Vamp Metallo case, combining the two into an awesome portable hi-fi.

Samsung Galaxy S4 S View cover

For those who don’t fancy going third party, Samsung’s own S View cover is a good option. It features a letter box at the top of the front cover through which you can see part of the Galaxy S4’s screen.

The phone will actually recognise when you have the case on and subsequently display important information like time and notifications, through the relevant letter box. It also keeps the front of your phone scratch free, but doesn’t offer quite the level of drop protection as bulkier cases.

Speck SmartFlex Card

Speck has built up quite a heritage for keeping your gadgets safe over recent times. The SmartFlex card will wrap around your Galaxy S4, while theoretically doing away with the need for you to carry about a wallet.

On the back of the case is a clever slot, which you can use to store things like bank cards inside. The case also comes in a wide variety of colours and looks just as good as anything else that Speck has one offer. Alternatively there is the SmartFlex View, which has a built in stand in the back so you can prop the handset up.

Cygnett Icon

One for the trendy types, Cygnett’s Icon case uses a Keith Haring style print on the back to seperate it out from the usual black, white and see-through cases. It won't, however, keep your phone quite as protected as the competition, as the case only really covers the back of the Galaxy S4.

If you fancy a touch more screen protection, Cygnett has the WorkMate, which is as colourful as as Championship football team’s kit. It also has a proper bumper on the front, so should stop the screen from getting damaged if you drop it.

Headphones

Android phones are starting to get their own set of audio accessories, or at least increased compatibility with devices. This means you can enjoy best-in-class audio tech alongside your new Galaxy S4.

Ultimate Ears 6000

One of the big draws of the UE 6000 is that they are fully compatible, microphone and all, with Android handsets. Being battery-powered noise cancelling cans also means you get great sounding audio even on planes and trains.

The Ultimate Ears have a design scheme which is in keeping with that of Samsung’s. Gloss white and black matches nicely with the new colourways on the Galaxy S4, making the headphones a bit of a complementary product for your new phone. The Ultimate Ears are £140.

Bowers & Wilkins P3

Another colour-matched set of headphones, the Bowers and Wilkins P3s come in black, white and a soon to be launched blue. They also sound fantastic and are nice and compact, coming with a great carry case to keep them protected in handbags or rucksacks.

B&Ws P3s cost around £170, but for that you are getting some top sound quality and build. They even have removable headphone cables in case the set you have breaks.

SteelSeries Real Racing 3 Gaming headset

If there is one app that is really going to show off the graphical prowess of your Galaxy S4, then it's Real Racing 3. We are talking about near-console quality gaming, all wrapped up in an app that is free to download. Okay, so there is some freemium shenanigans going on, but hey, if you can afford a Galaxy S4 then in-app purchases should be the least of your worries.

The SteelSeries 3 headset is designed specifically with RR3 in mind. They ship with a mini jack on one headphone so you can connect another set and share audio with a friend. There is also an in-line microphone for hands-free calling. The RR3 headphones cost £99 from the SteelSeries website.

Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H6

This is most definitely the pricey premium option, but for those who can afford it, the H6s offer top notch quality and design. At £329 they aren’t cheap, but then B&O has spared no expense. The leather for example is top quality New Zealand leather, which looks like it might last forever.

Audio is top notch, if a little light, but these headphones are geared towards classical music, rather than the bass heavy tracks a set of Beats headphones prefers. The aluminium on either can is also a nice touch.

Docks

For many, the Galaxy S4 is replacing an iPod or iPhone. This means some sort of speaker dock will come in particularly handy if you fancy taking your music further. The Galaxy S4 uses a micro USB connector, which should mean you need only a USB port on a dock for the phone to work.

Philips Fidelio AS851

Philips has taken proper care of Android users with its range of Fidelio audio docks. The AS851 has a clever Flexidock, which can adapt to allow you to place virtually any Android phone into it.

This means your Galaxy S4 will fit snug in the Fidelio, rather than dangling off it attached with a cable. It’s a minor point, but with something as premium as the SGS 4, you really want your dock to match its quality.

Idapt S2

How about a dock that works with both iOS and Android devices, so you can plug in your Galaxy S4, or visiting friends hook up their iPhones? That way everyone gets a chance to play their music at parties.

The Idapt S2’s thinking is that you can never have enough connectors. As such, it comes with a micro USB connector, as well as a 30-pin Apple adapter or Lightning, should you be so inclined. The S2's pricing starts at £159. 

Samsung Galaxy Air - Concepts,2013

We’ve had a few concept phones created by Deepak Ahuja on our website till now, but who said that concepts have to be smartphones? Even midrange or lower end units can become interesting mockups, just like the Samsung Galaxy Air shown below.

We’re dealing with a midrange to high end device, that runs Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean with the Samsung TouchWiz Nature UX on top. The screen here is a 4 inch Super AMOLED with a 720p resolution and inside we’ve got a quad core 1.3 GHz processor. At the back there’s an 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash and upfront a 1.3 megapixel camera with BSI.

Inside we also have 16/32GB of storage, 1 GB of RAM and the handset comes in marble white, majestic blue, garnet red and sapphire black. There’s even a price tag attached to it: $299. Overall, the design is a bit like the one of the Galaxy S4, but with a slightly changed lower front side.

Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Nokia Lumia 800

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The competition between Mobile Phone brands as well as their respective Operating Systems, irrespective to the fact that whether they are using official or third part OS, but still the competition is said to be at its pinnacle point. Samsung Launched Galaxy S3 few days ago and if you are interested in knowing the enhancements, I’d suggest you to read Comparison between Samsung Galaxy S2 vs Samsung Galaxy S3. The Nokia Lumia 800 took the world by storm when it was released. With a killer combination of beauty and brains this handset became an instant hit in the markets and threatened to uproot the fame of the handsets that had been doing exceptionally well for a while. Here is a comparison between Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Nokia Lumia 800. Nokia also launched Lumia 900, but I haven’t managed to get my Hands on Lumia 900, So, I’m going to compare Galaxy S3 with Lumia 800.

1. Design
When I first saw the Nokia Lumia 800, I fell in love with it. It looks petite and the display of the handset is what attracted me the most. Another major plus of the handset is that it is available in a variety of colors. That is not the case with the Galaxy S3. But, the handset is much slimmer than the Nokia Lumia 800. But personally, Galaxy S3 isn’t looking as decent as Nokia Lumia 800 for sure, So my vote goes to Lumia 800.
•Nokia Lumia 800 - 116.5 x 61.2 x 12.1 mm
•Samsung Galaxy S3 – 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm


 2. Processor
The Samsung Galaxy S3 has a Quad core ARM A9 Cortex processor with 1.4 GHz and the Nokia Lumia 800 has a single core processor with 1.4 GHz Scorpion processor, but it is evenly quicker and that is one of the most outstanding features of this handset. The Nokia Lumia outruns the Galaxy S3 when it comes to speed of the processor.
•Nokia Lumia 800 – Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon chipset and 1.4 GHz Scorpion Processor.
•Samsung Galaxy S3 – Exynos 4212 Quad Chiptset and Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A9 Processor.
 3. Display
Nokia Lumia fails to leave an impact in this aspect as it has a 3.7 inch screen that feels elfin in front of the mammoth 4.9 inch touchscreen display of the Galaxy S3. The Nokia display is a Nokia ClearBlack display that has touch sensitive controls and is encased in Gorilla Glass. The Samsung Galaxy S3 is a Super AMOLED Plus handset that is also got the Corning Gorilla Glass 2 protection.  I’d like to go with Galaxy S3 without any hesitation in terms of Display Quality.
•Nokia Lumia 800 – 480 x 800 pixels of display resolution and 3.7 inches of screen size (252 ppi)
•Samsung Galaxy S3 – 720 x 1280 pixels of display resolution and 4.8 inches of screen size (306 ppi)
 4. Operating System
Nokia Lumia gets a grip over the Galaxy S3 as the Lumia is a Windows operating system based handset which gives some fresh feel for users. It is based on the Windows Phone 7.5 Mango operating system and this has been one of the most awaited operating systems of all times. The Samsung Galaxy S3 is based on the Android ICS 4 operating system which is the upgraded version of Honeycomb, but I believe people are vexed with iOS and Android OS and they are searching for some new operating systems. I must seriously admit that UI of Windows OS 7.5 Mango is really amazing, but it doesn’t compete with Android ICS 4, in terms of applications. With over few million applications, ICS4 still holds strong hand over Windows 7.5 Mango.
 5. Camera
The Nokia Lumia 800 as well as the Galaxy S3, have integrated 8MP rear facing cameras. Both the shooters are complemented by an LED Flash. The difference lies in the secondary camera, that is the front facing camera of the handsets, while the Galaxy S3 has a 2MP front facing camera that enables video calls, the Nokia Lumia 800 lacks a front facing camera and thus video calling is not really possible, which keeps on back hand.
If you are searching for special offers on mobile phones, then I believe that you might have to wait till Halloween or Christmas, by then Google might launch Jelly Beans OS for sure. So, just keep on searching on e-commerce sites like Amazon, Ebay, etc., for best deals.
So, in the comparison between Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Nokia Lumia 800, it is clear that the Nokia Lumia has not done any harm to the reputation of the Galaxy S3, although it has managed to create a furor in the market with its entry. It obviously does not have features that are even near to that of the Galaxy S3 and the S3 manages to keep its position at least for next quarter.

Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500 Missing FM-Radio Tuner

This is a absolute bottom line that every latest flagship device doesn’t come with advantages targeted for each segment of the consumers, but they generally address the limited audience. Samsung’s 2013 flagship, comes with hardware upgrade over nearest rival, Samsung Galaxy S3 which launched in 2012. We have seen the traditional FM Radio on even lower-end basic mobile phones like Nokia 1100. Major segment of the users find the FM Radio on mobile phone useful, and those people can listen to the unlimited songs on the Radio. But many are disappointed after hearing the news that, Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500 lacks the FM Radio, and come with ‘No FM Radio’. Why Galaxy S4 Missing FM-Radio Support?

The ways for Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500 are not going to smooth, and now after the device finally starting reaching the hands of consumers, they are obviously disappointed after they got to see the fact that their new device is missing FM Radio. Those who are familiar with the PCB/ motherboard of mobile phones that FM is a small chip which comes with Multiple Trim and FM-tuner gets placed on the board. Samsung could not abolish the FM Radio support, but they don’t think they’ve done something wrong. Russian website, hi-tech.mail.ru reached the Samsung Russia, and received the following official response,ize the fact that most of the users (even me) haven’t used FM Radio on my personal Android device for a while, and some have just not used it ever. If we consider this fact, then we also get to know that over 40% people have reported as ‘Yes! We use FM Radio’. Hence, for Samsung, this is exceedingly large crowd which they decided to ignore. Samsung’s aforementioned statement seems trivial since this can impose a negative impact on the overall sales of Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500, as the number of potential buyers will assess the ‘Missing FM Radio’ and this will force them to switch to rivals, including Samsung’s own Galaxy S3 i9300, Sony Xperia Z, HTC One, and more flagship devices. We know Apple never included the FM Radio thing in their smartphones, but Samsung did it for the first time. Let’s see how it goes.

Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500 Missing FM-Radio Tuner, Here is the reason, 6.3 out of 10 based on 4 ratings