Samsung's Exynos 5-based Chromebook may have been available since last October, but how about one equipped with WiMAX radio? Graced with the presence of Google and Samsung reps in Kuala Lumpur (including a video message from Google SVP Sundar Pichai), today Malaysian carrier Yes 4G unveiled this rather special laptop for the local consumers. In fact, we should have seen this coming as Google's official blog did hint this last month, but we failed to catch that blurred "Yes 4G" logo on the laptop in the blog's photo.

As Google mentioned, the ultimate goal here is to help transform Malaysia's education using the Chromebook. And now we know that this ambition will be backed by Yes 4G's rapidly growing WiMAX network -- from the initial 1,200 base stations in 2010 to today's 4,000, covering 85 percent of the peninsula; and the carrier will expand into the eastern side with 700 more sites by the end of this year. This is especially important for the rural areas, where many schools still lack access to water and electricity. As a partner of the Malaysian Ministry of Education's 1BestariNet project, Yes 4G's parent company YTL Communications has so far ensured that 7,000 local state schools are covered by its WiMAX network, with the remaining 3,000 to be connected over the next six months.

Gallery: Malaysia's Yes 4G adds WiMAX to Samsung Chromebook, aims to transform local education

Filed under: Laptops, Samsung

Comments

Source: Yes

Hang around these pages long enough and you're bound to come across Pantech, the South Korean purveyor of everything from giant 1080p handsets down to... giant 720p handsets. Samsung has noticed this rising star too and, so says Yonhap News, has now made a $50 million investment in the smaller company in return for a 10 percent stake. Implicit in that is that the Korean government has allowed Samsung's ever-expanding influence to infiltrate a potential rival, since Pantech is now the No. 3 phone maker in that country and only Qualcomm and a state-run bank possess larger stakes than Samsung's. As a result, the acquisition could have an anti-competitive aura to it -- but then, Pantech has actually been struggling of late, not least with large debts, and it has relied on big backers to bail it out.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Comments

Via: The Next Web

Source: Yonhap News

So, it's not the full laptop setup we were kinda-sorta expecting based on Samsung's announcement yesterday, but the Korean company's 13.3-inch 3,200 x 1,800 panel -- with a whopping 275 ppi -- is still plenty impressive on its own. Though the prototype was connected to a desktop PC rather than installed in a notebook, the demo gave us what we came for: a look at that sheer pixel density. You really have to see it to believe it -- with the desktop set to the screen's native resolution, menus, icons and text all appear tiny. The benefit of such a high resolution, of course, is that you can fit more information on screen, and it's more than a little reminiscent of Apple's Retina display. The booth wasn't equipped with internet access, so we couldn't test the panel's mettle with a trip to this very site, but images on the desktop and in Samsung's pre-loaded PowerPoint looked very bright and crisp.

In addition to playing up the pixel count, Samsung touted its prototype as a "green panel," claiming 30-percent lower power consumption than existing LCDs. And like the flexible LG display we saw just a bit earlier, this screen won't stay off the market for long: expect a 13.3-inch version -- with touch capability -- to ship in the next two months, though it may debut on a third-party laptop, not necessarily one manufactured by Samsung. A rep told us that 14- and 15.6-inch versions will follow. Check out our hands-on video and photos for a closer look.

Gallery: Samsung 3,200 x 1,800-pixel 13.3-inch display eyes-on

Filed under: Displays, Laptops, Samsung

Comments

First came the model number mentions, then the pictures, and now Samsung's rumored and rugged Galaxy S 4 Active has been caught on film. In a situation that screams "controlled leak," MobileTechReview appears to have handled exactly the same tethered unit we've seen snaps of, and says the device sports a dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus CPU and an 8-megapixel main camera. Even though it's just another unconfirmed piece of the rumor puzzle, an alleged AnTuTu benchmark puts a Snapdragon 600 inside the Active, matching that of the regular S 4, which packs a 13-megapixel shooter. If MobileTechReview are correct, then it wouldn't really be a hardy version of the GS4 at all, but rather another new Samsung mid-ranger that'll put up with a bit of a beating.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

Comments

Via: Sammy Hub

Source: MobileTechReview

Samsung showed off its Wallet app to developers earlier this year, and now Korean customers can download it onto compatible Android devices from the company's own app market. Currently it only appears to collect credit card info, which customers can then use to pay for goods and services at online merchants, verified by a one-time password or PIN. Clearly aimed at both Google Wallet and Apple's Passbook, Samsung plans to add a few features we've seen in Passbook that will make tickets, membership cards and coupons accessible all in one place. According to the translated press release it's out for the Galaxy S 4, Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Note 10.1, Galaxy S II HD LTE, although whether it will be featured in a Gangnam Style 2 video remains unknown.

Update: Commenter Chris posted a pic showing that the app is also live in the US Samsung Apps market, although it looks a bit different and lists more of the Passbook features we were expecting. This may be explained by a post on the Samsung Wallet Partners site, indicating it launched in open beta on the 18th, with support for transportation tickets, membership cards, coupons and event tickets. We checked and it's not showing up on our Note IIs or GS4s yet, but if you have one it may be worth taking a peek at Samsung's app store to see what's waiting inside.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Samsung

Comments

Source: Samsung Korea, Samsung Wallet Partners

IRL is a column about stuff we're using in real life and yes, that sometimes includes neon-green charging cables. It also includes all manner of smartphones, as you know, and this week we've got a short-and-sweet write-up comparing the GS3 and GS4. Is the 4 worth an early upgrade? Not if you ask Jon Fingas, anyway, but that's mostly because he's happy with the camera, performance and LTE radio on last year's model.

Filed under: Misc, Samsung

Comments

A stock GS4 may look virtually indistinguishable from its predecessor, but it looks like Samsung's got a new variant of its flagship phone that'll bring it some much-needed visual flair. The folks at GSM Arena unearthed photos of a GT-I9295 model (allegedly called the GS4 Active) sporting a bright red shell with black inserts at the top and bottom and a trio of physical buttons on its chin. If the results returned by the AnTuTu benchmark are to be believed, the phone's equipped with standard GS4 fixins: a quad-core CPU clocked at 1.9Ghz and an Adreno 320 GPU (aka, a Snapdragon 600 SoC) and a 1920 x 1080 display. Naturally, there's no word on pricing, carrier support or an arrival date, but there are a couple more photos of the handset at the source.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

Comments

Source: GSM Arena

Samsung didn't stray far from its comfort zone when designing the Galaxy S 4, and now a leaked build of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean for the S III makes it even harder to distinguish the older flagship from the newer one. The folks at SamMobile got their mitts on a test firmware build and, better yet, have combed through it to see what's new. As you may know, the S 4 ships with 4.2.2 under a TouchWiz layer, so it's not surprising to hear most of the features new to this S III build are on the S 4 already: an updated version of S Voice, more lock screen options / unlock effects, new display modes, a redesigned settings interface, voice control, and more. SamMobile has put together a video walkthrough of the build (embedded below), and you'll find an expanded changelog and software screenshots at the source link. Apparently, the firmware "works perfectly," so if you'd rather not wait through the (often lengthy) carrier approval process, you can download it for your S III right now (flashing required, of course).

Update: This is for the international model of the GS III (i9300).

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Samsung, Google

Comments

Via: Sammy Hub

Source: SamMobile

On top of yesterday's 4K announcement, Samsung has also given us a quick heads-up on one of the prototype displays it's planning to show off at this year's Display Week event. It's a highly gawp-worthy 3,200 x 1,800 ("WQXGA+") panel destined for 13-inch laptops that insist on taking things further than the Retina MacBook Pro (2,560 x 1,600) or Samsung's Series 9 prototype (2,560 x 1,440, shown above). As an added advantage, the panel is promised to deliver "30 percent greater power-savings" compared to existing LCDs thanks to a reduction in the number of driver circuits as well as more efficient backlight units. Display Week starts today, so we should soon have a first-person account of this unheard-of pixel density straight from Samsung's stall.

Filed under: Displays, Laptops, Samsung

Comments

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Comments

When Samsung unveiled its first 4K Ultra HD TV at CES this year, it said other sizes would follow, both larger and smaller than the initial 85-inch version. Now it's apparently ready to fulfill part of that promise, announcing in Korea that 65- and 55-inch models will launch next month. Of course our next question is how these smaller models will compare to the $39,999 MSRP 85S9 UHD TV in price. Hopefully they'll follow the path blazed by Sony, which recently introduced models at that size with pricing well below the $10,000 benchmark, although we expect Seiki's 50-incher will still hold the crown for value pricing. The press release mentions they will feature Samsung's upgradeable Smart TV platform and the "micro dimming ultimate" LED lighting of their larger cousin, but the odd "Timeless Gallery" frame / stand (pictured above on the 85-incher) was not listed.

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD, Samsung

Comments

Source: Samsung Korea

What you're looking at above is a demo board carrying a next-gen Wolfson WM5110 audio chip for smartphones. This bit of silicon isn't in any market-ready handsets just yet, hence the DIY setup, but given Wolfson's well-cemented partnership with Samsung there's every chance this'll be the audio hub in the next Galaxy S, as well as potentially in other manufacturers' phones coming out in 2014.

One of the WM5110's headline features is the ability to handle high sample rate music tracks at 24-bit and 192KHz, aka "studio master" or "better than CD quality" sound. Such skills are generally reserved for pricey standalone DACs like iRiver's AK100, which allows Wolfson to claim that this is the first implementation for inside a smartphone. We have an ears-on video for you after the break, but it's not much use for judging audio quality -- the event was too noisy even for us to attempt that, so we'll just wait to do another audio round-up in more controlled conditions -- but at least there's some proof of principle. On the other hand, if you're unconvinced as to whether 192KHz is even a worthwhile spec to have in smartphones, then read on to learn about some of the WM5110's other abilities, which have a more practical bent.

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio/Video, Mobile

Comments

Remember Samsung's TecTiles NFC-enabled stickers? Well, much to our dismay, they don't work with the company's flashy new handset, and Galaxy S 4 owners haven't had an alternative to stock up on until today. Samsung's new TecTiles 2, which can perform tasks similar to the smartphone maker's previous-generation product, are now available, priced at $15 for a pack of five. They're compatible with all Samsung NFC-enabled Android smartphones, and offer up a variety of functions, such as muting your device when you tap a tag in the boardroom, or checking you in on Foursquare by touching a TecTile in a restaurant, for example. The small square stickers can now be ordered on Samsung's website -- if you'd prefer to pick them up in store, you'll need to hang tight until June.

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Wireless, Samsung

Comments

Source: Samsung

According to co-CEO JK Shin, Samsung's Galaxy S 4 will soon hit the 10 million mark in sales, less than a month after its debut. That beats the Galaxy S III's time to that mark by nearly three weeks, making it far and away the company's quickest seller, ever. The model will also get another push thanks to a stock Android 4.2 version that'll be available for $649 at Google Play on June 26th. That's a pretty impressive figure, especially considering its bizarre reveal.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

Comments

Via: Android Beat

Source: Korea Times

When Samsung revealed the third iteration of its Galaxy Tab line, it was met with a somewhat underwhelming reception. But the Korean firm's never held back on trying out different shapes and sizes. This makes this latest leak -- of a reported 8-inch Galaxy Tab 3 -- at least plausible, and definitely not surprising. The reported resolution of 1,280 x 800 and that of the 7-inch Tab 3 (1,024 x 600) certainly match the mystery profiles we saw earlier this year. Think it looks just like the Galaxy Note 8.0? You'd mostly be right, barring a few details like a thinner side bezel and the camera / speaker arrangement. SamMobile claims to have the full specification, which includes an all-around boost over the 7-inch version: a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 16GB of on-board storage (expandable up to 64GB) plus 5- and 1.3-megapixel cameras, Bluetooth 4.0 and a 4,450mAh battery. WiFi and 3G versions are mentioned, too, so all your bases should be covered if you really don't want that S pen.

Filed under: Tablets, Samsung

Comments

Source: SamMobile

The state of Fitbit wireless syncing is far from ideal for Android users, but the company's latest step is proof that it's slowly getting better. Today, Fitbit updated its Android app to bring wireless syncing to the Galaxy S 4, which follows a previous update for the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II. According to Fitbit's blog, its difficulty in supporting more devices stems from software differences on various Android smartphones, which causes trouble regardless of whether the device includes Bluetooth 4.0. On the upside, just yesterday, the Bluetooth SIG announced that Android will gain support for Bluetooth Smart Ready and Bluetooth Smart devices in the coming months, which Fitbit reckons will solve much of the compatibility issues that it and other device manufacturers have faced. So, if you have a Galaxy S 4, take the opportunity to get syncing your fitness data today -- it won't be long before other Android devices get to join in the fun.

Filed under: Misc, Software, Mobile

Comments

Source: Fitbit

Despite being officially unveiled at Google I/O, the stock Android version of the Samsung Galaxy S 4 has remained the unicorn of the show, seldom seen by anyone not closely associated with the company's top brass. We ran into Android VP Hugo Barra at the show, who was happy to give us a few brief moments with the upcoming device. There is still a lot of mystery around the $649 phone ahead of its June 26th launch, but we've been able to glean a few additional details nonetheless.

While the model in Hugo's hand was a pre-release model and therefore subject to change between now and the official release, the hardware and overall design are identical to what we'd find on AT&T or T-Mobile's model: it sports a Snapdragon 600 chipset, 13MP camera, 16GB of internal storage, a 1080p display and LTE support (a perk for stock fans who were disappointed that the Nexus 4 came without it). Google isn't officially declaring this a Nexus device (not yet, at least), but the GS4 at least exhibits many of the same qualities, including an unlocked bootloader and the promise of prompt system updates.

The firmware is pristine as well: it's Android 4.2.2 in exactly the same form it would take on a run-of-the-mill Nexus. Samsung's onslaught of smart features -- the S-branding, Air Gestures, special camera modes and the like -- are all absent here, leaving the user with an experience completely untouched by the manufacturer. The phone appears to respond a tad faster without the TouchWiz experience, but we'll need to spend more time with it before coming to any solid conclusions. Sound like the perfect phone for you? Make sure you're in the Google Play Store on June 26th so you can grab one for yourself. In the meantime, enjoy our gallery of images below!

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy S 4 running stock Android at Google I/O

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Samsung, Google

Comments

After being taken to task by the BBC's consumer rights show, Watchdog, Samsung says it's looking into reducing the memory footprint of its TouchWiz features on its flagship Galaxy S 4. A spokesperson told CNET UK that Samsung, "appreciate(s) this issue being raised," and that it is "reviewing the possibility [of] securing more memory space through further software optimization." The 16GB GS4 offers only 9.5GB of space for users to fill, but at least we know it's a possibility: Google announced yesterday that Samsung's Galaxy S 4 will arrive in an entirely vanilla Android guise this June. We've got the full statement from Samsung after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

Comments

Source: CNET UK

Yes, we all know that Android has the prevailing device market share right now, but which companies in that group are actually making money? According to Strategy Analytics' estimates for Q1, it's Samsung... and virtually no one else. With $5.1 billion of Samsung's $7.9 billion operating profit last quarter believed to have come from Android, the Korean firm reportedly accounted for 94.7 percent of Android's hardware profit engine. The only other company that made enough money to stand out was LG, whose $119 million in mobile profits got it to a much smaller 2.5 percent. HTC, Sony, ZTE and the rest were lumped into the ignominious "other" category, at 2.7 percent. The figures don't mean that all other Android manufacturers are floundering, but they do suggest that Samsung is in a much better position to survive any market turbulence.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Google, LG

Comments

Source: Strategy Analytics

Google just dropped a pretty big surprise during its opening day I/O keynote. It's taken the wraps off a new edition of Samsung's Galaxy S 4 that runs stock Android Jelly Bean. The device itself is fully unlocked and packing LTE support for AT&T and T-Mobile, along with 16GB of storage and what Google promises will be prompt system updates. Not surprisingly, this won't quite be the budget-friendly off-contract option that the Nexus 4 is -- the phone will run $649 when it hits Google Play on June 26th.

Gallery: Google I/O 2013: Samsung Galaxy S 4 running Jelly Bean

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Google

Comments

See that package above? That phone-and-case combo could find a home in your hand, thanks to Otterbox. The company, which is well known for its durable cases, has an AT&T-branded Samsung Galaxy S 4 to hand out to one of our lucky readers! Additionally, the grand prize winner -- along with a runner-up -- will receive one Defender case (valued at $50) and one Commuter case (valued at $35) specifically designed for the GS4. The phone is locked and doesn't come with service, so those of you who aren't AT&T fans may need to get creative with it. Hit up the Rafflecopter widget below to enter, and good luck!

Note: Because the GS4 is locked to a US carrier, this week's giveaway is unfortunately limited to our US readers. We should have some Canadian and UK giveaways coming up in the near future, however, so stay tuned!

Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile, Alt, Samsung

Comments

If you've been following the trends, Gartner's mobile phone market figures for the first quarter of 2013 won't surprise. The research firm estimates that Android was on 74.4 percent of all smartphones sold in the period, with Samsung the key beneficiary of such dominance. While the Korean behemoth doesn't release solid sales figures, Gartner believes its market-flooding strategy has paid off, topping the league with 30.8 percent market share -- Apple has a firm grip on second place, with 18.2 percent, which is well ahead of LG, which has 4.8 percent. Samsung is also king of the mobile phone space, owning 23.6 percent of the market, ahead of Nokia, which has fallen to 14.8 percent share. Gartner's research also found that feature phone sales are slowing, so we guess that it's only a matter of time before the humble candybar goes the way of the netbook.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, Samsung, Nokia, LG

Comments

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Gartner

Disappoined that Verizon wasn't going to offer its variant of the Galaxy S 4 until May 30th? You're in for an unexpected treat: Big Red has just moved up the launch by a full week, to May 23rd. The $200 contract price remains the same, but we won't complain much when Samsung's quad-core flagship should now arrive ahead of the long weekend. It looks like those supply issues weren't quite so bad as some thought.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Verizon

Comments

Source: Verizon

Proving rumors correct, Amazon just purchased Liquavista, the touchscreen company previously owned by Samsung. This news comes from The Digital Reader, which discovered the acquisition via new filings from the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (Amazon also confirmed the news). That's about it as far as details go, but it's safe to assume that Amazon will employ Liquavista's low-power color e-paper technology for its Kindle lineup.

Filed under: Samsung, Amazon

Comments

Via: Business Insider

Source: The Digital Reader

Samsung's Galaxy S 4 Active -- a dust and waterproof version of the company's flagship -- is currently just a rumor, but documentation has started popping up online to lend some corroboration. A handset going by the handle GT-I9295, which SamMobile has linked to the S 4 Active, has shown up in a Bluetooth SIG filing. Furthermore, a user agent profile for the same model lists the display resolution as 1080p, matching that of the standard GS4. With all these small clues pointing in the same direction, the existence of an S 4 for outdoorsy types is starting to look more like a dead cert.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

Comments

Via: TechTastic, Mobileaks

Source: Bluetooth Special Interest Group