Android 4.3 update for Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play edition prevents apps from writing to microSD card

The Google Play edition of the Samsung Galaxy S4 has just received its update to Android 4.3. But along with the update comes a problem that is affecting users' handsets. It seems that for some reason, the update to Android 4.3 brings with it a bug that prevents apps from writing to a microSD card. Any attempt to do so results in an error message. The reason for this is that the apps are not seen as in the right group to be able to write on the card. Hopefully, this will soon be corrected.

In the meantime, you can go to the Google Play Store and install ES FileExplorer which happens to be in the right group for writing to and reading from a microSD card. If your phone is rooted, you can get into the files and make the appropriate fix yourself directly on the phone, or from your PC. In basic terms, you are telling your phone that it is ok to give permission to the media-rw group to write to the microSD card. Once you get into the /system/etc/permissions/platform.xml file, you need to focus on line 71. Check the photo below. All you are doing is adding that permission.

If you don't want to root your phone or you're worried about bricking it, you can always stick to ES File Explorer. And hopefully, a fix will be sent out soon.

You can edit your phone to allow apps to write on a microSD card

CM10.1 Android 4.2.2 for the Samsung Galaxy S4 full review

The Google Play Edition Samsung Galaxy S4 offers a pure stock Android experience with no catch. You have no carrier bloatware, and direct updates from Google without any middle man involved. With that said, the handset is pricey, ranging in prices of up to $630. If you purchase on a subsidy, you can find the S4 for $99 at local retailers. So why not purchase the TouchWiz version and install stock Android yourself? With a bit of persistence, you very well could.

CyanogenMod (better known as CM) has held the crown as top Android rom for a few years now. With every new update comes a new build of CM, the latest being CM10.2, which utilizes 4.3. Our recommendation would be to hold off on 4.3 until it is a bit more user friendly as a daily driver. We have tested it for a few days now and have concluded that CM10.1 is far more stable as a daily driver. So what does CM10 offer that the Google Play Edition build does not?

Customization’s, and plenty of them. From the notification bar, to the quick settings, all the way down to the scaling of icons on the home screen, everything has the ability to be customized. After reverting back to the Google Edition 4.3, we found ourselves bored with the lack of any true customization’s. CyanogenMod has taken an already superb experience and made it that much better.

You have various lock screen shortcuts that you can add or remove. There are options to add toggles to the notification center, making the use of a power widget obsolete. App drawer options allow you to remove the blue indicator below the apps, or remove the secondary widgets drawer. You have the option to adjust system settings such as the power menu, and can even alter the way your LED light reacts to notifications.

Personally, I am not a fan of haptic feedback on the capacitive buttons of my phone. CM10.1 allows you to disable it. You can also enable a flashlight within the toggles in the notification bar, which makes for easy access if you’re stuck in a cave with wild blood thirsty bats. Aside from an extreme example like that one, there are a multitude of reasons why these various customization’s come to good use.

Did we mention that it’s also blazing fast? If you thought stock Android was fast on your S4, wait until you use this beast. The transitions are instant and multi-tasking allows you close out of all apps at once (not available on stock). We ran tests showcasing the speed in which we can open and close apps, and it was literally functioning faster than our touch. Just an absolute screamer and no doubt the fastest iteration of Android we’ve used to date.

Stock Android only allows for a row of 4 icons vertically. Without ever having to download a third party browser, CM’s trebuchet launcher allows you to change the amount of home screen icons per row. You can also add more dock icons. One of my good friend prefers to have 6 icons in his dock, and with CM10, it’s possible.

Theme’s are also a unique aspect of CyanogenMod. You can download free themes from the Play Store that alter the entirety of the OS. There are TouchWiz, Sense, and LG themes. You also have the more simple themes like blue, red, or black. They change the look of the dial pad, messaging application, notification bar and quick settings panel, and more. There are plenty available so check them out, do some trial and error, and pick the one you like the best.

We definitely recommend CM10.1 Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 for the Samsung Galaxy S4. We have always been fans of CyanogenMod team’s effort into creating the best iteration of stock Android. They have taken an already solid build and created an even better user experience. You can find CM10.1 for your respective S4 carrier at XDA-Developers

Where is Samsung Galaxy S4 Active?

Samsung launched multiple phones under their galaxy S4 moniker, each with different functions and targeted at a niche audience. While Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini and Zoom  have already been launched in India, there’s still no sign of the rugged Samsung Galaxy S4 Active. 

The rugged variant of Samsung Galaxy S4 was expected to launch in Summer in the US and in the third quarter in Asia. The phone is already available internationally though there’s still no word on the Indian launch. 
The phone, which is said to compete against the current Sony Xperia Z and ZR series of waterproof and dust-proof phones is an impressive device. Samsung veered away from the traditional design after long with the launch of Samsung Galaxy S4 Active. Admittedly, the change was to accommodate the ruggedness, but the phone is definitely a sight for sore eyes. However, the design change is more of a necessity than Samsung’s want to provide exasperated customers with a new design.

The phone, though coming with the Samsung Galaxy S4 moniker does not confirm to all features and specifications of the elder sibling. Samsung Galaxy S4 Active gets a downgrade when it comes to the screen quality. Unlike Samsung Galaxy S4’s S-AMOLED screen, Samsung Galaxy S4 Active comes with an LCD display. The screen size is the same at 5-inches with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. 


On the processor front, Samsung Galaxy S4 Active comes with Quad-core 1.9 GHz Krait 300 processor. There’s no octa-core variant  to the phone. The internal memory variants and the RAM is the same at 16 GB (MicroSD card to 64 GB) and 2 GB RAM. 

Samsung has also downgraded the camera to 8 MP. However, the phone can click pictures under water and even comes with an ‘Aqua’ mode which improves visibility and screen brightness under the water. The phone comes with a single LED flash. The video-calling camera comes with 2 MP resolution. The phones with all the software features of Samsung Galaxy S4

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active comes with 2600 mAh battery and runs on the latest Jelly Bean Android version, 4.2.2. The phone is slightly thicker and heavier than Samsung Galaxy S4 at 151 grams. The phone will be available in three colours: Urban Grey, Dive Blue and Orange Flare. 

The phone is expected to be priced the same as Samsung Galaxy S4 or in a similar range. Samsung Galaxy S4 Active will definitely be a premium device but we wonder if the company will even plan a launch in India soon.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

Samsung Galaxy S4 vs LG G2: by the numbers

LG just recently announced the successor to the Optimus G, the G2. Compared to the Galaxy S4, it’s quite an increase in power, hardware wise, but just what’s changed? Find out in our “by the numbers” comparison.

0.21-inches

Is the difference in screen size between the Galaxy S4 and LG G2. The G2 comes in at 5.2-inches, a whole 0.21-inches larger than the Galaxy S4′s 4.99-inch screen.

17ppi

The Samsung Galaxy S4 has 14 more ppi than the LG G2, with a total of 441ppi. The newer, LG G2 sports a pixel density of 424. There isn’t much of a noticeable difference here, the screens both look beautiful, and text is as sharp as ever. Pixel density isn’t the only thing that makes for a beautiful screen, though.

The G2 has a Full HD IPS display capable of 1080p resolution while the Galaxy S4 boasts of a Super AMOLED display, also capable of 1080p resolution.

Additionally, while both are 1080p displays, LG claims that their usage of IPS-LCD technology is superior, and that their display offers more subpixels than the display on the Galaxy S4, as seen in the image above.

396MHz

The LG G2 sports a Snapdragon 800 quad-core CPU, clocked at an impressive 2.26GHz. That’s 396MHz more than the Galaxy S4′s Snapdragon 600 processor, clocked at 1.9GHz. It’s a pretty impressive speed boost.

400 mAh

The LG G2 boasts of a 3,000 mAh battery, which is a whole 400 milliamp hours more than the Galaxy S4′s 2,600 mAh removable unit. Really, you shouldn’t notice much of a difference between the two. After all, the G2 has a larger display, and has a higher clock speed so it’s easy to see why LG opted for more power to run that beefy Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad core processor and large, 5.2″ 1080p display.

0 megapixels

There’s no difference between the LG G2 and Galaxy S4 in terms of megapixels. There’s likely a few differences in  the software that controls the optics, but beyond that, everything is pretty much the same. From everything we can see, it appears that it’s the same Sony image 13MP image sensor contained in both.

On the other hand, most of the differences lie in the software(e.g. Samsung’s fully featured camera mode suite). LG’s G2 probably has a few things similar to Samsung’s camera modes given the few similarities already, so either way, you can expect to have a good camera experience.

Adreno 320 vs Adreno 330

It’s very important to note that devices with a Snapdragon 800 SoC on board are also packing what many consider to be one of the finest mobile GPU’s available today – the Adreno 330. What makes it notable and impressive is that it offers performance increases in the range of 35-50%, which is substantial. Even by today’s standards the Adreno 320 is impressive, but the Adreno 330 just brings so much more. With the G2 packing the Adreno 330 and a Snapdragon 800, it’s a no brainer as to which device is superior here.

0 GB

There’s no differences in RAM. Both the LG G2 and Samsung Galaxy S4 feature 2GB of RAM, making multitasking and overall speed of the device as smooth as can be.
Overall, the LG G2 is pretty impressive upgrade over the Galaxy S4, especially that quad core Snapdragon 800 processor.

Make no mistake, friends. Both the Samsung Galaxy S4 and LG G2 are at the absolute top end of the spectrum. Do you think LG pushed things too far in choosing a 5.2 inch display? Any thoughts on the button placement? What do you think about the LG G2 so far? Are you interested? What do you like and dislike about the device? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

- See more at: http://www.androidauthority.com/galaxy-s4-vs-lg-g2-by-the-numbers-254514/#sthash.Tcb0kEQ5.dpuf

Samsung Galaxy S4 Android 4.3 update stops SD card storage

Sometimes the little things can cause a big headache

The Android 4.3 update for your shiny new Galaxy S4 Google Play editionphone has a minor issue that is frustrating more than a few users. Most apps can no longer write anything to the SD card, and instead just give you an error when you try doing it.

It's one of those little things that can cause a lot of headache. The technical reasons are a group ID issue, and applications aren't given permission to access the external storage for writing because they aren't in the right group. It's a Unix thing, and if you don't understand it all you're not alone — just know that it's an easy fix in a number of different ways, and hopefully it gets fixed soon. If you do understand, we'll cover it a little more later in this post.

While we're waiting for a permanent fix, the good news is that you can copy files to the external SD card by hand, as long as you use ES File Explorer to do so. Either through magic, or crafty developing, ES File Explorer is a member of the correct group to both read and write to the SD card. There may be other apps that can do the same, but we'll recommend this one because we've tested it ourselves and know it works. Grab it at from the Google Play download link above. If you're the type who likes to dig into things and break fix them yourself, or just a little nerdy and curious, head past the break.

Discuss this in the Galaxy S4 Google Play edition forums

Thanks, Michael!

As mentioned before, there's a bug where applications aren't a member of the correct group to write to the SD card. Maybe Google and Samsung meant it to be this way and application developers will need to adjust, or maybe it got overlooked, but for now you can fix it yourself if you're rooted and confident.

See the image above? That's the /system/etc/permissions/platform.xml file. Line 71, the highlighted one, is what you need to add to allow apps to write to the SD card. You can edit this file right on your phone, or pull it to your computer for editing then push it back. Either way, you need to be rooted to fix it. All you are doing is telling the system that the media_rw group is also allowed to write to the SD card. It's very likely this is how it was supposed to work, but it just got overlooked in the rush to get 4.3 out the door.

If you don't want to root your phone — that was one of the big draws of the Google Play edition devices in the first place — stick with ES File Explorer for now. Hopefully this gets sorted soon!