samsung galaxy s4

Sunday, 16 June 2013

The Galaxy S4 is Samsung's largest Galaxy S smartphone yet, with a whopping 5in 1080p HD display. It's great for playing games, watching video, and browsing the web. However, sometimes a 5in screen size doesn't cut it, especially when you've got a 60in HDTV sitting right in front of you. Luckily, there are two good ways to connect the Galaxy S4 to your TV, and we've outlined each of them for you right here.

MHL adapter

The most fool-proof way to hook an S4 handset up to most HDTVs is with an MHL adapter, which allows you to mirror everything you see on your phone's screen on your television set. You can bag an official adapter from Samsung online for around the £30 mark, or you can shop around for a no-name part that's a heck of a lot cheaper.

The advantages to using MHL are crisp stereo sound and an uninterrupted video connection. The downside is that most cables are short, and you'll probably need to get up every time you want to change what's playing.

To set it up, you'll need the MHL-to-HDMI adapter, as well as an HDMI cable (obviously enough). Remember, the longer the cable, the longer the reach you'll have from your phone to your television. The MHL adapter plugs into your phone's microUSB port, and you need to connect your phone's wall charger to the port on the side of the MHL adapter.

Then plug the charger into the wall, connect your HDMI cable to the adapter, and plug the other end into a free port on your television. To get the best audio quality, pull up the Settings menu on your phone, then navigate to My Device, Accessory, hit Audio Output, and select Surround.

Samsung HDTVs, Blu-ray players, and AllShare Cast Wireless Hub

You may have noticed an option for Screen mirroring if you've already spent some time exploring the Settings menus on your Galaxy S4. There are a couple of ways to do this.

The biggest advantage to wireless mirroring is the freedom to move around with your phone while still sharing your content on the big screen. This is especially helpful if you're gaming, or even if you're just browsing through a bunch of YouTube videos with some friends. The downside is that video and audio can sometimes cut out, and audio has a tendency to lag. It's also a lot more expensive to set up if you don't already have a compatible device.

The first, easiest way to use wireless mirroring with your Galaxy S4 is if you have a compatible 2013 smart TV from Samsung. You can also use a Samsung Blu-ray player with AllShare Cast such as the BD-F7500.

You may not have either of these, but the good news is that you can buy Samsung’s AllShare Cast Wireless Hub which allows you to turn any HDTV into an additional display for your phone (you should be able to grab it online for a reasonable price – Handtec has it at £48 as of the publication of this article). Note that this also works with phones like the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note 2, as well as tablets like the Galaxy Note 10.1.

To connect wirelessly, go to your phone's Settings, then tap on Connections, then Screen mirroring. Turn mirroring on, and your compatible HDTV, Blu-ray player, or AllShare Hub should appear in the device list. Choose your device and mirroring will begin automatically.

Samsung defends lack of free storage space on Galaxy S4

Got a problem with the Samsung Galaxy S4? If you're one of the many complaining that your 16GB version of Samsung's flagship smartphone isn't quite as empty as you were hoping, Samsung has a suggestion for you: Deal with it.

We paraphrase, of course.

The issue at hand surrounds the sheer footprint that the Android operating system and other assorted software takes up on Samsung's mobile device. On the 16GB iteration of Samsung's flagship phone, just under 7GB are already spoken for by the time a new purchaser fires up the device for the first time. According to CNET's Luke Westaway, that leaves a mere 8.49GB of room for apps, media, and the lot – nearly half the total storage space of the 16GB S4.

Samsung's response?

"For the Galaxy S4 16GB model, approximately 6.85GB occupies [the] system part of internal memory, which is 1GB bigger than that of the Galaxy S3, in order to provide [a] high resolution display and more powerful features to our consumers," said the company in a statement sent over to CNET.

The problem? You can't move apps to the device's Micro SD card with the devices' stock firmwares - a manufacturer decision that's plagued devices like Samsung's Galaxy S3 and S4 phones, the Galaxy Note 2, and the Galaxy Tab 2, to name a few. While that doesn't much matter for those looking to fill their MicroSD cards with videos, pictures, and music, it does mean that downloading one decently sized Android game or two – if they eat up one or more gigabytes of space, like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City's 1.4GB installation — will leave a user hurting for free space after a fairly short time.

Rooting one's phone is a way to get around the manufacturer-set limitations on app transfers to the MicroSD card, but doing so voids the warranty of one's device and potentially puts a less-than-knowledgeable user in the unfortunate position of bricking his or her device in order to unlock administrator-like access.

We've previously reported on other devices – like Microsoft's Surface Pro tablet – that fill up a decent chunk of the device's total storage capacity with essential software. In the case of the tablet, the Surface Pro comes with roughly 32GB or so of free space on the 64GB version of the tablet, whereas the 128GB version of the tablet gives users around 96GB to play with.

In other words, buyer beware for those who pick up the devices with the smallest-possible storage; you might be a little surprised at how little you actually have to work with versus what you expected!

Samsung Galaxy S4 hits 10 million sales milestone

Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy S4 is its fastest-selling smartphone.

Since its launch on 26 April, the South Korean electronics giant has shifted over 10 million units of its flagship device; a feat that has surpassed the sales performance of the S3.

"On behalf of Samsung, I would like to thank the millions of customers around the world who have chosen the Samsung Galaxy S4," said J K Shin, CEO of IT and mobile communications at Samsung. "At Samsung we'll continue to pursue innovation inspired by and for people."

The S3 is Samsung's former best-seller, having taken 50 days to reach the 10 million mark. Samsung has now flogged well over 40 million Galaxy S3s.

Around a week ago, it was reported that six million Galaxy S4s had been sold and it was predicted that sales figures would break 10,000 by the end of this month.

How to hook up your Samsung Galaxy S4 to an HDTV

MHL adapter

Samsung HDTVs, Blu-ray players, and AllShare Cast Wireless Hub

You may have noticed an option for Screen mirroring if you've already spent some time exploring the Settings menus on your Galaxy S4. There are a couple of ways to do this.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom Misses The Big Picture

The Galaxy S4 Zoom is Samsung's latest attempt to woo mobile photographers, offering a 10x zoom lens and dedicated shutter button.

Samsung turned the heads of camera geeks and tech journalists last week when it announced the Galaxy S4 Zoom, an Android-powered 16MP phone with a 10x optical zoom lens. If you’ve ever tried the digital zoom feature on your smartphone, only to end up with a pixelated mess, then you get this camera’s appeal right away. Indeed, until camera makers finally came to terms with the smartphone’s destruction of the point-and-shoot camera market, they insisted that a compelling advantage of the compact camera was the ability to zoom the lens.

But while the S4 Zoom would have been a great move in the US market a few years ago (Japanese consumers had access to camera/phone hybrids with optical zooms years ago) this approach represents a critical misunderstanding of what today’s photo-centric consumer really desires from their camera-that’s-always-with-me.

First though, let’s give credit where credit is due. You can look at the S4 Zoom as an unquestioned design success for Samsung if you’re comparing it to their Galaxy Camera. This 21x zoom device, released last year, marries compact camera performance with an Android OS, stripping out the phone functionality. Unfortunately, it is bulkier than a Micro Four Thirds interchangeable lens camera like the Olympus PEN E-PM 2, whose image quality and performance is not too far shy of a DSLR.

In that context, the S4 Zoom is a dramatically slimmed down, full-featured phone/camera hybrid. A zoom ring and physical shutter button that actually’s designed to be used as one, have obvious ergonomic benefits for shooters.

But simply sticking the sculpted front of a conventional compact camera onto the back of a smartphone ignores a crucial reality. If you’re serious enough about your photography to even consider a bulkier device like the S4 Zoom, you’re probably frustrated by the limited dynamic range and poor low light performance of a smartphone as much, if not more, than the inability to zoom.

All else being equal, the way to improve dynamic range, so that more highlight and shadow details are captured, and reduce image noise at high ISO values, is by using a larger sensor with greater light gathering ability. Adding a zoom lens addresses neither of these issues. It simply makes the smartphone more appealing than an entry-level compact camera. And frankly, that’s a battle that’s already been won.

There’s real opportunity in the market for a device that delivers significantlybetter performance than a $300 compact camera but has seamless options for image sharing. Wi-Fi functionality is becoming commonplace on mid-range interchangeable lens cameras, but in most cases the images have to be sent to a smartphone or tablet before you can share them across your social feeds. Pair dynamic range and low light improvements with social media ease in a device roughly the size of the S4 Zoom and you’ve redefined the concept of a smartphone.

And finally, let’s go back to the S4′s headline feature. Is a zoom lens even necessary for photo enthusiasts? Next month, Nokia is set to announce what’s certain to be its second generation ultra-high resolution device with a much larger than typical image sensor. This will be the followup to the Finnish company’s groundbreaking 41MP 808 PureView phone. An image file of the 808′s size and pixel count makes best sense as the starting point for a scene to be cropped to the desired field of view. This can be thought of as a sensor-based zoom. And that’s exactly the notion that Nokia is playing up with the “Zoom. Reinvented” tagline on their recent press invite. With the 808, you effectively got almost a 4x zoom via oversampling technology. Not travelzoom territory perhaps, but this does point a way forward for high quality image zoom that minimizes the trade-off in physical bulk.

The S4 Zoom may be proof that we can have a smartphone that’s every bit as good as a compact camera. What photo enthusiasts are really waiting for, however, is a smartphone that makes the very premise of a compact camera obsolete.

Galaxy S4 RokDock by Rokform [Review]

Docking stations for our devices serve many purposes in life. Mainly they give you the chance to charge, transfer and prop up your device all in one neat little package. Most are inexpensive and made from plastic. Some offer the ability to connect to your TV for streaming content tot he big screen. Others are made for your vehicles for driving and being able to use your GPS and have easy access to voice controls and driving mode. While others, like the RockDock byRokForm, are made to look amazing and be fairly stationary on your desk.

The RokDock is one heavy-duty accessory. Unlike the traditional plastic docks, this one is crafted out of just over 3 pounds of aircraft grade aluminum. The final product is a solid 3 pounds of weighted docking goodness. You don’t have to have any fears of your device falling over and in a pinch, you could use it as a weapon and do some serious damage.

Whats in the Box

RokDock for Samsung Galaxy S2/S3/S4
Charging cable
Start Tool
Instructions

The RokDock is composed of 5 components. The adjustable backstop, the interlocking top, the main base, the bottom plate and charging cord. They should have added “Some Assembly Required” to the box, as you will need to take the dock apart to get it set up for use. It only takes a few minutes to do and isn’t really a big deal. Once assembled you will have a slick-looking dock that comes in various color preferences to accent your work or home environment. Rather than explain the install process, I did a short video of it when I received it.

The entire dock measures in at 4.06 in x 3.93 in x 3.53 in. The top slot for your phone to sit in is wide enough for a Galaxy S2, Galaxy S3 and the new Galaxy S4. It should also fit any similar sized devices that have a bottom center charging port. The adjustable back plate offers something that some docks don’t. the ability to slightly adjust the viewing angle as well as make room for most cases to be used without removing them. On the bottom of the dock there are 4 rubberized pads to prevent sliding and damaging of precious surfaces. The front of the dock has a grooved canal that lets you get to the home button on the S3 and S4, but the channel is only wide enough to access that button. If you want to hit the menu or back button, you will need to pull the device out.

What we liked about the RokDock

The solid construction and design is definitely what won us over on this dock. With all parts, minus the adjustable rear plate, being made from aluminum being the biggest selling point. Not to mention the 6 various color choices. The slot size to accommodate the use of various Galaxy phones and cases is a nice touch. Leaving it open for current owners of the Galaxyseries to use their device and be safe when they upgrade.

What we don’t like about the RokDock

While style and design are stellar, it does have some fairly annoying and potentially irritating flaws. The canal to hit the home button is nice, but with out easy access to the menu and back buttons on the S3 or S4 it makes navigating around the device while docked a pain. It is more a “Click it and forget it” type of dock. Assembly is fairly simple and doesn’t take a genius to figure out how to do it, and they give you instructions anyways. However, if you are a case changing style of person, you will find yourself taking it apart to adjust the plug regularly for each case. If you don’t then you could have some wobble and risk damaging your port on your phone.

How we have been using the RokDock

We originally used it at our desk to charge up our S3/S4 devices and to transfer files. Having plenty of emails, chats, texts and calls coming through has since moved its location away from the desk. It seemed silly to keep pulling out or phone and putting it back in. It now sits bedside for night-time charging and easy viewing for alarms.

What could be changed

One thing we like to do is recommend ways to change a product to make it better serve users. In the case of the RokDock, there are a few things that would take this dock from cool to exceptional. Obviously flatten out the front top to be lower so you can access all your buttons without having to pull out the device. Next, I would really like to see the phone dock section widened and the sides removed. A quick adjustment of the adjustable back plate could easily cover the charger and allow you to switch your device to landscape and not be plugged in. This might seem trivial to some, but vertical only option docks are troublesome for watching movies and other various tasks. Additionally, if the dock part was widened, you could also use it for the smaller Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 and upcoming Tab 3. Not to charge of course, but to prop it up for viewing.

Overall

If you are looking for a charging dock that has style, flair, looks great, then the RokDock accomplishes that. If you are an habitual phone junkie and are constantly grabbing your phone for something, I don’t think this dock would work in your favor. As I stated, I have since moved the dock to my room next to my bed to charge my device overnight and easily let me see the time and swipe away the alarm. For this purpose, it is pretty great since the dock is 3 pounds and the chances of me knocking it over are very slim.

The RokDock is available via RokForms website for $99.99. They are made in the U.S.A., so that is a definite perk.

Samsung Desktop Dock with the Galaxy S4

Samsung Multimedia Desktop Dock with Travel Adapter
Buy Now $44.95

One of our favorite features of the Samsung Galaxy S4 is that it's essentially the same size as its predecessor, and so a number of accessories released for the Galaxy S3 work with the newer version as well.

That brings us to what you see here -- the Samsung Multimedia Desktop Dock. It's a pretty basic deal -- plop your Galaxy S4 into it and it'll automatically switch to Desktop mode. Plug in with a microUSB cable and you'll charge the phone at the same time. And use the optional 3.5mm line out to play music while the phone's docked.

This thing's pretty portable as well, with the dock section flipping down into itself for easy travel. And perhaps most important, you can get it fairly cheap since technically it's "last year's" dock.

We've got a handful of pics after the break. Give 'em a gander.